Field Updates

Field Updates

June 15, 2007

Tom Dorn, Extension Educator in Lancaster County: Wheat has headed and is filling. Rust and other diseases have killed 90% or more of the leaf tissue in most wheat fields; however, the stems, glumes and awns are still green in most cases. I am fairly certain there was wheat scab in a field I was in thismorning. Individual florets were straw colored or perhaps slightlypinkish at the base while unaffected florets had green glumes and awns.On some heads, all florets above a given point were dead.

Keith Glewen, Extension Educator in Saunders County: We're seeing disease in wheat, similar to what was reported in Lancaster County. Some of the dead heads in a field I scouted can be attributedto wheat stem maggot. In one field almost 5% of the stems were infected.In an alfalfa field this week there was significant stunting of growth in a newlyseeded field due to leafhopper infestation. First cuttingalfalfa yields were reported to be 40-50% less than 2006 harvest.Finding high quality first cutting alfalfa will be difficult. Weedinfestations have been more of a problem this year in alfalfa due to theEaster freeze which set back the alfalfa and allowed the weeds in somefields to get a foothold.

Del Hemsath, Extension Educator in Dakota, Dixon and Thurston counties: All soybeans are planted and 90% have emerged. Corn is rapidlygrowing, some in the 3- to 4-leaf stage and some in the 7- to 8-leaf stage. Ninety percent offirst cutting alfalfa is off the field and there is some concern for alfalfaweevil larva and adults feeding on the regrowth. Weed control has beendifficult because of windy conditions and some have sprayed in lessthan ideal conditions. Pasture growth has slowed for the cool season,warm season grasses are just beginning to show some green. Oats arelooking good, but there are some disease problems. The few wheat fields in the area are showing some rust problems.

 

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A field of corn.