PLANT EARLY: Early planting often gets the plant well established prior to major stress periods
SELECT VARIETIES: Select varieties that have a good established track record in dry seasons. In corn, plan pollination intervals to spread risk. Open husk varieties will have less potential for aflatoxin due to better flow of water and calcium to ear tip.
CROP MATURITY: Choose crop varieties and planting dates that will lengthen pollination and grain fill periods.
PLAN POPULATIONS: Corn: reduce populations 10-15% and consider expandable ear types where possible. Wheat: increase planting rate to reduce tillering. Tillers are sacrificed for main stem during stress periods.
IMPLEMENT A FALL BIOLOGICAL PROGRAM: A combination of 2 gallons of RESIDUCE along with 28% and Thio-Sul has worked very well to improve soil tilth by flocculating soil and speeding decomposition of crop residue.
AERATE ROW CROPS: Aerate row crops every other row. Skip rows behind tractor tires. Aerate early before roots develop to the extent they are pruned severely
INCLUDE EARLY NITROGEN IN ROW SUPPORT BAND: Place 5 to 8 gallons of 28% nitrogen in row support 2 inches over and 2 inches down from seed. Avoid surface application of total nitrogen amount.
SIDEDRESS INTO MOISTURE: Sidedress fertilizer into moisture regardless of application tool. The most efficient sidedress application in a dry period appears to be with a deep aeration tool.
POTASSIUM: Potassium is a key player in helping plants to overcome moisture stress. Make sure you have adequate K levels in your soil and available to the crop.
AVOID SPRING APPLICATION OF FINE DRY LIME: Fine lime will tend to dehydrate plant roots. Apply at rates of 200 pounds per acre or less if a spring application is necessary.
APPLY A SOLUBLE CALCIUM SOURCE IN SPRING: Calcium improves cell wall flexibility and permeability, it is an essential ingredient in plant enzyme systems, and aids the plant's immune system. Liquid applications of highly available sources are most efficient and effective.
AVOID SPRING SOIL COMPACTION: Avoid working soil wet and extra secondary tillage trips. Controlled traffic pattern systems are helpful.
CULTIVATE TO CREATE LOOSE SOIL MULCH: Evaporation of soil moisture from soil surface is minimized by creating a loose soil mulch to break capillary action. Much less soil cracking is observed where soil mulch is present.
FOLIAR FEED AMINE NITROGEN: Deep feeding roots pick up nitrogen in the nitrate form. Plants require some nitrogen in the amine form. The conversion of nitrate nitrogen to amine nitrogen requires energy that may not be available in a drought stressed plant.
DESTROY COVER CROPS EARLY: Destroy cover crops early to avoid competition for soil moisture. Consider an annual such as oats in a dry year. It will automatically winter kill.
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