Soil School: What's the value of wheat straw?

RealAgriculture agronomist Peter Johnson says there's no better time to talk about soil health than during wheat harvest.
Johnson says all things wheat, including the straw, give growers a tremendous opportunity to increase soil health. Ontario research shows that by adding wheat to the rotation, growers see a five percent increase in corn yield and a 11 per cent bump in soybean yield. He adds that a host of factors drive wheat's contribution, including the plant's root structure as well as all that straw.
On this episode of RealAgriculture Soil School, we catch up with Johnson in a freshly combined wheat field near Stratford, Ont., to explore the agronomic and financial value of straw. He says there are many factors to consider, starting with where you farm across North America: from long-season areas such as North Carolina to dry regions like Kansas; wet areas such as Ontario and short-season growing regions in Western Canada.
When it comes to the nutrient value of straw, Johnson calculates the value based on a short ton (2,000 pounds). There are many nutrient calculators growers can use to determine values, but a ton of straw will typically yield 11 to 14 lbs of nitrogen, 3.5 lbs of phosphorous and 5 lbs of sulphur.
Potash, however, can be a bit of a wildcard, says Johnson, noting that growing and harvest conditions play a significant role in K availability. In a wet year, when the plant is dead at harvest, potash can leach quickly from the straw. In a dry climate, growers may have as much as 40 lbs of K. But in Ontario, where some growers have seen as much as five inches of rain at harvest, levels may be reduced to as little as 8 lbs - a difference of 500 percent.
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[@robertreznik9330]

In NW Texas on irrigated land we use the stubble as a cover crop. We cut about 1 ft high. For 100 bu/ac of grain we leave just a fraction of a bu loss. The next spring we strip till and have a majority of the soil covered with straw to save moisture for the corn or cotton. The straw acts as a Shepherd for the cotton against the wind.

[@wakeup8052]

Great video.
I'm in huron county ontario.
I sell just enough straw to buy the oats and peas. Then I spread the rest. And I keep the header 15 inches high at all times.

[@diggerwoolstone]

Guessing far better idea to swap the straw for manure?

[@agwhoneedsaphd2643]

The big question with wheat is "can I afford to raise poverty grass." Wheat in the rotation might rotate you out of agriculture lol

[@gfgf2417]

Odd , where I am most guys grow IP soybeans and winter wheat

[@44beebe]

I hear that all the time in Idaho. We do 100 percent wheat and barley and swap ground with row crop farmers for the rotation. Grow it right and sell it right. Irrigated hard white wheat sold at $8.50/bushel and 140 bushels per acre pays the bills pretty well this year.