growing winter wheat

Every area is different when it comes to soil types and nutrient contents in soil. Soil sampling and testing can show you the plant available nutrients and other soil chemical factors important for winter wheat production.

Nutrient levels in soil also vary from year to year, so it is important to perform soil sampling and testing prior to planting any new crop. It is important for farmers to follow certain recommended steps for soil sampling and testing to develop a fertility management program.

To ensure accurate results, standards must be set for performing soil sampling and testing. Here are some guidelines set out by Alberta Agriculture:

• Begin by evaluating each field to determine representative areas
• Major areas within fields that have distinctly different soil properties, such as texture, should be sampled and fertilized as separate fields because of the potential for different nutrient requirements
• Samples should be taken at 0.6, 6 to 12, and 12 to 24 inch depths from 15 to 20 locations within each field
• Each depth should be bulked into composite samples, air dried, and sent to a reputable soil testing lab