Wheat Planting Management Considerations for Fall 2023

This year, wheat yields were extremely high across Ohio. In the Ohio Wheat Performance Test (https://ohiocroptest.cfaes.osu.edu/wheattrials/default.asp?year=2023), grain yield averaged between 86 and 126 bu/acre across five Ohio counties. Cool temperatures and adequate subsoil moisture led to a long grain fill period. The long grain fill period coupled with low disease resulted in high-yielding conditions. Mother nature certainly helped us out in 2023; however, fall wheat management is important to set your crop up for success.

Now that we’ve entered mid-September, wheat planting is just around the corner. Here are our key management strategies for this fall:

  1. Plant within the 10-day period starting after the county fly-safe date. It can be tempting to plant wheat before your county’s Hessian fly-safe date (Figure ; however, the best time to plant wheat is the 10-day period starting the day after the fly-safe date. Planting before the fly-safe date increases the risk of insect and disease problems including Hessian fly and aphids carrying Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus. Our wheat planting date field trials have shown no yield benefit of planting prior to the county fly-safe date.
  2. Select high-yielding varieties with high test weight, good straw strength, and adequate disease resistance. Do not jeopardize your investment by planting anything but the best-yielding varieties that also have resistance to the important diseases in your area. Depending on your area of the state, you may need good resistance to powdery mildew, Stagonospora leaf blotch, and/or leaf rust. Avoid varieties with susceptibility to Fusarium head scab. Plant seed that has been properly cleaned to remove shriveled kernels and treated with a fungicide seed treatment to control seed-borne diseases.
  3. Optimum seeding rates are between 1.2 and 1.6 million seeds/acre. For drills with 7.5-inch row spacing, this is about 18 to 24 seeds per foot of row. When wheat is planted on time, the actual seeding rate has little effect on yield, but high seeding rates (above 30 seeds per foot of row) increase lodging and risk of severe powdery mildew development next spring.
  4. Planting depth is critical for tiller development and winter survival. Plant seed 1.5 inches deep and make sure planting depth is uniform across the field. No-till wheat seeded into soybean stubble is ideal, but make sure the soybean residue is uniformly spread over the surface of the ground. Shallow planting is the main cause of low tiller numbers and poor winter survival due to heaving and freezing injuries. Remember, you cannot compensate for a poor planting job by planting more seeds; it just costs more money.
  5. Follow the Tri-State Fertilizer Recommendations for Corn, Soybeans, Wheat, and Alfalfa (https://agcrops.osu.edu/FertilityResources/tri-state_info).
  6. Apply 20 to 30 lb of actual nitrogen per acre at planting to promote fall tiller development. A soil test should be completed to determine phosphorus and potassium needs. Wheat requires more phosphorus than corn or soybean, and soil test levels should be maintained between 30-50 ppm (Mehlich-3 P) for optimum production (Table 1). Do not add phosphorus if soil test levels exceed 50 ppm.

Table 1. Wheat phosphorus recommendations from the Tri-State Fertilizer Recommendations for Corn, Soybeans, Wheat, and Alfalfa.

Table 1. Wheat phosphorus recommendations from the Tri-State Fertilizer Recommendations for Corn, Soybeans, Wheat, and Alfalfa.

Soil potassium should be maintained at levels of 100-130 and 120-170 ppm (Mehlich-3 K) on sandy soils (CEC < 5 meq/100 g) and loam/clay soils (CEC > 6 meq/100 g), respectively. If potassium levels are low, apply K2O fertilizer at planting, depending on soil CEC and yield potential (Table 2).

Table 2. Wheat potassium recommendations from the Tri-State Fertilizer Recommendations for Corn, Soybeans, Wheat, and Alfalfa.

Table 2. Wheat potassium recommendations from the Tri-State Fertilizer Recommendations for Corn, Soybeans, Wheat, and Alfalfa.

Soil pH should be between 6.3 and 7.0. In Ohio, limed soils usually have adequate calcium and magnesium.

Weekly Commodity Market Update

Brownfield’s Weekly Commodity update featuring former OSU Extension Ag Economist Ben Brown.

This Weeks Topics:

  • Market recap
  • USDA WASDE review
  • Tightness in soybean market
  • Soybean crush down
  • Harvest picks up
  • Reports to watch

Market recap (changes on week as of Monday’s close):
• December 2023 corn down $.14 at $4.71
• November soybeans down $.53 at $13.16
• October soybean oil up 1.05 cents at 62.39 cents/lb
• October soybean meal down $15.60 at $390.40/short ton
• December 2023 wheat up $.07 at $5.91
• July 2024 wheat up $.03 at $6.40
• September WTI Crude Oil up $3.41 at $89.28/barrel

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Ohio Crop Progress

Moderate temperatures and mostly clear skies throughout Ohio provided farmers with favorable conditions to conduct pre-harvest activities, according to Ben Torrance, State Statistician, USDA NASS, Ohio Field Office. Continued lack of significant precipitation resulted in an increase in abnormally dry soil moisture levels. Topsoil moisture conditions were rated 6 percent very short, 37 percent short, 56 percent adequate, and 1 percent surplus. Statewide, the average temperature for the week ending on September 17 was 62.3 degrees, 3.1 degrees below normal. Weather stations recorded an average of 0.25 inches of precipitation, 0.59 inches below average. There were 6.1 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending September 17.
While row crop progress remained behind the five-year average, favorable crop condition ratings exceeded previous year averages. Sixty-seven percent of corn was in or past dent and 22 percent was mature. Corn for silage was 42 percent harvested. Twenty-seven percent of soybeans were dropping leaves. Corn and soybean condition were 76 and 71 percent good to excellent, respectively. Third cuttings of alfalfa hay and other dry hay were 92 and 71 percent complete, respectively. Fourth cuttings of alfalfa hay were 56 percent complete. Winter wheat was 1 percent planted. Pasture and range condition was rated 63 percent good to excellent, down from the previous week.

Field Observations Thru September 15

Corn

Growth & Development

Most of the corn that I have seen this week is in either the late R4 (Dough) or the R5 (Dent) growth stage.  A few fields are approaching the final growth stage R6.

R6 – Physiological Maturity

  • Occurs approximately 66‐70 days after silking.
  • R6 is reached  after the milk line disappears and the starch has reached the base of the kernel.
  • Kernels have reached maximum dry weight.
  • Kernel moisture is  about 35% at physiological maturity.
  • Black layer occurs after physiological maturity and  serves as a visual verification that the plant is mature. Black layer typically occurs at 30%  moisture but varies by hybrid and environment.
  • Husks and many of the leaves are no longer green, but the stalk may be green.
  • Only external stress can reduce yield now,  such as plant lodging or insect feeding.

Scouting

At this growth stage look for:

  • Ear rots.
  • Stalk rots.
  • Anthracnose top dieback.
  • Stalk lodging.
  • Abnormal ear fill which identifies periods of stress.
  • Weed escapes (especially Palmer and Waterhemp).

This is also a good time to get an accurate yield estimate.

Soybeans

Growth & Development

Soybeans are continuing to mature.  Last week I highlighted the R7 growth stage, the last growth stage is R8 full maturity.

R8 – Full Maturity

  • 95% of pods reached mature color
  • Mature pod color does not necessarily indicate that beans are ready to harvest
  • 35% grain moisture in freshly matured pod
  • 15% within another 5 to 10 days
  • Below-optimum plant stands cause more branching, low pod heights & can delay maturity
  • Above-optimum plant stands increase lodging.

Scouting

At this growth stage look for:

  • Green stem syndrome.
  • Lodging
  • Sprouting seeds
  • Pod shattering
  • Weed escapes (especially Palmer and Waterhemp).

This is also a good time to check soybean yield potential.

County Rainfall Update

Best practices for buying farm inputs

Source: Jonathan LaPorte, Michigan State University Extension

Are farm input prices better now or should you wait to make a purchase?

Answering that question presents quite a challenge. Historically, farms that prioritize purchasing inputs early, on average lower total input costs. But this past year revealed better input prices were realized in the spring. As input prices continue to fall, largely driven by lower prices in commodity markets, last year’s strategy may still be a viable option. To decide which approach is right for your farm requires thinking strategically about your buying options.

Understanding market conditions

Understanding market conditions is essential when buying farm inputs. Markets are influenced by a number of different factors, such as supply chains and commodity prices. Recent improvements in supply chains and product availability certainly favor purchases now. Especially when purchases are compared to recent production years.

Declines in commodity market prices have also driven demand for lower input costs. But as market prices decline, concerns of eroding farm profits may increase further demand for lowering costs. If demand is strong enough, it may make waiting to buy a better option.

Long-term commodity projections lean towards lower prices unless production estimates significantly change. A significant change is often brought on by global or domestic events. These events can include global trade, wars, or poor weather, such as drought. Many parts of the country experienced drought in the early summer months. But it remains unclear how drought conditions will impact commodity prices.

When uncertainty exists in the markets, other options to assist decision-making should be explored. One such option is to compare differences between current and historical prices. For fertilizer purchases, a crop to fertilizer price ratio helps consider short-term profits compared to product use. The fertilizer nutrient price ($/lb.) is divided by the crop price. Crop prices are then adjusted to a per pound value. For example, corn prices are divided by 56, while soybeans are divided by 60. A higher price ratio indicates a more expensive fertilizer (see Figure 1 below).

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There’s Potential for Poisoning During Fall Grazing

– Jordan Penrose, Ohio State University Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator, Gallia County (previously published in Farm & Dairy)

With fall fast approaching, it may be time to assess potential problems that could arise when livestock are grazing, such as trees and grasses. A good practice of walking or driving through your pastures will help you know what is growing in or around them.

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Ohio Crop Progress

Source: USDA

Last week’s warm days and mostly fair weather supported crop progress but left some counties excessively dry, according to Ben Torrance, State Statistician, USDA NASS, Ohio Field Office. Topsoil moisture conditions were rated 9 percent very short, 19 percent short, 68 percent adequate, and 4 percent surplus. Statewide, the average temperature for the week ending on September 10 was 72.5 degrees, 4.6 degrees above normal. Weather stations recorded an average of 0.27 inches of precipitation, 0.27 inches below average. There were 5.6 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending September 10.

Ninety-five percent of corn was in or past dough, 53 percent was in or past dent, and 11 percent was mature. Corn for silage was 27 percent harvested. Eight percent of soybeans were dropping leaves. Corn and soybean condition were 82 and 75 percent good to excellent, respectively. Third cuttings of alfalfa hay and other dry hay were 88 and 58 percent complete, respectively. Fourth cuttings of alfalfa hay were 38 percent complete. Pasture and range condition was rated 68 percent good to excellent, down from the previous week.

Weed management practices: Fall scouting and equipment cleaning

 

Weed management encompasses more than controlling actively growing weeds. You can be proactive to help prevent the future spread of weeds. Two different management practices are discussed below: fall scouting for weed escapes and equipment cleaning.

Fall scouting can help plan for future control

Weeds that escape control by in-season management practices can cause several problems, including the possibility of reduced harvest efficiency and crop yield. Even if these factors do not justify an herbicide application, it is important to consider the future costs of seeds produced by those escapes – particularly if those escaped weeds produce a lot of seed and/or are herbicide resistant.

Just a few escapes of species such as waterhemp or Palmer amaranth can have a big impact. For example, research conducted in Georgia showed that one female plant in five acres added about two million seeds per acre to the soil. Those seeds can have impacts for many years. It took six years of total palmer amaranth control to deplete the seedbank by 98% in Texas. In some situations, scouting during the weeks leading up to harvest may provide an opportunity to remove these plants by hand to reduce the number of seeds in the soil.

Scouting for weeds at harvest, even if you simply make notes from the combine, is important for planning future weed management.

When scouting, make notes about

  • which weed species are present,
  • where weed escapes are present, and
  • any changes in the size or location of areas with weed escapes.

Some observations might be the result of soil or environmental conditions, while others might suggest problems with the herbicide selection or application equipment. However, some of these escapes might indicate the presence of herbicide-resistant weeds in your field – especially if the same herbicide program has been used for a number of years. Two examples of observations that might indicate herbicide resistance are 1) a growing patch of a particular species, or 2) herbicide failure on a few plants of a single species that is normally controlled.

Stop spreading weed seed during harvest activities

Weeds can spread in a variety of ways, including on farm equipment. As you move harvest equipment from field to field, be aware of the potential to spread weed seed – especially if uncontrolled weeds are known or suspected to be herbicide resistant. Some steps to prevent spreading weeds when moving harvest equipment from one field to another are listed below.

  • Clean new-to-you equipment so someone else’s weeds are not introduced to your farm.
  • If possible, harvest fields with excellent weed control first.
  • Harvest fields where weeds are or might be herbicide resistant last.
  • Harvest around areas with extremely dense weed populations.
  • Slow the combine to ‘self-clean’ between fields.
    • Run the unloading auger empty for a minute or two.
    • Open grain elevator doors, rock trap, and unloading auger sump then run the separator with maximum airflow and suction.
  • Use an air compressor to remove material remaining in the rock trap and grain auger and from the head, feeder house, straw spreader.
  • Take half a day to do a deeper clean when possible.
  • Check fall-tillage equipment between fields.

It is very difficult to completely remove weed seeds from harvest equipment. However, taking a few minutes to reduce the number of seeds on your harvest equipment may save time and money in the future.

Weekly Commodity Market Update

Brownfield’s Weekly Commodity update featuring former OSU Extension Ag Economist Ben Brown.

This Weeks Topics:

  • Market recap
  • Corn and soybean acreage
  • Corn and soybean production
  • Reports to watch

Market recap (Changes on week as of Monday’s close):
– December 2023 corn up $.05 at $4.85
– November soybeans up $.06 at $13.69
– October soybean oil down 2.63 cents at 61.34 cents/lb
– October soybean meal up $5.80 at $406.00/short ton
– December 2023 wheat down $.14 at $5.84
– July 2024 wheat down $.12 at $6.37
– September WTI Crude Oil up $2.13 at $85.87/barrel

Weekly Highlights

  • US crude oil stocks were down again last week continuing a trend over the last month. Globally production cuts by the top exporters are being offset by other global producers and lower global demand.
  • Ethanol production was basically flat on the week- up 2 million gallons. Gasoline demand was up on the week while ethanol stocks were flat suggesting that ethanol exports have been rather sluggish in August.
  • It was the last week of export sales of the 2022/23 marketing year for corn and soybeans with net cancelations on of corn and 5.7 net sales for soybeans. However, new crop 2023/24 sales finally showed some life.
  • Open interest positions of Chicago futures and options were largely up:  Chicago wheats-flat, corn- +1.4%, soybeans- +2.2%, cotton- +10.4%, and rough rice- +14.7%.
  • Managed money traders bought back 168 futures and options positions to slightly decrease their net short position in that commodity, while also selling off 6,565 contracts of corn increasing the net short, and also selling 8,175 contracts of Chicago soybeans decreasing the net long for that commodity.
  • US ag export inspection data was mixed this week- for feed grains it was a relatively strong week with corn, grain, and wheats with all reaching multi-month highs. Soybean inspections were the lowest since early August.
  • Crop conditions continue to deteriorate. Corn was down 1 point to 337, but up 1 point from last year. Soybeans fell 3 points to 337 and are 10 below last year. Cotton conditions fell a point to 275 and are also down 10 points relatively to last year.
  • Five percent of the US corn crop is harvested- compared to 4% on average. Eight percent of the US cotton crop has been harvested. Forty-five percent of the US rice crop has been harvested compared to an average of 35%.