Month: April 2020

The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) of the CARES Act

In these uncertain economic times,it may be worth your time to check into this program.  It could help offset some farm labor costs.

 

Summary

The CARES Act authorized the Paycheck Protection Program to help small businesses keep employees and bring back employees that have been laid off due to the COVID-19 emergency.  The program is designed to help small businesses by providing 100% guaranteed loans from the SBA.  Loan amounts can be up to 2.5 times the business’s average monthly payroll costs with a maximum of $10 million.  In addition, the loan can be forgiven if payroll is maintained and loan proceeds are used for specified expenses and an appropriate percentage is used for payroll expense.

Farmers qualify under the program as self-employed individuals and sole proprietors.  Farmers with a considerable amount of hired labor (payroll) should especially evaluate if they meet all the eligibility and certification requirements.  Farmers with limited or no payroll may also qualify based on their net self-employment income.  However, lenders and others are waiting for additional guidance on how farmers and other self-employed individuals are to submit their applications and what will be the rules governing the definition  of “payroll” for determining loan amounts, loan proceed uses and determining the amount of loan forgiveness.

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Preemergence Herbicide Application Timings: Pros and Cons

Source: Bob Hartzler,  Integrated Crop Management News, and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

Preemergence herbicides are the foundation of herbicide-based weed management systems, and effective use of these products is essential to protect crop yields and reduce selection pressure for herbicide resistant weeds. In a perfect world, applying preemergence herbicides immediately after planting would provide the greatest likelihood of maximum performance, but equipment and labor availability limit many farms from using this approach. This article will provide a brief overview of the pros and cons of different application strategies.

Early preplant: Applications made more than 7 to 10 days prior to planting.
Pros Cons
  • Applications typically completed before summer annual weeds begin to germinate, thus increasing the likelihood of timely activation by rainfall.
  • May provide a weed-free seedbed at planting. In no-till systems, include a burndown product to control emerged winter annual and other weeds.
  • Application completed before planting, spreading workload.
  • Residual activity into the growing season is shorter than when product is applied near planting. Use of layered residual (including a residual with postemergence application) approach reduces this risk.
  • Final seedbed preparation tillage may ‘dilute’ the herbicide within the soil profile if tool is run too deep, and may result in uneven distribution of the herbicide.
  • Planter units may move herbicide out of the crop row, allowing weed escapes
  • If planting is delayed, much of the value of the herbicide may be lost.

Continue reading Preemergence Herbicide Application Timings: Pros and Cons →

Alfalfa Weevil – It’s Closer Than You Think

Green alfalfa weevil larvae (the main feeding stage) at various growth stages, and brown adults. Photo by Julie Peterson, University of Nebraska.

Though it seems like spring has been slow to come this year, we have actually accumulated enough degree days to see potential outbreaks of alfalfa weevil in some locations.  Ohio experienced its 5th warmest winter on record (1895-2020) and March temperatures averaged 2-8°F above average. Overwintered adults begin laying eggs when temperatures exceed 48°F.  Peak larval activity and feeding damage occurs between 325 and 575 heat units (based on accumulation of heat units from January 1 with a base of 48°F).  Current (Jan. 1 – Apr. 11, 2020) heating units range from near 100 in far northeastern Ohio, 100-200 across much of northern Ohio, and 200-300 units across much of central, southwest, and southeast Ohio. South central Ohio has currently eclipsed 300 units as evident at OSU South Centers in Piketon.

In short, now is the time to start scouting.  Alfalfa fields should be scouted weekly for weevils until at least the first harvest.  Don’t let your guard down with the recent turn to cooler weather! We’ve seen significant weevil infestations in past years when early warm weather pushed weevil development earlier than normal, followed by cooler weather later that slowed alfalfa growth. Continue reading Alfalfa Weevil – It’s Closer Than You Think →

Considerations for Planting Depth this Year

Source: Alexander Lindsey, K. Nemergut, Peter Thomison

Corn seed planted too shallow (left) and plant emerging normally (right). Photo credit: Alexander Lindsey

Timing corn emergence is key to minimize yield reductions, and can be more important for preserving yield than even seed spacing. When setting planting depth for corn this year, be sure to consider not just first emergence seen, but also how uniform the emergence is.

In work conducted from 2017-2019, we manipulated seeding depth to be approximately 1, 2, or 3” deep (current recommendations are for planting at 1.5-2 inches deep) in two conventionally tilled fields. One field had 2-3% organic matter, and the other had 4-5% organic matter. We tracked daily emergence in the plots, and measured stalk strength and yield at the end of the season. Across years and fields, shallow planting resulted in faster emergence of the first plants in each year. However, the seeds that didn’t emerge were more subject to moisture fluctuation and took more time to go from 10% emerged to 90% emerged. In the high organic matter field, planting at 1” depth resulted in a 6-day period to go from 10% emerged to 90% emerged compared to the 2” and 3” depths which took 4 or 3 days, respectively. In the lower organic matter field, emergence was much more uniform (within 3 days for all treatments). Temperatures above 86 F can dramatically reduce root elongation and seedling growth, and may help explain the differences between fields. There were more than 3 days on average during emergence where daily maximum soil temperatures exceeded 86 F at the 1” depth in the high organic matter field. Conversely, fewer than 2 days on average during emergence had maximum soil temperatures that exceeded 86 F on average at the 1” depth in the low organic matter field. Continue reading Considerations for Planting Depth this Year →

Dr. Wilson’s Daily Weather Update

13 April 2020: A batch of showers and a rumble of thunder are moving through the region this early morning. We will carry the chance of showers through about late-morning to midday with perhaps some sunshine by this afternoon. We do have a Wind Advisory in effect with gusts to about 40 mph expected. Temperatures will fall from early highs near 60 into the 40s by afternoon. A few clouds tonight with lows in the low 30s. A frosty start in places tomorrow, with partly to mostly cloudy skies and highs in the mid 40s.

We will likely start Wednesday in the upper 20s to low 30s again with showers possible during the afternoon and highs in the mid 40s. We will keep the cool temperatures around through the end of the week with weak glancing systems to bring the chance of a scattered shower or two.

Dr. Wilson’s Daily Weather Update

10 April 2020: Much cooler air has settled over the region now and is expected to stick around for a while. Mostly cloudy skies and breezy conditions are expected through the afternoon today with highs in the low to mid 40s. The NWS has issued a Freeze Warning for tonight with a few breaks in the clouds, winds diminishing, and lows in the upper 20s to low 30s. A frosty start tomorrow with increasing clouds ahead of our next storm. Highs tomorrow will be a bit warmer, in the low to mid 50s.

Periods of rain showers likely Sunday through Monday morning with highs on Sunday near 60; near 50 on Monday. Next week will be chilly with highs in the low to mid 40s and overnight lows in the upper 20s to low 30s.

The Effect of COVID-19 on the Farm Economy

It seems as if every night we hear on the nightly news how the COVID-19 pandemic is have devastating effects on the stock market.  But, how often have we heard about the devastating effects the pandemic is having on the farm economy?

The chart below is one I borrowed from Ben Brown’s update in the Farm Office – “Office Hours” which occur every Monday evening from 8 – 9:30 p.m.

January 21st was the date of the first reported case of the Corona Virus in the United States.

Futures Price Decrease:

Please keep our farmers in your thoughts and prayers.  These devastating price reductions will have huge negative impacts on our local farmers for many months to come.