# Spraying and Fertlizing Wheat, First Time??



## springhollowhayfarm (Jan 25, 2011)

Ok folks, New to wheat here, been about two months now since my wheat was planted, and it looks good to me, but I'm no expert. I attached some photos for you to look at.

My Qestions now are how I need to start planing for spraying and fertlizing.

1. Spraying for weeds, onions and grasses:
Earlier I got alot of mixed oppions about what to spray and when. Some said to spray in December and some said wait till spring. I walked over the feilds saturday and everything seamed to be dead except for the wheat and I found a few spots were some small weeds were trying to pop up out of the ground as you can see in a couple of the photos I attached. The burn down seamed to work very well with the 1.2qt of RU. The only grasses I found where in one feild, only two clumps of grass about the size of my foot that I may have missed with the spray rig.

Ok, having said all that, what you folks think I need to do? Should I wait till late Feb or early March and spray, or do I need to get ready to spray right away the next chance I get?

Also, I know Harmony and T-Square where noted early as what to use and maybe adding Osprey for grasses if needed. What are the rates on these Chemicals and how you folks use them and when? Also note that my spray rig only puts out 10gal water per acre, so advice me if thats not enough, cause I had to add a serfactant with the RU on the burndown.

2. Fertlizer
Ok, I been getting mixed ideas here too. Some say use liquid N, some say you two split aplications of Liquid N, Others tell me not too use Liquid N at all and use dry N with a slow release coating on it called something to keep form burning the wheat. I'm Rather confused on this subject???

I put down 200lb per acre of MAP when I planted for the wheat and soybean crop to follow. What everyone seams to say is put down 100 units of N in the spring, late Feb or early March about the same time you spray for weeds. Does that sound right to you folks?

I also worry about driving over the wheat with the tractor or driving over it too many times. What are yalls toughts on this, does it hurt the wheat or should I be carefull? My spray rig is 16ft wide, so I will be driving over a good bit of it and if I spread dry fertlizer with a buggy I will be on it again and compacting it down even more. Should I be worried?

thanks JB.


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

This is my first year growing wheat so I am still learning but I will try to answer some of your questions. The information I am going to give you is what is recommended for North Carolina. Depending on your location this information could be wrong. You really need to put your location in your profile. As far as weed control goes Harmony seems to be the best for broadleaf and garlic control. Osprey is for annual ryegrass control. I do not think it will control any perennial grasses. The weeds in your pictures are called henbit. I am not sure when the best time to spray is. I would think that it would be better while the weeds are small. I do remember reading something about waiting to spray after the wheat has a certain number of leaves but I do not remember how many up until the wheat starts jointing in the spring. On fertilizer I put 400 pounds of 5 20 20 to the acre as that is what my local seed dealer recommended after looking at my soil samples. They also recommended that I apply 100 units of nitrogen per acre in the spring at growth stage 30 which is when the growing point starts moving up the stem. The only exception to this is if your wheat is to thin. To determine this go the first week of February or the last week of January and dig up a one foot section of wheat and count how many tillers or stems have at least three or more leaves. Times this number by 12 and divide that by your row spacing and you will have the number of tillers per square foot. If your number is less than fifty you need to apply 40 to 50 units of nitrogen if your number is less than thirty you need to apply 60 to 70 units of nitrogen per acre immediately and apply the rest at growth stage thirty. I will be using granular fertilizer because that is what I find the most conveniate for me. My information comes from the North Carolina small grains production guide. Google this and you will find a lot more information.


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