3 minute read
In The Field with Randy
In The Field with Randy Variability
Randy Chlapecka is an agronomist with Farmers Supply Association. He is retired from the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture - Cooperative Extension Service where he served as a County Extension Agent for over 32 years. He is an avid ASU Red Wolves fan and has announced Newport Greyhound sporting events since 1996. He also enjoys vegetable gardening.
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I hope rice harvest is complete by the time you read this. It was a reasonably good harvest year after the less than desirable start brought on by Hurricane Laura. Overall, I would call it a good crop but yields have been a little more erratic than usual. It’s not unusual to hear 120-140 bushel yields scattered in with the good yields. Varietal differences, weather events, fertility issues, and diseases are some of the factors that contributed to this. I’d like to discuss these issues in a little more detail and mention some things that may help lessen this variability.
Weather events almost certainly played a part in this variability. Rain, wind, and high temperatures can all affect pollination. High temperatures and cloud cover can impact grain fill. While weather was generally favorable during this time, I’m sure that there were individual events that could have played a part. Obviously, there’s not a lot we can do about this besides being lucky.
In general, earlier planting dates can lessen variability but the above-mentioned weather events can occur at any time and negate that. I would strive for being ready to
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plant when the conditions get right as soon as mid to lateMarch and get it planted as soon as conditions allow. Most of the planting date studies show yields holding up very well through early May.
Looking at varieties, it seems that the hybrids and Jupiter are more consistent than the conventional varieties (Clearfield and non-Clearfield). That’s not in any way meant to downplay those other varieties because there are several with high yield potential, it just seems that the hybrids and Jupiter seem to retain their yield potential with more consistency.
Many of the varieties that we grow now are very responsive to potassium. If you keep soil potassium levels where they need to be, you can be rewarded with high yields. If you don’t, it can be one of the big contributors to the low end of these erratic yields. It can help significantly in fighting off several diseases including narrow brown leaf spot, stem rot, and brown spot.
Early nitrogen timing is very important in achieving maximum yield potential. I would highly recommend utilizing the DD50 program to know the latest date by which nitrogen needs to be activated before yield potential starts dropping off (and that yield drop off is pretty steep as you get later than that final date on the DD50 printout).
Fungicide use can be very important in maintaining the yield potential you have and avoiding some of these lower yields on particular fields. We know about sheath blight and blast, but some other diseases that we may not think of as being yield robbers (such as narrow brown leaf spot and kernel smut) can in fact rob you of significant yield. If you’re hesitant to spend the money on one of the combination fungicides, I would strongly encourage you to at least make an application of Tilt (propiconazole) at boot to prevent some of these diseases that we may consider less significant as far as yield loss.
I would encourage everyone to keep these things in mind as you plan for the 2021 (nice to be near the point where we can put 2020 in the rear view mirror) crop.
For more information, feel free to contact me through Farmers Supply Association by cell phone at 870-318-0739, my e-mail is randychlapecka@gmail.com. N
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