Modus

[Flatlander]

Modus was around as newish technology when I left the uk 20 years ago as a growth regulator. It’s just been released here in Manitoba, we grow around a1000 acres of spring wheat and our soils are such that we can push for higher yields with a good grocery package. Trouble is being spring wheat and the heat our straw yield gies up and then lodging becomes a major issue. Question is will modus strengthen the stems with out stressing out a crop. Our growing season is short and with heat in the low to mid thirties at times during the growing season is this a safe product to use. Thx.

 

[yellow belly]

If you have no local trial do a few acres in a few fields and compare the difference

The French may have some trials that apply to you crops
or possibly Australia

 

[Two Tone]

Others may disagree with me. But I'd say that given the right conditions Modus works well and is safe here in the UK. However, given the wrong conditions, it will reduce the crop yields, sometimes very dramatically!.
Particularly when crops are stressed by drought, frost or heat.

(The same would also apply and be true for Terpal.)

Whereas older PGR's such as Cycocel (CCC) are much safer, cheaper and can do a perfectly adequate a job.

Though I am not in favour of the CCC ones that also include a temporary growth "stopper" such as Imazaquin.

 

[Gong Farmer]

If the heat is also keeping the crop short then there is no benefit to a PGR, and if the crop is stressed in any way, heat or otherwise, then don't go near it with Moddus.
Your description of weakened straw is not the sort that PGRs can remedy.

 

[robbie]

My climate is by no means anything like the op's but I avoid modus in my light drought prone ground as I feel it knocks yield if I get a dry spell after application.
Cerone or terpal will bugger up a crop completely.

 

[bobk]

Better ease off the N imo

 

[Flatlander]

Thanks for all your input. My weaker straw come from very rapid growth if conditions are right. From planting to heading can be 60-70 days and will get around 3 ft tall. Growth regulators are not common out here. With the short season it not often we want to hold a crop back but with higher N levels applied all at planting time wheat can get leggy. Been the split applications route and been burnt with too much rain and too little so it’s all on pre plant. By everyone’s advice it sounds like I’ll be giving modus a few trial strips and see what happens.

 

[Gong Farmer]

I'm surprised anything growing that quickly has any weight in the ear to make it fall over.

 

[Brisel]

What are the daytime and night time temperatures when the plants are starting stem extension?

 

[Flatlander]

We typically plant wheat first week in May which is earlier than most areas. I was amazed how quick it grow here coming from the cold Wiltshire downs. We will be cutting by mid August. Wheat will have a bushel weight of 60 -68 lbs which is in the 75-84 kghl i believe. Very nice wheat that Is redder in colour compared to the uk. Canadian wheat was the bench mark standard British farmer were told they have to compete with in the world milling market and the wheat itself if top quality’s but storage and handling down the line would make you guys laugh. Our temperatures can be all over the place from close to freezing overnight or 20 above then 25 -35 during the day. I’ll try and upload some pic if I can figure it out.

 

[Brisel]

Big diurnal swings in temperatures are what make Moddus or any other “warm” product hurt the plant. Chlormequat is more benign but needs a bit of temperature to work.

 

[deleted user 837354]

Use with caution. As I understood it CCC is basically not allowed in North America, I may be wrong. A bit of moddus in a very modest dose and when the crop is looking angry might be very handy. I know how leggy and floppy spring wheat can be.

I would not say moddus is as nasty as cerone or terpal but your temperatures would make me nervous: there is going to be plenty for the crop to cope with if that big temperature change is happening.

If the crop is looking bold and healthy I would be more inclined to do a modest dose and see what you think. To some extent manganese and the like seem to help the crop recover. Go careful what you are mixing it with mind.

 

[Brisel]

Paging @BenB

 

[BenB]

Aha thank you @Brisel.

Just reading through @Flatlander ‘s descriptions has bought back some vivid memories of my couple of years in Manitoba ....particularly one time the client, his brother and another farm hand sat me down in the workshop, surrounded me and interrogated me as to why a large amount of their wheat had gone flat from a huge storm the night before!

Large areas of flat spring wheat seemed a relatively common occurrence each year I think due to a number of factors. Crop growth is incredibly rapid with generally most if not all N was applied in the seedbed (at high rates). No PGR use (at least when I was there), and possibility of severe weather/storms e.g dropping 4” overnight.

@Flatlander Where in MB are you out of interest and what soil type? Are you soil Nitrogen testing each year? I remember some (heavy!) deep, fertile soils around Portage. From our soil N tests we often found an impressive amount of N either in the soil already or likely to be released from mineralisation

I think there had been some bad experiences with PGRs in the past there as generally there seemed quite a bit of fear surrounding them. Chlormequat was only just being registered, Trinexapac was just starting trials I believe. As has been described above the problems I suspect were from full label rates being applied to very ‘soft’ crops under rapid growth and then possible large swings in temperature.

Another issue I remember was that the early stem extension timings didn’t really fit with existing sprayer passes.

I strongly believe these products will help you guys, as I said the amount of lodging was a sight to behold and not in the good way! Definitely support the other comments to try some strip trials at sensible rates of PGR, if you can apply in good conditions!

 

[snarling bee]

We tend to use a split dose of chlormaquat, with possibly a quarter dose of Moddus (0.1L/ha) each time on a forward or leggy crop.
A split low dose would probably be more crop safe than one larger dose.

 

[deleted user 837354]

We tend to use a split dose of chlormaquat, with possibly a quarter dose of Moddus (0.1L/ha) each time on a forward or leggy crop.
A split low dose would probably be more crop safe than one larger dose.

That is what I used to do. Generally found it quite safe, despite my initial hesitancy in using it from being told, repeatedly, at college by actual agronomists that it was harsh on the crop. I got the impression the 'harsh on the crop' thing was from when moddus first came out and people took the label rate at face value and did it...

 

[Flatlander]

Ben b. What a small would it is. I farmed land at aldermaston and then some closer to calne in Wiltshire. So newbury was almost home. I’m currently five minutes south of Winnipeg. Heavy red river clay that’s as flat as you could make it. Portage is an hour from here and we’d consider it lighter land by far. If you’ve been here for even a summer you’ll appreciate the massive swings in the weather that are possible. Some find it hard to believe without seeing it.i thought the uk could rain hard but seeing the amount of rain from one thunderstorm here it makes me wonder how early settlers ever coped growing crops. I used to test every year but found it fairly reliable to track phosphate levels with yield and extraction amount. N I base off if yields goals and previous crop and organic matter levels. Currently running in the 4-6 percent OM so expect 40- 60 units of N from mineralization. Still test every third year to keep a check on fertility levels.
Potash levels are naturally very high,sulphur and phosphate are generally adequate but I like to add 15 percent over previous crops removal.all crop residue is chopped and incorporated, volunteers after harvest are encouraged and treated as green manure. As for pgr I’m going to do some test strips I think. Recommend rate and then split app and see if I can find a sweet spot that is crop safe under local conditions. Were you with a chem retailer out here.

 

[Flat 10]

I don’t know what concentration moddus you have out there but I echo snarling bee only use 0.1 or quarter rate and then you can repeat if necessary.