Keep An Eye On Your Wheat
With the higher wheat prices last fall, there were several acres of wheat planted in southeast Nebraska. The ice storms in December, with some ice cover and later in the winter some very cold temperatures has caused some concern about how the wheat came through the winter. In the next 2-3 weeks as temperatures warm up, we should be able to determine the condition of our wheat. Hopefully the wheat made it through the winter in pretty good shape.
Going into the winter there was some excellent looking wheat, with good stands and excellent growth. I know many fields may have already received all the nitrogen fertilizer they needed last fall. If you haven’t applied all of your nitrogen needs to your wheat, now is a good time to do so as fields start to dry up or if you can get over the fields when the ground is frozen. As you all know, wheat is an excellent dry weather crop and can yield quite well on limited precipitation. Wheat will usually benefit from nitrogen applications up to boot stage of development. Earlier applications of nitrogen fertilizer are especially beneficial to later planted wheat or wheat that hasn’t previously received nitrogen fertilizer, as they help plant stands thicken up by increasing growth and tillering. This is also beneficial for weed control, as a good, thick stand of wheat will reduce competition from weeds. How much nitrogen is recommended for wheat in our area? A minimum of 100 pounds of nitrogen per acre is recommended, including any residual available nitrogen in the soil. If you are growing wheat on fertile soil and/or under irrigation and have high yield goals of 75-100 bu/acre, higher nitrogen rates of 120 -150 pounds per acre may be needed. If using urea, applications are usually the most efficient and economical if you can make the applications just prior to a rain which will reduce nitrogen losses through volatilization.
Weed control is another management practice that is key to successful wheat production. The next 2-3 weeks is a good time to check your wheat fields and determine if you have any weed infestations. Usually the winter annuals cause the most problems in wheat and can really reduce wheat yields if left untreated. Some common weeds that you may have include: pennycress, henbit, chickweed, marestail, kochia, wild buckwheat and different types of mustards. Hopefully you have kept track of weed problems in previous years and can check these areas. You may be able to successfully treat weed problems by just spot spraying certain parts of a field if you just have a small area that has an infestation. There are several herbicides that do an excellent job of controlling weeds in wheat. Costs are quite variable and some are not recommended for use with liquid fertilizers, such as dicamba. Others can be used with fertilizer solutions, but may not need a surfactant. Growth regulator herbicides, such as 2, 4-D and dicamba (Banvel) are recommended for use after the wheat is well tillered, but before the joint stage. Applications before or after these wheat growth stages could cause crop injury and reduce wheat yields significantly. The bottom line is to always read and follow the label directions on the herbicide.
What about fungicides to reduce diseases in your wheat? With the potential of getting a good yield and price for your wheat crop, the use of a fungicide may be beneficial. Last year, fungal disease pressure was high in several wheat fields. Certain varieties that were more susceptible to diseases, such as wheat rust, yielded significantly higher than untreated fields. Remember each year is different and if conditions are not favorable for disease development, treatment with a fungicide may not be profitable. I will address the use of fungicides for disease control in wheat later in the spring. If you have questions feel free to contact me, Gary Lesoing at the Nemaha County Extension office at 1824 ‘N’ St. at the courthouse in Auburn (402) 274-4755.
|
