South Dakota winter wheat planting going well in KOTA Territory

When fall comes around, most people are thinking about harvest, but for a few farmers in the northern hills, their fall is used for planting as well.

Taber Oman of Rapid City says one advantage to winter wheat is having a seed in the ground come spring.

"In the spring time you'll have less to do I guess,” said Oman.

As of last week, 78-percent of the South Dakota’s winter wheat crop had been planted, with 50-percent emerged.

The dry conditions we saw this summer is making planting and drilling just a little bit harder. To reach the ground moisture, farmers are getting into the soil deeper than usual, but there are advantages to drilling over traditional planting.

"When we go in and no-till you don't have to work the ground up before-hand,” said Oman, “You can just go right in and put the seed in the ground."

Other than getting the seeds deeper, the drought isn't impacting winter wheat planting too much.

In 2016, South Dakota winter wheat production ranked 9th in the nation. According to the South Dakota Wheat Commission, global wheat supplies are increased for 2017-18 for Russia, the European Union and Russia. Persistent dry conditions in eastern Australia have reduced wheat supplies for that country, offsetting the U.S. increase.

Today, winter wheat closed at $4.33/bu.