In this third session on March 1, 2021, MSU Extension wheat specialist Dennis Pennington focuses on "Improving Wheat Production Income." Even though commodity prices have rebounded recently, it is still important to understand your production cost and make management decisions accordingly. Higher prices should not be used as justification to increase input costs. This should be a time where costs are held so that improvement to cash flow can be made and short-term debt can be reduced. Each input should be evaluated from an economic potential, not just as yield potential. Trying new practices that you normally would not, such as double cropping or interseeding soybeans with wheat, should not be tried as a way to make more money. It only increases risk.

This presentation will also focus on the value of keeping wheat in the crop rotation. A more diverse crop rotation with winter wheat has been found to reduce nitrogen (N) requirements, improve nutrient use efficiency, increase organic matter levels and improve soil structure. Including winter wheat in the crop rotation has been an effective tool for managing weed, disease and insect pests, providing new management opportunities such as cover crops and spreading the workload. Also, adding wheat to the rotation increases corn and soybean yields. More details will be shared on this webinar.