Agronomists Notes

Hello Reader,

We’re nearing the end of harvest. Most of my clients are finished and the rest will be wrapping up this week. Now it’s time to switch gears and change tires on the sprayers for some fall spraying. Mitch and I finished up another successful harvest on the weekend and are planning to do some spraying and fall banding this year if our day jobs and weather allow.

So, we have a lot to talk about this week. Yield and trial data is starting to come in with some great results. We’ll start with a seeding rate trial in wheat and then a wide row spacing trial in canola. We’ll also discuss the threat of blackleg in canola and the impact of volunteer canola. There’s an excellent agronomy conference coming up and I have the details to share. And cue the theme music because it’s time to introduce not one but two of our smartphone apps for Apple and Android!

Have a great week,

Pictured above: Our Gleaner R7 makes another pass on rolling terrain near Morrin, AB. Source: V. Larocque

Harvest Progress

(Calgary to Drumheller to Three Hills)     Yield Avg

Wheat: 98%                                                          50-60 bu/ac
Canola: 90%                                                         30-40 bu/ac
Barley: 98%                                                          80-90 bu/ac
Peas: 100%                                                          40-50 bu/ac

High plant densities in wheat pay dividends

I’ve long been a proponent of high plant densities in wheat to generate higher yields while reducing days to maturity. When it comes to spring wheat, 50% of our yield comes from the main stem, and the other 50% comes from the next two tillers. In our area, by targeting higher plant densities between 30 to 35 plants ft2 we encourage main stem production, which in turn generates higher yields. Also, each additional tiller requires 3 to 4 days to emerge so if we can reduce the production of tillers 3 and 4, we can reduce days to maturity by 6 to 8 days. With a tight 90 to 100 day growing season, a reduction of 6 to 8 days is significant and can help increase quality and yield by minimizing inefficient tillers.

This year, Mike Reynolds from Three Hills and his agronomist Daryl Chubb of Beyond Agronomy laid out some strip trials to compare a low, standard and high plant density target. The variety was CDC Go, a high yielding spring wheat variety that does very well in the Three Hills area. Here are the details:

TKW: 43.2 grams
Germ: 97%
Low rate: 92 lbs/ac (19 plants/ft2)
Standard: 128 lbs/ac (27 plants/ft2)
High rate: 147 lbs/ac (30 plants/ft2)

Yield was measured on each trial via yield monitor which was calibrated with the weigh scale on the grain cart. There was no difference in yield between the low rate of 92 lbs/ac and standard rate of 128 lbs/ac; both rates yielded 65 bu/ac. The high rate of 147 lbs/ac (30 plants/ft2) yielded a surprising 75 bu/ac, a 15% yield bump over the low and standard seeding rates.

An increase of three plants per square foot may not seem like much of a difference between the standard and high plant density but it is significant. The high rate increased plant density by 10% which added up to an additional 130,680 plants per acre. With an average of three heads per plant, 26 seeds per head, and a 40 g/tkw, an additional 15 bu/ac could easily be generated. In Mike’s example, he was able to generate a 15% yield bump or 10 bu/ac simply by increasing plant densities from 27 plants/ft2 to 30 plants/ft2.

So, are you pushing plant densities into the optimum range? The first step is to calculate seeding rates based on germination and thousand kernel weight  followed by measuring seedling mortality rates. Seedling mortality rates are easy to calculate once you target a plant density, simply head out to the field and measure what actually emerged. Once you fine tune how to achieve target plant stand densities you can start measuring yield through strip trials on you farm. Perhaps 25 plants/ft2 is your optimum density or even 40 plants. You’ll only know if you measure. In Mike’s case, he was able to generate an extra $80-$90 an acre simply by increasing his target plant density to 30 ft2. Not a bad ROI for a little extra seed! SL

Photo source: S. Larocque

Wide row spacing trials in canola

Get out your shop towel

I’ve spent a great deal of time investigating vacuum planters and wide row spacing in canola the last few years. With seedling mortality at a dismal 50% and uneven emergence, I thought there must be a better way to plant canola. Justin Nanninga from Barrhead, AB was quick to step up and test the theory. He just completed his second year of wide row spacing trials in canola with some very interesting results.

Justin has a 56-foot JD Conservapak on 12-inch spacing with a JD 1910 air tank and liquid and NH3 kits. Justin has been comparing 12-inch wide canola to 24-inch wide canola for the last two years. To achieve 24-inch spacing with the Conservapak, every second seed run on the distributor was blocked with shop towel. Shut off valves were installed on the NH3 and liquid starter lines and hooks were built to keep the fertilizer knives out of the ground. Lastly, lock-out bolts were used to hold the seed boots out of the ground.

In 2011, Justin seeded a Nexera canola variety at 5 lbs/ac and saw no yield or maturity difference between the 12-inch versus 24-inch row spacing. What he did discover was that 5 lbs/ac might have created too much competition inside each row from a heavy plant population. Blocking every second seed run doubled the seed inside each row and lead to some very thin stalks.

Fast forward to 2012, Justin reduced the seeding rate in the 24-inch spacing to 1.5 lbs/ac versus 5 lbs/ac in the 12-inch row spacing. He planted the variety InVigor 5440 which had a germination of 98% and a tkw of 5.13 grams. For a second year in a row, there was no difference in yield or maturity with an impressive 54 bu/ac average on both row spacings. The only physiological difference was a reduction in lodging on the 24” spacing. We suspect the reduction in plant stand density from the 1.5 lb/ac seeding rate created thicker, stronger stalks and a subsequent reduction in lodging.

Now, if you haven’t done the Steve’s quick math on the results, at $9.60 lb for canola seed, Justin saved $33.60 acre in canola seed costs without a yield or maturity loss. I see this as a huge win for canola growers as seed costs continue to climb. I encourage you to try your own wide row strip trials in 2013. There is no reason that machines with on-row depth control like a Bourgault 3320, SeedMaster, SeedHawk, Morris C2, JD Conservapak, Case 800 or NH 2070 can’t recreate the same effect. You may even be able to block every second run on regular air hoe drills. After two years of wide row trials, Justin tells me that all his canola will be on 24-inch spacing from now on. Now that is awesome. SL

Pictured above: Justin and his combine pilt Dawna harvest the 24" wide row canola.

Blackleg in canola is on the rise

Get volunteer canola under control!

I saw an alarming amount of blackleg in canola this year throughout my territory. The infection severity was also alarming where some fields with moderate infections lost yield from lodging at early flower in spite of being R rated varieties. For over a decade we’ve relied heavily on blackleg resistance through plant breeding and genetics. With very tight canola rotations and uncontrolled volunteer canola, we’re creating huge selection pressure which is a ticking time bomb if left unchecked.

The photos you see here are of a field just a few miles from Three Hills where hail ravaged a pea crop in early August. Volunteer canola has been left uncontrolled and is growing across the entire field. After a brief field inspection, I was able to find blackleg lesions on the leaves as shown in the bottom photo. Blackleg begins as a water-soaked mark on the leaf with black dots (picnidia) on the inside of the lesion. The spores then spread and infect the stem where it eventually cuts off the vascular system so water and nutrients can no longer be transported up the stem.

For the longest time we’ve viewed volunteer canola as a benign weed we just leave to the frost or control with a little 2,4-D at our leisure. The reality is volunteer canola opens a window outside of the growing season for blackleg to flourish and take hold. Due to the high selection pressure we’re creating and the virulent nature of blackleg, plant breeders may not be able to keep up with resistant genes to keep blackleg at bay. Considering that yield losses of 100% have been documented in some susceptible varieties in the past, I suggest we step up the proactive approach: relax tight rotations and be sure to control volunteer canola whenever you get the chance.  SL

For more information on blackleg ID and control go to: ACPC

Beyond Agronomy launches Apps for Apple and Android smartphones

I’m excited to announce the launch of our new smartphone apps for Apple and Android!

The seeding rate calculator app allows you to enter your desired plant density, thousand kernel weight, germination, seedling mortality and instantly provides the correct seeding rate in lbs/ac.

The herbicide tank mix and rainfast guide app tells you what order to mix each herbicide and how long you have until it rains. This quick and easy to use app is tailored to Western Canadian farmers.

These apps will make your life easier and who doesn’t need a little ease? Hop on over to www.beyondagronomy.com to get yours today. Then tell your friends!

Advanced Agronomy Conference 2012

Register today!

Our 5th annual Advanced Agronomy Conference will be held in Edmonton on November 19 and 20, 2012. We have a great line-up of local and international speakers including our keynotes Clay Mitchell from Iowa and Roberto Peiretti from Argentina. We’ve put together leading edge topics and content you won’t find at a typical agronomy conference. Be sure to register today!

Topics & Speakers

Keynote: Argentine farming systems - Roberto Peiretti, Argentina

Keynote: High residue cropping and seeding systems - Roberto Peiretti, Argentina

Keynote: Telemetry and mobile device interconnectivity on the farm - Clay Mitchell, Mitchell Farm, Iowa

Keynote: CTF, intercropping, strip tillage and other benefits of aligned farming systems - Clay Mitchell, Mitchell Farm, Iowa

Optimizing crop production with precision planters - Brian Sieker, Monosem Inc., Kansas

Optimizing tires for traction, weight bearing and reducing the impact on soils - Ken Brodbeck, Firestone Ag, Iowa

Soil Compaction: What you can't see can hurt you - Jodi Dejong-Hughes, University of Minnesota

Field of dreams: high yield agronomy - Dan Owen, Hudye Soil Services, Saskatchewan

Late season foliar nutrition and nutrient densities - Jarrett Chambers, ATP Nutrition Ltd., Manitoba

To register go to: http://www.areca.ab.ca/aac-home.html

Market News

Canola Nov12: The long term trend is up and the short term trend is down.

HRS Wheat Dec12: The long and short term trends are up.

Corn Dec 12: The long term trend is up and the short term trend is down.

Soybeans Nov12: The long term trend is up and the short term trend is down.

CDN Dollar Jun12: The long term trend is up and the short term trend is down.

USD Jun12: The long term trend is down and the short term trend is up.