Wheat Pete’s Word, May 3: Rust alerts, wet weather, and the philosophy of seeding rates

We’re kicking off May with wet, wet weather both at home and south of the border, and not one but two alerts for very early disease detection in Ontario’s Bruce and Essex Counties.

Peter Johnson, your host of Wheat Pete’s Word, also has cautions on using saved soybean seed from the 2016 crop, why you need to scout for rusts (yes, plural) now, and some wildly early spring wheat plantings in Manitoba, of all places.

Also in this episode: determining the optimal wheat seeding rate for your farm, rescue fertilizer applications, stored grain insect killing and more!

Don’t forget to send Peter your questions and comments! Leave a message at 1-888-746-3311, send him a tweet (@wheatpete), or email him at [email protected].

SUMMARY

• Soybean seed from 2016 is large and in charge, but of very poor quality. Unless you’re using certified seed, make sure it’s been tested before you use it. Or, better yet, stick with certified seed.
• Frost seeding spring wheat in November? Yup, someone did. Keep Peter posted on how your spring cereals look and when they went in the ground
• Orange Alert! We’ve got confirmed leaf rust in Bruce County (likely overwintered) , and stripe rust found this morning (May 3rd) in Essex County. Scout! And listen to the end of this episode for some fungicide control tips
• Zen and the Art of Wheat Seeding Rates is the title of Wheat Pete’s new book, but also the best explanation of how best to determine the right seeding rate for YOUR farm. Fact is, it’s easy but also complex — Peter explains tillering tendency (this is more condition and rate dependent than variety dependent, but genetics play a role), factoring in mortality, lodging risk, and the might “heads per square foot at harvest” goal. Listen above. We promise it’s worth it.
• Is it too late for putting liquid manure on wheat in Ontario? Likely yes, because you’ve got an exposed growing point that’s going to end up crushed. Find somewhere else to put it, please.
• Broadcasting fertilizer because you missed putting it on with the spring wheat seed is still better than not fertilizing.
• What’s revenge spraying? Going after tiny flowering winter annuals in winter wheat now. Move along.
• What’s the relationship between strobilurin fungicide and DON concentrations mean? This product is not for T3/heading. End of story.
• Can you really kill stored grain insects by sending them through an air lock? Yes, but it’s not 100% effective. Better to avoid or freeze them right dead

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