Growers topdressing melted urea to boost wheat protein should be asking their supplier whether it contains a contaminant that’s toxic to wheat, suggests a soil scientist at the University of Manitoba. With the introduction of higher yielding wheat varieties, there’s been new interest in applying post-anthesis nitrogen to wheat to boost protein content in Western… Read more »
Category: Wheat School – West
Wheat School: New Wheat Classes in Session as of August 1
Changes to wheat classes in Western Canada are just around the corner. Two classes will be created, while three others will be dropped, on August 1, 2016. Murdoch MacKay, commissioner with the Canadian Grain Commission, joins us for this episode of the Wheat School to discuss the changes and why they’re being made. As he… Read more »
Wheat School: Talk to Your Buyer Before Using Chlormequat
Before applying a plant growth regulator containing chlormequat to wheat, make sure you’ve confirmed you have a buyer willing to purchase it, because most of the major grain companies say they won’t. Potentially a valuable tool in reducing lodging, many growers are interested in applying Manipulator, a PGR introduced in Canada by Engage Agro in… Read more »
Wheat School: Ready, Aim…Delivering FHB Fungicide to Its Target, Through the Awns
As disease pressure mounts, fungicide applications to prevent fusarium head blight (FHB) have started in wheat across Western Canada. Effective FHB suppression comes down to timing and knowing where your target is, explains AgriMetrix spray application specialist Tom Wolf in this Wheat School episode. “We are specifically after the wheat head. We need an angled spray, typically a twin… Read more »
Wheat School: The Best Growth Regulator for Wheat
Plant growth regulators are used for wheat production in many other parts of the world. While there are still issues with export market approval, there’s starting to be more awareness and application of PGRs in Canada. Chlormequat and ethephon-based PGRs are both commercially available in Canada, however the U.S. does not have an import tolerance established for chlormequat…. Read more »
Wheat School: Residues, Mycotoxins and Testing to the Part Per Trillion
Inspired by the Canola Council of Canada’s work to encourage best management practices to meet customer expectations, Cereals Canada has launched its own Keep it Clean — Cereals campaign. “Rather than creating a stand-alone but similar brand, Cereals Canada has worked with the Canola Council of Canada to present a consistent message to producers across commodities,”… Read more »
Wheat School: Understanding When Lodging Will Happen
There are many factors that will make a wheat crop more likely to lodge — seeding rate, fertility, moisture levels, variety and so on, but when it comes to understanding lodging risk during the growing season, watch nighttime temperatures, says RealAgriculture agronomist Peter Johnson. “At nighttime, what does wheat do? All it does is respire,”… Read more »
Wheat School: While Global Wheat Supplies Are Huge, Canadian Stocks Are Getting Tight
Coming off record global production last year, world wheat supplies are massive. And yet, growing year-over-year ending stocks have not translated into a major decline in cash wheat bids for Canadian farmers. That’s mainly due to two related factors: the weak Canadian dollar and tightening Canadian supplies — a function of the weak dollar driving exports and farmers producing less… Read more »
Wheat School: How Many of Your Seeds Survived to Become Viable Plants?
How many of the seeds put in the ground by your airseeder or drill will actually emerge and become viable plants? Seedling mortality can vary greatly, but needs to be considered when determining seeding rates, assessing emergence and when planning for next year. A 5 to 10 percent mortality rate is often assumed when calculating… Read more »
Wheat School: To Treat or Not to Treat, Is It a Question?
For some growers, treating wheat seed is a no-brainer, while others still choose to forego a treatment and the input cost that comes with it. So how do you decide? With seeding ramping up for another spring, Pam de Rocquigny, cereal crop specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, joins us in the field… Read more »
Wheat School: Do You Farm in a High-Yield or Low-Yield Wheat Zone?
Do you grow wheat in a high-yield or low-yield part of the world? A farmer in the UK set the new record for world wheat yield in 2015, growing 16.52 tonnes per hectare or 246 bushels per acre. He broke the previous record of 233 bushels per acre set in New Zealand in 2010. In… Read more »
Wheat School: Doing Your Homework on PGRs
In theory, the application of a plant growth regulator to wheat should result in shorter, stronger plants that are less prone to lodging, enabling higher yield potential. In reality, it’s not that simple. “I wish it was a nice black and white, straightforward story, but it certainly isn’t,” says Sheri Strydhorst, who’s done extensive work… Read more »
Wheat School: More Pain Than Gain When Combining Top-Dress N With Fungicide
So you’re looking to apply some late nitrogen to boost wheat protein. The recommended timing is immediately after anthesis, just a few days after applying fungicide to protect the head against fusarium head blight. Would it work to combine…? Don’t even think about it, says Dave Franzen, soil specialist at North Dakota State University. “To put… Read more »
Wheat School: Following What Happens in the Black Sea Region
With a growing share of global wheat trade, Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan — former Soviet Union countries — have become price setters in the world wheat market over the last few years. As Bill Tierney, chief economist with AgResource Company, points out in this Wheat School episode filmed at Cereals North America ’15, much of… Read more »
Wheat School: Preventing and Managing an Insect Problem in the Bin
15 degrees Celsius or cooler. That’s where temperatures should be at in stored grain to prevent an insect infestation. “The key is if you can get your grain temperature down to plus-15 as quickly as possible, any bugs that are in there will not be feeding and will not be reproducing,” explains Blaine Timlick, stored products… Read more »