Wheat is a multipurpose crop that can be used for cover crops, stored forage, or grazing. As much as 25% of Kentucky’s wheat acreage is used for cover crop or forage rather than grain production. Wheat has excellent winter hardiness and can be sown later in the fall than barley. Wheat is a good choice for planting following corn or soybean harvest to capture residual nitrogen, build soil organic matter, and prevent erosion. Wheat provides high quality growth in early spring, but has limited fall production compared to grazing types of cereal rye. Wheat is well adapted to most soils in Kentucky, performing best on loamy, well-drained soils having medium to high fertility. Wheat will withstand wetter soils than barley or oats but tends to be less tolerant of poorly drained soils than rye or triticale. Download this publication here.