Ontario’s winter wheat crop has soldiered through some tough conditions and heads into the heart of spring with some handsome yield potential.
But growers have plenty of management decisions to consider and execute as the calendar turns from April to May. On this episode of the RealAgriculture Wheat School, our own Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson and C&M Seeds agronomist Tim Meulensteen talk strategy while walking a wheat field at the seed company’s base at Palmerston, Ont.
In this good looking field, plants boast solid main stems and a couple of tillers. Nitrogen has already been applied, and depending on field location, Johnson and Meulensteen say growers need to consider if they should be splitting nitrogen to help manage lodging or whether just a single application will be sufficient. Johnson notes that if the crop is approaching growth stage 30, “probably one shot and done” is the best approach.
Meulensteen says he’s also keeping an eye on weed control and disease pressure. He notes that standability will depend on the density of the crop. Stand and tiller counts will help determine whether a plant growth regulator (PGA) will be applied.
Johnson agrees. “Weed control, disease control and lodging management — that’s what we’re going to be looking at between now and flag leaf on a hard red, and up to almost heading on a soft red.”
Across the field, Johnson is seeing winter annual weeds like pennycress and shepherd’s purse starting to bolt. Growers seeing similar weed activity in their fields should be spraying as quickly as possible,” adds Meulensteen. Watch the video below.
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