Wheat and Barley Management in Virginia Wade Thomason

Integrated Management

Small Grains in Virginia Yield Test weight Disease Daylength sensitivity Scab

Cultivar Grain YieldTest Weight Milling Quality SRW Baking Quality FHB †† resistance Powdery MildewLeaf Rust Glume Blotch Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus Early Heading Varieties ( d, Julian) SS 520* Jamestown Coker Featherstone Mid-Season Heading Varieties ( d, Julian) USG USG Branson Chesapeake Merl Tribute SS Full-Season Heading Varieties ( d, Julian) Dominion Pioneer 26R Pioneer 26R Renwood USG SS Shirley SS-MPV SS SS * These lines are not daylength sensitive and should not be planted early in order to avoid potential freeze damage. 4 - Significantly higher than average 3 - Average or higher than average 2 - Average or lower than average 1 - Significantly lower than average

Recommended Barley Varieties

30 seeds/sq ft 10 seeds/sq ft

Yield Development- Precision Planting Wheat – Attain vigorous seedlings / square ft. – Calibrate the drill for seeds /square ft. Planting Time Row width, inTimely2 wk late4 wk late Seeds/row foot

Yield Development- Precision Planting Barley – Attain vigorous seedlings / square ft. – Calibrate the drill for seeds /square ft.

Seed Size

Wheat Seeding Rate Desired plant population, seeds/sq ft Seed size seeds/ lbSeeding rate, lb/ac 10, , , , , , , , , , , Assumes 90% germination Planting Wheat: Seeding Rates and Calibration

Barley Seeding Rate Seeds/lb Thoroughbred Eve (Hulless) Doyce (Hulless) Desired plant population, seeds/sq ft Seed size seeds/ lbSeeding rate, lb/ac 10, , , , , , , , , , ,

Wheat Seed Size Seed size and seed rate allows us to calculate total seeds needed. 35 seeds/ft 2 x 43,560 ft2/acre = 1,524,600 seeds/acre 1,524,600 seeds/acre / 13,000 seeds/lb = 117 lbs/acre

Seeding Rate Determinations Needed for Drill Calibration 1)Decide on seeding rate desired per ft 2 Optimum rates are seeds/ft 2 2)Know row width of drill 3)Determine linear length of row that is equivalent to one ft 2 (144 in 2 ) for row width being used. Obtain from a table Calculate: 144 in 2 / Row Width (inches) = Row Length Equivalent for 1 ft 2 4)Calibrate drill to deliver desired seeding rate (# of seeds) in row length equivalent to 1 ft 2.

GOAL IS 32 SEEDS PER SQUARE FOOT “ drill spacing X 12” = SQ inches of area Inches/SQ ft. SQ ft per row ft = Step 2 Calculate the number of seeds required in 50 feet of row. seeds per row ft X 50 feet of row = seeds in 50 ft Count _____ seeds of each variety and put the seed in a graduated tube such as a rain gauge, or a clean tube or cup. Mark the level of the seeds in the tube seeds per sq foot X sq feet per row ft = seeds per row ft

Step 3: Hook a tractor to the grain drill so that the drive wheels of the drill can be raised off the ground with a jack, and the drive gears can be engaged. Raise the drive wheel so it clears the ground and turn the wheel several revolutions to be certain that everything is turning freely. Check all drill spouts and make sure there are no blockages.

Step 4 : Determine the number of revolutions the drive wheel must turn to travel 50 feet. INCHES TRAVELED IN 50 FT = _____ IN. DISTANCE AROUND THE TIRE = _____ IN. NUMBER OF TIRE REVOLUTIONS IN 50 FT = _____ = ______

Step 5 : Calibrate the drill. Adjust the seeding rate to a setting that is expected to be close Turn the drive wheel several revolutions so that seed is flowing through the drill and stop the wheel at a convenient mark such as the valve stem straight up or use a mark placed on the tire. Remove the rubber boot from the two drill spouts with seed and place a container under each spout to catch the seed. Catch the seed from each spout in a separate container.

Step 5 : Calibrate the drill. (cont) Turn the drive wheel the appropriate number of turns for traveling a distance of 50 feet (determined in Step 4). Pour the seed from one row into the pre-calibrated tube from Step 2. Check the second row the same way. If the seeding rate is too high or too low, change the drill setting and repeat steps e and f in this list until the appropriate seed number is obtained.

Planting Method Seeding Rate, lb/ac Grain Yield, bu/ac Broadcast Drilled

Lee and Herbek © 2006 University of Kentucky 20 Wheat Seeding Depth Seeding Depth (inches) Stand Count (plants/ft 2 ) % Stand Achieved – – Stand counts taken in mid-November. Seeding rate of 35 seeds/ft 2.

Small Grains Precision Planting Tillers developed in the fall or winter produce larger numbers of wheat kernels per head than tillers developed in the spring. Fall/winter developed tillers also have deeper root systems that give greater protection against dry weather during grain fill in May or early June

Dec. 2 Sept = October 27

Weeds Managing burndown and preemergence herbicides – Be aggressive controlling preplant weeds! TillageWeed Control Yield, bu/ac No-Till planting, Harmony Extra in Spring 95.3 No-Till Harmony Extra days after planting 94.6 No-TillHarmony Extra in Spring92.9 No-TillNone80.4

Spring N Management Evaluate fields at GS 25 Wheat >100 tillers/sq.ft Barley >150 tillers/sq.ft

Split Apply N According to Growth Stage 60% N Uptake After GS 30

Spring N for Wheat GS 25 N Rate Directly Related to Tiller Numbers

Tillers in wheat cut a dowel rod to a 3-foot length lay the dowel down next to an average- looking row and count all tillers with three or more leaves that are found in the 3-foot length; record this number repeat this count in at least five other locations that are well-spaced around the field average all tiller counts from the field calculate tiller density (in tillers per square foot) with the following equation: tiller density=average tiller count x 4 / row width (in inches) Second tiller T2 Main stem First tiller T1

New Tiller Forming

A fully developed tiller has 3 leaves. We need 3 leaves for a tiller to “go into the count”.

Growth Stage 30 Just prior to jointing

Spring N for Wheat GS 30 N Application Directly Related to Tissue N Content

Spring N for Barley GS 25 N Application Apply 0-50 lbs N/acre based on field observations of tiller density and plant color. Fields with tiller densities of greater than 150 tillers/sq ft should receive no N Fields with densities of <50 tillers/sq ft should receive 50 lbs N/acre as soon as possible. Do not wait for GS 30 to take tissue samples if the crop displays visual N deficiency symptoms prior to GS 30.

Spring N for Barley GS 30 N Application Directly Related to Tissue N Content total spring N applications generally not to exceed 100 lbs N/acre

Yield Protection Insects – Know major crop pests Aphid, Cereal Leaf Beetle in wheat – Know when and how to scout – Use the proper treatment Seed treatments Chemical applications

Aphids

Foliar Diseases

Evaluation of foliar fungicides on Sisson soft red winter wheat, 2005 Used five registered fungicides (Stratego, Tilt, Quadris, Quilt, Headline) Applications were made at either GS 37 and/or 59 Traces of stripe rust and nearly 5% leaf rust of flag leaves of non-treated Yield (98.4 to bu/A) bu/A Bushel wt (61.0 to 62.3 lbs) +1.3 lbs 1000 k wt (36.6 to 41.0 grams) +4.4 g

Cereal Leaf Beetle 25 total eggs or small larvae are found on 100 stems. Of that 25, at least half should be larvae. No damage after Hard Dough.

PGR - Barley

Harvesting Small Grains 20% moisture at maturity 14.5% moisture for barley 13.5% moisture for long term storage of wheat “Nothing good can happen to a wheat kernel after it reaches 20% moisture” – Don Mennel