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Agronomic Crops
Network; C.O.R.N. Newsletter
From Sam Custer
Please find below this week’s CORN newsletter and the Ohio Beef Cattle
Letter.
The August 26, issue # 950, of the Ohio BEEF Cattle letter is now
posted to the web at: http://beef.osu.edu/beef/beefAug2615.html
After an abundance of lush pasture for much the first half of the
season, dry weather has now suddenly left many pastures with little
more than weeds growing. This week, Mark Landefeld discusses concerns
for those pastures with little forage and several potentially toxic
weeds.
Articles this week include:
From really WET to very DRY, What's Left in Your
Pastures?
Make Plans Now to "Stage" the Last Cutting of Hay
Mid-year Cattle Inventory Report Shows Continued
Herd Expansion
Cattle on Feed
C.O.R.N. Newsletter 2015-28
August 31- September 7, 2015
Editor: Rory Lewandowski
In this issue:
Last Alfalfa Cutting and The Fall Rest Period
Free Pigweed Herbicide Resistance Screening
Cover Crops After Corn Silage Harvest
Technology Use in Agriculture Survey
Independent Ag Field Day and Fertilizer Applicator Certification
Training
Agricultural Conservation, Protecting Water: Keeping Soil and Nutrients
in the Field
Last Alfalfa Cutting and The Fall Rest Period
Authors: Mark Sulc
The next two weeks are the best time to take the last alfalfa cutting
of the year while maintaining stand productivity. We recommend the last
harvest to be taken by September 7 in northern Ohio and September 15 in
southern Ohio. This will allow a fall rest period for alfalfa, which is
probably more important than usual this year due to the stressful
growing conditions we’ve had.
Cutting schedules of alfalfa have been greatly disrupted in Ohio this
year to the extended wet weather the first half of the summer followed
by dry conditions in many areas. Consequently, many fields are too
short for economic harvesting within the next two weeks. This is a
tough situation to be sure, because cutting later (September 15 to
October 30) will add significant additional stress to fields that are
already in poor condition from the earlier wet weather.
The fall period is when alfalfa and other tall legumes like red clover
undergo many physiological responses to the cooling temperatures that
prepare the plants to survive the winter. Carbohydrate and protein
reserves are accumulated in the crowns and roots during the fall.
Cold-hardening processes also occur that increase plant resistant to
cold temperatures. Interrupting those processes by cutting could result
in the plants having inadequate cold hardiness along with lower energy
and protein reserves for good survival through the winter and for
initiating vigorous regrowth next spring.
Fall cutting is a stress to the plant, and its effects will be more
severe in fields that are currently not in a vigorous condition. A
number of factors affect the level of risk incurred with cutting during
the critical fall period. These include overall stand health, variety
disease resistance, insect pest stress during the summer, age of stand,
cutting management, fertility, and soil drainage.
A vigorous, healthy stand is more tolerant of fall cutting than a
stressed and weakened stand. The most significant factor this year
affecting alfalfa was excessive soil moisture. Alfalfa fields that were
stressed by wet soil conditions, along with leafhopper feeding, are in
a compromised condition. The fall rest period will be very important to
their recovery and future productivity.
Alfalfa varieties with high disease resistance and good levels of
winter hardiness will be more tolerant to the negative effects of a
fall cutting because there is less total stress on the plant. Adequate
fertility, especially soil potassium levels, will improve plant health
and may increase tolerance to fall cutting effects. A high soil pH of
6.8 to 7.0 will also reduce the risk of fall cutting. Stands under 3
years of age are more tolerant of fall cuttings as compared with older
stands where root and crown diseases are setting in.
Alfalfa that has been cut three or more times before a fall harvest has
a higher risk factor for injury from fall harvesting than does a stand
cut only twice so far this year. In other words, the cutting frequency
during the growing season can affect the energy status of the plant
going into the fall. Frequent cutting (30 day intervals or less)
results in the plant never reaching full energy reserve status during
the growing season. This makes the critical fall rest period more
necessary for plants to accumulate adequate reserves before winter.
A final factor is soil drainage. Alfalfa stands on well-drained soils
tolerate later fall cuttings better than alfalfa on moderately or
poorly drained soils. Low plant cover going into the winter from
late cutting increases the risk of winter heaving on many Ohio soils.
We observed significant heaving the past two winters in NE Ohio, and
many of those stands had been harvested the previous fall.
Cutting alfalfa during the critical fall period is tempting due to the
need for high quality forage and the disrupted cutting schedules we
experienced this year. But before deciding to cut alfalfa after
September 15, carefully consider the condition of the stand and the
risk factors discussed above. If the stand suffered excessive soil
wetness this year and is lacking vigor, consider the risk from fall
cutting to be greater this year than is usual. Do you need the forage
this fall more than the need to maintain the vigor of the stand for
next year? Can you risk losing productivity of the stand come next
spring? If you chose to accept the risk of mid-fall cutting, then leave
some uncut strips in different areas of the field so you can compare
the regrowth next spring in cut and uncut areas. That will provide a
comparison that will inform your future fall cutting decisions.
Free Pigweed Herbicide Resistance Screening
Pigweed,photo credit: University of Missouri
Authors: Mark Loux
OSU weed scientists will again screen populations of any pigweed
species this coming winter for their herbicide resistance
characteristics, at no charge. This includes populations of
redroot pigweed, waterhemp, and Palmer amaranth, among others.
Samples should generally be collected from fields where resistance to
one or more types of herbicide is suspected. The sample
submission form with directions for collecting seed can be found at the
“Herbicide resistance screening” link on the right side of our website,
u.osu.edu/osuweeds/. Guidelines for collections are as follows:
1. Samples should be collected when seed is mature. Fully developed
seed will be hard not soft.
2. Collect entire seedheads. Depending on species 10 to 30 seedheads
are needed to have enough seed for a proper screening.
3. Sample should be fresh. Mail immediately or let air dry under
cool dry conditions in an open PAPER bag for 2 to 4 weeks. Do NOT
collect or store in PLASTIC
5. Samples should be carefully packaged and shipped early in the week
to avoid weekend layovers during which the sample will deteriorate.
6. Be sure to include sample documentation and background information.
Cover Crops After Corn Silage Harvest
Cover Crops After Corn Silage Harvest
cereal rye after corn silage, Cornell Agronomy fact sheet #43
Authors: Rory Lewandowski
A lot of corn was chopped for corn silage last week and harvest
continues this week. We are about a month ahead of last year’s
corn silage harvest and this year’s earlier harvest provides an
opportunity to get cover crops established on those acres.
Earlier planting of cover crops is good. The touted benefits of
cover crops are dependent upon the crop producing forage mass above
ground and developing a root system below ground. More growth is
generally equal to more benefits. In addition to protecting the
soil against erosion, cover crops can improve soil quality, provide
supplemental forage for grazing or mechanical harvest, can use excess
nutrients in the soil, and can provide an option for manure application
during late fall and winter periods. The expectation here is that
we get some rain so that the cover crop can germinate and grow to take
advantage of an earlier planting date.
Some cover crop grass options after corn silage include spring oats,
spring and/or winter triticale, winter cereal rye, barley, and winter
wheat. Note that winter wheat even if used only for a cover crop
should still be planted after our hessian fly-free date. Legume
options are more limited but include crimson clover and winter peas.
Generally these would be included in a mix with one or more of the
small grains. Legumes have the potential to produce some nitrogen
for the next crop, but for that to happen they have to be planted as
early as possible, preferably at least 4-6 weeks before frost, and make
sure the seed is inoculated with the correct rhizobia bacteria.
Winter peas planted early, probably before that mid-September time
frame will most likely winter kill. When winter peas are planted
late they often will overwinter. I have talked with farmers who
have planted winter peas in the late September to early October time
frame and had that crop overwinter. The downside is those late
planting dates generally do not produce much fall growth so if soil
cover is the goal, plant earlier.
With regard to the small grain crops, oats (or spring triticale)
drilled immediately after corn silage by the end of the first week in
September could provide 0.5 to 1.5 tons of dry matter before a killing
frost depending upon moisture, fall temperatures, and days until that
killing frost. Since oats and spring triticale winter kills
spring termination management is not needed, but from a manure
management perspective oats or spring triticale as a cover crop does
not provide an option for a winter manure application to a living
crop. Barley when grown for grain in the succeeding year is
usually planted between September 15 and 30. Triticale is
generally planted with timing similar to winter wheat and cereal rye
for grain production is planted between September 15 and the end of
October. With the exception of winter wheat, any of these crops
can be planted earlier if the primary purpose is as a cover crop and
supplemental forage. All of these small grains except oats and
spring triticale will overwinter and begin growing again in the
spring. The grower must have a plan for the spring forage growth
and/or crop termination before planting corn or soybeans.
Remember that both oats and spring triticale will produce more forage
in the fall, so either of these crops plus a winter-hardy small grain
like winter rye, winter triticale, winter wheat or barley can provide
forage later in the fall and again next spring. It is worth
mentioning that cereal rye begins growth early in the spring and it has
a rapid maturation so the grower must be prepared to either utilize it
as forage early or terminate it early.
Another cover crop and supplemental forage option after corn silage
that I am a little reluctant to mention is annual ryegrass. The
reluctance is because some growers have had problems terminating the
annual ryegrass with herbicides in the spring. Growers who have
taken a mechanical harvest off first with a later spring herbicide
application have fared better. If the goal is provide cover and
forage then variety selection for winter hardiness is important.
Refer to the Ohio Forage Performance Trials for selecting varieties
(http://hostedweb.cfaes.ohio-state.edu/perf/). Mark Sulc,
OSU Extension forage specialist, has planted annual ryegrass in early
September for several years, and says that one can expect 800 to 2000
lbs. of dry matter/acre by late November and early December, with
yields of 3 to 5 tons of dry matter/acre the following year from
improved varieties with good winter survival and with adequate nitrogen
fertilization rates.
Another factor that needs to be considered with fall cover crop
planting is potential herbicide residual in the soil. The
residual activity of an herbicide in a soil is dependent upon a number
of factors including soil type, soil pH, organic matter level,
rainfall, and temperature. In addition, when a particular
herbicide was applied in terms of time between application and the
planting of a cover crop is important. Unfortunately most
herbicide labels may not have information about potential residual
effects on cover crops.
Purdue University has been evaluating the impact of commonly used
residual herbicides on cover crop establishment and recently posted an
article summarizing their results in the Purdue Pest and Crop
Newsletter
(http://extension.entm.purdue.edu/pestcrop/2015/Issue22/).
Quoting from that article “As a general rule, residual herbicides that
have activity on grass weeds can interfere with the establishment of
some cover crop species, especially the smaller seeded ryegrass
species. Residual herbicides from the group 2 (ALS), group 5
(triazine), group 14 (PPO), or group 27 (bleacher) can interfere with
the establishment of some of the broad leaf cover crop species.”
Cover crops can provide a number of benefits when they have time to get
established and grow sufficient biomass. A winter hardy cover
crop may become part of a nutrient management plan and provide an
additional option for manure application. This year’s early corn
silage harvest is an opportunity to get some cover crops planted and
established in a timely manner. For more information about cover
crop timing, specific species recommendations, seeding rates, and
potential forage yields and quality, contact a member of the OSU
Extension Ag Crops Team.
Technology Use in Agriculture Survey
Technology Use in Agriculture Survey
University of Missouri Weed ID app
Authors: Laura Lindsey
If you are a farmer, industry, and/or Extension professional, we need
your input on technology use in agriculture. Ohio State’s
Technology Commercialization Office will use this information to help
guide future development of agricultural technologies. All
responses will be anonymous. The survey takes approximately 5
minutes to fill out.
Link to survey: https://aytm.com/r28c8d5
Independent Ag Field Day and Fertilizer Applicator Certification
Training
Authors: Mike Gastier
The Erie Basin EERA will offer a two hour Fertilizer Applicator
Certification on Thursday, September 10, 2015 at the Independent Ag
Field Day in Bellevue, Ohio. The training will begin at 11:00 am
and end at 2:00 pm. Lunch will be served at noon. This is a company
field day; however, OSU Extension has a separate tent for the
certification training which is open to the public. Lunch is also
provided by Independent Ag at no charge and with no obligation.
Two hour Fertilizer Applicator Certification trainings are intended for
individuals who seek certification and currently hold an Ohio
Commercial or Private Pesticide License. There is no charge for
this training. To receive certification, an individual must be present
for the entire training.
Independent Ag is located at 4321 Sandhill Rd. Bellevue, OH
44811 which is at the intersection of Sandhill Rd. and US Route 20
between Bellevue and Monroeville. The field day site is on
Sandhill Road just south of US Route 20. You may contact Independent Ag
at 419-483-1515; however, no reservations are required. For
training information contact Mike Gastier with OSU Extension in Huron
County at 419-668-8219.
Agricultural Conservation, Protecting Water: Keeping Soil and Nutrients
in the Field
Agricultural Conservation, Protecting Water: Keeping Soil and Nutrients
in the Field
Smoke test on field tile
Authors: Mark Badertscher
Agricultural Conservation, Protecting Water: Keeping Soil and Nutrients
in the Field will be the theme of the Hardin County Field Day on
September 18. The event will start out at the Jerry McBride Farm,
11312 County Road 60, Dola, Ohio at 8:30 am and will end at 1:30 pm
with complimentary lunch. The field day is being presented by the
Hardin SWCD, USDA-NRCS, The Nature Conservancy, Findlay Implement
Company, John Deere, and OSU Extension.
Wagon tours will transport attendees to three different farms in
addition to a Corn Response to Nitrogen plot where OSU Extension
Agronomic Field Specialist Harold Watters and Hardin County Extension
Educator Mark Badertscher will discuss common myths about choosing a
nitrogen rate. They will also discuss ways nitrogen is lost to
the environment. The focus will be on maximum economic yield
being the goal with minimal loss to the environment. Attendees
will also get to see aerial images of the plot treatments and find out
about use of a handheld crop sensor in the Corn Response to Nitrogen
plot.
Justin Leader of the Findlay Implement Company will demonstrate a Soil
Moisture Probe with John Deere’s Field Connect System. He will
explain the soil moisture probe, Field Connect Gateway and
attachments. Field Connect gives users the opportunity to
remotely monitor soil moisture, rainfall, soil radiation, and other
environmental conditions within a field from any device that is capable
to connect to the internet.
Concurrent sessions will be offered on nutrient management with a
demonstration of injecting liquid manure into a growing crop by OSU
Extension Manure Nutrient Management Field Specialist Glen
Arnold. His on-farm research focuses on the use of livestock
manure as a spring top-dress fertilizer on wheat and as a side-dress
fertilizer for corn. Arnold’s research goal is to move livestock
producers toward applying manure during the crop growing season instead
of late fall application window.
Wetland and Soil Consulting Services and retired USDA soil scientist
Frank Gibbs will describe the essential components to your Soil Health
Tool Box and the results the Arden Good family has achieved with a Soil
Pit discussion and a Smoking Tile demonstration called ‘making your
soil smoke.’ Frank has an extensive background in Water Tables in
the Soil, Soil Compaction, Soil Health, Cover Crops, Manure Disposal,
Preferential Flow, and Drainage Problems.
Darke County Extension Educator Sam Custer will give an update on the
current legislation regarding nutrient management. Custer is the
statewide leader of the Ohio State University Signature Program,
“Nutrient Stewardship for Cleaner Water”. Fertilizer applicators
in the Lake Erie watershed and the entire state are affected by Senate
Bill 1 and 150, which has requirements for the application of nutrients
on agricultural land.
Crosby McDorman, Agriculture Equipment Sales Representative from
Findlay Implement Company, will conduct a field demonstration of
incorporating commercial fertilizers using the John Deere 2510H with
Montag Cart. This piece of equipment will be run to demonstrate
minimal disturbance and the placement of fertilizer within the
soil. McDorman will talk about the benefits with incorporating
fertilizer into the soil profile and the benefits of using this tool
bar. Equipment capabilities will be discussed.
Other concurrent sessions to choose from include Drainage Water
Management by Nathan Utt from Ecosystem Services Exchange. Nathan
has travelled extensively throughout the Midwest to work with
contractors, farmers, landowners, universities, and government agencies
on the design and implementation of effective edge-of-field
conservation practices. Is it possible to improve water quality
at the same time you are improving your yields? With a little
planning, your tile system can do more than just get rid of
water. It can be managed to reduce nutrient loss, improve soil
moisture, and even serve as an irrigation system. Come learn how
a Managed Drainage System could be put to work on your farm.
Dr. Jon Witter, Assistant Professor in the Agricultural and Engineering
Technologies Division at The Ohio State University - Agricultural
Technical Institute will give an overview of the Two-Stage Ditch
design, potential benefits and costs, and a description of a process to
determine if a Two-Stage Ditch is potentially a good practice for
you. He will be joined by Lauren Lindemann, WLEB Conservation
Director for The Nature Conservancy. Over the last three years,
Lauren has worked for the Conservancy across state lines on ag
conservation and demonstration watershed work for healthy soil, slowing
the flow and Lake Erie. See a two-stage ditch that is installed
at this site and find out how it works to filter nutrients out of the
water.
Tile Research and Phosphorus will be the topic of Kevin King, who is a
research agricultural engineer with the USDA-ARS. Kevin is
leading an effort in Ohio to assess the edge-of-field effects of
different management practices on phosphorus movement in surface runoff
and the drainage discharge. This Agricultural Research Service
network consists of 20 paired fields in the Eastern Corn Belt region of
Ohio. Hear about the updates on current edge-of-field research
related to phosphorus movement in surface and tile drainage pathways.
Jamie Scott will lead a discussion of the pros and cons of 10 different
cover crop plots. Each plot has different species that help do an
array of things for the soil and nutrients. Learn how to choose
the cover crop for your needs. The Scotts were named
Conservationist of the Year by The American Soybean Association in
2008. The Scotts have been using no-till for over 25 years to
help increase oxygen content in the soils and increase earthworm
populations as well as other biological activity. Bring your
cover crops questions to this session and find out the answers from
this recognized expert.
The Hardin County Field Day, Agricultural Conservation, Protecting
Water: Keeping Soil and Nutrients in the Field requires participants to
pre-register to ensure a lunch count for the event. Please call
the Hardin Soil and Water Conservation District at 419-673-0456
extension 3 by September 10 to attend this free event. CCA and
CLM credits are pending.
C.O.R.N. is a summary of crop observations, related information, and
appropriate recommendations for Ohio Crop Producers and Industry.
C.O.R.N. is produced by the Ohio State University Extension Agronomy
Team, State Specialists at The Ohio State University and Ohio
Agricultural Research and Development Center. C.O.R.N. Questions are
directed to State Specialists, Extension Associates, and Agents
associated with Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio
Agricultural Research and Development Center at The Ohio State
University.
Contributing to this issue:
Contributors:
Glen Arnold (Nutrient Management Field Specialist), John Barker (Knox),
Amanda Bennett (Miami), Debbie Brown (Shelby), Sam Custer (Darke), Anne
Dorrance (Plant Pathologist-Soybeans), Amanda Douridas (Champaign),
Greg LaBarge (Agronomy Field Specialist), Ed Lentz (Hancock), Sarah
Noggle (Paulding), Les Ober (Geauga), Pierce Paul (Plant Pathology),
Eric Richer (Fulton), Jeff Stachler (Auglaize), Ted Wiseman (Licking
& Perry), Dennis Riethman (Mercer), Ken Ford (Fayette), Andy Michel
(Entomology)
Authors:
Mark Sulc (Forages), Mark Loux (Weed Science), Rory Lewandowski
(Wayne), Laura Lindsey (Soybeans and Small Grains), Mike Gastier
(Huron), Mark Badertscher (Hardin)
Editor:
Rory Lewandowski
Disclaimer
Information presented above and where trade names are used, they are
supplied with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and
no endorsement by Ohio State University Extension is implied. Although
every attempt is made to produce information that is complete, timely,
and accurate, the pesticide user bears responsibility of consulting the
pesticide label and adhering to those directions.
Ohio State University Extension embraces human diversity and is
committed to ensuring that all research and related educational
programs are available to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis
without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin,
sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, or
veteran status. This statement is in accordance with United States
Civil Rights Laws and the USDA.
Keith L. Smith, Associate Vice President for Agricultural
Administration; Associate Dean, College of Food, Agricultural, and
Environmental Sciences; Director, Ohio State University Extension and
Gist Chair in Extension Education and Leadership.
TDD No. 800-589-8292 (Ohio only) or 614-292-1868.
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