Winter Wheat Survival in Dry Dirt - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

Winter wheat acres hit a record in 2011--more than 700 thousand acres were planted in North Dakota last year.

Last fall those seeds were planted into wet soil, this year's it's a different story.

One expert estimates winter wheat acres will range between 300 and 400 thousand.

And as Ag Reporter Sarah Gustin, explains many farmers are now worried about those kernels sitting in dry soil.

(Sarah Gustin / sgustin@kxnet.com) "It's one of the latest and largest concerns in the farming industry. Will these winter wheat kernels that were seeded into dry soil survive?"

(Steve Dvorak / DU Agronomist) "I would say most people in the drier areas are still waiting for that moisture event that is a significant amount to get it established and started and ready for the upcoming winter."

Ducks Unlimited Agronomist Steve Dvorak, who specializes in winter wheat, says while most winter wheat acres were seeded last month, drills are still rolling in the northern part of the state.

He says some producers will probably seed into the middle of October.

But, many producers are concerned about planting into a dry soil bed.

(Steve Dvorak / DU Agronomist) "Most of the winter wheat that was seeded in September went into dry soil. And so, until prior to the rain last week it didn't do anything. In those areas that got rain it's sprouting, we are seeing emergence in some areas where we had some marginal moisture prior to that. but, it's perking up and coming on."

Dvorak says it's too early to decide which fields will pop up and grow next spring and those whose livelihood is in jeopardy.

(Steve Dvorak / DU Agronomist) "The biggest concern are on those fringe areas that got say a tenth or fifteen hundredths and got enough moisture at the seed level to get it started to cause it to sprout, but if we get a lot of windy and dry conditions again and it dry's it back out, it could desiccate that young seedling before it establishes and of course then we lost viability."

Dvorak says some tips for increasing your crop's survival rate when seeding into dry soil are increasing seeding rates, decreasing your seeding depth to only 3/4th to one inch, and adding a starter fertilizer.

Last year's total of more than 700 thousand winter wheat acres was the highest number on record in North Dakota in 25 years.