Mississippi County

^{A private applicator training will be held February 13th at the Mississippi County Library located in Charleston. The event at the library will occur at 8:30 am and 1:30 pm; you only have to attend one. Since your last recertification, the MO Department of Ag has made recertification the same process as certification. The training will take about 80 minutes. Space at the library is limited so please call the extension office to register for a time. If this day does not work for your schedule please call the extension office to arrange for training in the office. The assigned times in the office will be 9:00 am and 2:00 pm Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of each week. The office schedule is subject to change and office space is limited so, PLEASE call.}

University of Missouri Agriculture Extension Meetings in the Southeast Region
^{http://outreach.missouri.edu/seregion/SERegionAgricultureMeetings.htm}

Check Wheat Tiller Numbers for Green-up Decisions (link to MU Wheat Management Guide)

Most wheat planted this fall did not get off to a great start due to weather, primarily rain. Much of the wheat was planted later than normal. Fortunately we did experience a warm December and some warm days in January. I have received some questions on wheat vernalization requirements due to the late planting and warm winter. Wheat only needs to accumulate approximately 15 days of below freezing temperatures to trigger reproduction, all of which do not need to be consecutive.

If your wheat is thin a green-up application should be considered to stimulate tiller production. Typically the time period between green-up and jointing is long enough to produce one tiller. The green-up application will also stimulate the main stem and those tillers present, which will improve their health and potential of producing grain. Time fertilizer applications around a forecast of 50 degree weather, since this is the average temperature at which wheat will take up nitrogen. Fertilizers containing sulfur, such as ammonium sulfate or 28-0-0-4, should be part of the fertilizer program since sulfur is necessary for wheat to convert nitrate into a usable form in the plant. However, if you plan to make only one application, wheat nitrogen requirements are highest at internode elongation, so a single application should be made close to jointing.

Specifically, fields with less than 60 tillers per square foot at green-up, apply at least 40 pounds of nitrogen as soon as a string of 50+ degree days are predicted, mid-February at the latest, to increase tillering and head size. For fields with 60-80 tillers per square foot apply 20-30 pounds.  Applying nitrogen at green-up in a field with over 90 tillers can lead to a thick lush canopy which may increase the risk of disease, lodging and injury from a late cold snap.  The time of greatest need for nitrogen occurs approximately 30 days after green-up (pre-jointing).  Care should be taken to make sure all nitrogen is applied by Feekes growth stage 6 to maximize yields.  Research shows a yield boost by splitting applications on less nitrogen efficient sandy and clay soils. 

Remember that low organic matter (usually sandy) soils of southeast Missouri are also prone to low sulfur conditions and sulfur fertilizers should be part of the nutrient program to prevent deficiency.  Most low sulfur soils require 10 to 15 pounds per acre of sulfur.

Soybean Fungicide Seed Treatments (link to fungicide tables)

Earlier planting, reducing seeding rates, no-tilling?  A soybean seed fungicide treatment could protect your seed investment, especially under cool, wet soil conditions.  Laura Sweets, MU Extension Pathologist, wrote the following and put together a list of seed treatments.  Soybean seed treatment fungicides can be effective in preventing or reducing damage from pathogens that may be carried on the seed or pathogens present in the soil that cause seed decay, seedling blights and root rots of soybean.  Soybean seed treatment fungicides are recommended if there is a concern about seed-borne diseases (ex. Phomopsis seed decay), if the field has a history of a specific early-season soybean disease (ex. field has a history of Phytophthora root rot) or conditions at planting are not favorable for rapid germination and emergence thus favoring early-season soybean diseases (ex. cold and wet soils might favor Pythium seed decay and seedling blight).   Soybean seed treatment fungicides will not improve the germination of seed that has a poor germination rate because of physical cracks in the seed coat, weathering during the seed production year and other physiological factors. 

Before using any agricultural pesticide, read and follow directions on the label accompanying that product.  Federal Law requires that bags containing treated seeds shall be labeled with the following information: “This seed has been treated with (common chemical names of active ingredients) fungicide(s).  Do not use treated seed for food, feed or oil purposes.”

Soybean Seeding Rates: How Low Can You Go?

Seeding rate studies have been conducted, along

with row width studies, off and on for numerous

 years. Over the past four years, research has

indicated that yield begins to level off at 100,000

plants per acre.  You will have to plant more

seeds per acre than this to account

for germination percentage and 90% emergence

rule for viable seed. For example,

 150,000 seeds/acre, assuming 85% germination and 90% emergence, the final stand will be around 115,000 plants/acre.  If there is some apprehension, consider trying this on a few select fields to compare your seeding rates with potentially lower rates.

Return to the Mississippi County main page.
		University of Missouri Extension Mississippi County mississippico@missouri.edu Updated 05/24/04