Agricultural News
Brian Arnall Signals One Last Chance to Improve Wheat Protein Levels in the Oklahoma 2019 Wheat Crop
Sun, 12 May 2019 05:37:23 CDT
At the 2019 Lahoma Wheat Field Day, Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays spent a few minutes with Dr. Brian Arnall, Oklahoma State University's Precision Nutrient Management specialist talking nitrogen management that he has observed during this 2019 winter wheat crop growing cycle across Oklahoma. Arnall calls the 2019 crop a rags to riches year for wheat production. He tells Hays "a couple of months ago, looking at the wheat crop, there wasn't much there." And now as we hit mid May- "we have really turned, and there is some really amazing wheat out there- as far as the potential compared to what it was- it's looking really good."
Farmers that did top dress around the first hollow stem have really seen that nitrogen help their wheat- and he says many fields where that ocurred has, as a result, really amazing wheat.
There is one final decision that some farmers may be able to make regarding the end of season and managing for the highest quality crop that could be harvested. "But for those who have the capability to market their wheat for a higher protein- now with this weather that we have there is an opportunity to apply some late season nitrogen to increase protein." He adds that "it takes a fair amount of nitrogen to build protein."
Arnall points to a recent blog he has posted- click or tap here for that narrative- in that blog, he writes " Late applications in the right environment could increase protein by up to 2% and in the wrong environment, devastate yield due to burn. The weather needs to be cooler and humid to reduce the potential of burn and the rate of nitrogen must high enough to actually impact protein levels. Per each 1% of protein concentration of wheat grain there is 0.1 lbs N per bushel. So to increase to increase the protein content of a 60 bushel wheat crop by 1%, 6 lbs much be converted from fertilizer to protein. To get this amount of nitrogen on the crop without burning it up I have been using UAN (28-0-0) and water at a ratio of 1:1 putting on 20 total gpa. When applied this way I have not seen burn, I do however avoid spraying when its hot, windy with low humidity."
Arnall says on the sidelines of the Lahoma field day that given the current weather, there may be an opportunity in certain wheat fields to add to your protein in the 2019 wheat crop, which may or may not make economic sense.
To listen to the conversation that Hays had with Dr. Arnall, click on the LISTEN BAR below.
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