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.

Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture

WASHINGTON, May 27, 2008 -- The U.S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) today released “Synthesis and Assessment Product 4.3 (SAP 4.3): The Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture, Land Resources, Water Resources, and Biodiversity in the United States.” The CCSP integrates the federal research efforts of 13 agencies on climate and global change. Today’s report is one of the most extensive examinations of climate impacts on U.S. ecosystems. USDA is the lead agency for this report and coordinated its production as part of its commitment to CCSP.

“The report issued today provides practical information that will help land owners and resource managers make better decisions to address the risks of climate change,” said Agriculture Chief Economist Joe Glauber.

The report was written by 38 authors from the universities, national laboratories, non-governmental organizations, and federal service. The report underwent expert peer review by 14 scientists through a Federal Advisory Committee formed by the USDA. The National Center for Atmospheric Research also coordinated in the production of the report. It is posted on the CCSP Web site at:

http://www.climatescience.gov/Library/sap/sap4-3/default.php.

The report finds that climate change is already affecting U.S. water resources, agriculture, land resources, and biodiversity, and will continue to do so. Specific findings include:

Grain and oilseed crops will mature more rapidly, but increasing temperatures will increase the risk of crop failures, particularly if precipitation decreases or becomes more variable.

Higher temperatures will negatively affect livestock. Warmer winters will reduce mortality but this will be more than offset by greater mortality in hotter summers. Hotter temperatures will also result in reduced productivity of livestock and dairy animals.

Forests in the interior West, the Southwest, and Alaska are already being affected by climate change with increases in the size and frequency of forest fires, insect outbreaks and tree mortality. These changes are expected to continue.

Much of the United States has experienced higher precipitation and streamflow, with decreased drought severity and duration, over the 20th century. The West and Southwest, however, are notable exceptions, and increased drought conditions have occurred in these regions.

Weeds grow more rapidly under elevated atmospheric CO2. Under projections reported in the assessment, weeds migrate northward and are less sensitive to herbicide applications.

There is a trend toward reduced mountain snowpack and earlier spring snowmelt runoff in the Western United States.

Horticultural crops (such as tomato, onion, and fruit) are more sensitive to climate change than grains and oilseed crops.

Young forests on fertile soils will achieve higher productivity from elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Nitrogen deposition and warmer temperatures will increase productivity in other types of forests where water is available.

Invasion by exotic grass species into arid lands will result from climate change, causing an increased fire frequency. Rivers and riparian systems in arid lands will be negatively impacted.

A continuation of the trend toward increased water use efficiency could help mitigate the impacts of climate change on water resources.

The growing season has increased by 10 to 14 days over the last 19 years across the temperate latitudes. Species’ distributions have also shifted.

The rapid rates of warming in the Arctic observed in recent decades, and projected for at least the next century, are dramatically reducing the snow and ice covers that provide denning and foraging habitat for polar bears.

USDA agencies are responding to the risks of climate change. For example, the Forest Service is incorporating climate change risks into National Forest Management Plans and is providing guidance to forest managers on how to respond and adapt to climate change. The Natural Resources Conservation Service and Farm Services Agency are encouraging actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase carbon sequestration through conservation programs. USDA’s Risk Management Agency has prepared tools to manage drought risks and is conducting an assessment of the risks of climate change on the crop insurance program.

For more information, please visit:
http://www.usda.gov/oce/global_change/
http://www.climatescience.gov/Library/sap/sap4-3/default.php or
http://www.sap43.ucar.edu/.

Weather Trends for June

AgCrops Team Crop weather

May summary: It was a cool and damp month in most locations. Temperatures averaged several degrees below normal reducing evapotranspiration rates (which was a significant reduction). Rainfall was close to average with a tendency toward above normal rainfall in the south and normal in the north.

There were pockets of below average rainfall in central Ohio and far northwest Ohio and far northeast Ohio. Toledo and Columbus and Pittsburgh stations were below average, Dayton and Cleveland were near average and Cincinnati was above average. The cool weather which is very La Nina like made it seem much wetter of a month with little evapotranspiration.

June outlook: A change toward above normal temperatures is expected for June. Rainfall will be near average but that will come with high variability. It appears above normal rainfall is on tap in northern Ohio while a little below normal may occur in the south and average in between.
This week will see the best chances for rain especially north of I-70 Tuesday/Wednesday. Temperatures will reach 85-93 Thu/Fri. The high soil moisture content will keep temperatures from getting too high (a good thing). Next week will see highs mostly in the 80s, a few 90s far south. A few rain chances early and late in the week again especially in the north.
The following week will see more isolated storms with warm weather.

Source: James Noel, NOAA, Wilmington, Ohio

James.Noel@noaa.gov

Wheat Pollination

This is a critical time to scout wheat fields for disease and insects. Pollination is occuring in wheat fields throughout Ross and surrounding counties. See the latest issue of the C.O.R.N. newsletter for cereal leaf beetle larvae control as several other timely crop issues.

Cereal Leaf Beetle

Growers should scout their wheat fields for cereal leaf beetle larvae activity. I identified cereal leaf beetle larvae feeding on wheat in Southwestern Ross County yesterday. Larvae were present at economic threshold levels of 2-3 larvae per stem. Larvae were feeding on the flag leaf creating the classic window pane affect. This is a critical time for wheat during flowering. Any damage to the flag leaf can cause significant yield losses.

Seedcorn Maggot in Late Planted Field Crops

Source- Ron Hammond, Andy Michel, Bruce Eisley

We have already received reports of corn and soybean fields having stand reductions because of seedcorn maggots. These have come from fields that either had a cover crop or manure tilled into the soil. Being that there are no curative treatments at this time, many growers are considering replanting. Additionally, because of the wet and cool conditions in some parts of Ohio that have prevented planting, we are reaching a situation in many unplanted fields where weeds are becoming larger.

Last week in the C.O.R.N. newsletter (http://corn.osu.edu/index.php?setissueID=228), Mark Loux discussed this latter situation and the need to apply herbicides in addition to tilling the soil. Tilling heavy weed growth can be similar to tilling a cover crop or manure in its ability to attract seedcorn maggot flies. Thus, the potential in these fields for seedcorn maggot problems is higher than if they had been tilled and planted earlier when weeds were small.

In these situations, growers should consider an insecticide seed treatment if not already on their seed. Whereas both Poncho (clothianidin; corn only) and Cruiser (thiamethoxam; both corn and soybean) do an excellent job at controlling seedcorn maggot, our studies have suggested that Gaucho (imidacloprid) does not offer acceptable seedcorn maggot control on soybean.

Ohio Farm Custom Rates- 2008

Barry Ward, Leader Production Business Management, OSU Extension and Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics (AEDE)

Click here for the PDF Version of Ohio Farm Custom Rates--2008
Many Ohio farmers hire custom farm work in their farm business or perform custom farm work for others. Custom farming rates traditionally have been arrived at by a series of calculations and negotiations. One of the most common ways custom farming providers and consumers arrive at an agreeable custom farming rate is to access University Extension summarized surveys. Ohio State University Extension and the Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics have historically published farm custom rates to assist farm businesses with this important task.

“Ohio Farm Custom Rates 2008” is based on survey results from 205 Ohio farmers, custom farmers and farm managers. The custom rates presented may differ from rates in your region depending on availability of custom operators & machinery, timeliness, operator skill, field size & shape, crop conditions, performance characteristics of the machine being used and demand for custom farming services.

Custom farming rate increases for 2008 include custom Corn Harvest at $25.45/acre, Conventional Corn Planting at $15.11/acre, Drilling No-Till Soybeans at $15.68/acre, and Spraying Chemicals (Self-Propelled Sprayer) at $6.36/acre. These represent increases of 6%, 5.7%, 10.4%, and 11.6% respectively over 2006 Ohio custom rates. Other operations show similar 4 year rate increases. Higher machinery, fuel and labor costs have contributed to custom farming rate increases over the past 2 years. For more information on custom farming rates and other Farm Management Topics see our Department Farm Management Website at:
http://aede.osu.edu/programs/FarmManagement/

Corn planting, emergence lags market expectations

About 73 percent of the U.S. corn crop was planted and 26 percent had emerged by May 18, lagging behind market expectations as well as year ago plantings of 88 percent and year ago emergence of 59 percent, according to USDA statistics.

Market analysts were expecting Monday's Crop Progress report to show about 80 percent of the crop planted and about 34 percent emerged by now.

University of Illinois Extension Economist Darrel Good called this week's report "a mixed bag," noting far more progress was made in Western Corn Belt states such as Minnesota and Iowa than in Eastern Corn Belt states like Ohio and Indiana. He also noted that emergence is lagging even more than plantings, due to continued cool weather.

That said, Good told Meatingplace.com trend yields are still possible. "They could still make up some time," with favorable growing conditions in June, July and August.

Soybeans-USDA said 27 percent of the U.S. soybean crop was planted by May 18, compared with 52 percent this time last year and a five-year average of 47 percent by now. Good noted, however, that the timing on soybean plantings is less critical, so lagging progress to date is of little concern at this point.

Crop progress is being closely watched this year as ethanol consumption and strong global feedgrain demand have made commodities markets susceptible to any indication of declining crop yields or total planted acreage.

By Janie Gabbett on 5/20/2008 for Meatingplace.com

Planters Sit Still

This was not the scene across Pickaway, Ross and Fayette Counties this past week as periodic thunderstorms made for a slow week of field work. Thursday's deluge will keep planters and drills parked for most of next week. Check back Monday or Tuesday for information regarding agronomic recommendations for weed control and crop conditions.

Armyworm and Black Cutworm Update

Growers should be aware that the potential for armyworm problems over the coming weeks is high, much more than in other years. To our south, Kentucky has reported extremely large collections of adult armyworm moths. According to their reports, these have been the highest captures they have recorded. These moths are also being captured in Ohio in relatively high numbers. With these higher moth collections, growers should be aware that the potential for problems this spring from armyworm larvae is high. Growers should be concerned and thus, they should begin sampling wheat, grass pastures, corn adjacent to wheat fields, and corn planted in rye cover crops. This last scenario is especially important because we often see entire corn fields heavily damaged when grass cover crops are used. Reports have been received of black cutworm cutting corn plants as they emerge from the soil, including in seed treated fields. Please let us know of any outbreaks of either of these pests.

Information for control of armyworm can be found at: http://ipm.osu.edu/ib/w-4.htm

Information for balckcutworm control can be found at: http://ipm.osu.edu/ib/c-2.htm

Ag economist: Look to long-term sustainability to solve food crisis

When it comes to a food crisis, history has taught the world a thing or two. One is what we don’t learn tends to repeat. And this current lesson might be the most challenging one we’ve ever faced, said an Ohio State University agricultural economist.

Luther Tweeten, professor emeritus of agricultural trade and policy in the Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics, has seen the world struggle through two previous food crises: one in the 1960s, culminating with the famous Green Revolution, and one in the early 1970s, triggered by crop failure and frenzy in international markets. But Tweeten said, the current global food crisis may be even more dire.

“The previous food crises had obvious transitory elements that triggered them,” he said. “The underlying elements driving this food crisis may fluctuate, but they are never going to completely go away.”
One of those elements is the deteriorating supply/demand balance in energy, specifically oil production.

“The days of cheap oil are over,” Tweeten said. “There are indications that the world has peaked in oil production, and oil is at the core of many of the world’s problems.

“The world has plenty of oil, but drilling for it, especially to tap deeper reserves, is becoming uneconomical.”

Another element is the growing gap between agricultural production and global population growth. The population boom is increasing faster than crop yields, Tweeten said.

“Yields in the 1950s were increasing at a far faster rate than world population. That is no longer the case,” he said. “What this means is the era of declining food costs appears to be over.

“The good news for Americans is that they’ll hardly notice. Only 3 percent of people’s income goes to food at the farm level. The bad news is that poor countries, like those in Africa and South Asia, will suffer.”

Tweeten said that the problem facing developing countries is not an inadequate food supply, but the inability to access it.

“Since World War II, there has always been enough food to feed everyone around the world,” Tweeten explained. “The problem is people in developing countries lack the buying power to acquire the food that they need.

“Short-term food aid is important. We can’t stand by and watch people starve, but ultimately that is not the solution.”

He said that the key is long-term sustainability through a developing country’s own economic progress by focusing on six key areas: governance, fiscal responsibility, markets and free trade, infrastructure investments, increased agricultural research and environmental sustainability.
It’s a solution to poverty Tweeten calls the standard economic model.

“The gist is that it’s possible for any country, no matter its government or its economic state, to be an economic success by implementing the policies set forth by the standard economic model,” Tweeten said. “Those six principles are essential to economic progress and there are many developing countries that don’t implement any of them.”

Tweeten offers additional long-term solutions to the current global food crisis:
* Increase funding for agricultural research. “Agricultural research is terribly under-funded in many parts of the world,” Tweeten said. “For example, the United States spends 3 percent to 4 percent of its agricultural GDP on research. Africa only spends one half of 1 percent of its GDP on agricultural research. If the funds are there and used wisely for research of agricultural technologies, the yields will follow.”
* Open up more global free trade. “Global food production varies only about 1 percent per year, but production in individual countries varies by multiples of world variation. So if every country goes it alone, a food crisis becomes more frequent,” Tweeten said. “But if countries share production through trade, every country can have available food.”
* Research on alternative energy technologies should be subsidized, not the use of those energies themselves. “It is unwise to subsidize and mandate biofuel production at the expense of food production,” Tweeten said. “We are using energy profligately as it is. What we need is to subsidize the research and development of alternative energy technologies.”
* Improve the technology for energy that already exists, such as finding ways to burn cleaner coal and exploring wider uses for solar energy and nuclear energy.
* Don’t ignore the benefits of modern technology, such as genetically modified products.

“Technology was the basis of the Green Revolution and lifted the world out of a global food crisis,” he said. “GMOs (genetically modified organisms) have vast potential. It would be an incredible mistake to shut them out in food production. Struggling countries, like those in Africa, can’t afford to, but do so anyway.”

The current global food crisis, like the previous food crises, is the result of a “perfect storm” of several factors, such as rising food demand in countries such as China and India, increased biofuels production and environmental impacts on crop production, such as drought on Australia’s wheat.

“Like with previous food crises, people are panicking, and they shouldn’t,” Tweeten said. “The world has great capacity to produce food. Our success lies in coming up with sustainable access to that food by those who truly need it.”

Forages For Goats Summer Field Day

Join us at Boers Inc. Meat Goat Farm owned and operated by the Scarpitti Family located at 4395 Richland Rd. N.E. in the scenic rural community of Pleasantville, Fairfield County. This small farm operation is home to a registered seedstock Boer Goat herd comprised of sixty does, bucks and young stock. Mark Scarpitti has developed a holistic grazing system utilizing diverse types of forages as a management tool to reduce internal parasites and enhance animal performance. This holistic system incorporates cool and warm season forages containing moderately high levels of condensed tannins. You will not want to miss this field event which features walking tours of grazing paddocks, barbecue for lunch and several presentations relating to designing a holistic system which is economically viable for Meat Goat enterprises. For more information contact Ross County Extension office at 740-702-3200 or go to ross.osu.edu

Weather Update- Jim Noel, Meteorologist, NOAA

The weather pattern change in early April has yielded 50-100% of normal rainfall for most of the state the last 30 days. Most areas had 2-3.5 inches of rain with 3-4 inches being normal.

The far north has been the wettest. However, soils have been so wet from the last 6 months that even though we have had good drying, even light rains make the soil moisten up quickly.

It appears we will have a pause from the drier than average pattern for the short term of the next 1-2 weeks with the probability of 1-2 inches of rain ranging from 70% south to 90% north. As is the case anytime, isolated streaks will be higher and lower than this. It appears the far north and northwest and possibly the far south have the greatest chance of this heavy rain. The systems will cross the area every few days.

The western cornbelt out towards Iowa, Wisconsin, southern Minnesota and northwest Illinois have been much much wetter than here and are being impacted even more.

It appears the wettest areas will remain west of Ohio the next few weeks.

Research shows most of the time trend line adjusted corn crop yields are below average in La Nina years with a less chance for wheat and more likely average or above average yields on soybeans. We will have to see how this year lines up with research.

The data still supports a trend to drier than average for late May and June but it does looks like at least average rain the next 2 weeks with small areas of above average rainfall mainly in the north.

The weather computer models have a low confidence level so the verification of this wetter pattern the next 2 weeks is still not a guarantee.

Head Emergence in Winter Wheat

Jim Minor's wheat field at the intersection of S.R. 104 and S.R. 56 was the first wheat field I have observed to have head emergence. This is referred to as Feekes Growth Stage 10.1. Flowering of this wheat will occur in approximately four to five days after complete heading. During this period is when warm, wet weather and the presence of fusarium inoculate can infect the wheat head and cause head scab. For more information regarding this important disease click on the following link. http://ohioline.osu.edu/iwy/index.html

Alfalfa Damage Apparent in County

Alfalfa has really taken off over the past two weeks. Growers should be aware that alfalfa weevil has been found near Circleville. This photo shows the extent of damage. For more info go to:http://ohioforages.blogspot.com/2008/04/lookout-for-alfalfa-weevil-in-ohio.html

Blogging Newbie in Pickaway County

May 8th, 2008

Welcome to my first and hopefully not last attempt at blogging. I hope that you will find this a way to catch up on happenings in the agricultural community of Pickaway and surrounding Counties.At this site you will initially find reports about current crop conditions, weather and items of interest for row crop producers. As time goes on, it is hoped that it will become a robust site with comments and reports from others around south-central Ohio.

And now as Paul Harvey would say "The rest of the story"

Corn planting as a whole is generally done in greater Pickaway and surrounding counties. Two weeks of ideal planting weather has allowed growers to get the crop in the ground even though it was a week-10 days late getting started. Corn that has emerged looks generally good. The rains received Thursday night and Friday of this week has helped along a few late emergers.

Soybean planting got started early in the week and will benefit from topsoil moisture. Some ground was getting hard. The dust clouds rolling Tuesday and Wednesday were evident of a need for rain wherever I drove.