Harvest timing of winter wheat to maximize yield and minimize elevator discounts

Shawn Conley, State Soybean and Small Grains Specialist John Gaska, Senior Outreach Specialist, Adam Roth, Program Manager

A research trial was initiated in the fall of 2017 at the Arlington Agricultural Research Station, Arlington, WI to assess the impact of delayed grain harvest on yield and test weight in soft red winter wheat. Here is the report.

  • Wheat yields varied across harvest dates with no apparent trend
  • We noted lower test weights in later harvest dates, but it was not a linear trend
  • The difference in total pricing discount between the early harvest and late harvest date was negligible
  • Elevator discounts were affected mainly by moisture on the first date and solely on test weight on the last date
  • By the second harvest date, moisture discounts were very low or zero and any further discounts came from lower test weights

Click here to read the 4 page report.