Crop Solutions That Work
By Cathleen Boekhoven, CCA-ON, Crop Sales Specialist
AGRIS Co-operative - Brigden
As we finish up planting and turn our attention to the next task, T3 fungicide on winter wheat.
There are five main things to keep in mind:1. Timing is everything
You have to get out there and check what stage your wheat is at. At Day 0 or Zadoks 59 (head clearing the ligule) is the latest you want to start scouting your fields. In a perfect world, the optimum timing is early flowering stage, between Day +2 to Day +4.
Figure 1: Optimal application timing for Fusarium Head Blight (FHB)The field will not be even throughout—when the anthers have extruded in the middle of the wheat head, on 75% of the heads in the field. If the forecast isn’t your friend, it is better to apply the fungicide at a slightly earlier stage than later.
Figure 2: Best timing for T3 fungicide on wheat 2. It's all about the coverage The goal is to cover the whole head of the plant. To do this you need water, 20 gals/ac with forward and backward tips. | |
3. Protect your grade It is cheap insurance. Having your wheat downgraded to grade 3 because of fusarium damaged kernels to feed or sample can cost you anywhere from $0.81 to $2.72 per bushel. By spraying your wheat, it doesn’t mean you will not get fusarium but it does mean you have done everything you can to protect your yield. | |
4. More than just FHB protection T3 fungicide goes hand in hand with a high management wheat program. If you are pushing your nitrogen rates, you need a fungicide. There are added benefits of a yield gain, cleaner straw, late-season protection from powdery mildew, rust and septoria leaf spot. | |
5. Clean out the sprayer–remove any residues A full cleanout with a tank cleaner like FS Rinseout is a must. It is important to remember the agitation lines, booms, inductor, or the end caps. The wheat is at a very sensitive stage to any adverse reactions due to sprayer contamination.
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***Now is the time to get out and scout your wheat field for T3 fungicide timing to help you manage your risk, protect your crop and increase your yield. You will never regret protecting your wheat crop at heading to reduce the risk of loss.***