WTCH Area Crop Scouting

Report for the week of 7/12/10

By Timothy Boerner, AgVentures EnviroPros Agronomist 

Excessive rain continues to be the biggest factor in crop production this year.  Another three and a half inches this week has my total for July at nearly eight inches which is more than twice the normal for the month.Most area growers are trying to finish second crop hay harvest, but it seems few are getting dry hay in the barn.Our area alfalfa scouting has turned up very few insect problems at an economic treatment threshold.  The hay crop seems to be growing faster than the insect populations.Potato leaf hoppers are closest to threshold populations in alfalfa seeded this year, but most remain below treatment levels.  Since winter hardiness and stand survival in new seedings are jeopardized by potato leafhoppers we will continue to closely monitor populations of this pest.

The winter wheat crop is close to harvest, and spot checks found local fields around 15 percent grain moisture. Another thing observed when checking wheat grain moisture is a big variation in grain kernel size.  Kernel size may not affect end yield but should be considered when adjusting the combine’s air settings.  There has been some interest in pre harvest weed treatments for those small grain fields that didn’t get timely early season weed sprays.  While a harvest aid weed spray can improve harvest ability there are a number of factors to be considered before committing to driving a sprayer through a field prior to harvest.

The corn crop is tasseling and the smell of corn pollen will be in the air for the next couple of weeks. Overall the corn crop is looking very good and silage harvest this year could be as early as it has ever been.We continue to get plant tissue test results back that are deficient for a number of micro nutrients.  Alfalfa test results have generally been deficient in boron, calcium and sulfur. Corn tissue test results have been coming back low to deficient in sulfur, zinc, calcium and manganese.It’s not hard to find nitrogen and potassium deficiency plant symptoms in corn fields.  And, it’s easy to confuse the plant deficiency symptoms of these two major crop nutrients. Both nitrogen and potassium deficiency on corn plants show up as a yellow to brown color on the lowest leaves.However where nitrogen deficiency will show up as a yellowing back from the tip along the leaf mid rib potassium deficiency will turn the lower leaves yellow back from the leaf tip along the leaf edge.When deficiency symptoms show up in a maturing crop it’s too late to correct it this year but recognizing it can be a valuable fertility planning tool for the future.

Call Agventures with any crop production questions and an Enviropros agronomist will be happy to help.  

WTCH Area Crop Scouting

Report for the week of 7/5/10

By Timothy Boerner, AgVentures  EnviroPros Agronomist 

Rainfall totals in June set records in some parts of the state, but July is already almost as wet.

Moisture and heat units greatly influence how crops develop and you need look no further than the development of the corn.Average corn height statewide was reported near 60 inches which is more than a foot taller than the five year average.All other state crops are reported to be at least 10% ahead of historical averages.

Corn is beginning to tassel, wheat has already reached the dough stage, soybeans are flowering, and third crop hay is regrowing quickly for those lucky enough to have gotten the second crop off during the dry week.Weather conditions continue to favor fungal and bacterial disease development in the crops.

One disease in particular that has shown up locally is eyespot in corn. Eyespot symptoms typically start as small circular lesions that can enlarge over time.  The mature lesions are tan with a darker brown or purple margin and are surrounded by a larger yellow “halo”.  When the leaf is held up to the light it will look like an eye.Corn eyespot lesions can spread to cover the entire leaf and cause large areas of dead leaf tissue, but usually treatment with a fungicide for eyespot disease is reserved for high value crops, like seed production.The fact that conditions are prime for the development of diseases has growers considering crop protection applications of fungicides.  Tasseling time applications of fungicides have grown in popularity in recent years, but the weather this season may make disease protection all the more useful.

Wheat scouting has shown that the local crop is reaching the dough stage of development.  The crop should be at harvest stage within a couple of weeks.

Potato leafhoppers have not been keeping up with the rapidly growing alfalfa crop, and have posed little threat so far.  But, populations are rising and monitoring of this destructive insect pest should be going on now.  Even with abundant moisture, potato leafhoppers can do significant damage to established hay fields.  However, the biggest threat from leafhoppers will be to this years newly seeded alfalfa.  Potato leafhoppers prefer to feed on plant sap from the new and succulent alfalfa stems which are also desirable places to lay their eggs.When potato leafhopper populations reach a threshold the plants will be stunted, the leaves will turn yellow and the plants will be severely weakened.  This response to the pest will reduce yield and the plants ability to fully develop a crown which the plant will need to be able to withstand the Wisconsin winters.

 

WTCH Area Crop Scouting

Report for the week of 6/21/10

By Timothy Boerner, AgVentures  EnviroPros Agronomist

 

Summer officially began this week and the crops are ahead of schedule.With more than 5 inches of rain in June everything has grown well. It has been nearly impossible to bale dry hay this month, but some growers have been able to make hayledge between rain events.  And, the reports are that yields of second crop are bigger than the first crop was.The wet weather continues to favor the development of diseases, and fungicide spraying on corn or harvesting the alfalfa are the preferred disease control measures for each crop.Insect populations continue to grow and scouting has turned up aphids in soybeans, armyworms in wheat, and potato leafhoppers in hay.A late harvest of second crop alfalfa may help to reduce damage from potato leaf hoppers, but this insect has begun to establish populations.  And, crop scouting indications are that there is a possibility that substantial leafhopper populations may occur in July.Potato leaf hoppers feed on a variety of plants, but its greatest economic impact to local crops is in alfalfa hay fields.  Usually the most significant damage is to alfalfa that was seeded this year.

Early scouting efforts have identified some low soybean aphid populations in area soybean fields.As soybeans begin to flower we will step up our diligent scouting for soybean aphids.  Low soybean aphid populations can quickly grow to dangerous levels and when soybean fields are flowering and beginning to set pods they are most vulnerable to yield loss from this pest.Reports of army worms have been coming in from around our area and several wheat fields have been sprayed for this pest. 

We have detected armyworms in oats, barley, wheat and corn fields but most of those fields were below economic threshold levels at this time.  With the potential threat from armyworms scouting of small grain fields and corn planted into old hay fields is a very good idea. Armyworms do not spend the winter in Wisconsin.  The adult moths migrate through the state in April and May and lay eggs in fields with heavy grass weed pressure or hay fields which were spring killed and no till planted with corn.Armyworms grow to about 1 ½ inches long and will defoliate plants by feeding on the leaf margin.  Armyworms that infest corn will hide down in the plant whorl during the day and come out to feed at night.

 

Call AgVentures with any crop production issues and our Enviropros agronomists will be happy to help you.

WTCH Area Crop Scouting

Report for the week of 6/14/10

By Timothy Boerner, AgVentures  EnviroPros Agronomist

 

The old saying ‘rain makes grain’ may be true, but I think we’ve had enough rain for now. The saturated soil conditions are now causing problems with the development of some local crops. Post emergent weed spraying needs to be done, but many fields are too wet to get application equipment into fields at this time. 

Unfortunately the weeds continue to grow and might soon be too big for optimum control. The saturated soil has created a perfect environment for the development of diseases like anthracnose in corn and leaf spot on the lower leaves of the alfalfa. A fungicide application could protect the crops from further development of these problems.  But, a change in the weather would also turn things around for our crops. The leaf spot disease we are seeing on the lower leaves of the alfalfa plants is caused by a fungus that will result in reduced yield and hay quality.  By taking the crop early some of the yield can be saved by harvesting prior to these lower leaves falling off. Harvesting the leaf spot infected second crop alfalfa will help to promote a better third crop.  But, by fertilizing between cuttings with potash the alfalfa plants can cure and protect themselves from many different leaf diseases.

An uncommon pest that has shown up as a result of recent cloudy and moist conditions has been slugs.  The incidence of slug damage to corn has shown up in minimum tillage fields that have lots of plant trash.  Slugs have caused significant leaf damage to seedling corn and soybean plants and delayed crop development. When you’ve identified a field with slug damage, check to make sure new leaves are not defoliated and that the plant is outgrowing the damage. Both corn and soybeans can tolerate up to 40% defoliation without significant yield impact.  But if weather conditions remain favorable to slug activity we could see more damage from this uncommon pest.

During our recent scouting efforts we have been collecting plant tissue and soil samples. The plant tissue test results have generally been showing a deficiency of boron, but plant deficiencies of zinc, sulfur, calcium, and manganese have also been identified in a variety of local crops. Pre side dress soil nitrate testing results have shown that nitrogen credits from last years legume crops or manure applications have mineralized adequate amounts of organic matter for this years corn crop.  The nitrate levels analyzed in these crop rotations have been what was expected and planned side dress nitrogen amounts have been reduce to reflect what is now available to the corn crop. If you have questions about any crop production issues call AgVentures and one of our Enviropros agronomists will be happy to help you.

WTCH Area Crop Scouting

Report for the week of 6/7/10

By Timothy Boerner, AgVentures  EnviroPros Agronomist

 

Rain over the entire area has really benefited the crops, but it has also put a damper on hay making and on post applied sprays.When it dries up enough to get back into the fields the sprayers will have to be rolling to have any chance of controlling weeds before they get too big.Once annual weeds get to be 4 inches tall they are much more difficult to control.  It has also been calculated that for every inch a weed gets beyond that 4 inch tall height you lose 4 bushels per acre of yield.  The sad part about that is once yield is lost to tall weed competition it can never be recovered.A hard to control weed that has been showing up in many area fields is yellow nut sedge.  This aggressive perennial weed is very prolific and it has a reproductive advantage over most other weeds.

 

Yellow nut sedge can spread by seeds, by under ground stems, and by nut-lets that grow under ground.  When you till soil that has yellow nut sedge growing in it you can spread it to other parts of the field. Tillage divides up the nut sedge plants’ under ground stems and then drags the plant parts to previously un infested  parts of the field where they can grow to become another plant. Controlling yellow nut sedge is very difficult and there are only a few herbicides that are effective on it.  With any weed control program positive weed identification is essential if you are going to have a chance to select the best herbicide to get the job done.  Yellow nut sedge is not a grass but it looks a lot like one.  It can be identified by its triangular stem, and when you pull up a plant by its roots the white under ground stems will be readily apparent and it may have one or two finger nail size nut-lets attached to the roots as well.

 

Local peas and oat cover crops on many new seeding alfalfa fields are being harvested now.  After the forage is removed many of these fields will have weeds trying to compete with the re-growing alfalfa.  If straight alfalfa was planted then spraying with the herbicide Raptor soon after it begins to regrow will help the alfalfa recover without weed competition and will provide an excellent 2^nd crop.Raptor can be sprayed over the top of direct seeded alfalfa in combination with an insecticide to provide protection from two pests at once.  Seeding year alfalfa is most attractive to the potato leafhopper and if this pest gets established in young alfalfa seedings it can stunt the crop to the point of eliminating yield or even kill the field before it produces a hay crop.

 

We have seen the first arrivals of this migrant pest, the potato leafhopper, in some fields already and once it is established the populations can grow quickly to become one of our most destructive insect pests.If you have questions about any crop production issues call AgVentures and one of our Enviropros agronomists will be happy to help you.

WTCH Area Crop Scouting

Report for the week of 5/30/10

By Timothy Boerner, AgVentures  EnviroPros Agronomist

Area corn and soybean planting is just about done and the crops are off to a great start, but weed control is now at a critical time. Protecting your row crops from competition by yield robbing weeds is best done when they are small.  Most herbicide labels recommend spraying when the majority of the weeds are less than 4 inches tall. The good growing conditions this past week has seen weeds reach the optimum size for control in only a couple days.  And, if you aren’t watching your fields closely you could be too late for good weed control before you know it.  Corn and soybean fields have also grown to a good size for foliar feeding of micronutrients.  Side dress applications of Nitrogen on corn should be going on now so it will be available when the crop needs it. So far this season the only pests we have seen threatening the yield potential of row crops has been weeds. Insects pests are now the threat to the alfalfa hay crop. We have found populations of alfalfa weevils that have reached the economic threshold in a number of fields.  When alfalfa weevil populations reach economic threshold it means that the cost of treating for the pest will be recovered by the increased yield resulting from eliminating the pest. Some of the worst hay fields are being chewed off as quickly as the plants can regrow.  Considering the size of the larvae we are seeing it will be a while before alfalfa weevils are no longer a threat this season. The small grain crops; wheat, barley, rye and oats are all getting close to flowering stage and most are beyond the point where it is safe to spray for weeds.  A pre-harvest weed spray option will soon be all that is left for any grain fields that got missed or that develop a late season weed problem. Peas and oats cover crops for the new seeding fields will soon be at harvest stage.  Harvesting this cover crop should be done 60 days after planting, but you can judge harvest timing by when the oats are in the boot stage. There are a number of herbicide options for treating weeds in new seeded alfalfa fields if they are planted with just alfalfa.  Treating after the cover crop is harvested or over the top of direct seeded alfalfa will ensure that the field gets well established and provides you with a cutting this year. New seeding alfalfa fields are also the most vulnerable to a later season insect pest, the potato leaf hopper.  We have seen the first arrivals of this migrant pest in some fields already, but none have reached an economic treatment threshold yet. If you have questions about any crop production issues call AgVentures and one of our Enviropros agronomists will be happy to help you.

 

WTCH Area Crop Scouting

Report for the week of 5/24/10

The warm weather has the crops growing quickly.   After waiting weeks for early planted corn to emerge from the soil, this week it only took days for planted crops to germinate and break through the soil surface. Unfortunately, the weeds have grown just as well and will quickly develop past the stage where herbicides will do the best job of controlling them. Weeds are easiest to control when they are small.  Most herbicide labels list a 4 inch weed height as the optimum size for best control with over the top or post emergence applied weed sprays.  When weeds get bigger, especially when conditions turn hot and dry, they protect themselves from moisture loss by building up a waxy layer on their leaves to retain moisture.  The waxy layer on the weeds surface also blocks penetration of herbicides.  So, the same mechanism that protects the weed from moisture loss also protects it from killing sprays. Right now is the most critical time for weed control in most corn fields.  The corn is big enough to safely apply post emerge herbicides and the weeds are small enough to get best control. Be sure to identify your weed problems and choose the best herbicide to do the job.

Alfalfa hay harvest has been happening this week all over the area, and many good yields have been reported.  Following first crop hay harvest it’s a good time to fertilize the hay fields in order to replace the soil nutrients removed by the big crop. Potash is an essential plant nutrient removed in large amounts by alfalfa, but also important to maintaining good yields in the second and third crop will be to feed the plants with calcium, sulfur and boron.Many hay fields were showing feeding damage by alfalfa weevils prior to hay cutting.  Cutting is a good strategy to lesson the effects of this insect pest, but considering the small size of the larvae at this time, it will be a good idea to watch the re-growth of the hay closely.If your hay fields don’t green back up as quickly as you expect look closely at the emerging alfalfa leaves for signs of chewing damage and for the small green weevil worms.A small amount of insect pest pressure at this time can cause big yield losses to second crop hay.  Economic treatment thresholds are lower when the crop is smaller and when its most vulnerable to insect pests.

 

If you have questions about any crop production issues call AgVentures and one of our Enviropros agronomists will be happy to help you.

 

Report for the week of 5/17/10

By Timothy Boerner, AgVentures  EnviroPros Agronomist

 

Is the 2010 cropping season ahead of schedule?  The National agricultural statistics service reports that Wisconsin corn planting is 50% ahead of last year. Growing degree day accumulations are more than 30% ahead of last year, but compared to the historical averages we are very close to normal.

Alfalfa harvest began this week with many big dairy farms looking at estimated relative feed quality as their indicator of hay cutting schedule.  Within the past week, measurements of the standing alfalfa crop have shown that relative feed values have dropped quickly from 240 to 180.The alfalfa fields with the best relative feed quality (and the fields closest to harvest) seem to be the fields with the best fertility. Remember to replace the nutrients removed with the hay crop, by topdressing fertilizer following the first crop hay harvest.  During this past winter the University of Wisconsin soil science department reported that a survey of state soils labs found that hay fields denied potash fertilizer over a recent four year cropped hay rotation had their soil test levels drop by half.

With the return of warm weather the crops and crop pests have begun to grow quickly. While scouting alfalfa fields we’ve identified some fields with alfalfa weevil populations that are quickly approaching treatment based on economic threshold levels. The best recommendation for alfalfa weevil control, considering the advanced stage of the hay crop, would be to harvest those alfalfa fields that have areas showing plants with leaf tip feeding.  The fields showing the greatest amount of alfalfa weevil damage seem to be the ones that slope to the South and have soils that have warmed up the fastest. All the newly planted fields are growing quickly, but unfortunately so are the weeds.  Remember that weeds are easiest to control when they are small.

The wheat crop is now being threatened by several leaf diseases.  Nearly 70% of the wheat yield will be determined in the next couple of weeks when the flag (or last) leaf emerges. Applying a fungicide to protect the flag leaf from the spread of disease can pay for itself many times over if your wheat field is at risk. Don’t let the busy hay harvesting time distract you from pest protection of your planted fields.

If you have questions about any crop production issues call AgVentures and one of our Enviropros agronomists will be happy to help you.

Report for the week of 5/10/10

By Timothy Boerner, AgVentures  EnviroPros Agronomist

 

A return to winter weather slowed the rapid progress of crop planting this week.  A survey of crop reporters around Wisconsin estimates 70% of the corn crop has been planted which compares to 38% at this time last year. Scouting of area corn fields found that some corn plants got frozen off by the hard frost and recent freezing temperatures, but most of those fields have already begun to re-grow and recover.Unfortunately re-growth won’t be the case of a local emerged soybean field that was frozen the same nights and will not be able to recover.The difference between the two crops is that the soybean plants growing point emerges from the soil first and corn will send up several leaves before the growing point is out of the ground.One thing we did see this week was a lot of very yellow and some purple corn. Both are indicators of the corn plants struggles with nutrient uptake and its ability to produce chlorophyll and plant sugars.While scouting wheat fields this week we’ve found an abundance of leaf diseases, like powdery mildew. Now that the conditions have turned cool and wet we expect to see more diseases in the wheat since this type of weather favors development of many wheat pathogens.There are some wheat fields that are showing a yellow color that is easily seen from the road as you drive by.  Many of these symptoms were caused by an application of a liquid nitrogen solution.  Growers expect a little bit of a leaf yellowing by applying 28% liquid nitrogen solutions, and the wheat generally grows out of it rather quickly.  But, since the wheat is growing more slowly right now, due to the cool temperatures, it’s taking the wheat longer than normal to green back up. Alfalfa is growing well and even though the hay crop got slowed down by the recent weather it is still far ahead of schedule this year. PEAK stick measurements on alfalfa this week have turned up Relative Feed Value estimates at the 240 level. With the predicted return of seasonal temperatures and the resumption of normal growing rates a Relative Feed Value forecast of first crop hay harvest could be less than two weeks away.  That would be a week ahead of an average Memorial Day start to hay cutting. Relative feed value is a good measure of harvesting quality alfalfa hay, but many growers will sacrifice some quality for greater quantity and let the crop develop past the optimum stage.If you have questions about any crop production issues call AgVentures and one of our enviropros agronomists will be happy to help you.

 

Report for the week of 4/26/10

By Timothy Boerner, AgVentures  EnviroPros Agronomist

 

Last weekends rain made a lot of newly seeded oats fields turn green.  While scouting planted corn fields this week we were able to find some germinated seeds, but these were restricted to spring tilled fields with sandy soils. Lots of pre-emergent sprays are being applied right after corn fields have been planted and this works well as a herbicide weed barrier. If the field has been planted to corn for several years in a row it is probably developing a problem with crabgrass.  The only conventional corn herbicides that will control crabgrass are the pre-emergent sprays. Wheat field scouting this week has turned up some weedy fields and growers are pulling the trigger on herbicide application, but also switching to crop safe non growth regulator herbicides.Some wheat scouting has identified the leaf disease powdery mildew, but we haven’t found any economic thresholds that warranted a fungicide application. Alfalfa fields in the area are growing well and many fields average about 8 inches in height.  At the current growth rate there should be some pretty good early first crop yields. The Southern part of Wisconsin is reporting signs of alfalfa weevil damage in parts of hay fields.  But, so far we haven’t come across any insect damage to crops in our area yet. The only alfalfa damage our scouts have turned up is some frost damage to the tips of leaves.The major pest found in alfalfa hay fields has been weeds like dandelions and mustard, and while these can be controlled by a number of different herbicides, the hay stand has to be worth saving to justify spending the money to take the weeds out. Our scouting efforts have come across a number of hay fields that were not greening up as well as they should. On closer examination we found the culprit to be alfalfa root diseases like phytophthera and pithium that is making the hay look sick. 

Some times these diseases have been called alfalfa wet foot and refer to the conditions that favor the disease.  The only real defense against root diseases is to plant disease resistant seed if the field has a history of these types of problems. In order to diagnose if the alfalfa plants are going to be able to recover from wet foot disease you need to dig up some plants and study their roots.  If the root is soft and spongy it is not going to make it.  If you slice the root laterally and any part of it is a dark brown color it is also probably done for. If you have any questions about pre-emergent herbicides, wet foot disease, pest control, fertility issues, or any crop production issues call AgVentures and one of our enviropros agronomists will be happy to help you.

Report for the week ending 4/23/10

By Timothy Boerner, AgVentures Agronomist

 

This week you can see corn planter tracks in fields all over the area.  It looks like planting season is now in full swing, but soil temperatures are still too cool for corn to germinate.  With the current technology in seed treatments the corn seed is protected from many pests, and planting into cold soil is not as risky as it used to be. As soon as the corn is in the ground a pre emergent spray can be applied over the top of the field.  Pre emergent sprays act like a weed barrier while letting the corn grow.  This allows the crop to develop without any competition. Old hay fields that will be no till planted to corn are now big enough for an effective burn down treatment with Round-up and a residual herbicide.

 Local wheat fields are in full tiller stage now so growth regulator herbicides are too risky to apply, but weeds continue to grow so fields should be monitored closely.  Weeds are always easier to control when they are small, but choices of wheat herbicides and application timing is important so the crop isn’t injured. Alfalfa fields are growing rapidly, and there are some very nice looking hay fields in our area. Our crop scouting has not turned up any insect pest activity yet, but we will keep watching. One interesting thing observed in hay field scouting this week is the difference in size of fields cut late last fall and the ones where a last cutting was skipped.   Where the hay was cut in late September the alfalfa is generally half the size of alfalfa that was left un-cut.  We’ve also observed that the winter kill thinned stands are more pronounced on those late cut fields. Weedy alfalfa fields generally mean the hay field is ready to be rotated to another crop.  There are some very good herbicides for taking weeds out of alfalfa fields but spraying for weeds in old fields usually just makes openings for more weeds to invade the stand. If you have any questions about crop scouting, weed control, or crop fertility please call one of the agronomists at Agventures and we’d be happy to help you make this a profitable cropping season.

By Timothy Boerner, AgVentures Agronomist

 

Oats and hay field seeding is in full swing and many farmers are talking about planting corn next week.  Fertilizer applied now will help the crop grow to its full potential.  But with this early planting season start you should consider spreading a protected or slow release Nitrogen fertilizer to make sure it is still around when the crop needs it.

Wheat field scouting this week turned up some nice looking fields, but also showed some weed populations that will soon be ready for a herbicide spray.  Right now it’s too early to apply a growth regulator type spray to wheat, but there are some safe alternatives if you can’t wait until the wheat is done tillering.  Once the wheat has grown all of its tillers, then it is safe to apply the inexpensive TWO FOUR - D, growth regulator spray.

Many fields will be ready for a burn down spray next week, ahead of no-till planting.  A pre plant herbicide program is a good idea to take out those tough perennial weeds before tillage and planting corn or soybean fields. If you have the perennial weeds taken care of, which is usually the case in a corn and soybean rotation.  Then a pre emergent herbicide spray applied soon after the crop is planted will ensure that the crop grows without any competition.  With a pre emergent spray, no weeds should show up along side the growing crop.  But, later if you do see weeds growing in the field then it’ll be time to make a rescue spray treatment.

Hay field scouting in the area has turned up some fields that did suffer some winter kill.  However, most of the damaged fields were older stands that were not managed very well last year. Late cuttings, low fertility, and heavy head land traffic all seemed to be culprits in the winter kill of certain parts of hay fields. As you evaluate these poor areas of hay fields try digging up a few plants.  If the alfalfa crown or root is intact and it is a creamy white color then the plant may still survive one more year.

A lot of growers are adding treatments to their seed now, before they plant.  Seed treatments; can help soybeans produce nitrogen, treatments can help corn grow bigger and healthier root, and seed treatments can protect growing seed from a wide variety of pests.

For more information about seed treatments, crop scouting, or to answer your questions about fertility and weed control in hay or winter wheat fields call one of our agronomists at Agventures.

Report for the week ending 4/9/10

By Timothy Boerner, AgVentures Agronomist

Snow in April!  Some farmers call it poor man’s fertilizer, and in fact since our atmosphere is greater than 70% Nitrogen anything that brings it down to the soil, like a snow fall, so that plants can use it, is a free fertilizer source. A lot of oats and alfalfa fields got planted last week, when you add the recent precipitation, and the forecast for 60 degree temperatures, a lot of those planted fields will be greening up soon. Local hay and pasture fields were already green but have now grown quickly thanks to some moisture and the unseasonably warm temperatures.  Old hay, pasture or old sod fields that are planned to be taken out of production and rotated to another crop  will soon be big enough to get an effective kill from round-up applications.  Ideally we like to see quackgrass and weeds 8 inches tall before spraying a contact killing spray like round-up or 2,4-D. Round-up applications work best when the target plants are actively growing, but round-up alone will not take out old alfalfa plants or tough broadleaf perennial weeds like dandelion.  So, we recommend tank mixing the spray to get a more complete weed kill before tillage and planting the next crop. Alfalfa and wheat field scouting this past week showed that the plants responded well to spring applied fertilizer. Many of the plants were sending out new shoots and increasing significantly in size.  Some of the knolls in the fields which were taking a while to spring to life are now looking pretty good. The most visible pest found this week have been sandhill cranes.  Growers in our area have had on going battles with cranes eating corn seedlings, and some experts have reported that a breeding pair can destroy two and a half acres of corn a year. 

 

There are bird repellents that can be added to corn seed before planting that will stop any birds from pulling up and eating the vulnerable seedling corn plants. Crop scouting services can identify and help solve all kinds of pest problems.For more information about bird repellents, crop scouting, or to answer your questions about fertility and weed control in hay or winter wheat fields call one of our agronomists at Agventures.

Report for the week ending 4/2/10

By Timothy Boerner, AgVentures Agronomist

 

This week temperatures continue to go up and soil moisture continues to go down.  This trend saw many farmers out working fields and has made many farmers anxious for spring planting.When checking soil temperatures I found a range of 38 to 50 degrees based on soil type, tillage, and amount of crop residue on the soil surface.  It is too cold to consider planting anything but oats and new seedings. All around the county farmers have been finding fields to seed down oats and new hay fields.The weather has been perfect for getting some of the cropping tasks out of the way, and on some soils tillage has been working well.The hay and wheat fields have been carrying fertilizer spreaders without making tracks, and the weather has given many farmers a chance to spread manure.Many growers are considering if they should take an old hay field out of the rotation, and now is an excellent time to evaluate if it’s worth keeping.  A four year old hay field should average a minimum of four alfalfa plants per square foot to justify keeping it another year.

 

Something else seen this week was the return of large flocks of sandhill cranes.  Growers in our area have had on going battles with cranes eating corn seedlings, and some experts have reported that a breeding pair can destroy two and a half acres of corn a year.  There are bird repellents that can be added to corn seed before planting that will stop any birds from pulling up and eating the vulnerable seedling corn plants. Crop scouting services can identify and help solve all kinds of  pest problems.For more information about bird repellents, crop scouting, or to answer your questions about fertility and weed control in hay or winter wheat fields call one of our agronomists at Agventures.

Report for the week ending 3/26/10

By Timothy Boerner, AgVentures Agronomist
The continued mild weather has hay and wheat fields greening up all around the area, and local growers are starting to get anxious about spring field work. Farmers are busy hauling manure, some fields are dry enough that a couple growers are trying out some early tillage, one local grower has planted oats, and some corn fields left standing over winter are now being harvested.

 Our crop scouting this week has found no winter damage to alfalfa or winter wheat, and the risks of crop injury keep getting less and less as we get closer to the growing season. Lots of winter wheat fields are being top dressed with Nitrogen fertilizer, and the equipment is carrying well and not doing any damage to the fields.  The late fall planted wheat fields have some thin stands and could really benefit from a boost of Nitrogen to promote some additional tillering and extra seed head production.  On those thin stand fields we are recommending an increase of 10 to 20% above the soil test recommendations. On the hay fields an early spring application of fertilizer is a great time to feed this season’s crops, and a good time to add a season’s worth of those essential alfalfa micro-nutrients, such as, boron and sulfur.

 Not all our scheduled soil sampling got done last fall, due to the late corn harvest, and we have been out collecting soil samples this past week. A soil test can save growers money by using soil test recommendations to find the best blend and right amount of fertilizer for your crops. The soil lab can analyze soil samples very quickly, so within a few days we can sample, analyze, and make the best possible fertilizer recommendation for you.  To set up soil sampling, or for more information about frost seeding, or to answer your questions about fertility and weed control in hay or winter wheat fields call one of our agronomists at Agventures.

Area Crop Scouting

Report for the week ending 3/19/10

By Timothy Boerner, AgVentures Agronomist

 Fields are turning green all around the area, and crop scouting this week has shown that the hay and winter wheat fields came through the winter in great shape. With frost going out and fields drying quickly there will be a lot of early fertilizer applications going on in the coming weeks.  The late fall planted wheat fields could especially use a boost of Nitrogen to promote some additional tillering and extra seed head production. On the hay fields an early spring application of fertilizer is a great time to feed this seasons crops. Spring is also the best time to add a season’s worth of some yield limiting micro-nutrients, such as, boron and sulfur. 

Next week’s forecast for temperature swings below and above freezing could be perfect for frost seeding. Frost seeding uses the soils freezing and thawing action to incorporate the surface spread seed to rejuvenate pastures or hay fields without tillage. 

 

Unseasonal temperatures last week and the rain this week will have fields greening up soon, we hope.We had a decent snow covering the fields for most of the winter and that provided good winter protection.Baring a drastic change in the weather the hay and winter wheat fields should have escaped winter kill and be in good shape going into the growing season.  When scouting your fields you should see a minimum of 15 wheat plants and 1 ½ alfalfa plants per square foot to consider keeping them.  If the wheat is only at that minimum stand count, or if it was planted late and didn’t get a chance to tiller last fall you should consider boosting your spring applied Nitrogen fertilizer rate by 10%.  Increasing the N rate early will encourage plant tillering and promote additional seed head formation. Early spring applications of fertilizer is a great time to feed this upcoming seasons crops while doing the least amount of damage to the plants growing points.If we experience a weather pattern where it freezes at night and thaws out during the day we may have the opportunity to do some frost seeding this year. 

Frost seeding uses the soils freezing and thawing action to incorporate the surface spread seed to rejuvenate pastures or hay fields. We have also used frost seeding to establish a hay field using the winter wheat as a cover crop.Usually frost seeding is done by mixing seed with the fertilizer and spreading it on the surface when the soil is frozen then letting the weather do the rest.  It has been a successful and inexpensive seeding method when weather and soil conditions are right.For more information about frost seeding, or to answer your questions about fertility and weed control in hay or winter wheat fields call one of our agronomists at Agventures.

 

By Timothy Boerner, AgVentures Agronomist

The abundant sunshine and mild temperatures have everybody thinking spring, but it is also a time to be thinking runoff when spreading manure.  The news is full of issues tied to negative farm publicity that our business doesn’t need.  There are reports of fines from manure pits overtopping, to manure spills killing fish, to manure run off that has contaminated wells.  Any news of these types of incidents hurt consumer confidence, as well as, public perception of farmers being good Stewarts of the land.It definitely is in the best interest of agriculture to avoid these types of headlines, and even though fertilizer is half the price it was last year you can’t afford to lose that fertility to nutrient run off. The University of Wisconsin Discovery farms have done studies that show when manure is applied to snow covered and / or frozen soils during conditions of snow melt and rain these conditions can contribute to the majority of nutrients being lost.

     Farmers should avoid spreading manure when there is a high probability of rain falling on frozen soils.

     Some things to consider during the times when conditions are forecast that could lead to run off;

1. The producers who have to haul manure from their barns should stack manure in an area of the field where runoff potential and ground water infiltration is low. 
2. Don’t scrape bedding pack or outdoor lots during these high run off risk periods
3. The Producers who must haul manure during these high risk periods should identify fields that are away from rivers, steams, lakes and only apply to areas that have a minimum risk of manure running off of the field.

Everybody depends on a clean and safe water resource. And, nobody wants to be blamed for contaminating our shared resources so be careful when spreading your nutrient resource.