Agronomist Notes

I have another action packed week ahead as I take in the AgriTrend Farm Forum event in Saskatoon on Wednesday and Thursday. I thought I’d be nice and make a donation to my competitor and snag some contacts while I’m there. This Friday, Beyond Agronomy will be hosting a controlled traffic seminar for clients and friends with special guest Tim Neale from Queensland, Australia, former director of Controlled Traffic Solutions. I can’t wait for that discussion!

On another note, it looks like the wet October did a great job of germinating volunteer grains. During soil sampling this fall I discovered that most of the seeds on the ground were soft or had germinated already. That should take some pressure of weed control next spring. This bodes well for John Deere, Massey, New Holland and Case combine owners. We Gleaner folk rarely concern ourselves with volunteers behind the combine. Oh, such brashness! Must the time of night I’m writing this.

This week we’ll look at an innovative way to apply fungicides in cereals, followed by another discussion on soil compaction in our area. I’ll also include some exciting results on the effects of phosphorus placement in high pH soils. Bruce Love will give us an update on the new standards for tillage offsets and we’ll end with market news. SL  

Agronomy

Fungicides on fertilizer offer new possibilities

Equipment traffic reduces water infiltration and increases soil cracking

I had another look at a soil profile last week as part of my ongoing observation of the effects of compaction from equipment. I wanted to compare compaction levels on the headlands versus inside the field. I think most would agree that you’ll find very little wheel traffic within ten feet of the headland as most equipment ranges from thirty to one hundred and twenty feet wide. We’ve had about an inch of rain in the last couple of months and on Sunday I went out to see how far I could push the moisture probe into the ground.

In the photo to the near right you can see me along the headland pushing the probe down two and half feet. I took another sample about fifteen feet inside the field and away from the headland, pictured far right. My probe stopped dead at four inches.

What was the difference? Years of limited wheel traffic and compaction, I suspect. I can tell you that driving by these fields this year was a real eye opener and I kick myself for not taking some photos. After a very dry start and no significant rain until July, you could see normal crop growth meandering along the headlands. As soon as you moved inside the field the crop height would drop in half and the crop stand was thin and spindly. It seemed that moisture had completely disappeared inside the field but remained along the headland, but how could that be?

The only logical answer I’ve come up with is the limited traffic along headlands which has reduced compaction levels, improved soil structure, aeration and water holding capacity. Now imagine for a second you employ controlled traffic on your farm and all your fields look like this. Controlled traffic farming may seem complex and riddled with logistical problems, but just imagine growing a 60 bushel wheat crop off of 4 inches of rain. Now imagine what you could grow with 8 inches of rain. I suspect your biggest problem will be finding bin space at harvest. Food for thought. SL

Phosphorus placement pays dividends in 2009

If you could devise a worst case scenario for phosphorus uptake, 2009 was the year it happened. Cold, dry soils throughout May and June coupled with heavy residues limited root growth, soil exploration and phosphorus diffusion to plant roots. The reduction in phosphorous availability caused slow emergence, fewer tillers and uneven crop maturity. Add a few frost events in early June and field after field was left with the symptoms I just described. The one exception was my client Tony Pliva who farms just south of Drumheller. He began harvest seven days earlier than most on crops with excellent tillering, even maturity and average to above average yields. I believe the main reason was due to phosphorus placement.

The Drumheller area is infamous for its heavy clay soils that are high in pH with ranges between 7.7 and 8.3 in the top six inches. They’re also high in calcium and magnesium which tends to lower phosphorus availability. It’s not hard to find soils with less than 10 lbs/ac of P205 or 5 ppm P205/ac. Calcium reacts with phosphorus to form an insoluble form of calcium phosphate, the very substance our teeth are made of to give you some perspective on solubility. High magnesium levels tend to bind soil particles tightly together and reduce the amount of pore space held in the soil. The reduction in pore space and tightly bound soil particles limit the roots ability to explore phosphorous in the soil profile.

It’s for this reason that we altered the way we place phosphorus on Tony’s farm in order to maximize the amount of phosphorus applied near the root zone. Instead of blending phosphate with nitrogen, we decided to apply the phosphorous directly with the seed and separate from the nitrogen. The result of our change in phosphorus management may not have been as visible in 2007 and 2008 but was clearly visible in 2009. This year we saw even crop emergence, great tillering and uniform maturity which accelerated harvest without compromising yield or quality. 

A common practice on most farms is to apply a blend of nitrogen and phosphorous and place 30% of the blend with the seed and 70% down a mid row band or to the side. That’s where the problem begins. For example, if you apply just 30% of a 80-30-0-0 blend with the seed, you will only provide the young seedlings with 9 lbs/ac of phosphate, excluding uptake inefficiencies. By applying the phosphorous separately we can triple the amount of phosphorous we place with the seed, applying the entire 30 lbs/ac. 

For those of you with soil phosphorus levels below 20 lbs/ac, you may want to look at separating the phosphorus from the nitrogen next year. You’ll save on blending and handling fees, be able to return unused product, and maximize the effect of seedplaced phosphorus. Combine that with improved crop emergence, uniformity, tillering, maturity, quality and yield and it’s definitely something you should be looking into. Like Tony, you’ll be happy you did. SL

Fungicides on fertilizer offer new possibilities

I recently came across some interesting research on applying fungicides to fertilizer granules as a way to reduce cost and improve fungicide uptake. I’ve outlined the research below, compiled by 4Farmers, a crop input supplier from Western Australia. It looks like we may have a new tool to help control leaf diseases in wheat while reducing application costs.

Smuts and bunts

The best way hands down is to have clean seed. The next best way to control smuts and bunts is seed treatment. They are not particularly well controlled by fertilizer fungicides. That said, a trial in Western Australia in 2003 looked at control of barley loose smut by a range of in furrow treatments including Triadimefon, Triadimenol, Tebuconazole (Folicur), and Flutriafol, all at 100 grams active per hectare. Triadimefon was ineffective; Triadimenol and Flutriafol were about equal and reasonably effective, while Tebuconazole (Folicur) was clearly the best.

Rusts

Tebuconazole (Folicur) is effective in the protection of rust in wheat. Tebuconazole provides more protection in the furrow ahead of Propiconazole (Tilt). A fertilizer treatment is the best method of application, better than an early foliar application. None of the fungicides will move basipetally (downwards, towards the base) within the plant, while they move readily acropetally (upwards, towards the leaf tips). So a post-emergent spray will protect all parts of leaves that it hits, but any leaf (or even half a leaf) that emerges later will not be protected.

The fungicide continues to move up from the roots as long as the supply lasts, and gives protection to all leaves. It also gives better protection to the stem, as this also is continually being fed fungicide. A foliar application however will not usually move from one side of the stem to the other, so for complete protection there must be very good turbulence during spraying to get droplets onto all sides of the stem.

Powdery Mildew

Seed dressings will give early protection, although trials have shown that treated fertilizer will give control for about twice as long, out to 14 weeks. This should get most people through the danger period, but late infections are readily controlled by foliar sprays. They seem to be about equal in efficacy, although one trial suggested that Propiconazole (Tilt) would be ahead of Tebuconazole (Folicur) in terms of cost.

Tan spot (wheat)

A 4Farmers trial showed that Tebuconazole (Folicur) was quite effective up until stem elongation. Its effects had worn off by flag leaf emergence (this was 130 days after sowing). For foliar control, trials have shown Propiconazole (Tilt) being slightly more effective than Tebuconazole (Folicur), but either should provide adequate control in practice.

Septoria nodorum (wheat)

We don't have any information on the efficacy of fertilizer fungicides on this disease. For foliar control, both Tebuconazole (Folicur) and Propiconazole (Tilt) are effective, with trials giving a small edge to Tebuconazole (just the reverse of Yellow spot). Again, either should prove adequate in practice.

Septoria tritici (wheat)

We don't have any information on the efficacy of fertilizer fungicides on this disease. For foliar control, Tebuconazole and Propiconazole are about equal according to Bayer data.

Take all (wheat)

Take all and other root diseases can only be done with seed or fertilizer treatments. Foliar sprays won't have any effect.

Scald (barley)

4Farmers trials have shown good control from Tebuconazole (Folicur) on fertilizer. However, hold off any fertilizer treatment and use Propiconazole (Tilt) as a foliar spray.

Net blotch (barley)

There is no choice here. You use Propiconazole for Spot and Net Type blotch as a foliar spray. Propiconazole (Tilt) will also control Scald and Powdery Mildew, but the ideal timings for these will probably be different from that of Net Blotch.

Application of liquid fungicides to fertilizer granules

Some users have just dribbled the liquid onto fertilizer in an auger. It does tend to redistribute itself over the granules and so evens out any irregular application. Granules may appear greasy after application, but become drier in storage as the liquid is absorbed. Most types of fertilizer are suitable, as the solvent will not dissolve them or make them sticky. It should NOT be used on Ammonium Nitrate fertilizers. The mixture is potentially explosive!

Final Thoughts

From what I understand, seed treatments are limited in the amount they can load a seed with fungicide before killing germination. For example, Raxil MD and Raxil T both have the active ingredient Tebuconazole, the main active in Folicur. Raxil T is a seed treatment that is absorbed into the germinating seed and transported through the growing seedling, providing control of seed and seedling diseases. That being the case, I see no reason why a fertilizer granule coated with Folicur and placed close to the seed would not do the same if not better as your loading capabilities increase. Factor in the potential elimination of an in crop fungicide application and something tells me we’re on to something here. SL

Source: http://4farmers.com.au/library/The%204Furrow%20Package.pdf

Carbon News

A higher verification standard may be in store for Alberta tillage offsets

November 9, 2009- As seen in earlier columns, we have been outspoken about the need for quality standards in the data used to create greenhouse gas (GHG) offsets, or carbon credits. Based on comments by Alberta Environment at several recent industry meetings, the verification standards for tillage offsets may be set to increase in the not too distant future. In our opinion, this is a step in the right direction, but what does it mean for farmers in Alberta?

Verification is the independent review of a GHG offset project and it expresses an opinion of the accuracy of the project’s GHG reduction claim. At present, the verification standard set in Alberta is at the “review” level. This is the lowest level of verification, and in general requires a verification firm to issue a report and statement stating that nothing had come to its attention in reviewing the project to cause it to not consider the results presented as a fair representation of the GHG reductions claimed by the project. This is not an audit opinion, which means that a higher standard would require significantly more investigative work by the verification firm to express a stronger opinion on the accuracy of the GHG reduction claim.

The higher verification standard often referred to is a “reasonable” level of assurance. However, what a reasonable level of assurance means when applied to a tillage offset project remains uncertain to us. Our understanding of a reasonable level of assurance for project verification would require independent confirmation of the GHG reduction claim. For example, a meter reading with independent calibration records and an ISO based data management system. How this level of assurance applies to tillage offsets may be difficult to support, particularly for early action offsets since they are very difficult to independently confirm like our metered project example. What is more likely in our opinion is that Alberta Environment will issue additional guidance for project developers (aggregators) and verifiers to a significantly higher standard than what is in place today.

A higher verification standard for tillage offsets will require significantly more due diligence by the project developer and aggregator to confirm the accuracy of the GHG offset claim. This will place a higher burden on the farmer to produce accurate farm records including crop insurance records, equipment receipts, etc. The aggregator will have to perform more investigative work to determine the accuracy of what the farmer claims the eligible acres to be and ensure that all calculations are accurate and can be reproduced. While Preferred Carbon has developed a proprietary system for increased offset project due diligence, other aggregators may not have. The verification firm will have to increase the sample size of the farms reviewed at a minimum and may have to more extensively review the systems in place by the aggregator firm.

The bottom line is that project costs, or aggregation costs, including verification costs will increase. In some cases, depending on the guidance given by Alberta Environment and the standards of the aggregation firm, some farms maybe excluded in the future due to poor or incomplete record keeping. Whether or not the price to the farmer is reduced remains to be seen and will depend on competition and potential changes to the price cap created by the Alberta Climate Change and Emissions Management Fund.

Reference: Bruce Love, Preferred Carbon
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author only and are not intended to represent financial advice.

Market News

World Production in Million Metric Tonnes       Oct 09 ending stocks vs five year average

	Production			Ending Stocks			Ending Stocks
	2007-08	Oct-09	Change	2007-08	Oct-09	Change	5 Year Avg
Rapeseed	48.4	56.5	17%	3	4.9	59%	4.6	8%
Barley	133.2	147.2	11%	18	30.4	68%	25.7	18%
Wheat	610.6	668.1	9%	119	186.7	56%	138.6	35%
Corn	792.3	792.5	0%	128	136.2	7%	125.9	8%
Soybeans	220.9	246.0	11%	53	54.8	3%	54	1%

USDA
Updated Oct 16, 2009

Technical Update

Canola: January futures
HRS Wheat: December futures
Canadian dollar: December futures
Crude Oil: December futures

International Crop and Weather News

United States
This week’s harvest progress levels were on the low side of trade expectations with corn 54%, up 17% from last week, but the trade expectations ranged from 50-60%. Soybeans at 89% was also below 90-93% range of ideas verses last week’s 75%. The hurricane moving up the SE coast last week may have been the reason for beans slightly lower number, but this pit is in post-harvest mode with its progress numbers not having much impact. Corn’s major states were up about 20% last week, but the northern states of ND (8%), SD (27%), MN (43%) and WI (38%) need to really pick up this week when they don’t seem to be very wet, otherwise there could be a lot of corn in the field if snows show up in the northern areas about Thanksgiving as they normally do each year. Wheat’s g/e ratings went up 1% to 64%, but they remain below last year’s top conditions of 66%. IL, IN, and MO in the Midwest and AR and TN in Delta still have soft red acres to seeded yet this fall according to local observers.  Jerry Gidel, North America Risk Management Services

Queensland, Australia
Queensland has had a smaller than average harvest that came in up to 4 weeks early. Chickpeas have been the standout with yields at 1.3t/ha. Surprisingly, wheat quality has been extreme with protein over 14% and test weights over 82. This has led to a large supply of good quality wheat with the feed market needing to compete. There’s a distinct shortage of lower quality feed grain.

Rain has been patchy and about 5% of the summer crop is in. Mung beans and soy beans have some good contacts although sorghum is looking like an exercise. The weather outlook is hot and dry so, with little stored moisture, don't bank on Queensland producing any large summer crops.  Ronald Thompson, QLD

Southern New South Wales, Australia
Harvest is quickly working its way east here with 35°Celscius days the norm and with the dry spring we have experienced, harvest is about 2 weeks early. The western part of the region has finished canola with yields very disappointing. There will be very little wheat left to harvest by the end of the week with yields again disappointing and screenings high. The whole region suffered heavy frosts at flowering and thousands of acres of cereals have been cut for hay. In the east, canola harvest is midway through with yields getting better the further east you go. Wheat is still a week or two away and again, the further east one heads, the better the yields will be. Having said that, few are expecting yields better than the long term averages. The eastern region was also hard hit with frost with up to 20% of cereals cut for hay.  Murray Scholz, NSW

Northern New South Wales, Australia
Harvest is in full swing in Northern NSW with fine sunny days and a good forecast for the next week or so. Yields and quality are a mixed bag. Generally, I would say it is probably on or just below average with quality (protein) a little down on normal. NSW and QLD in total will only be average at best, more likely below average, however South Australia and the West look like picking up the slack.

In Northern NSW and Southern QLD summer crop planting has been occurring sporadically on the back of storm rains but moisture profiles are low and at this stage it would be hard to see a bumper sorghum crop.  Richard Heath, NSW

Ontario, Canada
From South Western Ontario (the south coast of Canada) farmers struggled through soybean harvest and winter wheat planting. Corn harvest is now in full swing. It was a difficult soybean harvest due to wet weather and high humidity but yields were exceptional with many farmers reporting yields of 60 plus bushels to the acre. (4 tonne/ha). Early frost has been a problem for the corn in many areas of Ontario killing the plant before maturity. This has not been as much of a problem in the southwest and farmers are reporting exceptional yields but the corn is very high in moisture and the drying costs will be high. The weather this past week has been the best that we have had all fall. Let’s hope it stays this way for a few more weeks.  Jack Rigby, ON

Western Canada
Warm/dry conditions encouraged widespread harvest activities in Western Canada last week. Little to no precipitation fell and farmers took advantage of the weather for fieldwork. Temperatures were 1 to 5 degrees Celsius above normal, with daily highs reaching into the mid-teens in the southern regions. The overall harvest reached 95 per cent complete, with spring wheat and durum at 97 and 99 per cent complete, respectively.  CWB