What a difference a year makes. Last year the extended drought made it difficult to establish wheat stands or allow for extensive fall or spring growth. That led to lower than normal disease pressure in 2023. We are looking at a very different situation in 2024. Over most of the High Plains, we have [...]
As wheat planting season approaches, a couple important questions arise. When should we kill the volunteer wheat, and how soon before drilling? Volunteer wheat needs to be controlled at least two weeks prior to drilling. This should eliminate the majority of pests that are using the volunteer wheat as a host. Producers may not have [...]
The ever increasing pest in sunflowers, the sunflower stem borer also called the soybean stem borer, is causing more damage and harvest loss to fields across sunflower producing areas. Many times you are not aware that you have a problem until you see plants lodging before harvest. Sometimes the damage may be confused with the [...]
Many producers are in the process of choosing corn hybrids for the 2015 growing season. In fact, early discount deadlines for some seed companies are pushing this process along quickly. One factor that must be kept in mind while choosing hybrids is evaluating the tolerance or susceptibility to Goss’s Bacterial Wilt. Over the past 5-10 [...]
Stripe rust is caused by the fungus Puccinia striiformis and is one of the most prevalent and destructive diseases of wheat in the world. It has caused major losses in wheat crops around the world for many decades, and it continues to be a problem. Kansas wheat losses from Stripe Rust have been reported up [...]
Late season plant health can determine whether a corn crop will maximize grain fill, and reward farmers with those extra bushels, or if there will be standability issues and yield loss at harvest due to diseases in the stalk and the ear. In many areas, there has been standing water in fields this year due [...]
