Good evening,
Today was the OSU Weed Science Day at Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) Western Branch in South Charleston. We were able to dodge the raindrops for the most part to hear about and see the corn and soybean plots to compare different weed control programs. Studies were done on both fall and spring burndowns, as well as pre and post emergence applications. Following the program, I dropped off nematode samples on campus in Columbus that were taken as a follow-up to a 2012 research project that was done near Ada. These samples were collected yesterday with the help of Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) Technician Mark Lowery, in the exact same locations as marked by GPS, and then were put in a cooler until their delivery to the lab. This study is to find out if tillage radishes might have a bio-fumigation effect on parasitic nematodes.
This has also been a productive time in the test plots locally, as I was also able to get out and take GreenSeeker crop sensor readings on the two Corn Response to Nitrogen plots near Dola and Alger. These vegetative bio-mass readings will enable us to study the effect of nitrogen application amounts applied, and hopefully gain some insight about how the nitrogen is or isn’t being utilized in the corn plants. A practical application of this technology is to predict the amount of needed fertilizer in a crop. However, this year with all of the rain, our readings will have extra variables that wouldn’t normally be seen. At this time, we don’t know exactly how much nitrogen is still in the soil because of slow root development brought about by wet conditions compared to how much has been lost from leaching. The plan is to do an additional GreenSeeker reading of the same rows later in the growth stages and follow that up with leaf samples for lab analysis of nutrients taken in by the corn.
Other field work has included the setting up of Western Bean Cutworm traps around the county to monitor the flight of the adult moth of this corn pest over the next 8 weeks. Last year, I only caught 5 moths the entire season with the four traps. However, many more were caught in other counties in the northwest corner of the state. Hopefully these pests won’t make it this far to Hardin County to become a problem in our area. In other programming, Integrated Pest Management Specialist Jim Jasinski and myself met with the local produce growers last night to teach them how to properly identify, monitor, trap, sample picked fruit, and manage the Spotted Wing Drosophila fruit fly. This is a new pest to the area in soft fruits such as blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, grapes and peaches.
There is a Twilight Tour program on Farm Solar Power scheduled for Thursday, July 16 at the Jerry McBride farm. This program will start at 7:00 pm and end at 8:30 pm. The address is 11312 County Road 60, Dola. Bring your lawn chair and find out about Jerry’s system and other real-life examples on Ohio farms. Learn how solar power helps farms and businesses seize control of electricity costs. Solar power basics information about replacing your purchased electricity with your own power you generate will also be discussed. Attendees will also find out about how you can “sell” your excess energy back to the utility. Sizing a solar power system to your needs will also be a topic along with information about the incentives, including tax credits, accelerated depreciation and USDA grants. I hope to see you there! See the attached flyer for more information.
Farm Solar Power Twilight Tour
Other upcoming events include Ag Council Friday, July 10 at Henry’s Restaurant starting at 7:00 am. Part of the sharing of information will be the results of the test plot Greenseeker readings and practical applications of this data. The Fairboard will meet Saturday, July 11 starting at 7:30 pm in the fair office at the fairgrounds. The Sheep Improvement Association will meet Tuesday, July 14 starting at 7:30 pm at the Extension office. On the way back from the OSU Weed Science Day today, I noticed several wheat fields that were harvested in Union County. The more wheat harvest is delayed, the greater risk for poor grain quality. See the attached news article about this subject as well as one I included about bedbugs that you will want to read especially if you are traveling or have kids moving in or out of apartments or dormitories. I have also included agronomy articles below that you may be interested in reading.
Mark
Saving Soybean Seed for Next Year – Laura Lindsey
Due to wet weather, a few farmers in northwest Ohio have not yet planted soybean. Can this soybean seed be saved and planted next year? Check with your seed dealer. Your seed dealer may have options available to return seed. Check with your seed dealer to see what your options are. Store seed in a climate and humidity controlled environment. High temperature and relative humidity increases the rate of seed deterioration. Test seed quality before planting. If seed is to be saved for next year’s planting, make sure to test the seed quality before planting. At minimum, the warm germination test is needed to adjust seeding rate. Go to http://corn.osu.edu/newsletters/2015/2015-18/saving-soybean-seed-for-next-year to read the entire article.
Prospects for “Muddied Corn” – Peter Thomison
During the past two weeks, flooding and ponding have occurred across Ohio, especially in river bottoms and along streams. In some localized areas, this may have resulted in partial and complete immersion of corn in nearby fields, especially in low spots. When water drains off these fields, plants may be covered to varying degrees with a layer of mud. Will corn plants covered by a layer of mud survive and can it perform normally? The layers of silty mud covering plants will limit or prevent leaf photosynthesis. Bacteria deposited in leaf whorls by flooding can result in disease and kill plants. Go to http://corn.osu.edu/newsletters/2015/2015-19/prospects-for-201cmuddied-corn201d to finish reading this article.
June Sets Rainfall Records for Many Parts of Ohio – Jim Noel
June will go down as forecast with it being a wetter and warmer than normal month. Most of the warmth came from moisture and clouds holding overnight lows being held up where daytime temperatures were close to normal. The outlook for July is for continued wetness for the first half of the month followed by drying in the second half. Temperatures will start cooler than normal but will turn back warmer than normal in the second half of July. Rain chances will continue daily or every other day into the first week of July. Go to http://corn.osu.edu/newsletters/2015/2015-19/june-sets-rainfall-records-for-many-parts-of-ohio to finish reading this article.
Scabby wheat grain? Increasing your Fan Speed May Help – Pierce Paul
Wheat harvest in now in progress and will continue over the next several days before and after the next showers. Early reports on grain quality indicate that a few fields may have moderate levels of scabby grain, and consequently could have vomitoxin contamination above thresholds set by grain buyers. The threshold set by the US Food and Drug Administration for harvested grain intended for animal and human consumption is 2 ppm, but elevators may accept grain with slightly higher levels, depending on how big of a problem we have and whether or not they can find clean grain to blend. Go to http://corn.osu.edu/newsletters/2015/2015-20/scabby-wheat-grain-increasing-your-fan-speed-may-help for more tips on dealing with scabby wheat during harvest.
Northwest Agronomy Day – Harold Watters
The Northwest Agricultural Research Station, 4240 Range Line Road, Custar, OH will hold its annual Field Crops Day on Thursday, July 30 from 9 – 11:30 A.M.
The Program will include presentations and opportunity for discussions on: Management of Soil Borne Diseases in Ohio, Results of Nine Year P and K Fertilization Study, Drought Tolerant Corn Hybrids: What Is the Fit for Northwest Ohio, and Methods to Test for and Agronomic Practices to Improve Soil Quality. Pesticide and CCA continuing education credits will be available. The Custar Ohio Station is 2.5 miles northeast of Hoytville at the corner of Oil Center and Range Line roads in Wood County. For more information contact farm manager Matt Davis at 419-257-2060, davis.1095@osu.edu or see the station website: www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/branches/branchinfo.asp?id=3.
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