The Small Grain Solutions tour began in Clinton, Okla., on March 20 the day after a rain and snow storm moved across the High Plains dropping several inches of much needed moisture in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska. Clinton, the site of the first of three Small Grain Solutions seminars, received a little over two inches of rain according to local reports.
Doug Felter, an agronomy instructor with John Deere, stopped at several fields in the Clinton and Weatherford areas. Some fields already had been sprayed for greenbugs. Cattle had been pulled off most wheat pasture except for those acres that will be completely grazed out.
Jason Lawles, an agronomist with the John Deere dealership in Weatherford, reported on nitrogen tests he had replicated in several area fields.
He applied 130 pounds of actual nitrogen in a single strip through each field. By comparing this nitrogen rich strip with the rest of the field during the growing season it was possible to see what the rate should be for the rest of the field.
"The response varied from field to field depending on when it was planted and farming practices," said Lawles. In many cases fields treated with 40 units of topdressed nitrogen caught up with the nitrogen rich strip. In the Fairview, Okla., area Yancy Wright, a Crop Systems Specialist with John Deere, reported that the stands were great.
On Tuesday, March 21 the Small Grain Solutions tour moved to Great Bend, Kan. Field inspections were somewhat limited because of the recent snowfall. Wright found yellowing leaves and some cheat grass in a field planted in a wheat-summer fallow rotation.
The lowest amount of disease pressure was found in an irrigated field where the wheat was planted behind a corn crop. "There is some value to this rotation," said Wright.
The tour concluded in Imperial, Neb., on Wednesday, March 22. This area received several inches of snow. Wright and Felter said they had to dig down through the snow for a close look at this wheat in this area. The first field they inspected had been planted around October 20 with a seeding rate of 80 pounds per acre. The late start resulted in poor root growth. This field showed signs of some freeze damage.
Field number two had been seeded a month earlier in September at a rate of 90 pounds per acre. Although it had better root growth than the first field it also had more freeze damage. It also had a combination of tan spot and septoria on the lower leaves.
Moisture is usually the single biggest limiting factor for the High Plains wheat crop. Thanks to a storm that brought rain and snow to most areas the first week of spring this crop is looking much better.
