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Last year's freeze will affect this year's Kansas wheat cropBy Doug Rich Blends are consistently the fourth leading variety planted in Kansas. Jim Shroyer, K-State Extension agronomy specialist, listed several reasons for this fact in his presentation at the Small Grain Solutions seminar in Wichita, Kan. Two years ago, blends were the third leading variety planted in Kansas, Shroyer said. A popular blend is Jagger, Overley and Santa Fe. Planting blends is a good way to spread out the risk. "It is like growing several different varieties on several different fields," Shroyer said. "I am just suggesting you mix it all together and plant it all in the same field." There are both theoretical and practical reasons for planting a blend rather than a single variety. Theoretical reasons include reduced epidemic rate and compensation. The practical reasons are diversification and equal treatment of landlords. Research at Kansas State University shows that pests or disease will go through a stand of wheat slower if it is planted to a blend. Also, if a variety is hurt early, the later variety in the blend will take over and compensate for the loss. Shroyer said the most important and often-overlooked advantage of blends is equal treatment of landlords. No matter what the year brings, everyone has similar yields. From 1994 to 1996, KSU did test plots to determine the yield advantage of blends. Several different blends were studied. "We put some blends in there that I would not recommend," Shroyer said. One of these blends included a tall variety that tended to lodge with a short, sturdy variety. They thought the short variety might hold up the tall one. No such luck. The taller variety took the short one down, Shroyer said. In the study, they compared the yield of the blend to the average of the three varieties in the blend. The result was a yield advantage of one bushel, except in 1996. In one test that year, the blend had a yield advantage of nearly 12 bushels. That particular blend included 2137, Tomahawk and Jagger. That was also the year Jagger was severely damaged by a freeze. Blends can be saved for planting the following year, but Shroyer does not recommend this practice. You start out with a blend divided equally between three varieties. The second year, the proportions will be off and so will the blend. Shroyer said to consider height, maturity, yield potential and complementary strengths when selecting varieties for a blend. Shroyer suggested using an early maturing variety, a medium maturing variety and a late maturing variety in your blends. "Most farmers would rather take a moisture dockage than shatter loss; so cut the early variety first when it is ready for harvest," Shroyer said. "Don't wait for the late variety." One farmer told Shroyer he did not want anything to do with blends. The farmer said if his crop is going to fail, he wants it all to fail for insurance purposes. "A blend will probably yield just enough to not qualify for crop insurance," Shroyer said. "Don't put a new variety into a blend until you see how it does on its own," Shroyer said. Shroyer said the effect of the freeze last year would be felt into next fall. "People had a hard time finding their normal varieties last fall," Shroyer said. "They planted Jagger and Jagalene, which they said they would never do again. People in eastern Kansas were even asking about Akron--a Colorado variety--which wasn't even good in Colorado." This is just one reason many Kansas wheat producers need to consider using a fungicide this year. Stem rust, leaf rust and stripe rust can be found in Kansas when the conditions are right. Shroyer said stem rust is the worst of the three because it comes in late. "Stem rust just blows holes in the epidermis and we lose moisture to the atmosphere," Shroyer said. Next worse is stripe rust followed by leaf rust. Shroyer said Kansas has leaf rust almost every year. "Leaf rust can over-winter in Kansas," Shroyer said. "The earlier the infection comes, the worse the disease will be." There are three types of fungicides: preventative, curative, and premix, which is a blend of preventative and curative. "All three types do a good job if put on in time," Shroyer said. KSU research evaluated Tilt, Ouadris, Stratego, and Quilt. Off-label research of Folicur and Bayleton was also part of this study. A single fungicide treatment was applied between flag leaf emergence and flowering. "A yield response between two and five bushels is easy to get, but 10 bushels or higher is tough to achieve," Shroyer said. Shroyer said no-till wheat producers should plan on using a fungicide. Increased residue usually means an increased risk of tan spot. Shroyer said farmers planting no-till wheat should increase their seeding rate and increase their nitrogen rate. "Obviously, leaf disease can cause severe yield and test weight losses," Shroyer said. "Fungicides are no guarantee of yield response, but the response can be large with susceptible varieties." Doug Rich can be reached by phone at 785-749-5304 or e-mail at richhpj@aol.com.
Date: 4/17/08 Advertisement
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