Wheat Conditions:

Still no significant rain and none in the two week forecast.  This same forecast is favorable from the standpoint of expected low temperatures with no lows below 30 called for through the first week in April.  Traditionally, when we have had a spring freeze problem with the wheat it has occurred closer to mid April.  Much of the irrigated wheat is being watered now and this could set us up for a problem should drastic cold temperatures occur.  If the forecast changes and we expect to see lows in the low twenties or teens it would help to shut the water off 3 or 4 days in front of it.  Drought stressed wheat can handle colder temperatures than lush actively growing wheat.

Still no significant insect problems in southwest Kansas or the Oklahoma panhandle.  That could change over the next few weeks as aphid pressure is starting to build in north central Oklahoma.  Both greenbugs and cherry aphids are active in fields in that area.

I have been hearing several radio commercials for a fungicide suggesting that now is the time to apply it for wheat.  On rotated wheat ground or wheat / fallow / wheat this makes little sense to me.  The main diseases these applications could be targeted for at this time of year are tan spot and possibly powdery mildew.  Tan Spot is a disease problem always associated with continuous wheat and I am seeing no evidence of powdery mildew in the fields yet.  Given the high wheat prices I would lean toward using a fungicide this year but it needs to be applied at the proper time.  The proper timing for the leaf rust diseases are partial flag leaf emergence to heading.  I would tend to go on the early side (partial flag leaf emergence) if rust were already started in the field at that time.  I would delay the application closer to heading if disease was still not present in the field at that time.  We are going to get about 2 weeks residual control out of these products and the later we can wait the further the application will take us toward maturity of the crop.

Alfalfa Conditions:

We are at the very early stages of alfalfa weevil hatch in extreme southwwest Kansas.  It will likely be 10 days to 2 weeks before treatments for control of this insect will be justified.  Also starting to find low levels of cow pea aphids. 

 

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