Digital Corner

The timefor side dressing of nitrogen on corn is quickly approaching. Determination ofthe application rate is often determined by experiences based on past yieldperformance. For some farmers who split apply nitrogen with some preplant orwith the corn planter followed by a sidedress application after emergence andsome a late season application at V10 growth stages have an opportunity toadjust application rates to account for crop and environmental growingconditions. One of the tools that can be used is the PreSidedress Nitrate SoilTest (PSNT). Like most tests, the results are only as good as the samplesubmitted. There are some field attributes to consider that greatlyinfluence the nitrate soil levels at any given landscape position.

The fields with a rolling topography offer an opportunity to bemore site specific in our nitrogen applications. Often lower slope positionshave a deeper top soil profile, higher levels of soil organic matter, and moreplant available water resulting in more mineralizable nitrogen and ironicallyare the highest yielding field areas with the lowest response to appliednitrogen. As you move up slope the conditions change with thinner top soil lessavailable water, lower yields and higher response to nitrogen. Finally tops ofknolls are often the least productive and have the greater need for more Nrelative to yield. The chart below depicts the relationship to slope position.Higher nitrate test in low slopes, low rate of N recommended, higher yields andlow Delta Yield or response to applied nitrogen.

Whetheror not you choose to apply nitrogen on a variable rate basis the sites youchoose to perform a PSNT test can have profound difference in nitrogen raterecommended.

Topography is a key feature and at the very least collectingPSNT from Low, Mid and Upper slope positions will help you gain valuableinsights into choosing an appropriate single rate of side dress nitrogen.

AGRIS has a number of site-specific variable rate sites underdevelopment this year in our MiField Plots stay tuned for more N insights thisseason with variable rate applications, Adapt N tracking and Delta Yield sites.

CLICK HERE to watch a video where Dale Cowan discusses why proper sample depth is important for nitrogen recommendations 

Agronomy Strategy Manager and Senior Agronomist 

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T3 Fungicide Timing Right Around the Corner on Winter Wheat 

With a big push to get acres planted across the province, growers with winter wheat will soon turn their focus to staging for a T3 heading fungicide. With warmer temperatures in the forecast, wheat development will progress quickly. Most wheat growers are quite familiar with this application, but a quick refresher is always a good idea.

When we talk about this pass across a wheat field which we refer to as “T3 Heading”, we are mainly targeting the suppression of Fusarium Head Blight (FHB). This fungal disease can have a significant impact on grain quality and overall yield. The risk for FHB is highest when the wheat is flowering and environmental conditions are favorable for development. These include fog, heavy dew, high humidity, and rain along with warm daytime and nighttime temperatures.

Other considerations to help maximize product performance would start with nozzle selection. Maximum coverage on all parts of the wheat head is important, so using a forward and backward nozzle is recommended. With that, it is always best to use higher water volumes (min of 20 gallons per acre). Taking the time to thoroughly clean your spray tank of any prior herbicides is critical. This includes end caps, filters, lines and nozzles. 

Applying the appropriate fungicide has been proven to help prevent disease in your wheat crop, as well as improve straw and grain quality and increased yields.

Applying the appropriate fungicide has been proven to help prevent disease in your wheat crop, as well as improve straw and grain quality and increased yields.

Reach out to your local AGRIS Crop Specialist for help with timing and choosing the right product for this year’s wheat crop. 

Reference:

Bayer Crop Science Canada – Prosaro Wheat Guide Day 

Crop Sales Specialist, AGRIS Co-operative, Leamington

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Weed Control... What Are You Waiting For?

Thisspring planting season we have had a fantastic window of warm dry weatherallowing producers to get the crop in quickly with most if not all of the cornplanting completed and aiming at wrapping up soybean planting in our area. Butwith those warm conditions as stated in a previous article it gave early seasonweeds an opportunity to germinate and get a head start on becoming a problem inyour fields if not dealt with early on with a Pre Plant/Pre emerge residualherbicide application.

If youhave not gotten around to applying any early season herbicides the time is now.There are still great options for herbicides that have residual activity onweeds early post emergence but most herbicides have best efficacy on weeds whentargeted in their early life stages when small so the importance of that cannotbe lost. The more time the weeds have to establish in the field, growing, andgaining a competitive advantage for water, nutrients, and light the harder itis to bring them under real control with a herbicide later on. The range ofherbicide products and active ingredients available to you to use that workbest on said weeds also dwindles in later growth stages of your crop.Being proactive not reactive will offer a better ROI. Losses to establishedweeds can be quite high if they are allowed to grow with the crop.

A good herbicide plan and adequate spray volumes during the critical weed free period can go a long way in assuring your crop has the best start out of the ground to help produce the yields you are expecting.

Come in and talk to your local AGRIS team about the best approach for your weed control plan if you haven’t already. 

Crop Sales Specialist at AGRIS Co-operative