The University of Kentucky Research and Education Center held a preplanting workshop on September 13, 2017.
Topics were:
Representatives from John Deere and Case IH demonstrated how to properly calibrate and operate their equipment in order to achieve good seed to soil contact for optimal stands and yields. Different traffic patterns were demonstrated for planting wheat into corn residue. They demonstrated how to calibrate drills and seed placement in different environments.
Planting management using no-tillage, covering seeding rate, planting orientation relative to harvested corn rows, skips in planted stands and its effects on yield. The need for prolific tillage varieties for no-tillage as well as necessary growth stage going into the winter to increase winter survival was covered. Also discussed was necessity for aphid control, particularly in no-till plantings.
Demonstrated was the use of a spreadsheet to help farmers, crop consultants and extension educators to easily compare seeding costs of different varieties, seed treatments and target populations for grain crops. Also, costs per acre were also calculated after the desired variables were entered.
A number of soil-residual and foliar applied herbicides were compared for managing annual ryegrass.The discussion was focused on application timing relative to emergence of wheat and ryegrass. Herbicide symptomology associated with injury from previous herbicide applications such as atrazine and clomazone will be demonstrated. Factors that impact persistence or half-lives of herbicides were discussed.
Also discussed were fungicide seed treatments when choosing what seed to plant. It is integral to understand the types of seed treatments available so the correct chemical would be used on the correct organism they are trying to control. The participants learned the different types of seed treatments that would work on various organisms.
