Needs to be timely
Seed winter wheat when the danger of APHID and HESSIAN FLY infestation is past
Don't plant winter wheat too late
- Want the plants to establish at least 3 to 4 good leaves and a good root system before freeze-up
Spring wheat planting date - plant early, but don't work the soil when wet

ROW SPACING

Most grain drills seed in 6" or 7" row widths
Narrower row widths have been investigated for several small grains
Grain yields may be increased 5 to 10% when 3" to 4" row widths are used

PLANT DENSITY

Traditionally, seeding rates have been expressed in bu/a, but this is not very precise because seed #/bu varies considerably according to VARIETY and ENVIRONMENT

Recommendations are now being made on the basis of seed #/sq ft

Most common seeding rates: 25-40 seeds/ft²

Seeding rate is influence by several factors:

Probability of snow cover: Heavier rates often used on fields that may lack adequate snow cover
Winter hardiness of varieties: Winter tender varieties often seeded at higher rates than winter hardy varieties
Later planting dates - increase seeding rate

SEEDING DEPTH

Plant 1 to 1 1/2" if soil moisture is good
Plant slightly deeper (1 1/2 to 2") if topsoil is dry
Mesocotyl

Planting equipment

The best grain drills have double-disc openers and press (firming) wheels.
These ensure uniform depth and good soil-seed contact, and promote RAPID GERMINATION and UNIFORM STANDS

Tramlines

Tramlines are unseeded tracks through a field that are used to facilitate spraying or spreading of CHEMICALS and FERTILIZER without damaging the standing crop

Created by blocking drill openers that correspond to width of the tracks of sprayer tractor

Advantages of tramlines

Eliminate wheel damaged plants which are more easily infected by diseases
Border plants next to the tracks produce more grain and compensate for no plants in the tracks
Tracks may be more compacted and dry faster than the remainder of the field, permitting timely application of chemicals and fertilizer