Wheat harvest is underway now in areas of southern Nebraska. Wheat maturity, which had been ahead of normal most of the season, was delayed slightly with the cool, wet conditions in the last 10 days. (Photo by Brett Hampton)

July 2, 2004; updated July 7 & July 12, 2004

Producers should segregate sprouted wheat to avoid price dock

See a July 2 story by UNL Agronomist Bob Klein on sprouted wheat below.

"Producers need to leave badly sprouting areas uncut to avoid a dock in price at the elevator," said Brian Beecher, an agronomist with the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. "If possible they should be segregating these areas at cutting time."

He said producers know their fields and know what to look for, but it may require some field walking and hand threshing to determine which areas are best suited for harvest. Preharvest sprouting occurs when high moisture levels cause mature wheat to germinate prior to harvest. Sprouting, which may appear as a swelling from the shoot at the germ portion of the grain, degrades wheat quality. Sprouting is a problem in parts of Nebraska this season.

"Normally rain tapers off as wheat harvest time approaches," Beecher said. "The unusually cool and damp weather has kept a lot of wheat in the field, and has made it susceptible to sprouting. Wheat with a high degree of sprouting becomes useless to the food industry. It becomes animal feed and that brings a lower price."

He cautioned that it is important to remember that sprouting can be very localized.

"One portion of a field may have sprout damage while the remainder could have sound grain," Beecher said. "In these cases, producers may be able to avoid some of the price dock at the elevator by segregating the grain from these areas."

David Ochsner
IANR News Service

In much of the state the lack of rainfall in summer and fall 2003 and spring 2004, plus limited moisture from snowfall, contributed to shorter wheat and lower yields. In central and western Nebraska winter wheat in continuous cropping systems produced little straw or grain. Controlling weeds after winter wheat harvest will be a challenge this year. Some fields have lots of weeds as a result of the late spring and early summer rains and shorter and less competitive wheat.

The effectiveness of post-harvest weed control is influenced by production practices associated with the previous wheat crop, such as winter wheat variety selection, fertilizer practices, row spacing, planting date, and seeding rate. Other factors influencing weed control include: weed size; cutting off weed tops with the combine; crop rotation; temperature when spraying; rain the day of spraying; streaks caused by sprayers, terraces, dust, straw, and chaff; and weed seed distribution. The lack of residue from this winter wheat crop also will make the next crop less competitive with weeds. Weeds under stress are very difficult to control. It’s a general rule that for wheat grown in a three-year rotation, one can wait a maximum of 30 days after harvest to spray, but if the wheat was planted without an 11- to 14-month fallow period, it should be sprayed within 15 days after harvest. Each field should be examined separately and this year some will need to be sprayed before 30 days. The key is to prevent weeds from using soil water and producing weed seeds.

Split treatments, which have a good history of effectiveness, should be especially beneficial this year. In Kansas, there was a 20 bushel increase in corn yields the next year for treatments applied in July vs mid-August. With the split treatment, apply the glyphosate products alone (adding surfactant, if needed, plus ammonium sulfate) as the first application in July or early August. Some glyphosate products include sufficient surfactant while many products require it to be added so be sure to check the product label. For all glyphosate brands, add ammonium sulfate (spray grade) at 17 lb per 100 gal of spray solution. The ammonium sulfate is the first item put into the spray tank after the water. Ammonium sulfate is especially helpful when stress conditions are present. Liquid ammonium sulfate, with or without a drift retardant, also is available.

It’s difficult to recognize weed stress so it’s wise to always add ammonium sulfate. Improve control by increasing the rate of glyphosate. Allow at least six hours for the glyphosate product to become rainfast – and longer with some weeds. Barnyardgrass may require as much as 24 hours without rain for maximum control. With glyphosates, use a spray volume of 5 to 10 gallons per acre don’t apply when temperatures reach or exceed 95^oF.

The second part of the split treatment should be applied in September. It should contain at least 0.5 pound per acre of atrazine and possibly Gramoxone Extra (add surfactant), depending on the amount and size of volunteer winter wheat, downy brome or jointed goatgrass present. Several options are available for using nonselective herbicides with difficult-to-control weeds. With Gramoxone Extra, use a minimum of 2 pints of X-77, or equivalent surfactant, per 100 gallons of solution. Use 2 quarts of X-77 per 100 gallons of spray solution if using less than 20 gallons of carrier. The atrazine rate varies with soil and rainfall patterns. In southwest Nebraska, use at least 2 quarts per acre of atrazine, but in the Panhandle, 0.5 quart per acre is often the maximum allowed in one season. The advantage of split treatments is that they provide excellent control of volunteer winter wheat and other winter annual grasses. Control of volunteer wheat is especially helpful in reducing the spread of wheat streak mosaic disease. Using one quart or less of atrazine before September 10 allows winter wheat to be planted 12 months later in most areas. If sufficient soil water is available the following spring, corn could be planted or if moisture is limited, the field could be fallowed and winter wheat could be planted in the fall.

Many options besides increasing herbicide rates are available for weed control after wheat harvest. Combining several options can help achieve maximum weed control. Stands of vigorous winter wheat will compete better with weeds, allowing you to concentrate on weed control in the fallow. Preparing a good firm seedbed, controlling weeds in a timely manner, fertilizing if needed, proper seeding, planting during the optimum time, selecting a competitive winter hardy winter wheat variety, and weed control in the growing wheat offer the best chance of reducing weed population and vigor after harvest. In addition, it’s essential that you watch closely and spray at the proper time to control weeds. Most labels state that weeds must be treated before they are 6 inches tall. If weeds are under severe drought stress, wait for rain and spray about a week later.

If downy brome is a problem and a winter wheat-fallow rotation is being used, tillage is usually recommended immediately after harvest to plant the seeds and ensure maximum weed germination during the fallow period. This year, however, tillage should not be used due to the limited amount of crop residue and the potential for soil erosion. Herbicides are available to control downy brome in the growing winter wheat and are best applied early. If jointed goatgrass and/or feral rye is a problem, use a rotation where wheat is not planted for at least three years under good moisture conditions and even longer under dry conditions. Herbicide tolerant winter wheat varieties are available for fields with jointed goatgrass or feral rye problems. Beyond® herbicide is then applied in the growing wheat. Grower training is required before purchasing this herbicide. Check the label for additional information.

Cool, wet weather in southwest Nebraska caused some wheat heads to start sprouting last week. Photo courtesy James Shroyer, Kansas State University

One elevator in southwest Nebraska reported that they received wheat with 75% damage from preharvest sprouting. Anything over 20% damage is classified as feed wheat. This same elevator estimated they were averaging about 20% damaged wheat kernels from preharvest sprouting. Producers are allowed 2% and at this present time are discounted 2¢/bushel above the 2% up to 20%. This price structure may change with the amount of wheat that is being found damaged. Future weather conditions will determine if this will increase, stay the same or decrease.

Wheat head sprouting is a relatively new phenomenon in western Nebraska where one elevator employee said he hadn’t seen it in the 27 years he’d been at the elevator.

This kind of damage should be classified as “damaged kernels” rather than “foreign material.” If reported as foreign material, a producer will not be eligible for crop insurance.

Wheat in Nebraska usually ripens under warm, dry conditions that favor development of quality grain for bread making. With moist conditions, which delay harvest, the mature grain can sprout in the spike. Rain, heavy dew, and high humidity stimulate preharvest sprouting.

Moisture swells wheat kernels and activates enzymes that break down proteins, starches, lipids, and other constituents in the endosperm. Flour milled from the endosperm of sprouted wheat is produces bread that is porous and sticky and has a low loaf volume. The grain has little value to the milling and baking industries and is sprouting.

The answer is "sometimes," according to Kansas State University agronomy professor Jim Shroyer.

A K-State study showed that seed with a split seed coat can germinate – even after storage, but seed showing visible plant parts should not be used. In all cases, it's best to conduct a germination test, said Shroyer, who is a crop production specialist with K-State Research and Extension.

In the study, samples of four wheat varieties were collected and separated into three sprouting levels (low or no sprouting, moderate, and severe) based on visual ratings, test weight and a chemical analysis that helps indicate the level of sprouting. The objectives were to determine if sprouted seed could be used for the upcoming fall planting and if the sprouted seed was stored for 27 months, would it still be usable for seed, Shroyer said.

The study had two major parts. The first was to determine germination levels and the second to determine greenhouse and field emergence rates of the three different seed sprouting levels.

Four key findings came from the study:

• Grain with a split seed coat over the germ can still be used for seed wheat, but a germination test about a month after wheat harvest will help determine its viability.
• Grain with a split seed coat over the germ can be stored for a considerable time and still be viable, but again, a germination test is recommended.
• Test weight is not a good indicator of germination ability, because lower test weights can be caused by a number of factors that don't affect germination.
• Don't use seed that has sprouted to the point that it has visible plant parts. The parts can break off during handling and cause spoilage during storage, rendering it useless as seed wheat.

Two germination tests were conducted, Shroyer explained. The samples were tested after harvest by pre-chilling the seed at 41^oF for five days and incubating it on moistened heavy paper at 59^oF for seven days. Also, an accelerated aging germination test was conducted, which subjected the seed to high temperatures (104^oF) for 72 hours before pre-chilling and incubating. Greenhouse emergence was determined by placing seeds at four planting depths (1.5, 2.5, 3.75, and 5.0 inches) in sand. After the seed samples were stored for 27 months at room temperature, seeds were planted at a depth of 1.5 inches on a Geary silty clay loam soil.

In the first part of the study it was found that germination for all three sprouting levels that were pre-chilled was high after harvest ranging from an acceptable 86-96%. Generally, accelerated aging reduced germination by about 20 percentage points with the moderate and severe sprouting seedlots, the agronomist said.

The second part of the study found that emergence of the severely sprouted wheat planted at 1.5 and 2.5 inches was significantly lower than the less sprouted wheat. Emergence rates for the deeper plantings (3.75 and 5.0 inches) were considerably lower, but coleoptile length of the different varieties may have confounded the results. And after storage for 27 months, the severely sprouted seed averaged 59% emergence while the low-sprouted seed had 68% emergence.

Moth numbers will continue to increase until mid to late July and then will decrease. There have been many reports of increased numbers of these pests in the region, with infestations reported throughout northeastern Nebraska and into South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa. Infestations can be cyclical in eastern Nebraska and at this time appear to be increasing.

Farmers and crop consultants throughout Nebraska should begin to scout fields for the white masses of western bean cutworm eggs. Female moths preferentially search out pre-tassel corn and later, if available, move to dry edible beans to lay their eggs. These eggs are laid in clusters of five to 200 on the top surface of the upper most leaf of a corn plant and on lower leaf surfaces of dry beans. The eggs require five to seven days to develop, during which time the egg color changes to tan and then to purple immediately before they hatch.

Western bean cutworm eggs

After the small, dark brown larvae hatch on corn plants, they move to the whorl or tassel to feed on the tender yellow leaf tissue or on the tassel itself. Once the tassel emerges or if it has already emerged when the eggs hatch, the larvae will move to the green silks. The developing larvae will feed on the green silks, moving down the silk channel until they reach the ear tip. The larvae will feed in the ear tip until they are fully developed. If the infestation on one ear tip is so great that the larvae become crowded, a few individuals may move outside the ear and begin to feed on the side of the ear. They will chew through the husks and eventually begin to feed on the developing kernels, causing extensive damage.

Western bean cutworm that hatch on dry bean plants, feed on blossoms and young, tender leaf material. The larvae will attack bean pods as they develop, eventually feeding on the developing seeds.

In corn

Even though field scouting for western bean cutworm in field corn should begin when the first moths are caught, control decisions should be made shortly after the moth flight peaks. The moth flight usually peaks between July 10 and July 24.

When scouting for western bean cutworms in corn, check 20 plants in at least five areas of each field. Look for eggs on the top surface of the upper most leaf or look for larvae in the tassel, leaf axil or ear tip. If 8% of field corn plants, 5% of seed corn plants or 5% of popcorn plants have egg masses or larvae, consider applying an insecticide.

Western bean cutworm moths prefer to lay eggs in corn plants that are in the late whorl stage compared to those that have completely tasseled. Pay particular attention to later planted fields or those with uneven development. Western bean cutworm eggs that hatch when corn plants are in the whorl stage of growth have a high rate of survival. The larvae are well protected in the whorl or tassel.

If an insecticide treatment is warranted in corn fields, it should be made when 95% of the plants in a field have tasseled. This timing of the application increases the chance that the worms will be exposed to the insecticide resulting in better control. It is also important to make insecticide applications before the larvae reach the silks. Once the larvae reach the silk zone they quickly move to areas under the husks where they are more protected from insecticide treatments.

It is important to recognize that only Herculex™ I Bt corn hybrids which contain the Cry 1F Bt gene would be expected to have efficacy against western bean cutworms. Other Bt hybrids contain different Bt genes and do not have efficacy against western bean cutworms. They should be scouted for western bean cutworms, and treated with an insecticide if threshold levels are found.

In dry edible beans

Dairy hay markets look very strong. Rain in the Midwest, Northeast, and Pacific Northwest wiped out most dairy quality hay production during first cutting. Combine this potential shortage with high milk prices and strong demand from dairy producers for hay that produces lots of milk, and you get excellent prospects for high dairy hay prices.

The grinding hay and stock cow hay picture, though, is just the opposite. With the increased use of alternative feeds in feedlots and by cow-calf producers, demand for low quality hay is decreasing. With the economical corn byproducts now available, feedlots have cut their alfalfa use almost in half and cow-calf operations are using them as a good winter supplement for added energy and protein. In addition, ongoing drought conditions have taught many folks how to use other alternative roughages in their feed mixes. I expect prices for this kind of hay to undergo a downward trend.

All this means is that if you plan to sell hay, do all you can to make dairy hay. Cut early. Make square bales even if you must hire it done. And store under cover.

It wouldn’t surprise me to hear of $150 dairy hay and $30 roughage hay this winter. If this develops, which one do you want to be selling?

Hundreds of soybean aphids dine on a leaf.

July 2 story: This week soybean aphids were found in soybean fields near Kearney and just north of Lincoln. Producers should be scouting their fields for aphids now and monitoring any populations they find. In Nebraska, any aphid colonies found on a soybean plant can be assumed to be soybean aphids.

Near Kearney in Buffalo County a crop consultant with Central States Agronomics, Inc. of Kearney found a small area of soybean plants with aphids, some with up to 250 aphids per plant. In Lancaster County a single soybean aphid was found on a soybean plant north of Lincoln.

In general, during 2003, if aphid populations reached the economic threshold (250 aphids per plant) and farmers treated in late July or early August, they benefitted from treatment. If treatment occurred in mid August, benefit was variable and depended on aphid population size, population dynamics, and predator levels (primarily lady beetles).

Aphids can reproduce rapidly when temperatures are in the 70-80s, but will die out when temperatures reach the mid 90s, although many of their natural enemies will not be affected and will continue to reduce aphid numbers.

Soybean aphids can transmit viral diseases such as alfalfa mosaic, soybean mosaic, bean yellow mosaic, peanut mottle, peanut smut and peanut stripe. Severe infestations can reduce yields 20 percent to 30 percent, Hunt said.

Western corn rootworm beetle

Regular scouting of rootworm beetles during late July and August, which corresponds with their egg-laying period, provides information on the potential for damage in that field if it is planted to corn next year. Be aware that rootworm beetles emerging before silks are available will feed on the corn leaf surface by scraping away the green surface tissue, producing a window-pane appearance on the leaf. This is not an economic concern.

There are several generations per year in Nebraska, but typically the first generation on corn does the most injury. Field reports indicate that this first generation is near the end of its feeding. As corn matures the leaves thicken and the maggot tunnels in only the lower or upper half of the leaf, causing less damage.

Foliar insecticides are not recommended for these insects. The adult flies emerge over several weeks and would be difficult to economically control with insecticides. The egg and immature stages are inside the leaf and protected from insecticides.

"This is a compromise action," said Wolford. "Emergency grazing, but not haying, is being permitted in the affected counties during the nesting and brood rearing season. It's clear that Sec. Veneman and the Administration are responding to the needs of our producers while continuing to protect wildlife." Prior to approving counties for emergency grazing, FSA was required to consult with the Natural Resources Conservation Service's State Technical Committee. Such meetings normally require a two-week notice; however,Veneman waived that requirement.

Emergency grazing is authorized until Sept. 30, and is limited to counties that are listed as D3-Extreme Drought or D4-Exceptional Drought on the U.S. Drought Monitor during the current growing season, or have suffered at least a 40% deviation from normal precipitation.

Part or all of the following counties are approved: Arthur, Banner, Box Butte, Chase, Cheyenne, Dawes, Deuel, Dundy, Frontier, Furnas, Garden, Hayes, Hitchcock, Keith, Kimball, Lincoln, Logan, McPherson, Morrill, Perkins, Red Willow, Scotts Bluff, Sheridan and Sioux.

Emergency haying — mechanically cutting and bailing hay — is not currently authorized, but will be permitted in affected counties after the primary nesting and brood rearing season.

"Eligible CRP participants have to submit emergency grazing applications through their local FSA offices," Wolford said. CRP participants who do not ownor lease livestock may rent or lease their grazing privileges.

CRP annual rental payments made to participants will be reduced by a commensurate 10% for the areas grazed. This compares to a 25% reduction in previous years.

Doug Anderson, Extension Educator in Fillmore, Nuckolls, and Thayer counties: Wheat harvest is in full swing in Nuckolls and Thayer counties with yields in the 30s and low 40s with test weights about average. Rust and other diseases haven’t been a problem, however, the lack of moisture last fall and in early spring and wide temperature swings are likely to have an effect. Corn is growing rapidly and looks good.

Irrigators haven’t had to run the pivot much with just enough moisture to keep them from cultivating and hilling; however, this may complicate things later since the corn is almost too tall to hill now. Beans were planted late and look like it, but are making some headway now. Some milo fields were just planted. There are rumors of some producers trying to double crop this summer by planting milo after the early harvested wheat. There’s no sign of disease and generally insect pressure is light, although small grasshoppers have been making their presence known in the last seven to ten days.

Jennifer Chaky, coordinator of the Plant Pest Diagnostic Clinic: Corn in south central Nebraska generally seems to have grown out of the bacterial leaf disease reported in the June 18 Web version of CropWatch. Last week in the clinic we received several samples of corn that was roping or had twisted whorls. This may be due to herbicides, weather or environment, depending on individual circumstances. (For more information, see the June 11 CropWatch.)

In soybeans I’m seeing much bacterial blight, especially in samples from eastern Nebraska. Leaves have purplish, brown lesions with yellowish margins. If the disease is severe, leaves can become rather yellowed and diseased areas can fall out of the leaf, giving it a tattered appearance. The disease prefers cool, wet weather so when conditions warm up, it should stop spreading. Windy rainstorms can favor disease development, as the leaf tissue is damaged and the wet conditions allow for spread of the bacteria. We’ve also received samples of soybeans with Pythium and Phytophthora diseases. These are favored by wet soil conditions and cooler temperatures. I am also seeing a bit of Rhizoctonia disease in stem lesions. Rhizoctonia is often associated with stress in soybean plants.

Del Hemsath Extension Educator in Dakota, Thurston and Dixon counties: The second cutting of alfalfa is being harvested and a few fields are reported to have aphids. The corn is just beginning to enter the fast growing stage at the 10 - 11 leaf emergence. Soybeans are very yellow, with a rust like appearance and leaf mosaic symptoms and very slow to grow. Most fields have been sprayed for weeds. Oats are being harvested for hay and pastures look good from the cool and wet weather.

Gary Zoubek Extension Educator in York County: In general our crops are looking good. Producers are finishing up hilling and unless we receive rains soon, we’ll see pivots beginning to run. Western bean cutworms are flying so producers need to be scouting. We’ve also seen some bacterial top rot/bacterial stalk rot in some irrigated corn fields. Information about this disease is at the University of Nebraska Plant Pest Diagnostic Clinic Web site: http://pdc.unl.edu/corn/bacterialstalkrot/

John Watkins, Extension Plant Pathologist: Scab (Fusarium Head Blight) is present in a range of severities in wheat in eastern Nebraska. If producers know scab is present in their fields, they should turn up the air flow in the combine to blow out the infected shriveled kernels. This will also help reduce the potential of mycotoxin being present in the grain.

The cost to pump an acre-inch¹ of water depends on the total head the pump must produce to deliver the water. The total head has two components. The lift from the groundwater in the well to surface and the system pressure measured at the discharge head of the pump. Of course, the greater the volume of water pumped (acre-inches), the greater the cost per acre will be. (Acre-inch is the volume of water needed to cover one acre one inch deep or 27,154 gallons.) The table presents several scenarios of typical irrigation situations in Nebraska.

In 48 trials conducted in Iowa in 1994 to 1996 (see Journal of Agronomy 90:763-769), the mean yields were:

• 51.3 bu/A with no foliar application;
• 52.1 bu/A with 3-8-15 applied at 1.5 gal/A at V5 and again at V8; and
• 52.1 bu/A with 3-8-15 applied at 3.0 gal/A at V5.

In eight strip trials conducted on farmers’ fields in Iowa in 1997-8 (Journal of Agronomy 93:1220-1226), the mean yields were:

• 54.5 bu/A for the control
• 54.4 bu/A for 3-8-15 applied at V5 at 3 gal/A.

In South Dakota, a statistically significant response to foliar applied fertilizer was not observed at Aurora and Bereford in 2002 and 2003 (Table 3).

A recent article in Soybean Digest reported 3-9 bu/ac increases with foliar application of 3-18-18 plus trace in Indiana, but the article gave no details on the experimentation that produced these results. Results from 29 trials conducted in Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio, and Missouri showed an average of 1.4 bu/ac, or 3%, increase in yield with boron applied at 0.25 lb/ac at initial flowering.

In short, early season foliar application of N-P-K results in an average of about 1-1.5 bu/ac soybean yield increase. Out of hundreds of trials conducted in the United States to test foliar application during podfill, yield increases of up to 8 bu/ac have been observed in a very few cases, but yield increases are inconsistent, generally small (e.g. < 1 bu/ac) and not do not leave much, if any, room for profit. It’s more important to ensure adequate soil phosphorus and potassium levels with fertilizer application according to soil test results before planting.

Drought conditions have improved slightly in west central and central Nebraska as severe to moderate drought conditions are being felt in an area bounded by the Kansas and South Dakota border between North Platte and Kearney. Abnormally dry conditions continue up to 45 miles east of this area. For the remainder of the state, near normal to excessively wet conditions are being felt.

Nebraska portion of the U.S. Drought Monitor, a product of the Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska and USDA.

The contrast in precipitation totals across the state is striking. In the six months since January 1, areas of the Panhandle have received less precipitation than their eastern counterparts have received in the last 30 days. For example, Scottsbluff has received 4.46 inches of precipitation since January 1, making this the sixth driest comparable period (January 1 - June 20) in the last 104 years. The driest period was 1893 with 2.41 inches, followed by 2002 with 2.49 inches. Other Panhandle stations with exceptionally dry conditions in the last 100 plus years are: Chadron second driest; Hay Springs second driest; Harrisburg fifth driest; and Sidney fifth driest.

Temperatures during the last 30 days have been slightly above normal in northern Nebraska and slightly below normal across southern Nebraska.

The upper air ridging pattern so prevalent across the western United States during the last few years has not been a major factor in recent weather. Upper air low pressure has been able to slide into the northern and central Rockies and spin up surface lows into the central United States. Abundant moisture from the gulf of Mexico and Carribean have been pulled northward into these systems, resulting in heavy rainfall from eastern Nebraska through Ohio.

Much of the abundant moisture from our south was tapped by surface lows too far east to have a significant impact on western Nebraska producers. Therefore, soil profiles continue to have ample room to store any moisture, while eastern soils need a brief drying period to minimize the flooding potential. The Platte River west of Columbus is averaging less than 10% of its normal flow, while east of Columbus above normal flows are common as river basins feeding the Platte continue to release excessive moisture. River forecasts indicate that the Platte will be completely dry before July 14 west of Columbus, barring a series of significant precipitation events.

Severe storms have been common the last 30 days, but storm damage has been minimal in comparison to the benefits the precipitation has provided to the corn crop.

The real attention this year will continue to be across the western half of the state. In the short term, models indicate numerous chances for moisture during the next 14 days. This should allow some temporary relief for irrigators trying to keep up with crop moisture demands, however a return to drier conditions will quickly use up this moisture. More questions than answers remain for the rest of the summer. Models continue to advertise a strengthening ridge across the western United States. The good news is that it hasn’t happened yet. The bad news is that good rains will be needed in the short term to help mitigate the impacts of an extended hot period if the ridge does develop.

Forecast

The Climate Prediction Center (CPC) July and July-September outlooks indicate no defined trend for precipitation during the respective forecast periods. During July, CPC is forecasting below normal temperatures across the eastern half of the state and equal chances of below normal, normal, or above normal temperatures across the western half of the state. During the July-September period, above normal temperatures are expected across the Panhandle and southwestern corner of Nebraska. The greatest probability for above normal temperatures will occur in August-September. There is no defined temperature trend in the July-September period for the remainder of the state.

As a side note, AccuWeather released their summer forecast and they are predicting that the entire United States, with the exception of the Pacific Northwest, will experience above normal temperatures for the remainder of the summer. Based on these two forecasts, what is certain is that there is a considerable amount of uncertainty for the remainder of the growing season.

When planning to ammoniate your straw, bale it soon after grain harvest, preferably with some moisture or dew on it. Then, gather bales into rows that are stacked like a pyramid. Cover the entire stack with one sheet of 6 to 8 millimeter black plastic, using ropes or another method to hold plastic in place. Make sure you seal the edges of the plastic on the ground with loose soil to prevent leakage. Once it’s carefully sealed, insert a pipe into the center of the stack and attach the pipe to the anhydrous tank.

Be careful -- ammonia can be dangerous. Slowly turn on the anhydrous until the plastic balloons slightly. Don't go too fast or the plastic can rupture. Next, check and repair any leaks. Continue to add anhydrous slowly until you have added 60 pounds per ton of straw. Take about 10 minutes for each ton of straw.

When you are through, turn off the tank, remove the pipe, and seal its opening. Keep the plastic on the stack for at least a week before feeding. Then open one end to allow excess ammonia gas to escape. Done correctly, ammoniated wheat straw can be a very valuable feed.

Bruce Anderson
Extension Forage Specialist

Lost wildlife: When wetlands are taken over by loosestrife, the natural habitat is lost and the productivity of native plant and animal communities is severely reduced. Wildlife is displaced and fish and wildlife who can’t move to other areas may be lost forever.

Clogged waterways: Purple loosestrife grows vigorously in irrigation canals, ditches, stream banks and reservoirs, limiting the amount of water available for crops.

Loss of recreational land: The loss of wetlands and wildlife directly influences other activities of everyday life, especially during summer. The funds spent on controlling this weed could be more effectively spent on improving wildlife habitats, boat ramps, camping grounds, etc. If recreational lands are lost, local communities will lose tourism revenue.

A perfect plant

Purple loosestrife

Purple loosestrife can colonize and thrive easily because it is a prolific seed producer and has a strong perennial root system (rhizome). Each plant can produce up to 2 million seeds in one season. Seeds can be carried far away by water, wind, some birds and can remain viable for many years.

Few birds, fish or animals like to feed on purple loosestrife. They feed, however, on other plant species that grow around purple loosestrife. By doing this, indirectly, the wildlife population “eats themselves out of house and home”. As native vegetation get consumed, more space is created for purple loosestrife to spread and produce new plants.

In general, purple loosestrife can grow 3-9 feet tall with several, square stalks per plant. Leaves are on opposite sides of the stalk, thin and sharply pointed with the base rounded or heart-shaped. In Nebraska, it will flower from July to September. Flowers, which are red to rose-purple, are arranged on a 1- to 3-foot long spikes.

The fruit is a small oblong capsule with two valves containing many small seeds. There are many capsules within a spike. Also there are at least several spikes per plant and each spike can produce up to one hundred thousand small seeds. The tiny, light seeds are readily moved by wind. The root system is very strong and when mature, the root branches become thick and woody.

Integrated control options

Purple loosestrife has no natural enemies nor other plant competitors here in North America, therefore its spreading is hard to stop. A single control measure can’t provide long-term, sustainable, management of this weed. However, if control practices are integrated, significant advances can be achieved.

If you want hay instead of silage, plant sorghum-sudan hybrids, pearl millet, or foxtail millet when chinch bugs aren’t a problem. A hay crop exceeding one and one-half ton per acre still can be grown if planted soon and rain is timely. Another hay or silage alternative is solid-seeded soybeans. A couple tons of good forage can be grown from taller, full season varieties planted after wheat. Oats planted in early August are another option. Yields over two tons are possible if moisture is good, fertility high, and a hard freeze is a little late. The cheapest option might be to drill bin-run corn real thick if you have good germination and a drill that can handle the kernals.

Also consider planting oats and turnips in late July or early August for fall pasture. They’re cheap to plant and with a few timely rains in August and September, both can produce high quality feed in a short time.

Control requires thick alfalfa stands, good water management, and sometimes, herbicides. It is essential to start with thick stands, both to compete with the bluegrass and to have good yield potential after control is achieved.

The key to slowing down bluegrass invasion is irrigation water management. Irrigation must be timed so the top several inches of soil are dry at harvest -- and remain dry until alfalfa regrowth is about four inches tall. Bluegrass grows slowly in dry soil, but alfalfa roots will use subsoil moisture for regrowth if your previous irrigation stored a supply down below. Once the alfalfa gets a little bit of growth, it will compete well with the bluegrass.

If thick stands and water management are adequate, herbicides like Select, Poast Plus, Roundup, or Gramoxone might be cost effective to weaken or kill bluegrass. Apply any one of these immediately after harvest. Be especially careful using Roundup, though. It should be used only if no new growth has developed from your alfalfa. Otherwise, plants could be killed. Of these four, Select may work the best and is safest.

Grazing fresh growth as soon as it develops is not your best option. Avoid the extreme temptation to give cows access to this nice green feed right away. When you graze plants as they start to grow, it lowers their rate of growth and reduces their water use efficiency by allowing more soil moisture to escape as evaporation instead of through the plant where it can first support growth.

A better move is to restrict animal access to as little land area as possible so the maximum number of grass plants get to grow without potential grazing pressure. If necessary, feed hay to stretch the number of acres given a chance to grow. If more rain does come, you’ll be able to start grazing with expectations of improved regrowth, but if there’s little rain, at least all the moisture you received will have been used to support plant growth.

Giesler and USDA representatives discussed soybean rust during a North Central Region Integrated Pest Management teleconference June 29 at the Agricultural Research and Development Center near Mead. Giesler said soybean rust probably won’t reach the United States this year.

“I’d be very surprised,” he said. “However, it’s important to learn about soybean rust before it comes and be prepared.”

Soybean rust first was reported in Japan in 1903 and was confined to the Eastern Hemisphere until it was documented in Hawaii in 1994. Since then, the disease has occurred on most continents where soybeans are grown, including Asia and Africa. Most recently, the disease was detected in South America. Like other, more familiar crop rusts, it is spready by airborne spores.

Giesler said soybean rust is likely to show up somewhere else in the United States before it hits Nebraska. Soybean rust defoliates soybean plants and can reduce yields up to 90% in untreated fields. Soybean leaves with rust will have tan to dark brown or reddish lesions 2 to 3 millimeters in diameter that are most abundant on the under surface of the leaves. The disease starts at the bottom of the plant and moves up. Without treatment, soybean plants with soybean rust prematurely defoliate and die.

When scouting, it’s important to distinguish other diseases from soybean rust. Soybean rust looks a lot like Septoria brown spot.

“However, with brown spot, there isn’t as much defoliation and with soybean rust there will be more of a burning reaction on the plant when the disease is severe. With brown spot there is more yellowing,” Giesler said.

Soybean rust also can be mistaken for bacterial blight or bacterial pustule, Giesler said. Soybean rust’s pustules are a lot smaller than those of other rust diseases.

“When we think of rust, we think of corn or wheat rust where you can rub off spores with your fingers,” Giesler said. “With this rust, that won’t happen.”

Giesler hopes more resistant or tolerant soybean varieties eventually will become available Several fungicides are labeled for soybean rust, including chrothalonil, azoxystrobin, myclobutanil and propiconazole products. More are being made available for use in the United States. Cost for U.S. soybean growers to apply these fungicides is estimated at $15 to $18 an acre.

In the future, management may include a combination of fungicides and plant resistance, Giesler said. Plants suspected of having soybean rust can be sent to the university’s Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic, 448 Plant Sciences, P.O. Box 830722, Lincoln, NE 68583-0722.

• Alliance - July 1
• Grand Island - July 6
• North Platte - July 13
• Norfolk - July 14
• Ainsworth - July 15
• Beatrice - July 20
• Lexington - July 20
• Norfolk - July 29

The clinics offer individual and confidential information and education on farm finances; the laws, regulations and policies governing Farm Services Agency (FSA); debt restructuring and other legal options; and how the mediation program can help work with lenders to find an agreeable and workable solution. The Farm Hotline (1-800-464-0258) must be contacted to make an appointment and to learn the clinic location in the town where individuals wish to make an appointment.

The contact for the Farm Mediation program at the Nebraska Department of Agriculture is Marian Beethe (402-471-6890) or marianjb@agr.state.ne.us