County Agent Update

Using Glyphosate

in small grains

With the growing season starting a little earlier this year, which means harvest is right around the corner. Many of the small grain crops are quickly approaching maturity. Using glyphosate as a pre-harvest grain is a possibility, and the instructions will be listed below. Glyphosate may be used to control both green weeds and to speed up uniform ripening of the crop. It has been proven that glyphosate will reduce the time needed for a crop to reach harvest moisture, even when the weather conditions are not favorable. It generally takes seven to ten days for the glyphosate to take effect because it is a systemic herbicide. Applying glyphosate too early can reduce the crop’s yield, test weight and increase the potential of glyphosate residue to accumulate the grain. With that being said, glyphosate should not be used on fields where the crop will be used for seed or on barley intended for malt. The best and preferred time to apply glyphosate is when the crop has reached physiological maturity, in most wheat varieties this will happen when the grain moisture is around 30% (20% for barley, One way to determine the correct moisture content is if you run your thumbnail across the kernel, the indentation will remain, meaning it is at hard dough stage. It is important to check many kernels throughout the field as not all of the wheat or barley mature at the same rate. A visual indicator can be used as well, when the portion of the stem below the spike turns from green to yellow, the plant will be at physiological maturity. Remember the applications of glyphosate must be made seven days before harvest, always read and follow label directions. This information was from the July 23 NDSU Crop & Pest Report.

Monarchs

Most of us can easily identify the bright orange wings of the monarch butterfly, but taking a closer look at this insect will surprise you. They have landed in North Dakota after thousands of miles from Mexico, now relaxing, feeding and breeding in our flower gardens and prairies. The monarchs travel 2,500 miles to make it to their winter home, no other insect on earth travels that far for their migration. Within a month, starting in late August, they will sense the shorter days and will start flying south. Monarchs glide around 25 miles day, when they arrive in Mexico it will be in the same villages and even the same trees as their great-grandparents. Monarchs are in amazing insect, they are able to scare away predators 100 times larger than them. By eating milkweeds, their bodies will store toxins that many birds, lizards and other predators have evolved to avoid. Their populations have declined by 80% over the last 20 years. They are extremely fragile. Some of the reasons are because of the loss of overwintering sites in Mexico, losing breeding sites in the United States and the development of herbicide-tolerant crops. Milkweed, ornamental, swamp or butterfly, is the only food that the monarch butterfly and the monarch caterpillar will eat. We can support the growth of these populations by planting these in our gardens. They do have a pretty pink or orange flower on them so milkweeds are visually appealing as well. Reducing the use of unnecessary poisonous insecticides and reducing the use of herbicides on the edge of fields will give the monarchs a higher chance of survival and growth. This information was from the July 18 NDSU Yard & Garden Report.