Field Notes

Posted on October 24, 2024

Linkert hard red spring wheat. Photo: David Hansen. © Regents of the University of Minnesota.

By Kris Folland, Field Services Manager

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” —Galatians 6:9

The quality of wheat and other small grains has been an issue since harvest began. Dr. Jochum Wiersma sounded the alarm during the summer wheat plot tours. Fusarium head blight (FHB), or scab, and issues with grain and seed quality are showing up in some areas. The damp conditions have also caused wheat and other small grains to transition towards sprouting in the field as the enzymes and starch begin to change. This will affect seed quality, including germination, falling numbers, and vomitoxin level.

Helpful seed quality tips for seed to be planted in the spring of 2025:

Try to store uniform fields or parts of fields in separate bins. For example, small grains before rain and after rain during harvest may differ in appearance and seed quality.
Harvest grain and dry as needed using natural air or grain dryer temperature of 110 °F to dry it down to 13.5 percent moisture or less.
Do not ignore grain bins after harvest, especially those harvested during hot and humid days. Run air as needed as soon as you fill bins. Cool grain throughout the fall when temperature and humidity permits.
Preliminary germination samples after a 3-week or longer “rest” on seed lots will be a good starting point for seed plans.
Select seed lots harvested first in the season with good color and quality first, before using later harvested lots that may be bleached and lower quality.
Seed lots with FHB should not be saved for seed.
Make plans now as both a grower and seed producer for your seed needs.

Shifting gears towards fall: We conduct soybean inspections when fields have 75 percent leaf drop or greater. Communication with your MCIA field supervisor is very important. We will certainly be in contact with growers to ensure timely and accurate inspections. If you have any information you would like to share regarding your seed production fields or are getting close to harvest and have not received confirmation about the status of your field inspection, please give your field supervisor a call. We enjoy hearing from you, and it helps us keep up with the maturity of the many seed fields across the state. There is still time to apply for soybean field inspections for all classes of certified seed and any soybeans needing inspection to company field and seed purity standards.

Small Grain Update Meeting: St. Hilaire

Presenters and topics include: Dr. Jochum Wiersma, UMN Small Grains Specialist, spring wheat variety performance; Bruce Kleven, Legislative Strategist for MN Wheat, 2024 Minnesota legislative session update; Dr. Angie Peltier, UMN Extension Educator, pests, Phytophthora, white mold, SCN, and Frogeye leaf spot; Devin Hoffarth, Market Development & Industry Relations Director of MN Corn, new use opportunities for corn; Melissa Carlson, VP of Research, MN Wheat Research & Promotion Council, wheat and soybean on-farm research results.

Venue: St. Hilaire Community Center

Small Grains Update Meeting: Roseau

Small Grains Update Meeting: Hallock

Small Grains Update Meeting: Crookston

Small Grains Update Meeting: Ada

Small Grains Update Meeting: Dilworth

Small Grain Workshops Scheduled Throughout Minnesota

Posted on February 2, 2023

University of Minnesota Extension is offering small grain workshops across Minnesota in February to address successful small grain management. Workshops will focus on production agronomics, variety selection, and economics, and will include an open-forum discussion for related topics and on-farm experiences. These events are sponsored by the Minnesota Wheat Research and Promotion Council.

Presenters may vary by location, but all will include Jochum Wiersma, University of Minnesota Extension Small Grain Specialist. Le Center and Slayton workshops will also include Diane Dewitte, University of Minnesota Extension Swine Educator who will discuss research involving organic rye and hog production.

To register for free online, visit z.umn.edu/GrainUpdate or call the local contacts at the workshop you wish to attend. Registration is important for accurate meal count at sites having lunch.

Dates, Locations, Times and Contacts are as follows:

Monday, February 20: Rochester. Rochester Extension Office, 140 Elton Hills Lane NW, Rochester, MN 55901. 1:00 pm–3:30 pm, no lunch. (Contact Nathan Drewitz at 507-258-8775.)

Tuesday, February 21: Le Center. 4H Family Center, Le Sueur County Fairgrounds, 320 S Plut Ave, Le Center, MN 56057. 9:00–11:30 a.m., with lunch after meeting. (Contact Shane Bugeja at 507-357-8232. Please register by February 19 for meal count.)

Wednesday, February 22: Cold Spring. Great Blue Heron, 305 5th Ave S, Cold Spring, MN 56320. 9:00–11:30 a.m., with lunch after meeting. (Contact Joe Krippner at 320-980-2915. Please register by February 20 for meal count.)

Thursday, February 23: Slayton. Murray County 4H-Building, 3048 Broadway Ave, Slayton, MN 56172. 1:00–4:30 p.m. Join the morning crops program from 9:00 a.m.–12:15 p.m. with lunch after. (Contact Murray Co. Extension Office at 507-836-6927. Please register by February 21 for meal count.)

Friday, February 24: Benson. McKinney’s on Southside, 300 14th St S, Benson, MN 56215. 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. and includes lunch. (Contact Scott Lee at 320-760-6129. Please register by February 22 for meal count.)

UMN Releases MN-Rothsay Wheat

Posted on June 20, 2022

MN-Rothsay wheat. Photo: Dylan VanBoxtel. © Regents of the University of Minnesota.

The University of Minnesota has released a new hard red spring wheat variety called ‘MN-Rothsay.’ The variety features excellent straw strength with a good combination of yield, protein, and disease resistance.

“MN-Rothsay has straw strength comparable to Linkert but has about 10 percent higher grain yield,” says Jim Anderson, University of Minnesota wheat breeder in the Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics. “The exceptional straw strength of Linkert was largely responsible for its 5-year reign from 2016–2020 as the most popular variety in the state, so our expectation is that MN-Rothsay’s higher grain yields, comparable or higher than other popular varieties, and improved disease resistance compared to Linkert will be attractive to growers.”

In addition to high yields, the protein level of MN-Rothsay is higher than other top yielding varieties along with good test weight and a good pre-harvest sprouting rating. MN-Rothsay has moderate overall disease resistance, with a very good score for leaf and stem rust, and a good Fusarium head blight (FHB) rating.

Prior to being formally named, MN-Rothsay was tested as MN15005-4. The line stood out in both state and regional trials including the Uniform Regional Nurseries trials, where it finished second in grain yield out of 33 experimental entries in 2018, eighth out of 34 in 2019, and had the best straw strength of all entries in both years.

Jochum Wiersma, University of Minnesota Extension Small Grains Specialist, stresses that, “The value growers place of straw strength cannot be overstated, making MN-Rothsay the logical choice to replace Linkert in the U’s line-up.”

MCIA certified seed growers received allocations of foundation seed of MN-Rothsay this spring. Despite the tough weather this spring, seed growers are excited about the new variety and will have seed available for planting next year. Look for a list of growers in the MCIA Directory this fall.

The new release is named in honor of the city of Rothsay, Minnesota, which is an area of the state with a long history of wheat production.