Scouting wheat fields this spring improves management decisions

Mike Staton<staton@msu.edu>, Michigan State University Extension -

Now is a good time to scout wheat fields and assess plant stands. Join the Field Crops Virtual Breakfast Series on April 4 to learn important pest and crop management decisions as wheat comes out of dormancy and begins to grow.

Wheat growing in the spring time.
Actively growing wheat field. Photo by Dennis Pennington, MSU Extension.

Wheat producers, crop scouts and agronomists will learn why scouting wheat fields is important and what to look for at this point in the growing season by tuning in to the Michigan State University Extension Field Crops Virtual Breakfast Series on Thursday, April 4, at 7 a.m. Dennis Pennington, Michigan State University (MSU) Extension wheat systems specialist, will provide a brief update on the status of the 2024 wheat crop in Michigan and discuss how timely crop scouting can influence key pest and crop management decisions. Specifically, Pennington will cover how to scout for early season weeds and diseases and assess plant stands.

At the conclusion of Pennington’s presentation, MSU Extension climatologist Jeff Andresen will provide a 15-minute weather summary and forecast. After this, participants will have an opportunity to ask questions and hear timely and relevant updates from other MSU Extension specialists and educators until 8 a.m.

Decorative image.

The Michigan State University Extension Field Crops Virtual Breakfast Series is live via Zoom every Thursday morning from 7 – 8 a.m., March 21 through Sept. 19. Topics are flexible and loosely established at the beginning of the season and can change to address rapidly changing concerns such as flooding and drought. Each year brings different challenges, and this series is designed to meet the needs of our field crop producers no matter what the conditions may dictate.

Each week, restricted-use pesticide recertification (RUP) credits and certified crop advisor (CCA) continuing education unit credits will also be available. To receive recertification credits, participants must be on the live Zoom session.

After RUP and CCA credit information, attendees can leave or stay on for a less formal Q&A discussion with farmers, educators and specialists that lasts until 8 a.m. In addition to the scheduled speaker for the day, other MSU Extension campus specialists and educators with field crops responsibility are frequently part of the call and are available to answer any question related to relevant circumstances happening in their area of expertise.

Participating is easy and free! Participants must sign up to receive an email notification with instructions for joining the Virtual Breakfast Series. You only need to do this once to receive the Zoom link and call-in phone number in the weekly email reminders that are sent every Wednesday and Thursday. Participants receiving emails can opt in or out at any time.

Sign up for Field Crops Virtual Breakfast Series 

If you cannot participate in the live session at 7 a.m., you can view the recorded version at any time. However, only the live session will be eligible for RUP and CCA credits. Recordings will be closed-captioned and available at the Field Crops Virtual Breakfast webpage and the MSU Extension field crops team social media platforms: Facebook, Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Twitter. 

If you are unable to sign up online, call the Lapeer County MSU Extension office at 810-667-0341.

Follow us on Facebook, Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Twitter for breaking news.

 

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

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