Volume 20 Issue 5 September 2010

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF CROP QUEST AGRONOMIC SERVICES, INC.

WHEAT OUTLOOK IS GOOD NEEDS CAREFUL PLANNING

The table is set for good prices for 2010-2011 wheat, but seed shortages worldwide and an unusual wet late summer in eastern parts of the High Plains point to the need for more intense planning and crop management for farmers to benefit from the current demand for winter wheat. The biggest impetus for adding wheat acres may come from the recent announcement by Russia, the worlds third largest wheat exporting country, that their ban on wheat exports (set to expire on December 31) will likely be extended. Wheat often trades on the coattails of other grain crops and corn, in particular, got a boost from a recent announcement by China to buy 800 million tons of corn in 2011. In addition, soybean prices continue to look strong, putting wheat in a contest for acreage in some cases and in demand for double crop opportunities in other cases. The down side is a worldwide shortage of quality wheat seed. Though not as severe a problem across the High Plains as in the Southeast and Delta, finding enough high quality seed, especially in a preferred variety, has been a challenge for farmers who waited to buy seed for the 2011 planting. The key to cashing in on the 2010-2011 wheat crop is going to be good management of both the crop and of the inputs that go into producing the crop. From across the wheat-producing belt, Crop Quest agronomists contend planning and knowledge are the keys to success with wheat this year. Crop Quest Agronomist Tim Reh in Oklahoma says too many farmers want to plant their wheat too early. A lot of our farmers plant wheat with a dual purpose for grain and for grazing cattle, so they tend to want to plant in early September, Reh says. For wheat going strictly for grain, Reh says he Tim Reh advises his growers to wait until mid-October to late November before planting. For dual purpose wheat that will be grazed by cattle, late September to early October planting will give growers a better stand and more options for management, Reh explains. Tim Warden, who works the Eastern Panhandle of Texas, echoes Rehs advice for dual-purpose wheat. Knowing when to get cattle on wheat fields and off before they do too much damage to the crop is critical. Getting wheat up quickly and available to cattle to help growers avoid having to feed hay in the winter is also a consideration. Fertility and planting date are critical factors in putting together a wheat program. Nitrogen is obviously going to be a critical factor in getting the wheat up quickly, but watching the inputs is also important to growers. With seed supplies very short in some areas and expensive across the board,
Tim Warden

knowing the ideal seeding rate is important to wheat growers. Warden says on dryland wheat most of his growers get by with 40-45 pounds of seed per acre. On irrigated land it varies from 60 pounds per acre on limited irrigation land. On full-blown, full season irrigation land, some growers may go up to 100 pounds or even up to 120 pounds on some soils, Warden says. Shannon Evans, who works in Southwest Kansas, says many of his growers also plant wheat for a dual purpose. If we know they are going to graze cattle on the wheat, I usually have my growers put on a top-dress of nitrogen to make up for what the cattle take off the crop. In the spring, many of our growers put out the extra nitrogen when they are spraying for other things. Unless we have sandy ground, on wheat that is not going to be grazed, our growers put all their nitrogen out in the fall, Evans says. Prices for wheat usually determine how much wheat is grazed and how much is carried on through to spring to harvest for grain. This year, prices look good, so it becomes more important to wait until the end of September or Shannon Evans more ideally on into October when weather is usually better for planting, Reh concludes. Typically dry weather, augmented by irrigation, is the norm across the High Plains during the summer growing season. However, El Nio, followed by La Nia has brought atypical rainfall, even flooding across some of the areas. While the unusual weather pattern brought some savings in irrigation costs, it may have a negative effect on fertilizer costs. In dry years, residual nitrogen is available in the soilin some dry years there is enough leftover from crops to make up a sizeable portion of the following wheat crops needs.
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Crop Quest Perspectives 1

Exploring Americas Heartland

After battling triple-digit heat for several weeks, a group of Crop Quest managers were reminded by two Australian farmers of just how exciting production agriculture in America really is. Australians Hugh Price and Tom Bailey decided to tour the American Midwest to observe agricultural practices and techniques. After Googling agronomists in the states they wanted to visit, they contacted Crop Quest to assist them in seeing first-hand what makes American agriculture successful. Crop Quests John Hecht, Rob Meyer & Ron OHanlon happily obliged the farmers while they were in Kansas by scheduling tours with farmers, the Arkalon Energy plant (ethanol plant), Ford County Feedyard and Dodge City Cooperative. After traveling over 3,400 miles through seven states within a two-week timeframe, Price and Bailey stated they were extremely impressed with the number of acres of land that is fertile and in
Wheat Outlook

From Left: Tom Bailey, John Hecht, Ron OHanlon, Rob Meyer, Hugh Price

production. They were also amazed at the technology adopted by todays American farmers including genetically modified crops and precision agriculture equipment. They envy the rainfall found here (even in Western Kansas) as the area they farm in Australia receives less than 16 inches per year. As a result, they felt Australian farmers were more obsessed with water usage although they stated that overall American farmers are on the forefront of production agriculture and several years ahead of them. In Australia, Price farms dryland sorghum, wheat, irrigated lucerne (alfalfa) and runs cattle. Baileys three farms produce corn, sunflowers, sorghum, cotton, wheat, barley, chick peas and lucerne. Seeing everyday things that are often taken for granted through the perspective of the Australians was enlightening and refreshing. Occasionally a reminder is needed on why we do what we do.

This year, most wheat growers will have to use more fertilizer. The growers to take a second look at their fertility schedule. In Central Kansas, he says an extra 15 to 20 pounds of phosphorus fertilizer key, however, is to know how much is left in the soil. directly with the seed may be needed. Crop Quest Agronomist Johan Marquardt says the timing Smith says most of his growers in South Central Kansas now use of soil sampling is critical for his wheat growers in Northwest dry fertilizer rather than liquid. However, it is important to know Kansas and Eastern Colorado. how the grower is set up in terms of operator efficiency. If they put We want to get our soil sample results back mid-July, and we start putting together a plan for phosphorus. Next, we want dry fertilizer on with air seeders in the same pass as seed, they can save some money, and saving money is usually the final determining to keep our nitrogen levels optimum for each individual factor, the Crop Quest agronomist says. farm, he says. Knowing the amount of nitrogen To make all the fertilizer, seeding rates and timing work, the carryover prior to planting wheat is a lot better than grower must first choose the optimum variety for his fields. Among guessing what that level is, he adds. the many roles Crop Quest agronomists play is to keep track of Crop Quest agronomists have extended the Johan Marquardt wheat variety trials and put together a plan for using the right boundaries of soil sampling by bringing varieties for their soil types and growing conditions. sophisticated grid and zone sampling techIn my area, we like for our growers to try new varieties and niques and the use of high tech Veris and Greenseeker to grow more than one variety over many acres, says Reichart. technology to help growers more precisely understand the Keeping track of variety tests conducted by universities is crop and soil needs for different fertilizers. a big enough challenge, but many Crop Quest agronomists In Eastern Kansas, Crop Quest Agronomist also conduct their own variety trials with growers. Seeing Jason Reichart says only a few of his farmers grow Jay Smith the different varieties side by side on a farm in your wheat, which may change with prices being good this area can sometimes give growers a little better knowledge coming year. All of the growers I know in this area of what will work best on their farm, the Crop Quest grow no-till wheat and keeping them up to date on fertility requireagronomists agree. ments can be especially important, because they dont grow wheat With the weather, economic and management all the time, he notes. strategy cards all stacked in wheat growers favor, Seeding rates may be a more critical factor than usual as wet weather put soybean planting behind schedule and will likely back up 2010-2011 looks to be a good year for wheat. Management knowledge from Crop Quest some wheat planting. Late planted wheat can be a challenge accordagronomists is a good way to insure those cards ing to Crop Quest Agronomist Jay Smith in Central Kansas. are played correctly. If planting is delayed, seeding rates should be increased to 100 to 120 pounds per acre. Later planting may also make it necessary for Greenseeker is a registered trademark of NTech Industries Inc. Veris is a registered trademark of Veris Technologies Jason Reichart
2 Crop Quest Perspectives www.cropquest.com

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OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO STOP YIELD-ROBBING NEMATODES

Nematodes are the silent killer of crop yields and profitability. The Crop Quest Agronomist John damage these microscopic insects do to crops is often mistaken for nuReh says growers do have trient deficiency or other production problems. Without proper diagnosome options. We have had sis and treatment, the damage to the bottom line can be severe. some good results using a Corn nematodes, for example, are known to cause 10% to 20% yield couple of new seed treatments loss in fields with light to moderate populations. In fields with high which eliminates the need for levels of multiple species of nematodes that attack corn, yield losses costly and time-consuming can be much more dramatic. The number of corn nematodes thought to applicator boxes, Reh says. cause yield loss vary by species and range from one worm per halfGrowers have two new cup soil (for needle and sting nematodes) to up to 1,000 (for spiral and seed treatment nematicides lesion nematodes). Two corn nematode species, the sting nematode and Avicta, containing ivermecthe needle nematode, only occur in soils with greater than 70% sand. tin and Votivo, a biological Nematodes that attack corn most likely didnt come here when treatment. Avicta was labeled farmers first started planting corn. They were more likely in Midwestfor use on corn last year, ern soils, feeding on native grasses, long before the first corn crop was and Votivo was just labeled USDA planted. Though there are some species that attack one crop or another, this year. many species of nematodes that feed on corn can also feed and maintain Because of the recent their numbers on soybeans. labeling for Votivo, there is little on-farm feedback available. This seed University of Nebraska-Lincoln Plant Pathologist Dr. Tamra Jackson treatment is unique because of its inclusion of a specific bacteria strain says misdiagnosis is widespread with predictable results. Growers that colonizes crop plant roots upon germination and creates a biologinotice the yield loss but they often dont attribute it to nematodes. cal barrier of protection that nematodes cant break through. Growers wont know for sure whether they have nematode Bayer, manufacturer of Votivo, claims that three years of research damage unless they send plant and soil samples to a qualified has shown average yield advantages of 7.1 bushels per acre in corn, lab for analysis. Most Land-Grant universities have such labs, 1.3 bushels per acre in soybeans and 62 pounds per acre of cotton usually as part of their nematology program, Jackson says. when Votivo is added to current leading seed treatment packages. Finding a lab may be the easy part of the analysis. When Avicta Complete Corn includes an increased rate of Cruiser a grower suspects they have a problem with nematodes, it is seed treatment insecticide plus three different fungicides. The critical they send samples of both soil and infected plants. combination of pesticides contained in the Avicta seed Sending only nematodes from the soil doesnt tell the treatment package works together to protect the corn plant whole story, Jackson stresses. from early-season pests and helps growers push corn to its Some of the most damaging nematodes that feed on maximum yield potential. corn and other grain crops in the Plains States are actuGrowers still have Counter for use on corn, and it ally endoparasites. These insects spend most, if not all, works well, Reh says. Unfortunately many growers in John Reh of their life cycle inside the plant, she explains. our area no longer have insecticide boxes on their corn In Nebraska, we recommend sampling for nematodes planters. Unless they invest in one of the new delivery 4 to 6 weeks, maybe 8 weeks after planting. The reason we do is many of systems, they are not able to use Counter very effectively, he adds. the nematodes that damage grain crops can travel several feet deep in the In severe cases of sting or needle nematodes, some growers may use soil. Using a normal soil collection probe that goes down 8 to 10 inches, one of the seed treatments in addition to Counter or one of the carbayou wont catch some of these insects later in the season, she explains. mate or organophosphate materials. Because of cost and time, most It is true, she adds, that waiting until later in the season to sample will growers want to stay away from that option if possible, Reh notes. produce more nematodes. However, sting and needle nematodes that Crop rotation is a good cultural practice on many levels. In areas routinely cause yield loss to Midwest grain crops can travel deeper in the with high nematode populations that feed on primarily one crop spesoil and late season sampling will often miss high levels of these pests. cies, rotating away from that crop may be the only real cost effective Jackson says she encourages growers to take a careful look at yield solution a grower has to manage nematodes. monitors and to sample areas of a field where yields are down. This can However, the new seed treatments have worked well in some cases, be especially helpful in cases where the overall production of a field is and Counter is still a good option to manage nematodes, Reh says. good, yet some areas are significantly lower yielding than others. The only seed treatment Ive seen in the real world is Avicta, and If they cant explain yield loss as a nitrogen deficiency, flooding or its done ok. Votivo has gotten good reviews in research trials, but I some other natural cause, nematodes become a prime suspect. havent seen any in-field results yet. I have a grower who has massive Once the suspect is identified, the next problem is how to manage nematode problems on one of his fields, and we are conducting a test to the infestation. look at the different nematode management options it will be interestAvicta and Crusier is a registered trademark of Sygenta ing to see how that works out, Reh adds. Votivo is a trademark of Bayer
Counter is a registered trademark of Amvac

Crop Quest Perspectives

As a new employee coming out of a University agronomy program, I felt like I had a reasonably good idea of what being an agronomist with Crop Quest would entail. I knew that a majority of my time would be spent scouting fields looking for problems (insects, diseases, or otherwise) that would need to be addressed in order to maximize a producers profits. I had taken courses in entomology and pesticides (among others), and I felt as though I was prepared to start my career. As it turns out, the basic education that I received in college only helped prepare me for a portion of the overall job. What a person does not learn in college is that in order to be a good agronomist, you have to be able to do more than just react to problems as they occur. The best agronomists are proactive, planning ahead and thinking about the potential impact that current decisions may have for the future. Of the many things that I am learning, a few examples stand out that I had not considered being among the most vital parts of my job description. A simple example is choosing herbicides that wont leave a producer, who is unsure about their future crop rotation, without options. That may sound like a relatively obvious aspect to consider, but coming into this position

What It Takes To Be A Crop Quest Agronomist A New Employees Perspective

HybridEvaluation

I did not realize how great of an impact future plans would have on the daily decisions and recommendations that I would make. Another example is the selection of hybrids/varieties Chris Sheppard that fit a producers goal. A producer may want a wheat variety that will hold up well under grazing, while a corn producer may have total tonnage as the ultimate goal rather than dry grain yield. I have learned that every producer is different, having different needs, preferences, and constraints. There are many ways to achieve the same goal, and a good agronomist finds the way that will best fit a particular producer. An extremely aggressive herbicide program may work well for some producers, but may be unrealistic for producers with time constraints from managing large acreages. Whatever the situation, it has become clear to me that in order to succeed as an agronomist, it takes flexibility and the ability to adapt to different situations and personal preferences. Those are skills that a person cant simply pick up during a typical course in plant physiology.

At this time of year, we have an opportunity to evaluate hybrid quality. Crop Quest agronomists have watched the progression of crops throughout the summer and have collected information related to hybrid/variety performance. In addition, as the end of the season nears, there are By: Dwight Koops many opportunities to attend plot tours Regional Vice President to see side-by-side comparisons of varieties. These side-by-side evaluations often allow Ulysses, Kan. producers and consultants alike to confirm what they are seeing in their own fields. It is very important that both producers and consultants take good notes of how certain varieties perform under local conditions. This information is beneficial as we start choosing seeds for the next growing season. Choosing the proper hybrid may be the single most important decision a producer will make. Matching conditions of each field with a hybrid can be the determining factor between having a great yield or potentially having a disastrous yield. Crop Quest agronomists have information regarding each field to

help producers make the best seed selection decisions. CQ agronomists will also help choose the proper biotech traits. Producers need to break the habit of just purchasing hybrids. Producers need to be purchasing specific SEEDS with traits that may or may not be needed depending on the situation. Producers are encouraged to put their heads together with their agronomist to select the right seed choices for the next growing season. It is important that this process begins while this years information is still fresh on everyones mind. Keep in mind that each year is different, and many factors go into this decision process.

Factors To Consider When Making Your Hybrid Selections:

YIELD!! Emergence in cold soils Drought Tolerance Greensnap Canopy Disease Tolerance Standability Stay Green and Dry Down Soil Texture Herbicide Tolerance Tillage Practice

Crop Quest is an employee-owned company dedicated to providing the highest quality agricultural services for each customer. The quest of our network of professionals is to practice integrity and innovation to ensure our services are economically and environmentally sound.

Mission Statement

Crop Quest Agronomic Services, Inc. Main Office: Phone 620.225.2233 Fax 620.225.3199 Internet: www.cropquest.com cqoffice@cropquest.com

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Crop Quest Board of Directors

President: Director: Director: Director: Director: Director: Ron OHanlon Jim Gleason Dwight Koops Cort Minor Chris McInteer Rob Benyshek