Great Bend Tribune
Published February 21, 2016
March is just over a week away and while astronomical spring is March 20, climatologists consider the first day of March the start of spring weather-wise. While the agricultural community has hardly been idle, the pace of activity is about to really pick up weather permitting. Today, let’s focus on what is or will be done shortly for the 2016 wheat crop which with the weather is ready to green up and take off weather permitting.
- Most producers apply split applications of nitrogen for a variety of reasons. One of the major reasons is to wait until late winter/early spring to evaluate stands to determine tillering, winterkill, and the overall condition of the stand based on precipitation and overall climate. This insures not over applying N and wasting dollars. Producers will evaluate the above factors and top dress with dry or liquid N formulations at a rate based upon what they have already applied; some will take a soil profile N-test for a more accurate accounting of available N; and then make their best estimate of yield potential. Part of the difficulty in estimating yield is not knowing what spring/early summer weather holds in store. If determined necessary, producers could also apply sulfur and chloride now, making sure to minimize any potential damage to leaf. The advantage to liquid N fertilizers is the ability to combine weed control with fertilizer application which leads to the next bullet point.
- Now is the time to review field weed history, evaluate and potential current weed problems, review the cropping sequence for each field after wheat, and the vigor/thickness of the stand. The last item, stand vigor and thickness is important as the best weed control is an actively growing thick stand of wheat. For certain herbicides, growth regulators especially, application can’t be until tillering is done. Most producers know the weed problem history of the field and that helps determine the proper course of action. Finally, producers must take into consideration succeeding crops and examine the herbicide label for any potential crop rotation restrictions. They must also take into account factors such as soil pH which can make certain herbicide chemistries hotter for a longer period of time or cause inactivation and poor control.
- Finally, with the warm weather it’s time to start paying attention to potential insect problems. These include Russian wheat aphid which is thus far primarily confined near the Colorado border. Army cutworm which should start to become noticeable if present as patches of wheat that won’t green up and whose damage is worse in thin stands and under poor growing conditions. If growth is vigorous, wheat can often outgrow most infestations and no treatment is required. There are other pests but this covers the main culprits.
Next week – preparing to plant corn.