Wheat Pete’s Word, June 21: Whacky weather, soybean aphids and rootless corn

What about that weather? It’s uniformly variable and mostly what we don’t want, explains RealAg agronomist Peter Johnson on this week’s Word.

In 17 power-packed minutes, Peter laments the arrival of armyworm, soybean aphids and cereal leaf beetle. He also describes how you can fit the roots of 8-leaf rootless corn in your coffee cup. And what’s with all that yellow barley?

Check out what Wheat Pete has to say in his Word and the summary below!

Your questions and feedback are needed! Leave Peter a message at 1-888-746-3311, send him a tweet (@wheatpete), or email him at [email protected].

SUMMARY:
• Weather is all over the map; some growers are saying ‘please stop’ the rain; others are saying ‘bring it on.’
• ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! We already have soybean aphids in the Ontario crop. Seeing up to 400 aphids per plant. So far aphids have only been found in fields planted with fungicide-only seed.
• Armyworm is marching through the Ontario wheat crop. But grain fill is at an advanced stage and the pests won’t do big damage. Avoid revenge spraying.
• Get out and scout for cereal leaf beetle in spring cereals. Early control makes a difference.
• Reports of rootless corn: it grows to 8-leaf and then flops over. Nodal roots that anchor the plant aren’t growing in hot conditions where soil has dried out. But they can recover with rain.
• Looking to correct pH problems during the growing season? Consider pelletized lime.
• Can you add phosphorous when planting soybeans with a drill in Western Canada? Yes, but it’s risky. Watch your rates.
• Good agronomy can help a crop metabolize herbicides and reduce injury. Plant health and vigour make a huge difference.
• What’s with the yellow barley? Planted wet and not getting good root development.
Listen to previous episodes of the Word here.

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