NOTE: This SBR update is directed to KENTUCKY SOYBEAN PRODUCERS. If you live in another state, read what I say, below, with the extreme sensitivity that what I am writing may not (and probably does not) apply to you. I encourage you to find out what is being said by the Extension Plant Pathologist your state by going to www.sbrusa.net.
On Friday of last week we found soybean rust in Ballard County in far west KY. The level of disease was as low as it could possibly be (one leaf out of 100 that had one lesion, with one pustule!). This was the third SBR find in KY, the other two finds being in Warren County and Henderson County.
I have been pretty open about my belief that the vast majority of soybeans in Kentucky are well beyond the point where they could possibly be damaged by soybean rust. However, I also know that some fields in the state were planted very late and that development in July may have been hindered by wet and cool conditions. The bottom line is that there may be the rare field that needs all of October to completely fill pods. When I say, rare field, I am talking about fields planted in July to a group 5 soybean. By way of comparison, our Grains Crop Specialist, Dr. Jim Herbek is conducting a planting date study here at the UKREC where he planted a mid-group 4 variety on July 7th. That field was at the beginning flowering stage (R1) on August 10 and currently is at the full seed (R6) stage. The fields I am referring too would probably be at the full pod (R4) stage or barely into beginning seed (R5) at the present time.
My guess is that we could have considerable soybean rust in west Kentucky by the middle of October. By then, most soybean fields in the state will be at the R6 stage or later, and some will have been harvested. But, I am aware of the possibility that a few soybean fields may still be filling pods during the second part of October (assuming we do not have a hard frost before then). So, while most of you will not be impacted, if you have a field that may still be filling pods by mid-October, it would be wise to consider the prospect of applying a triazole fungicide (like Folicur or a generic, all of which are fairly inexpensive) soon if a highly specific set of conditions exist.
If you believe you have fields that may still be filling pods the last two weeks of October, please contact your local county Extension office. I have given them a soybean rust "Yield Loss Calculator", developed by UK's Dr. Saratha Kumudini, that will help you decide if spraying is to your economic advantage or not.
This advisory applies to the area west of I-65. If you are east of I-65, I would say you are “good to go” for 2009.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Soybean Aphid Remain Active, Mexican Bean Beetle Appears
I continue to receive reports of Soybean Aphid (SA) populations at or near threshold level. In Addition, there are larger populations being reported but on more mature beans. Those interested in soybean production are reminded that historically SA populations reach their greatest size in September. This is not new. What may be different in 2009 is a larger proportion of later planted soybeans (due to a rainy spring) which results in more numerous soybean plants maturing to the R6 stage later in the year. Simply put this places more fields at greater risk than we normally see. It may also be the case in 2009 that SA populations are larger in size because we have experienced a cooler summer. In many KY summers, temperatures over 90 F predominate. These higher temperatures reduce the population growth rate.
Regardless of the reason, soybean plants less mature than R6 will remain at risk of SA populations. There are still fields of soybeans at the R4 stage (seems unbelievable, doesn’t it?!), which will take several weeks to mature to R6.
The threshold remains the same 250 aphids / plant, on 80% of plants with an increasing population. In addition this threshold accounts only for the aphid damage on the plants. As KY producers most always plant narrow row soybeans you will need to consider the losses associated with running down your beans. A very rough guess is about 9%, but this depends upon your row width,the width of the tires on your spray rig and the width of each pass (boom width).
On a final note; a population of Mexican bean beetle (MBB) has been reported from Pickett Co. TN. This is a TN/KY border county just south of the Kentucky Co.’s of Cumberland & Clinton. It has been many years since we have seen problems with MBB in KY, but it may be worth a look in the eastern region of our soybean production area. My thanks to Mr. Richard Daniel, Extension Agent,Pickett County, TN. for the photo of the MBB damage.
MBB Damaged plants
Regardless of the reason, soybean plants less mature than R6 will remain at risk of SA populations. There are still fields of soybeans at the R4 stage (seems unbelievable, doesn’t it?!), which will take several weeks to mature to R6.
The threshold remains the same 250 aphids / plant, on 80% of plants with an increasing population. In addition this threshold accounts only for the aphid damage on the plants. As KY producers most always plant narrow row soybeans you will need to consider the losses associated with running down your beans. A very rough guess is about 9%, but this depends upon your row width,the width of the tires on your spray rig and the width of each pass (boom width).
On a final note; a population of Mexican bean beetle (MBB) has been reported from Pickett Co. TN. This is a TN/KY border county just south of the Kentucky Co.’s of Cumberland & Clinton. It has been many years since we have seen problems with MBB in KY, but it may be worth a look in the eastern region of our soybean production area. My thanks to Mr. Richard Daniel, Extension Agent,Pickett County, TN. for the photo of the MBB damage.
MBB Damaged plants
Harvest Wet and Dry the Grain
Harvest corn wet and plan to dry it in the bin. The delayed maturity, cooler temperatures and wet weather will make field-drying very difficult this season. In addition, ears are heavy (a good thing) but waiting a long time for field-drying increases the chances for those heavy ears to pull stalks over. The wet conditions also provide a favorable envrionment for stalk rots and progession of ear diseases. With all of these things going against field-drying, the better option is to plan to harvest the corn wet.
Corn harvest can begin when grain moisture approaches 25 percent. Corn grain should be dried to market moistures (usually 15.5% for field corn and 14.0 % for food grade corn) or to 13 percent if corn will be stored throughout the summer.
For excellent resources on grain bins, drying grain, storing grain, etc. visit the University of Kentucky Grain Storage website operated by Dr. Sam McNeill.
Corn harvest can begin when grain moisture approaches 25 percent. Corn grain should be dried to market moistures (usually 15.5% for field corn and 14.0 % for food grade corn) or to 13 percent if corn will be stored throughout the summer.
For excellent resources on grain bins, drying grain, storing grain, etc. visit the University of Kentucky Grain Storage website operated by Dr. Sam McNeill.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
The Price of Food
We will not use this site for opinions on a regular basis. However, the issue addressed herein seems to be picking up steam, and I thought it was time to venture away from "planting dates and seeding rates" and respond to the issue. The following are the opinions of Chad Lee and not necessarily those of the University of Kentucky or the Cooperative Extension Service. We will get back to "planting dates and seeding rates" in future postings.
Is a highly efficient agriculture and cheap food necessarily a bad thing? A recent article by Brian Walsh for Time Magazine (Getting Real about the High price of Food, Aug. 21, 2009) suggests that it is and that our cheap food is an illusion and is really costing much, much more. This is the latest in a series of articles, books and films questioning modern agriculture and its methods.
Mr. Walsh ties pork production to pigs grown in extreme confinement, doped on antibiotics and fed with cheap corn grown with “millions of tons of chemical fertilizer.” The events of pork production are grossly distorted. To describe pork production that way is akin to suggesting that mountains of forests were clear-cut, tons of timber were milled and barrels of poisonous ink were used to print the very magazine in which the article appears.
Both statements above have a shade of the truth, but the truth is heavily draped in exaggeration and fear. The argument strikes at emotions, first, by telling people that they should be afraid of their food and then speckles in a few facts, distorted as they are, as an attempt to appeal to logic. The double-pronged approach is extremely effective.
The very tone of the article is indicative of people who worry very little about having enough to eat, a luxury not shared by many people around the world. In some ways, U.S. farmers and agriculture are victims of their own successes. In the United States, we now have the smallest percentage of the population producing the largest supply of food ever. By having a very small proportion of the people producing food, a very large proportion are free to pursue other interests, develop new technologies, advance new policies and to even become journalists.
As people move away from the farm and lose their connection with their distant ancestors, they tend to romanticize agriculture. Farming is often depicted as a “simpler lifestyle” as many urban dwellers remember summer visits to grandparents or cousins in the country. Memories of the old family farm mingle with songs like “Old McDonald’s Farm”, and television shows like “Little House on the Prairie” where all the animals live peacefully together in a single barn and the family spends more time singing or playing than actually working.
The reality is that agriculture always has been challenging. If it were not so, more people would live and work on the farm. Agriculture is inherently risky. It requires huge investments up front with only the potential for profits several months to years away. A drought or a flood or an outbreak of disease or insects can destroy crops and months of hard labor and investment. The goal of farmers, ranchers and researchers is to improve efficiency, quality and consistency of the food supply and the facts demonstrate our shared success. The result is a food supply that is the cheaper, safer and more abundant than ever . . . and unfortunately an urban population completely disconnected from the realities and challenges of agriculture.
This disconnection is clearly on display with what Mr. Walsh deems an acceptable farm. Mr. Walsh decries the modern large farms as being “factory farms” because they sell large quantities of cattle or crops. His alternative is Niman Ranch, which markets large amounts of “all-natural” beef, pork and poultry from many farms, has its own CEO and was founded by a former attorney for Earthjustice. So, Mr. Walsh complains about a modern feedlot operation who buys cattle from many smaller farmers across the country, finishes those cattle, and then sells those cattle at a price that is affordable by most households in the U.S. However, Mr. Walsh favors a farm corporation with a CEO who markets and sells cattle for many farms at a price that only the wealthy can afford. Bashing the large family farm in favor of another large corporation with projected 2008 revenues of $75million (according to Wikipeda) seems highly illogical.
Mr. Walsh says that the recent recalls and outbreaks are examples of a dangerous food supply that is getting more dangerous. The recalls are examples that the regulatory agencies are doing their jobs. Food contamination is as old as agriculture, itself . . . actually, it probably predates agriculture when people first killed animals and didn’t fully cook the meat, or when they used unsanitary methods to handle and consume fruits and vegetables. Mr. Walsh would likely suggest that we didn’t have recalls 100 years ago. He’s right. No one was checking; people just got sick and died!
Mr. Walsh says that farmers are eroding soils with modern agriculture. Erosion has and still does occur in the United States. In fact, erosion has always been a challenge in agriculture. The U.S. farmer in conjunction with researchers at Land Grant universities and the USDA Agricultural Research Service have worked very diligently over the last 100 years to develop production techniques that greatly reduced erosion. By comparison, the largest loss of soil from erosion from farming occurred in ancient Africa with primitive farming techniques. Mr. Walsh praises today’s ‘organic farmer’ as being sustainable. The irony is that organic farming uses practices very similar to those used by ancient Africans as they destroyed their soil resources.
The disconnect between those who consume food and those who produce it likely will widen as agriculture continues to improve production practices. Many modern farms are large farms, and many large farms are family farms. These family farms are intent on producing food safely, efficiently and sustainably. They think long term and are planning to pass on the farm and its natural resources to the next generation. The American consumer should thank the American farmer for producing such a safe, abundant and relatively inexpensive food supply…and for not having to produce it themselves.
The disconnect between people consuming food and the efforts of producing it are fertile ground for seeds of fear and distrust. Those of us who work in Cooperative Extension at Land Grant Universities constantly field questions from well-intentioned citizens who are genuinely concerned about their food. They are not exactly sure where and how their food is produced. Those who adamantly despise modern agriculture, or perhaps the consumption of animal proteins, are prolific at writing and communicating. They are very effective at delivering their message. Those engaged in producing food are much better at …well, at producing food. In general, we are great at talking shop with our counterparts, but we are terrible about explaining to our neighbors what we do. Those of us remaining in agriculture must defend the successes of modern farming.
The opinions of Chad Lee were expressed above and not necessarily those of the University of Kentucky or the Cooperative Extension Service.
Is a highly efficient agriculture and cheap food necessarily a bad thing? A recent article by Brian Walsh for Time Magazine (Getting Real about the High price of Food, Aug. 21, 2009) suggests that it is and that our cheap food is an illusion and is really costing much, much more. This is the latest in a series of articles, books and films questioning modern agriculture and its methods.
Mr. Walsh ties pork production to pigs grown in extreme confinement, doped on antibiotics and fed with cheap corn grown with “millions of tons of chemical fertilizer.” The events of pork production are grossly distorted. To describe pork production that way is akin to suggesting that mountains of forests were clear-cut, tons of timber were milled and barrels of poisonous ink were used to print the very magazine in which the article appears.
Both statements above have a shade of the truth, but the truth is heavily draped in exaggeration and fear. The argument strikes at emotions, first, by telling people that they should be afraid of their food and then speckles in a few facts, distorted as they are, as an attempt to appeal to logic. The double-pronged approach is extremely effective.
The very tone of the article is indicative of people who worry very little about having enough to eat, a luxury not shared by many people around the world. In some ways, U.S. farmers and agriculture are victims of their own successes. In the United States, we now have the smallest percentage of the population producing the largest supply of food ever. By having a very small proportion of the people producing food, a very large proportion are free to pursue other interests, develop new technologies, advance new policies and to even become journalists.
As people move away from the farm and lose their connection with their distant ancestors, they tend to romanticize agriculture. Farming is often depicted as a “simpler lifestyle” as many urban dwellers remember summer visits to grandparents or cousins in the country. Memories of the old family farm mingle with songs like “Old McDonald’s Farm”, and television shows like “Little House on the Prairie” where all the animals live peacefully together in a single barn and the family spends more time singing or playing than actually working.
The reality is that agriculture always has been challenging. If it were not so, more people would live and work on the farm. Agriculture is inherently risky. It requires huge investments up front with only the potential for profits several months to years away. A drought or a flood or an outbreak of disease or insects can destroy crops and months of hard labor and investment. The goal of farmers, ranchers and researchers is to improve efficiency, quality and consistency of the food supply and the facts demonstrate our shared success. The result is a food supply that is the cheaper, safer and more abundant than ever . . . and unfortunately an urban population completely disconnected from the realities and challenges of agriculture.
This disconnection is clearly on display with what Mr. Walsh deems an acceptable farm. Mr. Walsh decries the modern large farms as being “factory farms” because they sell large quantities of cattle or crops. His alternative is Niman Ranch, which markets large amounts of “all-natural” beef, pork and poultry from many farms, has its own CEO and was founded by a former attorney for Earthjustice. So, Mr. Walsh complains about a modern feedlot operation who buys cattle from many smaller farmers across the country, finishes those cattle, and then sells those cattle at a price that is affordable by most households in the U.S. However, Mr. Walsh favors a farm corporation with a CEO who markets and sells cattle for many farms at a price that only the wealthy can afford. Bashing the large family farm in favor of another large corporation with projected 2008 revenues of $75million (according to Wikipeda) seems highly illogical.
Mr. Walsh says that the recent recalls and outbreaks are examples of a dangerous food supply that is getting more dangerous. The recalls are examples that the regulatory agencies are doing their jobs. Food contamination is as old as agriculture, itself . . . actually, it probably predates agriculture when people first killed animals and didn’t fully cook the meat, or when they used unsanitary methods to handle and consume fruits and vegetables. Mr. Walsh would likely suggest that we didn’t have recalls 100 years ago. He’s right. No one was checking; people just got sick and died!
Mr. Walsh says that farmers are eroding soils with modern agriculture. Erosion has and still does occur in the United States. In fact, erosion has always been a challenge in agriculture. The U.S. farmer in conjunction with researchers at Land Grant universities and the USDA Agricultural Research Service have worked very diligently over the last 100 years to develop production techniques that greatly reduced erosion. By comparison, the largest loss of soil from erosion from farming occurred in ancient Africa with primitive farming techniques. Mr. Walsh praises today’s ‘organic farmer’ as being sustainable. The irony is that organic farming uses practices very similar to those used by ancient Africans as they destroyed their soil resources.
The disconnect between those who consume food and those who produce it likely will widen as agriculture continues to improve production practices. Many modern farms are large farms, and many large farms are family farms. These family farms are intent on producing food safely, efficiently and sustainably. They think long term and are planning to pass on the farm and its natural resources to the next generation. The American consumer should thank the American farmer for producing such a safe, abundant and relatively inexpensive food supply…and for not having to produce it themselves.
The disconnect between people consuming food and the efforts of producing it are fertile ground for seeds of fear and distrust. Those of us who work in Cooperative Extension at Land Grant Universities constantly field questions from well-intentioned citizens who are genuinely concerned about their food. They are not exactly sure where and how their food is produced. Those who adamantly despise modern agriculture, or perhaps the consumption of animal proteins, are prolific at writing and communicating. They are very effective at delivering their message. Those engaged in producing food are much better at …well, at producing food. In general, we are great at talking shop with our counterparts, but we are terrible about explaining to our neighbors what we do. Those of us remaining in agriculture must defend the successes of modern farming.
The opinions of Chad Lee were expressed above and not necessarily those of the University of Kentucky or the Cooperative Extension Service.
Soybean Aphid & Other Insects in Double-Crop Soybeans
I have received several reports and questions from Extension agents, consultants and company reps concerning near economic threshold populations of Soybean Aphid (SA). Fortunately, all of these fields so far are in R6 or later stages. However, in addition a number of these reports included the observation that there are many other fields that are still in the R3 to R5 stages. These earlier stage plants will remain at risk to SA until they reach the R6 growth stage. These are the fields in which you should spend your scouting time.
The SA economic threshold is 250 aphids per plant, on 80% of the plants, with an increasing population. This threshold holds through plant stage R5. For more mature plants a great many more aphids per plant would be required to provide a benefit for an insecticide application. The exact number is currently under investigation but it is likely at least 500 aphids per plant and may well be 1000 aphids per plant.
In addition there have been scattered questions concerning stinkbugs and bean leaf beetles. Both of these insects are still present and will be feeding directly on the pods. At least one report I have seen, contains stinkbug numbers much greater than the threshold and bean leaf beetle populations very near thresholds. Both of these insects bear close observation as beans progress to maturity.
The SA economic threshold is 250 aphids per plant, on 80% of the plants, with an increasing population. This threshold holds through plant stage R5. For more mature plants a great many more aphids per plant would be required to provide a benefit for an insecticide application. The exact number is currently under investigation but it is likely at least 500 aphids per plant and may well be 1000 aphids per plant.
In addition there have been scattered questions concerning stinkbugs and bean leaf beetles. Both of these insects are still present and will be feeding directly on the pods. At least one report I have seen, contains stinkbug numbers much greater than the threshold and bean leaf beetle populations very near thresholds. Both of these insects bear close observation as beans progress to maturity.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Yield Contests for Corn and Soybean
The corn and soybean yield contest forms are now available online at the Grain Crops Extension website and the Kentucky Yield Contest Site.
Both of these contests are opereated through the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service and funded by the Kentucky Corn Growers Association, the Kentucky Soybean Board and agricultural industry.
Rules and guidelines are very similar to the 2008 contest. For the 2009 contest, we are asking for soil series (Huntington, Crider, Pembroke, etc.).
The National Corn Growers Association also has the NCGA Corn Contest, which has state and national winners. The rules and regulations are more restrictive than the Kentucky Corn Yield Contest. A farmer may submit a copy of the NCGA entry form to the Kentucky Yield Contest.
For more information about these contests, please contact your extension agent.
Both of these contests are opereated through the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service and funded by the Kentucky Corn Growers Association, the Kentucky Soybean Board and agricultural industry.
Rules and guidelines are very similar to the 2008 contest. For the 2009 contest, we are asking for soil series (Huntington, Crider, Pembroke, etc.).
The National Corn Growers Association also has the NCGA Corn Contest, which has state and national winners. The rules and regulations are more restrictive than the Kentucky Corn Yield Contest. A farmer may submit a copy of the NCGA entry form to the Kentucky Yield Contest.
For more information about these contests, please contact your extension agent.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Observations on Corn Diseases
Observations of Paul Vincelli, Extension Plant Pathologist, University of Kentucky as of August 21, 2009.
I (Paul Vincelli) just returned from a trip inspecting corn diseases through western Kentucky as far west as the Mississippi River, and here is a quick summary and comments.
1. Southern rust is prevalent in Kentucky, having been found in Fayette County and every western Kentucky field inspected. See most recent article in Kentucky Pest News, http://www.uky.edu/Ag/kpn/kpn_09/pn_090818.html. This disease can progress very rapidly on corn, since almost all corn hybrids vary from moderately susceptible to highly susceptible. However, incidence and severity vary widely from field to field. In some fields, it is hard to find; in others, many plants show leaf reddening and desiccation in the lower canopy and the upper canopy has a few pustules. It is a little difficult to decide when to pull the trigger on spraying fungicide, if for no other reason than to protect stalk health. Most fields I inspected were at early dent, which in my opinion is too late to treat with fungicides. The very few fields I saw that were in early dough might be candidates for treatment, but only if rust was present, easy to find, and producing abundant reddish sporulation in at least some spots in the field. Cool weather expected over the next few days will slow it down, which is good news. I think the main thing is that growers should scout all fields for stalk health as they mature, and schedule early harvests on those fields with weak stalks. In at least some cases, spending money on propane for grain drying probably makes more sense than a fungicide application.
2. Northern leaf blight is widespread but generally occurring at levels that will not hurt yields. There is also another look-alike out there: Diplodia leaf streak. This disease has lesions that look somewhat like Northern leaf blight, but the edges of the lesions are wavy like Stewart’s wilt. Also, the lesions might follow the secondary views like Stewart’s wilt. Lab diagnosis is the way to confirm this disease. The fungus that causes Diplodia leaf streak (Diplodia macrospora) is distinct from the common one that causes Diplodia ear rot and stalk rot (Diplodia maydis), but Diplodia macrospora will also cause ear rot and stalk rot. Diplodia macrospora may be increasing in occurrence in Kentucky; seed companies will want to keep an eye on this.
I (Paul Vincelli) just returned from a trip inspecting corn diseases through western Kentucky as far west as the Mississippi River, and here is a quick summary and comments.
1. Southern rust is prevalent in Kentucky, having been found in Fayette County and every western Kentucky field inspected. See most recent article in Kentucky Pest News, http://www.uky.edu/Ag/kpn/kpn_09/pn_090818.html. This disease can progress very rapidly on corn, since almost all corn hybrids vary from moderately susceptible to highly susceptible. However, incidence and severity vary widely from field to field. In some fields, it is hard to find; in others, many plants show leaf reddening and desiccation in the lower canopy and the upper canopy has a few pustules. It is a little difficult to decide when to pull the trigger on spraying fungicide, if for no other reason than to protect stalk health. Most fields I inspected were at early dent, which in my opinion is too late to treat with fungicides. The very few fields I saw that were in early dough might be candidates for treatment, but only if rust was present, easy to find, and producing abundant reddish sporulation in at least some spots in the field. Cool weather expected over the next few days will slow it down, which is good news. I think the main thing is that growers should scout all fields for stalk health as they mature, and schedule early harvests on those fields with weak stalks. In at least some cases, spending money on propane for grain drying probably makes more sense than a fungicide application.
2. Northern leaf blight is widespread but generally occurring at levels that will not hurt yields. There is also another look-alike out there: Diplodia leaf streak. This disease has lesions that look somewhat like Northern leaf blight, but the edges of the lesions are wavy like Stewart’s wilt. Also, the lesions might follow the secondary views like Stewart’s wilt. Lab diagnosis is the way to confirm this disease. The fungus that causes Diplodia leaf streak (Diplodia macrospora) is distinct from the common one that causes Diplodia ear rot and stalk rot (Diplodia maydis), but Diplodia macrospora will also cause ear rot and stalk rot. Diplodia macrospora may be increasing in occurrence in Kentucky; seed companies will want to keep an eye on this.
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