May 19, 2016

Good evening,

It looks like the weather has turned and is finally going to allow farmers to resume planting corn and soybeans.  This past Friday I saw the first field of corn that I could row in the northern part of the county near Dola.  Yesterday I saw the first field of soybeans that I could row in the southern part of the county near Ridgeway.  Although it appeared that these fields had emerged a few days earlier, both had good stands.  Hopefully this will answer the question about the possible need for replanting, but that will probably be determined on a field by field basis.  The main thing to keep in mind about planting is to make sure the field is fit, or the crop could be stunted for most of the growing season.  I did a radio interview for Brownfield Ag News about this subject and the challenges facing crop producers in early May.  If you go to http://brownfieldagnews.com/2016/05/04/weather-creating-challenges-nw-ohio/ you can read the article and listen to the interview.

With the mild winter and early spring, wheat fields are further along and also are showing some signs of disease.  I scouted a field on Friday that had some leaf blotch infections.  You probably won’t notice infestations by looking at the outside of the field or by driving by 55 miles per hour.  Instead, walk the inner parts of the field being sure to check the lower leaves.  There are some diseases that will cause a 20-30% yield loss or more, so it is worth the time necessary to check your field.  South of Hardin County there have been reports of rust on wheat.  Check out the attached article written by Darke County Extension Educator Sam Custer.  It contains links to OSU Fact Sheets of what to look for while scouting.  In addition to leaf blotch and rust, powdery mildew is another disease that you should look for.  The treatment window is often very timely and fungicide treatments are not cheap.  Your best defense is growing varieties that have a good disease resistance package.

2016 Wheat Rust News Release

I have also attached the April 15-30 Rainfall Report Summary for Hardin County.  For the time period of April 15-30, Extension rainfall reporters recorded an average of 1.46 inches of rain in Hardin County.  Last year, the average rainfall for the same time period was 1.06 inches.  Rainfall for the April 15-30 time period is 0.55 inches less than the ten year average rainfall during the same dates.  I am sure that the May report will be much more interesting than April, given the amount of rain we experienced.  Have you heard about the Blanchard River Demonstration Farms?  There are two of these farms in Hardin County, one owned by Chris Kurt and the other by Bill and Shane Kellogg that are being spotlighted along with a farm in Hancock County to demonstrate standard and innovative conservation systems to reduce sediment and phosphorus entering the Western Basin of Lake Erie.  Although this initiative is being promoted by the Ohio Farm Bureau and USDA, much work and assistance has also been contributed by the Soil and Water Conservation District and The Nature Conservancy locally to design and install conservation practices that are highlighted on these farms.  See the attached document for more about these demonstration farms.

April 15-30 Rainfall Summary

Blanchard River Demonstration Farms Brochure

Be safe as you resume field work and if you need some informative agronomy articles, see the ones that I have included below.

 

Mark

 

The Big Data Confusion: Part 6 – Transparency and Consistency – John Fulton, Kaylee Port

“Transparency and Consistency” is this week’s principle covered for the installment of “The Big Data Confusion.” The Privacy and Security Principles for Farm Data states that: “ATPs shall notify farmers about the purposes for which they collect and use farm data. They should provide information about how farmers can contact the ATP with any inquiries or complaints, the types of third parties to which they disclose the data and the choices the ATP offers for limiting its use and disclosure. An ATP’s principles, policies and practices should be transparent and fully consistent with the terms and conditions in their legal contracts. An ATP will not change the customer’s contract without his or her agreement.”  To continue reading this article, go to http://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/big-data-confusion-part-6-%E2%80%93-transparency-and-consistency.

 

Lots of Fungicides to Choose From, but Choose Wisely – Pierce Paul

After more than 12 years of running my own wheat foliar fungicide efficacy trials here in Ohio, and analyzing data collected by my colleagues across the country, I have come to the conclusion that there is rarely ever a benefit to making more than one foliar fungicide applications to wheat in Ohio. In fact, even a single application may not be beneficial if the cultivar is resistant to the prevalent disease in your area or conditions are not favorable for disease development. So, if you have to make a single application, go with the one that is most likely to provide the greatest benefit in terms of disease control and return on your investment. For more information, go to http://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/lots-fungicides-choose-choose-wisely.

 

Armyworm and Cover Crops – Kelley Tilmon, Andy Michel

True armyworm (Pseudaletia unipuncta) overwinters in the southern U.S. and adult moths migrate northward in April and May.  Females lay eggs in grassy fields including rye cover crops, and the young caterpillars feed there, typically attacking corn from early may through June.  Corn planted into rye cover is at greater risk for early season armyworm feeding because the caterpillars may already be in the field and move to the corn after the rye is killed.  Armyworm can also move into corn from other fields such as wheat, in which case infestation usually occurs along field edges. To read more about Armyworm and Cover Crops, go to http://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2015-10/armyworm-and-cover-crops.

 

Heat Unit Accumulation and Corn Emergence – Peter Thomison

There have been reports of slow corn emergence in some areas and that corn planted more than three weeks ago is not yet emerging. Is this cause for concern? Not necessarily. Corn requires about 100 growing degrees days (GDDs) to emerge (emergence requirements can vary from 90 to 150 GDDs). To determine daily GDD accumulation, calculate the average daily temperature (high + low)/2 and subtract the base temperature which is 50 degrees F for corn. If the daily low temperature is above 50 degrees, and the high is 86 or less, then this calculation is performed using actual temperatures. If the low temperature is less than 50 degrees, use 50 degrees as the low in the formula.  To find out more about determining growing degree days, go to http://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2016-11/heat-unit-accumulation-and-corn-emergence.

 

Adjusting Corn Management Practices for a Late Start – Peter Thomison, Steve Culman

As of Sunday May 8, 30 percent of Ohio’s corn crop was planted, which is 14 percent behind last year and 5 percent behind the five-year average (https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Ohio/Publications/Crop_Progress_&_Condition/index.php). Weather forecasts indicate more rain this week possibly continuing through Thursday. As prospects for a timely start to spring planting diminish, especially in northern Ohio, growers need to reassess their planting strategies and consider adjustments. Since delayed planting reduces the yield potential of corn, the foremost attention should be given to management practices that will expedite crop establishment.  Go to http://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2016-11/adjusting-corn-management-practices-late-start for some suggestions and guidelines to consider in dealing with a late planting season.

 

The Ohio State University

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

hardin.osu.edu

 

 

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