Good evening,
Since the last Hardin County Agriculture and Natural Resources Update, I have been working with our new Water Quality Extension Associate Boden Fisher to help him with soil health sampling in four Hardin County fields. I would like to thank the cooperating farmers: Jeffry Billenstein, Austin Heil, John Krock, and Paul Ralston for providing soybean fields for this project. Boden has also been busy taking samples in Hancock and Putnam counties as he is responsible for working in a three county area. To read more about Boden and the goals of the Extension Water Quality Associate program, see the attached news release.
Boden Fisher
Water Quality Associate News Release
The Ohio State University has a new mission statement for Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension. It reads “Ohio State University Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources empowers Ohio’s agriculture and natural resources communities, provides outreach and education based on unbiased research, and cultivates relationships to strengthen the economic viability and quality of life for Ohioans.” Learn more about OSU ANR Extension from the attached infographics document which also includes facts about eFields, Beef Quality Assurance, fact sheets, Farm Bill, publications, Master Gardener Volunteers, CORN Newsletter, ANR videos, pesticide/fertilizer training and certification.
Hot and dry conditions continue to cover the area, as the latest Ohio Crop Weather report for July 6 rated most corn and soybean crops in good condition. Find out more information from this attached statewide report. Locally, corn leaves are rolling and soybeans are starting to bloom with slow growth. Rainfall reports coming in for June are showing low numbers for the townships in Hardin County. Farmers have harvested most of the wheat crop, started baling straw, hauling manure on wheat stubble, and are in the process of making the second cutting of hay. Join us tomorrow morning at 8:00 am for our monthly Virtual Ag Coffee Hour to give an update of the crop conditions in your neck of the woods. You can connect by clicking on https://osu.zoom.us/j/93671352897?pwd=SHBRcFNoRDZweTh3VEZmUFgzUWRTUT09 or by calling in at (312) 626-6799 with the Meeting ID: 936 7135 2897 and password 854633.
Western Bean Cutworm moth counts continue to be low with three more traps added near Mt. Victory, Foraker, and Jumbo. You can read more about this pest and the statewide monitoring in the article below along with other timely crop articles. If you still need to get your pesticide or fertilizer recertification completed for a license that expired on March 31, 2020 due to the pandemic, you can now access and do the recertification online at https://pested.osu.edu or continue to wait until we are permitted to hold a live make-up recertification class at the Extension office. In the meantime, stay cool and hope that we get some rain soon.
Mark
Western Bean Cutworm Numbers Remain Low Across Ohio – Amy Raudenbush
We are now in the second week of monitoring for Western bean cutworm (WBC) in Ohio. Similar to last week, WBC adult numbers remain low in all monitoring counties. Trap counts for the week of June 29 – July 5 resulted in a total of 56 WBC adults (0.67 average moths per trap). Overall, 26 counties monitored 84 traps across Ohio. No counties reported capturing more than 1 moth / day over the 7-day monitoring period; therefore, all counties currently remain below the recommended levels that indicate scouting for egg masses should begin. See a statewide map and other resources at https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2020-21/western-bean-cutworm-numbers-remain-low-across-ohio.
Double Crop Soybean Recommendations – Laura Lindsey
As small grains are harvested across the state, here are some management considerations for double-crop soybean production. Relative maturity (RM) has little effect on yield when soybeans are planted during the first three weeks of May. However, the effect of RM can be larger for late planting. When planting soybean late, the latest maturing variety that will reach physiological maturity before the first killing frost is recommended. This is to allow the soybean plants to grow vegetatively as long as possible to produce nodes where pods can form before vegetative growth is slowed due to flowering and pod formation. If you still plan to plant double crop soybean in this dry weather, go to https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2020-20/double-crop-soybean-recommendations for more information.
Corn Growth in Hot and Dry Conditions – Alexander Lindsey, Peter Thomison
In recent days we have been experiencing 90 degree F days with limited precipitation, and so we are starting to see some leaf rolling in corn. Some of this may be related to reductions in soil moisture, but may be related to restricted root systems as well. Depending on the stage of corn at the time of these conditions, different effects on yield may be expected. Corn ear development occurs throughout the growing season, and extreme temperature or moisture stress at different growth stages will decrease different aspects of grain yield. Read more about corn growth in these conditions at https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2020-21/corn-growth-hot-and-dry-conditions.
Drought Projections Do Not Go Well With Fungicide Applications – Anne Dorrance, Pierce Paul
Several calls this past week for fungicide applications on corn and soybean at all different growth stages. So let’s review what might be at stake here. In soybeans, frogeye leaf spot and white mold on susceptible varieties when the environment is favorable for disease easily pay the cost of application plus save yield losses. Let’s dig a bit deeper. Both of these diseases are caused by fungi but frogeye leaf spot is a polycyclic disease, meaning that multiple infections occur on new leaves through the season while white mold is monocyclic and the plant is really only susceptible during the flowering stage. Both of these diseases are also limited geographically in the state. White mold is favored in North East Ohio and down through the central region where fields are smaller and air flow can be an issue. Frogeye has been found on highly susceptible varieties south of 70, but it is moving a bit north so it is one that I am watching. Find out more regarding soybean and corn fungicide applications in hot and dry conditions at https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2020-21/drought-projections-do-not-go-well-fungicide-applications.
Mid-Season Weed Management in Soybeans – Hot, Dry Edition – Mark Loux
A few weed-related observations while we try to stay cool and hope for a day of rain or at least popup thunderstorms. One of the frequent questions during extended dry weather is – do I wait for rain before applying POST herbicides, or just go ahead and apply before the weeds get any larger and tougher to control. Our experience has been that it’s best to go ahead and apply when weeds are still small, even if it’s dry, and herbicides will usually do what they are supposed to. Letting them get larger without any sure forecast for rain can make for a tough situation that requires higher rates or a more injurious mix. On the other hand, waiting to apply can be fine if there is a good chance of rain within the next few days. It’s not always an easy decision. There’s more at https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2020-21/mid-season-weed-management-soybeans-%E2%80%93-hot-dry-edition.
Mark A. Badertscher
Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator
OSU Extension Hardin County
1021 W. Lima Street, Suite 103, Kenton, OH 43326
419-767-6037
hardin.osu.edu
