August 7 2009

Grettings,

We just finished winter wheat harvest on Tuesday with yeilds running in the 60-79 bu range with an average of 67 taking out the bird damage plots. Yes, the blackbirds like winter wheat. Protein was running around 12, moisture a little on the wet side at 14. Small amount of scab, most was 8 kernels/15 grams, no discount. Some yellow bellys, probably could have pushed the nitrogen a little more. The rotation with the alfalfa had the highest protein at 12.9. Interesting since alfalfa is planted into the winter wheat stubble with corn, soybeans, and spring wheat prior to the winter wheat in this rotation.

The spring wheat is a ways away. Looking at it today it will be several days until it is ready for the pre-harvest Round up. I would guess at least 2 weeks before harvest.

The corn is looking very nice, but don't even look at how far behind we are on heat units. It is ugly. I am surprised the corn is as far along as it is. Our direct seeded corn into winter wheat stubble is not tasseling yet. The rest all is. Our sweet corn should be ready next week, and my July planted sweet corn is about knee tall.

The beans look good to bad. That is a pretty typical assessment for most of the area. One of the rotations has winter wheat going into soybean ground. I seeded an early maturing bean there with out seed treatment, and it may be the poster child for seed treatment. We need to dig around and check roots and nodulation to make sure. A project for next week.

Otherwise we need to get the alfalfa seeded into the winter wheat stubble in the "N" rotation and the cover crop in the designated winter plots. Not sure if the beans will need a 3rd shot of Round Up yet. We just got some rain last night which will probably give a new flush of weeds.

Field days of interest coming up include a stip till demo at Lamberton Minnesota August 11. Jodi DeJong-Hughes is the contact person there. She has been working with strip till for several years and does a really great job. The web site is http://swroc.cfans.umn.edu

Walt Albus will be having a tour at the Oakes Irrigation farm south of Oakes on August 19. Walt and his crew have alot of good things going on there so you will want to check that one out also.

The Wild Rice SCD handling cover crop seed if you are thinking about trying some cover crops this year. Give them a call at 701-724-6226 ext 3 to find out more.

Have a good week.

Kelly Cooper- farm manager