Wheat has been around for 1,000 of years. Some wheat has been planted in Kleberg County for 15-20 years but more has been planted in past few years for harvest and as a good conservation rotation crop.

The farmers are in the process of harvesting their crop with some good yields reported.

Wheat is an excellent conservation crop.

Being planted in December, wheat is growing and has the soil covered during our critical wind erosion period in South Texas.

As witnessed this past year, wind erosion still is a major impediment in this area.

The wheat fields were holding the soil in place. If the residue is left on the soil surface, it is especially beneficial at planting time.

The many fine stems help to protect the soil from not only wind erosion but water erosion as well.

The fibrous roots help to keep the soil in place and not erode away as sediment and fill the road ditches and drainageways and eventually Baffin Bay, especially with the recent heavy downpours.

With timely weed control before planting of another crop, producers in the past have planted directly into the wheat stubble if adequate moisture conditions exist.

Some use a strip-till rig and prepare a narrow seedbed to plant their grain sorghum or cotton crop.

The weeds are controlled with herbicides before planting instead of tillage.

By implementing conservation tillage such as strip-till, soil tilth is being improved.

By holding the water on the soil with the wheat stubble, it has a better chance to go into the soil and not runoff.

By infiltrating the soil, the moisture is there for the growing crop or plants to use.

Leaving residue or stubble on the soil surface, organic matter is being increased slowly but steadily.

Soil structure is improved as well as soil stability. Water holding capacity of a particular soil is improved so that it can retain more water.

With good soil structure and adequate amounts of organic matter, microbial activity is improved.

It makes for good habitat for bacteria, fungi, earthworms and other bugs.

These are the natural tillers in the soil and helps in the biological diversity of a given soil.

Managing for soil quality requires several principles: add organic matter, avoid excessive tillage, carefully manage fertilizer and pesticide use, increase ground cover, and increase plant diversity.

So not only does wheat make up a good pasta or bread for folks to eat, it is good for the soil and conservation of our natural resources.

For more information on managing wheat to help in conservation and information programs, please contact the Natural Resources Conservation Service at 401 East King, Suite 100 in Kingsville or call at 592-0309 Ext. 3.