The heat experienced in Kansas recently can cause problems for all summer row crops. With corn, the latest Crop Progress and Conditions Report from USDA-NASS, July 10, 2017, shows that the crop has already reached more than 40% silking, except in the western districts. At this point, high heat could have an impact on abortion of early-formed grains and also abort more susceptible kernels already formed in the tip of the corn ears. Continue reading “Row Crop Heat Stress”
Tag: Agriculture
Sugarcane Aphid
The sugarcane aphid (SCA) has not been found as of yet on sorghum in Kansas. There have been a few reports of the sugarcane aphid in Oklahoma and Texas. What can we expect this season? It’s impossible to know for sure at this time, but in 2016, sugarcane aphids were a significant problem on grain sorghum in Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and most southern states. Continue reading “Sugarcane Aphid”
Fertilizing Soybeans
Compared to corn, wheat, and sorghum, soybeans remove significant amounts of nutrients per bushel of grain harvested. Nutrient uptake in soybeans early in the season is relatively small. However, as they grow and develop, the daily rate of nutrient uptake increases. Soybeans need an adequate nutrient supply at each developmental stage for optimum growth. High-yielding soybeans remove substantial nutrients from the soil. This should be taken into account in an overall nutrient management plan. A 40-bushel-per-acre soybean crop removes approximately 30 pounds of P2O5 and 50 pounds of K2O with the grain; in addition, approximately 10 pounds of P2O5 and 40 pounds of K2O can be removed with the stover. Continue reading “Fertilizing Soybeans”
Wheat Streak Mosaic
The severe problems wheat producers had with wheat streak mosaic virus this year can be traced back in most cases to a lack of control of volunteer wheat – especially the volunteer wheat that got started early after widespread hail damage to wheat just before harvest in 2016. It is important to keep that from happening again. Where wheat has been hailed out this year, volunteer wheat control should start immediately. Continue reading “Wheat Streak Mosaic”
Yellow Soybeans
When soybeans turn yellow at an early stage of growth, there are several possible explanations.
Nitrogen (N) deficiency. In fields that have been extremely wet or extremely dry, or under severe early heat stress, rhizobial nodule development can be delayed, resulting in N deficiency. As soil moisture levels return to more normal conditions (if a short-term stress), the nodule-forming bacteria will go to work and the deficiency symptoms will quickly disappear. With N deficiency, it is usually the lower leaves that are chlorotic or pale green. Within the plant, any available N from the soil or from N fixation goes to the new growth first. Continue reading “Yellow Soybeans”
Sorghum Emergence
Some fields of sorghum may have problems with non-uniform emergence for various reasons. In some cases, the surface soil was dry and some of the sorghum did not emerge immediately, or may not have emerged at all. In other cases, cool, wet soils slowed or reduced emergence on early planted sorghum. The latter might be one of the most frequent cases occurring during this planting season. Insect damage can also cause emergence problems. Continue reading “Sorghum Emergence”
Small Predator Control
Small predator control can be a big deal for people that raise small farm animals like poultry, goats, and sheep. Predators like coyotes and bob cats can cause a lot of dollars in damage very quickly if they are not held in check. The two best ways to keep predators out is a good fence or a good guard dog. If you have both of them it is even better. Continue reading “Small Predator Control”