Wheat Pete’s Word, Feb. 27: Tissue test limits, chloride vs. chlorine, wheat records, and reviving rented land

What does your swimming pool and seedbed have in common? Very little! So why is one farmer worried about potassium chloride’s impact on soil bugs? It’s all about the form of nutrients, says Wheat Pete’s Word host, Peter Johnson.

In this week’s episode, Johnson wants to hear from you on your top spring wheat yields from out west, plus he’s got an update on gibberella testing in Ontario, and he’s got a five to seven year plan for reviving rented land. Interested? Listen now or download and listen later!

Have a question you’d like Johnson to address? Or some yield results to send in? Disagree with something he’s said? Leave him a message at 1-888-746-3311, send him a tweet (@wheatpete), or email him at [email protected].

SUMMARY

• Quick note: next week’s is the 200th episode of the Word!
• Deb Campbell, agronomist (and latest guest on Agronomy Geeks) sent in a sample of wild oats that withstood herbicide application. The sample came back resistant to Group 1 and Group 2 herbicides. Some Group 1 still worked, some didn’t. In the past few years, of 13 samples tested, 11/13 tested resistant to Group 1, 12/13 resistant to Group 2,. Look out!
• Ontario corn committee 2018 DON testing results are in. Thanks to Albert Tenuta and Dave Hooker for crunching the numbers on gibberella susceptibility and vomitoxin production. There was a question of if we could measure this (the trial was not designed to assess this), but the 2018 experience means that we have a gibberella hybrid assessment trial for 2019 in two locations. They are voluntary trials, similar to what is done in wheat (but those are not voluntary). Talk to your seed reps — tell them you want your hybrids included. We need that data!
• High yield wheat question: Manitoba farmer wants to push yield. Brandon spring wheat, has heard of high yielding in the 155 bu/ac range.  Is that real? Everyone in Western Canada who has grown Brandon wheat (and spring wheat in general), send in your record yields. But also, if you’re going to manage wheat, talk seeds per acre when planting/seeding, plus. No bushels per acre.
• Question out of South Africa: can we push wheat yield with tissue testing ? We don’t know the critical values based on a specific stage, and that’s key to making the test valuable. You could set up a trial.
• A foot of snow, then ice, then more snow, then more ice: how does that help or hinder the wheat? It depends. You need that air space above the wheat (ice tight to the ground is the problem).
• Lambton county – lots of questionable wheat acres, what’s the yield potential of spring wheat into winter wheat? Frost seeded in March could hit 60-ish bushel/ac yield potential. Middle of May planted may only hit 40-50, maybe
• What about frost seeding oats? Pick your variety and get it frost seeded in March and you’ll do much better. 140 bu/ac possible in the past; aim for 1.2 million seeds per acre, depending on the area.
• Oats for forage following wheat? Pick variety based on straw yield, it’ll give you a good indication of tonnage
• Fertility: Corn starter, MEZ, potash, CAN (and so many other fun acronyms). Well over 200 pounds of product slows down planting too much. Can I switch it up? How do I protect against volatilization? So many answers.
• MAP burn concern: What you’re looking up is seed bed utilization — a function of fertilizer rate, opener, row spacing. There are good calculators online
• Alert! Do not put phosphorus right with the soybean seed!
• Potash: does source make a difference for environmental concerns, re: soil bugs. Chloride and chlorine are not the same. Chlorine is what kills algae in your pool, chloride is needed and used by plants and is very safe for soil bugs
• Reviving rented land: For 10 years, this field has grown continuous soybeans, and has erosion issues and likely soybean cyst nematode. Cash crop hay is the first choice for three years, then corn, then edible bean (not adzukis), then wheat, then corn, then soybeans. Ta da!

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