Kansas Wheat Crop Battles Drought and Disease
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4-19-16 sect. 1.qxp:Layout 1 4/14/16 10:27 AM Page 1 Kansas wheat crop battles drought and disease The Kansas wheat crop is cold temperatures’ duration Another factor in final make informed decisions currently facing three major and intensity, freeze can be harvest yields will be disease that increase producer prof- hurdles: development being devastating to wheat yields.” pressure. Moisture is a dou- itability. “The probability of almost three weeks ahead of Kansas’ turbulent weather ble-edged sword for wheat yield gain due to fungicide normal stages, drought con- is always a concern on the because what’s good for the will depend on risk level and ditions, and stripe rust and top of farmers’ minds, but wheat is also good for dis- cultivar susceptibility, being increasing disease pressure. one concern pops up more eases. Lollato has seen greater in susceptible culti- March’s freezes were of frequently than any other. everything from heavy stripe vars in high risk environ- particular concern to farmers “What is really concern- rust to speckles of powdery ments,” said Lollato. “By statewide because of the ing for this crop is the lack of mildew and leaf rust scouting often and knowing early maturity of the crop. moisture,” said Aaron Har- statewide. the conditions in their field According to USDA Nation- ries, vice president of Re- “We are already seeing really well, producers can al Agricultural Statistics search and Operations at stripe and leaf rust estab- make an informed decision Service, as of April 5, Kansas Wheat. “So far soil lished in many counties in whether to spray a foliar fun- Kansas winter wheat jointed moistures have maintained susceptible varieties,” said gicide or not.” was 42 percent, ahead of 26 decent levels, but that mois- Lollato. “If we do have moist Kansas Wheat CEO last year and the five-year ture will be used up quickly weather (not necessarily Justin Gilpin says rusts are average of 28. during wheat’s growing sea- rainfall, but high relative hu- having a much larger impact “The wheat being ahead son.” Along with premature development and drought condi- midity would do it), produc- than in the past. Disease of schedule is a concern be- The April 5 U.S. Drought tions, leaf rust is a threat to this year’s Kansas wheat ers will definitely have to be pressure not only has a detri- cause there is a greater like- Monitor for Kansas listed crop. Courtesy photo out and scouting to know the mental impact on yields, but lihood that a possible freeze 93% of the state in moderate tinted leaves can be a sign of leaves are green, the tiller conditions in their fields and as we saw last year, can also event might coincide with to severe drought conditions. freeze damage for farmers, will probably be healthy, but decide whether to trigger the have a negative impact on more susceptible phases of This was up from only 3% of but the tint can also mean if the new leaves are yellow, fungicide application.” the quality of the grain. crop development,” said Ro- the state in January. bad news for moisture levels. this is an indicator that the To finish the growing sea- “Fungicide usage is espe- mulo Lollato, Kansas State As the wheat plant con- As time progresses, pay spe- tiller is dead. son strong, Lollato suggests cially important this year,” University wheat Extension tinues to grow, so will its cial attention to emerging Rust found on monitoring the current con- he said. “We highly encour- specialist. “Depending on water consumption. Blue leaves. If the newly emerged wheat leaves ditions of wheat fields to age farmers to spray.” Agriculture leads: Kansas State University’s College of Agriculture continues to help sustain the university and state’s largest industry By Katie Allen cation, research and exten- dents, slightly down from and clubs have found suc- was one of four team mem- teams at the 2016 Research Develop human capital – sion. Reaching this feat not 2,780 in 2014, but 324 more cess nationally and interna- bers and the only K-State Chefs Association Student at the undergraduate and only would benefit the uni- than in 2011, which showed tionally, which also shows student on the U.S. team at Culinology Competition. graduate student levels – to versity, but would benefit the 2,375 undergraduates. The high achievement and ambi- the international competi- “Our graduate students support agriculture, agricul- citizens of Kansas and be- college had 566 graduate tion among the college’s stu- tion. are also exemplary in terms turally related industries, yond with immediate solu- students in 2015, slightly dents and faculty. In its first and second of who they are and what natural resources manage- tions to food and agricultural down from 590 in 2014 but K-State’s Collegiate years competing, K-State’s they do,” Floros said, noting ment, education and re- production needs. up from 491 in 2011. Floros Crops Judging Team recent- Agronomy Forage Bowl that alongside faculty men- search. That’s the mission of Agriculture and food-re- said 2014 and 2015 have the ly won its seventh consecu- Team won its national com- tors, these students are solv- Kansas State University’s lated industries contribute highest number of total stu- tive national championship, petition in 2015 and 2016. ing problems to help people College of Agriculture. nearly $63 billion annually dents in the history of the and in fact, has won 14 of the The K-State Horse Judging in Kansas, the U.S. and in- The college’s dean and to the Kansas economy and college. The number of mul- last 17 championships. Team Team won a reserve champi- ternationally. As an example director of K-State Research serve as the state’s largest ticultural students in the col- USA placed first overall at onship at the National Cut- of their great work, 11 of the and Extension, John Floros, employer – providing jobs lege has increased signifi- the International Soil Judg- ting Horse World Finals Fu- 30 applicants for K-State’s opened his third annual State for 229,000 people. It’s the cantly in the last decade, ing Contest in Gödöll, Hun- turity last December. And, first three-minute thesis of the College of Agriculture state’s largest exporter at with a total of 327 in 2015. gary, in September 2015. the K-State Food Science competition were students of address April 5 on K-State’s nearly $5 billion in goods This is down from the high- Erin Bush, a junior in agron- Product Development Team Manhattan campus with that exported annually. Kansas is est enrollment year, 2014, omy from Franklin, Indiana, placed first among all U.S. Continued on page 3 mission, which he said has home to just more than 46 which showed 346 multicul- helped serve the No. 1 indus- million acres of farmland, tural students, but the num- try in the state of Kansas – which is about 89 percent of ber was 216 in 2010. Springtime skies agriculture – for a long time. all land in the state. Floros noted two main In addition to the col- While the college contin- reasons for a recent drop in lege’s mission is its vision, ues to serve the state’s student enrollment numbers which states that it aims to largest industry, entire econ- after several years of steady be a top-five agricultural col- omy and communities, it growth: an increase in the lege in the United States and also is the main revenue and criteria to be admitted to K- a global destination for edu- research driver at Kansas State and less money from State University, Floros the state available to help noted throughout his ad- support students in need. dress. Student placement after Teaching and learning graduation is a high point for K-State’s College of the College of Agriculture. Agriculture has many choic- In 2014-15, recent graduates es for students, Floros ex- who were surveyed reported plained: 16 undergraduate that within a couple of majors, 14 minors, five cer- months after receiving their tificate programs and ten bachelor’s degree, they were graduate programs. Many of mostly employed in their these can be categorized as a discipline (76 percent) or STEM (science, technology, seeking further education engineering and mathemat- (20 percent). Their starting ics) educational discipline. salaries ranged from $36,328 “When we talk about to $64,364. agriculture and food, many When undergraduates be- don’t understand the (rela- come seniors, almost 90 per- tion to) science, technology cent have had some type of and in many cases engineer- professional experience such ing and math,” Floros said. as a job or internship, Floros “We have a good mixture of said, and more than 18 per- these.” cent have had undergraduate In 2015, the college had research experience. Several With the greening grass and billowing clouds, this windmill completes the spring- 2,699 undergraduate stu- extracurricular student teams time scene in northern Riley County. Photo by Kevin Macy 4-19-16 sect. 1.qxp:Layout 1 4/14/16 10:28 AM Page 2 Page 2 Grass & Grain, April 19, 2016 eye. “Those boots don’t just line. They’d throw worn out jump off the posts and walk pairs in the back of his pick- away.” up at auctions and cattle Locals will tell you a boot sales. Some dumped the fence is one method a boots next to the fence. rancher uses to signify he is Smith never turned down just that – a rancher and not a pair of boots and it didn’t a farmer.