NEWS for North Dakotans Agriculture Communication, North Dakota
State University 7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665 June 1,
2000 Many North Dakota producers have been reporting leaf burn
and yellowing on their small grain crops, and some are wondering
whether specific varieties are more susceptible to herbicide
injury than others. A plant scientist at North Dakota State
University says it is unlikely that any of this type of injury
is variety related. "A general request for variety and planting-
date feedback when this type of injury has been observed
produced multiple responses. In other words, there was no
consistency in variety," says Michael Peel, extension agronomist
at NDSU. Most of the wheat with leaf burn and yellowing was
planted the last week in April, Peel says. The hot temperatures
that ranged from 85 F to about 90 F in early May occurred just
as most of this grain was emerging from the soil, and
consequently, the wheat sustained some heat canker. "We
typically think of heat canker on small grain