Soybeans Growth Stages and Soybean Aphid

Yesterday provided an opportunity to visit some soybean fields and check on growth stages and soybean aphid. The four fields I stopped at were all finished flowering and were in the R6 stage of growth. This is the full seed stage and where on pod on the 4 upper nodes has a seed filling the cavity. Soybean aphid counts were still less than 20 per plant but most all plants had aphids on them. It seems that we are getting to the point that soybean aphid will not be a problem for us in 2009.

Once we get into the R6 stage the plants can tolerate soybean aphid with less effect on yield. The last CORN Newsletter had an article which describe thoughts on higher level thresholds for soybean aphids in bean at these later stages.

The August crop report from USDA gives us the first glimpse of yield estimates for the 2009 crop. If yields for Ohio hold true given the number of acres and estimated yield of 165 bushels per acre Ohio is looking at it largest corn crop ever. The big difference over 2009 from 2008 is the weather with more wide spread and timely rains even with a later planted crop. Soybeans will be 11 bushels higher for the state than in 2008. Below is a snap shot of information on average yield from the report.

	2009 Yield		2008 Yield
Crop	Ohio	US	Ohio	US
Corn	165	159.5	135	153.9
Soybeans	47	41.7	36	39.6
Wheat	71	47.2	68	44.2

This does change the inputs for those who look at the ACRE program. Trend line yield for Ohio corn were 154 and soybean 44. Given the August 2009 yield estimates of the 2009 crop, it will take corn prices on a cash basis (US Marketing Year) of less than $3.40 per bushel and soybean prices of less than $8.95 to generate revenues less than the state guarantee. With good yield and good prices we can certainly live without an ACRE payment but these numbers give some idea of the prices that would trigger payment s for the state of Ohio given the current 2009 production estimates.

The Ohio only report can be found at NASS-Ohio if you would like to see the total US picture that can be found at NASS.

Crop Growth Stages are Behind 2008

During my travels this week, I got a good chance to observe crop growth stages. In 2008, this first week of August was also an observation point, so a comparison can be made between 2008 & 2009 growth stages for both soybeans (Table 1) and corn(Table 3) . The majority of the soybean crop is in the R3 stage which is beginning pod. Most of the corn crop is R1-R2 which is silking to blister.

You can see the GDD accumulation chart matches (Table 4) the expected growth stages for corn based off GDD accumulations. So as we progress through the season we can watch the GDD accumulation and predict corn development. Table 5 shows accumulation at OARDC NW Agricultural Research Station from April 1 and May 15 to August 4. We seem to be about 10 days to 2 weeks behind the 2008 growing season in crop development.

Table 1. Comparison of Soybean Stages for Fulton County in 2009 and 2008 During First Week of August (Numbers Represent Number of Fields at this growth stage).

Year	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6
2009	0	9	28	8	4	0
2008	0	1	5	11	15	10

Table 2. Soybean Reproductive Stages.

Stage		Description
R1	Beginning Bloom	One open flower at any node on the main stem.
R2	Full bloom	Open flower at one of the two uppermost nodes on the main stem with a fully developed leaf.
R3	Beginning Pod	Pod 3/16 inch (5 mm) long at one of four uppermost nodes on the main stem with a fully developed leaf.
R4	Full pod	Pod 3/4 inch (2 cm) long at one of the four uppermost nodes on the main stem with a fully developed leaf
R5	Beginning Seed	Seed 1/8 inch (3 mm) long in a pod at one of the four uppermost nodes on the main stem with a fully developed leaf.
R6	Full seed	Pod containing a green seed that fills the pod cavity at one of the four uppermost nodes on the main stem with a fully developed leaf.
R7	Beginning Maturity	One normal pod on the main stem that has reached its mature pod color.
R8	Full Maturity	Ninety-five percent of the pods that have reached their mature pod color. Five to 10 days away from 15% moisture.

Table 3. Comparison of Corn Stages for Fulton County in 2009 and 2008 During First Week of August ( Number Represent Number of Fields at that growth stage).

Year	RT	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5
2009	1	21	17	2	0	0
2008	0	1	6	21	7	1

Table 4. Corn Reproductive Stages.

Growth Stage	Description	Approx. GDDs	Cum.GDDs	Typical Calendar Date
VT	Tassel	60	1300	Jul 13
R1	Silking	60	1360	Jul 15
R2	Blister	300	1660	Jul 27
R3	Milk	200	1860	Aug 5
R4	Dough	140	2000	Aug 11
R5	Dent	300	2300	Aug 25
	1/2 Milkline	220	2520	Sep 5
R6	Black Layer	200	2720	Sep 17

Table 5. GDD Accumulations from April 1 or May 15 to August 4 of 2007, 2008 and 2009 at Northwest Agricultural Research Station, Custer, OH.

Time Period	2009	2008	2007
April 1-August 4	1921	1939	1968
May 15-August 4	1646	1691	1709

Soybean Aphids Increasing but Not So Fast

Monday and Tuesday afternoon were spent looking at soybean and corn fields along the route I have setup along County Road's B & L. Soybean aphids were an observation to be made in all soybean fields. Basically I do this not to scout a field for threshold information, but get out in the field away from the end rows and look for the presence of aphids.

The route this year has 52 soybean fields. On the 8/3 and 8/4 scouting, 26 fields had aphids and 26 did not have aphids. If you remember back to my last report on aphids on July 17th only 2 of the 52 fields had aphids in them. So aphids are now easier to find. I would not be surprised if you spent time in a field until you found aphids, that you would be able to find aphids in nearly every field.

From my stops the past couple of days though, we still are not close to threshold of 250 aphids per plant. I went to one of the fields that had aphids back on July 17th and population were just 3-4 per plant and only 30% of the plants had aphids on them which was not different than most other fields. Most fields had 3-6 plants out of 20 with aphids on them or 15-30% of the plants. Numbers of aphids per plant were less than 10. As always there was a field that did not fit the mold and had 18 out of 20 plants or 90% of the plants with aphids, but the average was just 15 per plant . This is a field I will go back to over the next couple of weeks.

From a growth stage standpoint, most soybeans are in the R3 growth stage where there is one 3/4 inch long pod at one of the 4 top nodes on the plant.

Western Bean Cutworm in NW Ohio

Since 2007 Ohio State University Extension has been monitoring the progression of Western Bean Cutworm moths as they move from the mid corn belt areas to the east. The first moth catch was in 2007 for Fulton County and the state. In 2008 we caught 13 moths in Fulton County and 105 in Northwestern Ohio. As of August 3rd we have caught 37 moths in Fulton County and 212 in the Northwest Ohio.

Western Bean Cutworm is an economic pest on corn in western states feeding on the ear and more specifically the grain on the developing and mature ear. This pest has a greater capacity to feed than our traditional corn earworm because multiple larvae survive in the case of Western Bean Cutworm versus one larvae per ear with corn earworm. A full description of WBC can be found in this fact sheet from Wisconsin.

We should not expect economic problems from this pest in 2009 but might see evidence of feeding which would be a first time for Ohio. The feeding of larvae on the ear is the most identifiable stage. If you are out in corn this year, whether it is sweet corn, popcorn or field corn and see holes through the husk and multiple worms feeding on the ear please call the extension office 419-337-9210 or send an e-mail to labarge.1@osu.edu. We want to confirm this activity so we can modify recommendations and future monitoring programs.

Dr Ron Hammond has produced a video on identification of injury from Western Bean Cutworm based on a visit to Michigan to observe the injury in 2008.

Pictures in this article are from a University of Nebraska posting on the web.

Wheat Performance Trials Now On-line

The 2009 Ohio Wheat Performance Trials are now available on-line. Sixty soft red winter wheat varieties were included in the trials. A summary of yields and summary of the closest site located in Wood County are below.

Yield information from all test sites.

Location	High Yield	Average Yield	Low Yield
Wood	93.7	85.3	76.9
Crawford	113.6	106.1	98.1
Darke	101.9	88.8	87.1
Wayne	107.7	95.7	83.9

Details from Wood County Site.

	Yield	Test Wt.	Lodging	Powdery Mildew	Head Scab
High	93.7	63.9	19	10	23.4
Average	85.3	61.1	2	6.4	12.6
Low	76.9	58.9	0	2.5	2.8

Full result of the 2009 Trials which can be sorted by different characteristics can be found on the Performance Trial Website. The site also has resistance rating of Ohio common diseases for varieties included in the test as rated by Ohio State University Plant Pathology staff.

Hail Damage Near the Fulton County Fairgrounds

With corn and soybeans in the critical reproductive stages rain is a four letter word we like to have often in the forecast. A four letter word we curse with rain is hail. That is what about a two square mile area between 16 and 17 from State Route 20A up through County Road K experienced on Tuesday evening. Crop injury at this point is an unwelcomed as it comes at the most vulnerable stage.

Below are tables on defoliation and yield loss for corn ( Table E) and soybeans (Table H) from the crop insurance adjuster book. The data charts are similar to other references that I have seen and shows a complete range of growth stages and yield loss.

New Technology for GMO Corn Approved will Reduce Insect Refuge Requirements

Monsanto and Dow AgroSciences announced on July 20 that they have received registration approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and are on track to commercialize SmartStax corn hybrids in 2010. This approval, or authorization, was also received in Canada. SmartStax hybrids contain eight transgenic traits - three for below ground insect control; three for above ground insect control, and two providing different types of herbicide resistance. The hybrids will express the following insecticidal proteins: Cry1F and Cry1A.105+Cry2Ab2 for European corn borer, black cutworm, fall armyworm, and western bean cutworm control, and Cry3Bb1 and Cry34/35Ab1 for corn rootworm control. SmartStax hybrids will also provide herbicide tolerance to glyphosate and glufosinate with the addition of the Roundup Ready 2 and Liberty Link genes. The approval will allow growers in the US Corn Belt who use the hybrids to reduce refuge size from 20% to 5%. The companies indicated they intend to introduce SmartStax hybrids across 3 to 4 million acres in 2010. Whether any will be available in Ohio is unknown at this time. Reprinted from the Crop Observation and Recommendation Network Newsletter

Corn Development and Temperature

Every thought about this year would say it has been cooler than normal. Our memory and perception can sometime be a bit cloudy when we start looking at the data. Yes the corn crop is behind last year, no doubt but the reason is planting date rather than Growing Degree Day (GDD) accumulations. A good data source that is convenient to use for GDD accumulation is the weather station at the Northwest Agricultural Research Branch the data base is easy to use. I looked at 2007, 2008 and 2009 GDD accumulation from April 1 to 7/26/09 and May 15 to 7/26/09.

GDD Accumulations from April 1 or May 15 to July 26 of 2007, 2008 and 2009 at Northwest Agricultural Research Station, Custer, OH.

Time Period	2009	2008	2007
April 1 to July 26	1717	1704	1744
May 15 to July 26	1445	1456	1482

Surprising is that GDD accumulations are very similar for the past three years given the same time period. Another good source of GDD accumulations is the Ohio Crop Weather Report which as of July 26th had Northwest Ohio only 102 GDD behind average since April 1. Really the big difference is planting date. We probably had 40-50% of the corn crop planted during the period May 15 to May 30 in this growing season.

A cool season has pros and cons that have been discussed in articles by both Dr Peter Thomison, Ohio State University Extension, Corn Specialist and Dr Bob Nielsen, Purdue Extension, Corn Specialist. Click on the specialist name to see their articles.

Basically the pro's of a cooler season are:
Good for pollination
Good for grain fill
Slow disease development

The con's are:
Slow development meaning wetter corn potentially at harvest
Silk balling where silks to not emerge from husk as normal affecting pollination

A warm late August and Early September would help in advancing corn to dry down and lower our drying bills.

How much does drainage mean to corn and soybean yields?

Drainage is our most common problem particularly in the spring and fall. You may ask yourself what does it mean to yields if I invest in tile? Bruce Clevenger, Ohio State University Extension Educator recently put together some data from the Northwest Agricultural Research Branch of OARDC. The data helps put some economics to the importance of drainage for us here locally. The soil type is Hoytville Silty Clay and the data goes back to the 1980's but the most recent years are shown here.

The data from 200-2008 shows a 7 bushel advantage to soybean and 43 bushel advantage to corn from drainage over un-drained plots. Star putting in some commodity prices to this shows how quickly returns can be seen from drainage. At 9 dollar beans or $3.50 per bushel corn returns of $63 to $150 per acre are worth a look at.

Worrying about Small Soybeans?

The following information was recently shared by Dr. Chad Lee, Associate Extension Professor, Grain Crops at the University of Kentucky. While most of our soybeans in northwest Ohio have closed rows, there are some fields that have not progressed to that point. In addition our soybean seems to match the description of development which is just a little behind normal and shorter which compares well to the situation in Kentucky. Dr Lee shares some thoughts on soybean development and if any sprays i.e. fertilizer, fungicide or insecticide can help soybean develop faster to reach canopy closure.

Some farmers are concerned that the smaller growth of soybeans could result in reduced yields. Some are questioning the use of foliar fertilizers and/or fungicides to help make up the difference.

Soybeans were planted late across most of the state. According to the latest Crop and Weather Report from NASS, soybean flowering is at 35%, behind the five-year average of 47%. Most farmers' "internal clock" says that soybeans should be larger by now. Most years, that is correct. This is not most years.

Some soybeans are getting to flowering (growth stage R1) and may be a little smaller than in previous years. The cooler temperatures combined with later planting dates will cause smaller plants. The smaller plants could be a concern if rows are not closed in shortly after flowering. If the soybean rows are closed, then height is less of an issue. As long as the rows are closed, tall plants do not automatically equal high soybean yields.

If the rows are not closed and the soybeans begin to flower, then yield potential is likely lost. As the soybeans move into pod development and the rows are not closed, yield potential is likely lost. If the soybeans get to seed fill and the rows are not closed, yield potential is lost. This brings us to the main question: will a foliar fertilizer or a foliar fungicide help? The short answer...probably not.

Fungicides will not improve the speed at which soybeans grow and will not help with canopy closure, in the absence of a disease. Fungicides will help soybeans retain leaves, if a disease is present in the field. However, the cooler night temperatures and the smaller soybean plants both contribute to less of a threat from diseases this season.

Foliar fertilizers will not compensate for lower temperatures. They will not increase the speed of growth, assuming P2O5 and K2O levels are adequate in the field. They will make the plants greener and that might make someone feel better.

If your, or your neighbor, is absolutely set on spraying something, then consider the foliar fertilizer. It will likely make the plants greener and it should cost a little less than the fungicide. Or, take that money you would have spent on the foliar product(s) and take a trip someplace warm. Someplace where you don't have to see the soybeans for a couple weeks. It just might make everyone happier, including your friends! For others, keeping that money in the bank may be the best stress reliever right now.

Bottom Line:
Small soybeans or late-planted soybeans that do not reach full canopy by flowering probably have lost some yield potential. Cooler temperatures also reduce the chances of soybeans reaching full canopy by flowering. In hindsight, the best management practice would have been to plant in 7.5-inch rows. The narrow rows would have improved the chances of getting complete canopy closure by flowering. Foliar fertilizers and fungicides will not make up the difference in temperatures, planting date or row spacing.

The July 20th Ohio Crop Weather Report from National Agricultural Statistics Service has 51% of the soybean crop blooming compared to a 2004-2008 average of 65%. The 2009 season is comparable to 2008 where 48% were in bloom. The percentage of the soybean crop setting pods are 6% in 2009 compared to an 2004-2008 average of 12% and 2008 number of 4%. So we are behind development wise from 5 year averages but comparable to 2008. Even though the development is similar to 2008, if we can keep the moisture coming, our yield outcome can be better for 2009.

Should I consider ACRE enrollment?

ACRE (Average Crop Revenue Enrollment) was offered as an option in the 2007 Farm Bill to the traditional Counter Cyclical Program we have grown accustomed to. Basically ACRE attempts to incorporate both price and yield into a state revenue guarantee for commodities grown in the US. For Ohio we are primarily concerned with corn, soybeans and wheat. The deadline to make the final selection ACRE as the program farmers participate in for the 2009 crop season is August 14th. With the trends that corn, soybean and wheat markets have taken in the past 6 weeks, a reevaluation of ACRE is in order.

As stated, ACRE incorporates price and yield. The state guaranteed revenue is a combination of the average marketing year national cash price for a two year period and state Olympic 5 year yields. For corn and beans the marketing year is September- August and wheat is June-May.

The chart has predicted state guarantees based on current information. Yields are set, but two year average marketing price have to run through September to be know for corn and soybeans. The state guarantee for wheat is known at $394 per acre.

State Revenue Guarantee for 2009 Crop and 2009 Estimated Trigger State Revenue. Note + equals estimates subject to change. Actual payments subject to meeting farm level trigger as well.

Crop	5 Year Olympic Yield (A)	2-Year Average Market Year Price (B)+	State Revenue Guarantee (A*B)*.90 +	2009 Yield +	2009 Marketing Year Price +	2009 State Revenue +	State ACRE Payment +
Corn	150	$4.13	$557	154	$3.43	$528	$29
Soybeans	46	$10.05	$416	45	$9.36	$421	$0
Wheat	66	$6.63	$394	75	$5.58	$419	$0

The question of how much will acre pay will not be known until late 2010 when State Revenue is known. The official number for state yield will be known next March when Ag Statistic Release their official numbers of yield. Market year price for 2009 corn and soybeans will be known September 30, 2010 and wheat will be known on May 31, 2010. The chart attempts to put some prices in based on current Chicago Board of Trade prices which have not been adjusted to cash price by accounting for basis.

It was easy to ignore ACRE when prices looked to be above $4.00 cash price for corn but as prices have fallen lower, another look before the signup deadline may be a wise move. The best thing will be to look at your farm and your numbers. A good tool to download and use for estimating what ACRE might offer versus the traditional programs for corn, soybean and wheat is the University of Illinois Fast Tools. This is one of several tools available for farmers to put their numbers into to compare programs.

For additional information Chris Bruynis, OSU Extension Educator, Wyandot Coutny has put together a informational sheet. Chris has done a number of programs and visited with farmers across Ohio on this decision. Click on this link to download Chris's thoughts.

Soybean Aphid Monitoring

Soybean aphid are difficult to find at this point but I have now found them in 2 fields. The finds are on just a couple of plants in the field, and infested plants have less than 15 aphids per plant. Reports from across the region (Illinois, Indiana and the rest of Ohio) have tended to find aphids but populations are generally not increasing quickly. Our problem locally, if it develops, will likely come from a northern flight of the winged aphid moving into the area rather than a buildup of populations already here. Populations are reaching threshold and some spraying has occurred in Ontario particularly the eastern part, on the other side of Lake Erie. A national reporting system called the IPM-PIPE site is a central reporting location for entomologist. A picture of the 7/17/09 reporting is to the left and you can click here to see the latest updates.

In the meantime, you may want to refresh your knowledge of scouting and management of soybean aphid. First, the threshold is the same as past years, rising populations of aphids that reach 250 aphids per plant when soybeans in R1-R5 stages. This threshold provides a 3-7 day window for application to protect yield. Second, for early season scouting, you will want to focus on the growing point and plus the first fully open trifoliate. Inspect 5 plants, in 20 locations across the field. For more information on soybean aphid along with pictures see OSU Entomology Factsheet 0037.
Another thing you may want to start identifying is bee hives located near your soybean fields. It is the soybean growers responsibility to protect against loss of bees during application.

Below are some specific recommendations for environmental and pesticide factors that will lessen the potential for injury to bees.

1) Drift of pesticide not only can injury non-target plants but bees or other insects located within the canopy of non-target plants. Follow all precautions related to drift such as wind speed, direction identifying risk potential of neighboring crops. Recently we have seen more fields with filter strips or other conservation areas along borders. Plants in these border areas may be in bloom and harboring foraging bees. Drift or spray overlay has the potential to cause injury to bees and should be considered in pesticide applications.

2) Timing of application can limit bee injury. Applications in the evening or early morning are generally best. Bees are less active at these times of the day. Other times when the blooms are less attractive and lower bee activity are acceptable as well.

3) Formulations of pesticides will make an impact on toxicity. Dust and wettable powders are more toxic than emulsifiable concentrates. Ultra low volume applications versus a regular application are generally more toxic. No repellents can be added to tank mixes that will keep bees away from treated areas.

4) Toxicity of pesticides can differ. Most pesticide have been tested with bees in laboratory settings. Keep in mind there can be differences in field results versus laboratory results due to environmental factors as well as the sensitivity difference in populations of bees.

A listing of registered apiaries can be obtained from the Ohio Department of Agriculture. The website is http://www.ohioagriculture.gov/plant/curr/ap/plnt-ap-index.stm. The list can be requested via e-mail to the address apiary@mail.agri.state.oh.us. More information can be found in CORN 2007-26.

NW Ohio Field Crops Day-7/30/09

The annual Field Crops Day at the Northwest Agricultural Research Station, Ohio Agricultural Research Development Center, OARDC is schedule for July 30 from 9:00 to 11:30. The field day is sponsored by OARDC and Ohio State University (OSU) Extension and is free and open to the public.

Topics included in this year’s field day include:

• “Production Economics: Budgeting Tools for Managing Input Costs and Determining Cash Rental Rates,” Barry Ward, agricultural economist, OSU Extension.

• “Field Crop Insect Concerns (Especially Soybean Aphids and Western Bean Cutworms) for 2009,” Ron Hammond, entomologist, OARDC and OSU Extension.

• “New Seed Technologies in Corn Production,” Peter Thomison, agronomist, OARDC and OSU Extension.

• “Nitrogen Management ­ ESN (Environmentally Stable Nitrogen) on Wheat and Other Crops,” Ed Lentz, OSU Extension educator, agriculture and natural resources.

The Northwest Agricultural Research Station at Hoytville is one of OARDC’s 10 outlying research facilities throughout the diverse agriculture landscape of the Buckeye state. Field days at the Hoytville branch involve wagon rides around the research farm. These events are excellent opportunities for farmers to meet and mingle with one another as well as OARDC researchers.

The station is located 2.5 miles northeast of Hoytville at the corner of Oil Center and Range Line roads. OARDC and OSU Extension are the research and outreach arms, respectively, of Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.

A copy of the flyer with details and direction to the station site are available by clicking here.

Cover Crops are an Option Worth Considering

The following article was put together by my collegue in Shelby County and wanted to share it with you here. Rogers and others in western central Ohio put together a similar report as we share.

Thinking Outside the Box on Cover Crops
By Roger Bender, OSU Extension, Shelby County, Agriculture & Natural Resources

Within the past week, we have had four inquiries about the seeding of cover crops after wheat harvest. Traditionally, many farmers have underseeded wheat or oats with red or sweet clover. With denser crop stands often choking out sometimes costly legume frost seedings, many crop producers gave up on the traditional approach. If that is your case, now is the time to prepare for planting cover crops after wheat or oats harvest this summer. Your local seed dealer may not stock brassica or pea seeds and need to make a special order. Control of summer annual weeds and volunteer wheat could be needed before planting these cover crops.

Cover crops offer many benefits to producers that increase farm profitability and environmental sustainability. Legume (peas and clovers) cover crops are typically used to produce homegrown nitrogen. Grass cover crops help increase soil organic matter, recycle excess nutrients, and reduce soil compaction. Brassica crops are grown to loosen the soil, recycle nutrients, and suppress weeds. Some other cover crops can suppress insects, disease, weeds, or attract beneficial insects. Therefore, cover crops should be considered an integral part of any farming system that wants to efficiently utilize nutrients, improve soil quality, and increase farm profitability, according to Alex Sundermeier, Ohio State University Extension Ag Agent in Woody County. Refer to this factsheet for more about cover crops: http://ohioline.osu.edu/sag-fact/pdf/0009.pdf.

Decisions on which cover crop to plant need to consider the following: Brassica Oilseed radish (see photo from fall 08 plots in Defiance County) has the ability to recycle soil nutrients, suppress weeds and pathogens, break up compaction, reduce soil erosion, and produce large amounts of biomass. Freezing temperatures of 20 to 25 degrees will kill oilseed radish, which allows for successful no-till spring planting of subsequent crops. As a fast growing, cool season cover crop, oilseed radish is best utilized when planted after small grain, early soybean or corn silage harvest. Excess nutrients in manure amended soil are rapidly absorbed by this cover crop, thus preventing leaching or runoff of nutrients into water systems. Without an abundant source of nitrogen, oilseed radish growth will be limited, therefore its use is recommended after a manure application. Refer to this factsheet for more information: http://ohioline.osu.edu/sag-fact/pdf/Oilseed_Radish.pdf.

Homegrown Nitrogen
The availability and amount of the nitrogen produced can vary widely depending on summer planted legume growth and nutrient content. Soybeans can be used as an economical cover crop but might contribute to a soybean cyst nematode problem. Cowpea is better adapted to hot, dry weather and will grow rapidly until a killing frost in the fall. Austrian Winter Pea is a legume that may or may not survive the winter when summer planted. If winter pea is planted in mid-September, fall growth will be limited but winter survival is improved, and spring growth will contribute nitrogen. Summer planted clovers usually do not establish well in hot, dry weather.

Crop Progress as of July 10, 2009

I spent some time on the road this week scouting fields along my route on County Road L and County Road B from east to west. Growth staging, populations counts, insect and disease were observations made on corn and soybean fields from Williams to Lucas County lines.

This is what I saw:

Soybeans stages range from v2 to R2. Many plants were showing flower buds but were not yet open, so in the next week we should be seeing many more plants move into R1 (Beginning Flowering). From an insect standpoint, I did find the first soybean aphids of the season near Fayette, but before you get two excited it was a spot in the field with 10-15 per plant on 20% of the plants and second spot in the field had no aphids. Also there were 50 other fields with no aphids to be found either. So we are very early in the development of this insect pest. Scouting the bud to the top fully expanded leaf would be the place to start. The threshold is a population building up to 250 aphids per plant. Other insects such as Japanese Beetle and Bean leaf beetle were hard to find as well. Diseases other than some brown spot were absent as well. The biggest observation is plants were finally starting to look good and canopy over.

From a population and row spacing standpoint on soybeans, this is what I saw:

2009 Soybean Row Sapcing and Plant Population Observations, Fulton County.

Number of fields	Row spacing (inch)	Population	Range
30	7.5	155000	90000-321000
13	15	130000	84000-188000
8	30	122500	96000-153000
Average	12.9	143250

Corn populations were 28,750 on average across 41 fields with a range of 24,000 to 36,000 plants per acre. No corn was yet in a reproductive stage. A couple of fields were in the V14 stage with one of those fields starting to show ear shoots. Growth stages ranged V5 to V14, but the majority was V10-V12. From an insect standpoint, I was finding European Corn Borer injury in 7 of 41 fields but the activity was less than 5% infestation and one borer per plant with one exception. The exception field had 40% infested plants and the larvae were an inch long. There was no evidence of disease on corn.

Wheat was starting to be harvested. Of 9 fields along the route, 2 were harvested; 2 had just been opened up and 5 were not yet touched. Moisture's are still above 16% in many fields and straw is tough in some locations, which is holding some back from making progress.

The obvious statement for the area is we could use a good drink of water. We are advancing towards the critical reproductive stages and there is some drought stressed crops out there both with sand ridges and some heavy clay soils. Hopefully rain will come tonight minus the bad things we get with thunderstorms.

Should I use a Fungicide on my Corn Crop?

Several different Universities have addressed this question in their latest newsletter and all come to the same conclusions. "Fungicides are a very profitable in corn production when diseases that are controlled by the fungicide is present to a susceptible hybrid."

This goes back to the disease triangle that governs whether disease increases to yield limiting levels. Basically three things, when they are in place, cause disease to quickly develop: 1) a susceptible variety /hybrid 2) the pathogen is present and 3) the environmental conditions are suitable. For example we are harvesting our wheat crop and this year we experienced very little head scab. Across the varieties we plant we had susceptible varieties, the head scab fungus was very likely around but the weather conditions were not prime, so we see virtually no scab. In fact for 2009 you could plug several wheat diseases into this picture, with the same result, little disease pressure for 2009 and a fairly clean crop.

The latest issue of Crop Observation and Recommendation Network (C.O.R.N.) Newsletter has yields results from Ohio research last year showed the following "The untreated checks ranged from 73.6 to 177.96 bu/A, with an average of 109.8 bu/A, whereas in fungicide-treated plots, yields ranged from 68.19 to 188.49 bu/A, with an average of 109.55 bu/A. In 12 of the 20 trials, treated plots had numerically higher yields than the checks, however, the yield difference varied considerable from trial to trial. Yield differences between treated and untreated plots (treated minus untreated) ranged from -16.70 to 10.53 bu/A across all 20 trials, with an average difference of -0.28 bu/A. Similar fungicide trials were conducted by university researchers across the Corn Belt, with similar results. Depending on the fungicide, average yield differences between treated and non-treated were between -1.2 and 4 bu/A when foliar disease severity was less than 5% and between 1.6 and 10 bu/A when severity was greater than 5%."

Currently the corn crop does not have a diseases of note. In fact as of my latest scouting I did not see anything at all.

The University of Illinois crop newsletter The Bulletin and Kentucky Corn and Soybean Newsletter also have an article in their edition's this week.

Collection Days for Old Pesticide from the Farm Announced by ODA

The Ohio Department of Agriculture has announced the dates and locations for the Farm Pesticide Collection Program. This pesticide collection service is free of charge for local farmers to properly dispose of unused farm chemicals. The program is for farm pesticides ONLY. No household or non-farm pesticides or chemicals such as paint, antifreeze or solvents will be accepted. No pesticides will be accepted from commercial companies.

The 2009 dates and locations are:

Clark County
August 12, 10:30 - 2:30
Clark County Fairgrounds
4401 S. Charleston Pike
Springfield, OH 45502

Huron County
September 9, 10:30 - 2:30
Transfer Station
2413 Townline Road 131
Williard, OH 44890

Noble County
September 15, 10:30 - 2:30
Noble County Fairgrounds
Caldwell, OH 43724

All collections will run from 10:30 A.M. to 2:30 P.M. For more information, contact Ohio Department of Agriculture, Pesticide Regulation Section, (800) 282-1955, ext. 31

The disposal is only for farm pesticides and not for commercial companies or homeowners. Information is also on the Pesticide Safety Education Program website at: http://pested.osu.edu/pesticidecollection.htm

Wheat Harvest in Full Swing

On July 7th wheat harvest was in full swing south of the river in Henry and Wood County. About 20% of the acres had been harvested but combines were running full tilt. Bruce Clevenger, OSU Extension in Defiance County also indicated harvest was underway there as well. The Northwest Agricultural Research Station, OARDC completed their harvest of experimental plots on July 7. Yields were in the 80-100 bushel range. Test weight were in the 61 bushel area and moisture was around 14.5%. Wheat harvest in northern Henry and Fulton County was also underway as of July 8th.

Yield ranges from farm reports so far are in the 70 to a high of 115 bushels per acre range.

Price on the Downhill Slide

From planting through late April through mid June prices took a steady upward path to around $4.70 for '09 corn and $10.90 for '09 soybeans on the Chicago Board of Trade futures prices. Since mid June prices have been lower with the steapest declines in the 09 corn price to $3.47 near what prices were back in late December 08. Below are charts from the CBOT for the December corn and November soybeans. For landlords and other market observers this decline may have been unnoticed but will certainly be felt for those who do not have these two grains forward priced.

Oats after Wheat for Forage

We have seen feed prices increase over the past several years as grain production and forage production compete for acres. On way to increase forage production is to double up on acres and one recommendation that has been productive is planting oats after wheat harvest. OSU Extension Program Assistant, in Fairfield County Stan Smith has worked on this project over the past seven years and has found results of a early August planting resulting in 2-5 tons and pretty consistent 3 plus tons of dry matter. There is a need for a little bit of nitrogen fertilizer 40-50 pounds, a glyphosate application to knock down weeds and 80-100 pounds of seed oats.

The latest issue of the Beef Cattle Newsletter has a nice article summarizing what Stan has found works best and links to additional information on their work from the past seven years. A few folks have used the practice up this way and generally found it to be a practice worth considering.

Below are a couple photo's from Fairfield County and summer sowed oats.

Soybean Aphid Update as of 6/30/09

The every other year appearance of soybean aphid levels that reach thresholds levels of 250 aphid aphid per plant would be expected in 2009 if history is a guide. The reality is that since 2005 when a high percentage of soybean acres were sprayed we have not seen much of this insect. 2007 was a complete bust due to a April freeze. The question of how bad a year this year will be is still open.

Some area of Ohio and the midwest have found high levels of soybean aphid already on some of the first planted fields. Trumbull and Wayne County (NE Ohio) plus Sandusky have reports of finding low levels of soybean aphid.

I scouted three of the early fields today in Fulton County (these fields were emerged in the Ve stage on 5/16/09) which were V5-R1 stage. I was unable to find any aphid activity on any of the plants. Keep in mind the look alike insect that can be confused with soybean aphid. One field did have an active population of potato leafhopper. The difference between leafhopper and aphid is easily seen with the activity of the insect. Aphid will not move at all while the leafhopper will skate quickly across the leaf when disturbed.

I will continue to scout and let you if we see any development of soybean aphid.

An excellent article highlighting the status of soybean aphid can be found in the 2009-20 issue of the C.O.R.N. newsletter.

Soybean Rust Appears Ready to Repeat History in 2009

Soybean Rust has been a threat lurking in the background of our soybean production seasons since it discovery in the US in November of 2004. SBR's overwintering location in the southern US and the biology of the disease have not come together to threaten the main soybean production areas of the midwest during the growing season. The 2009 season appears to be following the pattern of past growing season-soybean rust is in the south in isolated areas and development is slow enough that we are not concerned in Northwest Ohio. Shown are observation map from June 25, 2008 and 2009. The 2009 map shows more counties with observations of soybean rust as compared to 2008 but the progression has slowed as the weather has dried. This is good news in that the threat of soybean rust is not any greater than historically for 2009.

For more information on SBR see the Ohio State University Soybean Rust website or the SBR PIPE website for US observation information.

Rainfall varies across area

Rainfall varied across Northwestern Ohio from around an inch to over 4 inches from Friday and Saturday night rains based on local reports. The table below shows weather site data available on 6/22. To date we have accumulated 945 GDD since April 1.

Location	Rainfall 6/19-6/20	GDD since 4/1/09
Wauseon	2.31	-
Napoleon	-	-
Montpieler	1.96	-
Toledo Express	2.75	-
Northwest Ag Research Station	2.16	945

Size Matters with Yield Loss from Weeds

Yield losses from competing weeds is a matter of timing and size. Weeds that emerge with the crop are most competitive because the weeds tend to grow faster than the crop they are planted in. This is very true for Giant Ragweed. Picture 1 shows a 8 inch weed in a soybean field. Picture 2 shows a 15 inch weed in the same soybean field. The 8 inch weed has already reduced yield by 5-6% and the 15 inch has reduced yield by 10% plus even when they are removed at this stage based on research from across the midwest. Put a priority on weed control in these fields over the next few days.

Wheat Head Scab-Early Reports Indicate Low Year

Early report from southern Ohio found low levels of head scab in wheat. (See Crop Observation and Recommendation Network Newsletter 2009-18). Early scouting from Northwest Ohio are showing the same. Report from Putnam and VanWert indicate levels less than 3%. Scouting two Fulton County fields yield a 0% rating. One field had a few scattered heads that did not show up in random survey stops and the second field was a true zero with not any scabby heads seen. I will be scouting a few more fields next week.

As far as any other diseases the first field was very clean. The second field did show have some rust and also a physiological burn on the flag leaf. The lower canopy of the field also had stagnospora lesion but this never progressed to the flag leaf.

Replanting Soybeans

Soybean emergence has less than desirable in some areas of fields. Wetter areas or soils with higher clay content and cool conditions have been responsible for thin stands. Much of the replanting going on at this point is the no-brainer type of decision,if there are no plants there is no yield potential. Areas that have stands become somewhat questionable as to whether we patch in or take what we have.

Generally if we have 75,000 plants per acre we can expect near maximum yields. For a 30 inch row we need 5 plants per foot of row, 15 inch rows we need 3 plants per foot, 10 inch rows need 2 plants per foot and 7 inch rows 1 plant per foot to meet this threshold plant number. These type of stands will not suffer yield losses, but weed control maybe more of a challenge which will be a problem for most fields this year given the calendar date and sizes of plants.

Stand of less than 50,000 start to loss 5-7 bushels per acre. While this loss is real it is also a given teat soybeans planted in mid June to early July will not have as great a yield potential as earlier planting dates. So likely the decision to replant even stands at 50,000 is a wash economically.

A couple of good references on the soybean replant decision can be found from Iowa State University and Purdue University for further reading.

How fast does corn grow?

With corn sidedressing just beginning and several days of wet weather for the week some may become concerned about getting the job done before the corn is too tall. In survey's late last week most of the corn was just emerging to V2-3. If we use the leaf collar method of describing corn growth we would like to be done before we hit the V6-7 stage.

Dr Nielsen from Purdue University has a guide for how many growing degree days it takes to advance the crop on collar stage. It takes approximately 82 GDD to grow a leaf collar. For the week of May 25 to 31 we averaged 15 GDD per day. In this case we will advance a growth stage every 5.5 days.

The other fact working for a longer sidedress period in 2009 will be that generally later planted crops do not have as much height to them. So a v6 in 2009 will be shorter than the same stage in an earlier planted year like 2008. We should expect a longer access period to get nitrogen on crops this year.

Do higher corn prices justify more nitrogen?

With rising grain prices and rain keeping us out of the fields it may be worthwhile to take a look at nitrogen rates for 2009. The table shows various nitrogen cost and $4.50 per bushel corn to calculate the maximum return to nitrogen application. Rates that approach 180 seem to be in the ballpark except with nitrogen above 50 cents per unit.

The nitrogen rate calculator for Ohio can be found at: http://agcrops.osu.edu/fertility/documents/New_Nitrogen_Recommendations_2009_new.xls

Crop Progress as of 5/29

I took the usual route along County Road L and County Road B on Friday in Fulton County. As suspected, since 5/19 a lot of progress in planting was made. Corn was planted in 39 fields and were 100% emerged, 38 soybean fields with 50% emerged and 10 fields were not planted. Generally emergence in these fields is excellent. Even a couple of fields with crusted soils on 5/19 have good stands. Corn planting is nearly complete and soybean planting is 98% completed for the county.

There are 10 wheat fields and the growth stage was generally in growth stage 10.5 (flowering) with 1 field at 10.1 (just prior to flowering). While head scab would seem to be a concern, the head scab model shows a low potential for head scab http://www.wheatscab.psu.edu/riskTool_2009.html.

Rainfall Benefits Area

After a good stretch of weather from May 17 until the 26 allowed a lot of planting progress to occur. I will be traveling through the west half of the county this afternoon to get a better idea of progress that has been made in this area which had been unable to make much progress as of the 19th.

Rainfall for the 27th and 28th seems to have varied a great deal across the area. Local reporting station saw the following amounts:

Wauseon 1.54 inches
Napoleon 1.00 inches
Montpilier 2.28 inches
Defiance (missing data)
OARDC NW Ag Research Station .55 inches
Toledo Airport 1.00 inches

Local reports have been in the 1 to 2.5 inch rangewhicxh included Pettisville and Delta in the 2 inch range. So the heavy showers were spotty.

The rainfall should help fields that were crusted over and improve emergence. The rains generally came measured out so that little standing water was seen.

Planting Progress Update

Yesterday afternoon I traveled the route I have been using to monitor crop progress the past 2 years that runs the width of the county using Road B and L. I have fields in every mile that I stop at to make observations. Yesterday I was primarily concerned with planting progress and emergence. The Table below shows observations from yesterday and also compares to the planted crop for 2008.

The area of the county west of 108 has areas with very little planting. Some tillage was happening yesterday but soils were still wet. Hopefully the next day or two will change that condition dramatically.

Corn progress has been made and based on yesterday I would suspect we are 55-65 % completed on corn planting. About 50% of corn has emerged with stands looking good. In a couple of area surface hardness maybe a problem with emergence of corn planted in the last week.

Soybeans are really just off to a good start are we are in the 10 -20% planted range. Emergence is just a couple percent but stands looked good here as well. There was a field with surface compaction that could be a problem with emergence.

Wheat is entering the Growth Stage 10 or the boot stage. The crop is "clean and green". I could really find no evidence of disease or insect in the crop.

Hopefully Mother Nature will spare us rain into late next week and we can get planting knocked out soon.

Did Freezing Temps Affect Wheat?

The cold temperatures on the morning of May 18 have a some questioning whether there will be any effect on the wheat crop. Based on reports from area weather station the lowest recorded temperature was 34 for Toledo, 35 for Wauseon, 36 at OARDC NW Ag Research Station and 37 for Napoleon,& Defiance. The coldest temps lasted for about 1 hour based on hour by hour data from OARDC NW Ag Research Station. The current CORN Newsletter address wheat development and cold temperatures. Based on this information it would seem we have little concern of injury in wheat from the cold temperatures Monday morning.

Air temperatures dropped to an average of about 35 degrees on at least two nights over the past week. Understandably, some wheat producers are concerned that these relatively low temperatures may have caused some damage to their crop. Thirty-five degrees is really not a problem, however, we do not know what temperatures the wheat head actually experienced. We will have to see what happens over the next few days. At our current growth stage, between Feekes 9 and 10, in northern counties and between heading and flowering in southern Ohio, the yield effect of frost can range from moderate to very severe if temperatures drop to 24 - 28 F for two or more hours. It all depends on the variety, the growth stage, how cold it was, and the length of time plants were exposed to the cold temperatures. The amount of damage is a function of both time of exposure and the temperature, but no one has any numbers that we know of. We just don't know. For example, 28 degrees for 30 minutes may be as bad as 31 degrees for a long period.

Freezing temperatures between boot and flowering may cause spikes to be trapped in boot, leaf discoloration, floret sterility, and damage to the lower stems. The damage tends to be most severe with the greatest yield impact between heading and flowering. The head has some protection from cold temperatures until it emerges, but is easily damaged after emergence. Sterility and stem damage may lead to yield loss, however, since it is highly unlikely that all the plants in a field were at the same growth stage and were equally exposed to temperatures below 30 F, the overall damage may be minimal and restricted to low areas of the field. At most there may be some leaf tip burn on more sensitive varieties. Wheat is a winter crop and can tolerate cold temperatures.

The visual symptoms of frost injury to the heads appear as bleached glumes (and can be confused with scab or take-all). Additionally, freeze damaged florets appeared to be lighter green in color than unaffected florets on the heads. Remember, you can not detect damaged fields from the roadway; you will need to walk the field and inspect individual heads to see if there is any damage.

Cereal Leaf Beetle

I have not had specific reports but cereal leaf beetle seems to be more prevalent the past few years and something you may not have seen. The following information appeared in the last issue of Crop Observation and Recommendation Network Newsletter.

Reports of the insect being more active than usual in lower central Michigan and other locations in northern Ohio. All of this suggests that wheat growers should begin scouting their fields for potential problems.

Of more importance is the cereal leaf beetle threshold. Ohio has historically used an average of 2 or more larvae per stem as the economic threshold, the time when an insecticide application should be considered. This has been in effect for the past 30-40 years, during which the cereal leaf beetle has not been a major concern. We have recently searched the literature on cereal leaf beetle thresholds on wheat from many wheat growing states, including some of our neighboring states. It became evident that our threshold is perhaps too high; most if not all the other states have a lower threshold of one larva per stem or flag leaf. Thus, we believe it appropriate to lower the threshold for cereal leaf beetle in Ohio to one larva per stem or flag leaf.

As mentioned last week, insecticides for control are available at http://entomology.osu.edu/ag/images/sgiclb.pdf . And for organic growers, remember that Entrust is a spinosad product that is permissible on organic crops, being that it is OMRI listed.

Planting Progress

Frequent rains have put spring planting behind. Ohio Agriculture Statistics reports spring planting of corn through May 10 was at 22% in 2009 compared to 47% in 2008 and soybeans were 13% and 19% respectively. Locally as of May 12, we have about 30 to 35% of the corn and maybe up to 10-15 % of the soybean crop in the ground. In 2008 we had a couple week period that allowed many folks to complete their corn planting in April.

We have missed some rains and with some well drained field, planters were working over the weekend. While a week ago we were behind some southern areas of Ohio we have caught up over the past week,” said Greg LaBarge, Extension Educator, Ohio State University Extension.

Soil temperature conditions have been cool but not necessarily more so than in 2008. At the Northwest Agriculture Research Station of OARDC 2 inch soil temperatures for the first 10 days of May were 57.5 degrees in 2009 and 57.9 degrees in 2008.

Wheat Scouting Report 5/8/09

Late last week I scouted wheat in the southeast portion of Fulton County. The wheat growth stage is near growth stage 9 in two fields and generally 8-9 would catch the majority of fields.

From an insect standpoint there were just a few aphids at 1 per foot of row would be the average on 2 of 5 fields.

Disease was not present. Powdery mildew was non existent and no signs of any other diseases as well.

Timely tips for late 2009 corn and soybean planting

There is nothing more important at this point in time than to focus on planting. The most recent Crop Observation and Recommendation Network (C.O.R.N.) Newsletter has articles on weed control and planting corn and soybeans that will be valuable in knowing what to focus on in late planting and maybe some steps to skip to increase your efficiency as the weather breaks. The highlights are:

Corn-

1. Skip P & K Starter on high soil testing soils above 40 ppm P or with conventional tillage between 20-40 ppm P.
   
2. If No-tilling then use starter when soil test are between 20-40 ppm.
3. Apply 30 pound N banded or broadcast in cool wet soils.
4. Minimize tillage passes.
5. Do not worry about hybrid changes until after May 20 planting long season hybrids first.
6. Seed rates that were higher for early planting can be reduced to normal to account for warmer soils.

Soybeans

1. Soybeans planted later in the season benefit more from narrow rows since vegetative growth will be limited.
2. Make sure seed placement is controlled. In other words keep travel speeds reasonable to assure good seed placement.

Weed Control

1. A later start means larger weeds that maybe beyond what tillage will get so use glyphosate prior to planting as a burndown. More detail can be found in this article from Mark Loux.
2. If you want to eliminate 2,4-D from the burndown for soybeans to meet label restrictions on planting then the most comprehensive burndown in soybeans is likely to occur with a mixture of glyphosate and a chlorimuron-containing product (Canopy, Valor XLT, Synchrony, Envive). Next best would be a mixture of glyphosate with a cloransulam-containing product (Firstrate, Sonic, Gangster, Authority First), which can be more effective on marestail and ragweeds than mixtures of chlorimuron and glyphosate, but may be less effective on most other no-till weeds. A full article can be found here.
   

ODA Approves Simplified Private Applicator Pesticide Recordkeeping Rules

The new ODA rules on private recordkeeping have been finalized and are posted on the Ohio Department of Agriculture's website at: http://www.agri.ohio.gov/apps/odaprs/pestfert-PRS-index.aspx

The new record changes are simplifications of the previous recordkeeping requirements and should make recordkeeping easier for growers. Previously, Ohio growers had to keep more items than federal law and many other states required. For private applicators, the items now required are the same as the federal recordkeeping requirements and will be consistent with many other state requirements. Growers using the old recordkeeping requirements, are NOT out of compliance--they will just be keeping more items than are now required. Below are the new requirements.

Private applicator restricted use records must be kept for three years and must include:

(a) The responsible private applicator's name and license number
(b) The brand or product name and EPA registration number of the restricted use pesticide applied
(c) The total amount of the restricted use pesticide applied
(d) Location and/or field number for area treated and total area or acreage treated
(e) Crop treated
(f) Month, day and year of application

Note: Under the new rules, if a grower applies either a general use or restricted use pesticide for a neighbor under the neighbor exemption (Revised Code 921.26 (D)) he/she must record this information for all applications.

However, we always recommend that growers keep records of all their pesticide applications whether required by law or not.

Alfalfa Weevil Activity and Scouting

We have accumulated enough Growing Degree Days that small alfalfa weevil larvae should be active in fields. Generally this pest does not develop into a problem but there have been a couple of years out of the last 20 where a spray to control would be warranted. Alfalfa feeding should be focused at the growing tip of the crop. At this point the larvae will be very small with a black head as they develop the size and amount of feeding increase.

To sample for alfalfa weevil, gather 10 stems per area and shake the stem into a bucket dislodging the larvae and counting the number of larvae in the bottom of the bucket. The number of larvae are then compared to the height of the stem to determine if treatment is warranted using the chart below:











A fact sheet reference with more detail can be found at: http://ohioline.osu.edu/ent-fact/pdf/0032.pdf

Wheat is in Growth Stage 6 to 7-Jointing

Wheat is in Growth Stage 6 to 7 which is jointing. This is a crucial stage for management decisions.

First, by now we should have applied topdress nitrogen. From this point on delays in adding N will decrease yield. The majority of the wheat appears to have been topdressed but if any fields remain make them a priority.

Second, any herbicides used from this point on require a careful label review. Some herbicides will cause crop injury when applied after jointing. The 2009-7 CORN Newsletter has an article the topic. If weeds need to be controlled from this point on you can refer to the Ohio/Indiana Weed Control Guide Bulletin 789. Page 141 of this publication shows growth stages and herbicide products graphically.

Third, scouting for diseases should happen in the next couple weeks. A priority would be varieties that are susceptible to powdery mildew, Septoria blotch and Stagonospora blotch. Bulletin 785 has more information on yield loss by suceptibility that is a useful scouting guide. A handy reference on fungicides is also available.

Do not Just Look at the Herbicide Trade Name Look at the Active Ingredient

In recent years there has tended to more remixing of current active ingredients in new premixes rather than the introduction of new chemistry due to the competitive nature of today's herbicide market. Thus from year to year a product with a simliar trade name may have a very different mix of active ingredients and/or concentrations that could change there use and precautions.

An article in The Bulletin from the University of Illinois by Aaron Hager highlight the active ingredients from several common herbicides. He made the following observation:

A brief examination of names of herbicides currently on the market demonstrates that several active ingredients are marketed under more than one trade name/formulation. For example, the active ingredient isoxaflutole is marketed as Balance Pro and Balance Flexx. Even though the active ingredient in the two products is identical and the trade names are very similar, several important differences between the products mean that their use patterns are not necessarily interchangeable.

Other differences among the various products also become apparent. Resolve DF and Resolve SG are different formulations of rimsulfuron that contain the same amount of active ingredient per unit of formulated product, so application rates are identical. However, while Resolve Q also contains rimsulfuron, it has thifensulfuron as well. Both Flexstar and Flexstar GT can be applied postemergence to glyphosate-resistant soybean varieties, but only Flexstar can be applied to non-GMO soybean varieties.

The full article can be found at http://www.ipm.uiuc.edu/bulletin/article.php?id=1095 provides a table of product formulations and active ingredients applied at label rates.

Does Early Planting = Higher Soybean Yields?

D.B. Egli and P.L. Cornelius from the University of Kentucky recently took a number of planting date studies from across the US, including Ohio. and did an analysis of maximizing yield by planting date. What they found is that there was no consistent advantage to early planting. The study divided out results by region, midwest, upper south and deep south. They found very similar responses to planting data regardless of region. Planting dates from mid-April to late May resulted in similar yield averages. What the data did show was a definate yield loss when planting date was delayed past May 30 in the Midwest (0.7 % per day), June 7 in the upper south(1.1% per day) and May 27 in the deep south(1.2% per day).

The authors reasoned that the steady decline from late planting could be a response to changes in the plant or changes in the plant's environment or some combination of these factors. The discuss photosynthesis, temperature, reproductive versus vegetative among other issues that explain this response.

Their conclusion was if the soil is ready in late April farmers should start planting but realize it may not necessarily increase yields.

The full article can be found http://agron.scijournals.org/content/vol101/issue2/ under 'Production Agriculture'

Four Steps to Better Bean Yields

"We use to see 40 bushel beans in the 1940's when we first started growing soybeans and last year I was still growing 40 bushels beans" was a question from the hallway last Friday with a couple area farmers. Their question has been on my mind. I do not have all the answers but a few things that could lead to better bean yields if the proper attention has not been given to these areas. I assume the first question of are we picking high yielding genetics has already been answered and is the starting point.

1. What soil borne problems do you have? Probably the two biggest things we need to consider is phytohpthora root rot, pythium and soybean cyst nematode. If we are not accounting for the presence of these diseases in our production we are losing yield. Phytothora needs to be looked at in a total management way with use of genetic resistance, variety tolerance and seed treatments in a total package to control this critical disease. Pythium likewise needs to be controlled with seed treatment and the treatments are similar to phythothora. An detailed article for more reference Soybeans :When to use a seed treatment and which seed treatment to use? was in a recent CORN Newsletter article. The other consideration from a soil standpoint is soybean cyst nematode. This is a silent yield robber resulting in stunted plants that could be from any number of other things. If you have have not checked field for this problem it can make a significant difference. More information can be found in SCN Factsheet.
2. Soil Compaction is another concern. Soybeans have a tap root and compaction layers can substantially alter the root system. Last summer I watched a field that had a compacted area that seemed to be behind all year long. The root system went down about 4 inches and made a 90 degree turn. The plants got growth to them late season and it would have been easy to just write it off as just wet area but the yield was substantially lower.
3. If you are letting weeds get more than 6 inches tall before controlling them in May and June you are losing yield. Post emergence applications should be planned to assure these first weed flushes do not get ahead of the crop. By 9 inches tall you have lost 6% or 3.6 bushels on 60 bushel beans or at 12 inches 10% or 6 bushels. A good article on weed competition and yield loss in beans is Benefits of Pre Herbicides in Roundup Ready Management Systems.
4. Don’t forget the inoculant! For a number of years, Dr. Jim Beuerlein has evaluated these and they have provided a return on investment. If you are applying inoculant at the same time as the seed treatment be sure that it is a safe combination. 2007 data from these studies can be found at http://agcrops.osu.edu/soybean/documents/12007INOCFINALREPORT.pdf
   

Before You Destory a Wheat Field...

If you have a field that will be destroyed and planted to corn or soybeans you do need to visited with Farm Service Agency and file some paperwork. They will need you to fill out a failed crop report and need some information from you about the planting being destroyed. If you have crop insurance you will want to contact your agent as well before destroying the crop.

Wet feet affects wheat

The wet weather since mid march has taken wheat back in some areas of fields and in a few cases nearly entire fields. Just a few reminders on evaluating wheat stands.

1. Plant stand for good yields. We look for a minimum stand of 12 tillers per foot of row, but we like to see 20 or more per foot of row.
2. Evaluated plant health. If there are low-lying areas in the field or areas with unhealthy-looking plants, remove a few plants from those areas and observe the roots and crowns for discoloration. Gently remove (preferentially by washing) the dirt from the roots, and look for darkish areas or lesions. Healthy roots and crowns typically have a milky-white color, compared to the dark discoloration usually seen on infected roots. Remember, it is not uncommon for the older, lower leaves of the plant to die at this time of the year.
3. What nitrogen rate should I use. Studies over the last five years have shown that yields were the same or slightly better when a single application occurred at Feekes 6 (first node visible of early stem elongation) compared to initial greenup. To determine N rates consider yield potential N rate = 40 + [1.75 x (yield potential – 50)]
   
   Based on the equation above and deducting 20 lb from a fall application, we would recommend a spring application of
   - 110 lb N per acre for a yield potential of 100 bu,
   - 90 for 90 bu potential;
   - 70 for a 80 bu potential and
   - 40 lb N per acre for a 60 bu potential.
   

For more information on nitrogen rates refer to http://corn.osu.edu/story.php?setissueID=283&storyID=1684