By: Pierce Paul, OSU Extension
The head scab risk tool can be used to assess the risk of head scab and to help guide fungicide application decisions. Here are a few guidelines for using the system and interpret the output:
1.) Go to the website at www.wheatscab.psu.edu. You will see a map of the United States with some states in green, yellow, red, or gray.
Continue reading Using the Forecasting System to Assess the Risk of Head Scab
By: Pierce Paul, OSU Extension. Previously published in OSU Exension’s C.O.R.N. Newsletter
According to the FHB forecasting system, the risk for head scab continues to be low across the state of Ohio, for wheat flowering (or barley heading) today, May 18. In spite of the wet weather we have had, it has been very cold over the last week to 10 days. Cold temperatures between heading and flowering usually reduce the risk for scab, as the disease develops best under warm, wet, or humid conditions. However, you must continue to be vigilant as the crop in the northern half of the state approach heading and anthesis. If it continues to rain and stays wet and humid over the next few weeks, the risk for scab and vomitoxin will increase as the temperature increases. Be prepared to treat fields with Prosaro, Caramba, or Miravis Ace. Click on this link for more details on fungicide application for head scab control: https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2020-13/managing-head-scab-fungicides-qa
Continue reading Scab Risk Low, but Keep Your Eyes on Leaf Diseases
By: Alexander Lindsey, Laura Lindsey. OSU Extension. Originally published in OSU Extension C.O.R.N. Newsletter
In Ohio, between May 9 and 10, temperatures were as low as 26°F with some areas even receiving snow. The effect on corn and soybean depends on both temperature, duration of low temperature, and growth stage of the plant. The soil can provide some temperature buffering capacity, especially if soil is wet. Water is approximately 4x more resistant to temperature changes than air or dry soil, and thus will buffer the soil from experiencing large temperature changes as air temperatures drop. Deeper planted seeds may also be more resistant to large temperature swings. Continue reading Cold Weather Impact on Corn and Soybean
By: Laura Lindsey, Alexander Lindsey, Aaron Wilson. OSU Extension. Originally published in OSU Extension C.O.R.N. Newsletter.
Every year presents a different set of challenges for agricultural production across Ohio. Last year, northwest and west central Ohio could not escape the rain. This year, Ohio cannot seem to shake the chill. An unusual weather pattern set up across the Midwest and Northeast U.S. late last week and into the weekend that led to some snow in spots and record or near-record lows across the state (Figure 1). Overnight lows for a few locations in Ohio on Saturday May 9, 2020 include 26°F outside of Toledo, 27° in Lancaster and Youngstown, and 28°F in Dayton, Cincinnati, and New Philadelphia. Many areas spent more than eight hours below 32°F with about 4 hours spent below 30°F. Naturally, this would raise questions concerning potential wheat damage.
Figure 1. Daily overnight lows based on station observations for May 9-10, 2020. Figures generated at Midwest Regional Climate Center. Continue reading How Cold is Too Cold for Wheat at Feekes 8 and Feekes 10.5.1 Growth Stages?
By: Mark Loux, OSU Extension
Depending upon where you are in the state, it’s possible right now to be experiencing delays in getting anything done, progress in planting but delays in herbicide application, weather too dry to activate residual herbicides, and/or reduced burndown herbicide effectiveness on big weeds due to cold weather. What’s become a typical Ohio spring. Some information relative to questions that OSU Extension educators have passed on to us:
1. Residual herbicides and rainfall. Residual herbicides do vary in the relative amounts of rain needed for “activation”, or adequate movement into the soil to reach germinating seeds. Most growers are applying mixtures or premixes of several products, so we’re not sure these differences are as important as the overriding principle here. Residual herbicide treatments need to receive a half to one inch of rain within a week or so after tillage or an effective burndown treatment, to control weeds that can will start to emerge at that time. This varies with timing of application and weather. Continue reading Burndown and Residual Herbicide Issues
By: Kelley Tilmon, Aaron Wilson, Mark Sulc, Rory Lewandowski, CCA, Andy Michel
Peak alfalfa weevil feeding damage occurs between 325 and 575 heat units (based on accumulation of heat units from January 1 with a base of 48°F). Locations in red are there, and locations in orange are getting close. Now is the time for most alfalfa growers to step up their alfalfa weevil scouting. For more details on alfalfa weevil scouting and thresholds please see our April 13 article https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2020-09/alfalfa-weevil-%E2%80%93-it%E2%80%99s-closer-you-think
Accumulated growing degree days (base 48°F sine calculation method) for January 1-May 3*, 2020 at several CFAES Ag Weather System (https://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weather1/) locations and additional NOAA stations around Ohio. *Ashtabula through April 30
By: Pierce Paul, OSU Extension
The wheat crop in Ohio is now at or approaching Feekes 8 (flag leaf emergence), the growth stage at which we usually recommend fungicide application for foliar disease control. Conditions have been fairly cool and wet over the last 7 to 10 days, and will likely continue to be so over the next week, favoring the development of early-season diseases such as powdery mildew and Septoria. Septoria tritici leaf spot usually shows up first on the lower leaves as yellowish flecks that later develop into irregularly-shaped, brownish-gray lesions, with easily-seen dark-brown to black spots (called pycnidia) in the center. The disease is usually spread from the lower to the upper leaves by rain splash; so, if it rains and remain cool (50 to 68oC) over the next week or so, Septoria leaf spot will likely continue to spread.
Cool temperatures and high relative humidity are also required for the development of Powdery Mildew, another early-season disease that so is at very low levels so far this season. Typical symptoms of powdery mildew are whitish fungal growth (pustules) on the surface of leaves and stems. As soon as it begins to warm up, both Septoria and powdery mildew will become less of a concern, but continue to monitor your crop over the next several days. Remember, if the variety is susceptible and conditions become favorable, a fungicide can be applied to prevent the diseases from reaching the flag leaf (the upper-most leaf of the plant) before grain-fill. See the chart below for fungicide options and efficacy against common wheat diseases . Remember, always read and follow the labels.
By: Steve Culman, John Fulton, Jason Hartschuh, CCA, Elizabeth Hawkins, Eric Richer, CCA, OSU Extension
Improving soil health (SH) can provide a variety of benefits including improved water infiltration, increased water holding capacity, and increased nutrient availability. However, it can be challenging to quantify these benefits in the field.
In 2020, the eFields program is kicking off an effort to help better understand how management practices influence soil health and ultimately water quality. OSU Extension has worked to identify a few soil tests that can provide helpful indicators of improved soil health. Though several health tests exist, we focused on tests that are simple, economical, and repeatable. Continue reading Interested in Soil Health? Learn together with OSU Extension
By: Aaron Wilson, Greg LaBarge, CPAg/CCA, Elizabeth Hawkins, Sam Custer, OSU Extension
We are once again providing a soil temperature overview in the C.O.R.N. Newsletter through April-May 2020. The College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) Agricultural Research Stations located throughout the state have two- and four-inch soil temperatures monitored on an hourly basis.
Figure 1: Average daily air temperature (red), two-inch (green) and four-inch (blue) soil temperatures for spring 2020. Soil type and placement are provided for each location. Map of locations provided in the bottom right. Soil temperatures are minimum temperatures for Versailles and Xenia and daily average for other sites. Continue reading CFAES Ag Weather System Near-Surface Air and Soil Temperatures/Moisture
By: Jason Hartschuh and Elizabeth Hawkins, OSU Extension
If you are storing more grain on farm this spring than usual, you are not alone. Over the last few weeks, we have heard from more producers who are considering holding grain longer into summer months than they normal would. We have also heard a few reports of spoiled grain as producers fill April contracts. Carrying graining into summer has been done for many years successfully but requires much more intensive management than winter grain storage.
Key advice for long term grain storage