Some pointers to help you manage your 2014 crops

Friday, April 4, 2014

Rutted ground, seed fluency, nitrogen application and white mould – these are all crop issues that you may find yourself facing this year

by PAT LYNCH

Following are some thoughts on crop issues discussed this winter.

Handling rutted ground is a concern for 2014. In 2006, we rutted the ground getting corn and beans off. Then, in 2007, the average yield of corn and soybeans dropped considerably. This was in part due to the dry weather in 2007, but also in part to damage done to soil in the wet harvest. For this spring, tillage must be deliberate. This means you should try what you think will work and if you do not like the results, try something else. Keep it as shallow as possible. You do not have to level all the ruts. There is a compromise between going deep enough to level, but not so deep that compaction reduces yields.

As I write, there are a lot of mixed messages when it comes to seed fluency product. Stay tuned to the latest developments. So far, there is no ruling on using talc on edible beans.

Red clover is a cover crop. If seed is not applied by now, do it. Most wheat acres should be seeded to red clover. The nitrogen credit more than pays for the cost. If the clover crop fails, the insurance pays out more than the cost of applying clover.

There is a movement towards using a single cut. It has less top growth, but just as much or more root growth. Less top growth will make tillage easier. Research has shown that it produces as much nitrogen as a double-cut.

Nitrogen needs to be applied to wheat early. Once wheat starts to green up, apply nitrogen. Our industry cannot apply all the nitrogen on the perfect day. In 2013, we lost valuable time by not applying nitrogen when the soil was fit. Delayed nitrogen application leads to everything being set back all year. Delayed nitrogen application means later corn and soybean planting. One way to increase yield is to plant early. If you plant soybeans early, they harvest early and then you plant wheat early and it yields better.

White mould is a concern in soybeans. The best strategy is to plant no-till. Planting early using a variety that is tolerant to mould helps and means the plants flower earlier. A lot of late flowers can increase the odds of mould developing. The absolute best way to make sure you have no mould in a certain field is to plant corn.

Make provisions to split nitrogen on corn and wheat. Higher yields require higher nitrogen rates. Some nitrogen from these higher rates can be lost through different ways. If you cannot side dress, then look at using one of the various forms of nitrogen or additives that help reduce chances of nitrogen loss. These include ESN or nitrogen stabilizers such as Agrotain.

Weed control strategies have changed. Most growers use residual herbicides on Roundup Ready corn. But only about 25 per cent of Roundup Ready soybeans receive a residual herbicide. This is in spite of the numerous research projects that show yield loss when weeds are present in soybeans.

The risk of resistance development, the risk of spraying glyphosate post emergent in less than ideal conditions and the risk of losing yield suggest that Roundup Ready soybeans should have a residual herbicide. If you can see weeds from the road, you have already lost yields. This includes weeds that are dead or alive. BF

Consulting agronomist Pat Lynch, CCA (ON), formerly worked with the Ontario agriculture ministry and with Cargill.