Cropping Q and A in March from the Chouteau County Extension Office

• Why were wheat protein levels so low in many areas of Chouteau County in 2017? Clain Jones MSU Extension Fertility Specialist replied with the following: Generally, in Montana, we seem to get drought during grain fill which reduces yield, concentrating the amount of protein and Nitrogen in a smaller amount of grain, resulting in higher protein. While in 2017 we definitely had drought during grain fill, we also had it around flowering, which I think trumped the concentration effect. In conclusion, low Nitrogen and possibly Sulfur uptake before grain fill minimized Nitrogen and Sulfur in the plant and minimized the movement of nitrate and sulfate to the grain and then conversion of nitrate and sulfate to amino acids to protein which all takes water. At the post farm in 2001, we found huge quantities of N stranded in the stems during that drought year that simply couldn’t even move to grain. I would also ask those farmers if they applied S with their starter blend. I’d shoot for 5 – 7 pounds of Sulfur per acre. We’re starting to see more Sulfur deficiency in some soils in Montana. Sulfur is just as necessary as Nitrogen to make protein.

• When should spring crops be seeded in Chouteau County? According to Dave Wichman, (Retired Central Ag Research Center Agronomist) under prime field conditions with no weeds, I would seed barley or alfalfa first, peas, lentils and safflower last. In Fort Benton (elev. <3000 ), barley late Feb till April 10, alfalfa mid- March till April 10, peas late March till April 15, lentils April 1 till April 25, safflower April 10 till May 10, yellow mustard March 25 till April 15. Higher elevations, may delay earliest date because of field soil conditions. Higher elevations may delay latest date because of cooler summer temperatures.

• I have three fields to seed to pulses this year. I want to seed one field to chickpea, one field to lentil and one field to green pea. Which pulse crop would you seed first? Kevin McPhee (MSU Pulse Breeder) stated that he would seed pea first followed by lentils and then chickpeas. Peas seem to be the most resilient to cold damage followed by lentils and then chickpeas. With chickpeas, it is recommended that you wait until the soil temperature has reached 55 degrees before you seed. If you seed early, you might suffer cold damage and a yield reduction. If you seed too late (late May), McPhee has seen where dought conditions can hinder plant development to the point where chickpea will not even produce seed.

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