Wheat Pete's Word, Apr 28: Drought risks, burnt wheat, starter for beans, and planting intentions

Early spring weather has left some wheat feeling the burn of products applied before cold nights in Ontario. Out west, many farmers are still hoping for moisture before getting rolling for the #plant21 season.

For this week’s Wheat Pete’s Word, host Peter Johnson reminds listeners to take fifteen minutes out of their day to phone a neighbour or fellow farmer, just to catch up. You’ll both benefit, for sure. Plus, Johnson answers questions about starter fertilizer in beans, fungicide decisions on wheat, and more.

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

• The race is on — vaccines vs. variants of the COVID virus
• Get your shot! About 30% of Canadians have gotten one dose. That’s progress, but we need to push through this (last?) lockdown and stay vigilant
• There’s a lot of stress and strain out there — when you’ve got the auto steer on, pick up that phone and call a neighbour (remember Wheat Pete’s Fifteen? Let’s keep it rolling)
• Oh man, soybean prices right?
• China may announce the first population decline since 1949
• China has ALWAYS been growing. What happens if they stop?
• Basically, just make sure you’re locking in profit
• Wheat Schools! Check ’em out
• Ellen Sparry, C&M Seeds, honoured as an influential woman in Canadian agriculture! Congratulations!
• (Plus, Wheat Pete is a grandpa again! Welcome, little man)
• The 21, 22, 23, and 26 of April all registered below freezing at some point
• Elevation can play a role, sometimes surprisingly so, when applying product ahead of a cold night (or nights)
• What about cool temps and soybeans and corn? Cool and dry is less of a concern than cool and wet
• If it’s fit, let ‘er rip!
• 85% of Mexico is in a drought
• (So is Western Canada)
• Ontario acres — oats and barley tanked
• Spring wheat has held on, winter wheat did OK
• Where did the acres go? To soybeans and corn (sigh)
• Fall rye and winter wheat doing fine
• Fall N in wheat?
• No powdery mildew or septoria now? Don’t add the fungicide!
• Starter fert on beans? Do I need it? (Check out this story on it)
• Glyphosate is glyphosate, but make sure you’ve got the right formulation if you’re mixing with dicamba
• Does a pre-seed burn down pay in a dry year? YES, if the weeds there
• Low boron tissue test in wheat? It’s been dry, which may keep boron levels down, and rarely an issue. You can’t build levels (it leaches)

Satellite soil moisture anomalies from 2020 & 2021. Dry conditions through Canadian Prairies and the Northern Great Plains to start out the growing season. Red colours indicate soil moisture below the long term average for this time of year. #cdnag pic.twitter.com/lklZVLUEtP

— Catherine Champagne (@cathchampagne) April 26, 2021

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS | All Podcasts