PENDLETON,OR. -- LIND, WA. RESEARCH STATIONS

This week I attended two research stations annual tours and updates.  At Pendleton, OR, three topics held my interest.
       ---- Nematodes (Dr.Richard Smiley) appear to be causing yield loss in parts of Whitman County.  Two types attack wheat.  Management methods were presented.  A number of grass and broadleaf cultivars including weeds have been investigated for their tendency to build or not build populations.  Four labs were identified that do the tests.  You need to sample the top 18".  The best sampling is done in the spring when the soil is damp.
      ---- Great presentations were given by Dr.'s D. Long, K. Reardon, H. Gollany, S. Wuest, and S. Machado on soil health and value of residue.  Soil is a living organism that needs to be fed.  The better the diet, the more the soil provides for the cash crop.  Cultivation destroys soil aggregation, and organic matter, resulting in the loss of soil carbon, and reduced infiltration.  A simple demonstration showed a dramatic difference in infiltration rate between soils that had been cropped using cultivation for 70 years, and soils that had been direct seeded for the past 10 years.  OM is rebuilt very slowly.  It's easier to save OM than it is to build OM.   A small percentage increase (we're talking tenths) in OM is very helpful for soil health.
     ---- Dr. D. Wysocki gave report on growing biennial canola.  Seed canola into moisture.  Three seeding dates were studied.  If conditions allowed, early September would be his preferred seeding date. Timing for fertilizer application was studied.  100% at seeding did not work, 100% spring application did not work.  Best response was a split application (Either 50-50 or 75-25 fall and spring).  There was an inquiry about row spacing.  His thinking was that <30" was preferable.  He seeds at 14" because of the drill he uses.

The Lind WAResearch Station had several topics of interest.
     ---- Biological control of cheatgrass and goatgrass was listened to very intently.  Ann Kennedy stated that a bacterium found naturally in the soil has been isolated and found to make the roots of those cultivars less competitive.  The material has been submitted for registration and may be available to growers by 2016.  It is a one application fix that can be sprayed on the soil or attached to the seed.  A pelleted version is being looked at.  It may take 3 years to remove the pests.  Cost is expected to be $10/ac or less.  What a boon for those in a two or three year rotation of small grains and fallow.
        She talked about OM.  We currently have about one third remaining from when this was native prairie.  At Pendleton they indicated that less than a third of the OM remained.  In both regions it is a tremendous loss of carbon content in our soil.
     ----Bill Schillinger reported on growing alternative crops in the low rainfall areas  Camilina, safflower, canola, winter peas, winter triticale.  Camilina grows well in drought conditions, He prefers to plant in March to reduce weed population.  Safflower is an option but needs to be seeded late when soil temperature is warm.  Harvest is in late September.  There seems to be unlimited possibilities to market oil seeds.  Winter peas has shown promise.  He likes winter triticale because of its fast growth when soil temperatures warm and the residue it provides.  Except for triticale, none of the mentioned cultivars produced enough residue for any cultivation in the fallow year.  Wind erosion would be serious.
     ---- Several speakers spoke on wheat related subjects.  Falling Numbers:  Two causes-- a) temperature shock while kernel is filling.  Either a high or low temperature spike can be a cause.  Rain on a mature plant can be a cause.  There are cultivars that are more prone to falling numbers than others.
     ---- Sprinter is a good yielding and quality wheat.  There is confusion about its class, so notify your warehouseman and / or buyer prior to growing it.