Green Acres
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Cropping Questions from Producers in August
• What is causing the dark and light colored stubble in my field after harvest? According to Clain Jones, MSU Extension Soil Fertility Specialist, one explanation may be differences in fertility and soil texture. If you have sandier soil and lower nitrogen available, you are going to have lighter colored straw, greater yield, and less protein. If you have finer soil and high nitrogen available, you are going to have darker colored straw, less yield and higher protein.
• Is grazing a field with wheat streak mosaic virus a good idea? Mary Burrows, MSU Extension Plant Pathologist writes that grazing allows the mites to survive an extended period, unless you intensively graze volunteer wheat to the ground in a very short time, it’s not a great choice. In Texas, they plant winter wheat early, graze it, then save the wheat for a crop the following year. They have endemic problems with Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus. If you decide to graze, follow up with a glyphosate application, and be sure to manage the green bridge before seeding.
• What if I manage for wheat streak mosaic virus, and my neighbor doesn’t? Like stripe rust, wheat streak mosaic virus is a community disease and requires a community effort. If one neighbor does not manage for the virus, their neighbors will be more likely to have reduced yield as a result of the neighbor’s negligence.
• What winter wheat varieties did the best at the Central Agricultural Research low pH Plot on the Highwood Bench? The highest yielders were Clearstone at 68.5 bushels per acre, Warhorse at 68.3 bushels per acre, Judee at 66.0 and Cowboy at 60.7. A popular variety on the Highwood Bench called Keldin yielded 58.3. Another measurement to note in the trial is the vigor of the plant as a result of the acidity affect. Judee scored the highest with a 9.4 out of 10.
Montana State University U.S. Department of Agriculture and Montana Counties Cooperating. MSU Extension is an equal opportunity/affirmative action provider of educational outreach.
