To keep yield losses to a minimum, mustards should be controlled by late winter or very early spring, before the plants begin to bolt, or stems elongate.

With wheat prospects looking reasonably good so far this season in many areas, producers may be wondering if it would pay to add chloride to their topdressing blend. Chloride is a highly mobile nutrient in soils, so split or topdress application may be beneficial, especially in regions of sufficient precipitation or with coarse texture soils that may cause leaching.

Much of a wheat crop’s yield potential is determined by the time wheat emerges in the fall, so Michigan State University Extension suggests growers take time to evaluate their young wheat.

Rust on fall-planted wheat is rare but can occur, especially in years with extended warm fall temperatures. Rust can over-summer on volunteer wheat or spores can blow up from southern states.