Posts in Wheat
Fall 2017 Wheat Planting Decision

Kentucky grain farmers are harvesting corn and are getting to the point where they will decide if and how much wheat they will plant this fall.  The main changes this year are a modest increase in wheat prices, a small increase in soybean prices, and a slight decrease in nitrogen prices.  These changes will make planting wheat more attractive relative to last year.

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Marketing, WheatJennifer Elwell
Fusarium Head Blight Risk High

Much of the wheat in Kentucky is now past the stage of applying a foliar fungicide for protection against Fusarium head blight. However, some late-planted fields and some late-maturing varieties may be at the beginning flowering stage now. Based on the rainfall that has occurred over the last several days, wheat that is flowering in Kentucky is at a high risk for Fusarium head blight.

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Fungicides for Managing Fusarium Head Blight of Wheat: How Late is Too Late?

Much of the wheat crop in Kentucky has headed out and is flowering.  Stripe rust (Figure 1) is now present in many Kentucky counties on susceptible varieties, and according to the Fusarium Head Blight Prediction Center, the current risk of Fusarium head blight (also known as “scab”) (Figure 2) is anywhere from low to high, depending on where you are in the state.

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Fungicide application for protection against scab – what do I do when I can’t hit the “perfect” timing?

Just like the porridge in the “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” story, there is a “just right” timing for when to apply a fungicide for protection against Fusarium head blight (a.k.a. scab) of wheat. That “just right” timing is the Feekes 10.5.1 growth stage (beginning flowering), when anthers are just beginning to extrude from the middle part of the wheat head.

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Varietal Differences in Freeze Damage

The wheat varieties we grow in KY will respond differently to the extremely low temperatures we have experienced over the past few days. Several traits come into play but the most important thing for the grower to consider at this point is growth habit, which can range from completely prostrate to very upright.

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