Wheat Pete's Word, June 25: Weather whiplash, a soybean aphid alert, and spray timing tips

From rainfall extremes and soybean pests to questions on heat stress and herbicide timing, this episode of Wheat Pete's Word is packed with agronomic updates and audience shoutouts.

Host Peter "Wheat Pete" Johnson also reflects on long-standing contributions in Ontario ag and emphasizes the power of personal visits. Use your Wheat Pete's 15!

Have a question you’d like Wheat Pete to address or some field results to send in? Agree/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].

In this episode:

• Shoutout to Clark Aiken. Longtime agronomist at Parkland Farms retires; a respected voice in Ontario ag
• Ontario Ag Conference sessions – Ten archived presentations now available until end of July
• Listener shares story of 85-year-old neighbour’s morale boost from a simple crop tour
• Rain extremes across Ontario. Reports range from 5.3 inches to zero; highly localized impacts on wheat and beans
• Soil health vs. tillage – Tyler's no-till fields saw no erosion, while tilled fields suffered runoff into rivers
• Edible bean replants? Heavy rain forces replanting; strip-till systems being explored to improve soil conditions
• Youth listener shoutout – An 8-year-old fan never misses an episode—proof that curiosity starts early!
• Soybeans-on-soybeans linked to herbicide damage and more disease pressure in "tight" soils
• Fusarium in U.S. wheat reported
• High levels in southern Ohio and New York; Ontario appears to be largely unaffected so far
• Soybean aphid alert! Higher-than-expected populations in Ontario; begin scouting now to avoid population booms
• Sefina for aphid control is a newer insecticide; controls aphids with lower impact on beneficials; avoids rebound issues.
• Leafhopper watch – Showing up in Ohio and Ontario; monitor new-seeded alfalfa and untreated edible beans
• Heat stress and yield loss questions?
• Low N = more stress
• Recent 30°C+ stretch could trim 2 days off grain fill = 4–6 bu/ac yield loss
• Glyphosate on wheat, then save the seed? It's a no-go. Not safe for saved seed; even low residue levels can impact germination.
• Spray decisions in heat — watch for burn, for sure
• Better to spray very late in the day or early evening than risk weed hardening and poor control later because weeds are too big
• Hybrid rye management in Manitoba. Nitrogen in the fall or risk ergot!