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With the wet weather pushing back planting in April, it's easy to forget about small details that may get pushed aside when field work starts again. One of these details is prepping the planter monitor for spring data collection. Manually entering in the field names based upon memory opens up an easy way for data to go bad or typos to hijack your data collection. Use software like Beck's FARMserver®, Climate's Field View™, or John Deere MyOperations™ to go through your field boundaries and names to make sure there is one common name by which that boundary is referred to. Then, export a setup file to a flash drive and go to each monitor and upload all the fields. Some of this software is free to use for this basic function. FARMserver® premium access is included for all Beck's customers, for example. If changes are needed, pull up the former mentioned cloud based platforms to edit and export one file to multiple planting monitors for a simple easy to use operation. Good luck this spring. Even though it's busy, remember; it always gets done!

Paraquat (gramoxone) has seen some label changes that will affect applicators, including growers who spray their own crops. Below are four key things to be aware of on the new label: -Label's changes highlight the toxicity & danger to human life. There are 17 reported deaths since 2000 from accidental ingestion of this product. EPA says that: "Paraquat is highly toxic to humans. One small sip can be fatal, and there is no antidote." -Now the use of the product will be restricted to only certified applicators. Anyone who mixes, loads, applies the chemistry, or other related activities must have Pesticide Applicators License, not just work under them. -Targeted training for paraquat users is required. This is in addition to the certified applicator license. You can access the training module here: https://campus.extension.org/enrol/index.php?id=1660 -There will be a closed system packaging for non bulk containers of end use product containing paraquat. This change will affect manufacturers of this product.

“The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.” -Proverbs 21:5 We are in a critical time period for wheat development that impacts seeds/head. If more tillers are needed, then it is a priority to manage for more heads/plant. Thus, you may see more updates over then next while. After checking wheat yesterday, it appears there is a range of conditions in our area. The cool winter and cold early spring has reserved the vast majority of growth to the period between emergence and going dormant last fall. So, as can even be seen visually from the road; plant date made a difference on growth and tillers that we have now. Some places we are seeing tillers that had time to put out 4-6 tillers on 45-50 plants/ sq ft and others where we see 2-3 on 22-26 plants/sq ft. This is a broad range in terms of how we should manage this crop. Chad Lee of the University of Kentucky studied the practices of the top 30 farmer contestants on high yield wheat. He found that: 100% use foliar fungicide 100% use herbicides 97% use foliar insecticide 87% split apply Nitrogen Nitrogen Due to the cold wet weather inhibiting growth of roots and tillers, a split application of Nitrogen will probably be needed. The exception would be the scenario like was mentioned of 4-6 tillers on 45-50 plants. Again, fall growth and plants/acre or foot drives this decision. Insects After a cold winter, I have not seen aphids, yet! However, aphids survive in their natural gycerol antifreeze up to -20℉ . With temperatures moving to highs in the 50s and 60s and lows that stay above 32℉, this could change rapidly. Insecticide is the cheap and the only way to prevent aphids from vectoring the barley yellow dwarf virus. Weeds Winter annuals are starting to wake up and also marestail rosettes. A few more days of sun and warm temperatures will put us to getting a good kill on weeds. Wheat with later planted dates will be smaller increasing competition before mid spring canopy occurs. Wider rows or small plants make herbicide a critical component of yield. Fungus Beck’s PFR shows that fungicide applied at flowering returned a 4 year $9.98/acre ROI. This impacts our 4th and last ratio we consider in wheat yield: weight/seed. This was with spending $15.00/acre on fungicide before app cost. This application controls Fusarium Head Blight. There are cases in wet years that an application prior to flowering will work.  However, PFR has found applying fungicide to wheat prior to flowering has been hit or miss over the years. Keep in mind they were running full rates with costs around $12-17/acre. But, still in some cases the yields were almost even or sometimes less than the control yield. If, it is determined that fungicide is needed, running a ½ rate of Stratego for around $5.00 can be an option when included with your herbicide pass. Don’t hesitate to call with any questions. Am happy to go over a plan for your specific operation and situation.

I wanted to touch base on some thoughts for scouting wheat when the snow melts and the ground firms up. We have had an unusually long winter with excess snow, cold, and moisture. In spite of the late fall and other setbacks, we want to go back to the basics. This will help us focus on what we can do, instead of the items that are out of our control. A reminder on what makes wheat yield: -Plants/acre -Heads/plant -Seeds/head -Weight/seed So, with this in mind let’s start checking off our list what we have and then go to what we can do from here: -Plants/acre We can not do anything about this now, but observation will help us determine our yield potential from here. For top potential we should see 22-25 viable plants/sq foot. If we have less than 20 good yields are still possible but the 100% potential has come off. This number will help us decide how much should we spend on Fungicides, etc. -Heads/plant Ideally, we want to see by joint 3-4 tillers per plant. Due to the late fall, which was the best time for tillering, we probably only have 2. The main shoot and a tiller. If this fits your situation, as soon as it is dry enough or firm enough to go over the ground, we should front load 40-0-0-12 units of N and Sulfur to boost tillering before joint stage. If you have 3-4 tillers already and have good fall growth you may want to hold off on N if the N is sufficient for now. We would like to see around 80-100 heads/sq foot as we head towards joint. Seeds/head & Weight/seed As we get to the joint stage we will want to apply the rest of the N for the grain fill. Also, we need to be looking at fungicides. Here is an article from K State: In general, the largest reductions in disease severity and greatest increases in wheat yield or grain quality occur when fungicides are applied between full extension of the flag leaves and anthesis (when the male flower parts have just begin to emerge). Applications intended for the management of glume blotch or head scab should be made between the beginning of anthesis and and 50 percent flowering. and here is an excerpt from David Hughes on managing this cost efficiently: If we are concerned about: preventing and suppressing Fusarium head blight while having to deal with an early Stripe Rust infection. Because wheat is a “low margin” crop, many farmers did not want to apply fungicide twice to combat these infections. Farmers who applied a lower labeled rate of a preventative fungicide (ex. 2 to 4 oz. of Priaxor®) during stem elongation and before flag leaf emergence (about Feekes 6.5), were able to hold off the Stripe Rust. They were then able to suppress the Fusarium head blight with an application of Caramba, Proline, or Prosaro at flowering. Do not use a single action strobilurin fungicide for Fusarium head blight as it has been shown to actually increase the toxin levels in the infected wheat. If you need anything like assistance with scouting or input to help make a decision let me know.

"Climate is what we expect, weather is what we get!" -Mark Twain As a disclaimer to this article; let's be clear that I am not a weather enthusiast nor a professional in this field. However; based upon experience as a farmer reading multiple weather reports and also thoughts given to me by meteorologists, particularly the BAMWX.com team; here are a few thoughts on how to digest and look at weather forecasts in a simple, yet practical way. A few points: Long Term Seasonal Outlooks for Spring, Summer, Winter & Fall: Long term seasonal weather predicted on this broad of a scale gathers in meteorological drivers on a global scale. Thus, we have to think in terms of wetter/dryer and warmer/cooler phenomenons. Also, due to the great expanse of area needed to create these outlooks, we have to look at these weather patterns over a large areas. These forecasts are accurate over a large area. This might encompass 8-10 states; Midwest to Southern Plains for example. Thus, what is happening to your field may not reflect the general truth. That, the weather was drier than normal in 2018 in the area as your weather guy forecasted, even though the rainfall on that field in question was actually perfect for your crops, for example. Long Term 3-4 Week Forecasts: Are you prepared for wetter than normal field conditions, like tillage, cover crop termination, fertilizer apps, etc? Does it change the risk of needing extra wind hail insurance due to the graphic storms that may happen? Plans and practices of the above actions may not be able to be acted upon in a several day or this week window. These forecasts help us have the proper equipment set & ready, the most critical fields spotted, and the necessary supplies to handle this event. This is the time to prepare mentally, and on paper; too. Communicate with your farming partners and work together to create the "if this, then we do that" plan. This costs nothing from a dollar stand point and can give us preparedness. When the sun shines we will act instead of reacting. Shorter Term Forecasts: This is where weather can be forecasted very well. Especially, in the 24 hour periods of time. This is where risks are confirmed. Most of the time, we can go with the plan. On those few times that changes are needed, the decisions are simple and relatively minor. Remember, we have properly planned & prepared several weeks ago for this period of time. In Summary: We know we can't eliminate risk from agriculture. However; we want to reduce risk when possible. If, for example; a long term forecast weeks ago said wetter than normal and 150 miles north they are getting that several inches of rain, but here the forecast over next week of wet weather has turned drier; that might be a green light to step up the intensity of getting crops planted as the worst of the storm passes to the north. Correctly identifying the risk of what could happen helps us have the plans in place to go or stop as needed. WIth our large equipment of today, a lot of progress can be made in a short time, but; a lot of damage, too if the weather is adverse. Consultants on this report: Meteorologist Michael Clark with BAMWX.com

To cut right to the point: we are facing a narrow work window this spring as we look at preparing to plant and the planting operation itself. David Hughes, field agronomist for Beck’s Hybrids sent some thoughts that I want to share with you. Dwight Eisenhower famously said: "planning is everything, the plan is nothing."  Keeping top priorities in our minds will be important when the planning is derailed by adverse weather. We may need to scrap that bullet proof plan that looked so good early on when at the kitchen table and pivot quickly in the field to handle the curve ball that the weather or some other outside influence throws our way. David’s input will help utilize the working hours: When we have more to do than what we perceive as time to get it done in, it can get stressful.  These times require thoughtful planning and prioritization. Develop and then trust your prioritization and planning process.  Allow yourself the flexibility to hire out operations that have to be conducted in a timely manner if you are unable to do them yourself. Understand which things are priorities and which are not even if it means adjusting your own conventional thinking. **For example, nitrogen (N ) application for corn is not an operational priority ahead of planting or weed control (see priority list below)** Also think outside of the box if you have to. **  For example, If it is time to burndown winter annual weeds and soil conditions do not allow ground-sprayer application, consider calling in the birds (aerial applicators) to apply burndown** The following is how I would prioritize pre-plant operations at this time (if not already completed): P, K, S, and Zn application where soil tests have shown these nutrients to be in the low to very low category. a.       If lime piles aren’t already on the ground, I tend to refrain from heavy lime application until after harvest once we hit this time of the year.  This is especially true in no-till fields. The soil compaction that can occur from lime truck running on ground at high moisture content is significant.  Additionally, non-incorporated, high rates of lime on the soil surface with little to no time to breakdown can increase seedling injury with some of our residual chemistries.   It is better to wait until harvest and be ready to roll with the lime trucks then when the ground is dry. Planter maintenance, repair,  updating, and planter and meter evaluation to know how to optimize settings for your seed sizes. Seed size has little to no impact on achieving genetic yield.    Accurate product placement is more important to yield than seed size. Seed size can impact singulation if planter components are not set correctly.  Learn your planter manufacturer’s settings and recommendations for various seed sizes. Seed size can impact germination/emergence in some situations.  Very large seed tends to struggle a little more in drier soil because they require more water to swell and germinate.  Very small seed tends to struggle in cold, wet soils because they have lower energy reserves in the seed itself. i.   Recommendation with extremely large seed:  Make sure planting depth reaches the uniform soil moisture zone even if it is a little more than 2 inches deep. ii.   Recommendation with extremely small seed:  Consider use of Amplify-D (a PFR Proven product) as it adds chemistry, AMP (adenosine monophosphate), to the seed that can assist with meeting seedling energy requirements and help jump-start the seedling’s own production of ATP (adenosine triphosphate). iii.   If equipped, apply phosphorus (P) starter 3.       Review product placement plans with Wendell and anyone who will be planting corn on your operation to make sure everyone is on same page for what products should go on what fields. 4.       Evaluate fields for weed pressure and apply burndown as soon as conditions are right.    We did not get a high percentage of fall application done,  so this is critical. Starting clean is critical for elevating soil temperature sooner, allowing wet soil to evaporate and dry out some,  improving the efficacy of pre-emerge residual herbicides, and removing egg laying sites for black cutworm moths and flea beetles. . Early burndown application is also critical to achieving less expensive, resistant-marestail control. 5.       If tillage operations are needed, perform only when conditions are right.  Do not perform tillage when soils are too wet as soil compaction and degradation of soil structure will occur.  These mistakes can cost you much needed water later as water infiltration rates become significantly reduced on soils with compaction and poor soil structure. 6.       When conditions are right, PLANT.   This is even if you have not been able to apply N yet.   Average field soil temperature should be 50F or greater and soil moisture conditions should be that you cannot make a ball or ribbon that stays together when thrown up against your other hand or the ground. 7.       Apply N to meet corn needs. I have intentionally placed this as the least of your worries.  Absolutely, if the weather allows you to get some of your N on ahead of corn planting do so.  That is fantastic. But do not stress if you are unable to apply N before planting. Also, do not fear other sources of N if it does not work to apply anhydrous (NH3)-ammonia.   You will simply need to understand the best management practices associated with uses of other N sources. In fact, in some cases anhydrous application may do more harm to our soil condition than good if we push application when it is too wet. a.       Beck’s PFR research has shown in comparing various pre-plant, at planting, and side-dress N applications, that optimum yield can be obtained with some N on at planting and the balance of the N applied by the V3 growth stage. b.      Many site-years of university research in Missouri demonstrates that there is zero yield penalty when 0 N has been applied by planting as long as it can be put on as late as the V7-V10 growth stage.  This goes against some of our conventional thinking (mine included) that we impact kernel rounds with insufficient N by V6. However, in personal discussion with Dr. Peter Scharf, State Soil Fertility Specialist and one of the best N researchers in the country, he showed me where they had actually taken ear “round” counts under different N treatments and there is no significant difference among “0” preplant-N and pre-plant N on kernel count where the balance of the N was not applied until approximately V7 growth stage.  The following is an excellent graph showing research from almost 10 years of University of Missouri work on Corn N timing impact on yield. Dr. Scharf also included data from other states to show that there is general agreement in the data. c.        After review of Peter’s data and consideration of my personal observations and experiences, I am comfortable if N cannot be applied until the V7  growth stage. So we have time! Like I said, if you can get some on before that is great but is probably one of your lower priorities. There are two unique cases where I recommend prioritizing some pre-plant N application. i.   Corn following a rye cover crop ii.   On fields being planted to early maturing hybrids where our expectation is for these hybrids to achieve yield potential with fewer growing degree days to play with. End of David’s thoughts If you need anything or have questions for your particular situation call me anytime. We can work out a priority plan. 417-684-5301 wendell@topagservices.com