Managing Wheat this Winter

Becks Hybird's put together a wheat management plan to follow.  They published it on Agriculture.com.  The following is the plan in a nutshell.

Wheat Management

September is upon us and that means wheat planting time.  Many farmers are getting ready to harvest their soybeans.  Although this year it looks like harvest will be later than normal.  The question for most is when do I plant wheat?  It's pretty simple.  The earlier the better.

Early Planted Wheat Offers the Following Advantages

1. Better emergence and fall growth.
2. More tillers will form in the fall with early planting.
3. Tillers that form in the fall have larger heads than tillers formed in the spring.
4. Less heaving the following spring if the nodal roots start to establish.

There Are Some Potential Disadvantages to Planting Early

1. Hessian Fly could become an issue.  Although this hasn't been an issue recently, it's best to plant after the fly free date.  See the chart above to get an idea what your date would be.  Planting prior to the fly free date can cause issues with aphids which can transmit barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV).  BYDV hurts more when the plant gets the disease in the fall compared to the spring.
2. Early planting may cause leaf diseases in the fall which is more dangerous than in the spring.
3. The earlier you the plant the earlier the wheat will try to come out in winter.  This is influenced by genetics more so than planting date.  A late spring frost will hurt plants coming out too early.

Despite all this the potential higher yield out weighs all the dangers associated with planting early.  It is in my opinion to go ahead and plant as soon as possible.  Good luck.

Knock Down Weeds With Grit

If you're battling weeds in the field, a recent report shows that spraying them at this point may not work.  So what do you do?  Knock them down, literally.

A system being tested by USDA-ARS researchers in Minnesota.  Targeted primarily at organic production systems, the "Propelled Abrasive Grit Management" (PAGMan) replaces chemical with compressed air and "grit particles" to control weeds "around the base of the corn, soybean, and other row crops," according to a report from USDA-ARS by Jan Suszkiw.

The system expels .5 millimeter wide particles in a "cone shaped pattern" at a 100 pound/square inch rate.  The results have been eye opening.

"Field trial results from 2013 showed season long weed control levels of 80% to 90% in corn using two treatments of the abrasive grit - one at the first leaf stage, and the second at three or five leaf stage of corn growth," he said during an interview with Agriculture.com.

"Ongoing field trials may foretell of the systems potential to help organic growers tackle within row infestations of weeds that have sprouted around the base of corn, soybean and other row crops," he says.  "For organic systems, the grit selection can have more of an effect than just knocking down weeds."

Herbicide Resistant Weeds

South East Farm Press recently published an article about the damage herbicide resistant weeds can do.  A four year study by Weed Science shows how devastating a single herbicide resistant weed can be to a crop field.

The research covered fours years and four different fields of cotton in Arkansas.  In the study, 20,000 seeds of glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth was released into a field and untreated and allowed to escape.

In one of the fields there was a total crop failure.  This shows the need for a zero-tolerance threshold when it comes to weed management.

Seeds can be spread by wind, water, animals and humans.  Seeds such as palmer amaranth can float on top of water causing it to spread rapidly in a field.  Palmer amaranth has prolific seed production rate, rapid dispersal and high competitiveness with crops making it very difficult to control.

In the Arkansas study, only glyphosate herbicide was used.  In the first season, a patch of Palmer amaranth grew 375 feet from the original planting location.  In the second season, the weed reached the field boundaries and infested 20 percent of the field area causing a significant yield decline.  By the third season, the weed had completely covered the field, making it impossible to plant any cotton.

This study easily shows how using only one form of herbicide can be ineffective when it comes to defending your farm from weeds, especially Palmer amaranth.  It also shows the need to keep all resistant weeds in a controlled area.  Weed control based on an economic threshold does not adequately consider the soil seed bank and the risk for herbicide resistance.

Sugarcane Aphids Heading North

It's been 80 years since the Midwest has experienced a pest problem like it may experience this year.  The sugarcane aphid has mostly been in Texas along the gulf coast and Louisiana.  However, they appear to be heading north.

What does a sugarcane aphid do?  They can damage a plant in numerous ways.  They can thin out a sorghum plant until it reaches reproductive stage.  The aphid then chews on the panicles, resulting in decreased grain weight and a loss in yields.  Aphids also secrete honeydew which covers the mature plant causing a sticky and messy harvest.

Mike Brewer, field crops entomologist with Texas A&M AgriLife in Corpus Christi, says in an article by Agriculture.com damage from sugarcane aphids on sorghum plants topped $50 million in damages last year.  As they spread that damage will only get worse.

"I think it is a good expectation that severity would increase.  The worst case scenario is that up to 50% of fields could be infected.  Assume 50% yield loss, based on what we know from earlier aphid infestations, and we could have $400 million economic loss statewide," Brewer said at a meeting in Corpus Christi in January.

Sugarcane aphids reproduce in the spring.  They are able to breed two to seven days after birth, laying as many as 20 nymphs per cycle.

Brewer said, "Within 6 weeks of the first winged aphid landing on the plants, you will see sooty mold and honeydew.  The plant begins giving out.  On the positive end it takes a lot of aphids before the plant succumbs to aphids sucking fluid out of the plant."

In an interview with Kansas State University's Radio Network, J.P. Michaud, Extension entomologist at K-State, says sugarcane aphids are expected to be in Kansas and Nebraska this year.  "We can be fairly sure we will have some migrants arrive here at some time, but we don't know how well they will survive," he says.

Michaud encourages sorghum growers to pay extra attention to their crop this year.  "They are noticeable because they have very short, black tailpipes on a very pale nymph," he explains.  "They colonize first on the underside of the lower leaves, and move up the plant as the leaves die.  It's a very similar feeding pattern to greenbugs."

There are no insecticides labled for sugarcane aphids on sorghum plants.  However, some exceptions have been made in Louisiana and Texas in extreme conditions.  

Michaud says lady beetles could help suppress that aphid infestation but that may take a few years.  "It may be advisable to leave small areas of fields unsprayed in order to let first responders evolve into natural control," he points out.  

Sugarcane Aphid Causing Problems

Since the fall of 2013 farmers in South Texas and North Texas along the coast farmers have noticed a new pest moving in.  The pest has been identified as a sugarcane aphid variety, but the typical yellow sugarcane aphid common in southern states.

By last years harvest that aphid population had exploded and deposited large amounts of honeydew on the sorghum crop causing a nightmare for farmers.

IPM specialist warned the aphid may have survived the winter and come back much stronger in the spring.  Early reports are suggesting the population is currently growing at an alarming rate.

The best defense against any new pest is a coordinated scouting defense.  Dr. Mike Brewer, a Texas AgriLife entomologist, laid out a scouting strategy to growers in Corpus Christi during a meeting to discuss the problem.  South West Farm Press was in attendance and shot a video of it.  Click here for part 1 and here for part 2 of the video.

For more information on sugarcane ahphids, read this Sorghum University paper.

22 Facts About Herbicide Resistant Weeds

In an article on Agriculture.com the break down 22 things you need to know about herbicide resistant weeds.  I thought I would give you the quick rundown of what they found for you.  You can read the article if you want to go into more depth.

1. Nothing New is Coming
     Have you seen those ads for the new herbicides?  Don't listen to them.  There is nothing new on the market right now and nothing in the foreseeable future.  Don't fall for that ploy.

2. You Can't Diversify Enough
     Just like a financial profile, you must use different herbicides.  This needs to be in every farmers head.  If all farmers diversify there herbicide use, the likely hood of herbicide resistant weeds should decrease dramatically.

3. Pre's Don't Always Get Applied
     Apply early.  While this may seem like a no brainier, it doesn't always happen.  It's usually not an intentional mistake.  Lots of times we wait til the right moment to apply.  Sometimes that doesn't happen and the farmer moves on with other things and never comes back to it.  Make sure and stick with it.  It's worth it in the long haul.

4. Preemergence Benefits Are Limited
     Just because you applied in April doesn't mean you've completely killed the weed.  Some weeds have numerous germination periods.  Some as late as June.  So don't count on early applications to get you through the year.

5. Fall Applications Don't Always Work
     Don't think because you applied in the Fall you can skip the Spring application.  While those south of I-80 should do Fall applications, don't think it's all you need to do.

6. You Can't Use Liberty Like Roundup
     The best way to use Liberty is wait til the weed is 4 inches tall.  The reason you may want to use Liberty is it's good at fighting herbicide resistant weeds.  However, if you use it like you would Round Up you won't see any improvements.

7. Weed Control Via Cover Crops is Mixed
     Cover crops can kill off all those winter weeds that have grown.  However, by the time a second round in the late season starts to grow, most of those cover crops are gone.  So don't count on them solely.

8. Weeds Have a Weakness
     You just have to figure out what weed you're dealing with and exploit it.

9. Your Combine is a Giant Planter
     In a highly infested field your combine could act as a spreader.  If you have an issue it may be best to mow the field before harvest.

10. You Can Bury Waterhemp Seed
     They don't emerge from soil depth of 6 to 8 inches.

11. Palmer Amaranth Should Be Feared
     This weed will become resistant to what you're using at some point.  When that happens you must spray them postemergence before they reach 4 inches in height.  If not, you'll have a big problem on your hands.

12. Pigweeds are Tough to Distinguish
     Waterhemp is a leggy plant with lots of space in between its leaves.  Palmer Amaranth has a much thicker cover like a canopy.

13. Pigweeds can be Coed
     This means they have both male and female plants.  And, unfortunately, the male plant can pass its resistance on in the pollen.

14. Pigweed Hybrids are too Common
     Think about it this way.  A crossbreeding cattle produces better producing and a stronger calf.  Pigweeds are no different.

15. It's Harder to Kill Late Emerging Waterhemp
     Waterhemp that germinates later in the year tends to be more waxy and harder to kill.

16. Waterhemp Has One Perk in Your Favor
     Waterhemp is not has competitive has Pigweed.  It won't hurt your yields nearly as much.

17. Overlapping Residuals Give Better Control
     Hit those weeds at preemergence and post emergence.  Yes it costs more but it will better help in your control of weeds.

18. Resistant Weeds Can Wreak Rental Havoc
     As a land owner you must get control of weeds.  If you don't, no farmer will want to work your field.

19. Waterhemp is the Weed to Beat in the Midwest
     Palmer Amaranth is mostly a Southern plant.  Although it can be found as far North as Michigan sometimes.  So for the most part, especially in Missouri, Waterhemp is the weed you'll be fighting.

20. Herbicide Rates Can Not Be Sliced.
     All this will do is give the weeds a chance to become resistant.  Don't do it.

21. You'll See More Crop Injury
     You have to know your field.  Understand its pH level and know what herbicides may carryover from the last year.  Knowing this will help you to know when to plant on which field.

22. You May Need to Cultivate
     No you won't have to cultivate your whole field.  You may not have to do it at all.  Just if you have an area with a high infestation.