EXTENSION REPORT

Upcoming Meeting: High Residue Cover Crop Conservation Tillage Field Day

This field day would be a valuable day for any grower in Alabama.  Jimmy Brooks and Eddie Nall in Monroe County are hosting this field day.  They have been very successful in managing high residue cover crops in their production system.  They have an understanding of the whole process and are willing to share their understanding of this intensive management system that they are learned from years of experience.  Outstanding yields are the results of their labor.  Being in their fields with them, their crops and their equipment would help every grower in Alabama.

This is a difficult time to leave your own field and attend a meeting.  However, the fields are ready to be rolled, and the opportunity to learn from their experience is now.  The busy time of year will only get worse.  This will be held Wednesday April 4, 2007, at  Jimmy Brooks Farm on County Road 45.  To get there take Highway 21 from Monroeville to Atmore. Half way between Frisco City and Uriah take County Road 45 East until it dead ends.  Then turn right again. This road will still be Co. Rd. 45. Continue for ¼ mile and then take the dirt road (School Road) to Brooks Barn.  It will be the first farm on the left.  Meet in the field at 10:00 a.m.  The speakers will be Jimmy Brooks and Eddie Nall (Growers), John Fulton, AU Biosystems Engineering on  Precision Agricultural Guidance, Randy Raper and Andy Price, Benefits of conservation including weed control, Edzart van Santen, Improving Your Cover Crops, Dennis Delaney and Richard Petcher, New Research on Cover Crop Management, Ben Moore, NRCS Conservation Program Requirements and Benefits to You.

Lunch:  (The Best Burn Down Chemicals) David Whitehead with Valent and others.

Wheat and Oat Disease Control

Small grain acres have more than doubled this year.  Baldwin County alone has more than 10,000 acres of wheat and oats together.  The crop perspective at this point looks very good.  Much will depend upon the weather from now through May.  Be encouraged small grains like dry weather, but as we know too much of a drought is not good for any crop.

The research conducted by Malcomb Pegues and Dr. Katherine Burch at the Gulf Coast Research and Experiment Station give our growers some very valuable information.  The fungicide test for controlling diseases on wheat was conducted on Pioneer 26R12 which has a moderate package for disease resistance.  Most other varieties planted in our area have a lower disease package.  In 2004 and 2005 the results were similar.  Every fungicide applied resulted in a 9 to 14 bushel yield increase and significant increase in wheat quality.  In 2006 when disease pressure was at a low, the fungicide tests resulted in a 3 to 9 bushel yield increase and a significant increase in wheat seed test weight.  As of today March 21, 2007 our disease pressure on wheat has been low, which is very similar to last year.  The results from research conducted by Malcomb Pegues and Dr. Katherine Burch conclude that it does pay to spray in Baldwin County even in a year that is relatively dry and disease pressure is low.   Results from their tests also conclude there is a slight yield increase by applying low rates of fungicide in two applications verses the full treatment at one application. 

Fungicides can be looked at in three categories.  Tilt 3.6E and Propimax EC are curative fungicides.  These are best to use when the disease is already present.  Quadris 2.08FL and Headline 2.09E are preventative fungicides.  These fungicides are applied to give a longer term prevention of the disease.  They typically give a two week and sometimes a three week protection.  Quilt and Stratego 250EC are a mixture of both the curative and preventative fungicides.  This year when the disease pressure is low it would be best to wait as long as possible until pulling the trigger to apply a fungicide.  At that time if disease pressure is low, it would be best to apply a preventative fungicide to give your wheat the best protection against disease for the rest of the season.  

Aphids are also present in our wheat and oat fields.  The threshold for treatment is 5 aphids at the Boot/flag leaf stage and 10 aphids at the head emergence stage.  At the soft to hard dough stage trying to control aphids is of no value. 

Email address: rpetcher@aces.edu
Phone number: 937-7176 or 943-5611, 928-0860, ext. 2222

Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work in agriculture and home economics, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, and other related acts, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University) offers educational programs, materials, and equal opportunity employment to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status, or disability.