From Across the Field – Biosecurity Basics 7/25/2019

A moderate cool down after last week’s heat was much needed across the region. Once temperature reach levels greater than 86F crop growth and development slows and water intake increases. In checking IPM insect traps this past week, it appears the Western Bean Cutworm moths are in or near peak flight. Trap counts ranged from 53 moths in Pleasant Township to 131 in Liberty. That said, from a pest management standpoint, damage risk is minimal as most of the corn in the county is yet to tassel. Corn that has tasseled should be scouted for egg masses. Continue reading

MFP Details Announced

Source: USDA

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released details of the 2019 Market Facilitation Program (MFP) payments announced by the Trump Administration in May. MPF will provide up to $14.5 billion to producers in up to three tranches starting with a first round of payments this August.

Payment rates vary by county from $15 to $150 per acre based on USDA’s calculated damages from tariffs in each individual county affected — most in the $50 to $75 range per acre, according to USDA. That single-county rate will be multiplied by a farm’s total planted acreage for all MFP-eligible crops in aggregate for 2019, not to exceed total 2018 plantings. The county rates for Ohio can be found here.  Continue reading

USDA Natural Disaster Designations Declaration Affects 40 Ohio Counties

Source: Ohio Ag Net (online)

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine is encouraging farmers in 40 Ohio counties to seek potential relief from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) following the USDA Secretarial disaster designation in their counties or contiguous counties due to rain, flooding, or other weather conditions.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, in letters dated July 25, 2019, designated several counties as primary natural disaster areas due to production losses caused by extreme weather events that occurred during the 2019 crop year. Continue reading

No Pigweed Left Behind – Late-Season Scouting for Palmer Amaranth and Waterhemp

By: Mark Loux, OSU Extension

If you don’t already have to deal with waterhemp or Palmer amaranth, you don’t want it.  Ask anyone who does.  Neither one of these weeds is easy to manage, and both can cause substantial increases in the cost of herbicide programs, which have to be constantly changed to account for the multiple resistance that will develop over time (not “can”, “will”).  The trend across the country is for Palmer and waterhemp to develop resistance to any new herbicide sites of action that are used in POST treatments within about three cycles of use.  Preventing new infestations of these weeds should be of high priority for Ohio growers. Continue reading

Late Summer Establishment of Perennial Forages

By: Rory Lewandowski, CCA, and Mark Sulc, Ohio State University Extension

We are quickly approaching the second good opportunity of the year for establishing perennial forage stands, which is in the month of August. Most of us were not able to establish forages this spring, and many existing stands were damaged by the winter followed by the heavy rainfall this year. It is time to make preparations and be ready to plant perennial forage stands in the next few weeks. Continue reading

Stink Bug Management In Non-Uniform Crop Stages

By: Kelley Tilmon and Andy Michel, Ohio State University Extension

With all the planting difficulties in 2019 there are soybeans in a much greater variety of growth stages than usual this summer. What does this mean for stink bug management? First, it means that different fields will be in the danger zone at different times. Stink bugs feed on developing pods and seeds, with the potential for damage beginning in R3 and R4-R5 being prime damage time, with damage potential still lingering in early R6. Continue reading

Noxious Weeds in Cover Crop Seed and Seed Germination

By: Alexander LindseyLaura LindseyMark LouxAnne DorranceStan SmithJohn Armstrong, Ohio State University Extension

Seed quality is key to establishing a good crop (or cover crop). Some of the critical components of seed quality are percent germination, mechanical analysis for purity (% other crops, % inert, and % weeds), and a listing of noxious weeds identified by scientific/common name and quantity found. As producers are looking for seed sources to provide living cover on acreage this year that was previously earmarked for corn or soybeans, it is important to pay attention to the quality. These tests may also be required on seed lots for use in some relief programs as well. Commercial or certified seed used for cover crops should have a seed tag that shows variety and the seed quality measurements above. However, if the seed is sourced from out of state, the noxious weeds listed (or NOT listed) on the tag by name may differ from those had the seed been sourced from Ohio. Continue reading

Delayed Corn Planting the Disease Risk in Corn

By: Pierce Paul, OSU Extension Plant Pathologist

Disease Risk. In Ohio, several foliar diseases are of greater concern in late-planted corn for a number of reasons, including: 1 – for diseases like gray leaf spot (GLS), northern corn leaf blight (NCLB), and eye spot that are caused by pathogens that overwinter in corn stubble, delayed planting allows more time for inoculum (spores) to buildup, especially in no-till, corn-on-corn fields and 2 – for diseases like common and southern rust that are caused by pathogens that do not overwinter in Ohio, planting late allows more time for spore for blow up from southern states. So, with late planting, not only are more spores likely to be available to infect the crop, they are also more likely to infect the crop at an earlier growth stage and under conditions that are more favorable for disease development. Let us use gray leaf spot as an example. Continue reading

Beef Herd Expansion Near End?

By: Chris Hurt, Department of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University

Looking back a decade or so, the high feed price era from 2007 to 2013 caused downsizing of the beef industry. Beef cow numbers reached a low in 2014 which resulted in record high finished cattle prices near $148 per live hundredweight in 2015. Record high calf prices then stimulated expansion of the breeding herd. As an example, Kentucky 500 to 550 pound calves were $236 per hundredweight in 2015.

From the low point in 2014, beef cow numbers have expanded by nine percent. Total cow numbers including dairy cows are up seven percent. Commercial beef production has increased by 11 percent a combination of seven percent more cows and a four percent increase in beef output per cow. Continue reading

Western Bean Cutworm: It’s Time to Scout for Egg Masses!

Results from week four of The Ohio State University Western bean cutworm (WBC) monitoring network has resulted in an increase of moths captured in the majority of Ohio counties; which means now is the time to get out and scout for egg masses.  Last week’s trap count included WBC adults captured from July 15 – July 21. A total of 26 counties monitored 79 traps across Ohio. Overall, trap counts increased, resulting in a total of 2001 WBC adults (287 total last week) and a statewide average of 25.3 moths/trap (up from 3.8 average last week) (Figure 1). A WBC statewide average of 25.3 is similar to what we observed in the WBC peak week in 2018 (25.1) (Figure 2).


Figure 1. Average Western bean cutworm adult per trap followed by total number of traps in the county in parentheses for week ending July 21, 2019
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