Great Bend Tribune
Wet Weather Wrap-up – Part I
Published June 9, 2019
This past week allowed for progress in the area. The Arkansas River is receding while some land is still too wet for operations; most producers have made inroads with 2019 fieldwork. There is no need to review how wet conditions were. The question really is how do things look now and where do we go from here. This is designed to hit the high points and for many producers, not just here but around the Midwest, the effects will be dealt with for many months or even more than a year.
- Soil – the temptation is to get out there with equipment yesterday. The reality is long-term damage (rutting and especially compaction) occur when soil is wet. Saturated soils don’t really compact as the water prevents particles from moving closer together but they can smear and rut. Wet but not saturated soils compact and it doesn’t take huge loads to do damage. Compaction is detrimental for a number of reasons and can be difficult if not next to impossible to correct. Duals and track vehicles can lessen damage but normally simply allow producers to work on wetter field. The sandier soils south of the river are a bit less susceptible to long-term damage from this.
- Soil fertility – mobile nutrients such as nitrate-N, sulfur, chloride and potassium may have leached above the root zone with all the moisture, especially of sandier soils. Some such as nitrate-N may have been lost to the atmosphere. Unless a producer is sure where they stand, a soil test is an excellent idea, especially for corn, sorghum, and feed ground.
- Wheat – conditions are all over the place but many fields look good to very good and in some places excellent in terms of yield potential. Even many late-planted fields look much, much better than expected. Here the cool conditions and adequate moisture helped. If Mother Nature cooperates, there is a chance for a good to very good harvest. Test weights are likely to be lower with all the rain and a lack of adequate nitrogen (N). N may be lacking if producers held off or were prevented by weather from fertilizing this spring. Also N losses may have occurred due to the previous bullet point. Protein levels likely will suffer from a lack of adequate nitrogen and sulfur. It likely will benefit those producers who paid to fly on pesticides this year. And in thinner fields, weeds will present challenges.
- Alfalfa – some field have been cut but many are still standing and in full bloom. When cutting these fields, raise the header level to avoid damaging new growth on the crowns. Even though it is tempting to get out to swath, avoid ruts, compaction, and much as possible.
- Corn – Is it too late to plant corn? Maybe. It depends on the maturity of the corn hybrid, how soon you can get in the field, and the price of fall 2019 corn. You can obtain a respectable yield planting now with a shorter season hybrid if the weather cooperates this summer and into fall. It will likely be a lower yield but if corn is a dollar higher than now it might be worthwhile. It might be riskier if a producer is planning to double-crop wheat. A factor to consider for most is crop insurance and will it affect the APH (average production history). Finally, carefully determine there is adequate N and insure proper fertility.
Wet Weather Wrap-up – Part II
Published June 16, 2019
At least the precipitation this past week was spottier. Progress is slowly being made. Wheat is maturing and the cooler/wetter than normal conditions allowed wheat to mature instead of finishing quickly. This really matters with a later than normal crop. Today is June 16th and over the last decade or so, wheat harvest was well under way in Kansas. It will be interesting to see what protein levels and test weights are after all the rain this spring. Likely, some lower protein levels and test weights but time will tell. Let’s wrap-up our discussion of the effects of the wet, cool spring on the 2019 crop year with a discussion of soybeans and sorghum.
First, this discussion depends on how soon a producer can resume operations in the field or at least is able to work around mud holes. Second, this discussion is an agronomic, not an economic one. Producers must take into account factors such as crop insurance, government programs, program signup/cutoff dates, and finally any potential impact on their APH (average production history).
- If mobile fertilizers such as nitrogen, sulfur, and to an extent potassium were applied prior to the rains, it would be a good idea to soil test and see what is present and where. Especially nitrogen and on sandier soils – sulfur. In addition, these thoughts are based on the ability to control weed pressure and start with a clean field. Fortunately, current soil moisture and temperature conditions should allow for rapid germination.
- If ground was prepared for corn (fertilizer and herbicide) butt not planted or was planted and lost due to wet conditions or large sections were lost, there are two options. For spots, if large enough, surrounded by decent corn and dry enough to not make a mess, wither try and plant a shorter season corn to maintain the rotation or at the least try to control weeds as practical. For larger areas or entire fields, the best option is sorghum, depending on the herbicide program. While mid-June, unless the area experiences an early fall, planting a mid-maturity sorghum should allow for decent yield potential and adequate time for the crop to mature. Except on sandier ground, it might be wise to bump up the seeding rate for weed control and yield. This has the advantage of maintaining a grass crop, works around potential fertilizer and herbicide problems presented by soybeans, and is fine for ethanol production. The downside is some potential difficulty is going back to wheat this fall. If wheat planting is planned, it might be wise to shift to an early maturing variety, bump up the seeding rate, and pay attention to potential herbicide restrictions.
- If the ground isn’t limited by fertilizer or herbicide programs, soybeans are still a good option and if plated within the next week, it shouldn’t be necessary to move to an earlier maturity unless a producer had order mid to late group IV soybeans. After next weekend, it would likely be prudent to move to a mid to late group III soybean, especially if trying to plant wheat this fall. As we move to the end of June, the beans should be viewed as a double-crop instead of a full season crop.
- For all of this, it might pay to look at the long-term temperature and precipitation forecast when deciding.