Good evening,
Today summer agribusiness intern Taylor McNamara and I had the opportunity to ride in the combine as wheat was being harvested that is inter-seeded in 15 inch rows with soybeans. While this is different than double cropping, it allows two crops to be harvested in one year from the same field. The wheat yield was running about 78 bushel per acre in this field with hopefully an additional good soybean crop, depending on whether or not we get rain when it is needed. I plan to have a Twilight Tour event at this field so others can learn more about this practice. Speaking of events, make sure you save the date of August 26 for this year’s Hardin Field Day. This year SWCD/NRCS, The Nature Conservancy, Findlay Implement/John Deere, and OSU Extension are teaming up with ODA and the Farm Bureau/Blanchard River Demonstration Farms Network to host this Conservation, Nutrient Management, and Water Quality field day. For more information about this year’s event, see the attached postcard.
POSTCARD-SAVE DATE TNC EVENT 2016
This week we did soybean population counts in the Soybean Population plot near Foraker. The populations turned out lower than expected, possibly because of some beans drowning out or not sprouting during the dry spell. If you have 15 inch rows, you can count the number of plants in 35 feet and multiply by 1000 to get your population per acre. If you have 30 inch rows, count the number of plants in 17.5 feet for this test. I had a question come in about European Corn Borer (ECB). Although we are early for this pest, the first brood is out there and has done some damage to area corn. If you see shot holes in leaves, tunneling in the leaf midrib, or frass (ECB droppings) near the whorl, this could very likely be ECB damage. Check for larvae boring holes in the stalk, 8-20 inches from the ground. These larvae will pupate into adult moths, and lay eggs in about 2-3 weeks. The second generation is the one that does the most damage to corn. See the attached ECB fact sheet for more information, especially if you did not plant traited corn so you will know what to look for.
While you are outside walking the edges of fields, ditches, and fencerows, keep an eye out for Poison Hemlock. There have been reports of this poisonous weed growing in the county as I have found it growing along these areas and roadsides. See the attached news article about precautions you need to take when people or livestock are exposed to this weed. Normally it doesn’t show up in areas that are sprayed or mowed. It resembles a large Wild Carrot or even a Giant Hogweed, and is often confused with Yellow Parsnip, which has yellow flowers instead of white flowers. I have attached a photo of Poison Hemlock to go along with the news article. There is a Pesticide Applicator Field Day coming up July 22 in Champaign County for anyone whose pesticide license expires in 2017 and beyond. This is a more hands-on format for renewing your license compared to the usual pesticide recertification meetings OSU Extension normally offers. See the attached flyer for more details and registration information if you are interested.
2016 Pesticide FD Champaign Co. Flyer
Have a nice weekend, and see the articles below for additional agronomy information.
Mark
Nutrient Value of Wheat Straw – Ed Lentz, Laura Lindsey
With wheat harvest underway and many people in Hardin County are baling straw; we often get questions about the nutrient value of straw. The nutrient value of wheat straw is influenced by several factors including weather, variety, and cultural practices. Thus, the most accurate values require sending a sample of the straw to an analytical laboratory. However, “book values” can be used to estimate the nutrient values of wheat straw. To determine the nutrient value in straw left in the field, go to http://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/nutrient-value-wheat-straw.
Five Tips to Reduce Spray Drift – Erdal Ozkan
Due to concerns for production costs, safety, and the environment, it is important to maximize the pesticide deposit on the target. One of the major problems challenging pesticide applicators is spray drift, which is defined as movement of pesticides by wind from the application site to an off-target site. Spray drift accounts for about half of all non-compliance cases investigated by the Ohio Department of Agriculture. Spray drift not only results in wasting expensive pesticides and pollution of the environment, it may damage non-target crops nearby, and poses a serious health risk to people living in areas where drift is occurring. To learn more about solving spray drift issues, go to http://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/five-tips-reduce-spray-drift.
Management for Red Clover Seed Production – Mark Sulc
Producing seed of forage species is not common in Ohio, because our climate is not as conducive to high yields of high quality seed of forages as in western and northwestern states. But each year around mid-July to early August I usually get a few questions about how best to produce red clover seed here in Ohio. Although seed produced by reputable seed dealers out west is of higher quality than what we can produce here in Ohio, there are a few management steps that will help improve the yield and quality of seed produced here in our region. To read more about red clover seed production, go to http://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/management-red-clover-seed-production.
Mid-season diseases – what are we watching out for? – Anne Dorrance
I’ve scouted a number of fields and driven by many acres in the past two weeks and the crop looks great. A bit behind in some areas, but soybeans can compensate fairly well. With that comes the question what do we need to watch out for next. Go to http://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2016-18/mid-season-diseases-%E2%80%93-what-are-we-watching-out to read about frogeye leaf spot, soybean rust, and brown spot.
Flooding and ponding injury to corn — “Muddied Corn” – Peter Thomison
Heavy rains during past weeks have resulted in flooding and ponding in Ohio corn fields. In some localized areas, this may have resulted in partial and complete immersion of corn plants, especially in low spots and in river bottoms and along streams. 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. On the positive side, most corn in Ohio was at a stage of growth less vulnerable to flood damage when it occurred. To finish reading about muddied corn, go to http://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/flooding-and-ponding-injury-corn-muddied-corn.
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