Wheat Scouting and Management Considerations

Jun 03, 2026

By Korede Olugbenle

Join the Michigan State University Extension Field Crops Virtual Breakfast Series on Thursday, June 11 featuring guest speaker Dennis Pennington, a wheat systems specialist with Michigan State University in the Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences. Pennington will discuss wheat scouting and management considerations for the 2026 growing season.

Wheat growth and development is progressing across Michigan, and it is important to be ready for all possible scenarios to ensure a successful crop. Pennington will share information on when to scout, what to be on the lookout for, and scouting tips. He will also explain how to make sound and timely management decisions based on what was discovered during field scouting.

Immediately following the discussion on wheat, MSU Extension Agricultural Climatologist Jeff Andresen will give a weekly weather report followed by a Q&A session with MSU Extension specialists and educators.

The Michigan State University (MSU) Extension Field Crops Virtual Breakfast Series sessions are held every week during the growing season via Zoom video or phone conference. These virtual meetings take place every Thursday morning from 7–8 a.m. March through September. The Virtual Breakfast Series is flexible, fluid and able to adapt when issues arise due to unforeseen growing conditions. There will be an open 20-minute Q&A session following the presentations with MSU specialists and educators. Participants are encouraged to log into the Zoom meeting 5 minutes prior to the start time for a tech check and to receive announcements.

Restricted use pesticide (RUP) credits and certified crop adviser (CCA) continuing education units are available for participants who attend the live session.

Participating is easy and free! You can join the live meeting via Zoom using a computer, tablet, mobile device or regular phone line. If you are new to Zoom, simply download the Zoom app and you will be ready to join online every week to see visuals shared by presenters. A call-in by phone option is also available but you will only hear the audio portion.

Source : msu.edu

Video: Root Exudates, Soil Biology, and How Plants Recruit Microbes | Field Talk Friday

Field Talk Friday | Dr. John Murphy | Root Exudates, Soil Biology, and How Plants Recruit Microbes

Most of us spend our time managing what we can see above ground—plant height, leaf color, stand counts, and yield potential. But the deeper you dig into agronomy, the more you realize that some of the most important processes driving crop performance are happening just millimeters below the surface.

In this episode of Field Talk Friday, Dr. John Murphy continues the soil biology series by diving into one of the most fascinating topics in modern agronomy: root exudates and the role they play in shaping the microbial world around plant roots.

Roots are not passive structures simply pulling nutrients out of the soil. They are active participants in the underground ecosystem. Plants constantly release compounds into the soil—sugars, amino acids, organic acids, and other molecules—that act as both energy sources and signals for soil microbes.