There is a freeze warning for much of Oklahoma and into north central Texas for the early morning of April 14th.  It will also likely freeze across Kansas but the concern will only be for the southern areas where the wheat is much further along.  In Kansas the most advanced wheat is just setting first node and a light freeze will be no threat to this crop.  In southern Oklahoma and Texas the wheat is in boot to partial heading and temperatures as low as 30 degrees can cause significant damage.  The 14 day forecast currently shows no further threats after Sunday night.  

Greenbugs are becomming established in the wheat in the Oklahoma panhandle but still at less than treatable levels.  Revised economic thresholds from KSU would suggest that treatments are warranted when 2 greenbugs per tiller are present on a little over half of the tillers in the field.  This threshold assumes $9.50 / bu wheat with a $9.00 insecticide treatment.

Alfalfa Weevil progression has slowed to a stop over the past week due to the lack of GDU's.  This insect lays it's eggs in alfalfa residue in the fall and the early spring and egg hatch is driven by temperature.  We have not even averaged 50 degrees now for the past 10 days and with the warmer forecast are still likely 10 days from treatments in the Liberal and Guymon area and 14 days from treatments in the Garden City area.

As already mentioned, average temperatures have been below 50 degrees for the past 10 days and if anything, soil temperatures have dropped.  Currently in Liberal the 3" soil temperature is 42 degrees at 10:00 AM.  In Garden City the temperature is also 42 degrees.  In a situation where a grower is looking at 30 days to get their corn crop planted, it might make sense to start early the week of April 14th but if a grower can plant their entire crop in 14 days or less I would wait until late in the week of the 14th or early the week of April 21st.  We should see 50 degrees at that point based on the warmer forecast.    

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