Agronomist Notes

Seeding is finally complete in my area and it’s all systems go for in-crop spraying. The early May seeded wheat is now being sprayed and the canola will follow as soon as the weather allows. Those with RoundUp Ready canola have already completed their first pass. I’ve seen a fair bit of leaf diseases in wheat and canola as well as recent hail damage. We’ve had two hail storms rip through the Drumheller and Carbon area last week and another 1.5 to 3 inches of rain.

There are small signs of frost damage in wheat and canola from an earlier event roughly 10 days ago. The only significant flea beetle damage I’ve seen in my travels has been canola seeded into chemfallow where soil temperatures were warmer. Aside from the few insects and disease problems at this time, we’re setting up for a banner year. I’ve had 4.5 inches of rain at the farm so far this spring with roughly 2.5 inches of stored soil moisture to begin the year bringing our total to 7 inches. As much as I’d like to get spraying done, I’ll take the moisture!

With the recent outbreak in cereal diseases, we’ll look at applying fungicides at herbicide timing. I’ve included a link to the Alberta Ag herbicide rainfastness guide and a list of graminicide tank mixing orders to help you keep things straight when mixing herbicides this spring. We’ll discuss what variability in seeding depth could leave on the table for returns and then finish with a Prairie drought map in Market News.

Crop Staging Area (Calgary to Drumheller to Three Hills)

Date Seeded:	April 23-31	May 1-7	May 8-15
Wheat	5-leaf, 2 tiller	4-leaf, 2 tiller	3-leaf
Canola	6-leaf	early 5-leaf	3-leaf
Barley	5-leaf, 2 tiller	4-leaf, 1 tiller	3-leaf, 1 tiller
Peas	8th node	6th node	4th node

This Week in Scouting

• Monitor for early leaf diseases in wheat and barley.
• Monitor for wireworm damage. Damage is most visible at the 2 to 3-leaf stage.
• Count and document plant stand density to calculate seedling mortality rates. Keep records.
• Watch for volunteer cereal pressure in canola fields, especially Liberty Link canola fields.

Agronomy

Should I apply a fungicide at herbicide timing?

The quick and dirty answer is no on most occasions, however, there are times when a fungicide can provide an economic benefit prior to flag leaf emergence or at herbicide timing. An early fungicide application may be warranted if:

1. The crop was planted into infested cereal stubble (ie. wheat on wheat stubble);
2. The crop has a very dense and moist canopy due to tight row spacing (ie. reduced air flow);
3. Lesions are observed on the newest leaf growth;
4. The lesions are caused by stripe or leaf rust;
5. The crop is of high value.

* If you have checked at least 3 of these, then there may be an economic advantage to applying fungicide at the seedling stage

Cereals in the seedling and vegetative stages are most susceptible to leaf spots because they are located close to the ground where conditions are more humid and are closer to disease inoculum from infected stubble. This is why the most early and severe symptoms are seen in cereal crops planted into the same type of cereal stubble.

It is essential to accurately diagnose whether the symptoms observed are caused by disease pathogens. Yellowing, spotting, streaking and leaf death could be the result of other problems including root disease, nitrogen deficiency, insect damage, herbicide injury, heat banding or frost. At first glance, a crop may look unhealthy if the oldest leaves are infected with disease or have other injury. However, it is important to look at the new leaf growth. If the new growth is healthy and the overall crop density is sufficient, the crop should quickly recover.
Source: Penny Pearse, Saskatchewan Agriculture & Food

Early Application of Fungicides at Herbicide Timing

Tan spot establishes early in the growing season and if environmental conditions are optimum, it can rapidly spread. Uncontrolled, it can quickly work its way up the plant canopy. Early season fungicides that can be used on tan spot include: Tilt, Bumper, Stratego, Headline and Quilt. All of these fungicides are good on leaf spot diseases at the tillering leaf stage.

Generally, these fungicides are applied at a half label rate, and the best response is seen when wheat is planted into a previous wheat field. For example, an early season application of fungicide on Reeder hard red spring wheat plots planted into wheat stubble had the following responses: using 5 ounces of Stratego yielded 47 bu/ac; using 3 ounces of Headline yielded 44 bu/ac; using 2 ounces of Tilt yielded 46 bu/ac and untreated plots yielded 43 bu/ac.

An early season (4 to 5-leaf) application of fungicides on tan spot in hard red spring wheat plots in Fargo (wheat planted into wheat stubble) in 2006 yielded 52.6 bu/ac on untreated fields; but with 4 ounces of Stratego plus other herbicides the yield increased to 56.6 bu/ac. An early season (4 to 5-leaf) application of 3 ounces of Headline on tan spot in several varieties of wheat showed a yield increase of 2.5 bushels, 71.4 bu/ac on untreated to 73.9 on treated fields.

Full story: http://www.theprairiestar.com/articles/2007/03/05/special_section/special%20spraying%20and%20chemical%20feature/spray02.txt

Seeding Depth Variability: What Are You Losing?

One of the things I measure as part of the first field check is seeding depth. Incorrect seeding depth can cause unnecessary stress and exacerbate seedling diseases, herbicide injury and reduce crop maturity. The challenge for most direct seeders is maintaining consistent seeding depth across non-uniform fields. So what do we lose when are seeding depth varies from 0.75 to 1.5 inches deep across a field? Does it justify running out to buy a new seeding tool? Let’s discuss it.

If you look at the photo, you can see two barley plants that I took from the same field. Seeding was done on the May 11 with a JD 1820 air drill with 2.5 inch Adam Jet sideband openers on 10 inch spacing. This field is in second year barley and produced a 95 bushel crop in 2007. Soil texture is a heavy clay loam.   

The plant on the right was seeded at 0.75 inches deep while the plant on the left was seeded at 1.5 inches. Driving across the field, you would never notice how different these two plants really are. In fact, they both show a nice green colour and look to be the same height. The biggest difference between the two plants is maturity.

The crop stage of the plant on the right is 3-leaf, 2 tiller with the second tiller being a coleoptile tiller and the fourth leaf just emerging. The plant on the left is 2-leaf with the third leaf almost half emerged. The difference between the two plants is one leaf and one tiller. Under ideal conditions a leaf is formed every three or four days until stem elongation which makes the maturity difference between these two plants roughly 7 to 9 days!

Does that mean buying a drill with on-row seed depth control is necessary? If the variability in seeding depth is the limiting factor in your crop production system then perhaps, a newer drill or openers may be in order. But first you must eliminate the other factors that reduce maturity like poor fertility, low seeding rates, improper fertilizer placement, poor residue management or insects and diseases. Let’s do some quick math on returns.

Has your malt barley turned into feed because your sample had too many green kernels from late tillers?
Malt barley: $5.00/bu x 75 bu/ac = $375.00 acre
Feed barley: $4.00/bu x 75 bu/ac = $300.00 acre
The total loss in this example is $75.00 an acre. What is the potential loss on your farm? Does it warrant a second look at a new seeding tool?

Have you lost a grade in your hard red spring wheat because you had to wait for late maturing plants to dry down?
HRS #1 13.5: $8.25/bu x 50 bu/ac = $412.50 acre
HRS #2 13.5: $8.10 x 50 bu/ac = $405.00 acre
The total loss in this example is $7.50 an acre. Again, does it warrant the purchase of a new seeding tool?

There are several other factors like yield and protein increases gained from earlier maturity that I didn’t mention here just to keep the discussion simple, but they’re valid points. I know that many producers constantly stew over what opener or seeding tool is the right one for them. Producers go to great expense changing openers each year only to be dissatisfied with the results. If you feel that you are leaving significant dollars on the table with your seeding system, be sure to narrow down the limiting factors to crop production first, then address whether a new seeding tool will correct the problem. SL

Herbicide Rainfastness Guide

With the recent wet weather I thought you might like a quick reference guide for herbicide rainfastness to print off and keep in the tractor. It may even help you decide which herbicides to use during inclement weather. Last week when it was sunny I recommended some Curtail and Triton C. Well, the weather turned wet and after purchasing the chemical I noticed that both herbicides had six-hour rainfastness! Six hours may as well be two days when you can only predict the weather by looking out the tractor window. 

Rainfast Quick List: http://www.agric.gov.ab.ca/app23/getcataloginfo?subject=product&view=varietal

Graminicide Tank Mixing Order

Here is quick list guide for tank mixing broadleaf and grassy weed herbicides. You can print it off and keep it in the tractor.

Achieve Liquid Gold

1. Add Achieve Liquid
2. Add Buctril M
3. Add Turbocharge

Adrenalin

1. Add Adrenalin SC
2. Add surfactant (not included in package)

Altitude FX

1. Add AC 299, 263
2. Add Starane and MCPA Ester 600
3. Add surfactant (not included in package)

Assert 300 – mixing with Refine Extra, Express pack or Unity 75 WG

1. Add Refine Extra, Express Pack, Unity 75WG
2. Add spray water pH adjuster
3. Add Assert

Assert 300 – mixing Attain, MCPA Ester, 2,4-D Ester, Estaprop, Curtail M, Prestige, Puma Super, Trophy, Turboprop 600 or Unity 280EC

1. Add pH adjuster
2. Add Assert
3. Add broadleaf herbicide component

Assert 300 – mixing Frontline, Frontline 2,4-D or Spectrum

1. Add “A” Component of broadleaf product
2. Add pH adjuster
3. Add Assert
4. Add “B” component of broadleaf product

Axial

1. Add broadleaf herbicide
2. Add Axial 100EC
3. Add Adigor surfactant

Avenge

1. Add broadleaf herbicide
2. Add Avenge 200-C

Baseline

1. Add Achieve Liquid
2. Add MCPA Ester or 2,4-D Ester
3. Add Turbocharge

Everest

1. Add Everest 70 WDG
2. Add broadleaf herbicide
3. Add surfactant if necessary with tank mix

Harmony K

1. Add Refine Extra
2. Add Banvell II
3. Add Horizon
4. Add Score

Harmony Total/ Harmony SG

1. Add Refine Extra
2. Add Horizon
3. Add Score

Horizon

1. Add broadleaf herbicide
2. Add Horizon
3. Add Score

Horizon BTM

1. Add Mextrol 450
2. Add Horizon 240EC
3. Add Score

Liquid Achieve SC

1. Add ammonium sulphate (hard water)
2. Add Liquid Achieve
3. Add broadleaf herbicide
4. Add Turbocharge

Puma Super

1. Add broadleaf herbicide
2. Add Puma Super

Simplicity

1. Add Simplicity
2. Add broadleaf herbicide
3. Add surfactant if necessary with tank mix

Sundance

1. Add pH balancer
2. Add Sundance granules
3. Add broadleaf herbicide
4. Add Merge

Market News

International Crop Weather Highlights

Europe: Western Europe is experiencing heavy downpours and maintain abundant to excessive moisture levels for filling winter grains and vegetative summer crops but raise crop quality concerns. Dry weather in Eastern Europe reduces topsoil moisture for reproductive winter wheat and barley.

Former Soviet Union: Widespread showers benefit winter grains and spring sown crops in Ukraine and Western Russia, although unseasonably cool weather slows crop development. Wet weather slows spring grain planting in the Urals District in Russia, while several days of warm, dry weather aid spring grain planting in the Siberia District in Russia and Kazakhstan. In Uzbekistan, unseasonably hot weather spurs early cotton growth but increases irrigation demands.

Middle East: Dry weather in Turkey and Iran further reduces prospects for filling winter grains.

East Asia: Dry weather aids winter wheat harvesting across much of the North China Plain. Rain in Manchuria and southern China benefits corn and soybeans. Rain and low temperatures stunt corn in China's major corn area in the northeast.
Southeast Asia: A lull in the monsoon brings somewhat drier weather to Indochina and the Philippines, but corn remains well watered.

South Asia: Unseasonably heavy showers in northern portions of India and Pakistan boost moisture reserves for upcoming summer crop planting.

Australia: Relatively dry weather favors winter grain planting in South Australia and Victoria, but more rain is needed in unfavorably dry New South Wales to spur winter grain sowing and early crop development. In Western Australia, periods of rain continue to benefit vegetative winter wheat and barley.

South America: Unseasonably heavy rain improves winter wheat prospects in southern Brazil. Light rain continues in Argentina’s southern wheat belt, but moisture remains limited for germination and establishment.

Canada: Rain brings some drought relief to Saskatchewan and Manitoba, but a hard freeze likely necessitates some replanting of canola.

Mexico: Tropical Storms Alma and Arthur bring locally heavy rain to areas of southeastern Mexico and Central America.

Drought Watch

Looking at the Western Canada precipitation map for the period April 1st to June 5th, roughly two thirds of the Prairies have received low to extremely low precipitation events. The western side of Saskatchewan and Alberta has received mid to high levels of rainfall. On a global scale we may not see these events increase prices but it makes me wonder what kind of local basis levels may be available this fall if crop yields falls below trend. SL