Words by Nicola Pace, Ruralco Senior Agronomist
The start of the year has kept us on our toes, with plenty of rain, but a few good harvest days in between have kept the month moving. Moist soils and low insect pressure have supported good crop and pasture growth but need continuous monitoring.
As harvest progresses where possible, now is a good time to start thinking about new season paddock plans, reviewing rotations, inputs and any problem paddocks or weeds that might need a soil test or plan for planting.
FAR have free herbicide resistance testing, so no excuse for having doubts about any chemical resistance on farm.
As with any agronomy, for further in-depth discussions or plans, please contact your Ruralco representative.
Wheat
Wheat is sitting tight waiting for harvest, often a walk-through paddocks can show where the fungicide or herbicide programme has been weak during the season. South Canterbury has a lot of virus showing up as black circles in paddocks, and although we have not seen the same pressure here in Mid Canterbury, it’s a timely reminder about reviewing insecticide programmes for the season going forward.
A notebook in the combine can be a handy tool at harvest to write down any problem weeds for next season.
FAR have started harvest with the first few harvest snippets coming through. Wheat testing is well underway for the A & P competitions with prize giving’s coming up in March for those.
Barley
Barley crops are generally tracking well, with some later plantings now receiving final fungicide applications. Given the recent wet and humid conditions, it’s important to keep an eye on these later crops for signs of mildew, particularly where the canopy is dense.
Some autumn barleys have been harvested, and samples are starting to come in.
Small Seed Crops
White clovers are being shut down, a good option with the weather is to use glufosinate rather than MCPA if the grazing is not needed, already a lot of MCPA/Diquat paddocks are greening up. Early yield indications seem to be positive.
There are still late ryegrasses left to cut- any late applications of fungicide now need to be mindful of withholding periods.
Fodder beet
Most fodder beet is at canopy closure, and late herbicides are only economic if there was hail damage and there is a lot of bare ground showing. With how humid and wet the crops are, fungicides are a good option, there is a range of preventative and curative options but most benefit from an early preventative spray.
Pasture Management
A lot of our pasture management currently for weeds is via grazing or silage. It is beneficial to identify whether a weed is a perennial or annual and whether silage removing the seed head will kill it rather than requiring a spray.
With any new or existing pastures being sown, it always important to dig a hole and check for any porina or grass grub. Slug monitoring is also important as they can do a lot of damage. It is worth considering planting ryegrass on its own, as there is a greater range of weed control available with a straight sward, even for poa control, thistles, docks etc, and then once the ryegrass is established clover, plantain and chicory can be spun on. Often spraying a pasture with a mix, we must sacrifice whether the chicory or plantain to be able to achieve the weed control we need.
Brassica Planting
As I write this, we are nearing the end of our kale sowing window and rapes and other brassica become a better option. Slugs are prevalent and baits per m2 are what counts so look at your options for choice for slug bait. There is mildew and leaf miner showing up in swedes, and both can act quickly if left uncontrolled. Fathen seems hard to kill this season, so an earlier spray to get on top of it rather than waiting is sometimes the better option.
There are a lot of beneficials in crops currently, so an IPM option is best going forward.
Maize
Maize is at tasselling stage with some varieties tassels fully emerged and silks visible. Crops are uniform and any hail damaged crops have recovered well. Continue to monitor for insect and disease activities at this key time.
Soil Testing
Our full agronomy package allows us to have access to Ballance Agri nutrient specialist for soil testing, crop requirement plans and helping to get the best bang for your buck with your soil applications. Ballance have 7 self-service nitrogen silos placed around Mid Canterbury which is ideal when the wind drops on a Saturday but before a rain to pop in and grab your prepaid nitrogen. For more information, please see https://ballance.co.nz/selfservicesilo or contact your Ruralco representative.
Forward Planning
With a few wet days, it gives a good chance to forward plan for next seasons crops, rotations are important, checking plant backs on any late herbicides, soil tests for this coming planting, any problematic weeds, and speaking with you Ruralco representative about cereal options or pre emergence plans.
With all the above scenarios talk to your Ruralco representative for the best options for you and your situation.