The 2020 season turned out to be pretty favorable for most winter wheat production in Washington. In the high rainfall zones, yields and test weights were up across the board. Farmington stood out with a…
Dr. Xianming Chen, ARS Plant Pathologist, released his most recent stripe rust forecast for the coming season on March 15 and it’s good news: his models predict stripe rust severity in the coming season will…
The addition of winter and spring canola to the crop rotations of Eastern Washington has provided growers with increased options for weed control, particularly for some of the most troublesome grass weeds such as downy…
The Washington Grain Commission held its 2021 Wheat and Barley Research Review on February 17th and 18th. This year’s event was conducted virtually due to COVID-19. This annual review provides growers and other industry members the…
While 2020 may not go down as a stellar year for many reasons, one bright spot for growers in Washington was a bumper year for spring crops. In general, temperatures stayed cool and rains hung…
“On-Farm Trials help producers improve the health of their operations while at the same time helping NRCS build data to show the benefit of innovative conservation systems and practices applied on the land,” NRCS Acting…
Wireworms, the larval stage of click beetles, are nothing new for PNW grain producers, there is, however, a new insecticide that should be available this spring that has the potential to be a game-changer! Historically…
The 2020 WSU Weed Control Report is now available on the Wheat and Small Grains website. Drew Lyon and Ian Burke, WSU weed scientists, manage numerous field studies to evaluate new herbicides, and new uses of older…
Soil health is the ability of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem. Many questions arise regarding the impact of management decisions on soil chemical, physical, and biological health. How do herbicides, fertilizers, and…
Herbicide resistance has been a focus of WSU Weed Science for several years. The overreliance on herbicides for weed control has brought us to a situation where we are quickly running out of effective herbicide…
Soil fertility practices can enhance or limit crop growth and affect plant health, crop yield, and quality. Best practices for fertilizer applications are summarized by the ‘4Rs’ guideline: right source, right rate, right timing, right placement.
With our recent unseasonably low temperatures and the early appearance of winter-like weather, I’ve been asked what impact this might have on wheat diseases. The really short answer to the question is – it’s too…
Episode 205 of Wheat All About It! features Dr. Bob Brueggeman, R.A. Nilan Endowed Chair in Barley Research and Extention at Washington State University. Join Scott Yates, director of communications and producer relations for the…
As I watch the snow falling outside my basement window – COVID-19 has driven me from my university office to my basement – I find myself not only reflecting back on the 2020 crop season…
In recent years the neon yellow fields of canola have become more and more common, but they have never been as common as they were this spring and summer. For many reasons, 2020 will always…
Episode 201 of Wheat All About It! features Kim Garland-Campbell, the world’s only club wheat breeder. Join Scott Yates, director of communications and producer relations for the Washington Grain Commission in, The One and Only Kim Garland-Campbell.
Harvest has wrapped up and with fall plantings on the horizon. Here is what has been submitted to the clinic for the dryland cropping system. Wheat: Rhizoctonia Root Rot Abiotic-Frost/Cold Damage Abiotic-Combination of factors such…
Now that the 2020 harvest is wrapped up, it’s a great time to review and assess your fertilizer program across the farm. We have a Post-Harvest Nitrogen Efficiency Calculator that, with a few pieces of information…
Due to COVID-19, there are several significant changes to obtaining recertification credits and taking pesticide license exams. Washington State Dept. of Agriculture (WSDA) is the regulatory agency that administers the pesticide program.Recertification Credits There are…
When we hear that a wheat field has burned, we often think of a combine fire at harvest (See, “Fire Prevention and Safety Tips During Harvest”), lightning strikes or the carelessly lit cigarette being tossed…
Dr. Tim Murray has been named the first Rosalie and Harold Rea Brown Distinguished Endowed Chair in Plant Pathology. This $3 million gift from the Rosalie and Harold Rae Brown Foundation will be used to…
Why are we concerned about soil structure? Soil structure stabilizes our soil to resist erosion by wind and water while aiding in nutrient holding capacity and cycling. Over the past century, we have observed high…
Stem rust is raising its ugly head in the Pacific Northwest again this season. Stem rust is a sporadic problem in the Inland Pacific Northwest that can cause total yield loss in wheat or barley…
Ventenata infests millions of acres of rangeland, however, this winter annual grass can also infest your crops and significantly impact yield. Ventenata can out compete downy brome populations, has less nutritive value than most of…
Integrated Management of Downy Brome in Winter Wheat (PNW668) has been updated. Downy brome, also known as cheatgrass, is a troublesome weed in winter wheat production systems throughout the PNW. Integrated Management of Downy Brome…
