I love winter wheat. I think it is the idea of planting something in the fall, watch it start to grow then be able to weather the winter, come back to be a living plant that yields a harvest.

We plant winter wheat for one reason – a place to haul manure from our hog confinement barns in the summer. And every year I love to be able to watch a crop being planted at the same time the combine is harvesting.

While we take into consideration the weather and soil conditions, another factor in deciding when to drill wheat is the Hessian Fly.

Related: Tips For Most Effectively Planting Winter Wheat

Winter wheat in Indiana: Wheat is the principle host for the Hessian Fly; be sure to check for the fly-free date in your area before seeding.

Wheat is the principle host plant of the Hessian fly, but the fly can also be found on rye, barley and other wheat-related species. It does not affect oats.

It was introduced into North America from Europe in the 1700s and can be found from Nebraska to the Atlantic, from Maine into the Piedmont areas of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. It has also been seen in isolated areas west of the Rockies.

Here in the Midwest it is one of the most destructive pests for wheat. It is not the adult fly that is the problem but the maggots she leaves that pass the winter in a brown protective shell and then in the spring begin to emerge and feed off the young plants.

The maggots parasite between the leaf sheath and the stem and survive by extracting juices from the plant. Fall-infected wheat usually dies during the winter while spring-infested grain usually lodges before harvest. Carryover is a distinct possibility as the maggots lodge in the flaxseed which is lower than the point of harvesting.

While the fly-free date generally means that the insect is no longer active, continuation of warm weather later into the fall may extend its activity beyond the recommend date.

Go to the Extension website for more information and an average Hessian fly-free planting dates calendar for Indiana.