Agricultural News
October Looks to be a More Attractive Month for Dusting In Wheat
Wed, 05 Oct 2011 10:24:08 CDT
Dusting in of wheat is a common occurrence in Oklahoma but dusting in the 2011--2012 crop will be a little different. Normally, the situation farmers face when dusting in wheat is dry topsoil with adequate subsoil moisture. If all goes as planned, the wheat will germinate when rain occurs and wheat seedlings quickly find the subsoil moisture below.
Germinating wheat seed will remain viable if it dries out early during the germination process, but once the coleoptile extends to the soil surface the plant must have sufficient moisture to continue growth or it will perish. I have not been a proponent of dusting in wheat in 2011 because we simply did not have the subsoil moisture needed to sustain a thick--sown wheat crop during the month of September.
October should bring cooler temperatures that will help stretch rainfall further and make dusting in wheat a more attractive option. This will not eliminate the possibility of wheat emerging and then running out of moisture, but it will lessen the probability. Key points for dusting in wheat include:
-plant shallower than normal -- approximately ½ inch deep
-keep in mind that ridges formed by narrow press wheels can make the "effective planting depth" much deeper if they fill in during a heavy rainfall event
-be cautious with in--furrow nitrogen or potassium, as these can make it more difficult for the seed/seedling to absorb water for germination
-consider in--furrow phosphorus to give young seedlings a "boost". This will be especially important for late--emerging seedlings
-wheat does not require much nitrogen in the fall, so delaying the bulk of nitrogen applications until topdress time can be an effective way of deferring expenses until an acceptable wheat stand is assured
-wheat that emerges in October should still have full yield potential
-wheat emerging in November or December will have about 50 to 75% of full yield potential
-an alternative to dusting in winter wheat is to allow soil moisture to build and plant a summer crop next spring
Our thanks to Jeff Edwards, Oklahoma State University Small Grains Extension Specialist, for providing this article on dusting in wheat this crop year. This article was sent out in the OSU Department of Plant and Soil Sciences Extension News - click here for more articles from Extension News.
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