By Claire LaCanne and Ryan Miller el.at
Extension Small Grains Specialist, Dr. Jochum Weirsma, provided a small grains overview and progress update and Ryan Miller, Extension Educator – Crops, discussed cover crop termination during the May 27 Strategic Farming: Field Notes session. They were joined by moderator Liz Stahl, Extension Educator – Crops.
Small grains updates
The first wave of small-grain fields, planted primarily across southern Minnesota, went in during the last couple of days of March. There was then a bout of cold weather about 5-7 days after planting, and even though that was concerning, those fields did not seem to have any issues from the cold snap. Trial plots that Jochum seeded currently have excellent stands despite the cold snap, even where temperatures dipped to 12° F in Becker, MN.
Now, those temperatures don’t reflect soil temperatures, but this demonstrates that small grains are relatively robust when it comes to handling adverse conditions right after planting. Planting was halted a few times in southern Minnesota but overall, stands are looking good at this point. Winter rye is fully headed or starting to head across southern Minnesota.
In northern Minnesota, it’s been relatively dry, and there have been some significant wind erosion events resulting in some small grains being sandblasted. These fields should recover with ultimately minimal damage and normal tillering. Currently, small grains are reaching the third to fourth-leaf stage in northern Minnesota, and weed control is underway. Historically, growth regulator herbicides have been the preferred choice for weed control in small grains, but be cautious of the risk of injury, especially with high temperatures in the forecast.
In relation to weather, rye is a cross-pollinator, and pollen sterility can occur at or above 95° F. Jochum has not seen that happen in Minnesota to date. However, sterility can also occur when temperatures dip down below 32° F. Pollen sterility can definitely impact yield.
Source : umn.edu