Good evening,
Corn and soybean harvest was happening again with several farmers switching back to soybeans after recent rains. Now with today?s rains, things will need to be put on hold again for a while. I am hearing above average yields on corn and soybeans, but much of the later planted crops are still in the fields. Harvest progress is behind last year, but that can be expected with the planting season we had this spring. Fortunately, crop prices seem to be on an upswing, which may help producers with their outlook on this harvest season. With all of the activity in the fields this past weekend, I almost forgot that Halloween is coming up. I have attached an article written by Ed Lentz that might add some new agricultural knowledge to this familiar pumpkin carving holiday.
Final arrangements have been made for the upcoming Dairy Farm Bill program training. There will be an informational meeting for dairy producers about the 2014 Farm Bill to discuss options for participation in this program. This meeting will be jointly hosted by OSU Extension and Farm Service Agency and will be held November 6 at the Union County Services Building, 940 London Avenue in Marysville. The meeting will take place from 1:00-3:00 pm. The goal of the November 6 meeting is to help dairy farmers understand the details of this new voluntary program, and give them the tools they need to help make the decision of which options might be best for their operation. If you have specific questions about this new program, please be prepared to ask them at the meeting or contact our local Hardin County FSA Executive Director, Doug Dyer. Enrollment deadline for the new dairy MPP program is November 28, 2014. I have attached a Dairy Farm Bill USDA Fact Sheet, USDA letter, and OSU Extension letter to this email.
Margin Protection Program for Dairy Fact Sheet
This past evening, the Hardin County Master Gardeners met and the volunteers were recognized for their recent statewide awards received at the State Master Gardener Volunteer Conference. See the attached news release for more information about this group?s accomplishments this year. Saturday, November 1st the fairboard will be meeting at the fairgrounds office starting at 7:30 pm. Also, you will find some articles below that you may be interested in reading.
State Master Gardener Awards News Release
Mark
Harvest Delays Impact Corn Performance – Peter Thomison, Allen Geyer, Rich Minyo
According to the USDA/NASS ( http://www.nass.usda.gov/ ) as of Sunday, Oct. 19, 23% of Ohio?s corn was mature, compared to 30% for last year and 32% for the five-year average. Persistent rains have delayed corn harvest across the state and are not helping with field drying. Many growers are delaying harvest until grain moisture drops further. However, leaving corn to dry in the field exposes a crop to unfavorable weather conditions, as well as wildlife damage. A crop with weak plant integrity is more vulnerable to yield losses from stalk lodging and ear drop when weathering conditions occur. The widespread root lodging that occurred as a result of wind storms in July is contributing to this problem. Additional losses may occur when ear rots reduce grain quality and can lead to significant dockage when the grain is marketed. Some ear rots produce mycotoxins, which may cause major health problems if fed to livestock. Go to http://corn.osu.edu/newsletters/2014/2014-36/harvest-delays-impact-corn-performance to continue reading this article.
More on Fall Herbicides with Regard to the Enlist System – Mark Loux
The USEPA last week issued approval for Enlist Duo, the glyphosate-2,4-D premix for use in the Enlist corn and soybean system, in six states, including Ohio. The approval came with a number of conditions that set a new precedent really, and we will cover these in more detail later this fall. Dow informed us that they would provide more information in the near future about intentions for the scope of the 2015 launch of Enlist. They are still working on export clearances for some countries and as with most new things, availability will be limited initially anyway. We obviously have problems with herbicide resistance in Ohio, which have reduced the utility of some herbicide sites of action. Go to http://corn.osu.edu/newsletters/2014/2014-36/more-on-fall-herbicides-with-regard-to-the-enlist-system to continue reading this article on fall herbicides.
Potential for Corn Ear Rot and Mycotoxin Problems in Ohio – Pierce Paul
It is already the third week of October and most of the corn is still standing in the field. Some of the earlier-planted fields are being harvested, but at relatively high moisture levels. This is causing some concern among producers as to the potential for ear rot and mycotoxin problems. In fact, we have already received several samples of moldy ears from some fields, but so far the problem does not seem to be widespread, with only a few fields affected. Moreover, not every ear rot is associated with vomitoxin or other mycotoxin contamination of the grain. However, ear rots could potentially become more of a problem if it continues to rain and the corn remains in the field for an extended period. Go to http://corn.osu.edu/newsletters/2014/2014-36/potential-for-corn-ear-rot-and-mycotoxin-problems-in-ohio to continue reading about potential corn ear rot and Mycotoxin problems.
2014 Corn, Soybean, Wheat and Alfalfa Field Guide Available for Fall Evaluations – Harold Watters
With late crop development this year, we still have a lot of crops to check. One excellent tool is the Corn, Soybean, Wheat and Alfalfa Field Guide – updated and in a new format this year – will help with this chore. The Field Guide is available for sale on OSU Extension?s eStore, or may be ordered from any county Extension office as well. This link will take you to the store for the hard copy: ( http://estore.osu-extension.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=2845 ); the price is $12.50. Many use their droid, iPhone or iPad in the field for that there is a digital version available now too: ( http://estore.osu-extension.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=2841 ), for $10.00. Reasons to buy the Field Guide now: ear rots, stalk rots, soybean seed molds, insect identification (for those that are moving into your house), updated fertility recommendations, weed identification, yield estimates, and so much more.
EPA Finds No Benefit with Neonicotinoid Seed Treatments – Andy Michel
Last week, the EPA determined that there is no benefit from neonicotinoid seed treatments on soybean. There complete ruling can be read here ( http://www2.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2014-10/documents/benefits_of_neonicotinoid_seed_treatments_to_soybean_production_2.pdf ), and is based on an analysis of data published comparing treated and non-treated soybean. They conclude that ?Published data indicate that in most cases there is no difference in soybean yield when soybean seed was treated with neonicotinoids versus not receiving any insect control treatment.? Furthermore, they find that the seed treatments only last during the first 3 – 4 weeks after planting, which does not overlap with activity of the more important soybean pests. Go to http://corn.osu.edu/newsletters/2014/2014-36/epa-finds-no-benefit-with-neonicotinoid-seed-treatments to continue reading this article.
Mark A. Badertscher
Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator
OSU Extension Hardin County
1021 W. Lima Street, Suite 103, Kenton, OH 43326
419-674-2297 Office