Getting a Wheat Crop to Harvest Isn't Easy

So one more post from the Palouse in SE Washington.  We have a field trial with a grower and Eric and I walked it last Wednesday.  This is soft white winter wheat and it is looking good.

 The heads are filling grain now, and grain protein is being made now too.  Yield and protein determine payment to the grower.  Outside of weather, one thing that can affect yield is insects like aphids. 

 And here they are.  I believe these are Russian Wheat aphids.  (Someone will tell me if they are not.) I just happened to get this picture that is interesting.  I believe that larger brown one is what is referred to as a mummy, having been stung by a parasitic wasp that laid eggs inside.  The insect world isn't pretty.  These aphids are sucking leaf juices and can cause the leaf to turn yellow.  And this is the flag leaf, the energy leaf of the plant.

So there is a threshold.  It is an average of 20 aphids per plant at this stage.  This according to his crop scout.  So this field wasn't there.  (I read where other experts say as many as 50 is threshold before damage exceeds cost of control.)  But the grower was nervous about not spraying.  Then there is the cost of the product (Dimethoate) and a plane.  A good yield is on the line, but wheat prices aren't the best.  The field was pretty slick with aphid juice.  Too bad the wasps didn't do more.  Not sure what he ended up doing.  No one said farming is easy.  And if they did, they are wrong.

All About Nitrogen Fertlizer: We will learn!

So I have showed pictures of Dr. Zouheir and his various nutrient capture studies.  Of particular interest is the nitrogen experiments where he captured ammonia as it volatilized off the soil surface from different N treatments.  Well all of those were practice leading up to this big one.  After surface applications of different sources and "stabilizers", he will measure volatility, plus leaching, soil persistence and crop uptake.  We did this on Friday, and there are Zouheir and MSU MSU intern Jenna getting the passive capture devices all set.  

It was hot Friday, but nothing like this weekend's oppressive conditions.  But Zouheir will be out there to collect samples for a 24 hour measurement.

Also, I know you are questioning our planting corn at the end of June  Well we had hoped to start earlier but work and weather caused delays.  And he is the only one qualified for this type of work.  We will mainly focus on corn uptake of nitrogen as it grows.  We certainly won't be able to harvest this.  But these same treatments have been applied for yield over the years at the NCRS anyway.  I don't usually like to expound on tests before the outcome is determined.  But I'm confident!  And this is high tech such that there is no other work like this anywhere.

Steptoe Butte: Spectacular!

So I have been to the Palouse Region of the Pacific Northwest numerous times.  It is made of rolling hills that contains fertile soil for growing a variety of crops, but mostly Winter and Spring wheat, peas and lentils.  It is in SE Washington, W Central Idaho and down to NE Oregon. It is home to several AgroLiquid Retail Partners as well as some research trials.  But I had never been to Steptoe Butte.  It rises 3600 feet above the farmland, and is made of quartzite that is over 400 million years old.  The underlying rock of the surrounding land is Columbia River basalt that is only (!) 7 to 15 million years old.  So it's been there a while.

I was with SAM Eric and he hadn't been up there for a while.  I'm always anxious to see the sights.  I didn't think it looked that high up from below.  But I changed my mind as we went up, and it took a while.  From the top, the views were spectacular. 

 There used to be a hotel on top in the late 1800's.  I couldn't imagine going up there by horse and wagon.  The builder hoped to increase tourism, but after a few years it had to close as the people just didn't come.  It is a long ways from anywhere, other than the good farmland.

 About halfway up there was the edge of a wheat field.  I thought it would be scary farming on those lower hills, but this is ridiculous.  I would be too scared to look around driving a tractor or combine on this slope. 

So that was fun.  We continued up to Spokane and I came home.

By the way, be sure to check out the research facebook page: @DrJerryTheCropDoc.  You don't have to be a facebooker to visit.

Oregon Grass Research

So when you think of farming, there are usually images of corn and wheat that come to mind.  But all of the produce that is used across the world comes from a farmer.  And that includes grass seed.  Imagine trying to plant a yard or football field and there was no grass seed!  Well farmers grow that too, and most of the cool-season grass seed is grown in the Pacific NorthWest, mostly in the Williamette Valley South of Portland.  There are all sorts of fields growing seed for planting.  One issue in it's production is keeping it standing.  A Plant Growth Regulator (PGR) is commonly used to keep the stems erect during pollination especially, and then still keep the grass from laying flat on the ground after pollination to enable a better seed harvest.  But PGR is expensive and some grower try to cut back.  Here is a field of Perennial Ryegrass seed that is laying pretty flat several weeks now before harvest.

 Contract researchers are businesses that will do replicated plot research for a variety of agricultural clients, like fertilizer producers.  Hal Lewis is one of the first of these with Precision Ag Research in Amity, OR.  Hal mostly concentrates on grass seed production plots and has a variety of tests in place.  Here is SAM Eric and Hal on Wednesday reviewing our test plots.

 Here is a view across several plots.  The objective is to keep the grass more or less upright.  It will fall over as the seed head develops.  But you don't want it flat to the ground, as that is, well, just not acceptable  We are encouraged by the addition of a certain potassium product at the time of PGR application.  That's all I'll say till after harvest.

 There are also plots with Tall Fescue grass.  I must say that I have never been to a research facility that is so dedicated to one crop like grass seed production. Hal knows his stuff and it is an impressive layout.

 A PGR application is part of Tall Fescue production as well.  Here is a plot with a favorite K product looking just fine.

So harvest is just a few weeks off and I am waiting with a worm on my tongue (bated breath, thanks Mork) to see how they turn out.  If you hear from me later on this, then the results were good!

See a video post on the research Facebook: @DrJerryCropDoc.  See that and more cool stuff.

High Water in Montana

So the joke is that you get average weather data by averaging last year's drought and this year's flood.  Such is the case in Montana this year.  When I was there last week there was plenty of water everywhere.  Glad I brought my rubber boots.

Not for wading in the rivers, but for walking in fields like this one here.

 Water was looking for places to go. 

Sometimes finding other types of low ground, like this basement.

But it looks like he is prepared.  No doubt an expert after weeks of this.  It's been wet over a large part of the country.  But Mother Nature likes balance, and there are still areas looking for rain.  Like Western Oklahoma.  But Mother Nature is still a maaaad scientist!

Montana Wheat Plots

So last week I was in Montana on a fertilizer mission.  First on the list was to visit our spring wheat research plots near Billings.  These were conducted by long-time collaborator Neal Fehringer.  Neal is a well known crop consultant and has conducted research trials at his home farm for a number of years.  Below we see Neal talking with retail partner Mike Kilzer and SAM Bruce Keck.

We are testing a number of things this year including Primagro N and foliar applications.  The plots look good this year as there has been plenty of moisture.  In addition to yield, the all important "% grain protein" will be measured for determination of treatment effects.  

Neal has worked with AgroLiquid for a number of years now, and recommends their use to growers he works with.

Hear what he had to say on the Research Facebook page @DrJerryCropDoc.  Lot's of other stuff there too.  And you don't have to be a Facebook person to visit the page.  I too was a skeptic till recently.  Check it out.

AgroExpo Plots Shaping Up!

So it seems that there is always something to do here at the NCRS.  From our own research plots to those of the AgroExpo.  Last Thursday I assisted a vendor establish some plots in the AgroExpo plot area.  (What a nice guy!)  This vendor is new to the AgroExpo and has new formulations of plant nutrition that they hope is the fertilizer of the future, while using inputs that have been in existence for some time.  Below I am applying a sidedress nitrogen formulation to corn.

 There are also demonstrations with garden vegetables.  Looks nice.

You can get the whole lowdown on what this is at the AgroExpo.  Yikes!  It's only 2 months away!

(You can also follow video updates on the NCRS Learning Center plots at the NCRS Facebood page.  And don't forget to check out the library of short videos at Dr Jerry Crop Doc Facebook.)  That is all.

Good Luck Bob!

So time marches on.  And eventually milestones are reached.  No avoiding them.  Today AgroLiquid saw the retirement of a long-time employee and all-around great guy: Mr. Bob Baxter.  Bob is currently the Regional Sales Manager for the Northeast Region.  (Although that also includes Iowa and Minnesota.  Bob evidently likes to travel.)  Bob has been with AgroLiquid for 18 years, starting as an Area Manager, then Sales Account Manager and then up to Regional Sales Manager.  So I have known Bob for all of his time here, and like everyone else, I have the utmost respect for the guy.  You will always get an honest answer from him and he has had some great input in the growth of AgroLiquid over the years.  Troy and Jill Bancroft make an acknowledgement of his service to the company as well as to growers over a very wide area.

 A warm embrace as the crowd goes wild.  The room was actually full of AgroLiquid corporate office employees (plus the NCRS) as well as fellow Regional Managers and Sales Account Managers of the NE Region.  There were a couple of other tributes as well, and then a great homemade meal.

Bob still has a couple more weeks on the job, so this is no time to rest on his laurels.  There is still fertilizer to be sold!  But he will be missed by all.  If you are reading this and don't know Bob, well you would be better off if you did.  And if you are ever in Blanchard, MI, stop by and say "Hi."  Good luck Bob!