Battle for the Belt: Season 2 Episode 10- June Weather Update

Episode 10 of Battle for the Belt is now available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mK3IUPWzgFA 

In Episode 10, Dr. Aaron Wilson, OSU Extension Ag Weather & Climate Field Specialist and State Climatologist of Ohio, gives us a June weather update! Tune in and watch his weather and soil condition updates as we wrap up planting. For more details, also check out Dr. Wilson’s article in this issue of the CORN newsletter titled “Rapid Growing Degree Day Accumulation in May.”

What’s happening in the field?

Last week in the field, at the Western location, we found an interesting phenomenon. On planting date one (March 25) soybeans began flowering with only five fully developed trifoliates. Other soybeans with a similar maturity group, (3.3 RM) that were planted on March 25^th at the same location are also flowering with just four trifoliates. The rule of thumb for soybean flowering is that it takes place after the summer solstice, when night length begins to lengthen, as soybeans flower based on night length. Unifoliate leaves can detect night length, so early-planted soybeans may receive a signal to begin flowering earlier than normal and that is exacerbated by very warm late spring temperatures, which we have seen this year.  For more information on the ‘Soybean Flowering Fallacy’, see this article from the University of Wisconsin- Madison and University of Nebraska- Lincoln: https://coolbean.info/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2017/10/2018_Soybean_flowering_final.pdf

At the Northwest location, corn and soybeans planted on the second planting date (May 23) have not emerged but seeds are germinated. The area received around three inches of rain in five days, so planting has come to a halt again Planting date three will happen once conditions are fit.

Finally, at the Wooster location, there was minimal bean leaf beetle damage and a sighting of Septoria brown spot on the planting date of one soybean (April 22). However, this disease is common and is not generally at economic thresholds in Ohio. Planting date four is scheduled for this week in Wooster.

A summary of weekly conditions for all three sites and completed planting dates is presented in Table 1.

Reference:

Chamberlain, L., Spect, J., and Conley, S.P. 2018. Soybean Flowering Fallacy. University of Wisconsin- Madison and University of Nebraska- Lincoln. Available at: https://coolbean.info/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2017/10/2018_Soybean_flowering_final.pdf