Winter Wheat Trials/Yellow Toadflax

County Agent News

Dan Folske

August 23, 2010

Winter Wheat Trials

            Winter Wheat Yields at trials near Berthold were very good this year with top yields of 130 bu/A.  The trials indicated a large yield advantage to plots with multiple fungicide applications during a wet summer like we’ve had. Untreated plots averaged 87 bu/A while plots treated with fungicides at 5-leaf, flag-leaf and early flowering averaged 120 bu/A.  Test weight also showed a statistically significant improvement. 

            Darrell was the highest yielder at 130 bu/A with three fungicide applications. Without any fungicide treatments, Darrell had a yield of 90 bu/A.  Jerry HRWW yielded 93 bu/A without fungicide and 118 bu/A with three fungicide treatments. 

            All plots were seeded September 29, 2009.

Yellow Toadflax

            Recently added to the states Noxious Weed List, documented acres of Yellow Toadflax are rapidly growing as producers, sportsmen, and county weed board members and spray crews become more aware of this weed. 

“Yellow toadflax was brought to this country because of its beauty, but it also has an ugly side,” said Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring, who declared yellow toadflax a noxious weed last April. “It has become a serious problem in many parts of the country and it is quickly spreading in North Dakota.”

The number of acres infested with yellow toadflax increased more than 50 percent from 2008 to 2009,” he said. “The weed can be controlled, but it is very difficult to eradicate.”

A member of the snapdragon family, yellow toadflax (Linaria vulgaris) is native to southeastern Europe and southwestern Asia. Imported to this country as an ornamental, it was found in North Dakota as early as 1891. It is also known as butter-and-eggs, wild snapdragon, common toadflax, ramsted, flaxweed and Jacob’s ladder.

CRP acres, especially those which are not hayed on a regular basis, often provide a perfect haven for noxious weeds to develop major infestations.  Haying CRP does not necessarily prevent weeds like leafy spurge and yellow toadflax from establishing but producers doing the haying have a higher likelihood of spotting weeds when the infestation is small enough to easily control. Even the most diligent of land owners doesn’t cover the acreage as thoroughly when checking with a vehicle, atv, or walking. While some weeds like Canada Thistle and Common Tansy are easy to spot, weeds like leafy spurge and yellow toadflax are shorter statured and are easily hidden by the taller grasses of most CRP mixes. Musk thistle is also tall but is not so noticeable when it is often found as scattered plants rather than dense patches.

Hunters are another group who have an opportunity to help maintain wildlife habitat by watching for patches of noxious weeds and reporting them to the landowner or land manager.  Make it a point to learn about noxious and invasive weeds and keep your eyes open when hunting that CRP for pheasants or trying to flush that big buck out of a grove of trees or other heavy cover.