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Wheat Plot Tour June 2 in SabethaBy David G. Hallauer Its time again for the annual viewing of the wheat variety plot. This year's tour will be held June 2, starting at 9 a.m. The 13 varieties we will discuss include Jagalene, Jagger, Karl 92, Santa Fe, Smokey Hill, Hitch, Armour, Hawken, Art, Post Rock, 2137 Wesley, and Fuller. We will also discuss the Fuller treatment with JumpStart and see if the fungicide strip we applied shows any better plant health than the non-treated plot are. Dr. Stu Duncan, Northeast Area Agronomist will be on hand to discuss the varieties and share insight as to what the rest of northeast Kansas is seeing in the way of wheat diseases and variety performance. The plot is located approximately three and a quarter miles west of Sabetha, one quarter of a mile west of the intersection of U and 184th (Old Sale Barn Road) Roads. The plot is on the north side of the road. Plot cooperators are Doug and Leonard Edelmen. Plot sponsors are the Farmer's Coop Elevator of Sabetha, and the Meadowlark Extension District. Refreshments are partially sponsored by the Kansas Crop Improvement Association. A tour flyer as well as a plot lineup are posted on the Meadowlark Extension District web page at www.meadowlark.ksu.edu . They are located under the Crops and Soils link. Insect pests abound While we have insect pests present at some level throughout the year, there are certain time frames when they seem to be especially plentiful. This time is one of them. Here's a rundown of some of the common insect pests we're either seeing or should be planning for right now. If your cucumbers or muskmelons that suddenly turned brown and died last year, you may have had a disease known as bacterial wilt that is carried by the cucumber beetle. Once plants are infected, they cannot be saved, so we focus on prevention early in the year--before we even see the beetles. Now is the time to plan for control of cucumber beetles via the use of row covers, cones, or other types of mechanical barriers (with sealed edges). At some point, they will have to be sprayed weekly as they outgrow the physical barriers with Sevin, Rotenone, or Methoxychlor. Avoid spraying when bees are present. Cutworms have also shown up in gardens lately on transplants. And while their plant clipping is troublesome, in most cases, insecticides are less effective than simply picking up and disposing of them. Look under debris or early or late in the day on and around plants. Cole crop plants are particularly susceptible. And last but not least, I've heard numerous reports of galls on trees. Galls are formed by a number of insects and mites to provide shelter and food. They do not pull from the leaf or twig they are found on. You can try and control them, but timing of insecticides is difficult. Since leaf galls are not detrimental to overall tree health, they can essentially be ignored.
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