The 2025 winter wheat season is off to a good start. Favorable weather conditions in the fall allowed for well-timed planting before wetter conditions set in later in the season. Around 1.1 million acres of winter wheat were planted, a number that has increased year over year. The crop has shown  good emergence.
 
Winter has also been kind to the crop so far. The amount of snow that has fallen in Ontario has provided good insulation, and cold temperatures have helped protect the wheat crop. This season’s snowfall has been consistent, blanketing the crops as opposed to being exposed to freeze-and-thaw cycles. Nic Walby, Assistant Manager at P&H, shares what’s next for winter wheat.
 
Spring priority: crop scouting
With spring around the corner, the most important step  is to book a crop scouting appointment with your local P&H. Our team can help evaluate the health of your winter wheat. As the snow melts and the water recedes, it is critical to get onto the field and assess the stand. Around this time, the crop breaks dormancy, also referred to as the greenup. Here are the things to note when assessing your winter wheat stand:

Evaluate the condition of the winter wheat crop. The first thing to do is count the number of plants per row—16 to 18 being the ideal number—to ensure the crop is doing well thus far. Check if they have a tiller on them and see that the crop stand is consistent. If there are downwards of 10 to 15 plants per row, you may need to consider whether or not to keep the stand based on market prices.

Check for disease and nutrient deficiencies. These pressures and deficiencies may depend on temperature and soil type. Any issues may be addressed during the next fungicide application. After your initial stand assessment, take another look at your field in about a week or two to check for septoria and powdery mildew.

Assess the conditions of your field. Are there any bare spots or drowned-out spots on your field? There has been a significant amount of snow cover this season, which may pose issues if the snow melts inconsistently or there is poor drainage. If water sits for more than three days without being taken away, there will be dead spots in the field. Your local P&H may be able to use a drone to take an aerial view of your field to monitor for trouble spots.

Next steps after crop scouting

A key step after the stand assessment is the timing of a nitrogen application. A typical winter wheat goal is about 60 heads per square foot. If you have a weaker stand or one tiller, it is imperative to speed up your nitrogen application timing and prioritize that field. If you have too many tillers to match up with the 60 heads per square foot goal, delaying nitrogen application will allow some of the tillers can burn off.

Nitrogen and sulphur application will also depend on the type of wheat crop. For soft red wheat, nitrogen and sulphur should be applied at once. A split application on soft red wheat runs the risk of high protein. For hard red wheat, a split application is best to boost the yield and protein content. This can look like a two-time application (nitrogen and sulphur on the first pass, and then nitrogen on the second pass), or a three-time application (sulphur, sulphur, then nitrogen), depending on the initial assessment of the winter wheat stand.

Ensuring a healthy crop and a great yield

As the winter wheat has greened up, make sure that the fields are clean for weeds. Fungicides should also be applied at least twice to protect the crops.

This year’s winter wheat has done well thus far, from good planting conditions, to even emergence. There is a really good opportunity this year for a great wheat crop, so crop scouting and applying the right inputs will go a long way in achieving this goal. Book your winter wheat assessment today at your local P&H