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Control best option for volunteer wheat problem
Volunteer wheat serves as a 'green bridge' that allows for disease spread and insect infestation from this years' harvested crop to the wheat planted later in the year. As a result, control of volunteer wheat should be an important part of your management program.
This wheat can serve as a reservoir for wheat streak mosaic, barley yellow dwarf, leaf rust, stem rust, and take-all root rot. It can also harbor wheat curl mites, Hessian flies, chinch bugs, and Russian wheat aphids.
Volunteer wheat should be destroyed at least one-half a mile away from wheat plantings, as most of the pests are migratory. Since the objective is to break the 'green bridge,' the volunteer should be eradicated at least two weeks prior to planting time to insure a thorough kill of pests.
Many producers may look at volunteer wheat from rose-colored glasses. They may see potential pasture or ground cover to prevent erosion. They also may not want to spend the time or money to control it. Left alone, volunteer wheat can cause some severe problems that will end up costing the producer and his neighbors more in the long run.
| Volunteer may be destroyed one of two ways, by tillage or by herbicides, or these efforts ay be combined. |
Tillage is relatively inexpensive, but reduces ground cover and increase moisture loss. Tillage works best when plants are small and the ground is relatively dry.
| Herbicides are more expensive, but leave the ground unbroken therefore conserving moisture. The best time to treat for burndown is when the wheat has emerged but is not yet tillering. As with any herbicide, it is vital to read and follow label directions. |
| Control is the best option, followed by replanting wheat two weeks later verses leaving the volunteer to harvest. Replanting will allow for an extra 20 to 40 bushels of wheat compared to harvesting the volunteer. |
If planted wheat has emerged prior to control of volunteer, caution should be taken. It is best to use tillage to control under these circumstances as a glyphosate application will kill the wheat slowly allowing the mites and other pests to migrate.
Heavily grazing volunteer wheat can be an option, if necessary. "Grazing will remove most of the green tissue and help lower the mite and aphid populations. Grazing would likely have only minimal impact on Hessian fly populations, however, because those insects are usually in the lower leaf sheaths or crowns, or below the soil surface," Jim Shroyer, wheat agronomist with Kansas State University Research and Extension, explained.
When you control your volunteer wheat and your neighbors do not, the pests may still migrate to your fields. Neighbor cooperation in vital in stopping the spread of these diseases and insects.
More information on controlling volunteer wheat can be found in the publication, "Be a Good Neighbor: Control Your Volunteer Wheat," which is available at the Extension Office or on the web at
http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/crpsl2/mf1004.pdf.
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Editor's Note: Delta George is a K-State Research and Extension agriculture and 4-H extension agent assigned to Bourbon County. She may be reached at (620) 223-3720.