September Agronomy Update by Bill Cabout, Ruralco’s Ashburton Store Manager
The weather over the last few weeks has improved with there being less rain and more fine periods, although we have had a lot of frosts. This has had an impact on early spring growth, meaning feed will be tight going into late September and early October. With the drier conditions it has enabled farmers to start working up paddocks and sowing crops. With not a lot of autumn cereals going in due to the wet conditions, spring wheat and barley is being sown or will be sown with spring wheat seed selling out. With the continuing cooler conditions, the establishment of pasture and crops will be affected leading to poorer strikes, as well as multiple weed strikes.
Autumn Sown Crops
Autumn sown cereals are starting to look good after recovering from the excess rainfall we have had. Crop establishment numbers this season has been good apart from the odd paddock with grass grub issues and where water has been lying. Currently disease levels are low but keep an eye on the aphid flights. Check out www.aphidchat.com for what is happening with aphids in your area.
Spring cereals are currently being planted. Early indications are that the spring barley area will be up due to lack of other options.
The next 3 months is very important in getting it right with your agrichemical applications to maximise your quality and yield in these crops. These crops are all at different growth stages or have yet to be planted so timing of agrichemical applications is based on what growth stage the crop is at as well as what weed, and disease pressure is happening now and in the future. With disease, it is often better to look at a programme to prevent it rather than apply fungicide once disease is seen. It is often too late at this stage as the damage has already been done, and yield is affected.
Wheat
This year most autumn sown crops are well advanced and are at GS (Growth Stage) 20 or later. By this stage the seed treatment has run out and an insecticide should have been applied along with an early fungicide and relevant herbicide if necessary.
This is a good time to apply a foliar fertiliser such as Wuxal Grano or Headland Multiple Pro. Mid Canterbury has known areas of zinc, copper, and manganese deficiency and these are ideal products to help reduce these deficiencies. With the colder weather these products are also a good pick me up for the crop.
If you are controlling brome grass the 2nd Rexade spray needs to be applied. The 1st Rexade spray should have been applied at around GS 13-14.
At GS 30-31 a PGR (Plant Growth Regulator) is applied along with a triazole fungicide. If not using Rexade a wild oat spray will be needed to be used as well. Plant growth regulators are used to control stem length to prevent lodging.
Spring sown wheat has been planted over the last few weeks. A pre-emergence herbicide is not normally used but once the crop has emerged an insecticide is normally needed to control aphids to prevent BYD virus. Once the crop reaches GS 20 a similar programme is followed as above but the crop will move through the growth stages a lot quicker.
Autumn sown, and spring sown barley have a similar programme to wheat but using the relevant herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and PGRs suitable for barley.
For full programmes please talk to your Ruralco representative.
White Clover Seed Crops
Weed Control is important in clover crops. What is used is based on what growth stage the clover plant is at, as well as the previous weed history of the paddock and what weeds are present.
Please contact your Ruralco seed representative for what options are available.
Ryegrass Seed Crops
Ryegrass seed crops are currently being grazed. If crops are unable to be grazed, they will be mown. Once this has been done, they are closed (no more stock on them until after harvest.) Closing date depends on the variety’s flowering date, which takes place from late September onwards. At GS 32 a PGR is sprayed on to stop lodging.
For a full programme please talk to your Ruralco seed representative.
Fodder beet
Sowing time for this crop is approaching fast. For a high yielding crop, good weed control is essential.
If possible, the use of the stale seedbed technique before planting is a good idea. Poor plant numbers mean a reduction in yield, so for good germination of fodder beet a good seedbed is essential. Once the crop is planted a pre-emergence herbicide is used, normally 2lt/ha ethofumesate and 150 ml /ha of clomazone as well as an insecticide such as Genfarm Promal-p (Attack) or Genfarm Chlorfos (Kensban). This year instead of using ethofumesate pre-emergence we are using Komodo (New Product with the active Acetocohlor specially formulated for use in beet). This increases our weed spectrum as we are still using Ethofumesate later. Once the fodder beet has emerged, an early post emergence spray is applied as well as another insecticide.
Variable spring conditions can affect the initial establishment and growth of fodder beet crops. Sowing dates are once again a hot topic of discussion, but it mainly comes down to soil temperature as sunshine hours can be variable through September and October. The drilling of fodder beet is generally determined by the availability of contractors and locking in a set date can sometimes be the easiest and then build your weed spray programme dependant on spring conditions. Varietal options available in the market will be similar to previous years with addition of KWS Smart Fodder Beet (Using varieties tolerant to CONVISO® ONE herbicide) being available for the first time this season. Although there is always an urgency around the availability of some varieties we have never run out in previous years, sometimes the odd variety may be in short supply however there is always a similar option available. It is important you are sowing a variety that will suit your system and requirements in the winter. Yield can be determined by the growing season and as has happened in the past, a cooler than normal spring meant it is harder to get crops established and keep the weed competition at bay.
For further information on growing fodder beet please contact your Ruralco seed representative.
Pasture Management
Initial indications are that there is some pasture damage from the heavy wet spells throughout the winter and from grass grub damage in the autumn. This will ensure some re-grassing in the spring as well as some renovation to partly damaged pastures. Protection of good pastures will be important over the next couple of months, especially when feed is required later in the spring. Most damage happens in this period as stock numbers return to pastures with wet and muddy underfoot conditions. Monitoring the performance of each paddock during this period also helps identify those that are underperforming, dependent on their growing characteristics, and recovery from winter grazing damage. We are also likely to see renovation of pastures through the spring period as farmers monitor and plan out pasture renewal programmes. Once we have warmer conditions, keeping pasture cover within the optimal range of growth will help to achieve high growth rates, high utilisation, and high pasture quality.
Pasture Renewal
Selecting the right cultivar for your farm remains just as important as ever. Not all varieties are the same, therefore it is important to have a good balance of pasture varieties to suit the climate, rainfall and irrigation you have on your farm. Key factors to consider when making this decision are dry matter yield, endophyte, ploidy, and heading date. See Dairy NZ Cultivar Selection www.dairynz.co.nz/feed/pasture-species/cultivar-selection/
Competition
While the usual weed spectrum will be present this spring, it is important to remember any sort of competition affects the establishment of your crop or pasture. Removing weeds at the earliest possible stage should give your crop every possible chance to achieve its best yield potential. Monitor crops and pastures closely for emerging weeds and disease. Work closely with the person monitoring your crops and applying agrichemicals and ensure recommendations are completed as early as possible.
Seed Bed Preparation
It is important to not take short cuts once underground conditions have improved. A planned spray programme to eliminate the previous crop and weeds will be just as important as leaving the paddock long enough for chemical to actively work this year. While time may be against you through this period, the long-term reward of preparing and establishing a crop or pasture will outweigh a rushed job. It is important you put the time into preparing a good seed bed, which is vitally important for establishment of pastures and crops. Seedbed consolidation helps conserve moisture and allows a seed drill to achieve the correct sowing depth
Monitoring Stored Grain.
Monitoring grain during storage is a valuable tool in maintaining quality. This becomes more important the longer the grain remains in storage because deterioration in seed quality early in storage is slower and insects are sparse and not easily noticed. Temperature and seed moisture content are important indicators of grain quality that influence insect and mould activity. Once grain is in storage, monitoring for insects and mould once a month will give early notice of any problems occurring and action can then be taken to control these problems.
With all the above scenarios talk to your Ruralco representative for the best options for you and your situation.