Paul Hay, Extension Educator in Gage County: In southeast Nebraska we are finishing soybean and milo planting. A few fields of corn leafed out underground and were replanted and some fields were treated for cutworms. Sunny days have crop moving along quite well. Soil borne mosaic lingered long enough to cause more injury to wheat than is normal. After a number of very good wheat years we may be headed back to yield averages of 40 bu/ac or less.
Ralph Kulm, Extension Educator in Holt and Boyd counties: Dry weather is becoming the big topic in this area. Warm season pastures are very slow starting. Cool season pastures are short. Pasture season begins on May 15 in this area and a lot of cattle were placed in pastures with little growth. Alfalfa growth has slowed to the point that many producers have decided to cut early. Alfalfa weevils and pea aphids are common in all alfalfa fields but generally not in economic numbers.
Winter wheat is heading. Powdery mildew is common in most fields but crop development is past the point where treatment would be helpful and weather conditions are not conducive to further development of powdery mildew. Rust has not been discovered to my knowledge. Irrigation systems are running everywhere. Some are running to activate chemicals, some to help crops come up and some just because it is very dry. Most of the soybeans will have emerged between May 20 and May 25. Corn is all up and looking very good.
David E Stenberg, Extension Educator in Dawson County: The 2006 crop has been planted and most of the corn and soybeans are up; however, much of the soybean crop under center pivot has been irrigated. The lack of rain -- from less than one to two inches this year -- is a major concern. Some pivot irrigators have irrigated three to four times. Pastures look like August 1 and some producers who turned their cattle into pastures in April are considering pulling them out for lack of feed. First cutting of alfalfa harvest is proceeding rapidly with about half of the crop harvested. Quality of the alfalfa hay is high as much of the alfalfa is cut and baled in three to four days with no rain delays. Wheat is mostly headed but showing signs of drought.
Based on a residue survey of Dawson County completed on May 22, 67.5% of the corn/soybean ground is in no-till, ridge-till or mulch-till with residue levels exceeding 30%. Another 13.7% is in reduced-till with 15-30% residue coverage and 16.6% was in conventional tillage of which about 35% was 2005 corn ground planted to alfalfa this spring.
Karen DeBoer, Extension Educator in Cheyenne County: The condition of the winter wheat crop continues to go downhill with the lack of rainfall. In some fields, there are areas where the wheat has dried up completely.The wheat is in the boot to heading stage and moisture will be critical for the pollination and grain fill stages in order to make a crop.
Bill Booker, Extension Educator in Box Butte County: Wheat is an amazing crop that “flexes,” depending on nutrient and/or weather conditions. Wheat adds stems or tillers when conditions are good and eliminates tillers when conditions deteriorate. This can have a huge impact on yield. Most of the productive tillers are added in the fall with sufficient time and nutrients. Some tillers can be added in the spring. Tillers in various stages of development produce the “sucker” heads we see at harvest. Once the plant stresses with a nutrient deficiency (nitrogen could also be the cause), the tillers become expendable to keep the main stem alive and productive.
Plants typically show stress during the heat of the day with their leaves curling but the key is their appearance during stress free times (mornings). Do the leaves unfold? Do they look OK? A tiller that does not unfold has been “sluffed” or sacrificed to protect the rest of the plant. The main stem would be the last to go. The upshot of this is that if the current conditions continue, we will lose stand counts and yield with the loss of the “sluffed” tillers. Hopefully we will not get to the final stages. Wheat diseases have turned up across the state. Protection of the flag leaf is most important in any control plan since it controls about 50-60% of the yield.
Powdery mildew has been observed in irrigated wheat fields across the state. Initial samples from the Panhandle with a grayish or silverfish coating did not have any spores. Powdery mildew is white and cottony. It is more evident in stands with high nitrogen rates with lush stands and high humidity. Optimum development occurs at 59-71° and is retarded at temperatures over 77°. Even with our high temperatures, the value of the crop should be considered in the decision to spray.
Tan spot has been observed in dryland fields. It overwinters on wheat residue and is variety dependent. Warm, dry and/or hot weather in the Panhandle also can stops the development of tan spot before it reaches the flag leaf. Last year was the exception for this disease and it did cause yield losses.
Dewey Lienemann, Extension Educator in Clay and Webster counties: Winter wheat is deteriorating here. I have examined several wheat fields and am shocked by what I am seeing. If you have only done a windshield tour of your wheat fields, take a closer look. While that bluish tint is kind of pretty, it is not a good sign for the wheat or its potential for yield. That bluish tint from last week has now turned yellow and perhaps a little brown, also not a good sign.
I don’t know of many “dwarf” varieties of wheat being planted in this part of the country, but there is a lot of short wheat out there and certainly a lot of rolled leaves. Some fields have headed out nicely, some not at all, and many others are just partly headed out. I have found the worst fields to be in old alfalfa ground or last year’s summer fallow. The wheat planted in no-till conditions is holding on so far,. As I write this column it is 94°F and there's a 20 mph wind. This scenario is obviously not conducive to the wheat crop.
I think we really have to look at some options. I think it may prudent for farmers to check their fields for condition and then take a look if they have insurance on their wheat crop. If it is not insured and we don’t get rain in the very near future, it may pay to swath the wheat before it deteriorates further and use it for feed. Immature wheat makes good hay and may be very valuable later int eh season. Right now it appears that several of these fields won’t have much of a yield. If your wheat is insured, check with your insurance provider about your options and hope for rain.
Douglas Anderson, Extension Educator in Keith, Arthur and Perkins counties: Planting is mostly done and 75% of the corn is up. Wheat got some rain, but needs a lot more soon. Some crop fields are being irrigated to aid emergence. Beans are planted and about 25% have emerged. Pasture conditions are poor and warm season grasses are not responding. Alfalfa is blooming.
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