Random Field Observations

I was out looking at a few fields in Burlington County yesterday and came across some observations worth mentioning. The first being that growers should continue to scout alfalfa for alfalfa weevil. I am still encountering fields where weevils are above threshold. As stated in an earlier post, threshold for alfalfa weevil takes into account the height of the crop, number of weevils per stem and how long till harvest. We are now entering the time frame for some fields where the best strategy may be to harvest early. Scouting and threshold information is available in the Mid Atlantic Pest Control Recommendations for Field Crops.

Also, I was a bit surprised to see some powdery mildew in wheat. Given the weather pattern we have experienced this year I did not expect to see powdery mildew. The mildew encountered was not near the upper or flag leaves. We all know that protecting the flag leaf is important to protect grain yield and test weight. This should just be a heads up to keep an eye on your wheat fields as we enter the grain fill period of the crop.

Bill Bamka