The Extension Service will be conducting a number of trainings in early 1998 and we will be more than willing to work with you as you plan for 1998. What has been planted for either grazing or grain is in mostly poor condition at this time. Poor growth, dying seedlings, or yellow leaves with reddish tips on surviving plants are typical across the county. There has been quite a bit of root rotting due to the weather. Symptoms are very much the same for all the grains and can be accounted for by the rainy weather and alternating warm and cold spells.
Rain means cloudy conditions and low light intensity which slows growth.
Rain to the extent we have received has saturated the soil which creates low soil oxygen conditions. When oxygen levels are too low, the first nutrient to be affected is nitrogen. After about three days of saturation, small grain roots begin to die. The yellowish and reddish leaves are symptoms of low soil oxygen conditions. Once the weather clears and soils reaerates, roots that are still functioning will begin active growth and take up available nutrients.