Black Cutworms Cutting Plants
By this weekend much of the region will exceed 300 degree days since May 3. However, I’m already receiving reports and picture confirmations of corn injury from BCW feeding from 2 to 10%. Now is the time to be out there looking for missing, wilting and cut plants! Fields are not safe from cutting until they reach the V6 stage (6 leaf collars showing). We have a ways to go yet!
Black cutworm moth catches were lower than last week we but still had significant flights. Cutworms have the potential to be a problem for the next month. Armyworm catches continue to be low but it doesn’t mean that there aren’t some hot spots out there. We have not had any reports of armyworm injury yet. Corn that was planted green into a cover crop needs to be scouted. Winter wheat, barley, rye and grass hay fields should also be watched carefully. Look for signs of blackbirds flying into winter grain fields and sitting in surrounding trees and on power lines along the field. Guaranteed they are diving in there to feed on armyworms!
Winter Wheat has Started to Flower
The early planted wheat started to flower this week. If you are unsure about what wheat flowering looks like, see this archived video we have on our YouTube page, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51xthmslywo&list=PLBMGyzTr13dsj4Ufdu6Dle2AJtGJbyo6z&index=6. See last week’s Crop Alert for an updated fungicide list.
Many fields will continue to head out and flower all week. There is an application window of approximately 7 days from the beginning of flowering in which reasonable Fusarium head blight (FHB) suppression can be expected. The Fusarium Risk Assessment Tool (http://www.wheatscab.psu.edu/ ) shows our region at low risk of infection this week and should continue as the chance of rainfall remains low with high temperatures. Next week may change as our chance of showers increase.
Now is a great time to determine if Cereal Leaf Beetle are present in economic numbers. You can tank mix an insecticide with your fungicide and save the cost of an extra pass.
- Egg hatch around 90 Degree Days
- Plant cutting around 300 Degree Days
- Degree Day data from Network for Environment and Weather Applications, NEWA
Key Steps for Successful Male Sterile BMR Forage Sorghum Establishment
That new crop is BMR forage sorghum. Male sterile BMR sorghum is the most recent advancement in providing very high-quality forage to promote high milk/component production in dairy cows. So here are some helpful tips for successful stand establishment adapted from Tom Kilcer:
Do not plant near or downwind of fertile sorghum, sorghum-Sudan, Sudangrass or Johnsongrass stands that are allowed to head. They will fertilize the male sterile sorghum and completely ruin the nutrient enhancement. The heads of male sterile sorghum are receptive to pollen for about two weeks.
Use a drill set for 8 lbs. seed/acre. Higher rates mean plants will lodge before harvest. Higher rates do NOT mean there is more yield. Check that the drill can plant that rate. If the gates are too small for the seed, you will be planting ground up sorghum flour and it will not grow. If it is impossible for the drill to plant that low and you do not have access to another drill, plugging every other hole in the drill and set the drill to drop 16 lbs./acre will achieve the 8 lb. rate.
Use sleeved drop tubes, not accordion type. Accordion type drop seed in clumps which later compete with each other and lodge. Sleeved tubes drop uniformly which is critical for both sorghum and winter forages.
Plant when soil temperature is above 65 and weather report for the next 10 days is warmer than normal or above 65. Do not plant before a cold rain. You will not have a successful stand.
Plant 1 to 1.25 inches deep.
Critical: spray field with atrazine and Dual immediately after planting. Delay will allow annual grass to get started and cannot be controlled after it emerges.
Next report will be June 7.
