Agricultural Productivity and Global Food Security in the Long Run

The relative rates of growth in the supply and demand for food, feed and fiber have far-reaching economic and social consequences, most readily observed through changes in commodity prices. Over the past 50 years and longer, the supply of food commodities has grown faster than the demand, in spite of increasing population and rising per capita incomes. As a consequence, the real (deflated) prices of food commodities have trended down over many years, contributing significantly to the alleviation of hunger and poverty worldwide.

To read this entire article, please visit......Choices Magazine

Sharp Decline in Ohio Wheat Seedings for 2010 — Ohio State University Extension

Sharp Decline in Ohio Wheat Seedings for 2010 — Ohio State University Extension

Ohio Fence Laws to Change September 30

Source: Peggy Kirk Hall, Director, OSU Agricultural & Resource Law Program

Ohio lawmakers made a major revision to Ohio's line fence law this summer. Governor Strickland signed the line fence law-H.B. 323-on June 27, 2008 and the new law will be effective beginning September 30, 2008.

Here's a quick summary of the bill's major provisions. For further details of the new law, visit our website at: http://aede.osu.edu/programs/aglaw/
* New rules of apportionment will apply to most "new" line fences-those fences built after the law's effective date of September 30, 2008. For new line fences, the landowner seeking to build the fence will have the sole burden of constructing and maintaining the fence.
* There is a reimbursement process a landowner can follow for recouping construction and maintenance costs on a new line fence if an adjacent landowner uses the line fence to contain livestock within thirty years of the fence's construction date.
* "Old" line fences will still be subject to the old law's rule of equal shares. Old line fences include fences in existence on the law's effective date, fences that previously existed, and fences that have been removed. A landowner must follow certain actions to establish a previously existing or removed line fence. If either of these types of fence is reconstructed, the old law of equal shares applies to the replacement fence.
* Landowners will have two options for resolving line fence disputes-filing an action directly in the court of common pleas or filing a complaint with the board of township trustees. A landowner dissatisfied with the decision of the township trustees may use binding arbitration rather than appealing the decision.
* The court or the board of township trustees must consider certain factors in resolving line fence disputes. These include topography, streams and other waters, trees, vines and vegetation, trespasser risk, importance of marking the property line and number and type of livestock contained.
* New fences built after September 30 that will be used to contain livestock must be one of three types, unless the landowners agree otherwise in writing. The accepted types are: woven wire of standard or high tensile with one or two strands of barbed wire at least 48 inches from the ground, nonelectric high tensile with at least seven strands constructed in accordance with NRCS standards, or barbed wire, electric or live fence agreeable to both landowners.
* Governmental neighbors must contribute 50% of the cost of a line fence that is used for grazing livestock.
* A landowner or contractor will have rights of access to neighboring properties for the purpose of constructing or maintaining a fence.
* A landowner must follow a notification procedure before removing a line fence; failure to provide notice waives the equal shares rule, and the landowner would be entirely responsible for replacing an improperly removed fence.
* There are criminal penalties for obstruction or interference with a person who is lawfully engaged in building or maintaining a line fence.

2008 Wheat Performance Trials Available

2008 Ohio Wheat Performance Trials are now available online at:

http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/wheattrials/.

The purpose of the Ohio Wheat Performance Trial is to evaluate wheat varieties, blends, brands and breeding lines for yield, grain quality and other important performance characteristics. Depending on variety and test site, yields varied between 62.7 and 112.5 bushels per acre, and test weight ranged from 53.1 to 59.4 pounds per bushel.

Weed Management of Winter Wheat Stubble

Proper management of winter wheat stubble after harvest substantially impacts future weed control. The goal of weed management in wheat stubble should be to eliminate or drastically reduce seed production of all weed species and biennial and perennial species. Control of volunteer winter wheat prior to the end of August is also a benefit. Controlling volunteer winter wheat should reduce the risk of barley yellow dwarf inoculum because there will be fewer host species for aphid (transmitters of barley yellow dwarf) populations to develop.

For full details of this story, follow this link- http://corn.osu.edu/story.php?setissueID=195&storyID=1199

Fungicide Applications of Corn and Soybeans

So You Are Trying Fungicides On Corn And Soybeans, How To Evaluate If They Are Worth The Cost?

A quick trip around the county this past few days indicated that fungicide treatments are being applied to both corn and beans. I ask you think independently of your crop chemical dealer. Am I getting my monies worth for this product? For those of you that would like to “experiment” with this plant health aspect, here are a few guidelines that can help evaluate if this is truly providing any benefit.

1. Know what the variety or hybrid is. For both corn and soybeans only the moderately susceptible and highly susceptible hybrids and varieties have demonstrated yield impacts in fungicide applications.



2. Have more than one check strip, wider than your combine, and space them across the field. Three should be plenty but two is not enough.



3. In your comparisons, do not include the parts of the field where you have weed escapes or along tree lines, these areas are going to yield less anyways, so this is false data whether it was treated or not. Make sure other variables such as soil types, soil fertility variations and pest issues are not biasing your field experiment.



4. Approximately 3 weeks after applications, walk some of the strips. For corn, look at the ear leaf – what percent leaf area has got lesions in the treated vs non treated. Is gray leaf spot, anthracnose, or northern leaf blight present? For soybeans – look at the upper canopy for frogeye or downy mildew and on the lower canopy look at how much brown spot is present.



5. Take averages. When you do harvest your fields, take several strips, both untreated and treated. Then take the average of the untreated strips and compare that average to the treated. Fields are not uniform and with our stand issues and unevenness across many fields this year, there is going to be even more variability.

Farm Focus Hosts 2008 Field Day on July 29

A variety of speakers will address issues on the minds of local and regional farmers at the Farm Focus Field Day being held on Tuesday, July 29 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Van Wert, Ohio. Local agri-businesses and equipment dealers will be on hand with demonstrations of their newest products and equipment pertaining to today’s farming needs. The Farm Focus committee invites all area farmers and agri-business persons to attend the field day which is free and open to the public. For more details visit...http://farmfocus.osu.edu/

Soybean Defoliators

With soybeans beginning to enter their flowering stages, we need to remind growers of the various defoliators that are starting to make their presence known. These defoliators include Japanese beetle adults, first generation bean leaf beetle adults, Mexican bean beetle adults, green cloverworm larvae, and grasshoppers, and all are now being found throughout the state. In terms of defoliation, it would be unusual for any of the above mentioned insects alone to cause significant defoliation throughout a field. However, a complex of two or more might cause defoliation levels to rise above threshold levels. Remember you need to sample from numerous locations in the field to get a good idea of what is happening across the entire field. For fields with large populations of Japanese beetles, remember that these beetles will congregate; finding one Japanese beetle means you will usually find a lot of them in the same area. Thus, at least for this insect, you need to make an extra effort to sample from numerous locations in the field to get a better idea of what is happening across the entire field. Growers are advised to initiate scouting procedures over the next few weeks to prevent defoliation from reaching the 15-20% defoliation threshold during the reproductive growth stages, R1-R5, which then rises to 20-25% during growth stage R6 late in the summer. When sampling, check numerous places within the field, avoiding the field edges which often tend to have higher levels than the rest of the field. A list of labeled insecticides for control of all these soybean defoliators is available at http://entomology.osu.edu/ag/545/soy545.pdf .

Corn Pollination Underway in Many Ohio Corn Fields

During the past week, tassels began appearing in corn fields that were planted in late April and early May. However the pollination period is going to vary widely across the state this year.

According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service ( http://www.nass.usda.gov/oh/ ), about a third of our corn acreage was planted on or before May 4, then due to persistent rainy conditions, another third of our corn was planted over the next three weeks, and the remaining third of our acreage was planted (or replanted) in late May and early June. The late planted corn will not be tasselling until early to mid August. The pollination period, the flowering stage in corn, is the most critical period in the development of a corn plant from the standpoint of grain yield determination. Stress conditions such as drought or hail damage have the greatest impact on yield potential during the reproductive stage. The following are some key steps in the corn pollination process. For more on corn pollination click ...http://corn.osu.edu/#C

Another good source of information is the following: http://www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/corn/news/timeless/Tassels.html

Wheat Harvest - Baling Straw - Double Crop Beans

Wheat harvest is just getting underway and preliminary wheat yields being reported are in the range of 70-80 bushels per acre. Initial fields reported did not have fungicide application so there will be an interesting comparing of notes once the final fields are harvested. Double crop soybeans are being planted into ideal moisture and soil conditions. Stay tuned next week for an update on Wheat yields and double crop bean planting.

Double Cropping Soybeans After Wheat

For many of you, double cropping has become second nature with our early wheat harvest. Some growers may plant this year in order to capture potential profits with soybeans in the teens. Please take a moment to review some production practices that will give you the greatest chance of a bountiful harvest.

Click here for more info...Double-Cropping Soybeans Following Wheat

Wheat Harvest Underway- Will Rain Hamper Season?

The wheat harvest is well underway in Pickaway and Ross Counties. We may be dealing with weather challenges in the next few days, so take a moment to read what our specialists are suggesting for a wet wheat harvest.

Click on this link to access the following article:
A Wet Wheat Harvest Season Ahead

Soybean Growth Stages

Soybeans on the average are at growth stage V5. Some soybeans are approaching the R1 stage which is the beginning of flowering. It is important to understand the growth stages especially when considering the application of a fungicide for disease control. Be sure to read the label of the specific fungicide that you may use and apply at the appropriate growth stage of soybeans. Consider the following when determining the economics of fungicide applications:

1. Disease pressure and/or forcast

2. Varietal suseptibility

3. Crop rotation

4. Crop Growth Stage/Maturity

5. Field Environment (River bottoms vs. upland)

6. Grain Prices

7. Cost of fungicide and application

Hail Damage Assessment Time

Two hail adjustor's have been in my office today and I thought it would be time to give you some idea to the damage inflicted on crops this past Monday. The following link is an excellent place to visit. Bob Neilsen, Purdue Corn specialist has a gallery of pictures of hail damage to young corn at different growth stages. http://www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/corn/news/timeless/HailDamageYoungCornGallery.html

Another excellent link is: Recovery From Hail Damage to Young Corn This site will give more detailed information regarding yield potential of the crop according to growth stage and severity of the damage. You might want to review this before the hail adjusters visit.

Timely Weed Control

Timely applications of herbicides will enhance the effectiveness of the specific chemistry of the product as well as the successful eradication of problem weeds. Soybean development is at or approaching the ideal time to control weeds. Most herbicides work best when applied to small actively growing weeds. So scout those crop fields now and determine is the time is right for your post emergent weed control strategy.

This link will give you great weed control information. http://agcrops.osu.edu/weeds/

Determining Corn Leaf Stages

Most university agronomists prefer the leaf collar method in determining the stage of development of a corn plant. It is important that growers understand how to identify the various corn growth stages as many products applied to corn especially fungicides have a direct relationship between timing of application of a fungicide and the stage of crop development. When determining the growth stage of corn using the leaf collar method, count only leaves with visible leaf collars (see photo). The off color green band at the base of the leaf near the stem of the plant is the leaf collar. For example if a plant has three visible leaf collars, then it is described as the V3 leaf stage or vegetative 3 stage.

Bean Leaf Beetles

Bean leaf Beetle activity is alive and well in soybean fields. There are two generations of this beetle during the growing season. Beetles can be yellow, tan or red in color with distinct black triangular mark between the wing covers, behind the head (black spots may or may not be present on the wing covers). Damage occurs as a result of defoliation and pod feeding. Classic feeding damage on the leaves appears as a shot hole appearance. Economic threshold during the vegetative stage is 40% defoliation. Soybeans at this time are at the V2 growth stage. Continue to monitor fields at this point. Defoliation reports are from 1% to 25%.

2, 3, 4, even 7 inches of Rain. What to Expect?

Recent intense rainfall events (technically referred to as “toad stranglers” or “goose drownders”) have caused flooding of low-lying corn fields or ponding in poorly drained swales within fields. Other areas within fields, while not technically flooded or ponded, may remain saturated for lengthy periods of time. What are the prospects for recently submerged corn fields?

For more information click here...http://www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/corn/news/timeless/PondingYoungCorn.html

10 Tips to Get the Most out of Your Sprayer

Dr. Erdal Ozkan
Extension Agricultural Engineer
Ohio State University

Paying attention to certain things will help you improve the accuracy and performance of your sprayer and save you money. Applying chemicals with a sprayer that is not calibrated and operated accurately could cause insufficient weed, insect or disease control which can lead to reduced yields. The following “Top Ten” list will help you improve the performance of your sprayer and keep it from failing you:
1) Check the gallon per acre application rate of the sprayer. This can only be determined by a thorough calibration of the sprayer. Use clean water while calibrating to reduce the risk of contact with chemicals. Read OSU Extension Publication AEX-520 for an easy calibration method (http://ohioline.osu.edu/aex-fact/0520.html).
2) How the chemical is deposited on the target is as important as the amount applied. Know what kind of nozzles are on your sprayer and whether or not their patterns need to be overlapped for complete coverage. Make sure the nozzles are not partially clogged. Clogging will not only change the flow rate, it also changes the spray pattern. Never use a pin, knife or any other metal object to unclog nozzles.
3) In addition to clogging, other things such as nozzle tips with different fan angles on the boom, and uneven boom height are the most common causes of non-uniform spray patterns. They can all cause streaks of untreated areas that result in insufficient pest control and economic loss.
4) Setting the proper boom height for a given nozzle spacing is extremely important in achieving proper overlapping. Conventional flat-fan nozzles require 30 to 50% overlapping of adjacent spray patterns. Flood-type nozzles require 50% overlapping. Check nozzle catalogs for specific recommendations for different nozzles.
5) Know your actual travel speed, and keep it steady as possible. Increasing the speed by 20% may let you cover the field quicker, but it also cuts the application rate by 20%. Similarly, a reduction of speed by 20% causes an over application of pesticide by 20%; an unnecessary waste of pesticides and money.
6) Pay attention to spray pressure. Variations in pressure will cause changes in application rate, droplet size and spray pattern. At very low pressures, the spray angle will be noticeably narrowed, causing insufficient overlap between nozzle patterns and streaks of untreated areas.
7) Don’t waste your chemical. After all, you have paid for it. Spray drift wastes more chemicals than anything else. Don’t spray when the wind speed is likely to cause drift. Don’t take the risk of getting sued by your neighbors because of the drift damage to their fields. Keep the spray pressure low if it is practical to do so, or replace conventional nozzles with low-drift nozzles. Use other drift reduction strategies: keep the boom close to the target, use drift retardant adjuvants, and spray in early morning and late afternoon when drift potential is less.
8) Carry extra nozzles, washers, other spare parts, and tools to repair simple problems quickly in the field.
9) Calibrate your sprayer periodically during spraying season to keep it at peak performance. One calibration per season is never enough. For example, when switching fields, ground conditions (tilled, firm, grassy) will affect travel speed which directly affects gallon per acre application rate. Be safe. Pesticides are poisons. Read the chemical and equipment instructions and follow them. Wear protective clothing, rubber gloves and respirators when calibrating the sprayer, doing the actual spraying and cleaning the equipment.

2008 Purdue Top Farmer Workshop

A new article entitled 2008 Top Farmer Crop Workshop—Adding Value to Every Acre You Farm has been posted to the TFCW site. You can access the article by clicking on Monthly Update on the main TFCW page: http://www.agecon.purdue.edu/topfarmer/update.asp

The 2008 workshop agenda is now posted on the Top Farmer web site (http://www.agecon.purdue.edu/topfarmer/conference.asp), as well as lodging, parking, registration, and other information. We hope you will find interesting and insightful what we have in store for you this year, and we look forward to seeing you in July! If you have attended in the past few years, you will be receiving a hard copy of the program with a registration form in the mail in the next few days. To reserve your spot now, go ahead and register on-line at : http://www.conf.purdue.edu/TOPCROP.

We are offering a $100 registration discount this year to first time attendees (applies to full registrations only). Use the discount code TCFIRST when you register on-line, write this code on the mail-in form, or mention this if you register via phone. We encourage you to forward this email to any of your farming colleagues that you think might benefit from this program.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about this year’s program—and be sure to mark July 20 through 23 on your calendar.