June 13, 2011
WHEAT:
Most of the wheat is now harvested and from what I hear, it appears that it was a good harvest with many yields exceeding expectations. It was not without problems, however you farmers are the most tolerant people ever created, it was another successful harvest and you should be proud of your accomplishments.
There are several fields that had signs of High Plains Virus, Mosaic, and other viral infections. Most of these problems were vectored through the wheat curl mite that carried the disease from infected hosts such as volunteer wheat and some grass weed species. This is why it is important to have the volunteer controlled and no live hosts plants for at least 30 days before planting wheat in the fall. There is no control for these diseases and sometimes the yield loss is very high. One way of trying to combat these diseases is to treat your seed before planting, this is costly but considering the losses at harvest it is a very economical treatment.
I have information if you are interested in treating your seed wheat, stop by sometime and visit about this process.
CORN:
It looks like Iowa here in NW Kansas, the dryland crops look almost as good as the irrigated. Keep an eye on your corn for the insects that will cause problems in the next few weeks. With the corn now tassleing the reproduction stage has begun, you cannot increase yield any more, but you can preserve the potential that is in the plant now. Foliar feeding and fungicides are a widely discussed process, much like wheat they make a difference if they are needed. There are many options and many prices, call or stop by for further information.
Soybeans:
Weed control in soybeans is underway, several options are available. Remember to use something with your glyphosate to control resistant weeds. Vida, Cadet, Extreme, and many others will help keep your fields clean.
STUBBLE BURN DOWN:
Many growers are treating stubble and have had great success. Keep in mind the resistance issues that we faced last year and we might have to use different products to keep those fields clean. Escape weeds will be costly if not impossible to control later. IF YOU ONLY WOUND THE WEEDS NOW, YOU WILL BE DRILLING THROUGH THEM THIS FALL, even paraquat has failed to control these problems.
BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR AND KEEP YOUR VOLUNTEER WHEAT AND OTHER WEEDS UNDER CONTROL.
As always,call or stop by if you have questions or concerns, our door is always open!
Until Later..................
Rod
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