May 10, 2016
Malibu Restaurant, Exeter
Chair for the meeting was Rob Miller
Breakfast sponsor – Chris Roelands, Honeyland Ag Services
The next meeting will be Tuesday, May 24th starting at 7:00am for breakfast and 7:30 for the meeting.
Synopsis: There has not been much rain in the past two weeks, but there also has not been a lot of heat. The ground is fit for planting in many areas but heavier soils are not ready yet. Many are reporting that the ground is dry on top but fairly tacky underneath. Into the northern areas of Bruce and Grey county 40 to 60% of the corn has been planted. Reports in most other areas are that corn has been planted on about 80% of the intended acres with some pockets nearing completion. As corn planting is being finished up, producers are rolling on with planting soybeans where the soils are fit. Some growers are holding off until next week to plant soybeans because of the cold temperatures this week. About 5 to 10% of soybean acres are planted, including some acres of IP soybean. Both corn and soybean planting will continue to be busy through the week, although progress may be slowed by Friday because the forecast for the weekend looks to be fairly cold and below 5 degrees at night. Spring soil sampling seems to be basically done by now. Nitrate tests are in the mid to high single digits which is on pace with where they should be. More nitrogen will be available as we get warmer weather. In some corn fields, the variability of nitrogen between knolls and low spots in the field is as much as 10 ppm. For the most part the winter wheat is not showing disease symptoms, although there is some septoria low in the canopy that does not appear to be worsening. There were, however, a couple reports of leaf rust and powdery mildew in some thick wheat stands where the disease does appear to be getting worse over time. It will be sprayed when the weather is a bit warmer. Winter wheat is primarily sitting at Zadock’s stage 32, but the 3rd node is appearing in some fields and we expect to see the flag leaf sometime next week. The winter wheat was looking fairly advanced in weeks past but with the cool weather lately it is basically at a ‘normal’ stage of development for this time of year. The cold nights we have been experiencing should give us a wheat crop with good standability.
Corn: The general consensus is that producers know it is a good idea to split their nitrogen application, but some still find it easier to apply it all up front. Some will add Agrotain to reduce losses. About 40% of producers are taking the time to split nitrogen applications by side dressing or using y-drops.
More and more producers are trying some cover crops in standing corn, with annual rye being the most popular and some adding crimson clover to the rye. To have success with this, be sure to consider your corn herbicides carefully.
Lumivia is now fully registered as a Class 2 seed treatment in corn (not in soybean). Lumivia is a diamide product. Lumivia will be comparable to neonicotinoids in protecting the seed from wireworms and will offer suppression of seed corn maggot. Keep in mind that dust exhausted from pneumatic planters can occur with diamides as well, so be sure to use Bayer fluency agent and if possible, dust deflectors.
Soybean: Producers are currently working to apply burn-down treatments ahead of soybean planting, which may be holding back planting to some extent. With frost conditions the burn-down treatments may be slower to act. Group 14 treatments, including saflufenacil and sulfentrazone are being supported for use in burn downs. Higher rates of sulfentrazonen used in the US have pre-plant intervals but the lower levels used here should not cause problems.
The use of starter fertilizers in soybeans was discussed. Some producers have the ability to put fertilizer in the furrow and are especially interested in this in no-till scenarios, but the salt levels can be damaging. Potash should not be applied in furrow. MAP in furrow at 50 lbs of product can provide a small (3 bushel) yield boost on 15” rows when soil tests are low (i.e. 10-12ppm of P, 100ppm of K). Moisture conditions and soil type also play an important role in crop safety. Dry conditions and sandy soils are more prone to damage. If the soils tests are decent, there is typically no response to starter. Also, the response is similar if MAP is broadcast under these conditions and more P and K are being broadcast ahead of soybeans than in years past. Trials have not been conducted to test whether soybeans on 30” rows will be more responsive to starters or banded applications over broadcast. It was noted that while beans remove a lot of potash from the soil, phosphorous is also very important in soybeans and should make up at least a third of your starter.
Soybeans should be planted into moisture, but at this time of year the planting depth should be kept relatively shallow (1-1.5 inches) if possible. Also, keep in mind that seed vigor can be impacted if planting is followed by a cold rain within the first 12-48 hours after planting. The seed is vulnerable when it first takes on moisture, and if that first few hours of moisture uptake is very cold you can see reduced seedling emergence and vigor. Take note of the weather this weekend, the forecast currently includes 2 degrees at night and some rain. But otherwise, if the ground is fit and the 2 day forecast is decent then now is the time to plant. Planting date studies have shown that early planted beans usually yield more than later planted fields.
Wheat: There are very few annual weeds being reported in the winter wheat, although some spreading atriplex has been noted. For the most part herbicide applications are not being recommended because the wheat is advanced to a point where weeds are not impacting yield. There is some benefit to controlling weeds before seed set (spray now or after harvest), or to improve ease of harvest. If the flag leaf is visible a herbicide will cause more harm than good. When you can feel the 3rd node at about an inch above the 2nd node, the leaf appearing in the whorl is the flag leaf. Regarding fungicides, early applications at typical weed control timing (stage 30-31) will improve standability. If you have a variety that may lodge, now is the time to apply unless you are beyond stage 31. At flag leaf the fungicide application is controlling Fusarium and will likely provide a yield bump, and will give residual control for about 14 to 21 days. As a reminder, try to mix up the fungicide modes of action you use and do not expect a half rate of fungicide to provide improved standability.
Soil tests are showing low sulphur levels and sulphur deficiencies are appearing in the wheat. It is not as obvious on warmer days, but the patchy, yellowing areas are evident during cool weather. Sulphur deficiency looks like nitrogen deficiency and appears first on eroded knolls. Conduct a tissue test to confirm, or use a hand spray bottle and apply some K2Os or calcium sulphate; if you flag it and come back in 3 to 4 days it should have greened up if there is a deficiency.
Forages: Newly seeded alfalfa stands are looking very good. There are about a dozen producers growing Roundup Ready alfalfa, although it was noted that many are interested in the low lignin trait that has been combined in varieties with the herbicide tolerance. You can also find other low lignin varieties that are not Roundup Ready.
Clover stands are sporadic and most areas do not have a good stand, possibly because of frost in April. There is hope that it may just be slow coming out of the ground because of the cold weather. A few damage reports have been submitted for clover.
Other/Weeds: Some producers have had issues with residue or gel in the tank so here is a reminder about the order for tank-mixing. Use the acronym WAMLEGS to dictate tank mix order: Wet-able powders, then Agitate, Micro-encapsulated products (Prowl H2O), Liquids, Emulsifiable concentrates (EC), Glyphosate (high or low rates) and Surfactants. Be sure to check product labels for information on tankmixing and order.
Glyphosate resistant waterhemp has been found in Essex county and on Walpole Island. There was also widespread group 2 and 5 resistance, and some cases of waterhemp plants expressing 3 way resistance to groups 2, 5 and 9.
Stratford Crop Technology Contacts:
Horst Bohner, horst.bohner@ontario.ca
Joanna Follings, joanna.follings@ontario.ca
Meghan Moran, meghan.moran@ontario.ca
Jake Munroe, jake.munroe@ontario.ca