C CROPS 15-24

APRIL 2004 15
Ohio’s Country Journal
CROPS
Continued from page 1
In 2002, last year’s contest winning
field was subsoiled in the spring before
no-till corn was planted to break up any
soil compaction. The 2002 corn crop was
harvested and 1,000 gallons of manure
was applied per quarter-acre plot the following February.
“When I plan to put corn in that field
it gets a big dose of hog manure on it in
mid February,” he said. “I hit the contest
plots with the stuff from the bottom of
the pit that has a lot of nutrients.”
For the winning crop in 2003, the
manure and 250 pounds of potash were
incorporated by chisel plowing the field,
which was then disked and field cultivated. The 2003 state champion field was
planted on April 26 with large round
Pioneer 34M94 seed that was treated with
Kernel Guard and Force.
“I thought there could be the potential
for serious corn borer problems,” he said.
“But there weren’t any significant disease
or insect problems all season.”
For his corn yield contest fields,
Granger bumps his plant population up
to somewhere between 30,000 and 32,000.
“I’m planting at higher populations
than I ever thought I would,” he said.
“And I always used to plant at higher
speeds, but now I slow down to 5.5 miles
per hour in all of my cornfields and to 3
to 3.5 miles per hour when planting the
contest plots to get a better stand.”
All of Granger’s corn acres are planted
with a six-row planter that is equipped
with seed rebounders to keep the seed at
the bottom of the trench. The planting
equipment gets closely inspected before
planting and then rechecked before planting the contest plots. At planting, the contest corn got 15 gallons of 10-34-0 per acre
in the row, and zinc was included with
the starter fertilizer.
“Some of these micronutrients
really seem to help with uniform stand
emergence,” he said.
After planting, the field was sprayed for
weed control, and the corn got two separate sidedress applications of anhydrous.
“After planting, I came back with 200
pounds of anhydrous per acre and then
another 100 pounds of anhydrous a week
later,” he said. “By the second application
I could barely get through it. But I
thought that maybe splitting it like that
would help because we used anhydrous
instead of 28%.”
After sidedressing, Granger cultivated
the corn.
“Not many people cultivate any
more,” he said. “But I do it to aerate the
soil and to knock weeds down on my
conventionally tilled ground.”
With some help from fairly good
weather during the summer months, the
corn yields responded well to Granger’s
careful management.
“It’s great knowing that you put in the
effort and Mother Nature cooperated,” he
said. “It feels pretty good when you have
a good field of corn.”
Despite the success of his corn crop
Ohio’s record setting average yield in 2003 was likely not enough to encourage many
farmers to plant more corn and fewer soybeans in 2004.
and lackluster soybean yields in 2003,
Granger plans to stay with his standard
corn/soybean rotation for 2004. The
corn/soybean yield discrepancy combined with the price disparity between
the two commodities last fall encouraged
some discussion of a switch from soybean
acreage to corn for 2004 throughout much
of the Corn Belt. Granger acknowledges
the sentiment but never really considered
a switch away from soybeans.
“I stick to my rotation no matter what,”
Granger said. “I don’t farm a lot of ground
so I don’t make many changes.”
It appears as if most farmers in
the region share Granger’s sentiment
this spring.
“In the eastern Corn Belt, I expect to
see roughly unchanged acres in planting
intentions,” said Matt Roberts, OSU economist. “A lot of the discussion of what
was going to be planted this spring was
based on $2.60 new crop corn and $6.20
new crop beans. Now we’re at the point
where new crop corn is around $3 and
new crop beans are more than $7. So I
think it’s a little less clear where the shifts
are going to occur. Beans are tight enough
and prices are high enough that they’re
pretty competitive against corn.”
While prices have improved the outlook
for relatively unchanged soybean acreage
in Ohio, there are still concerns about the
lower soybean yields in recent years.
“I still think that, given the yield patterns we’ve had in the last few years,
farmers probably would rather move to a
little more corn, but the reality is that most
farmers want to see an overwhelming
advantage before they shift rotations,”
Roberts said. “There is widespread discontent with bean genetics out West. In the
western Corn Belt, I think we will see
more of a shift from beans to corn.”
Along with prices and yields, those considering replacing soybean acres with corn
have some agronomic factors to consider.
“Continuous corn is something we’ve
recommended against for many years,”
said Peter Thomison, OSU Extension corn
specialist. “Right off the bat you’re talking about lower yield potential. But obviously there are some growers who are
looking at the bottom line that will go for
it if they have a good market.”
Like many farmers in Ohio, Granger plans
to maintain his crop rotation this year without making major acreage switches from
soybeans to corn.
With continuous corn, yield losses can
range from 5% to 15% or 20% depending
on the weather and field conditions. This
loss is due, in part, to increased disease
and insect pressure.
“Last year, we had this northern corn
leaf blight that popped up,” Thomison
said. “Northern corn leaf blight could
come back strongly if we see a lot of continuous corn. It may be rearing its ugly
head and there may not be a lot of resistance in our hybrids. Another big issue
with second-year corn is rootworm. I’ve
seen significant root lodging problems in
my second-year corn.”
In addition, continuous corn requires
more nitrogen application to remain competitive with corn after soybeans. But
even with all the factors stacked against
continuous corn, it can still be profitable
for some growers.
“These are not black and white
issues,” Thomison said. “These problems
may not show up in every field. I have
seen fields that have been continuous
corn for 30 years produce phenomenal
yields. Some growers can get away with
this system for years, while others will
get hit immediately. With continuous
corn you’re just playing the odds.”
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Yield drag may be a thing of the past for Bt corn
BY MATT REESE
While there are few who doubt the
effectiveness of Bt hybrids on controlling
the European corn borer (ECB), there has
been some debate concerning the yields.
“When Bt corn hybrids were first
introduced in 1996, they were sometimes associated with yield ‘drag’ or
‘lag.’ Comparisons between the yield
potential of ECB Bt hybrids and normal
(non-Bt) hybrids were mixed,” said
Peter Thomison, OSU Extension corn
specialist. “Most studies including Ohio
State research by Bruce Eisley found
that grain yield was similar for Bt and
isoline hybrids under relatively low
natural ECB infestations. However,
other studies found that in the absence
of ECB, elite adapted non-Bt hybrids
had greater yield potential than Bt
hybrids suggesting an initial yield lag
associated with Bt hybrids.”
Recent studies from Penn State
University and the University of Maryland
indicate that fears of a yield drag with Bt
corn borer hybrids may be over. The
yields of the Bt hybrids and similar non-Bt
hybrids were comparable. The same trend
showed up in OSU research.
“In the 2003 Ohio Corn Performance
Tests, Bt hybrids, as a group, consistently
averaged higher yields than the non-Bt
hybrids in each of the three testing
regions,” Thomison said. “Moreover, a Bt
hybrid was the top yielding entry at several test locations in 2003. In the
Southwest and Northwest test regions,
the differences in average yield between
the Bt and normal hybrid groups were
generally small, but at the Wooster test
site, which represented the Northeast
region in 2003, the yield advantage to the
Bt corn hybrids was about 21 bushels per
acre. ECB injury to non-Bt hybrids was
evident at Wooster, which may explain
the markedly higher yields of the Bt
hybrids, but at the other locations ECB
damage was low or absent.”
But even with similar and higher
yields, there are some things to consider
before planting Bt hybrids.
“The cost is one issue,” he said.
“Obviously you’ll be paying more for
the technology.”
The additional cost may be worthwhile
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Yields of Bt and Normal Corn Hybrids by Region, 2003 Ohio Corn
Performance Test: Early and Full Season Trials.
(Provided by Peter Thomison.)
Region
Type
Early
Full Season
Southwest
Bt
185 (10)*
184 (18)
Normal
181 (49)
180 (37)
Bt
169(12)
155 (16)
Normal
161 (53)
151 (41)
Bt
223 (9)
219 (9)
Normal
201 (30)
199 (28)
Northwest
Northeast
* Number of entries in parenthesis
because of the insurance the Bt hybrids
provide for problems with the ECB.
“If you do want to buy the hybrid for
insurance, there is the assurance that
there are not going to be major yield losses and maybe even a slight yield benefit,”
Thomison said.
With higher yields from their Bt corn
borer hybrids, many seed companies are
more interested in increasing the number
of Bt hybrids they have in trials. Though
yields for Bt corn were up this year, the
hybrids still made up only a small part of
the total entries.
“There are more Bt corn hybrids in trials as the yields improve,” Thomison said.
“Although greater than in past years, the
number of Bt hybrid entries in 2003, for
both the early and full season trials combined within a region, comprised no more
than 25% of the test entries.”
As more Bt corn borer hybrids find
their way into trials, the results will be a
more accurate representation of their
overall performance.
When dealing with Bt corn, it is important to remember there are now two major
commercial types available, ECB and rootworm. Like the first Bt corn with the trait
for controlling ECB, the early Bt rootworm
corn hybrids appear to fall a little short
when it comes time to harvest.
“A Wisconsin study showed some yield
drag with Bt rootworm,” Thomison said.
“It’s sort of the picture we were seeing in
1999 with the European corn borer Bt.”
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16 Crops
Ohio’s Country Journal • April 2004
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Ohio’s Country Journal • April 2004
Crops 17
Stewart’s disease predictions for 2004
BY BRUCE EISLEY, PATRICK LIPPS, DENNIS
MILLS, OSU EXTENSION
Stewart’s bacterial leaf blight was negligible throughout Ohio in 2003, but it has
caused significant problems in other years.
The bacterium causing this disease is carried and spread by the flea beetle. During
years with mild winter temperatures, the
flea beetle adults overwinter in large numbers. In the spring, as corn emerges from
the ground, the flea beetles feed on the
young plants and spread the bacterium,
which in turn causes seedling wilt and leaf
blight. The incidence of Stewart’s disease is
related to the ability of the flea beetle to
overwinter. For additional Stewart’s wilt
information visit www.oardc.ohiostate.edu
/ohiofieldcropdisease/corn/stewarts.htm.
Flea beetle adults become active in the
spring when soil temperatures reach 65
degrees F. Adults are most active on
sunny, warm, windless days. They hide in
cracks in the soil during windy, cool or
cloudy periods. After feeding and mating,
adult females lay eggs at the base of the
corn plants. Larvae feed on corn roots and
are full-grown in about two weeks. There
are at least two generations per year in
Ohio. The beetle overwinters as an adult
in the soil near cornfields. It prefers bluegrass sod, but may be found in fence rows,
roadsides and woods.
The occurrence of Stewart’s bacterial
disease is totally dependent on the level of
flea beetle survival over winter. For many
years, winter temperatures have been used
to predict the severity of Stewart’s disease
because higher populations of the flea beetle survive during mild winters than during cold winters. The “flea beetle index” is
calculated as the sum of the average temperatures (Fahrenheit) of December,
January and February. Index values of less
than 90 indicate negligible disease threat, 90
to 95 indicate low to moderate levels, 95 to
100 indicate moderate to severe, and values
more than 100 predict severe disease.
In Hoytville, the sum of the average
temperatures for December, January
and February was well below 90 at 79.6.
This sum was 82.7 at Wooster, 86.5 in
South Charleston, 97.3 for Piketon and
95.1 at Jackson.
These numbers indicate that flea beetle
populations should be very low in northern
and central Ohio and moderate to severe in
southern Ohio. Stewart’s bacterial disease
could be a problem for southern Ohio this
year. Time will tell if this prediction is correct. Although the flea beetle index has
been a relatively good predictor over the
years, we would still recommend that
growers scout their cornfields for the presence of flea beetles.
Effort continues for the improvement of U.S soybean competitiveness
For U.S. soybean farmers, meeting the
evolving demands of domestic and international customers and staying competitive
can be a challenge. However, U.S. soybean
farmers are up for this challenge, and they
have a new partner to help address these
issues — Qualisoy.
“The only way we can effectively
address current market demands as well as
maintaining our competitive position in the
global market is through a united soybean
industry front,” said David Durham,
Qualisoy Board chairman and immediate
past chairman of the United Soybean Board
(USB). “Recognizing that fact, soybean
checkoff farmer-leaders created Qualisoy, a
coalition with all parts of the soybean value
chain committed to developing and commercializing enhanced compositional traits
that add value to U.S. soybeans.”
The Qualisoy Board consists of 22 individuals representing all facets of the U.S.
soybean industry and should build on
compositional research achievements
already made by the soybean checkoff. The
Qualisoy Board includes seven USB farmerleaders, three representatives from multinational technology corporations, two representatives from regional technology corporations, four individuals representing various soybean processors and end users, one
farmer-leader from the American Soybean
Association, two farmer-leaders from
Qualified State Soybean Boards, one academic and one scientist from USDA’s
Agricultural Research Service (ARS). USB’s
chief executive officer serves as the ex-officio member of the board.
“Through Qualisoy, soybean checkoff
farmer-leaders were able to bring
together representatives from companies that normally compete against each
other to work together for the benefit of
all U.S. soybean farmers,” said Criss
Davis USB chairman. “This is a true testament of the leadership abilities of the
volunteer farmer-directors who serve
on USB.”
Qualisoy is set to receive a significant
contribution from Monsanto Company
in the form of important gene sequence
data and an $8.4 million grant. The
funding commitment will break down
into a three-year, $2.8 million donation
beginning in 2004. The grant will be earmarked for ongoing support of research
and communication.
“ Qualisoy worked hard to ensure that
the American Soybean Association and
state affiliates were assigned a portion of
the grant to assist in the development and
coordination of supporting programs for
the initiative,” Durham said. “Monsanto’s
financial contribution and sharing of technical data with Qualisoy should speed
progress toward the development of varieties that include traits critical to future
demand for our soybeans.
“This research includes the development
of varieties that address human health
issues, such as reducing the amount of
trans fats in certain foods, and animalhealth concerns, such as improving the
digestibility and protein content in soybean
meal consumed by the poultry and livestock industries.”
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18 Crops
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Ohio’s Country Journal • April 2004
Get an early jump on slugs
Like any spring planting season,
2004 will start with the hope of good
weather and high yields. But in Ohio’s
no-till fields there lies a threat that
could shatter the high hopes of many
farmers before the crop even gets out of
the ground — slugs. For Ohio no-till
growers, the first step in controlling
these potentially devastating pests is
knowing what they could be up against
during the growing season.
Ron Hammond, an Ohio State
University research entomologist
with the Ohio Agricultural Research
and Development Center said sampling
fields for populations in early
spring is the key to any kind of slug
management program.
“Growers should be out in their
fields in March and April to see what’s
out there, especially in those fields that
have had a history of slug problems,”
Hammond said. “They have to know
ahead of time what they will be facing.”
The juvenile stage of the slug creates
the most damage to crops. Its voracious
appetite and large densities can be devastating for farmers who have had a
history of slug problems.
Upon hatching in early to mid May,
the slug will begin feeding on anything
that is planted in the field, whether it is
corn, soybeans or alfalfa. Slug feeding
can cause significant reductions in corn
yields and total stand loss in soybeans.
Keeping a close eye on the number
of slug eggs in fields early on is an
important tactic in an overall Integrated
Pest Management (IPM) approach to
effectively managing the slug. Growers
need to assess the potential for serious
slug problems before they develop.
In early spring, slug eggs can be
found at, or just below, the soil’s surface underneath crop residue.
“They look like small, clear BB’s and
they’re in a mass,” Hammond said.
“Growers should start looking for eggs
in fields they know have a lot of slugs,
so it’s easier to find eggs. The first time
you go out and look for them you don’t
know what to look for, but once you
find them most people know it.”
Once growers have an understanding of the potential slug situation in a
field, they can manage it accordingly.
“Fields with a lot of eggs should be
planted as quickly as possible,”
Hammond said. “The quicker the plants
are planted, the quicker they germinate
and the better off a grower will be.”
If, just before planting time, growers
cannot find eggs in fields where there
were a significant number of eggs
found earlier in the spring, slug control
measures may be warranted before the
field is planted. Slug management practices include tilling where applicable
and using slug treatments.
“It’s important to know if you’ve
got a potential problem out there,” he
said. “Is it still mostly eggs or are there
a lot of slugs that have hatched out and
are already waiting for you? That’s
how you can decide if you need a
pre-treatment or not.”
Slug control decisions should also be
based on the planting date.
“If you can get planted early, before
they hatch out, you can maybe get
ahead of them and at least give yourself
a fighting chance,” Hammond said. “If
the eggs have already hatched, you run
the risk of having the crop attacked
when it’s germinating.”
The type of crop that is being planted should also be considered when
making the decision to treat a field.
Ohio’s Country Journal • April 2004
“With corn, since it’s often planted
early enough before the eggs hatch, the
crop gets out of the ground in most
cases,” Hammond said. “But I’ve seen
corn in the two- to three-leaf stages with
slug populations so heavy in the field that
there was a 50% to 75% yield reduction.”
Soybean crops are often more at risk
for slug damage. “Soybeans are more of
a problem because they are often planted later in the season around the time
of egg hatching,” he said. “Slugs can literally take those plants out before a
grower even sees them, and there will
be a 100% stand reduction. Then a
grower has to go back and replant
maybe two or even three times to get
a crop.”
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Crops 19
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419-281-2153
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Seven Limers, Inc.
419-483-2525
Coldwater, OH
The Coldwater Implement Co.
419-678-3031
Columbiana, OH
Witmer’s, Inc.
888-427-6025
Continental, OH
Homier and Sons, Inc.
419-596-3965
Creston, OH
Maibach Tractor
330-939-4192
Danville, OH
Jelloway Valley Equipment
740-599-7519
Eaton, OH
Steinke Tractor Sales, Inc.
937-456-4271
Freeport
D & J Sales & Service
740-942-3099
Jeffersonville, OH
Mayer Farm Equipment, Inc.
740-426-6307
Liberty Center, OH
Mitchell Farm Equipment, Inc.
419-533-3061
Maumee, OH
AJ Boellner
419-893-2291
Minster, OH
Prenger Implement
Store, Inc.
419-628-3045
New Vienna, OH
Faris Implement
Company
937-987-2112
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North Star Hardware
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419-336-7361
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Homier and Sons, Inc.
419-263-2912
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McHenry Equipment Co.
513-877-2601
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Hine’s Inc.
937-335-3375
Upper Sandusky, OH
Schmidt Machine Co.
419-294-3814
Urbana, OH
Lantz Sales Company
937-653-5203
Wooster, OH
Sterling Farm Equipment, Inc.
330-264-4175
Green-up is a good opportunity
to check stand quality
Wheat in Ohio is approaching greenup, and it is time for growers to inspect
their crop for winter damage.
Pat Lipps, an Ohio State University
Extension plant pathologist with the
Ohio Agricultural Research and
Development Center, said stand assessment usually gets underway between
mid March and early April, depending
on how long winter persists.
“Assessment of wheat stands can
only be made after late winter green-up
when the risk of excessive freezing and
thawing is low,” he said.
Early inspection indicates the wheat
is in good shape in most areas and may
be in line to produce high yields if the
weather cooperates over the next few
weeks. According to the Ohio
Agricultural Statistics Service, about
900,000 acres of wheat have been planted in Ohio, down 15% from last year.
The drop in acreage is due, in part, to
late planting because of the delay in the
2003 soybean harvest.
Lipps said such late plantings can limit
crop development because not enough
tillers form before winter dormancy.
“In most fields, the plants were
smaller than usual, consisting of only
two or three tillers each by the time of
winter dormancy in early to mid
December,” he said. “However, continued cold temperatures throughout
January and February permitted snow
to cover bare ground and ice, which
helped protect the plants from injury.”
Lipps said one thing growers should
look for when inspecting their wheat
fields is heaving — a condition whereby the crowns of plants are pushed up
out of the soil as the ground freezes
and thaws.
“Close examination of plants indicate that the crowns and upper roots
are exposed with only a few roots
remaining in the soil,” Lipps said.
“These plants will green-up and look
normal, but within a few weeks will
turn brown and die.”
Heaving is more prone in wet, highclay content fields, in tilled fields with
little surface residue and with wheat
plants planted too shallow.
Green-up inspection is also a good
time to assess tiller development, especially in late-planted fields.
“Fields planted within 10 to 14 days
of the Hessian Fly Safe Date using 18 to
24 seeds per foot of row with about 20
to 25 pounds of nitrogen applied at
planting rarely have any problems with
low tiller numbers in the spring,” Lipps
said. “Yield potential is reduced if tiller
numbers fall below 25 per square foot
after green-up. Fifteen tillers per square
foot is considered minimum for an
economic crop.”
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North Starr
North Star Hardware
& Impl.
419-336-7361
Sherwood
Archbold Equipment
800-589-2777
Ohio’s Country Journal • April 2004
Upper Sandusky
Wyandot Tractor
& Implement
800-472-9554
Walnut Creek
Mast Sales and Service
330-893-2351
Wilmington
Linndale Farm Equipment
937-382-4549
Crops 21
“I hope it starts warming up here shortly. I’m getting tired of cold weather
and I’m itching to get
something done.”
For now, finishing winter activities and preparing
for planting is all the
weather will allow. “Right
now I’m finishing up hauling corn. It’s very enjoyable
to haul corn right now
because you keep watching
markets go up.”
When not in the truck,
equipment maintenance is a
priority at this time of year. “Since the sun is out
today, I’m thinking about moving some equipment
around so I can start working on the planter. For my
planter, I’ve got to replace the no-till coulters and I
have to work on my fertilizer openers. Then I’ll go
though the whole thing again before planting. My
tractors are ready to go, I worked on them all winter.”
So far, the soil conditions look pretty good. “The
winter we had with the freezing and thawing should
have it pretty mellowed out. I think it’s going to work
down beautifully this spring, but it’ll take some
patience to not get on it too quickly. That’ll be the
biggest thing.”
Hopefully corn planting will get started in mid
April. “I work alone so I try to plant almost all of my
corn first. I don’t like to switch back and forth. If it
gets to a spot where I have a wetter field going into
corn, I’ll switch and plant some beans, but for the
most part I do all the corn first.”
Wes
Granger
“We like to get started as
soon as things get fit. The earliest I would generally start
would be the 15th of April if
conditions are right. We usually start both corn and beans at
the same time.”
Most of the soybeans on
the farm are no-tilled. “We put
a pre-herbicide down early
and that really helps all the
way along to keep weeds out
of the field. Starting with a
clean field makes a big difference in no-till soybeans.”
The corn is in a minimum tillage system. “We use a
ripper in the fall that helps incorporate manure. Then
we field cultivate in the spring with a rolling basket and
we can plant right into that. It works really well for us.”
The fields have to be in good condition before there
is any spring tillage. “It’s got to be dry before we head
out with that field cultivator. We start in the fields with
the best drainage and get to the wettest farms last.”
The fields are in good shape so far. “Moisture-wise
the stage is set. We had some good freezes this winter.
Things planted well last year and I hope that they are
that way this coming year, but heavy rains can tighten
that ground up.”
The wheat is just beginning to come out of winter
dormancy. “The wheat in our area is variable. There are
some really nice looking fields and there are some fields
that were especially late-planted that will need ideal
conditions to make decent yields.”
“Between the Rows” is a feature in
Ohio’s Country Journal that let’s you
know about crop farming around the
state. We will collect responses from four
farmers around Ohio each month to keep
you updated. Field conditions, weather
conditions and whatever else might be
going on in the state will be a part of this
feature from now until harvest.
Jeff
Wuebker
22 Crops
If conditions allow, corn
and soybean planting will both
get started in about a month.
“We’re finishing up going over
the corn and bean planters —
they’re 90% done. Within a
week they’ll be totally ready to
go. I usually try to start planting corn and beans around the
20th of April if it’s fit.”
Separate corn and soybean
setups allow for planting efficiency on the farm. “I have a
planter for each crop. I have a
lot of acres to plant and it’s just
as important to plant soybeans
early as it is to plant corn early. Last year when it turned
wet in early May, we couldn’t plant for three weeks. Once
we got into the later planting, slugs really worked on the
crops pretty hard. I had a 10- to 15-bushel yield advantage
in the early versus the late-planted crops.”
It is still early in the season to get a good idea of the
quality of the wheat crop on the farm but early indications look promising. “We haven’t had any green-up on
the wheat yet, it’s been too cold. Hopefully in the next
week or so it will start to green-up. The wheat fields are
clean where in other years they’ve had chickweed problems. The weeds are pretty well under control this year.
It doesn’t look like I’m going to have to put herbicide
on the wheat this spring.”
There has not been much fieldwork done yet on the
farm. “We got a little wheat topdressed about three
weeks ago when it was frozen, but nothing’s been
done since then. The ground has got to dry out before
we put on manure this spring, so we don’t create a lot
of compaction.”
Myron
Wehr
The season is off to a good
start. Wheat is greening up,
corn and soybean prices are
strong, and there is a 5%
increase in tobacco poundage
allotment for this year’s quota.
Now it is just a matter of waiting on fields to dry out. “We’re
pretty wet right now. I’d like to
get some fertilizer down on the
rest of my crop ground. We put
a little out last fall, but it’s
been tough to get out. We got
the wheat topdressed one
morning while it was frozen,
but that was probably a month ago.”
Planting season will get started for corn and soybeans
shortly after mid April, weather permitting. “I usually start
planting corn and soybeans by the 20th of April. If I have to
make a decision, I’ll plant corn first, but I try to plant both
if I have enough help.”
The winter has left fields in fairly good shape. “We had
some good freezing on the ground, so I think it’ll be pretty
mellowed out. We normally have problems with garlic and
chickweed, but weeds really don’t look too bad yet.”
This week’s schedule includes a trip to the greenhouse
to start some tobacco plants. “In 60 days we’ll put the
tobacco in the ground. When the tobacco plants are ready,
you have to set them — that’s usually around Memorial
Day. We try to get the corn and soybeans wound down
before then, but it depends on what the weather is like.”
Other items on the agenda include disking out
some ruts left from last fall, spraying tobacco patches
to burndown weeds for no-till planting and fine
tuning equipment.
Brian
Michael
Progress
report as of
March 22.
Ohio’s Country Journal • April 2004
TRACI BULTEMEIER
FIELD SALES AGRONOMIST,
PIONEER HI-BRED INT’L
Agronomy
Update
Well, we’re almost ready for planting
season again! In no time, the planters
will be rolling through the fields and
soon we’ll see the corn peeping through
the soil. This is my favorite time of year;
time for a fresh start on a whole new
crop. But before we get all wrapped up
in the moment, there’s a bit of prep work
to be done.
Planter calibration and cleanup is an
important step in allowing the spring to
go more smoothly. The goal of the
planter is to get the seed in the ground
at the proper depth and to achieve good
spacing — both are significant to the
productivity of a plant. Be sure the
depth gauge is correct, replace worn or
damaged parts in the meter and follow
manufacturer guidelines for additional
planter care. Other items to consider —
do you have the right tools for the job?
Select for the right disk, find the correct
vacuum settings (which may be different
based on kernel size and if there is an
insecticide seed treatment) and have talc
or graphite on hand.
Hybrid and variety field placement
should be considered carefully before the
planter rolls. Talk with your local seed
rep/dealer or agronomist to determine a
field that maximizes the characteristics of
the hybrid or variety that you selected.
Herbicide programs need some careful pre-planning as well. It is not too
soon to choose the burndown, preemerge and in-season herbicide programs that are applicable to your tillage
practices. In no-till situations, if a fall
burndown program was not used, consider a spring burndown application
that will remove winter annuals like
chickweed, purple deadnettle and henbit. These weeds can create a mat of
green material that does not allow the
soil to dry out early and can also harbor
detrimental insects. Don’t forget that
purple deadnettle has been shown to
serve as a host for soybean cyst nematode. The goal of either a fall or spring
burndown is to provide a clean seed bed
and allow the soil to warm up quickly.
Studies show a significant increase in
yield and early growth by planting into
a clean seedbed at a temperature of 55
degrees F or above. Even with tillage,
pre-emerge herbicide programs can help
provide the crop with an excellent start.
There are many options available for
timely management of pesky weeds.
Take time to review university data for
control results and to help select the program that best fits your needs.
Insecticide programs have taken on a
different look for 2004. Many rates of different active ingredients of insecticide
seed treatments (ISTs) have taken the
market by storm. With that in mind, how
will your planting routine be affected?
Now, not only do we have to get ready
to plant a new crop, but the crops planted
last fall need some attention. Yes, you
remember the wheat and alfalfa crop that
had to tough out the winter, it is time to
make sure we take care of those crops.
Count stems when they are 4 to 6 inches in height
55 or more stems/square foot
40 - 55 stems/square foot
40 or less stems/square foot
Maximum Production
Yield reduction but still economical
Rotate
Age of Crop
Plts/ft2
Seedling year
1st year
2nd year
3rd year or older
20 - 50
12 - 25
8 - 12
5 or more
(Ohio State University, Bulletin 827)
By now, most of the wheat acres
should be top-dressed, but we may still
need to consider a herbicide application.
If you want to spray 2,4-D, take a careful
look at the growth stage of the wheat
field. If the average growth stage is
Feeke’s 6 (joint, first node visible) or
above, do not spray 2,4-D. A 2,4-D application can have severe consequences on
yield if applied after joint. But there are
other options for later season weed control in wheat, such as Harmony Extra,
that has a long application window.
Checking for disease symptoms in both
alfalfa and wheat are necessary. Wheat
seedling diseases in April can include
powdery mildew, wheat yellow mosaic
and barley yellow dwarf, while the leaf
rust and smuts start to show up toward
the end of May. Alfalfa diseases to look for
in April and May are Phytopthora root
rots, Sclerotinia crown and stem rot,
Verticillium wilt, and spring black stem.
There are two ways to evaluate
alfalfa stands — crown counts or
stem counts. Stem counts are probably
more accurate in estimating production.
Both methods use a 1-foot square
area of measurement. The crown
count also considers the age of the
stand and can be done earlier in
the spring. Use the table to evaluate
stands based on crown counts or later
stem counts.
Then, once the fall planted crops are
cared for and the spring crops planted,
it is time to have an umbrella drink on
the beach! No, actually its time to start
walking and monitoring fields. Look for
early plant growth characteristics,
watch for signs of seedling blight if we
have a wet spring and keep an eye open
for those ever-present weeds, diseases
and insects that will start coming on.
Please be safe, remember, there are
many people depending on you. Have a
great spring and let me leave you with
this quote from motivational speaker
Ian Percy, “Do everything with
enthusiasm, it’s contagious.”
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Photos may not depict actual safety decals and reflectors on current production models.
Please reference operator's manual and always use caution when operating.
Crops 23
Country Crossroads
Matt
Reese
assistant
editor
In this line of work, I get to hear all
sorts of experiences farmers have had
with a general public that has disturbingly little understanding of the origin of the
food they eat. Members of the non-ag sectors of our society have been known to
confuse award-winning sheep with dogs;
I have heard of those who are convinced
that soybeans are grown through Ohio’s
winter months; and there are more than a
few misinformed souls with the understanding that milk magically originates
somewhere in the back of Kroger stores.
With such a lack of knowledge concerning agricultural reality expressed by
so many, it is no wonder that when technical agricultural production issues are
brought to the voting booth, public votes
are easily manipulated by special-interest
groups with interests other than the general good of agriculture. If the potential
implications of these situations weren’t so
serious, it would be comical.
As if banning pig gestation crates by
Florida’s citrus-minded voters was not silly
enough, last month the population of
Farmers across Ohio have come to rely on Ohio Farm Radio for the
latest ag headlines and market information
Starting April 5th, Cincinnati’s Newstalk 1160 WBOB
will feature Ohio Farm Radio’s morning report
5:00-6:00 a.m. Monday through Friday.
The same farm news and information you’ve listened to on
The Word 880 WRFD for 57 years is now also available in
Cincinnati and the surrounding area on Newstalk 1160 WBOB.
Farm Director Andy Vance will bring you headlines and
market updates every 15 minutes.
Also, listen to Newstalk 1160 WBOB for market
updates from the Chicago Board of Trade and
Chicago Mercantile Exchange
11:00 a.m.
1:00 p.m.
3:00 p.m.
Opening Bids
Market Update
Closing Prices
Ohio Farm Radio...Your Ag Authority
Listen LIVE on the internet at ohiofarmradio.com
24 Crops
Mendocino County in California voted to
ban residents from propagating, cultivating, raising or growing genetically modified organisms. The ban, known as
Measure H, passed by a margin of 56% to
44% in one of the most hotly debated elections in the county’s history.
The idea for Measure H began with a
pair of former scientists who own an
organic brewpub and decided they wanted to give their business a boost with
some political propaganda. Now that
Measure H is official, the organic farmers
in the county feel they have an additional
tool in their marketing arsenal that will
give them an edge over organic producers
in other areas where there is no chance of
such silly legislation getting past voters.
“Clearly, those who got behind this see
this as a marketing tool,” said Bob Krauter,
a spokesman for the California Farm
Bureau Federation, which formally
opposed Measure H. “They can now proclaim that their county is biotech free and
they can use it for a marketing advantage
— though I don’t know how successful it
will be.”
By strategically flinging about scientific-sounding terms like “genetic pollution,” “uncontrolled biological experiment” and “unknown consequences,” the
brewpub duo and their organic farming
companions successfully duped the easily
manipulated West Coast public into voting for something based on everything
but science and good sense.
“A lot of people in that area have
moved up from the San Francisco Bay
area because they want their little slice of
California heaven,” Krauter said. “That
particular county is fairly independent.”
The agricultural landscape of
Mendocino County consists primarily of
vineyards, orchards and likely other, less
legal, high dollar cash crops, none of
which have approved GMO varieties. So,
at least for now, the GMO ban in the land
of California crazies is a moot point and
Measure H is really just a symbol. But
this symbolic regulation has allowed agriculturally uninformed voters to determine what crops farmers are allowed to
plant on their farms.
“It sets a dangerous precedent,” Krauter
said. “We’re very concerned that this could
spawn additional initiatives in other counties. There is a similar initiative in
Humboldt County and in Sonoma County
that they’re trying to get on the November
ballot. We’ll just have to wait and see what
kinds of problems this will cause.”
I fully support and encourage anyone
who desires to propagate, cultivate, raise or
grow organic, non-GMO or GMO crops as
they see fit. And while I know a whole lot
more about agriculture (including the origin of milk) than many voters, I don’t feel it
is up to me to decide what can or cannot be
grown on anyone’s farm. I certainly don’t
think the voters of Mendocino County (or
anywhere else) should have such power.
In the free economy of the United
States, the general public is already able to
dictate, to some degree, what is grown on
farms with the power of their pocketbooks. Mendocino County has given them
the power of the ballot box as well. That’s
an awful lot of agricultural influence for a
group of people who may have difficulty
distinguishing a sheep from a dog. Next,
voters will be telling U.S. farmers it’s illegal to grow soybeans in January.
Ohio’s Country Journal • April 2004