:
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Weather Outlook
The weather and climate pattern has been on a real roller coaster ride and it is expected to continue right into spring.
Currently, the climate models are struggling to deal with the ocean conditions in the Pacific Ocean. Most models have been forecasting an El Nino this winter into spring and it just has not happened as of this time. In addition, without an El Nino or La Nina going on, this creates greater uncertainty in our weather and climate. It appears this may at least last into early spring.
February is shaping up to be wet with significant temperatures swings. Rainfall is forecast to range from about 2 inches in far northern Ohio to possibly 6 in southern Ohio over the next two weeks. Combine the rain with recent snowmelt and icemelt and conditions will be very wet and muddy.
Many climate models are suggesting a warmer and drier than normal spring but based on recent trends, it appears to be shaping up to be normal or wetter than normal into April but uncertainty is high.
The latest two week rainfall map is attached. You can see a very heavy rain event for portions of the Ohio Valley in the next two weeks.
You can see updated potential for flooding at the NOAA/NWS/OHRFC flood briefing pages:
https://www.weather.gov/ohrfc/FloodBriefing
The 16-day rainfall potential map is located here:
https://www.weather.gov/images/ohrfc/dynamic/NAEFS16.apcp.mean.total.png
You can also see updated seasonal outlooks at the NOAA/NWS/OHRFC seasonal briefing pages here:
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2018 eFields Research Report Available January 9th
High quality, relevant information is key to making the right management decisions for your farm. The eFields program at The Ohio State University was created to provide local information about critical issues for Ohio agriculture. The 2018 eFields Research Report highlighting 95 on-farm, field scale trials conducted in 25 Ohio counties will be released on January 9th. Research topics include nutrient management, precision seeding, crop management, soil compaction management, remote sensing, and data analysis and management. To help identify trial locations that are similar to your operation, each study includes information about weather, soil types, and management practices. Additionally, economic analysis was added to select trials this year. QR codes that link to videos featuring the researchers and partner farmers are available in the report.
The 2018 report is now available in both a print and e-version. To receive a printed copy, contact your local OSU Extension office or email digitalag@osu.edu. The e-version can be viewed and downloaded at go.osu.edu/eFields.
The eFields team has planned four regional results meetings to discuss local results and gather information about research interests for 2019. There is no cost to attend; for more information or to register for a meeting, visit go.osu.edu/eFieldsMeeting. Please plan to join us for the meeting nearest you:
Southwest Region: February 13th, 9AM-12PM, Wilmington
Northwest Region: February 20th, 9AM-12PM, Wauseon
East Region: February 27th, 5-8:30PM, Massillon
West Central Region: February 28th, 9AM-12PM, Piqua
We would like to sincerely thank all of our 2018 collaborating farms and industry partners. The eFields team enjoys working with each of you and we are looking forward to continuing to learn together in 2019.
Follow our social media @OhioStatePA on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or subscribe to our quarterly newsletter, Digital Ag Download (go.osu.edu/DigitalAgDownload), to keep up with the eFields program throughout the year. For more information on how to get involved in eFields in 2019, contact Elizabeth Hawkins at hawkins.301@osu.edu.
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Corn Newsletter Reader Survey – Reminder
We’d like to thank all of you who have completed the survey so far. The response has been great. We would still like to hear from those of you who have not completed yet. Our goal is to provide farmers and consultants with accurate, researched based information that helps improve farm efficiency, profitability and sustainability. Completion is voluntary. All survey responses are anonymous and cannot be linked to respondents. Only summary data will be reported. You can complete the survey by going to: https://osu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_577r8yARYgUZk9f.
Thank you again for your time and feedback as we strive to meet the needs of our readers.
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Winter has seen wild swings in the weather
The winter has seen wild swings in the weather and climate from cold to warm to cold.
The outlook for February calls for this wild swing pattern to continue with periods of cold and mild along with periods of wet, snow and dry. The end result should be temperatures slightly colder than normal for February and precipitation at or above normal. Over the next two weeks precipitation liquid equivalent should average 1.5-2.5 inches over Ohio. Normal is about 1 inch in this period. See attached graphic for details.
La Nina continues in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean with cooler than normal waters. This tends to lead to more challenging years in the Ohio Valley for agriculture.
See: https://www.climate.gov/enso
The outlook for March through May planting season continues to calls for a gradual switch from cooler than normal to start to warmer than normal by later May. It also overall suggests wetter than normal with a possible switch to drier than normal by May or June.
The outlook for summer growing season calls for warmer and drier than normal from the latest climate models.
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Steps to keep Palmer amaranth out of your operation
As of the end of 2016, Palmer amaranth had been found in 18 Ohio counties, and the majority of it is resistant to both glyphosate and ALS-inhibiting herbicides (site 2) based on OSU greenhouse screening. Not all of these “finds” represent problem infestations, and in some cases the potential for a few plants to become an established patch was remedied by timely removal and subsequent monitoring. There are however a number of fields where Palmer became well established and effective control has since required extremely comprehensive herbicide programs combined with removal be hand. This past growing season, three soybean fields were so densely infested with Palmer that they had to be mowed down in early August. At that point, the only recommendation we could make was mowing, to prevent the production of massive amounts of additional seed, in order to at least limit somewhat how bad future infestations were going to be (photos of this on our blog – u.osu.edu/osuweeds). These infestations obviously started prior to this year, and were ignored, allowing them to continue to increase to the point of disaster. This scenario is of course what occurred in many fields in the southern US as Palmer spread and took over fields. In this article we cover the relative importance of the various paths of Palmer amaranth introduction in to Ohio fields so far, and the steps growers can take to prevent infestations from becoming established.
1. Use cotton feed products from the south by animal operations, and subsequent spread of manure from these operations onto crop fields, has been responsible for most of the infestations in Ohio so far. Palmer is widespread in cotton fields in the south so the cotton harvest byproducts that are shipped to Ohio for use as feed have a high potential to contain Palmer seed.
Action items: a) avoid use of these feed products, b) educate animal operations in your area about this issue; c) if still using these feed products, find out whether the supplier has taken any steps to remove Palmer seed prior to shipping them here; d) if possible, store manure in pits for a period of time prior to spreading, which may reduce the seed viability at least somewhat.
2. Field to field spread by local equipment has occurred in a few areas of the state, primarily via combines that are used in Palmer-infested fields without subsequent complete cleanout (and it’s impossible to get all Palmer seed out of a combine anyway).
Action items: a) if hiring custom harvesters, find out whether the combine has previously been in fields infested with Palmer; b) ask the custom harvest operator what his philosophy is with regard to harvesting very weedy fields or those infested with Palmer - does he avoid these fields, are cleanout procedures used?
3. Purchase of used equipment that came from the south is known to be the source of several infestations in one area of the state. In this case a used combine was purchased from a local equipment dealer, but apparently originated in Georgia.
Action items: a) when purchasing used equipment, especially combines, know the full history; and b) avoid purchase of combines from Palmer-infested areas.
4. Contamination of seed used for establishment of cover crops, CREP and similar areas, pollinator areas, wildlife areas, etc. We should say at the outset here that as far as we know this has been the source of only two infestations of Palmer amaranth in Ohio – one in Scioto County that may have started in about 2007, and one in Madison County several years ago that was torn up to prevent future problems and so did not turn into an established infestation. However, a pollinator seeding program in Iowa this year resulted in many new introductions of Palmer amaranth due to the contamination of pollinator seed with Palmer seed. (A recent Ohio Farmer article on this subject made it look like Armageddon was about to occur here in Ohio based on the problems that occurred farther west, which is an overstatement. It stated that two counties were “infected” with Palmer due to contamination of CREP, when the reality is that there are three infested fields in Scioto County. The introduction in Madison County was largely eradicated).
Much of this type of seed is produced farther west (Kansas, Texas, etc), or
in the south in the case of warm-season grasses, in areas that can be abundantly infested with Palmer amaranth. Palmer amaranth is not a noxious weed in the western states at least. The Catch 22 is that while seed sold for use here is not supposed to contain seed of Palmer amaranth or other weeds designated as noxious in Ohio, the fact that Palmer is not a noxious weed where the seed is produced means that the seed tag does not have to show whether Palmer seed is a contaminant. If you are thinking well that doesn’t make any sense, you’re not alone. Programs of state and federal agencies have been relying on seed tags for the most part, although they are encouraging growers to have seed tested (see below). One county FSA office apparently does mandate testing of all seed. Pheasants Forever appears to have a more proactive approach in place. They contract with only one seed vendor each year. Prior to being shipped from the Kansas vendor, seed is screened for the presence of first any pigweed, and then also Palmer amaranth if necessary.
Action items: a) Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) will screen any seed of this type for the presence of all Ohio noxious weeds. We recommend having this done prior to planting. Contact the ODA Grain, Feed, and Seed Program at (614) 728-6410 – they have to pick the seed up, it cannot be mailed or dropped off.
Other possible mechanisms of introduction include movement of seed on animals or migratory birds or with flood water, all of which are out of one’s control. Keep in mind that the residual herbicides we are using to control marestail and ragweeds also have activity on Palmer amaranth. The early-season control of Palmer that they provide allows for a fighting chance to scout and remove Palmer plants later in the season, before they have been able to produce viable seed. There was no use of residual herbicide in the fields that were mowed down this year (nothing except glyphosate actually).
We need to have a zero tolerance attitude toward Palmer amaranth in Ohio. An important component of this, in addition to the steps outlined above, is scouting of soybean fields in mid to late season for the presence of Palmer plants that have escaped all prior herbicide treatments. This can be accomplished a number of ways – driving by or around fields and scanning with binoculars, use of a drone, etc. Any Palmer plants found should be first checked for presence of mature seed – small black seed upon shaking or crushing of seedheads. If there are none, cut the plants off just below the soil line, remove from field and burn or compost. They can reroot and gegrow enough to still produce seed if left in the field. Where plants have mature seed, our suggestion would be to first cut off and bag seedheads on site, prior to removal of plants. Or possibly drive into the field, and put them gently into the bed of a vehicle. Avoid dragging plants with mature seed through the field. We assume that Palmer plants would not be evident in corn fields until seen from a combine cab during harvest. When in doubt, get help with identification and avoid contaminating combines with Palmer seed, rather than just harvesting through anything and hoping for the best. Contact us at any time for help with identification or management advice. There are also resources on the OSU weed management website – u.osu.edu/osuweeds.
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Handy Bt Trait Table for U.S. corn production updated for 2017
Most corn hybrids planted in the U.S. contain one or more transgenic traits for weed or insect management. There are many different available traits, which can sometimes cause confusion about a hybrid’s spectrum of control or refuge requirements. The Handy Bt Trait Table provides a helpful list of trait names and details of trait packages to make it easier to select and understand products and their refuge requirements, and read company seed guides, sales materials, and bag tags. This year’s table was authored by Dr. Chris DiFonzo at Michigan State University with contributions by Drs. Kelley Tilmon (OSU) and Pat Porter (Texas A&M).
A new column has been added to the table in 2017 to address local or regional performance issues in cases where there are documented field-level insect populations which are less susceptible to or resistant to a given Bt protein. An insect is listed in this column only if ALL of the Bt proteins which should control it in a product are ‘ineffective’ somewhere in the US or Canada. Ineffective ratings are based on published lab assays and/or field research from field corn, sweet corn, and cotton. University extension specialists or local educators can assist in determining if you are in an area where reduced effectiveness was reported. On a broader scale, this column is intended to alert growers and consultants to potential management problems, influence seed selection, and encourage field scouting.
The Handy Bt Trait Table can be downloaded here, along with a list of citations documenting performance issues here.
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Lake Erie Cyanobacteria Bloom- A Summary of the 2016 Season
Cyanobacteria growth in the Western Lake Erie Basin (WLEB) has been a concern closely monitored over the past 10 years. The presence of cyanobacteria leads to a pea soup appearance of water that causes aesthetic concerns. Cyanobacteria also produce toxins which cause human health concerns, especially contact during recreational uses or at municipal water intakes. This article compares the 2016 bloom to years back to 2002, plus identifies target loadings for the WLEB to lessen the incidence of blooms.
Figure 1. Bloom severity index for 2002-2016 (green bar) plus the forecast for 2016 released in early July, 2016 (red bar) (Stumpf, 2016).
The historical bloom severity for 2002 through 2015 is seen in Figure 1 (Stumpf, 2016). The index is based on the amount of biomass over the peak 30-days. The 2016 severity forecast released on July 7, 2016 with the red bar showing a predicted value of 5.5 with an uncertainty range of 3-7. The actual observed level is shown with the green bar with a severity of 3.2 which was similar to 2004 and 2012. The highest observed levels were 2011 rated a 10 and 2015 with a rating of 10.5.
Spring loadings (1 March to 31 July) of bioavailable phosphorus entering the WLEB from the Maumee Watershed are a key factor in the severity of cyanobacterial blooms during the summer. This value is a key component of the predictive models of bloom size. Bioavailable phosphorus includes the dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) which is 100% soluble, plus an estimated portion of particulate phosphorus that will become available as water moves downstream and out into the lake. Figure 2 (Stumpf, 2016) below shows spring loading of bioavailable phosphorus for key reference years. In 2015, where severity reached 10.5, spring loading was over 700 metric tons. In 2004, where loading was close 250 and 2016 with close to 200 metric tons had a severity index around 3.0.
Figure 2. Total bioavailable phosphorus from the Maumee River for 2016 compared to some other years. Data collected by Heidelberg University (Stumpf, 2016).Phosphorus, regardless of source, is an important factor in the presence of cyanobacteria blooms in the WLEB. Agriculture as a prominent land use in the WLEB has an important role to play to attain reductions through implementation of Best Management Practices for nutrient use and water management. All who live in the watershed should look for ways to lower contributions of phosphorus leaving their property.
Target Phosphorus Reductions for the Western Lake Erie Basin
Target loading criteria have been adopted by both the US and Canadian governments. The targets are designed to attain levels of cyanobacteria blooms that are less intrusive. The targets are set to achieve a bloom no greater than that observed in 2004 or 2012, 90% of the time.
To attain that target bloom level, the Task Team recommended P levels seen in Table 1 (Annex 4, 2015).
· Total phosphorus (TP) spring load of 860 metric tons and dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) loading of 186 metric tons from the Maumee River. (The 860 metric ton target is approximately a 40% reduction from the 2008 spring load of 1400 metric tons for TP and 310 metric tons of DRP.)
· Flow Weighted Mean Concentration (FWMC) of 0.23 mg/L for TP and 0.05 mg/L for DRP. (This target is expected to achieve phosphorus loadings below the targets (860 and 186 metric tons) 90% of the time (9 years out of 10), if precipitation patterns do not change.)
· Total P annual loading into the Lake Erie’s western and central basin of 6000 MT.
Table 1. Target P loading criteria for the Lake Erie (Annex 4, 2015).
References:
Stumpf, R, (et.al). Harmful Algal Blooms in Lake Erie - Experimental HAB Bulletin. (2016) https://www.glerl.noaa.gov//res/HABs_and_Hypoxia/lakeErieHABArchive/
Annex 4 Objectives and Targets Task Team Final Report to the Nutrients Annex Subcommittee. (2015) https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-06/documents/report-recommended-phosphorus-loading-targets-lake-erie-201505.pdf
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EARLY LOOK AHEAD TO SPRING PLANTING SEASON AND GROWING SEASON
Winter so far has seen major swings in weather patterns but in the end we are close to normal temperatures and precipitation.
For the remainder of January milder and wetter are the words. The attached graphic shows the NWS Ohio River Forecast Center's 16-day precipitation outlook which is wet. Normal precipitation is near 2 inches with the mean forecast being 2-5 inches.
Going forward for the remainder of winter it looks a little warmer and wetter than normal with still significant swings in weather patterns.
The early outlook for spring planting season suggests a slightly warmer than normal season with precipitation normal or slightly above normal. Some planting delays would be possible. Historical data suggests a slightly later than normal last freeze date.
The early outlook for the summer growing season suggests a warm to hot summer with rainfall potentially below normal.
You can keep up-to-date on the outlooks at the NOAA/NWS Climate Prediction Center at: http://www.cpc.noaa.gov/
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Useful Weather Links and Outlook
There has been many requests for information on where to find such things as 4 inch soil temperatures, stress degree days, growing degree days etc.
The NOAA Midwest Regional Climate Center has a wealth of information at:
http://mrcc.isws.illinois.edu/
http://mrcc.isws.illinois.edu/cliwatch/watch.htm
If you go to the NOAA Midwest Regional Climate Center and create a free account at:
http://mrcc.isws.illinois.edu/CLIMATE/
You will be able to get access to observed growing degree days, stress degree days, temperatures, precipitation and snowfall information both in gridded and station format.
The NOAA MRCC also has a VEG program to give information on such things as stress degree days and chilling hours at the websites below:
http://mrcc.isws.illinois.edu/VIP/indexSDD.html
http://mrcc.isws.illinois.edu/VIP/indexChillHoursSep.html
The NOAA MRCC also has 4 inch and drought information at:
http://mrcc.isws.illinois.edu/cliwatch/drought/drought.jsp
The NOAA MRCC also has all your information for El Nino at:
http://mrcc.isws.illinois.edu/mw_climate/elNino/index.jsp
February Outlook:
Expect a cold middle of the month of February to turn warmer than normal again by late February. Precipitation for February will generally to normal to slightly above normal.
March Outlook:
Expect temperatures slightly above normal and drastically better than the last two March's. Rainfall will be in the normal or slightly below normal range.
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So there is lots to talk about in the weather
After a record warm December, colder weather returned to Ohio and surrounding areas for January with temperatures in January running just below normal.
The headlines surround a strong El Nino in the Pacific Ocean. This looks to be the strongest on near-term record. Most of the data suggests this El Nino is similar to the winters of 1957/58, 1982/83 and 1991/92 and like but with some differences to the 1997/98 winter.El Nino is only one of many things affecting the weather pattern but it has its strongest influence on our weather from January into March.
The big challenge for the upcoming planting and growing season is the rapid decline in El Nino (warming of the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean) toward a possible La Nina (cooling). This rapid change could result in reduced forecast skill once it gets going this spring and summer.
Short-term into first half of February...
We expect a pattern change toward warmer and slightly wetter conditions into the first half of February. This will likely result in rain events versus snow events though some minor snows are possible.
Second half of February into March...
A warmer and drier than normal pattern is forecast across the area. There is some risk of normal precipitation though.
Spring...
There is uncertainty in spring with transition away from El Nino. Most indications are for a bit warmer and drier than normal. If that transition does not happen as fast away from El Nino it could turn to a slightly wetter and cooler pattern so confidence is low past March. We should know more about this in the next 2-4 week.
You can keep up on all of this at the NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center Seasonal Briefing Page at: http://w2.weather.gov/ohrfc/SeasonalBriefing
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Introducing Dr. Kelley Tilmon
In January, Dr. Kelley Tilmon joined the faculty of the Department of Entomology as an Associate Professor and State Specialist for field crop entomology. Her extension, research, and teaching programs will focus on the management of insect pests of agronomic crops. She will be based out of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) campus in Wooster. Kelley has an M.S. in entomology from the University of Delaware, a Ph.D. in entomology from Cornell University, and for the past 10 years has served as the soybean entomologist for South Dakota at South Dakota State University, with extension and research responsibilities. Her contact information is 330-202-3529 and tilmon.1@osu.edu
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Winter Wheat Update
Due to late planting and wet weather, winter wheat in some areas of the state has not yet emerged. In Ohio, we do not have first-hand experience with this situation. Further west (Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Kansas), there have been reports of winter wheat emerging extremely late due to dry soil conditions. A winter wheat planting date study in Kansas found a 43 to 59% reduction in grain yield when winter wheat was planted in January and February compared to October. This yield reduction was associated with reduced tillering (reduced number of heads) per plant.
Will the sprouted, but not yet emerged wheat vernalize? Yes. Anything that is sprouted will vernalize. However, the root system will be minimal and heaving may be a problem. Additionally, the extremely wet conditions, leaving fields saturated with water, may result in plant death.
What can we expect in Ohio? We are not exactly sure. We do know wheat yields are greater for earlier planting (emergence) dates. However, we also know wheat plants can compensate for poor stands with plumper kernels. The outcome will likely depend on the weather for the remainder of the winter and spring.
What can be done? Wheat stands should be evaluated at Feekes 5 growth stage (leaf sheaths strongly erect). The number of wheat stems (main stem + tillers) can be used to estimate wheat grain yield (see table below). Keep in mind, right now, there are no management strategies to improve your wheat stand. A winter application of nitrogen fertilizer will not help.
Estimated grain yield (bu/acre)
Stem number (number/foot of row)
85
27
90
34
95
42
100
51
105
63
110
80
115
100
References:
https://cropwatch.unl.edu/how-late-can-you-seed-winter-wheat-and-still-produce-grain
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The LL-GT27 soybean – what’s legal?
We are starting to see the availability of soybean varieties with more than two herbicide resistance traits, which can expand the herbicide options, improve control, and allow multiple site of action tank mixes that reduce the rate of selection for resistance. One of these is the Enlist soybean, with resistance to glyphosate, glufosinate, and 2,4-D. As of this writing, full approval for the Enlist soybean is still being held up by the Philippines (because they can apparently). The other is the LL-GT27 soybean, which has resistance to glyphosate, glufosinate, and isoxaflutole (Balance). There is no label for use of isoxaflutole on this soybean yet, but it is legal to apply both glyphosate and glufosinate. In Ohio, as long as neither label prohibits applying a mixture of two herbicides labeled for a specific use, it’s legal to apply the mixture. So, it’s also legal to apply a mixture of glyphosate and glufosinate to the LL-GT27 soybean. There is no label that actually mentions or provides guidance for this mixture, which does not affect legality, but could affect who assumes liability for the recommendation to apply a mixture if that matters to you. Some seed companies are making the recommendation for POST application of the mix of glyphosate and glufosinate to the LL-GT27 soybean in printed materials. Our interpretation after discussion with ODA, is that these materials are essentially supplements to labels, and so the seed company would assume some liability for the recommendation.
Our assumption is that for the POST application of this mixture, the glufosinate is carrying most of the load for the control of ragweeds, marestail, and waterhemp, which generally have resistance to glyphosate. Glufosinate could use some help on larger giant foxtail, and definitely needs help on several grasses that it’s weak on – barnyardgrass, yellow foxtail, etc. Many users of LibertyLink soybeans have made it a practice to consistently add a POST grass herbicide such as clethodim. For the LL-GT27 soybean, one would have the choice of going this route or replacing the clethodim with glyphosate to control grasses or perennial weeds. We have had a lot of insightful questions from growers about the wisdom of mixing a systemic and contact herbicide together. While there’s not much research-based information yet on how well glyphosate and glufosinate work together, there’s probably not much issue with adding a low rate of glyphosate to glufosinate to control grasses. And we have other examples where contact and systemic herbicides are successfully used together – e.g. Gramoxone + 2,4-D + metribuzin; glyphosate + fomesafen. A colleague at Purdue related that the two herbicides require different types of surfactants which creates an interesting dilemma. Both products contain a full surfactant load though, so a mixture should have plenty of whatever surfactants are being used for sure. A couple of other things to keep in mind:
- In mixtures of systemic and contact herbicides, it’s important to optimize the application parameters for the contact herbicide. In this case, it’s especially important to optimize the glufosinate since it’s controlling the glyphosate-resistant broadleaf weeds. Optimizing glufosinate means higher spray volumes and smaller spray droplets, compared to what is needed for glyphosate alone (which works with almost any spray parameters). Both herbicides require the addition of AMS. Keep in mind also that glufosinate requires warm, sunny conditions for maximum activity. And the activity of both herbicides is reduced in late evening through early morning.
- Sources tell us that, depending upon glyphosate rate, the cost of adding clethodim versus glyphosate to glufosinate is a wash to a slight advantage for glyphosate. Higher rates of glyphosate will be needed where perennial weeds are the target. The long-term potential for herbicide resistance could also be considered as part of the cost-benefit analysis here. Populations of glyphosate-resistant annual grasses have become more prevalent in soybean-growing areas. Continuous use of glyphosate for control of annual grasses in soybeans can increase the rate of resistance development, especially where glyphosate is used as a primary POST herbicide in corn also. Paying somewhat more for clethodim in certain years of the rotation may therefore provide long-term weed management benefits compared with use of cheaper glyphosate.
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Reminders about dicamba training
Following the problems with off-target movement of the new dicamba formulations, XtendiMax, Engenia, and FeXapan, last summer, the USEPA mandated a number of label changes, and also designated these products as restricted use pesticides. The labels now contain additional restrictions on application, and also mandate that anyone applying these products must participate in annual training on their use. ODA will be enforcing the new dicamba restrictions and has sent out a letter to all private applicators with category 1 (grain and cereal crops) on their license to notify them of the new requirements. Dicamba-specific training dates and locations can be found at the OSU Pesticide Education website, pested.osu.edu – the list will be updated frequently. Any of the dicamba-specific training dates listed on the website will meet the training requirement to apply Xtendimax, Engenia, or FeXapan, regardless of which company (BASF, Monsanto, Dupont) sponsored the meeting. In other words, only one training session from any company has to be attended regardless of which product an applicator is using. Ohio is accepting training that an applicator attends in all states bordering us, but the reverse is not necessarily true – Indiana and Kentucky are not accepting training attended here in Ohio. More information can also be found on the ODA Pesticide and Fertilizer Regulation website - http://www.agri.ohio.gov/apps/odaprs/pestfert-PRS-index.aspx.
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Status of Palmer amaranth in Ohio
Palmer amaranth has to date been found in about 11 Ohio counties. Infestations within a county can range from one or more fields or other areas with just a few plants or patches of plants, to the presence of one or more fields with dense populations. There isn’t any real pattern to the distribution of counties where Palmer has been found. Palmer seed has entered the state via contaminated CREP or wildlife seed that comes from farther west, and via the cotton feed products that are shipped from the south and used in animal operations. The latter has been the source of our most recent and most severe infestations that occurred in 2015 in northeastern Ohio. While some animal operations are aware of this problem and have stopped using these types of feed products, it’s likely that many other operations or feed dealers have not received information about this issue or modified their practices. The current Palmer amaranth situation is summarized in a brief video and presentation that can be found on the OSU weed science website – http://u.osu.edu/osuweeds. We have also posted several fact sheets there that summarize the Palmer problem and current distribution, and provide tools for pigweed identification.
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Winter Application of Manure
This past fall was particularly tough on livestock producers and commercial manure applicators trying to land apply livestock manure. Weather conditions were warmer and wetter than normal with the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) station at South Charleston recording 32 days with measurable rainfall totaling 9.91 inches in November and December. In these same two months the OARDC station at Hoytville recorded 24 days with measurable rainfall totaling 6.04 inches. The wet weather prevented many acres of cover crops being planted and has severely limited the number of days that field conditions were dry enough or frozen enough for manure application equipment to operate.
A substantial number of livestock producers across the state will be looking to apply manure as soon as farm fields are frozen enough to support application equipment. Permitted farms are not allowed to apply manure in the winter unless it is an extreme emergency, and then movement to other suitable storage is usually the selected alternative. This article is for non-permitted livestock operations.
In the Grand Lake St Marys watershed, the winter manure application ban from December 15th to March 1st is still in effect. Thus, no manure application would normally be allowed in January and February.
In the Western Lake Erie Basin (WLEB) watershed, the application of manure to frozen and snow-covered soils require there to be a growing crop in the field. This could be a pasture, alfalfa, clover, ryegrass or a rape crop. There must be enough vegetation visible to provide 90% cover of residue and growing vegetation, Radishes and oats would not qualify as a growing crop as both are typically winter killed. Manure can be applied to fields without growing crops if the manure is incorporated at the time of application or incorporated within 24 hours of application.
The rainfall rule for surface manure application in the WLEB is a weather forecast saying “not greater than a 50% chance of a half inch or more of rain in the next 24 hours”. It is advisable to print out the weather forecast when you start applying manure so you have the needed proof if an unexpected storm drenches the area. Weather.gov is the most commonly accepted website for this forecast.
Although not required by law, winter manure application should follow the NRCS 590 standards, which limit solid manure application amounts to five tons per acre and liquid manure application amounts to 5,000 gallons per acre. These have 200 foot setback distances from ditches, streams and creeks and must be on slopes of less than 6% and less than 20 acre areas in size without additional buffers.
For liquid manure applicators, examine fields for tile blowouts, monitor tile outlets before, during, and after manure application and any other situations that might allow manure to reach surface waters.
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Eliminating marestail as a determiner for postemergence soybean herbicide selection
Soybean herbicide systems have evolved back to a fairly high level of complexity to deal with the herbicide resistance we have in various broadleaf weeds. By the time we use a comprehensive mix of burndown and residual herbicides, we tend to be coming back with postemergence herbicides primarily for marestail, ragweeds, and waterhemp (and grasses). Postemergence tools available for control of these broadleaf weeds vary with the type of soybean trait being used, but can include glyphosate, PPO inhibitors (fomesafen, Cobra), glufosinate, dicamba, and soon 2,4-D choline. ALS inhibitors have become somewhat irrelevant on these weeds due to widespread ALS resistance, although they may have activity on some ragweed populations still sensitive to ALS inhibitors. Resistance to various sites of action can further limit the number of options.
The following generalizations about resistance seem appropriate at this time:
Marestail – almost all populations resistant to glyphosate and ALS inhibitors
Common ragweed – populations is some areas/fields are resistant to glyphosate and ALS inhibitors, and in some cases also PPO inhibitors. Other populations still largely respond to all of these herbicides
Giant ragweed – most populations have lost sensitivity to glyphosate and some are resistant. Many populations also resistant to ALS inhibitors, especially if they have glyphosate resistance. No confirmed PPO resistance yet.
Waterhemp – all populations resistant to ALS inhibitors, most resistant to glyphosate, some resistant to PPO inhibitors also. Resistance is more widespread in areas/fields with longest history of waterhemp problem
In soybeans, we assume that regardless of the residual herbicides used at planting, giant ragweed and waterhemp will require postemergence herbicides. The same can be said for common ragweed that has resistance to ALS inhibitors – flumioxazin can provide some residual control of these populations but not to the point that postemergence herbicides are unneeded. Marestail is the one weed in this group that can often be adequately controlled with residual herbicides (assuming an effective burndown). Residual control of marestail is essential in RoundupReady and nonGMO soybeans, since there are no postemergence options. And also in Xtend soybeans, if the goal is to use dicamba only in burndown programs, avoiding postemergence use. Off-target movement of dicamba, which was widespread in 2017, has much greater potential to cause problems from postemergence application. University weed scientists are fairly united in their opinion that dicamba use would be better restricted to early season, in burndown programs. The other three weeds mentioned here do not necessarily require postemergence dicamba use, since glyphosate/PPO inhibitor combinations can still be effective. However, failure to use an appropriate residual program in Xtend soybeans can result in mid-season marestail escapes, driving a need for postemergence dicamba.
We have been making the same residual herbicide herbicide recommendations on marestail for several years, and they are based on the following:
- the ALS resistance means that the chlorimuron, cloransulam, or imazethapyr that is in many residual premixes provides no residual control
- the only other active ingredients with residual activity are metribuzin, flumioxazin, and sulfentrazone. Higher rates of Sharpen provide some residual. Dicamba and the 1 oz rate of Sharpen provide negligiable residual which is short-lived.
- the residual activity from any one of these actives varies from year to year and field to field in our research, resulting in inconsistent control. Control with metribuzin has been rate dependent – increasing with rate from 6 to 12 oz of 75 DF.
- mixtures of two active ingredients provide more consistently effective control, which is the basis of our recommendation to add 6 to 8 oz of metribuzin 75 DF to products that contain flumioxazin or sulfentrazone. It’s also possible to improve control by using 1.5 to 2 oz of Sharpen with metribuzin, but this requires a 15 to 30 day wait to plant.
Based on this we can put premixes roughly into one of three categories with regard to residual marestail control: most consistently effective (two actives), variable (one active); and no control. This information can also be gleaned from the marestail ratings in the herbicide efficacy tables in the “2018 Weed Control Guide for Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois”. We can’t keep track of all generic equivalents so there are more trade names available for certain premixes than are listed here. Keep in kind that just because a premix contains the right components for maximum marestail residual does not mean it has the right ones for ragweeds.
Most consistent residual (two actives), higher labeled rates required in some cases
Panther Pro, Trivence, Authority MTZ, Ransom
Variable residual (one active)
Afforia, Authority First/Sonic, Authority MAXX/XL, Authority Assist, Zone, Broadaxe XC, Envive/Enlite, Fierce, Fierce XLT, Latir/Militia, Surveil, Valor XLT
Variable residual sub-category - more metribuzin needed depending upon product rate
Cloak DF, Canopy Blend, Matador, Intimidator, Boundary/Ledger/Tailwind
No or little residual
Anthem MAXX, Prefix/Vise/Statement, Pummel, Torment, Warrant Ultra, Zidua PRO
Deficiences in residual on marestail for individual premixes can be compensated for by the strategies outlined above. For example, Zidua PRO has almost no residual activity on marestail, but is often applied with metribuzin. In this and any other case where metribuzin is carrying the full load, rates of 10 to 12 oz 75DF will be more effective than 6 to 8 oz. Some products contain metribuzin, but require additional amounts to reach a total metribuzin rate that has a chance to provide enough residual. Example – 4 oz of Canopy Blend contains the equivalent of 2.7 oz of metribuzin 75 DF, so our recommendation would to add about another 4 to 8 oz of metribuzin 75DF, depending upon soil type.
In other news – we still have OSU Weed Science folders available, and also and the cloth posters showing waterhemp and Palmer amaranth. We prefer the posters go in high visibility areas, and they can be mailed. Contact Mark Loux for more information – loux.1@osu.edu.
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2017 eFields Research Report Highlights OSU Efforts to Improve Decision Making for Farmers
Article submitted by Elizabeth Hawkins on behalf of the Digital Ag Team and contributors to eFields
eFields is an Ohio State University program dedicated to advancing production agriculture through the use of field-scale research. Investigations are designed to answer questions that matter to farmers and insights from these studies are used to help farmers and their advisors understand how new practices and techniques can improve farm efficiency and profitability. Projects focus on precision nutrient management strategies and technologies to improve efficiency of fertilizer placement, enhance placement of pesticides and seed, automate machinery, and to develop analytical tools for digital agriculture.
The 2017 eFields Research Report is now available. This report highlights 39 on-farm research projects that were conducted on over 3,000 acres across Ohio. In addition to the study design and yield results, each project report outlines the county where the research trial was located, general information about farm management practices at that location, and county-level weather information for the season. This information helps make it possible to identify research trials and results that align most closely with your operation.
Some highlights of the 2017 report include high speed planting, soybean seeding rate trials, and the sidedressing of corn with manure using a drag hose. Excerpts from these three studies are provided as examples of what you can find within the eFields report.
In order to better understand the capability of today’s high speed planters to accurately and precisely place seed, we tested a 16-row Case IH 2150 planter at five different speeds ranging from 5 to 17 mph. We measured and compared average singulation, average emergence, and yield. Check out the results on pages 20-21 of the report.
With the need to find ways to apply manure more responsibly, OSU Extension has been evaluating methods to use liquid manures to side-dress corn. Trials conducted in Darke and Fulton counties are highlighted in the 2017 eFields Report. Liquid swine and dairy manure sidedress treatments were compared to commercial nitrogen sources. See if it worked on pages 44-47.
Soybean seeding rate trials were planted at 13 on-farm locations across Ohio. Target seeding rates ranged from 60,000 - 240,000 seeds/acre. Information from these trials will be used to improve recommendations for variable-rate seeding prescriptions. Interested to see how your county compares to others? Check out the results on pages 76-89 of the report.
You can download the full report at: go.osu.edu/eFields or request a printed copy by contacting: digitalag@osu.edu or your local Extension office.
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Soil Aggregate Stability – a soil health physical indicator
A suite of soil health measurements are becoming available which are not part of the traditional soil chemical tests. Soil aggregate stability is an important physical indicator of soil health, which protects organic matter accumulation, improves soil porosity, drainage and water availability for plants, decreases soil compaction, supports biological activity, and nutrient cycling in the soil. Aggregates are primary soil particles (sand, silt, clay) held together in a single mass or cluster, such as a crumb, block, prism or clod using organic matter, calcium and metals as cementing materials. Soil aggregates are formed by natural forces (such as alternate wetting-drying) and organic substances derived from root exudates, roots, soil animals and microbial by-products which cement primary particles into smaller aggregates (micro-aggregates) or smaller aggregates into larger particles, such as macro-aggregates.
Micro-aggregates are 20–250 μm in size and are composed of clay microstructures, silt-size micro-aggregates, humic materials, organic-metal bridging, and mycorrhizal fungus hyphae: these particles are stable in nature. Roots and microbes combine micro-aggregates to form soil macro-aggregates. Macro-aggregates are linked mainly by particulate organic matter, fungi hyphae, roots fibers, and polysaccharides and are less stable than micro-aggregates. Macro-aggregates are greater than 250 μm in size and give soil its structural stability, and allow air circulation and water infiltration and drainage. Compacted soils have more micro-aggregates than macro-aggregates.
Recent research studies have suggested that polysaccharides like glomalin acts like a glue to cement micro-aggregates together to form macro-aggregates and improve soil structure. Soils composed mainly of micro-aggregates prevent water infiltration due to the lack of and/or reduced macro-pores in the soil, so water tends to pond on the soil surface. Farm fields that have been excessively tilled tend to crust, seal, and compact more than no-till fields with surface crop residues and a living crop with active roots to promote fungal growth and glomalin production.
Aggregate stability refers to the ability of soil aggregates especially macro-aggregates to resist disintegration when disruptive forces associated with tillage and water or wind erosion are applied. Wet aggregate stability suggests how well a soil can resist raindrop impact and water erosion, while size distribution of dry aggregates can be used to predict resistance to abrasion and wind erosion. The loss of these physical properties through soil destructive events (tillage) can turn a great soil into a problematic compacted soil of low crop productivity.
Table 1: Soil aaggregate stability test results (2017 Wood County, Ohio for same soil health qualitative rating)
Picture: Vinayak Shedekar (OSU Soil Health Center)
The Cornell aggregate stability test is measured by the fraction of dried aggregates that disintegrate under a controlled, simulated rainfall event similar in energy delivery to a hard spring rain; the value is presented as a percent, and scored against a distribution observed in regional soils with similar textural characteristics.
The Woods End lab test uses the Solvita Volumetric Method for aggregate stability. Results range from 0 to 80%, the high value being rare. Water stable aggregates result from the quantity of favorable soil texture (clay) combined with the quality of the biology system, which aids binding soil particles in a sponge-like network. VAST (Volumetric Aggregate Stability Test) measures this volumetrically in re-wetted soil that has not been machine-ground.
The Ohio State University Soil health test uses comprehensive wet sieving (5, 2, 1, 0.5, 0.24, 0.125, 0.053, and <0.053 mm, respectively) method to measure soil aggregate stability. Soil aggregate stability below 25% is considered poor physical quality, 30 to 50% is considered low to medium physical quality, 50 to 75% medium to good physical quality, and above 80% is considered excellent physical quality, scaled over similar textured soils.
These labs conduct aggregate stability testing:
https://soilhealth.cals.cornell.edu/ Comprehensive Assessment of Soil Health – Cornell University
https://woodsend.org/soil-health-tool/overview/ Woods End Laboratories
https://cafnr.missouri.edu/soil-health/ Soil Health Assessment Center – University of Missouri
https://southcenters.osu.edu/soil-water-bioenergy/extention/soil – Ohio State University Soil Health Center, Piketon, Ohio.
More information on aggregate stability can be found at:
Sundermeier et al. (2011) Continuous no-till impacts on soil biophysical carbon sequestration. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 75:1779–1788.
https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/SAG-10 The Biology of Soil Compaction
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcs142p2_053287.pdf NRCS Soil Quality Indicators: Aggregate Stability
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What accounts for variability in grain protein levels in corn?
We’ve recently heard comments and questions concerning the varying levels of grain protein levels being found in shelled corn. Some feed companies have reported seeing many samples in the upper 6% and lower 7% protein range this year but there are reports of levels that are nearly 9%. Some feed mill operations are using 7% as the default value based on this year and last year’s levels. However, in the past, higher grain protein levels (% +2) have been cited for corn. Are the reports of low levels in 2016 and 2017 an anomaly? What could be accounting for these varying protein levels in corn?
Environmental conditions (esp. those affecting soil moisture), cultural practices (nitrogen fertilization, plant population, drainage) and hybrids genetics all influence grain protein. Production factors and favorable growing conditions that increase grain yield usually increase the starch concentration of grain while reducing the grain protein concentration (except when yield increases as a result of N fertilizer application). We generally had favorable growing conditions in 2017 (and much better than expected yields); however, some areas experienced excessive rainfall in May and July, and other areas were dry in Aug and Sept. and variable soil moisture may have contributed to the varying grain N%.
Soil moisture is a major factor influencing grain protein concentration. Generally, grain protein concentrations are highest in dry years and lowest in years with excess soil moisture. Data from past Ohio Corn Performance Tests indicate that % grain protein (reported as % dry matter or DM, equivalent to 0% grain moisture) may vary by as much as 2 to 3 % points in the same hybrid depending on the growing season (w/drought 10-11% DM, w/good rainfall 8-9% DM). Excessive soil moisture (like that associated with many fields in 2017) can result in loss of soil N through either leaching or denitrification and result in N deficiency – leading to lower grain protein. Moisture stress (drought) can limit a corn plant’s ability to produce dry matter (including starch) and “dilute” the N or protein in the grain tissue. As a result, grain protein concentration in drought stressed corn can often be higher than normal.
Table 1 shows the grain protein levels and grain yields from OSU field trials from 2012-2014 with normal (May) and late (June) planting dates. It seems in a really good year (2013 May planting), protein levels were right at 9.2% DM. However, in a good year that turned dry (June 2013 and all of 2014), protein levels were lower (8.75% DM). In the drought year (2012), protein levels were up (10-10.9%) but yield was down. Again, all of these are on DM basis. Grain protein levels were reduced slightly by the later June planting dates.
If reported at 15.5% moisture basis (Table 2), the same data set as shown in Table 1 drops in protein level dramatically (down 1.3-1.5% closer to the 7% value). This may explain some of the varying protein levels we are hearing about. It may be there is a discrepancy at what moisture protein is being tested/reported at (rather than a major change in values). It’s important to be able to compare grain lots with different protein and moisture levels.
For example, say you want to determine which grain lot below has a higher grain protein:
- Lot 1: 7.3% grain protein at 18.0% grain moisture
- Lot 2: 8.1% grain protein at 9.0% grain moisture
If we convert the grain protein levels of the two lots to a 0% grain moisture or on a dry matter basis (DM) we can make a comparison –
- Lot 1: (7.3/(100-18.0)) x 100 = 8.9% DM protein
- Lot 2: (8.1/(100-9.0)) x 100 = 8.9% DM protein.
Converting these two lots to DM basis shows they have the same level of protein, even though their raw values are almost 1% different.
Nitrogen management practices that minimize N losses and N deficiencies help to optimize protein concentrations. Grain N concentration will respond to N fertilizer application up to a point, but beyond that, increases in N application often have little effect on grain protein concentration. Past Penn State work suggests that the optimum N application rate for corn protein is similar to that required for optimum grain yield. Differences in protein content are present among hybrids. Grain protein levels typically vary by about 1.5 percentage points in corn hybrid trials. (Some specialty corns developed for enhanced nutritional content may exhibit protein levels greater that our commodity grain hybrids.) Usually the variability in corn grain protein is greater from year to year (environmental effects) than it is within a performance trial (genetic effects). Of course, within a performance test (with hybrids in close proximity and pollen drift), we have the “xenia” effect to deal with. The hybrids we plant today require high populations to optimize yields and this has has resulted in grain with a higher starch content and lower protein content.
Table 1: Percent Protein (reported on a 0% grain moisture basis or dry matter basis) at three OSU research farms.
Northwest ARS
Western ARS
OARDC, Wooster (West Badger)
Year
Plant date
% Protein
**Yield (bu/a)
% Protein
Yield (bu/a)
% Protein
Yield (bu/a)
Average Protein
2012
May
11.8
142
10.1
217
10.8
186
10.9
June
10.0
177
9.7
184
10.4
191
10.0
2013
May
9.5
215
8.7
234
9.4
242
9.2
June
9.1
203
8.4
186
8.8
189
8.8
2014
May
8.0
183
9.1
204
9.1
225
8.7
June
8.9
161
8.9
178
8.5
154
8.8
**Reported yield is adjusted to 15.5% moisture
Overall Average:
9.4
Table 2: Percent Protein (reported on a 15.5% grain moisture basis) at three OSU research farms.
Northwest ARS
Western ARS
OARDC, Wooster (West Badger)
Year
Plant date
% Protein
**Yield (bu/a)
% Protein
Yield (bu/a)
% Protein
Yield (bu/a)
Average Protein
2012
May
10.0
142
8.5
217
9.1
186
9.2
June
8.5
177
8.2
184
8.8
191
8.5
2013
May
8.0
215
7.4
234
7.9
242
7.8
June
7.7
203
7.1
186
7.4
189
7.4
2014
May
6.8
183
7.7
204
7.7
225
7.4
June
7.5
161
7.5
178
7.2
154
7.4
**Reported yield is adjusted to 15.5% moisture
Overall Average:
7.9
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2016 Northwest Ohio Corn Silage Test
In 2016, 47 corn silage hybrids representing 16 commercial brands were evaluated in a joint trial with Michigan State University (MSU). One Ohio location is combined with Michigan's two southern (Zone 1) silage locations. The Ohio test site was located in our Northwest Region at Hoytville (Wood County). The two MSU sites were located in Branch and Lenawee counties, which are on the Ohio/Michigan state line. The test results from the three 2016 locations are treated as one region. The plots were planted with Almaco precision 4-row air planters and maintained by each respective state utilizing standard production practices. The center two rows were harvested using MSU’s New Holland T6.175 tractor which powered a two-row Champion C1200 Kemper forage harvester with a rear mounted Haldrup M-63 Weigh system.
Silage tests were harvested uniformly as close to half milk line as possible. Near Infrared Reflectance (NIR) Quality Analysis was performed by MSU utilizing the NIRS Consortium calibration established for silage quality. Results present the percent dry matter of each hybrid plus green weight and dry weight as tons per acre. Other data presented include percent stand, the percentage of in vitro digestible dry matter, acid detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber digestibility, crude protein and starch. Milk production in pounds per ton and pounds per acre were estimated using MILK2006 (UW-Madison Dairy Science Department).
A complete summary of the Ohio results will be available online at: http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/silagetrials. More information on procedures and additional 2016 MSU silage test data can be viewed online at: http://www.varietytrials.msu.edu/corn. For more information on Ohio State crop variety testing, visit: http://u.osu.edu/perf.
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Seed treatments for Watermolds and Fungi that affect soybean in Ohio
There are some new fungicide seed treatments and an updated efficacy chart from the North Central Extension Research Committee, my soybean colleagues across the region. We look at all of our results across our trials and make modifications to this list. The table is posted here. (Printable PDF-Management of Soybean Seedling Diseases Fungicide Efficacy for Control of Soybean Seedling Diseases – January 2017)
Seeds planted into cool or warm wet soil are vulnerable to infection from a number of different pathogens. Ohio’s poorly drained soils are particularly favorable for the group of pathogens known as watermolds, Pythium spp. and Phytophthora. We have documented two species of Phytophthora that infect soybean, Ph. sojae (the most famous) and Ph. sansomeana. There are many Pythium spp., more than 30 that we have recovered and confirmed as pathogens of soybean in Ohio. Historically, metalaxyl and mefenoxam were the two seed treatments that targeted the watermolds, but in Ohio; there are a number of Pythium populations that are resistant or have reduced sensitivity to these compounds. The strobilurin fungicides (azoxystrobin and pyraclostrobin) have activity towards some Pythium spp. but not all. There are now two new fungicide seed treatments on the market, ethaboxam and oxathiopiprolin. Ethaboxam was developed by Valent and it has very good activity towards Phytophthora sp. and a good proportion of the Pythium spp.. Oxathiopiprolin was developed by DuPont and it has very good activity towards Phytophthora.
For the true fungi, again the theme is that no one fungicide will cover all the bases. Two examples of this are sedexane, which is for Rhizoctonia only and the newly registered material, fluopyram which targets Fusarium virguliforme, the sudden death syndrome (SDS) pathogen. Fusarium graminearum has been associated with poor stand in Ohio, especially in fields with high levels of corn residue. Pay particular attention to this if the field has had a history of head scab on wheat or Gibberella ear or stalk of corn. This pathogen can infect and cause disease on ALL THREE crops.
For seed borne diseases, the one we deal with the most is Phomopsis. This can occassionaly occur in Ohio, but usually associated with a highly susceptible variety. For seed lots where germination is greater than 70%, there are a number of products that are very effective in limiting infections to young seedlings. Phomopsis mycelia can be on the seed coat, but not harming the seed until it is planted and then it will grow just as fast as the young seedling and kill it. So the seed treatment will take care of these situations, if the seed is already dead, or dried from infection, the seed treatment, will not bring it back to life!
Occasionally, we will see some secondary effects of seed treatments. Some not so good, if seed treatments are applied to damaged seed it can reduce the germ. But some can be serendipitous. Which is why I have added a SCN column to the table this year. Fluopyram, the same fungicide for SDS, does appear to impact SCN. This is not a total control, nor have we observed a decline in populations, but obviously protects young seedlings from those early infections and delays SCN establishment. Which can help. Interestingly this effect is observed at a lower application rate than what is required to manage SDS. So if you are trying to mitigate the effects of SDS on a susceptible variety, then the higher rate on the label is required. If you know you have high SCN populations and are planting a resistant variety (please don’t plant a susceptible variety under high SCN pressure…), then this seed treatment does provide some additional protection from early feeding.
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More on Transgenic Traits and Hybrid Performance
There were 17 different sets of transgenic traits evaluated in 2015 Ohio Corn Performance Test (OCPT) representing 22 technology products that are currently being marketed by seed companies. As the type and number of transgenic traits increases each year, the question arises as to whether these different traits affect hybrid performance. Using data from the 2015 OCPT, we’ve grouped hybrids based on the type and number of insect (Bt) and herbicide resistance they contain. Corn borer, corn rootworm, or lepidopteran insect injury were negligible in the 2015 OCPT trials. In Table 1, traits are listed by the insect they help control - corn borer, corn rootworm, or lepidopteran insects and whether they contain glyphosate or glufosinate herbicide tolerance. We’ve omitted trait sets that had two or less entries because so few entries mean that the data reflect individual hybrids more that traits (Nafziger, 2010). Even those groups that are shown can have their average performance skewed by one or more entries, so keep this in mind when interpreting the results. These results suggest that no set of traits performed consistently “much better” or “much worse” than other sets and the numbers of traits was not highly correlated with yield performance among these groups.
Table 1. Grain yield of hybrids grouped by insect resistance and herbicide tolerance traits, 2015 OCPT.
Region
SW/SC/C
NW
NC/NE
Trait Set
No.
Yield
No.
Yield
No.
Yield
None
7
241
7
196
12
181
CB2+GT1
27
250
25
196
8
188
CB1+GT1+LL1
5
265
5
205
4
198
CB1+RW1+GT1+LL1
10
247
7
197
5
184
LEP1+CB1+RW1+GT1+LL1
1
256
5
195
2
194
CB3+RW3+GT1+LL1
38
251
52
195
38
188
CB2+RW1+GT1
13
249
9
198
7
182
CB2+GT1+LL1
25
252
15
199
14
192
LEP1+CB1+RW1+GT1+LL1+DT1
2
247
3
199
2
190
NOTE: SW/SC/C and NC/NE OCPT regions have three locations, NW Region has two locations. CB = corn borer Bt; RW = corn rootworm Bt; LEP = lepidopteran Bt; GT = glyphosate tolerance; LL = glufosinate (Liberty) tolerance; DT = drought tolerance (not transgenic). The number after the trait indicates the number of different events of that type.
Reference
Nafziger, E. 2010. Traits and Hybrid Performance, 2010 - The Bulletin University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign http://bulletin.ipm.illinois.edu/print.php?id=1443
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Windows for Planting Expected Next 2-3 Weeks
After a wet spring was forecasted since January, it appeared in April that a window would open in May. The rain total window has; however, the frequency window has not. The rainfall the last two weeks in Ohio has averaged 1.5 to 2.5 inches with some streaks above 3 inches and some below 1.5 inches. Normal for this period is 1.5 to 2.0 inches. The reality is the ground is just so wet from the wet period up to May. The other BIG key is the frequency of the wet weather.
Often times when it is wet in say the eastern U.S., it is dry in the western U.S. The opposite also holds true. However, we have a very active and progressive weather pattern all around the northern hemisphere. This means a lot of weak to moderate storms on a continuous basis. It is not just Ohio either. Boston, MA set a record for most days with measurable rain in the month of April.
Much of the U.S. is very wet right now.The latest soil moisture rank shows most of the corn and soybean belt is in the top 1-5%. https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/Soilmst_Monitoring/Figures/daily/curr.w.rank.daily.gif
There are some questions on similarities to past years. Yes, you can see some similarities to 1993 or 1965 or 1948 and 1949 but there is no perfect year. It depends on where you are. From the widespread wetness in the U.S. you have to look at 1948/1949 for a closest fit but even that does not.
Going forward for the rest of May, we will be seeing increasing temperatures which will lead to increasing evapotranspiration. Hence, like most years, even with some rainfall, the ground will begin to dry in the top layers.
Up to May 16, temperatures will be below normal. However, starting May 17-May 31 the second half of May will see above normal temperatures and evapotranspiration so things will dry some. Rainfall for the rest of May will average close to normal in the 1.5-3 inch range as seen in this link...https://www.weather.gov/images/ohrfc/dynamic/NAEFS16.apcp.mean.total.png
Looking ahead to the summer growing season, not much has changed. We expect near to slightly above normal temperatures from June to August. However, due to the wet soils, we expect normal daytime temperatures and above normal nighttime temperatures similar to last summer. Humidity levels will be above normal this summer too with all the evaporation. Therefore, expect increased issues with mold and mildew. As for precipitation, June looks like a variable month with areas of above and below normal precipitation. That could create some early challenges for growing if you get areas of hard ground near the top soil with wet groundneath. As we get into July and August, indications are for a little wetter than normal pattern to resume.
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Double-Crop Soybean Yields after Barley in Northwest Ohio
Several growers across the state had the opportunity to grow winter malting barley in 2018. We had the opportunity to work with eight of those growers from Northwest Ohio, in particular, to learn more about the viability of growing this newly, re-introduced crop. As a learning cohort of sorts, these growers agreed to share their yield and quality data results while participating in a simple, field-scale research project with these two objectives:
1) Determine the field-scale, simple averages for yield (grain & straw), harvest date and quality characteristics for barley grown in Northwest Ohio.
Simply put: Can we grow barley with high yield and good quality?
2) Compare the yield and plant/harvest dates for the same variety soybean as a i) first crop system, ii) double crop after barley system and iii) double crop after wheat system.
Simply put: What will the double crop soybeans yield in this barley system?
The first objective from above was answered in an article we wrote in the CORN newsletter here https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2018-30/northwest-ohio-field-scale-barley-yield-results. To summarize, the barley data over nine sites in 2018 shows these averages for the variety Puffin: harvest date of June 26th, barley yield of 86.5 bushels per acre, straw yield of 1.01 ton per acre and barley quality of 11.6% protein, 98.5% germination, 87.5% plumpness and .45 ppm DON.
In this article, we would like to focus on the soybean data associated with this study. The data presented below was based on one growing season and should be interpreted as such.
Study Design
Each barley grower in the cohort was asked to plant a ‘paired-site’ field of first crop soybeans adjacent to their barley field with the goal of comparing yields of double crop soybeans after barley to the of first crop soybeans (check). Eight growers utilizing eleven different variety comparisons (sites) participated in these paired sites. Additionally, four growers utilizing five variety comparisons (sites) had a wheat field adjacent to or nearby these paired sites and planted double crop soybeans after wheat. One could consider the double crop soybeans after wheat a more important ‘check’ than first crop soybeans. It may depend on your perspective or whether you are a wheat grower or not.
Growers were asked to use the same soybean variety (Table 1) in each scenario to eliminate varietal differences. Soybeans maturities ranged from 2.5 to 3.5 and several trait platforms were used (non-GMO, Roundup, Xtend, and Liberty) based on the grower’s preference.
Table 1. Study Location Background - Soybean Fields
County
Pre-Plant Tillage
Variety
Maturity
Trait
Defiance
No Till
SC 93-35
3.2
RoundUp
Fulton - 1
Full Till
R333R2 Brodbeck
3.3
RoundUp
Fulton - 2
No Till
Pioneer 33A81 PR
3.3
Plenish
Fulton - 3
Full Till
Iowa 3051
3.1
Non-GMO
Fulton - 4
Full Till
Pioneer 31T11
3.1
RoundUp
Fulton - 5
Full Till
Rupp 31XT40
3.1
Xtend
Fulton - 6
No Till
Pioneer 27T91 PR
2.7
Plenish
Hancock
Full Till
Becks 3559XT
3.5
Xtend
Henry - 1
No Till
NuTech 3361L
3.3
Liberty
Henry -2
No Till
Pioneer 92T50
2.5
Non-GMO
Paulding - 1
No Till
AGI 3501XT
3.5
Xtend
One of the notable considerations for planting barley—especially for Northern Ohio—is the possibility of planting double crop soybeans 6-10 days earlier than one would normally plant after wheat. In 2018, the average planting date for first crop soybeans was May 22 with an average as planted seeding rate of 175,000 seeds/acre. The average planting date for soybeans after barley was July 1 with an average seeding rate of 187,000 seeds/acre. The soybeans planted after wheat had a July 7 average at an average seeding rate of 197,000 seeds/acre. In this production year across these sites, the double crop soybeans after barley only gained 6 days as compared to those sites that had double crop soybeans after wheat. Additionally, all growers in the cohort felt strongly that removal of the straw made for more effective double crop soybean planting.
Yield Results
All sites were harvested for yield, (Table 2) over nearly two months’ time due to challenging weather. All yields reported were standardized to 13% moisture. First crop soybeans yielded 59.3 bushels per acre with a 14.0% harvest moisture and had an average harvest date of October 17. The soybeans after barley yielded 36.6 bushels per acre with an 18.7% harvest moisture and had an average harvest date of November 17. Finally, the soybeans after wheat yielded 19.5 bushels per acre with a harvest moisture of 17.8% and an average harvest date of November 29.
Table 2. Average soybean data across paired sites.
Description
1st Crop Soybeans
(11 sites/varieties)Soybeans after Barley
(11 sites/varieties)Soybeans after Wheat
(5 sites/varieties)Average
Range
Average
Range
Average
Range
Plant Date
May 22
May 1-June 7
July 1
June 26-July 12
July 7
July 5-12
Seeding Rate
(sds/ac)175k
160-190k
187k
170-210k
197k
180-215k
Harvest Date
Oct 17
Oct 5-Nov 23
Nov 17
Oct 25-Dec 12
Nov 29
Nov 23-Dec 11
Harvest Moisture
(%)14.0
11.0-18.5
18.7
14.3-25.0
17.8
16.5-18.7
Harvest Stand
(plants/ac)113k
85-130
139k
115-173k
151k
130-180k
Yield
(bu/ac)59.3
47-76
36.6
25-47
19.5
7-31
Barley Growing Considerations
The decision to raise a new crop like barley should be based on the information gathered by each producer, how that particular crop fits into each operation, having a contract and delivery point in place prior to planting, and the overall profitability of the enterprise. Barley may or may not be for your farm. It does allow a grower to add crop diversity to the rotation while using existing equipment (grain drill, sprayer, combine). However, growing a food grade, identity preserved (IP) crop requires specified quality standards and segregated storage as compared to commodity crops. Additionally, the planting and harvesting logistics for barley may not fit into all operations. The list of advantages and disadvantages is much more extensive but these could be observed as some of the most important.
Summary
In summary, much is yet to be learned on barley production in Northwest Ohio. Yield data from this growers’ cohort suggests that double crop soybean yield after barley can be significantly better than soybean yield after wheat. While this article contains just one year of data from eight growers, it will start to answer the question of whether winter barley is a viable option for farmers in Northwest Ohio. For information on management, visit https://stepupsoy.osu.edu/winter-malting-barley and search for the Extension publication Management of Ohio Winter Malting Barley. For more information on this research study, download the eFields 2018 Report, pp 174-175 at www.go.osu.edu/efields.
The authors wish to thank the cooperators from Defiance, Fulton, Hancock, Henry, and Paulding Counties who participated in this learning cohort. We hope to repeat it again in 2019 and if you are growing winter barley for harvest in 2019 and would like to be part of the cohort, send inquiries to richer.5@osu.edu or ruff.72@osu.edu
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Soil Infiltration
Infiltration is the downward entry of water into the soil. Infiltration rate is expressed in inches per hour. Rainwater must first enter the soil for it to be of value. Water moves more quickly through the large pores of a sandy soil compared to slower movement through a clay soil with small pores. Infiltration is an indicator of the soil’s ability to allow water movement into and through the soil profile. Soil temporarily stores water, making it available for root uptake, plant growth and habitat for soil organisms.
Infiltration is affected by crop and land management practices that affect surface crusting, compaction, and soil organic matter. Without the protective benefits of vegetative or residue cover, bare soil is subjected to the direct impact and erosive forces of raindrops that dislodge soil particles. Dislodged soil particles fill in and block surface pores, contributing to the development of surface crusts that restrict water movement into the soil.
Soil organic matter affects infiltration through its positive affect on the development of stable soil aggregates, or crumbs. Highly aggregated soil has increased pore space and infiltration. Soils high in organic matter also provide good habitat for soil biota, such as earthworms, that through their burrowing activities, increase pore space and create continuous pores linking surface to subsurface soil layers.
Farming practices that lead to poor infiltration include:
• Incorporating, burning, or harvesting crop residues leaving soil bare and susceptible to erosion,
• Tillage methods and soil disturbance activities that disrupt surface connected pores and prevent accumulation of soil organic matter,
• Equipment and livestock traffic, especially on wet soils that cause compaction and reduced porosity.
When no more water will drain from the large soil pores, which occurs within one or two days after rainfall , the moisture level is described as being at field capacity. Much of the moisture held in the soil at this level is available for uptake by growing plants. Soil moisture is considered low when it is present only in very small pores. Because water in small pores is held tightly, the energy available to roots for removing water is not sufficient to extract it at the rate that it is being transpired. When this condition exists, the plant leaves wilt or curl, and this soil moisture level is called the wilting point. The amount of soil water between field capacity and the wilting point is the available water-supplying capacity of the soil.
Available water-supplying capacity is designated as inches of water per inch of soil, or as a percent by weight. This water is available to plants when root development and aeration are adequate for optimum plant growth. An acre inch of water is approximately 27,000 gallons. Soils have available water capacities of from 4 to 8 inches in 4 feet of soil.
As shown in Chart # 1, Hoytville soil is fine textured with durable structure and contains considerable clay and organic matter. This fine textured soil can maintain a high infiltration rate at the soil surface compared to medium texture soil with weak structure. Raindrop impact can greatly reduce water infiltration by breaking down soil structure.
Chart # 1: Ohio Agronomy Guide – 15th Edition Soil texture and rate of infiltration
A single ring infiltrometer method was used to measure infiltration in a Hoytville clay soil in Wood County , Ohio. The 2nd test represents the infiltration capacity of soil after a one inch rainfall event. As shown in Chart #2, conventional tillage in a corn / soybean rotation field resulted in very slow water infiltration. A 3 crop rotation of corn /notill soybean / notill wheat improved infiltration. Adding clover to the rotation greatly improved water infiltration.
Chart # 2
Conclusion
Best management practices to improve soil infiltration include: reduced tillage, avoid soil compaction, crop rotation, and keeping the soil covered with residue and cover crops. A soil with good infiltration can utilize and store plant available water and reduce water runoff which causes flooding.
Resources:
USDA Soil Infiltration https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcs142p2_051576.pdf
Soil Quality Indicators – Infiltration https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/soils/health/assessment/?cid=stelprdb1237387
Infiltration test https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcs142p2_052494.pdf
Ohio Agronomy Guide – 15th Edition http://estore.osu-extension.org/Ohio-Agronomy-Guide-15th-Edition-P505.aspx
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What’s Limiting Soybean Yield? Take Soybean Production Survey and Receive $40
To participate in this research, please see the online survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ohiosoybean
I am continuing a third year of a State‐Wide Project aimed at generating some baseline producer data on current soybean management practices in Ohio’s production systems. This project is funded by the Ohio Soybean Council and the North Central Soybean Research Program (NCSRP). The project goal is to identify the key factors that preclude the state’s soybean producers from obtaining yields that should be potentially possible on their respective individual farms. The term used for the difference between what yield is possible on your farm each year and what you yield you actually achieve is called a “Yield Gap”.
We are therefore asking Crop Producers in Ohio to provide us with yield and other agronomic data specific to their soybean production fields. With that data, we could then conduct an in‐depth analysis of what on‐farm factors might be causing a Yield Gap on producer farms. We intend to provide annual reports to all crop producers informing them of what factors we may have identified that, based on our analysis of the data collected from farms, are likely limiting you from achieving soybean yields closer to yield potential that is likely possible on your farms! Click here for the latest report!
Specifically, we are requesting yield and other data specific to four 2017 fields of soybean that YOU grew on your farm. If you cannot recall or do not have data for any given cell on the Survey Form, leave them blank.
We look forward to receiving your data. Keep in mind that all data submissions will be kept strictly confidential. At the end of the survey, you will be asked for your name, email, and mailing address. This entry is optional, but will be used to email preliminary results and mail a check ($10/field) for your time and help filling out the survey. -
2017 Northwest Ohio Corn Silage Test
In 2017, 50 corn silage hybrids representing 15 commercial brands were evaluated in a joint trial with Michigan State University (MSU). One Ohio location is combined with Michigan's two southern (Zone 1) silage locations. The trials were divided into two maturity groups designated early and late on the basis of the relative maturity (RM) submitted by the companies with results listed in separate tables. The Ohio test site was located in our Northwest Region at Hoytville (Wood County). The two MSU sites were located in Branch and Lenawee counties, which are on the Ohio/Michigan state line. The test results from the three 2017 locations are treated as one region. The plots were planted with 4-row air type planters and maintained by each respective state utilizing standard production practices. The center two rows were harvested using MSU’s New Holland T6.175 tractor which powered a two-row Champion C1200 Kemper forage harvester with a rear mounted Haldrup M-63 Weigh system.
Silage tests were harvested uniformly as close to half milk line as possible. Near- Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) analysis was performed by MSU using their current procedures. Silage results present the percent dry matter of each hybrid plus green weight and dry weight as tons per acre. Other data presented include percent stand, the percentage of in vitro digestible dry matter, acid detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber digestibility, crude protein and starch. Milk production in pounds per ton and pounds per acre were estimated using MILK2006 (UW-Madison Dairy Science Department).
A complete summary of the Ohio results are available online at: http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/silagetrials. More information on procedures and additional 2017 MSU silage test data can be viewed online at: http://www.varietytrials.msu.edu/corn. For more information on Ohio State crop variety testing, visit: http://u.osu.edu/perf.
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Xtend soybean/dicamba information
The latest blog post on the OSU weed management website, u.osu.edu/osuweeds, has information on XtendiMax and Engenia. This includes primary labels and soybean supplemental labels for both products, along with an ODA fact sheet summarizing key aspects and differences between the labels. We have also posted an OSU Powerpoint that summarizes some of the key stewardship information from labels. BASF and Monsanto have started to provide approved tank-mix components on their websites - www.xtendimaxapplicationrequirements.com and www.engeniatankmix.com. Reminder that anything that will be mixed with Engenia or XtendiMax – herbicides, adjuvants, etc – must be listed on these websites prior to use. The same goes for nozzles, and approvals for these are starting to appear on the websites as well
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Digital Weed Identification Resources from OSU
OSU has developed several digital books that are available for multiple platforms, via iTunes or GooglePlay. Descriptions and links follow – all are currently less than $10. The links can also be found under the “Weed ID” tab on our website – u.osu.edu/osuweeds/.
The Ohio State University Guide to Weed Identification
This identification guide provides information on the basics of weed identification presented in a considerably updated fashion. It describes 29 families and 83 species of monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants. Plant descriptions include key identification characteristics, pictures of the various species at different stages of maturity, and 360-degree movies for most species. This book includes a number of the most common Midwestern U.S. weeds and basic intellectual tools that are necessary to successfully identify plants.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/ohio-state-guide-to-weed-identification...
Principles of Weed Ecology and Management
This book, used as a lab manual for the weed science course at OSU, provides information on the basic principles of weed science. It describes 46 families and 100 species of monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants. Plant descriptions include key identification characteristics, pictures of the various species at different stages of maturity, and 360-degree movies for most species. This book includes a number of the most common Midwestern U.S. weeds and basic intellectual tools that are necessary to successfully identify plants. Furthermore it provides an introduction or “first exposure” to some basic weed control measures along with offering a basic scientific explanation of how and why various control measures work.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/principles-weed-ecology- management/id953632085?mt=11
Identifying Noxious Weeds of Ohio
This identification guide provides technical descriptions and photos for Ohio’s 21 invasive and noxious weed species. These descriptions include information on habitat, life cycle, key plant characteristics, and a summary of problematic features. Photos included in this guide present the weed species at different stages of maturity for optimal identification aid. This book also provides information on Ohio’s noxious seed law, extension guides to weed control, and a quick guide to weed regulations in Ohio law.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/identifying-noxious- weeds/id1018434281?ls=1&mt=13
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OHIO FARM BUSINESS ANALYSIS PROGRAM
How well do you know your farm? Sure, you could probably drive your fields blindfolded and you could name without a doubt the cow that will always come in the parlor last; but what about your farm as a business? If this question made you stop and think, then it’s time to become more familiar with your cost of production and other financial measures that make the rest of your farming operation possible.
The Ohio Farm Business Analysis Program is focused on working with farmers across Ohio to better understand the numbers behind their farm business in order to make more informed production, marketing and financial management decisions that will impact the farm’s overall profitability.
Efforts to expand the program’s reach have included the addition of three Farm Business Analysis Technicians, who are ready to help farmers complete their analysis of the 2018 business year.
Farm business analysis is a tool that can be applied to any farm, regardless of size, crop, or livestock enterprise. Financial management is critical to the success of every farm business, and with analysis, farms are able to better understand the numbers behind their profits or losses.
To complete a farm’s analysis, we start with beginning and ending balance sheets from the most recent business year. To fill in the year between the balance sheets, we provide input forms that cover all income, expenses, capital purchases, sales, and enterprise information.
Farmers complete a whole farm analysis and may choose to do enterprise analysis. They receive their farm’s analysis and enterprise summaries that include their costs of production per acre, per unit (bu, ton, cwt, head) as well as machinery costs per acre. At the conclusion of each year’s analysis, farmers receive Ohio summary data, along with personalized benchmark reports that help them quickly identify areas of strength and concern.
All farm data is treated and handled with the utmost care to preserve confidentiality. Farms that complete analysis also contribute to the database of Ohio farm financial and production data. Ohio farm data is used for teaching, research, extension education and policy decision making.
To better serve Ohio’s farmers, the Farm Business Analysis Program has three Farm Business Analysis Technicians serving central and western Ohio. These technicians work out of the County Extension Offices in Defiance, Miami and Pickaway counties, and will also work with farms in surrounding counties. We encourage you to contact the technician nearest your farm to get started on Farm Business Analysis:
Defiance County 419.782.4771 Clint Schroeder schroeder.307@osu.edu
Mahoning County 330.533.5538 Cristina Benton benton.132@osu.edu
Miami County 937.440.3945 Sharon Harris harris.2835@osu.edu
Pickaway County 740.474.7534 Trish Levering levering.43@osu.edu
Thanks to the USDA-NIFA Farm Business Analysis grant, the cost for a farm to complete an analysis for the 2018 business year is $100. To learn more about farm business analysis, contact Dianne Shoemaker or Haley Shoemaker at 330-533-5538 or email at shoemaker.3@osu.edu or shoemaker.306@osu.edu. See past farm business summaries at http://farmprofitability.osu.edu.
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2018 Northwest Ohio Corn Silage Test
In 2018, 63 corn silage hybrids representing 16 commercial brands were evaluated in a joint trial with Michigan State University (MSU). One Ohio location is combined with Michigan's two southern (Zone 1) silage locations. The trials were divided into two maturity groups designated early and full season on the basis of the relative maturity (RM) submitted by the companies with results listed in separate tables. The Ohio test site was located in our Northwest Region at Hoytville (Wood County). The two MSU sites were located in Branch and Lenawee counties, which are on the Ohio/Michigan state line. The test results from the three 2018 locations are treated as one region. The plots were planted with 4-row Almaco SeedPro 360 plot planters and maintained by each respective state utilizing standard agronomic production practices. The center two rows were harvested using MSU’s New Holland T6.175 tractor which powered a two-row Champion C1200 Kemper forage harvester with a rear mounted Haldrup M-63 Weigh system.
Silage tests were harvested uniformly as close to half milk line as possible. Near- Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) analysis was performed by MSU using their current procedures. Silage results present the percent dry matter of each hybrid plus green weight and dry weight as tons per acre. Other data presented include percent stand, the percentage of in vitro digestible dry matter, acid detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber digestibility, crude protein and starch. Milk production in pounds per ton and pounds per acre were estimated using MILK2006 (UW-Madison Dairy Science Department).
A complete summary of the Ohio results are available online at: http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/silagetrials. More information on procedures and additional 2018 MSU silage test data can be viewed online at: http://www.varietytrials.msu.edu/corn. For more information on Ohio State crop variety testing, visit: http://u.osu.edu/perf. -
Bin run seed – some lessons from the past
With lower prices and higher input costs in todays soybean farming operations, some farmers are looking where to shave a few dollars off their costs of farming. Based on the calls directly from farmers on which seed treatments to use – it is not too hard to figure out where some of those savings might be coming from. This used to be general practice but there are ways to do this to be sure it really is saving farmer’s money.
- Make absolutely sure that this seed is a candidate to use again. The harsh reality of the new generation of technologies that go into the new soybean varieties is that it probably takes the total profit of the US soybean crop to go from discovery, development, US & European government approvals, and producing that seed. Companies are forced to protect that investment and in reality – part of how we have raised the state yield average from 30 bu/A to 52 bu/A is because of these improved varieties.
- Make sure your seed is healthy. Germination tests are very important, it was a tough fall and as you look at that seed there may be a lot of discolored, moldy seed from Phomopsis or Cercospora. There may also be splits – as some seed was harvested last fall well below 13%. Some of our seed was at 9% before we could get to the fields. So this will reduce your viability. Ohio Seed Improvement Association (614- 889-1136) does have the appropriate seed germinators to run these tests for a fee. Also, for testing at home, use one of your baking dishes, line it with paper towels, and run water over it, drain the excess water, then scatter 100 or more seeds over the bottom of the dish. Cover again with more paper towels, add just enough water to moisten that top layer. Leave on the counter or in a warm room for 5 to 6 days, keeping the seed moist but not swimming in water, and check the germ. If it is not over 85%, it is probably best to buy new seed. Note use several pans from seed collected from the different fields.
- Don’t repeat problems, diseases from last fall. Three pathogens were in different areas of the state that can be carried with seed.
- Sclerotinia stem rot or white mold. This popped up in several areas last year. The sclerotia, those hard black irregular shaped structures, can be harvested with the seed and then if not properly cleaned can end up back in the soil in the seed furrow. Also, some seed will have mycelium of the fungus, that white fluff that you see on the stems. This can also contribute to poor stands in the spring.
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- Phomopsis seed decay. White, chalky, moldy seed was quite common this year, especially in areas of the state that had a lot of rain during pod fill. This disease will directly impact seed viability. But some seed will carry the fungus on the outer layers, but it won’t have reached the internal layers. When a fungicide that targets this fungus is used, germination of the seed lot can be improved. Again, if overall germination is below 85% and the seed is really moldy, best to get new seed.
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- Purple seed stain. Especially in the southern counties, Cercospora blight, in addition to frogeye leaf spot made a late season appearance. First, a request, if you do have seed with symptoms of purple seed stain, there is a study, funded by the soybean check-off, in progress which is looking at all of the strains that cause this disease across the U.S. It helps us to have samples in this study. Please send these to me @ 1680 Madison Ave., Wooster, OH 44691. We will verify that they are the right fungus and ship them to our colleague.
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- What seed treatments will work to protect germ and limit spread of these pathogens? Most of the data available today is based on Phomopsis, and there are a number of active ingredients that can protect seed – when the seed is contaminated with mycelium but not the germ, and when an infected seed is placed right next to a healthy seed in the seed furrow. Look for seed treatments that have one of the following active ingredients: fludioxonil, fluxapyroxad, ipconazole, PCNB, penflufen, prothioconazole, pyraclostrobin, or sedexane. Data is from the combined studies of members of the NCERA-137 Soybean Pathologists from the Land Grant Colleges in the soybean producing states.
- The most important advise ROTATE FIELDS. In addition to the ability to survive or contaminate seed, all of these pathogens have survival structures in the soil or on soybean residu To get off on the right foot for 2018 – plant the fields that has problems, lower yields, plants with symptoms of early dying from a plethora of problems, or moldy seed to corn preferably. Or if you must plant soybeans, work with your seed dealer to get the best disease resistance package in that field. We can solve all of these problems by planting varieties with better disease resistance packages targeted for our areas.
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Agronomic Crops and YouTube
We know not everyone can attend our meetings so for many topics we produce videos or publish bulletins. Some are short and on the concerns of the day, others are for background on broader topics. The OSU Agronomic Crops Team has a Youtube channel where we place the videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbqpb60QXN3UJIBa5is6kHw.
One recent addition is from Ryan Haden and Jon Witter on setting up grid soil sampling and then developing a variable rate application map. It can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/kCitqkkRV6Y. This is nicely done, short at 15 minutes, and involves ATI students on our Wooster campus.
Team members post videos as well as the ones we have on our YouTube Channel.
- OSU Weed Science - https://www.youtube.com/user/OSUWEEDS/videos
- Ohio State Precision Ag channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS_CTrb5ig1wMAAqCocvyBw
- Fertilizer Applicator Training videos - https://agcrops.osu.edu/video/fact-videos
- The Corn, Soybean and Wheat Connection - https://agcrops.osu.edu/video/csw-connection-recordings
While you are in the neighborhood of the AgCrops videos you can also check out our publications page: https://agcrops.osu.edu/publications
- One item of current interest is the FACT training manual - https://agcrops.osu.edu/publications/fact-manual-2017
- There are two ways to become certified to apply fertilizer going forward. 1) attend on OSU 3-hour certification program, or 2) take the Fertilizer Applicator exam at the Ohio Department of Agriculture – it should be available by about February 1st I hear. The FACT manual is the training publication for that exam.
- Also on this website is the 1995 Tri-State Fertilizer Recommendations publication. After four years of field work (2014-2017) to update this publication, looks like future recommendations will be fairly similar. For now this is still a good publication for phosphorus and potassium recommendations for corn, soybeans, wheat and alfalfa.
The new Ohio Agronomy Guide came out late last spring, here is a link to purchase: https://agcrops.osu.edu/publications/ohio-agronomy-guide-15th-edition-bulletin-472, or visit your local Extension office to pick one up.
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UNDERSTANDING REGULATIONS, DEFINITION, NONCOMPLIANCE PENALTIES, ON FERTILIZER AND MANURE APPLICATION IN OHIO WLEB
Regulations for manure and fertilizer application for applicators in the Western Lake Erie Basin need to be considered when making fertilizer applications in 2016 and future years. The legislation affects application of manure or granular fertilizers containing nitrogen and phosphorus. Define watersheds, which include the Western Basin of Lake Erie, need to comply with the regulations or face civil penalties. The civil penalties are effective as of 1/31/2016. The regulatory agency is the Ohio Department of Agriculture.
Who must comply?
Anyone who applies granular fertilizer or manure in the watersheds name in Table 1 or the area highlighted in yellow in Figure 1.
Table 1. Western Basin Lake Erie Watersheds as Defined in SB 1 (2015).
Counties
Watersheds
Williams, Fulton, Lucas, Defiance, Henry, Paulding, Putnam, Hancock, Huron, Van Wert, Allen, Mercer, Auglaize, Hardin, Mercer, Shelby, Wood
(1) St. Mary’s watershed, hydrologic unit code 04100004;
(2) Auglaize watershed, hydrologic unit code 04100007;
(3) Blanchard watershed, hydrologic unit code 04100008;
(4) Lower Maumee watershed, hydrologic unit code 04100009;
(5) Upper Maumee watershed, hydrologic unit code 04100005;
(6) Tiffin watershed, hydrologic unit code 04100006;
(7) St. Joseph watershed, hydrologic unit code 04100003;
(8) Ottawa watershed, hydrologic unit code 04100001;
(9) River Raisin watershed, hydrologic unit code 04100002
Wood, Ottawa
(10) Cedar-Portage watershed, hydrologic unit code 04100010;
Wyandot, Crawford, Richland, Marion, Seneca, Sandusky, Erie
(11) Sandusky watershed, hydrologic unit code 04100011;
Figure 1. Watersheds and Associated Counties Named in SB 1 (2015) are highlighted in Yellow.
What is the ground condition and weather forecast that prohibits application in the named watersheds?
Fertilizer application restrictions
For applications of fertilizer in the western basin, a person may not apply fertilizer, defined as nitrogen or phosphorous, under these conditions:
(1) On snow-covered or frozen soil, or
(2) When the top two inches of soil are saturated from precipitation, or
(3) In a granular form when the local weather forecast for the application area contains greater than a 50% chance of precipitation exceeding one inch in a twelve-hour period,
unless the fertilizer is injected into the ground, incorporated within 24 hours of surface application or applied onto a growing crop.
Manure application restrictions
A person may not surface apply manure in the western basin under any of the following circumstances:
(1) On snow-covered or frozen soil;
(2) When the top two inches of soil are saturated from precipitation;
(3) When the local weather forecast for the application area contains greater than a 50% chance of precipitation exceeding one-half inch in a 24 hour period.
unless the manure is injected into the ground, incorporated within 24 hours of surface application, applied onto a growing crop, or if in the event of an emergency, individuals should contact their local Soil and Water Conservation District Office.
What are the civil penalties for non-compliance?
Rules from Ohio Department of Agriculture became effective as of 1/31/16 for civil penalties.
Minor violations are events of noncompliance with section 905.326 of the Revised Code that occur only when all of the following parameters are met:
(1) The nutrient value of the fertilizer application is less than ten thousand pounds of nitrogen or six thousand pounds of phosphorous;
(2) The fertilizer application does not pose a significant risk of harm to public health or the environment; and
(3) The fertilizer application has not resulted in any discharge of fertilizer that enters the water of the state.
The director may assess a civil penalty for a minor violation of up to two thousand dollars ($2,000) for each day of noncompliance.
Failure to take corrective action as specified by the director or the director's designated representative for any minor violation may be considered a major violation of this rule.
Major violations are events of noncompliance with section 905.326 of the Revised Code that occur only when any of the following parameters are met:
(1) The nutrient value of the fertilizer application is equal to or more than ten thousand pounds of nitrogen or six thousand pounds of phosphorous;
(2) The fertilizer application poses a significant risk of harm to public health or the environment;
(3) The fertilizer application has resulted in a discharge of fertilizer that enters the water of the state.
The director may assess a civil penalty for a major violation of up to ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for each day of noncompliance.
All money paid shall be deposited into the agricultural pollution abatement fund.
How do I comply with the weather forecast requirements?
There is no one way defined in the regulation to obtain forecast information. There are at least two sources of weather forecast that meet the criteria.
A good source of a printable local forecast can be obtained from NOAA through the website http://weather.gov. A zip code location close to the application site can be entered on the website. A detailed hourly forecast graphic can be reviewed and printed off. Rainfall can be totaled from the graphic to obtain the needed 12 or 24 hour predicated rainfall. A short video presentation showing how to obtain the forecast can be found on the OSU Agronomic Crops Team You Tube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7Ip8hsL4bA
Ohio Nutrient Management Record Keeper (ONMRK) is a computerized recordkeeping system that syncs with your smartphone or tablet to create a simple, easy, and quick way to record all of your fertilizer and manure applications from the field. The free app works on tablets, iPads, and smartphones. It can be downloaded from the Google Play Store for Android devices and App Store for Apple devices. More information can be found at https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/there%E2%80%99s-app-nutrient-management-record-keeping
How will application terms be defined?
The following information is working definitions provided by the Ohio Department of Agriculture.
Snow covered soil is when soil, or residue lying on the soil, cannot be seen because of snow cover, or soil covered by one‐half inch of ice or more.
Frozen soil is ground that is impenetrable because of frozen soil moisture. The restriction is intended to prevent situations where fertilizer or manure is unable to freely infiltrate the soil and therefore would likely run off to surface water. Generally, frozen soil will:
1. Not be easily penetrated by a metal object (such as a knife, screwdriver, or shovel),
2. Not deform to show a visible imprint under downward pressure, and
3. Have a temperature below 32° F.
Saturated soil occurs when all the pore spaces in the soil are filled with water. A soil that has an available water capacity above field capacity will be considered to be saturated. According to the Natural Resource Conservation Service Standard 590 for Ohio, when the available water capacity of a soil is above field capacity, then free water will appear on the surface of the soil when the soil is bounced, kneaded, or squeezed. For a fertilizer or manure application to be considered a violation of the law, the top two inches of the soil would need to be saturated and the application would have been made without incorporation, injection or a growing crop.
Growing crops will vary by season. In the summer, a growing crop is any green plant that will be harvested or that was planted as a cover crop. In the winter, a growing crop is any plant that will be harvested or that was planted as a cover crop and that will not winter‐kill. Plants in dormancy will be considered growing crops, as long as the plant species typically “greens up” and continues to grow in the spring. For practical purposes, a growing crop has emerged from the ground and provides reasonable ground cover.
Injection means placing the fertilizer or manure beneath the soil surface. The applied material is retained by the soil and does not concentrate or pool at or below the soil surface. If fertilizer or manure is injected, then the application is not a violation of the WLEB restrictions.
Incorporation is tillage that mixes the fertilizer or manure into the soil to an average minimum depth of four inches and mixes the fertilizer or manure with surface soil so that at least 80% of applied material is covered with soil. If surface applied fertilizer or manure is incorporated within 24 hours of application, then the application is not a violation of the WLEB restrictions.
This article summarizes important provisions but does not substitute for the legislative text which is found in Ohio revised code sections 6109.10, 903.40, 905.326, 905.327, 1511.10, 1511.11, 3745.50 and 6111.32 plus subsequent rule making by the state agencies. Full text of the civil penalty rules can be found at http://codes.ohio.gov/oac/901%3A5-4
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Select Hybrids with Resistance to Northern Corn Leaf Blight: How does it work?
Northern corn leaf blight (NCLB), caused by the fungus Exserohilum turcicum, continues to increase in prevalence and severity in Ohio and across the corn belt. In 2015, it showed up much earlier than usual in several fields. Weather conditions and current production practices are clearly two of the primary reasons why we are seeing more and more NCLB. The widespread use of conservation tillage favors the survival of the fungus from one year to another, and increasingly rainy, humid conditions favor spore production, dissemination, and disease development. Infections typically occur when free water is present on the leaf surface for 6 to 18 hours and temperatures are between 65 and 80ºF. On susceptible hybrids, lesions develop within 7 to 12 days after infection, producing a new crop of spores that are easily splash- or wind-disseminated to new leaves and new plants.
Coupled with favorable weather, the use of susceptible hybrids and a possible shift in the race population of E. turcicum may also be responsible for the steady increase in NCLB. Several physiological races of the fungus are known to occur, including races 0, 1, 2, 12, 23, 23N and 123N. Of these, races 0 and 1 are the most frequently encountered. Two types of resistance are available to protect against these races: partial resistance (non-race specific), which is controlled my multiple genes and protects against all known races of the fungus, and race-specific resistant, which is controlled by single Ht genes and, as the name suggests, protects against specific races of the pathogen. Partial resistance is expressed as a reduction in the number and size of the lesions, and the amount of spores produced in these lesions, as well as an increase in the length of the incubation and latent periods (time taken for new lesions to develop and a new crop of spores to be produced).
Race-specific resistance is controlled by one or more of four Ht genes, Ht1, Ht2, Ht3, and HtN. Resistance conferred by Ht1, Ht2, and Ht3 is expressed as small chlorotic lesions with limited sporulation, whereas resistance conferred by HtN is manifested as fewer lesions and longer latent periods, similar to what is observed with partial resistance. Hybrids with Ht1 are susceptible (S) to races 1, 12 and 123N of the fungus, but resistant (R) to races 0, 2, 23, and 23N. In other words, race 1 of the fungus causes susceptible lesions (large necrotic cigar-shaped lesions) on hybrids with Ht1, but resistant-type reactions on hybrids with Ht2, Ht3 or HtN. Correspondingly, hybrids with Ht2 are resistant to races 0 and 1, but susceptible to races 2, 12, 23, 23N, and 123N (note that 2 is present in all of these race designations). On one extreme of the race x Ht gene interaction spectrum, hybrids with any of the four Ht genes will show a resistant response (small chlorotic lesions) to race 0, whereas on the other end of the spectrum, race 123N will produce a susceptible response on hybrids with any one or more of the four genes.
Field surveys conducted in Ohio during the 1980s and repeated again 20 years later (in 2003 and 2004) showed that races 0 and 1 of E. turcicum were the most prevalent in the state. Results from the 2003-2004 study also showed that 35% of the hybrids planted during that time had effective Ht resistance against race 1, while the majority, 65%, did not. In addition, the fact that typical cigar-shaped lesions (susceptible response) developed on all of the susceptible hybrids inoculated with race 1 suggested that the level of partial resistance in those hybrids was also low. So, if we assume that races 0 and 1 are still the most prevalent, the fact that we continue to see susceptible reactions on multiple hybrids at multiple locations across the state suggests that we are either planting hybrids without Ht genes (susceptible to races 0 and 1) or with Ht1 only (susceptible to race 1). However, without conducting another race survey and screening hybrids for resistance, we cannot entirely rule out the possibility of a race shift in the pathogen population. For instance, the widespread use of hybrids with the Ht2 or Ht3 genes (conferring resistance to races 0 and 1) could cause the frequency of races with virulence to these genes (i.e. capable of causing typical cigar-shaped lesions on Ht2 and Ht3 hybrids) to increase, rendering these hybrids susceptible to NCLB. This is called a race shift.
Until such time that we know which race(s) of the pathogen is (are) prevalent in your area:
1- If the hybrid you planted in 2015 showed a susceptible reaction to NCLB, avoid planting that same hybrid in 2016 or subsequent years.
2- Select hybrids with high levels of partial resistance. If we assume that races 0 and 1 are still predominant, hybrids with Ht1 (or any other Ht genes) will protect again race 0 while hybrids with Ht2 will be effective against both races. Ask your seed dealer for hybrids with high levels of partial resistance in combination with Ht1, Ht2 or other Ht genes.
3- Fungicides are always a good option when susceptible hybrids are planted and conditions are favorable for NCLB, but are rarely needed when resistant hybrids are planted. Moreover, current grain prices are too low to justify fungicide applications.
Weather conditions and our production system will likely continue to favor NCLB (and similar diseases), so unless we manage this disease by selecting hybrids with good resistance, it is only time before we have a major epidemic and suffer significant yield losses. We dodged the bullet in 2015 because conditions became dry in most areas shortly after pollination, but we may not be as lucky in 2016. (Article PDF)
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Host Resistance to soybean diseases – the best return on investment
The first and most economical approach (a.k.a. save money) to manage many of the pathogens that impact soybean in the state of Ohio is to pick varieties that have the right resistance package. If the resistance is effective – then there is no need for any further measures during the season. The soybean plant can take care of itself, especially during years when conditions are favorable for disease development.
We routinely use both resistant and susceptible varieties/germplasm in our test locations. Germplasm are soybean lines that may have come from another country or are in the breeding pipeline of a public breeder – they are not quite ready for “prime time” but the genetics are on the way to keep improving soybean varieties. A major contribution to soybean development from the public land grants has been the assessment and genetic discovery of key genes that contribute not only to yield but also to disease, pest, and abiotic stress.
Some examples from our studies in Ohio.
1. Sudden death syndrome. I don’t talk about this disease too often, as it is mainly limited to a few geographic regions in this state, is very sporadic and unpredictable when it will occur, is associated with soybean cyst nematode and the yield losses have not been as impressive as other pathogens. However, we have evaluated new germplasm every year as well as some of the seed treatments. Here is some data from 2014 when disease symptoms were severe.
Test A. Examined the performance of two cultivars with SCN resistance but one is SDS susceptible (Cultivar A) and the second is Resistant (Cultivar B).
Soybean Variety
SDS severity
Final Yield
Cultivar A
303
57.9
Cultivar B
1.7
61.6
Test B. Evaluated the performance of soybean germplasm for resistance to SDS. These are the checks, and this test demonstrates the variability in disease levels that we seem to face here in Ohio.
Checks
2014
2015
Resistant A
2.8
4.4
Resistant B
2.2
nt
Resistant C
0.6
nt
Susceptible A
27.8
nt
Susceptible B
44.4
28
Disease severity of sudden death syndrome is measured first by the percentage of the plants within the plot that have symptoms of the disease followed by a score for the severity of the symptoms. The score ranges from 1 to 9, where 1 is no disease; 2 to 5 the amount of the yellow and necrotic spots on the plants; 6 to 8 the amount of defoliation; 9 the amount of prematurely dead plants. nt indicates that the line was not tested.
2. Sclerotinia white mold. The resistance levels to this pathogen have slowly been improving over the years to the point that it is really hard to show the benefit of mid-season fungicide applications. From 2014 we evaluated 4 cultivars in a field with a long and sordid history of white mold.
Variety
Percent Incidence Sclerotinia stem rot (no. of plants killed prematurely)
2014
Loc A-2015
Loc B-2015
A
8
nt
nt
B
29
nt
nt
C
31
0
0
D
36
0
0
3. Frogeye leaf spot. This leaf pathogen has a wide range of responses among northern cultivars. For the most part many of our varieties have resistance,however there are a few that are highly susceptible and do require a fungicide treatment mid-season. This year we had two varieties planted at Western Research station and within the study they were placed throughout the study to measure the levels of disease within the field. As you can see, the response was consistent across the field.
Variety
Percent leaf area affected by frogeye leaf spot
1
2
3
4
A
0.3
0.1
0.7
1
B
3.3
4.0
5.7
4.8
4. Phytophthora root and stem rot. This disease is most common on poorly drained soils and we have recovered or found plants with symptoms in all of Ohio’s soybean production regions, it is not just a northwestern Ohio problem. The key to managing this disease is with host resistance which is a combination of Rps genes and partial resistance (also known as tolerance & field resistance). This past year under heavy flooding and disease pressure, several of the new public varieties had significantly higher yields than some of the older standards. These varieties were also planted in 30 inch rows near the end of May, received between 15 and 20 inches of rain within 2 weeks after planting.
Cultivar
Resistance package
Defiance
Bu/A
Paulding
Bu/A
Conrad
no Rps genes/high partial resistance (PR)
13.8
7.2
Dennison
Rps1k + 3a, high PR
25.3
18.2
Kottman
Rps1k+3a, high PR
20.4
23.3
Lorain
Rps1c, high PR
25.0
21.6
Sloan
no Rps genes/low PR
10.8
6.8
Streeter
Rps1c + 3a, high PR
22.3
20.1
Summit
Rps1k + 3a, high PR
24.0
20.4
For each of these diseases, companies use a different scoring system for resistance and on top of that, each company uses different values. For example, for Phytophthora, companies will list which Rps gene(s) are present in the variety. For Ohio, the gene stacks of Rps1c + 3a; Rps1k + 3a provide the best management, followed by single genes Rps1k, Rps3a, and Rps6.
For partial resistance towards Phytophthora, Sudden Death syndrome, frogeye leafspot or white mold, the scoring is very different. Most often it is on a 1 to 9 scale and depending on the company, 1 can be great or it can be dead. The only way to tell is to read the fine print in the tables. Here is a tool to help you compare and record the information for the 2016 crop:
Variety
Company
1=good
or bad
Phytophthora
Rps gene
Phytophthora score
(partial resistance/tolerance)
SCN
SDS
Frogeye
Sclerotinia white mold
If you are having trouble assembling this information, work with your seed dealer or your county AGNR educator.
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OARDC Branch Station Temperature (Air and Soil) and Precipitation Analysis
The Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) Agricultural Research Stations located throughout the state have two and four inch soil temperatures monitored on an hourly basis. This will be the final soil temperature update this season.
Figure 1. Average daily air temperature (average of maximum and minimum daily temperatures; red-dashed), two and four inch soil temperatures for spring 2019 (brown and blue-solid, respectively), and two and four inch five-year average soil temperatures (brown and blue-dotted, respectively) for four OARDC stations from around Ohio (Northwest, Wooster, Western, and Piketon; see map insets). Conditions for 2019 are plotted through May 12th.
Figure 1 shows that while soil temperatures were running close to the five-year averages earlier in the week, they ended on a downturn. All fours stations are currently cooler than their five-year averages. Of note, 2” and 4” soil temperatures at the Northwest station in Custar were 6-8°F below their five-year averages as of Sunday, May 12, 2019. Historically, soil temperatures warm fairly rapidly over the next couple of weeks, and with a warmer air mass set to move into the region by mid- week, soil temperatures should moderate this week.
Figure 2. Accumulated precipitation (percent of normal based on 1981-2010 climatological mean) for Ohio for the period January 1-May 12, 2019. Stars designate a selection of OARDC Agricultural Research Stations from around the state. The accumulated precipitation (in inches) is provided in the table on the right, along with number of days with 0.1” of precipitation or greater since April 1. 2019. Figure provided by the Midwest Regional Climate Center (https://mrcc.illinois.edu/).
Figure 2 shows the updated percent of normal precipitation that has fallen since January 1. The entire state of Ohio is currently running above average, with much of the state between 125-150% above average. Areas across western and southwest Ohio have seen greater than 150% of normal precipitation for the year to date (dark green shaded). The table to the right of the figure indicates the amounts that have fallen at the same selected OARDC sites used for soil temperatures in Figure 1. All of these sites are above average.
While the period May 2018 – April 2019 was the second wettest May to April period on record since 1895, the amount of precipitation since April 1, 2019 has not set records. However, the frequency of precipitation is high, with many areas across the state having received at least 0.01” or greater of precipitation on more than 50% of days since April 1, 2019. Thus, windows for adequate drying this spring have been limited, preventing the necessary fieldwork and planting.
For more complete weather records for all of the OARDC research stations, including temperature, precipitation, growing degree days, and other useful weather observations, please visit http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weather1/.
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American Society of Agronomy Webinar Series on Fusarium Head Blight
A national group of plant pathologists, including Pierce Paul from The Ohio State University, will be presenting a two-part webinar series to help U.S. wheat producers management Fusarium head blight (FHB), also known as head scab or scab. FHB affect wheat, barley and other small grain crops, reducing yield and contaminating grain with mycotoxins such as deoxynivalenol, AKA vomitoxin.
As part of this American Society of Agronomy series, Paul, Carl Bradley, plant pathologist at the University of Kentucky, and Christina Cowger, plant pathologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agriculture Research Service, will present and discuss up-to-date research findings on cultural practices, variety resistance, and fungicides for effective management FHB and vomitoxin. The USDA-ARS U.S. Wheat and Barley Scab Initiative, which is sponsoring these webinars, funded much of the research the scientists will be presenting.
The webinars are at 11 a.m. CST on Monday Feb. 11 and Monday Feb. 18. Register for free at https://tinyurl.com/ycmvel4p.
Adapted from Katie Pratt: https://news.ca.uky.edu/article/webinar-help-wheat-producers-better-manage-fusarium-head-blight.
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WEST CENTRAL OHIO WEED SCIENCE DAY
Mercer County OSU Extension will host the 2019 West Central Ohio Weed Science Day. The program will be held on January 17, 2019, at the Knights of St. John Hall, 8608 St. Rt. 119, Maria Stein, Ohio, beginning at 9:00 a.m. The program will address the current weed situation in area fields along with weed identification and understanding herbicide site of action. Dr. Jeff Stachler, Auglaize County OSU Extension educator, and Harold Watters, OSU Extension Agronomic Crop Specialist, will be discussing Weed ID, Herbicide Site of Action and Weed Management Stategies. Peggy Hall, Director, OSU Agricultural & Resource Law Program, will also give an explanation of the Noxious Weed Law.
Dr. Jeff Stachler stated, “This is a meeting you don’t want to miss! With the increasing presence of giant ragweed, marestail and waterhemp in soybean fields, along with increased weed resistance to herbicides, a well thoughtout plan must be developed to achieve weed control success”.
There is no cost to attend the event but, preregistration is required by January 10, 2019. Call the Mercer County OSU Extension Office at 419-586-2179 or emal Denny Riethman at riethman.24@osu.edu to reserve your spot for the program. A free lunch will be provided for all those who register along with a 2019 Weed Control Guide. Following the lunch, Dicamba Certification Training will be conducted by BASF.
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Japanese Beetles in Corn and Soybeans
We have been hearing reports of Japanese beetles in corn and soybean. These beetles are large with a shiny copper and green color. Foliage feeding in corn is almost never economic, though economic damage from silk clipping is possible (though rare). Consider a rescue treatment when silks are clipped to less than ½ inch and, fewer than 50% of the plants have been pollinated, and the beetles are still numerous and feeding in the field. Japanese beetles will also feed on soybean foliage.
While the damage might look startling, it is very rare that this reaches economic levels from Japanese beetle. A rescue treatment is advised when defoliation levels reach 30% in pre-bloom stages, and 20% in bloom to pod fill. These defoliation levels apply to the plant as a whole, not just certain leaves. A visual guide to defoliation is useful because it is very easy to over-estimate defoliation in soybean. If there are other foliage-feeding insects present in soybean the same percent defoliation guidelines can be used for all of them collectively.Defoliation guide for soybean (University of Nebraska)
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Making Sense of Soil Health Testing: Ohio State’s Path Forward
The topic of soil health has been receiving a great deal of attention lately and farmers are increasingly interested in understanding more about their soils. There are a number of labs that now offer some sort of soil health package, typically made up of tests that reflect biological, chemical and physical components of the soil. Some of these tests have been around for some time, while others are relatively new. But as a farmer, how do you make sense of all these new soil tests, and what they mean for your operation and management?
Soil testing for nutrient analysis (standard soil testing) has a rich history, and in Ohio we enjoy an incredible infrastructure that helps us manage nutrients more effectively. This includes everything from a thriving private consultant industry that will help sample your soils to professional soil testing laboratories that will analyze your soils quickly for a few dollars, to the nutrient recommendations that Ohio State and others have developed over the decades and continue to revise today. These are all important pieces that inform us of what is required for optimal crop fertility. It’s easy to take this all for granted.
Soil health testing seeks to build on this infrastructure by providing additional information to farmers. Rather than focusing solely on soil chemistry, soil health testing seeks to provide farmers insight into the biological and physical structure components of soil and tie it all together in a common framework. This is a tall order and the field is still in its infancy. There are many more questions than answers at this point, but scientists, agronomists, farmers and others are working together and trying to make sense of it all.
Ohio State is actively engaged in soil health testing and we are striving to be a leader in this field, by providing timely, unbiased and scientifically-grounded information, tools and training to farmers, consultants and other stakeholders. The Healthy Soils Healthy Environment Signature program will help catalyze some of this work and provide a resource to the state. At present there are a number of research projects related to soil health and soil testing, including opportunities to have their soils tested. More information can be found here ( http://soilhealth.osu.edu/ ). Specifically, we have been working to develop soil test methods and better understand how they relate to soil function and crop response. Ohio State researchers are focused on the active, rapidly cycled fraction of organic mater as it’s the biologically active fraction of organic matter. We have also been conducting train-the-trainer workshops to educate OSU Extension Educators and others in soil health. But there is much work to do—from row crops to gardens, from rural fields to urban lots, from education to research. We are excited to be working in this important field and hope that you’ll consider working with us over the next few years. Contact information email at culman.2@osu.edu
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Software for Developing Nutrient Management Plans Workshop
Nutrient management plans provide a field by field risk evaluation for sediment, phosphorus and nitrogen loss and nutrient recommendation for crop production. The workshop will demonstrate one method to develop plans for general use and is accepted for Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) practice cost share program. The software used is open access and work on PC platforms. There is not cost.
The software can also be used by Technical Service Providers (TSP) to provide planning services for Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans for livestock producers and Conservation Activity Plans used for NRCS programs as well. For more information on TSP program see https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/programs/technical/tsp/
What is the Workshop About?
Workshop will demonstrate:
1. MapWindow GIS with MMP Tools
2. MMP
3. NRCS Ohio Nutrient Management Templates used for programs such as EQUIP.
The training will use a sample farm to demonstrate the utilization of these two programs to generate a plan that can be presented to NRCS for approval.
Program description and download location.
· MapWindow GIS is an open source GIS product that is used to develop nutrient management plans by defining fields and farms then downloading spatial data such as soil types which provide base information needed for MMP is Nutrient Plan development. Data generated is exported to MMP through the MMP tools function. The version used for the workshop is dated 7/28/2015 on the website at http://www.purdue.edu/agsoftware/mmp/
· MMP Version 0.37 (25-Aug-2016) current release of the program from Purdue and is linked for download through http://www.agry.purdue.edu/mmp/
Two workshops are coming up:
January 25, 9:30-4:00, OSUE-Putnam County, 1206 E Second St, Ottawa, OH
February 1, 9:30-4:00, OSUE Madison County, 217 Elm St, London, OH
For more details and to register go to: https://agcrops.osu.edu/events
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Keep the sugar for your coffee and your cookies
While we are interested in improving yield of Ohio crops, we also are reluctant to recommend practices that cost time and money and are not likely to be of assistance. From several on-farm trials conducted by OSU Extension professionals over the years, we see no value in applying sugar to our Ohio row crops.
· In a 2013 Crawford County trial with 3 lb of sugar per acre to soybean – found no yield difference from the check: https://agcrops.osu.edu/sites/agcrops/files/ofr_reports/Sugar-on-MRI-Soybeans.pdf
· In two trials in Clark County in 2013:
o For corn, two sugar sources at 4 lb/A; sucrose and dextrose – no yield difference from the check
o For soybean – sucrose at 4 lb/A – no yield difference from the check
https://agcrops.osu.edu/sites/agcrops/files/ofr_reports/Sugar-Applications-for-Corn-and-Soybean.pdf
In a 2014 soybean trial conducted at two locations – in Clark Country and in Wood County. Table 1, shows no yield advantage for sugar applied to soybean.
Table 1. Soybean yield after 4lb/A application of sugar at two locations.
Clark County
Wood County
Treatment
Average Yield bu/A
Average Yield bu/A
Check
79.4
53.8
Sugar
81.2
53.9
Fungicide
80.6
55.2
Lsd 0.10
NSD
NSD
In a previous newsletter article written by Shawn Conley, Soybean Specialist at the University of Wisconsin, comparing granulated cane sugar, high fructose corn syrup, molasses and blackstrap molasses to a check treatment; he found no yield affect across four locations: https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletters/2011/19#4. His comment on trying foliar sugar applications, “other management strategies to improve soybean yield should take precedence over applying sugar”.
Focus on the Basics First. We suggest focusing on the basics of crop production first. With funding from Ohio Soybean Council, we’ve investigated yield limiting factors in Ohio soybean production. There are many factors that influence soybean yield (i.e., variety selection, planting date, soybean cyst nematode, weed control, etc); however, one factor that has really risen to the top is soil fertility.
From over 550 soil samples collected throughout Ohio between 2013-2015,
· 35% were below the critical level for soil phosphorus (< 15 ppm Bray P1) and
· 21% were below the critical level for potassium.
Additionally, we looked at soybean yield from these fields. On average, fields with low soil phosphorus yielded 7 bu/acre less than fields with adequate soil phosphorus. Fields with low soil potassium yielded 4 bu/acre less than fields with adequate soil potassium. Before considering untested or unproven inputs, consider inputs that are most likely to improve your bottom line.
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Battle for the Belt: Season 2 Episode 10- June Weather Update
Episode 10 of Battle for the Belt is now available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mK3IUPWzgFA
In Episode 10, Dr. Aaron Wilson, OSU Extension Ag Weather & Climate Field Specialist and State Climatologist of Ohio, gives us a June weather update! Tune in and watch his weather and soil condition updates as we wrap up planting. For more details, also check out Dr. Wilson’s article in this issue of the CORN newsletter titled “Rapid Growing Degree Day Accumulation in May.”
What’s happening in the field?
Last week in the field, at the Western location, we found an interesting phenomenon. On planting date one (March 25) soybeans began flowering with only five fully developed trifoliates. Other soybeans with a similar maturity group, (3.3 RM) that were planted on March 25th at the same location are also flowering with just four trifoliates. The rule of thumb for soybean flowering is that it takes place after the summer solstice, when night length begins to lengthen, as soybeans flower based on night length. Unifoliate leaves can detect night length, so early-planted soybeans may receive a signal to begin flowering earlier than normal and that is exacerbated by very warm late spring temperatures, which we have seen this year. For more information on the ‘Soybean Flowering Fallacy’, see this article from the University of Wisconsin- Madison and University of Nebraska- Lincoln: https://coolbean.info/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2017/10/2018_Soybean_flowering_final.pdf
At the Northwest location, corn and soybeans planted on the second planting date (May 23) have not emerged but seeds are germinated. The area received around three inches of rain in five days, so planting has come to a halt again Planting date three will happen once conditions are fit.
Finally, at the Wooster location, there was minimal bean leaf beetle damage and a sighting of Septoria brown spot on the planting date of one soybean (April 22). However, this disease is common and is not generally at economic thresholds in Ohio. Planting date four is scheduled for this week in Wooster.
A summary of weekly conditions for all three sites and completed planting dates is presented in Table 1.
Table 1. Weekly weather conditions for each updated planting date at the Western Agriculture Research Station, Northwest Agriculture Research Station, and Wooster Campus, with the day of planting, soil, air temperature averages, and Growing Degree Days (GDDs) from May 20 to May 26. Information from the CFAES Weather System Location
Precipitation
(Inches)
(May 27- June 2)
2-inch soil temperature
(May 27- June 2)Air Temperature
(May 27- June 2)
Planting date
GDDs
(Cumulative)
Soybean
Stage
Corn
Stage
Western,
Clark County
0.6
Max: 76°F
Mean: 68°F
Minimum: 61°FMax: 83°F
Mean: 64°F
Minimum: 44°F
March 25th
April 16th
May 6th
May 24th
817
708
472
166
V5/R1
V4
V1
-
V7
V6
V3
-
Northwest,
Wood County
1.63
Max: 84°F
Mean: 66°F
Minimum: 55°FMax: 82°F
Mean: 64°F
Minimum: 48°F
May 16th
May 23rd
350
184
VC
-
V1
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Wooster, Wayne County
1.07
Max: 72°F
Mean: 67°F
Minimum: 61°FMax: 79°F
Mean: 60°F
Minimum: 38°FApril 22nd
May 3rd
May 21st
541
435
199
V2
V1
VE
V5
V4
V1
Reference:
Chamberlain, L., Spect, J., and Conley, S.P. 2018. Soybean Flowering Fallacy. University of Wisconsin- Madison and University of Nebraska- Lincoln. Available at: https://coolbean.info/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2017/10/2018_Soybean_flowering_final.pdf
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Conservation Tillage Conference: March 5-6 in Ada
A world-renowned scientist will be the keynote speaker on the first day of this year’s Conservation Tillage Conference (CTC) in Ada. Christine Jones, an Australian Soil Ecologist, will be giving the keynote of the annual event with the topic “Building New Topsoil Through the Liquid Carbon Pathway for Long Term Production and Profit.” The annual conference is scheduled for March 5th and 6th at Ohio Northern University. The McIntosh Center and Chapel on campus will once again be the location where about 60 presenters, several agribusiness exhibitors, and approximately 900 participants will come together to learn about the latest topics in crop production.
Farmers will be able to choose from four concurrent rooms that will host a variety of speakers from several land grant universities as well as agricultural agency and industry personnel. Tuesday, March 5th there will be Corn University; Nutrient Management; Precision Agriculture and Digital Technologies;
Cover Crops, No-Till, and Soil Health speakers in each of these rooms. Wednesday, March 6th there will be Cover Crops: Issues and Benefits; New Tri-State Fertilizer Recommendations; Soybean School; Water Quality Research and Best Management Practices; Soil Balancing – Is it Important to Manage the Calcium: Magnesium Ratio in Soils?; and Identity Preserved Crops.The conference fee is $85 for both days ($65 for one day) if paid online by February 21; registration afterwards and day of the event is $80 for one day or $105 for both days. Registration includes lunch and break refreshments during the day. Registration information and a detailed program schedule may be found at http://ctc.osu.edu. The detailed program also includes information on continuing education categories for each presentation. Certified Crop Advisers (CCA) will be able to receive seven hours of continuing education credits each day. Hours will be offered in all categories, including hard to get categories of Soil and Water Management and Nutrient Management.
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Have and have nots across state when it comes to rain over the last week
Ohio is the state of have and have nots when it comes to rain. Scattered areas of very heavy rain next to limited rain occurred over the last week. Rainfall over Ohio the last week ranged from less than 0.10 inches to over 5 inches. Most places experienced 0.50 to 2 inches.Attached is the region's rainfall for the last 7 days.
The outlook for the next 7-10 days calls for below normal rainfall. Rainfall through July 6 across Ohio will generally be under 0.25 inches so things will be drying out in a hurry into the 4th of July holiday.
The last week of June will see near normal temperatures and rainfall generally under 0.25 inches except isolated high totals.
The first week of July will see above normal temperatures return with a heat dome building to the west again. Around this heat dome will be disturbances which brings the risk of storms and localized heavy rain back to the state of Ohio between July 7-13.
Overall, July is forecast to be warmer and drier than normal. However, extreme maximum temperatures above 95 will also be limited which is good news. Pockets of heavy rain will occur into July but the overall patterns favors slightly drier than normal conditions.
You can see all the latest NOAA information for the region at: http://w2.weather.gov/ohrfc/DroughtBriefing
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Can We Shake This Cool, Wet Pattern?
June 1 is the meteorological start of summer, and I think we are all hoping for much warmer conditions than we have experienced lately. Temperatures in Ohio during May ran 2-4°F below average. This led to accumulated growing degree days since May 1 running 60-90 GDDs below normal. The other big weather story has been the wet conditions, especially for southern and eastern Ohio. Another widespread 1-2 inches this past week has those areas running much above normal for the past month (Figure 1). Counties in the far west have been below normal in quantity of rainfall over the last 30 days, but this masks the very few stretches of dry weather that we have seen. Most locations had a least a trace of rainfall on 18-21 days of May, with an average suitable fieldwork total of 2 days per week during the month.
Finally, this past week has featured several days with occluded sunshine due to elevated wildfire smoke across our skies. While not close to the quantity that we experienced in 2023, concerns are being heard. It is important to know that May and June solar radiation is not strongly correlated with crop yields. As described in 2023, wildfire smoke can impact crop growth on a limited basis, but this depends on other environmental conditions and whether smoke is present at the surface or not. For a more detailed analysis of 2023, check out this article from Lindsey et al. 2024. For the latest up-to-date conditions, seasonal outlooks, and monthly climate summaries, please visit the State Climate Office of Ohio.
Weather Forecast
High pressure will remain in control early this week, with much warmer conditions expected across the state. Filtered sunshine due to the continued presence of wildfire smoke is expected, but temperatures will jump up in the low to mid 80s on Tuesday and mid to upper 80s on Wednesday. An approaching front will likely lead to a few showers and storms Wednesday night. Periods of showers and storms are likely on Thursday and Friday. Temperatures will remain mild with highs in the 70s and 80s and overnight lows in the 60s. Lingering showers are likely over the weekend as well. Overall, the National Weather Service is currently forecasting 1-2 inches of rain for much of the state over the next seven days, with locally heavier totals, especially in the west (Figure 2).
The 8-14 day outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for the period of June 10-16 and the 16-Day Rainfall Outlook from NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center show probabilities leaning toward above normal temperatures and precipitation (Figure 3). Climate averages include a high-temperature range of 77-81°F, a low-temperature range of 57-61°F, and weekly total precipitation of 0.90-1.15 inches.
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Weather Improvements Are on the Way, No Really!
Climate Summary
Well, sometimes the forecast does not pan out the way you thought it would. This time last week, we anticipated a wet week (0.5-1.5 inches of rain) with drying conditions expected to begin over the weekend. Then came along the omega block – a somewhat rare set-up with high pressure in the central US and low pressure and stormy weather in the west and Ohio Valley. This persistent pattern has brought endless days of precipitation to the state. Precipitation over the last seven days has totaled 1-6 inches statewide, with the heaviest rainfall located along and southeast of about I-71 (Figure 1). After early week warmth, the omega blocking pattern brought chilly temperatures to Ohio over the weekend, with highs in the 40s and 50s. Despite the weekend chill, growing degree days jumped another 85 units, now ranging from about 282 units in Ashtabula to more than 525 units across southern Ohio. Daily average soil temperatures have cooled as well, raning from the low 50s across the north to the low 60s in southern counties. For the latest up-to-date conditions, seasonal outlooks, and monthly climate summaries, please visit the State Climate Office of Ohio.
Figure 1: Total precipitation (inches) over the last seven days, ending at 8 am EDT Monday May 5, 2025. Figure courtesty of the Ohio River Forecast Center in Wilmington, Ohio
Weather Forecast
he beginning of this week will be dominated by the omega block pattern, easing by mid to late week. Showers and few rumbles of thunder will continue to rotate around low pressure in the area through Wednesday morning. The heaviest rain during this period will fall across northwest Ohio. Temperatures will remain chilly with highs in the 50s and 60s through Thursday. Drying conditions will start to take hold on Wednesday, even though a shower cannot be ruled out across southern Ohio on Thursday. A warming trend with dry conditions should persist for Friday through Monday, with highs getting back into the 70s for the weekend. We could see some patchy frost Friday and Saturday mornings, but widespread freeze conditions are not anticipated at this time. Overall, the the National Weather Service is currently forecasting 0.1-0.25 inches of rain near the Ohio River, 0.25-0.5 inches in north central Ohio, and 0.5-1.5 for all other locations over the next seven days (Figure 2).
Figure 2). Precipitation forecast from the National Weather Service for 8pm May 5 - 12, 2025.
The 6-10 day outlook from the Climate Prediction Center and the 16-Day Rainfall Outlook from NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center show stronger probabilities toward warmer than normal temperatures and below normal precipitation (Figure 3). Climate averages include a high-temperature range of 68-72°F, a low-temperature range of 48-52°F, and weekly total precipitation of 0.90-1.15 inches.
Figure 3) Climate Prediction Center 6-10 Day Outlook valid for May 11 – 15, 2025, for left) temperatures and right) precipitation. Colors represent the probability of below, normal, or above normal conditions.
New Experimental Weed Emergence Tool
Our partner, the Midwestern Regional Climate Center, supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Crop Protection and Pest Management Program through the North Central IPM Center, has developed the experimental Weed Emergence Scouting Tool (W.E.S.T.) to help farmers estimate when agronomic weeds are likely first to emerge and reach peak emergence based on growing degree day (GDD) models. The tool uses GDDs to determine expected peak emergence, currently for giant ragweed and waterhemp (Figure 4). For more information, please visit the site.
Figure 4) Experimental Weed Emergence Scouting Tool courtesy of the Midwetern Regional Climate Center. The map shows the current forecast as of May 3, 2025 for the first emergence of waterhemp across the Midwest. Users may hover over their county of choice to get a specific forecast, as shown at the bottom of the figure.
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Nutrient Value of Wheat Straw
Before removing straw from the field, it is important for farmers to understand the nutrient value. Though we have seen some softening of the 2022 fertilizer prices, P and K fertilizer prices remain higher than normal. The nutrient value of wheat straw is influenced by several factors including weather, variety, and cultural practices. Thus, the most accurate values require sending a sample of the straw to an analytical laboratory. However, “book values” can be used to estimate the nutrient value of wheat straw. In previous newsletters, we reported that typically a ton of wheat straw contains approximately 11 pounds of N, 3.7 pounds of P2O5, and 29 pounds of K2O. According to June 2023 fertilizer prices (Source: DTN Fertilizer Price Index: Ohio) and nutrient removal “book values”, one ton of wheat straw would remove N, P, K valuing approximately $25.13 ($16.55 of P2O5 & K2O).
Table 1. What is the value of your straw? P2O5, and K2O removed in straw, June 2023 fertilizer prices, and total value of P & K nutrients within wheat straw.
P2O5 K2O Removed in Straw 3.7 lb/ton 29 lb/ton June 2023 Price $.79/lb P2O5 $0.47/lb K2O Value $2.92/ton $13.63/ton Total = $16.55/ton Although N adds value, we do not give it an economic value in the form of fertilizer (as seen in Table 1). Within straw, N is in an organic form and will not immediately be available for plant uptake. The organic-N will need to be converted by microorganisms to ammonium-N (an inorganic form) before it is available for plant uptake – a process called mineralization. The rate of which mineralization occurs depends on the amount of carbon (C) and N in the straw (C:N ratio). The USDA reports a C:N ratio of 80:1 for wheat straw which means there are 80 units of C for every unit of N. Mineralization rapidly occurs when the C:N ratio is ≤ 20:1. At a C:N ratio of 80:1, mineralization will be much slower. (For comparison, corn stover is reported to have a C:N ratio of 57:1.) Rate of mineralization is also influenced by soil moisture and temperature. Since mineralization is a microbial-driven process, mineralization will be slowed (halted) in the winter when temperatures are cold. Thus, no N credit (i.e., value) is given for wheat straw since it is not known when the N will mineralize and become available to the following crop.
In addition to N, removal of straw does lower soil K levels. If straw is removed after heavy rainfall, some of the K may have leached out of the straw, lowering the nutrient value. However, a soil test should be done to accurately estimate nutrient availability for future crops. Besides providing nutrients, straw has value as organic matter, but it is difficult to determine the dollar value for it.
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ODA Statement on Dicamba - Official Statement Regarding the Use of Over-the-Top Dicamba Products
This update is coming after the CORN Newsletter was published on Monday. The date of the Press Release is from Ohio Department of Agriculture on June 11, 2020.
Official Statement Regarding the Use of Over-the-Top Dicamba Products
On June 3, 2020, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit rendered a decision which vacated the federal registrations of three of the four dicamba products that had previously been approved for use on dicamba-tolerant (DT) soybeans. This decision has caused tremendous uncertainty for soybean producers and pesticide dealers during an agronomically critical time of year. It is estimated that around 40 to 50 percent of the soybean crop planted in Ohio are dicamba tolerant varieties. The specific products impacted are: XtendiMax with VaporGrip Technology, Engenia Herbicide, and DuPont FeXapan with VaporGrip Technology. Tavium plus VaporGrip Technology for use on DT soybeans was not covered by this ruling.
In response to the decision, on June 8, 2020, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) issued a Final Cancellation Order that outlines specific circumstances under which existing stocks of the three affected dicamba products can be used. The registration of these products in Ohio expires on June 30, 2020. After careful evaluation of the court’s ruling, US EPA’s Final Cancellation Order, and the Ohio Revised Code and Administrative Code, as of July 1, 2020 these products will no longer be registered or available for use in Ohio unless otherwise ordered by the courts.
While use of already purchased product is permitted in Ohio until June 30, 2020, the Court’s decision and US EPA’s order makes further distribution or sale illegal, except for ensuring proper disposal or return to the registrant. Application of existing stocks inconsistent with the previously approved labeling accompanying the product is prohibited. If you have questions about returning unused products, please reach out to your pesticide dealer’s representative.
For additional questions, please email pesticides@agri.ohio.gov or call 614-728-6394, and visit ODA’s website for updates. -
Last Week to Register for NW Ohio Corn-Soybean Day in Archbold on January 18
The annual Northwest Ohio Corn & Soybean Day is scheduled for Friday, January 18th in Founders Hall at Sauder Village in Archbold from 8:30 am to 4 pm. The program has a variety of speakers, including farmer/retailer re-certification credits and 30 exhibitors sharing information on management practices for the 2019 crop production season. This year’s Corn-Soybean Day offers the three-hour private Pesticide applicator re-certification (CORE, 1, 2, 6), also one hour of re-certification for fertilizer applicators (15) as well as 4.5 hours of Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) credits. Commercial pesticide applicators can also receive 2.5 hours of recertification (CORE, 2A, 2C, 10C).
Topics and speakers for the day include:
On Field Ohio…Identifying Erosion & P Runoff Risk
Libby Dayton, Ohio State University
Implementing Cover Crops…How, Why, Economics
Sarah Noggle, OSU Extension, Paulding County
PANEL: Farm Mgmt. Decisions for Sustainability on Our Farm
Using eFields to Drive Corn Nitrogen Decisions
Elizabeth Hawkins, OSU Extension Field Specialist
Spring Management of Wheat
Ed Lentz, OSU Extension, Hancock County
Soybean Traits & Pest Concerns from 2018
Eric Richer, OSU Extension, Fulton County
Grain Storage Issues/Fumigation
Bruce Clevenger, OSU Extension, Defiance County
Forage & Livestock Management (Category 2)
Garth Ruff, OSU Extension, Henry County
Again the following continuing education credits for pesticide and fertilizer applicators are offered throughout the day:
- Private Pesticide Applicator Re-certification: 3hrs in categories Core, 1, 2, and 6.
- Commercial Pesticide Applicator Re-certification: 2.5hrs in categories Core, 2A, 2C, 10C
- Fertilizer Applicator Re-certification (Private & Commercial): 1hr category 15p/15c
- Michigan: 4 hours
- Certified Crop Advisors: 4.5 hours CM, IPM, NM, and SW
Pre-registration is $35 and should be postmarked by January 7. Later registrations and at the door registrations are $50, space permitting. Registration includes coffee/rolls, lunch, and speaker materials. A more detailed agenda, list of sponsors and registration information can be found at http://fulton.osu.edu. Contact Eric Richer, Extension Educator, Agriculture & Natural Resources, 419-337-9210 or richer.5@osu.edu for more information.
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Fertilizer Applicator Certification Needed by 9/30/2017
We are entering the last few months for fertilizer applicator certification which involves attending a training program offered by Ohio State University Extension then being issued a certification from the Ohio Department of Agriculture. Through the first two years of the program 12,000 farmers and ag retailers who apply fertilizer have been certified. Some common questions are answered below along with a link to the upcoming schedule through April. Attend soon to find the most convenient meetings to your home location.
Do I need agricultural fertilizer certification?
The certification is required if you apply fertilizer (other than manure) to more than 50 acres of agricultural production grown primarily for sale. If you hire a co-op or other custom applicator for fertilizer applications, you do not need the certification. If you do not have an Ohio Pesticide Applicator License, you need to attend a 3-hour class. If you have a license, you need to attend a 2-hour class.
Do I need the certification if I raise forage for my livestock?
The term “agricultural production” is defined as the cultivation, primarily for sale, of plants or any parts of plants on more than 50 acres. If you raise forage (e.g., hay, silage, corn) for use on your farm, and have questions about fertilizer certification, please contact the Ohio Department of Agriculture at 614-728-6987 or email: pesticides@agri.ohio.gov
When do I need the certification?
Individuals are encouraged to obtain certification as soon as possible, or when renewing their pesticide applicator license. The certification must be obtained by September 30, 2017.
Where do I find meeting locations?
All meetings request registration with a list of locations found at http://nutrienteducation.osu.edu/ or contact your local Extension Office for more details http://extension.osu.edu/lao#county .
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Wheel Traffic Effect on Alfalfa Yield – Soil Compaction or Crown/Shoot Damage?
Wheel traffic is a necessity for the production of alfalfa. Regardless of the harvest method (green chopped or dry bales) producers must make decisions of when and how to drive equipment on alfalfa fields. Early studies demonstrated that as much as 70% of the field area could be driven upon for each cutting/harvest performed. Over time, the size of equipment to cut, rake, bale and remove hay from the field has change dramatically. As well, the green chop equipment for baleage, silage or alfalfa mills has also changed. Generally, equipment is larger today and thus carrying a greater gross axle weight both while empty and at harvest load capacities.
Soil compaction is a common concern for alfalfa producers and can be linked to increased disease incidence contributing to plant damage and yield reduction. However, the wheel traffic itself can also cause physical damage to the alfalfa crown or regrowth shoot. Traffic during cutting does not have the same harmful effect of later traffic from the baling and bale removal. Compaction due to the multiple trips is a factor, but breaking shoots that may have started to regrow after cutting, has a depleting effect on stored root carbohydrates (Sheesley et. al., 1982).
The reduction in alfalfa plant populations and the resulting decrease in yield and hay quality is a major reason for growers to decide to remove an alfalfa field from production. Heavy wheel traffic in which plants are trafficked multiple times per cutting can increase crown damage (leading to entry points for pathogens) and decrease shoot and root growth. Repeated damage to new shoots from multiple traffic passes can be attributed to a change in carbohydrate partitioning in which greater root reserves are needed for plant recovery (Rachel, 1984).
The amount of wheel traffic yield reduction is likely going to vary from field to field and cutting to cutting depending on plant and soil conditions. Yield loss to the next cutting is greater as the traffic occurs later after mowing. The yield loss has generally been 4 to 6% per day after mowing (e.g. traffic 5 days after mowing creates a yield loss of about 22%) (Undersander, 2010).
Dan Undersander, University of Wisconsin, offers ways to reduce alfalfa yield and stand losses.
1. Plant alfalfa varieties more tolerant to wheel traffic
2. Use small tractors when possible (to reduce soil compaction).
3. Drive over the field as soon after cutting as possible
a. Raking at 24 hours causes less damage than raking at 48 hours after cutting
b. Merge swaths into large windrows so harvesting equipment has less driving on the field
c. Making haylage at 1 to 2 days after cutting causes less yield loss than making hay at 3 to 5 days after cutting.
4. Avoid unnecessary trips across the field when harvesting
a. Get full wagons/trucks off the field with as little driving as possible
b. If bales are dropped and collected – can this be done with less driving?
c. Do not drive on alfalfa field when harvesting crop of adjacent field.
5. Consider using larger harvesting equipment (there is some question about this because while less area is affected by wheel traffic, the affected area has greater weight applied to it). This could be another benefit of contract harvesting
6. Using duals on harvesting machinery is not recommended unless necessary to avoid ruts.
References:
Sheesley, W.R., D.W. Grimes, W.D. McClellan, C.G. Summers, V.Marble. 1982. The Influence on Wheel Traffic on Yield and Stand Longevity in Alfalfa. P. 42-46. 1982 California Alfalfa Symposium Proceedings, UC Cooperative Extension, university of California, Davis CA 95616.
Undersander, D. 2010. Effect of Wheel Traffic on Alfalfa Yield. University of Wisconsin-Extension Cooperative Extension. http://www.uwex.edu/ces/forage/articles.htm Madison, WI 53706.
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Seed treatments for watermolds and fungi are essential for Ohio’s poorly drained soils
Much of Ohio’s soybean production ground is on soils with poor to fair drainage, high clay content, and reduced tillage systems. Any one of these factors alone or in combination contributes to the environmental conditions that favor infection of seeds and seedlings by watermolds. Reduced tillage systems favor pathogen build-up in the very place that the seed is planted each year. Both soybean and corn are attacked by a great diversity of Pythium spp.; some of which are favored by cool, wet soil conditions and others by warmer but also wet soil conditions. Of course for soybean, Phytophthora sojae can be recovered from all of Ohio soils and this is favored by warmer temperatures and wet soils. True fungi, Fusarium spp. and Rhizoctonia solani, are also pathogens of soybean and corn, but for these the amount of inoculum that is present in the field and adequate moisture for pathogen growth is all that is needed to favor infection of both corn and soybean.
Host resistance is the primary means by which we manage many grain crop diseases, but there is little effort put into screening for resistance towards Pythium spp., Fusarium spp. (other than F. virguliforme which causes sudden death syndrome of soybean) and Rhizoctonia solani in comparison to other diseases. This is where seed treatments aimed at watermolds and true fungi can play a big role for fields which are high risk these seed and seedling pathogens. This protects the seed and seedling when they are the most susceptible, since for some of these diseases host resistance is not expressed in the early plant growth stages (partial resistance to Phytophthora sojae). How do you know if your field is at risk? It is a very simple question to answer:
- How many times in the past 10 years have you had to replant? If it is more than 1, then you are always at risk.
- Are you planting into a field that had head scab of wheat or Gibberella Stalk rot of corn? If the answer is yes, then it is important to add fungicide seed treatments specific to Fusarium graminearum to limit stand losses.
With a seed treatment, it is important to note that no one seed treatment active ingredient will provide protection against all of the pathogens that attack seeds and seedlings. As you examine the list from your seed dealer – you will see a long list of active ingredients, each of which is targeting a small portion of the total grain crop pathogen complex that Ohio farmers must deal with on an annual basis.
We are sure your next question is which seed treatment package is best. In reality the companies have been testing numerous combinations, formulations, and sites to get this right. None of them are perfect, there are a growing number of Pythium spp that can get past the protection, but they are in the minority. We do have a number of Pythium spp. which are resistant to metalaxyl/mefenoxam and we know for Phytophthora sojae that more metalaxy/mefenxoam (0.75-1.5 fl oz metalaxyl//0.32-0.64 fl oz mefenoxam) is better. So for those fields having a different active ingredient, such as ethaboxam or adding a strobilurin will pick up a few more of these Pythium spp. For example, in the seed treatment trials during 2015- we can’t separate the difference among the seed treatments when there was very high disease pressure (Figure 4– graph). All of the seed treatments had significantly higher yields than the non-treated.
Some of you may recall that AD was in a challenge to test the need to add more metalaxyl on top of the Acceleron base seed treatment that was marketed for Ohio. In two years of testing, none of the plots that received extra metalaxyl had significantly higher yields in the 3 locations in 2015 nor the 3 locations in 2014 (see C.O.R.N. 2014-38). Just as in 2014 and now in 2015, I’ve lost the challenge again. As promised we will not request or recommend that additional metalaxyl be applied over the top of what is already in the Acceleron base treatment as it is was marketed in Ohio during these two years.
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Smoke from Wildfires Affecting Ohio Agriculture? Or Some Other Stressors?
Wildland fires in Canada this year have so far burned over 20 million acres with approximately 4 million of those acres in Quebec. In spite of these fires being hundreds of miles away from us, smoke generated has been driven by northern winds impacting the northeastern and midwestern US. There has been some growing concern about the impact this smoke will have on agriculture in Ohio. Of particular concern are toxins in the smoke.
Wildland fire smoke is made up of small particles, gases, and water vapor. Water vapor makes up the majority of smoke. The remainder includes carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and small amounts of other compounds. Among the particulates in smoke are many compounds which do not turn into a gas during the fire, such as calcium, sodium, and magnesium. As particulates, these substances can be carried down-wind and have a minor fertilization effect. Another compound produced by wildland fire is dioxin. Dioxins are compounds produced as byproducts of some processes including smoking cigarettes, paper production, industrial and structural fires, and wildland fires. Dioxins are known to be cancer causing. The quantity of dioxin produced from wildland fire is highly variable and will depend largely on the population of fungi in the forest.
While the smoke from Canada’s fires is reducing air quality and visibility across the Midwest, it is highly unlikely that these fires are going to have any kind of impact on Ohio agriculture. Ohio is a significant distance from the fire locations, and the smoke has dispersed hundreds of miles in all directions, thereby reducing the quantity of smoke and its various components. Combined with the low quantity of toxins in wildland fire smoke to begin with, we can see that there is very little to worry about in terms the impacts of this smoke on crops or livestock.
Although wildfires are not likely to be the cause, there are several soybean issues popping up in areas of the state:
1. Poor nodulation. Yellow soybeans that can also be somewhat stunted are often indicative of poor nodulation (Figure 1). Nodules are small knots found on roots, often near the top of the root system. Nodules are the result of a symbiotic relationship between soybean and bacteria (Bradyrhizobium japonicum). These bacteria convert nitrogen into a form that is usable by the soybean plant. Nodulation and nitrogen fixation by Bradyrhizobium japonicum is reduced in wet soils. Plants should be able to recuperate nodule function when normal (aerobic) conditions are restored. To determine if a nodule is actively fixing nitrogen (i.e., converting nitrogen to a usable form), split the nodule with your fingernail and examine the inside. If the inside of the nodule is pink or red, nitrogen is being fixed.
2. Overall slow growth and poor root development. While cooler weather in April and May limited crop stress symptomology to some degree, dry conditions can lead to slow root growth and poor nodulation in soybeans. Root exploration is key to moisture acquisition and nutrient uptake. Dry conditions early (paired with cooler temperatures) may have slowed initial root development and formation. Planting deeper (as may have been done to reach moisture depending on location and planting date) could also affect root development by slowing the accumulation of early GDDs; in corn, soil accumulated GDDs affects early-season growth more than air temperature GDDs.
In many parts of the state the dry conditions were replaced within the span of a few days with the other extreme in the form of waterlogged soils and excess water conditions. Very few studies have been published examining subsequent stresses of drought followed by flood, but one article from cabbage suggests drought followed by flooding was worse for crops than drought alone. In corn, roots will form arenchyma in central cortical cells to cope with waterlogging. Soybean aerenchyma formation, though, requires creation of a new cell layer near the outside of the roots that contain the internal air pockets. This will typically occur near the water line for flooded plants (Figure 2).
Another typical symptom is that when stressed soybeans are removed from the soil the outer cortical layer may easily slough off when handled (see this article from 2021 to help discern flood damage and root rots). The characteristic “rat tail” cortex remaining is a key indicator that flood damage occurred. The rapid change from drought to waterlogged conditions paired with below average nodulation is a likely contributor toward our yellow soybeans this year.
3. Potassium deficiency. Potassium deficiency may be observed when soil test K levels are low or could be induced by dry weather (Figure 3). Yes, it’s strange to discuss both waterlogging and drought conditions in the same article, but various areas of Ohio have seen one (or both) of these extremes this year. [We reported more on potassium and drought in this article.] Soil testing will help determine if a potassium deficiency is due to low soil test potassium or dry weather. If the cause is dry weather and soil moisture is replenished, these symptoms should go away with time.
4. Diseases. We will expand on diseases in an upcoming article. However, there have been several disease issues noted within Ohio. Many plants have been collected and sent to the Department of Plant Pathology and are currently being tested for pathogens.
Be sure to watch the weather and crops over the next few weeks to see how they respond. Many soybean plants may start to create new roots as the soil dries, and it would be good to check for new nodule formation. If corn height still allows for sidedress N application to supply the remaining seasonal N budget still plan on making that application once soil moisture allows. In recent work from Ohio State, corn still responded positively to N sidedress application after 3 days of flooding or after repeated 3 day floods (3 days flooded, 3 days drying followed by 3 additional days flooded).
References:
Kunert et al. (2016). Drought stress responses in soybean roots and nodules. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2016.01015
Thomas et al. (2005). Aerenchyma formation and recovery from hypoxia of the flooded root system of nodulated soybean. doi: 10.1093/aob/mci272
Barber and Muller (2021). Drought and subsequent soil flooding affect the growth and metabolism of savoy cabbage. doi: 10.3390/ijms222413307
Novais et al. (2023). Elucidating how N management practices and excess water conditions affect corn N uptake and grain yield. https://scisoc.confex.com/scisoc/2022am/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/142573
Swan et al. (1987). Estimating corn growth, yield, and grain moisture from air growing degree days and residue cover. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj1987.00021962007900010012x
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Ag Tech Tuesday Webinars will Highlight 2021 eFields Results
The Ohio State Digital Ag Team’s Ag Tech Tuesday webinars are focusing on the 2021 eFields results this month! The webinars will feature highlights from 249 on-farm trials conducted across 45 counties in Ohio. The online February series will be held on Tuesday February 1st and 8th starting at 9:00AM EST for 1 hour. There will be plenty of time for participants to ask questions. CCA CEU credits will be offered for both sessions.
Registration for Ag Tech Tuesdays is free but required. Just visit go.osu.edu/AgTechTues to register. If you have any questions, please contact Elizabeth Hawkins (hawkins.301@osu.edu).
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Join Us for Ag Madness!
Did your conference get canceled? Looking to fill the void of the big basketball tournament? OSU Extension Agricultural and Natural Resources Educators are here to assist.
Agriculture and Natural Resources Madness: A Tournament of Education consists of 64 educational events broken into daily brackets. Each day, a virtual educational session will be held at 9:00 a.m., noon and 3:00 p.m. at no charge. All events are listed at https://go.osu.edu/agmadness.
Brackets will change daily. Topics will cover a variety of agricultural subjects like hemp, pastures & grazing, fruit and vegetable production, farm management and more. When possible, live question and answer opportunities are included.
This week’s bracket includes Direct Marketing (March 31), Farm Management (April 1), Forages, Pastures and Grazing (April 2) and Agricultural Safety (April 3).
To meet the needs of our clientele amid COVID-19, we began this virtual programming on March 24 with a webinar for produce growers with assistance on operating amid COVID-19. We followed up with a food safety webinar for consumers that is still available for viewing.
The agriculture crisis website has also been updated to provide resources for the agriculture community. To access these resources, visit https://go.osu.edu/agcrisis.
To find complete details on the educational opportunities throughout the Ag Madness tournament and to view replays of events already held, visit https://go.osu.edu/agmadness. The event will run through the end of April.
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Learn More about eFields at Regional Meetings
The Ohio State Digital Ag team is hosting four regional eFields meetings this month. Join us to learn more about the eFields program and results we are seeing across the state. Each meeting will feature presentations highlighting local trials including seeding rate, nutrient management, and crop management. There will be a panel discussion featuring cooperating farmers who are conducting on-farm research with Ohio State Extension. We would also like to hear from you about what topics you are interested in seeing in eFields in the future.
There is no cost to attend; for more information or to register for a meeting, visit go.osu.edu/eFieldsMeeting. Please plan to join us for the meeting nearest you:
Southwest Region: February 13th, 9AM-12PM, Wilmington
Northwest Region: February 20th, 9AM-12PM, Wauseon
East Region: February 27th, 5:30-8:30PM, Massillon
West Central Region: February 28th, 9AM-12PM, Piqua
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1st Generation European Corn Borer Management in non-Bt Corn
European corn borer (ECB) was once our most important corn insect, but its population has decreased over the past 20 years, likely due to Bt-corn that provides excellent protection. For this and other various reasons, many farms have switched to corn that does not contain Bt proteins to control ECB and other caterpillar pests. Keep in mind that ECB is not an extinct species—we can find ECB still flying around. This year, we have seen ECB feeding in conventional corn.
ECB has 2 generations per year. Currently, we are seeing larval feeding on the leaves and in the whorl. Soon, and if not already, these larvae will tunnel through the stalk where they will usually continue to feed and pupate. Adults will emerge in late July-early August.
Growers of conventional corn should inspect their fields for the characteristic shot hole damage (see figure). If found, you may see larvae feeding in the whorl—you may need to pull the whorl out of a couple of damaged plants to check. Although challenging, larvae in the whorl that are in the 3rd instar or less (usually no bigger than 1/2 of an inch) are still vulnerable to insecticide application.
If the larvae are not in the whorl, they may have died, or worse, tunneled in the stalk. Look for the appearance of sawdust like frass, which ECB larvae leave on the outside while tunneling. Once they bore into the stalk, then control is difficult, if not impossible.
As a guide, we recommend treatment for 1st generation ECB when 75% -80% of the corn shows shot hole damage, and that larvae can be seen in the whorl (i.e. have not bored into the stalk). There are many chemicals that can control ECB (see our bulletin: https://agcrops.osu.edu/publications/control-insect-pests-field-crops-bulletin-545), although granular forms tend to be more effective than liquid.
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Forage Maturity Across Ohio
While the year started with slower growing degree accumulation the warm weather over the last couple of weeks, has rapidly progressed forage maturity. Harvesting forages at the proper time for the livestock you are feeding is critical to farm profitability. Poor quality forages must be supplemented to maintain livestock. In the southern part of the state, some forage grasses are in head while in the northern part of the state, barnyard grass is in head. Most are still in the vegetative stage but will be in head within a week, even though they do not look tall enough to be in head.
Winter annual cereal grains for forages may also be more mature than they look from the field edge. In the southern half of the state, heads are starting to emerge, while in the northern part, the flag leaf of cereal rye has emerged. Scouting these forages is critical, as digestibility and crude protein decline rapidly as they mature. The ideal harvest time to maximize yield and quality is just after the flag leaf emerges so that the forage is harvest before the head emerges from the boot.
Harvest decisions for alfalfa are primarily based on maturity; however, this method can be misleading due to climatic variations affecting the rate of bud and flower development for first cutting. 21-inch tall alfalfa in the vegetative stage has similar digestibility to 19 inch alfalfa that is in the bud stage.
Spring changes of alfalfa %NDF can increase about 5 percentage units each week. Therefore, it is imperative for growers to be monitoring their alfalfa for optimal harvest times. Traditional wet chemistry remains the best method to measure %NDF; however, these traditional methods are often too time consuming when a rapid estimation of NDF is needed to make harvest decisions.
Growers can easily measure %NDF in their fields using a method referred to as PEAQ, Predictive Equations for Alfalfa Quality. This method uses max height and max stage of a pure standing alfalfa crop to determine %NDF. Neutral Detergent Fiber estimations using this method can begin as soon as the alfalfa crop reaches at least 16 inches in height. The protocol for utilizing PEAQ in the fields can be found here and short video describing the method can also be found here.
The PEAQ method was developed for pure alfalfa stands. Using this method to determine %NDF of alfalfa-grass mixtures will be inaccurate. However, this method can still be beneficial to estimate the %NDF in the alfalfa portion of the field. Grasses continue to follow harvest estimations based on growth stage.
Most of the Alfalfa in the state had reached at least 17 inches, which would have a %NDF of 29.2 in the late vegetative stage. In some areas, though, alfalfa has reached the 10% bloom growth stage. Alfalfa, which is 19 inches tall and in bloom, is projected to have an NDF of 33.4.
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Help Us Shape the Future of eFields by Participating in an Evaluation Survey
The eFields team is looking for farmers, consultants, and other individuals to participate in study to evaluate the impact of the OSU eFields program and assist us with making improvements. Completing the survey will take less than 15 minutes and is accessible on-line at go.osu.edu/eFieldsImpact. You will have until March 1, 2024 to complete the survey. Completing the survey will constitute your consent to participate in the study.
Questions about the survey or its use should be directed to Elizabeth Hawkins; Hawkins.301@osu.edu.
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2023 Northwest Agronomic Field Day
Join us at the 2023 Agronomic Field Day, where we will be discussing new corn and soybean practices you can apply on your farm.
Topics this year include the following:
- Battle for the Belt, Who Will Win? – Corn vs. Soybeans, Osler Ortez and Laura Lindsey
- Managing Slugs with Radish Cover Crops, Rachel Cochran
- Intensive Corn Management, What Pays (and What Doesn’t), Osler Ortez
- What is the Right Nitrogen Rate for Corn Following a Cover Crop?, Nick Eckel
- Effect of Xyway® LFR® Fungicide on Corn, Stephanie Karhoff
Where: Northwest Agricultural Research Station, 4240 Range Line Road, Custar, OH 43511
When: Thursday, August 31
Cost: Free, please RSVP by August 25 to reserve your free lunch courtesy of Ohio Soybean Council
RSVP: https://osu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_d6eICnD6sqyVvfg
Registration will start at 8:30 a.m. and the program will begin at 9:00 a.m. followed by lunch at 12:00 p.m.
For more information, please contact Nick Eckel (eckel.21@osu.edu), or Matt Davis (davis.1095@osu.edu).
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CFAES Ag Weather System 2022 Near-Surface Air and Soil Temperatures/Moisture (Update 6)
Figure 1: Daily average air temperature (dashed red), two-inch (green) and four-inch (blue) soil temperatures for spring 2022. Current daily average soil temperatures are noted for each location. Soil type and location of measurements (under sod or bare soil) are provided in the lower right corner of each panel. A map of all locations is in the bottom right. Data provided by the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) Agricultural Research Stations located throughout the state.
Overall, the past week was on the cool side for the first week of May, with air temperatures averaging in 60s for highs and lows in the mid-40s to low-50s. This kept soil temperatures steady, ranging from the low to mid-50s across the north, to the upper 50s across southern Ohio (Figure 1). Much warmer weather this upcoming week, with several days in the upper 70s to mid-80s, should cause a significant rise in soil temperatures.
Figure 2: (Left) Total precipitation for the week ending May 9, 2022. Figure provided by the Midwestern Regional Climate Center. (Right) Calculated soil moisture percentiles as of 05/08/2022 according to the Climate Prediction Center.
Along with the cool temperatures came plenty of rainfall across the Buckeye State (Fig. 2 -left). Locations along I-71 between Cincinnati to Columbus then east to Jefferson County picked up between 2.5-4”. Isolated amounts of 6-7” were reported in parts of Clinton and Fayette Counties. While soil moisture had improved in late April over early season surplus conditions, last week’s rainfall has many fields across Ohio saturated with widespread ponding conditions. Soil moisture percentiles are now ranked in the 80-90th percentile across the state (Fig. 2-right). Portions of the far south, northeast, and northwest avoided the heaviest rain and may take advantage of this week’s dryness. Saturated areas will take a while to dry, and with temperatures in the mid to upper 80s possible across the southern counties this week, soil crusting may be an issue for some. The Weather Prediction Center is calling for 0.25-0.50” of rain of the next 7 days, the majority of this not falling until Sunday.
The May 2nd Ohio Crop Progress Report (https://go.osu.edu/cropprogress) did show limited planting occurred for the week ending April 29th with 3% of corn and 2% of soybeans were planted. The report released on May 9th will show further progress. The April planted fields will be closely watched for emergence. Germination progress is soil temperature and moisture-related. The temperature relationship is reasonably predictable for corn, requiring 100 to 120 growing degree days (GDDs) to emerge. We refer you to a 2021 CORN for more on calendar vs. GDD for corn emergence at https://go.osu.edu/cornemergence. Table 1 below shows accumulated GDD at CFAES weather stations since April 23rd, when fieldwork broadly began across the state. 2-inch soil temperatures from the CFAES network are used to generate GDD. Based on the earliest planting dates we should be seeing corn emergence in the southern part of the state.
Table 1. GDD Accumulation at CFAES weather Stations based on 2-inch soil temperatures since April 23rd
CFAES Weather Station
GDD 2-in Soil
April 23 to May 8
Emergence (Yes or No)
Corn emergence would be expected for planting dates before
1-Ashtabula
73
No
--
2-Northwest
54
No
--
3-North Central
74
No
--
4-Wooster
71
No
--
5-Western
135
Yes
4/24/2022
6-Eastern
151
Yes
4/26/2022
7-Piketon
158
Yes
4/26/2022
For more complete weather records for CFAES research stations, including temperature, precipitation, growing degree days, and other useful weather observations, please visit https://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weather1/.
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Fertility Calculator for Ohio Recommendation
A Microsoft Excel spreadsheet has been developed to support nutrient management education programs provided by Ohio State University Extension and for users who want to generate their own recommendation or compare recommendations provided to them to the Tri-State Fertilizer Recommendations for Corn, Soybeans, Wheat, and Alfalfa, 2020. The spreadsheet is designed to be compatible with Excel version, Excel 1997-2003 or later.
The tool generates recommendations for the following crops:
- Corn
- Corn-Silage
- Soybeans
- Wheat (Grain Only)
- Wheat (Grain & Straw)
- Alfalfa
- Grass Hay
- Grass/Legume Hay
Overview of spreadsheet features:
- There are 21 data lines.
- Data can be copied from another spreadsheet or within the spreadsheet
- User controls whether recommendations are build/maintenance or maintenance only for phosphorus (P) & potassium (K) recommendations.
- User can select when a field the critical level used for corn/soybean rotations or wheat, alfalfa, or grass legume hay for P recommendations.
- Can select a shorter or longer buildup period than standard 4 year for P & K.
- P & K recommendations are displayed with buildup and maintenance requirements separately.
- Total fertility need can be determined for a 1-, 2- or 3-year application on P & K Recommendation page.
- Lime recommendations are developed using target final soil pH and tillage depth.
- User can compare cost of two lime sources on lime recommendation page.
- User can determine total cost of P & K fertilizer needed to meet the nutrient recommendation.
- User can determine total cost of Lime needed in the recommendation developed.
The spreadsheet is available at: https://go.osu.edu/ohiofertilitytool
A printed User Guide is available at: https://go.osu.edu/ohiofertilitytoolguide
A video demonstration at: https://go.osu.edu/ohiofertilitytoolvideo
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CFAES Ag Weather System Near-Surface Air and Soil Temperatures/Moisture
With the calendar now turning to mid-May and much warmer weather expected ahead, this will be the last edition of this year’s soil temperature series in the C.O.R.N. Newsletter. Thanks especially to Elizabeth Hawkins and Sam Custer for persistently supplying daily soil temperatures records from their locations this spring.
Figure 1 shows that two- and four-inch soil temperatures cooled once again after spending the first part of May recovering from April’s chill. Air temperatures were 8-12°F below average for the week which sent soil temperatures in the wrong direction. Generally, average soil temperatures are starting this week in the mid to upper 40s across northern Ohio (Northwestern, North Central, and Wooster) and in the mid-50s across the south (Piketon and Western). With a significant warm-up anticipated this weekend, with high temperatures into the 70s across the state, soil temperatures should respond nicely.
Figure 1: Average daily air temperature (red), two-inch (green) and four-inch (blue) soil temperatures for spring 2020. Soil type and placement are provided for each location. Map of locations provided in the bottom right. Soil temperatures are minimum temperatures for Versailles and Xenia and daily average for other sites.
Figure 2 (left) shows another week of light precipitation across northwest Ohio, where most counties picked up less than 0.50”. Slightly heavier precipitation, up to 1 inch, fell across the rest of the state. This was generally 50-95 percent of normal for this time of the year. With persistent drier conditions in the west and northwest, the area of soil moisture in the 30-70th percentile range has expanded (Figure 2 – right). Very wet soil conditions remain across the east and south.
Figure 2: (Left) Precipitation estimates for the last 7 days ending on 05/11/2020. Figure provided by the Midwest Regional Climate Center (https://www.mrcc.illinois.edu). (Right) Calculated soil moisture ranking percentile for May 10, 2020 provided by NOAA's Climate Prediction Center (https://www.cpc.noa.gov/).
For more complete weather records for CFAES research stations, including temperature, precipitation, growing degree days, and other useful weather observations, please visit https://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weather1/. For a weekly climate assessment, visit https://climate.osu.edu.
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Challenging Conditions Remain into April
Temperatures and Rainfall: Temperatures will start the first 7 days of April 1-3 degrees F above normal. Rainfall will start April below normal about half of normal. That is some good news as the end of March (as forecast) was very wet. However, most indications are for the remainder of April after the first week, temperatures will be near normal and rainfall slightly above normal. This will put pressure on early spring planting in April. Evaporation and evapotransporation will be held in check by closer to normal temperatures as we go through April. The May outlook calls for warmer than normal and a little wetter than normal but not as wet as last year.
Soil Moisture and Temperatures: Soil temperatures has come out of winter above normal due to heavy saturation and the mild winter. However, soil moisture remains in the top 1-10% wettest on record so it is wet. With excess moisture to get rid of in the soils, expect soil temperatures to trend quickly from above normal to near normal.
Freeze and Frost: The normal time for the last hard freeze typically ranges from about April 10-20 form south to north. Frost is not uncommon into very early May. All indications remain that about a normal last frost and freeze can be expected this spring.
Summary: Most indications have not changed from the outlooks this winter. The spring planting season overall looks a bit warmer and wetter than average but not quite as wet as 2019. Therefore, expect challenging conditions at least through April if not May.
The latest NOAA climate information can be found at: https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov
The lastest river and soil information can be found at: https://www.weather.gov/ohrfc/
The latest Water Resources Outlooks can be found at: https://www.weather.gov/ohrfc/WRO
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2019 C.O.R.N. Articles Addressing Delayed Planting
Below is a list of 2019 Ohio State University Extension C.O.R.N. newsletter articles addressing the topic of delayed planting. This is a summary of articles published this season through the May 28 issue.
Corn Related Articles
- Corn Management Practices for Later Planting Dates – Changes to Consider. Thomison, P. & Culman, S. April 22, 2019. https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2019-10/corn-management-practices-later-planting-dates-%E2%80%93-changes-consider
- Delayed Planting Effects on Corn Yield: A “Historical” Perspective. Geyer, A. & Thomison, P. May 6, 2019. https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2019-12/delayed-planting-effects-corn-yield-%E2%80%9Chistorical%E2%80%9D-perspective
- Will Planting Delays Require Switching Corn Hybrid Maturities? Thomison, P. May 6, 2019. https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2019-12/will-planting-delays-require-switching-corn-hybrid-maturities
- Prevented Planting…What’s That Again? Richer, E. & Bruynis, C. May 28, 2019. https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2019-15/prevented-plantingwhats-again
- Prevented Planning Decision Tools. Custar, S. May 28, 2019. https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2019-15/prevented-planning-decision-tools
- Corn vs. Soybeans in a Delayed Planting Scenario – Profit Scenarios. Ward, B. May 28, 2019. https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2019-15/corn-vs-soybeans-delayed-planting-scenario-%E2%80%93-profit-scenarios
- More on Switching Corn Hybrid Maturities. Thomison, P. May 28, 2019. https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2019-15/more-switching-corn-hybrid-maturities
Soybean Related Articles
- Switching from Alfalfa to Soybean…Should I Inoculate? Lindsey, L. & Sulc, M. April 29, 2019. https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2019-11/switching-alfalfa-soybean%E2%80%A6should-i-inoculate
- Recommendations for Late Planted Soybeans. Lindsey, L. May 6, 2019. https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2019-12/recommendations-late-planted-soybeans
- Is There any Lemonade to Make out of These Lemons? Dorrance, A. May 20, 2019. https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2019-14/there-any-lemonade-make-out-these-lemons
- Corn vs. Soybeans in a Delayed Planting Scenario – Profit Scenarios. Ward, B. May 28, 2019. https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2019-15/corn-vs-soybeans-delayed-planting-scenario-%E2%80%93-profit-scenarios
- Delayed Soybean Planting – A Yield Perspective. Lindsey, L. May 28, 2019. https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2019-15/delayed-soybean-planting-yield-perspective
Forage Related Articles
- Emergency Forages for Planting Early to Mid-Summer. Sulc, M. & Weiss, B. May 20, 2019. https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2019-14/emergency-forages-planting-early-mid-summer
- Forage Options for Prevented Planting Corn and Soybean Acres. Smith, S. May 28, 2019. https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2019-15/forage-options-prevented-planting-corn-and-soybean-acres
- Forages Continue to Mature. Sulc, M., Lewandowski, R., & Stachler, J. May 28, 2019. https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2019-15/forages-continue-mature
- Speeding Up Hay Drying. Sulc, M. May 28, 2019. https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2019-15/speeding-hay-drying
Manure Management Related Articles
- Applying Manure to Newly Planted Crops. Arnold, G. May 13, 2019. https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2019-13/applying-manure-newly-planted-crops
Herbicide Management Related Articles
- Adapting Burndown Herbicide Programs to Wet Weather Delays. Loux, M. April 29, 2019. https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2019-11/adapting-burndown-herbicide-programs-wet-weather-delays
- Managing Big, Wet Cover Crops. Loux, M. May 13, 2019. https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2019-13/managing-big-wet-cover-crops
- Current Weed Issues I: Controlling Weeds in Prevented Planting Areas. Loux, M. May 28, 2019. https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2019-15/current-weed-issues-i-controlling-weeds-prevented-planting-areas
- Current Weed Issues II: Revised Herbicide Management Strategies for Late Planting. Loux, M. May 28, 2019. https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2019-15/current-weed-issues-ii-revised-herbicide-management-strategies
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Active Pattern to Continue but Still Opportunities to Plant Too
An active weather pattern will remain across the corn and soybean belt for the rest of May into the first week of June. A large high pressure will strengthen across the Southeast U.S. with hot and dry weather. At the same time, very cool air for this time of the year will be in place in Canada. This will result in an active front going back and forth in the north and central U.S. in the next few weeks. Flood risk persists in the western and northern corn and soybean belt for the rest of May with drying and minor drought areas likely to develop south of the Ohio River, especially in the Southeast U.S.
The overall pattern for the rest of May favors locally heavy rains at times especially over the northern half of Ohio with temperatures bouncing back and forth between normal and above normal.
The last 7-day rainfall map can be found here:https://www.weather.gov/images/ohrfc/dynamic/latest7day.jpeg
For the next two weeks, rainfall is forecast to average 1 to 2.5 inches south of I-70 to 2.5 to 5 inches in the north. Normal is near 2 inches for later May. Expect high variability in rainfall with isolated areas seeing 5+ inches in the far north.
The latest two-week average rainfall forecast can be found here:https://www.weather.gov/images/ohrfc/dynamic/NAEFS16.apcp.mean.total.png
Temperatures and evaporation rates will resume above normal for the rest of May starting in the middle of this week. Temperatures for Memorial Day weekend will see highs in the 80s and lows in the 60s. Normal highs are in the 70s. For the rest of May temperatures will average 4-8 degrees above normal.
Even though Ohio will be on the edge of the heavy rain events the next two weeks, the worst will be the western half of the corn and soybean belt. Rainfall in the western half of the region will average 4-10 inches across parts of Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, southern Wisconsin, southern Minnesota and South Dakota.
It still appears that there will be a pattern change for June. The June outlook calls for near normal temperatures and normal to possibly below normal rainfall. The southern areas of the state have a greater chance of below normal rainfall. As we have discussed for a few months now, it appears any drying or cooling in June will give way to normal to above normal rainfall and temperatures again for the second half of summer into autumn harvest season.
The heavy rain event last week created another sediment load on the Mamee River into Lake Erie. Anytime we see over 10,000 cubic feet per second events, that creates load into Lake Erie. There are indications there will be another 10,000 cfs event between May 26-31. Normal flows into Lake Erie drop off to near 2500 cubic feet per second by June.
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OARDC Branch Station Temperature (Air and Soil) and Precipitation Analysis
We are once again providing soil temperatures in the C.O.R.N. Newsletter for spring 2019. The Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) Agricultural Research Stations located throughout the state have two and four inch soil temperatures monitored on an hourly basis.
Figure 1. Average daily air temperature (average of maximum and minimum daily temperatures; red-dashed), two and four inch soil temperatures for spring 2019 (brown and blue-solid, respectively), and two and four inch five-year average soil temperatures (brown and blue-dotted, respectively) for four OARDC stations from around Ohio (Northwest, Wooster, Western, and Piketon; see map insets). Conditions for 2019 are plotted through May 5th.
Figure 1 shows a decent recovery in soil temperatures earlier in the week as warmer air temperatures moved in throughout the region. Once again, a chilly weekend led to downturn in soil temperatures by Sunday May 5th. However, all four stations are currently at or slightly warmer that than their five-year averages. Historically, soil temperatures warm fairly rapidly over the next couple of weeks. Despite some wet weather, seasonally mild temperatures this upcoming week should perpetuate warming soils.
Figure 2. Accumulated precipitation (percent of normal based on 1981-2010 climatological mean) for Ohio for the period January 1-May 5, 2019. Stars designate a selection of OARDC Agricultural Research Stations from around the state. The accumulated precipitation (in inches) is provided in the table on the right.
With wet conditions persisting throughout spring 2019, Figure 2 shows the percent of normal precipitation that has fallen since January 1. The entire state of Ohio is currently running above average, with much of the state between 125-150% above average. The dark blue shading in Auglaize County and the area in southwest Ohio indicate upwards of 200% of normal precipitation has fallen in these regions. The table to the right of the figure indicate the amounts that have fallen at the same selected OARDC sites used for soil temperatures in Figure 1. All of these sites are above average.
For more complete weather records for all of the OARDC research stations, including temperature, precipitation, growing degree days, and other useful weather observations, please visit http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weather1/.
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Wetter Pattern than Normal will Continue into March...and Possibly April
Not a lot of great news in the short-term. The wet pattern so far this year is likely to persist into March as an active weather pattern from the Pacific Ocean moves across the U.S.
In addition, the temperature gradient is amplified more than normal this late winter into early spring meaning colder north and warmer south. This will help fuel the storms and keep things active.
The outlook for March calls for temperatures near or slightly below normal with precipitation above normal.
The outlook through May calls for near normal temperatures and near to above normal rainfall.
The two week rainfall graphic from the NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center calls for 1.5 to 3.0 inches of rain across the state of Ohio. Normal is about 1.5 inches so expect above normal precipitation the next several weeks. The greatest totals the next 2 weeks will be in the southern and western sections of the state. Precipitation will begin to increase starting later this week.
All indications are the last freeze this freeze will be normal or a little later than normal. Hence, expect 2 and 4 inch soil temperatures to lag behind normal at least through April.
On another topic, if you think overall it has been wet, it has. The last 10 years is the wettest on record since 1895 in Ohio. The attached graphic shows the 24-month running average precipitation index for Ohio, provided by the NOAA Midwest Regional Climate Center. It shows even the drought in 2012 was not enough to turn the index negative for a 24-month period. You have to go back to the 2008/2009 period to see the last time the index was negative. No other time since 1895 has the index been positive for so long. Looking deeper at the data it does show northwest Ohio has seen the index drop briefly negative a few times over the last 10 years while southern areas have been all positive. Bottom line, it has been wet overall for quite a long time now.
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Updated Field Guide Available
The newly revised Corn, Soybean, Wheat, and Forages Field Guide is a compilation of the latest research by Extension specialists from The Ohio State University in partnership with Pennsylvania State University.
Designed as a guide for scouts, crop advisors, and farmers, this handy spiral-bound book contains updated information and images to aid with insect, disease, and weed identification. Major revisions to the book include the latest fertilizer recommendations, broadleaf weed ID keys, and a manure sampling and manure applicator calibration section. Tar spot, a new disease to Ohio, is now included in the Corn Disease section. The Forages section also received a major upgrade, and now includes grass crops as well.
The guide is divided into six sections: Corn Management, Soybean Management, Wheat Management, Forage Management, Weed Identification, and General Crop Management, which includes updated sampling information. The index at the back of the Bulletin 827 can be used to quickly locate page numbers for your topic of interest while in the field.
The Field Guide should be available in Extension offices very soon, or to purchase the hard copy now on-line: https://extensionpubs.osu.edu/corn-soybean-wheat-and-forages-field-guide/, for the digital version: https://extensionpubs.osu.edu/corn-soybean-wheat-and-forages-field-guide-pdf/. The price is $14.75 for the hard copy and $8 for the digital version. Discounts are available for quantity purchases.
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Northwest Ohio Crops Day A Great Opportunity for NW OH
Join OSU Extension at the Bavarian Haus, just outside of Deshler, Ohio on Friday, February 8, 2019 starting at 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 for the second annual Northwest Ohio Crops Day. Find answers to your agronomy questions, obtain private pesticide applicator and fertilizer recertification, and CCA education hours as you prepare for the next growing season. This year we are pleased to have Gary Schnitkey from the University of Illinois to discuss grain storage options. The entire speaker and topic lineup for the day will include the following:
Welcome and Introduction
Garth Ruff, Henry Co. ANR Ext. Educator
Problem Weeds ID & Control
Jeff Stachler, OSU Extension Auglaize Co.
Precision Ag Update & eFields
Elizabeth Hawkins, OSU Extension Field SpecialistRising the Tri-State Fertilizer Recommendations
Steve Culman, OSU Soil Fertility Specialist
Grain Marketing: Store It or Sell It?
Gary Schintkey, U. of Illinois Ag. EconomistManagement Considerations for Wheat
Ed Lentz, OSU Extension Hancock Co.Fumigating Stored Grain
Bruce Clevenger, OSU Extension Defiance Co.
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CORN Newsletter Reader Survey
We want to thank all our readers for their interest in the CORN newsletter over the years. It has been several years since we have conducted a reader survey. We are asking readers to complete this survey to provide important information about the future content of the newsletter. Our goal is to provide farmers and consultants with accurate, researched based information that helps improve farm efficiency, profitability and sustainability. Completion is voluntary. All survey responses are anonymous and cannot be linked to respondents. Only summary data will be reported.
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Thank you for your time and feedback as we strive to meet the needs of our readers.
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THE EFFECTS OF SOIL CONSERVATION PRACTICES ON SELECTED SOIL HEALTH INDICATORS
ABSTRACTSoil health is defined as the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans. Soil health indicators are measurements of the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the soil. As more tools become available to measure soil health factors, it is critical that we evaluate the efficacy of these tools. This 2-year project in Northwest Ohio measured the impact that soil conservation practices have on selected soil health indicators and the subsequent corn yield in cover cropped hay, wheat and corn cropping systems. Soil respiration was measured by the Solvita™ field test and the laboratory burst test for carbon dioxide release. Soil nitrogen as nitrate and ammonium were measured. Carbon dioxide emissions were greatest on the fescue sod field border (148 pounds per acre carbon dioxide), yet had the lowest soil nitrate (1 ppm).INTRODUCTIONSoil health is defined as the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans (USDA NRCS). Soil health indicators are measurements of the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the soil. Soil health measurements can be used to better understand the capability of soil to provide essential nutrients for growing crops. As the soil is managed with conservation practices, such as cover crops or reduced tillage, the soil health changes that these practices create in the soil can be measured and compared (Clark, 2007). The results may then be used to assist with making soil management decisions. Crop yield is the final comparison which measures the impact of soil management on crop productivity. The benefits ofcover crop mixtures can result in improved cover crop growth and subsequent grain yields. Multi-year soil health improvement measurements that quantify long-term benefits of soil conservation practices are needed. Soil respiration is the primary measure of carbon dioxide released by microorganisms in the soil (Solvita, n.d.). As the activity and number of soil microbes increase, carbon dioxide release from the soil increases (Sciarappa et al., 2015). The increased biological activity of these soil microbes is an indicator of a healthy soil (Sciarappa et al, 2015). Soil conservation practices such as cover crops and reduced tillage can favorably improve soil health by increasing the number of soil organisms that break down organic matter, and in the process, release plant nutrients. Solvita™ is a biological respiration test using a patented gel-technology system to measure carbon dioxide (Ward laboratories, Inc., n.d.). Results of Solvita™ measurements are a general indicator of soil health given in carbon dioxide emissions per surface acre basis. In addition to measuring microbial activity with respiration, nutrient availability should also be measured for an understanding of crop growth and yield. The Solvita™ test needs to be used in conjunction with soil nitrate and ammonium tests to determine soil health and productivity. This study focuses on soil respiration, nitrate, ammonium, and crop yield as soil health indicators. The goal of this project is to compare predicted soil health ratings with measured crop yield. Many more measurements are becoming available to test soil health as standards are being determined. Other potential soil health indicators include infiltration, bulk density, active carbon, microbial biomass, and aggregate stability.METHODSThis two year project occurred in 2014 and 2015 at the Ohio Agriculture Research and Development Center Northwest Agriculture Research Station located near Custar, Ohio. The field was planted to soybeans in 2013. Treatments are shown in Table 1, and consisted of cover crops no-till planted in 2014 (Treatments #1, 3, and 6), conservation tillage (Treatment #2), and no tillage/no cover (Treatment #5). Samples were also collected from the sod bordering the field (Treatment #4). All treatments except for the sod border were replicated four times in a randomized complete block design. Plot size was 10 x 80 feet. Herbicides were applied on April 17, 2015 to kill existing cover crop growth. Pioneer 0496AMX corn was seeded on all treatment plots except sod border on May 8, 2015 by a no-till seeder, with all plots receiving the same tillage, fertilizer and corn seeding rate (32,000 seeds/acre). Side-dressed nitrogen (28% UAN) was applied at a rate of 66 gallons per acre on June 23 during the V6 corn stage. Corn was harvested on October 16. Harvest data was collected from the center two rows in each plot.Table 1. Conservation practices applied to field trial in 2014.
Treatment #1 (Multi) consisted of a mix of the following cover crop species: winter pea, cow pea, sun hemp, oats, pearl millet, radish, ethiopian cabbage, and sunflower. Red clover (Treatment #6) was broadcast-seeded into growing wheat on April 24, 2014. Red clover continued to grow after wheat harvest in July and was terminated by herbicide application the following spring when corn was planted. The Multi (treatment #1) and Winter Pea (treatment #3) cover crops were drill planted with no tillage into wheat residue on August 13 (Sundermeier, 2015). Soil respiration samples for the Solvita™ tests were collected by using a core sampler to minimize the disturbance of the soil core. Soil respiration samples were single measurements, collected from one replicate plot per treatment, taken on May 8, May 20, and June 8, 2015.
Figure 1. Collecting core samples for soil respiration test. Photo courtesy of Solvita (www.solvita.com).The soil respiration Solvita™ test was conducted by two different methods, the Solvita™ field test and the laboratory burst test. The field test can be done on site with fresh, moist, and undisturbed soil. The collected soil is directly transferred from the field to the sample jar and incubated 24 hours at room temperature. A paddle with the gel-technology system reacts with carbon dioxide released from the soil in the jar and changes color. Paddle color change correlates with respiration activity and can be visually measured or precisely recorded with a digital color reader (Figures 2 and 3). To convert the field test color index reading into CO2 respiration values, the Basic Solvita™ Field Test CO2 Calculator was used (https://solvita.com/soil/basal-co2-guide/). Values are adjusted to soil temperature at the time of sampling. Respiration rates are reported in pounds per acre CO2 (Ward Laboratories, Inc, n.d.).
Figure 2. Jars and Gel Paddles for Solvita test. Photo courtesy of Solvita (www.solvita.com).
Figure 3. Digital Color Reader. Photo courtesy of Solvita (www.solvita.com)The Solvita™ carbon dioxide burst test was conducted at a certified laboratory (Ward Laboratory, Nebraska). Carbon dioxide burst tests were single measurements, collected from one replicate plot per treatment, on June 18. When shipping samples, care was taken to avoid excess heating or collapse of the soil sample in order to prevent the sample from respiring during shipment. Therefore, soil samples were shipped with a container of dry ice and cushioned in the shipping box. Once received at the laboratory, samples were dried and remoistened with a specific amount of water, which causes a “burst” release of carbon dioxide. Measurements were taken with the same method as the field test. Soil nitrate and ammonium samples were collected from 0-12 inch deep soil probes and sent to A & L labs in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Samples were collected at the same location and dates as the field respiration tests: single measurements, collected from one replicate plot per treatment, taken on May 8, May 20, and June 8, 2015. Ammonium analysis was conducted from the same samples submitted for nitrate analysis. Measurement of profitability as corn grain yield was analyzed from randomized, replicated treatments.RESULTSThe field test for carbon dioxide showed variability among treatments both within the same sample date and variability between different sample dates (Figure 4). Sod treatment had 148 pounds per acre CO2 measured on May 6 with the field test. This compared to 14 pounds per acre CO2 for the no cover treatment on the same date. The May 18 sample date had red clover with the highest CO2 measurement at 148 pounds per acre CO2. However, multi-species cover crop (23 pounds per acre CO2) had the lowest measurement on that date. The June 3 sample date had lower values measured in the cover crop and sod treatments compared to the May sample dates.
Figure 4. Carbon dioxide measurements from Solvita field tests on three dates, expressed as lbs CO2/acre.The burst test on June 18 (Figure 5) showed similar CO2 values for cover crop treatments, with multi-species (131 lbs/acre), winter pea (120 lbs/acre), and red clover (125 lbs/acre). The highest value (143 lbs/acre) was measured in the tillage treatment.
Figure 5. Carbon dioxide measurements from Solvita burst tests from June 18, expressed as lbs CO2/acre. Comparison between the field and burst test showed much higher values for the burst test. The field test on June 3 had the same value (73 lbs CO2/acre ) for multi-species, winter pea, and red clover treatments. This was 47 – 58 pounds per acre less than the burst test for the same treatments. The June 8 sample date (Table 2) showed the highest nitrogen measurements (both nitrate and ammonium) among all treatments except sod. On June 8, red clover measured 18 ppm nitrate compared to 1 ppm for sod. Across all sample dates and treatments, red clover measured consistently high nitrate and ammonium levels. Tillage treatment was comparable to multi-species and winter pea for nitrate and ammonium on the June 8 sample date.Table 2. Soil Ammonium and Nitrate Analysis. Soil ammonium and nitrate measurements (ppm) tests on three dates.
Corn yield results were not significantly different among all treatments (Table 3). Red clover was well established in August when the remaining cover crops were planted. This indicates red clover may have an advantage (Sundermeier, 2010) by adding more biomass and deeper rooting structure that improved corn yield the following year.Table 3. Corn yield by treatment, bu/acre.
Field respiration from sod treatments were the highest value collected on the May 6 sampling date (Figure 4). However, soil nitrate and ammonium values from the same sampling time were the lowest for the sod treatment (Table 2). Conservation tillage showed the highest respiration level from the Solvita™ burst test (Figure 5) and similar soil nitrogen levels compared to cover crop treatments (Table 2).DISCUSSIONCrop production requires adequate soil nitrogen; therefore a false conclusion may be made from only measuring carbon dioxide as a soil health indicator. In this study, one might conclude that sod was the most productive soil according to the field respiration test. However, soil nitrogen levels were the lowest in the sod treatment. This would result in poor crop performance. Soil health reports are needed that include nutrient levels, especially soil nitrogen. Soil conservation practices such as reduced tillage and cover crops have the ability to improve soil productivity. If farmers can measure these soil health improvements and the measurements correlate to crop production increases, then soil conservation will be practiced. The effect of soil moisture and temperature on soil nitrate, ammonium, and carbon dioxide can determine the accuracy of prediction for nitrogen availability (Clark, 2007). A soil health test conducted by V6 growth stage would be useful in corn production to allow farmers to adjust the amount of additional nitrogen to apply according to the soil health test prediction. In this study, the results of the field test (Figure 4) compared to the burst test (Figure 5) for carbon dioxide have different values. When choosing which test to conduct, factors such as time, cost, and training need to be considered. The field test results are completed within 24 hours while the burst test must be sent to a commercial laboratory for testing which may take 10 days or more for results. The field test cost per sample is approximately $40 less than the burst test however the digital color reader (Figure 3) will increase one time costs for field testing by up to $900 (www.solvita.com). Accuracy of results is dependent on proper sample collection and testing for both methods. Carbon dioxide measurements must relate to useful information as a potential indicator for soil health. The field test carbon dioxide trended lower values on June 3 compared to May 6. These trends are not the same as reported by Sciarappa et al. (2015) with annual crops having low early spring carbon dioxide readings then increasing during the cropping season. However, measurements from sod in this study correspond well to the perennial treatments in Sciarappa et al.'s study, with high carbon dioxide levels early in season, then dropping later. A one-time measurement of soil indicators may lead to false conclusions. Multi-seasonal, multi-year and replicated measurements are needed to accurately measure soil biological activity under various soil temperature and moisture conditions. In the future, this study would benefit from multi-year measurements which would allow time for cover crops to provide improved soil health benefits as compared to a short-term biological burst from soil tillage. More research is needed to establish a regional soil health test package that measures the chemical, biological, and physical characteristics of the soil and can accurately predict crop production potential.LITERATURE CITEDClark, A., ed. (2007). Managing Cover Crops Profitably, 3rd Ed. Sustainable Agriculture Network, Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program,United States Department of Agriculture, Handbook Series Book 9.Sciarappa,W., Quinn,V., Murphy,S., Barresi, R. (2015). Surveying Soil Health With The Solvita CO2 Respiration Test. Journal of the National Association ofCounty Agricultural Agents, 8 (2).Solvita, (n.d.). Solvita CO2 Respiration Test, www.solvita.comSundermeier, A. P. (2015).The Effect of Summer Seeded Cover Crops on Corn, Agronomic Crops Network.Sundermeier, A.P. (2010). Nutrient Management with Cover Crops, Journal of the National Association of County Agricultural Agents, 3(1).Ward laboratories, Inc., (n.d.). Solvita Soil Test Information, www.wardlab.com/solvitaUSDA NRCS (n.d.). Soil Health. Retrieved from: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/soils/health/The burst test on June 18 (Figure 5) showed similar CO2 values for cover crop treatments, with multi-species (131 lbs/acre), winter pea (120 lbs/acre), and redclover (125 lbs/acre). The highest value (143 lbs/acre) was measured in the tillage treatment. -
Selecting Corn Hybrids for 2018: Some Considerations
Hybrid selection is one of the most important management decisions a corn grower makes each year. It’s a decision that warrants a careful comparison of performance data. It should not be made in haste or based on limited data. Planting a marginal hybrid, or one not suitable for a particular production environment, imposes a ceiling on the yield potential of a field before it has been planted. In the Ohio Corn Performance Test (OCPT) (http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/corntrials/) it is not unusual for hybrid entries of similar maturity to differ in yield by 50 bu/A or more, depending on test site. Another consideration in hybrid selection which has received more attention recently as commodity prices have dropped are seed costs which increased an average of 11% per year from 2006 and 2014, much higher than the rates for fertilizers and pesticides (http://farmdocdaily.illinois.edu/2017/07/seed-costs-for-corn-in-2017-and-2018.html). Since 2014, per acre seed costs have decreased slightly (USDA Economic Research Service), from $102 per acre in 2015 to $99 per acre in 2016, a decrease of $3 per acre.
Growers should choose hybrids best suited to their farm operation. Corn acreage, previous crop, soil type, tillage practices, desired harvest moisture, and pest problems determine the relative importance of such traits as drydown, insect and disease resistance, herbicide resistance, early plant vigor, etc. End uses of corn should also be considered - is corn to be used for grain or silage? Is it to be sold directly to the elevator as shelled grain or used on the farm? Are there premiums available at nearby elevators, or from end users, for identity-preserved (IP) specialty corns such as food grade or non-GMO corn? Capacity to harvest, dry and store grain also needs consideration. The following are some tips to consider in choosing hybrids that are best suited to various production systems.
1. Select hybrids with maturity ratings appropriate for your geographic area or circumstances. Corn for grain should reach physiological maturity or "black layer" (maximum kernel dry weight) one to two weeks before the first killing frost in the fall. Grain drying can be a major cost in corn production. Use days-to-maturity, growing degree day (GDD) ratings, and harvest grain moisture data from performance trials to determine differences in hybrid maturity and drydown. One of the most effective strategies for spreading risk, and widening the harvest interval, is planting multiple hybrids of varying maturity.
2. Choose hybrids that have produced consistently high yields across a number of locations. Choosing a hybrid simply because it contains the most stacked transgenic traits, or possesses appealing cosmetic traits, like “flex” ears, will not ensure high yields; instead, look for yield consistency across environments. Hybrids will perform differently based on region, soils and environmental conditions. Growers should not rely solely on one hybrid characteristic, or transgenic traits, to make their product selection. Most of the hybrids available to Ohio growers contain transgenic insect and herbicide resistance. In the 2017 OCPT over 90% of the hybrids tested contained transgenic traits. However, recent OCPTs reveal that some non-transgenic hybrid entries have yield potential comparable to the highest yielding stacked trait entries. Nevertheless, when planting fields where corn rootworm (RW), European corn borer (ECB) and Western Bean Cutworm (WBC) are likely to be problems (in the case of RW - continuous corn and in the case of ECB and WBC - late plantings), Bt traits offer outstanding protection and may mitigate the impact of other stress conditions. For more on Bt traits currently available, check out the most recent version of the “Handy Bt Trait Table” from Michigan State University (http://www.msuent.com/assets/pdf/BtTraitTable15March2017.pdf).
3. Plant hybrids with good standability to minimize stalk lodging (stalk breakage below the ear). This is particularly important in areas where stalk rots are perennial problems, or where field drying is anticipated. There are hybrids that have outstanding yield potential, but may be more susceptible to lodging problems under certain environmental conditions after they reach harvest maturity. The potential for stalk lodging increases at higher plant populations (usually above 32,000 -33,000 plants per acre) but many hybrids can tolerate higher final stands. Corn growers should consult with their seed dealer on hybrid sensitivity to stalk lodging, root lodging and greensnap (pre-tassel stalk brakeage caused by wind). Greensnap is relatively rare in Ohio but may cause major yield losses in some hybrids as the result of strong windstorms in late June and July.
4. Select hybrids with resistance and/or tolerance to the most common stalk rots, foliar diseases, and ear rots. These include northern corn leaf blight, gray leaf spot, Gibberella, Anthracnose and Diplodia stalk rots and Gibberella and Diplodia ear rots. More rust on corn was reported in 2017 than normal, including both common rust and southern rust. The latter is rarer but the more damaging of the two major rust diseases that affect corn in Ohio (https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2017-22/southern-rust...). Corn growers should obtain information from their seed dealer on hybrid reactions to specific diseases that have caused problems or that have occurred locally.
5. Never purchase a hybrid without consulting performance data. Results of university/extension, company, and county replicated hybrid performance trials should be reviewed before purchasing hybrids. Because weather conditions are unpredictable, the most reliable way to select superior hybrids is to consider performance during the last year and the previous year over as wide a range of locations and climatic conditions as possible. Hybrids that consistently perform well across a range of environmental conditions, including different soil and weather conditions, have a much greater likelihood of performing well the next year, compared to hybrids that have exhibited more variable performance. To assess a hybrid’s yield averaged across multiple Ohio sites and years, consult the sortable “Combined Regional Summary of Hybrid Performance” tables available online http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/corntrials/regions.asp?year=2017®ion=State .
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Weather Forecast
The active weather pattern will continue. The week of July 11th will bring a very warm and humid week with rounds of showers and thunderstorms. Some storms may be severe at times with high winds and heavy rains. Maximum temperatures will be in the 80s to lower 90s this week with overnight lows in the 60s to lower 70s. Temperatures will average about 5 degrees above normal for the week. Relief from the very warm weather will occur this coming weekend again with lower humidity and temperatures returning to not far from normal, likely a few degrees below the normal highs which are generally in the 80s now. Rainfall will average 1-2 inches but again will be highly variable due to thunderstorms ranging form less than an inch to over 3 inches in places. Normal rainfall is near 1 inch for the week.
The week of July 17 will feature a pleasant start with a return of hot weather. Scattered storms will return as well as the week goes along. Overall, the week of July 17 will continue to support rapid growth of crops with the warm weather. With ample soil moisture in most areas, this will keep the heat in check with temperatures likely not getting too much above 90 which is not too far from ideal heat, just a bit high.
The week of July 24 will see a return to more normal temperatures with rainfall being above normal again. The switch to drier weather this summer just has not happened. We thought a switch would occur sometime in July but it looks more likely to occur in August now.
Drought this summer is confined to the far western corn belt of western Iowa and eastern Nebraska and it is a fairly small area. The main drought area is in South and North Dakota into Montana and is more focused on the wheat areas. Most of the corn and soybean areas are seeing fairly decent conditions this summer.
The 16-day rainfall forecast is for 2-4 inches across Ohio from south to north on average. Normal is 2 inches so no real dry concerns are seen the next few weeks. You can see the latest 16-day rainfall forecast from the NOAA Ohio River Forecast Center in the map below. Most of the corn and soybean belt at least an inch of rainfall except far western areas including Nebraska and eastern South Dakota the next two weeks.
NOAA/NWS/NCEP has a very sophisticated weather model that forecasts the radar for the next 12+ hours for very short term help to farmers and others:
You need to select loop all at the bottom. You also need to change the date to the current day as well. Check it out!
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We've been slimed -- Slugs impacting corn and soybean crops in Ohio
The mild and rainy planting season not only delayed getting our crops in, but also favored slug populations to thrive. We have been receiving many calls on slug damage, especially in cover crops that have just been killed. As the cover crop dies down, the slugs hang around and wait to feed on the emerging corn or soybean. At this point, heavily damaged fields may consider slug baits that contain metaldehyde or iron phosphate to prevent further feeding, although these control options are expensive and time is running out since the slugs are maturing into less damaging stages.There has been some discussion on using 28% UAN to control slugs—getting adequate slug control with this tactic is extremely difficult, and also runs the risk of burning crop foliage. Hopefully, as our crops grow (and given the predicting heat and lack of precipitation in the forecast, it may be quick), they could be able to grow out of the damage. As long as the growing point has not been damaged, both corn and soybean could withstand some feeding without a significant loss in yield.
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Scab Risk Continues to be Low but Don’t Forget about Foliar Diseases
Wheat is now flowering in parts of northern Ohio and will continue to flower over the next weeks of so. According to the FHB forecasting system (http://www.wheatscab.psu.edu/), the risk for scab is low in central and northern Ohio for fields flowering at this time. Although it has rained over the last 2-4 days in parts of the flowering regions, conditions were relatively cool and dry last week, which likely reduced the risk of the scab fungus infecting the wheat spikes. Remember, the scab tool uses average relative humidity during the 15 days immediately before flowering to assess the risk of scab. If 11-13 days during that 15-day window are cool and dry, then the overall risk will likely be low, even if it is wet and humid on the other 2-4 days. Continue to keep your eyes on the weather and the forecasting system over the next week. Fields flowering at the end of this week or early next week (May 26-30) may still be at risk for scab. Prosaro and Caramba are the two fungicides recommended for head scab control. Stay away from the strobilurins when the risk for scab is high as they have been linked to higher grain contamination with vomitoxin. Click on the links below to see updated factsheet # PLPATH-CER-06 for more on head scab of wheat and barley and factsheet # PLPATH-CER-03 for guidelines on how to use and interpret the scab forecasting system. http://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/plpath-cer-06
http://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/plpath-cer-03
While we may not have a problem with scab this year, some foliar diseases have increased over the last week or so. In particular, strip rust and Septoria are now showing up and spreading. Both of these develop best under cool, wet conditions, similar to what we have experienced over the last two weeks. Strip rust is not as widespread this year as it was last year. It is localized and restricted to a few varieties, but given the current weather conditions, it could spread rapidly and still affect grain yield and test weight in those varieties. Cool, wet conditions often result in extended grain-fill and higher yields, but this also allows more time for late-season diseases to develop. Scout flowering fields to see if your variety is susceptible to stripe rust, Septoria, or even Stagonospora. Prosaro and Caramba will also provide excellent control of these diseases, but keep your eyes on the pre-harvest intervals – it is 30 days for both. This is probably your last shot as we will likely begin cutting wheat in about 30-40 days in northern Ohio and sooner in the south. It is likely too late to treat fields that are well into grain-fill. Read more on wheat rusts as: http://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/plpath-cer-12.
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“Corkscrewed” mesocotyl development causing emergence problems in corn
Last week I received several reports of abnormal corn emergence. Often the problems were associated with corn seedlings leafing out underground and it’s likely weather and seedbed conditions were responsible for the occurrence of the abnormal growth. Seedlings exhibiting abnormal emergence may have a twisted appearance because internal leaves start expanding before the seeding has elongated. “Corkscrewed” mesocotyl/coleoptile development may occur when the coleoptile encounters resistance (like soil crusting or a dense soil surface) as the mesocotyl elongates. Several factors (or combination of factors) may be responsible for this abnormal growth. These factors may be characterized as environmental, chemical, or mechanical. Environmental conditions associated with underground leafing include light penetration, cold soils, or heavy rains soon after planting. When plants unfurl below the soil surface, they usually turn yellow and die.
In a cloddy field where soil coverage of seed is poor and irregular, sunlight can reach the germinating seedling and induce leaf emergence beneath the soil surface. Also, heavy rains after planting can cause a hard crust, which makes emergence of small seedlings very difficult (this seemed to be the most likely factor causing problems this year). As a result, bending and twisting of the seedling below the crusted layer often occurs. Planting the seed too deep has also been associated with premature unfurling of the corn.
Certain herbicides, such as cell growth inhibitors like acetochlor, and various premixes that contain their active ingredients can show similar symptoms (i.e. twisting, abnormal growth) when excessive rates are applied pre-emergence. Besides excessive rates, improperly closed seed furrows can allow the pre-emergence herbicide to come in direct contact with the seed.
In a 2015 article concerning corn emergence problems (URL: http://www.kingcorn.org/news/timeless/CorkScrews.html), Dr. Bob Nielsen at Purdue University notes that cold soils and/or wide fluctuations in soil temperatures throughout the day during the emergence process may be a major contributing factor for the development of corkscrewed mesocotyl. In recent weeks, we have also encountered some swings in soil temperatures during emergence in areas where problems occurred.Corn seedlings that exhibit abnormal unfurling symptoms during emergence will be unable to penetrate any but the loosest soil even if the crust is broken mechanically or softened by rain. Prompt treatment with a rotary hoe, weeder, spiketooth harrow or cultipacker may help break the crust and improve emergence. However, even when used carefully, these salvage operations can cause some damage to seedlings, which are emerging normally. To minimize poor seedling emergence due to unfurling below the soil surface, watch for cloddy seedbeds, open seed furrows, and crusting surface soils after rains.
References
Nielsen, R.L. 2015. Corkscrewed Mesocotyls & Failed Corn Emergence. Corny News Network, Purdue Univ. Online at URL: http://www.kingcorn.org/news/timeless/CorkScrews.html [URL accessed May 15, 2017]
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Don’t Get in a Hurry to Apply Nitrogen to Wheat
Normally we would be concerned about producers applying nitrogen to wheat on frozen ground this time of year. The recent wave of abnormally warm temperatures has removed any frost that was in the ground and suggests that green-up may come sooner than recent years.
Even if wheat comes out of winter earlier, the crop still does not require large amounts of N until stem elongation/jointing (Feekes Growth Stage 6), which is generally the middle or the end of April depending on the location in the state and spring temperatures. Ohio research has shown no yield benefit from applications made prior to this time period. Soil organic matter and/or N applied at planting generally provide sufficient N for early growth until stem elongation.
Nitrogen applied prior to rapid utilization has the potential to be lost and unavailable for the crop. Nitrogen source will also affect the potential for loss. Urea-ammonium nitrate (28%) has the greatest potential for loss, ammonium sulfate the least, and urea would be somewhere between the two other sources.
Ohio research has shown that yield losses may occur from N applied prior to green-up regardless of the N source. The level of loss depends on the year (losses would be smaller if the ground is not frozen or snow/ice covered). This same research did not observe a yield increase from applications made prior to green-up compared to green-up or Feekes Growth Stage 6 applications. Keep in mind that green-up is a descriptive, relative term and not a definable growth stage. Our definition of green-up is when the new growth of spring has covered the dead tissue from winter giving the field a solid green color – thus, growing plants.
There is a legitimate concern that wet weather may prevent application of N at early stem elongation. Ohio research has shown a yield decrease may occur when N application is delayed until Feekes Growth Stage 9 (flag leaf fully emerged). Thus a practical compromise is to topdress N any time fields are suitable for application after initial green-up to early stem elongation. There is still a potential for loss even at green-up applications. To lessen this risk a producer may want to use a N source that has a lower potential for loss such as urea or ammonium sulfate. ESN (polymer-coated urea) would be another option but it needs to be blended with urea or ammonium sulfate to insure enough N will be available for the crop between Feekes GS 6 – 9. The source of N becomes less important as the application date approaches stem elongation. The percentage of urea and/or ammonium sulfate would need to be increased with ESN for application times closer to Feekes GS 6. A producer may want to consider the use of a urease inhibitor with urea if conditions are favorable for volatilization losses: warming temperatures, drying winds and no rain in the forecast for 48 hours.
A split application of N may also be used to spread the risk of N loss and to improve N efficiency; however, Ohio State University research has not shown a yield increase from this practice compared to a single application after green-up. In a split system, the first application should be applied no sooner than green-up. A smaller rate should be applied with the first application since little is needed by the crop at that time and the larger rate applied closer to Feekes GS 6.
In summary, a producer may get away with applying N prior to green-up on wheat. However university data has not shown a yield advantage for these early applications, but results have shown in certain years a major N loss and yield reduction from applications prior to green-up. Why take the risk, just wait until green-up; the wheat does not need most of the N until April and May anyway.
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Prepping Your Yield Monitor for the 2016 Harvest Season
As the use of precision agriculture continues to increase across the US, it is more and more important to ensure that all equipment is prepped, calibrated, and ready for a successful harvest. One of the more common uses of precision agriculture comes in the form of yield mapping. Yield maps not only help growers understand end-of-year performance within fields, but also can be used to characterize in-field variation. Information about this variation is often used by service providers to deliver prescriptions, recommendations, or other information back to the farmer. Because yield maps continue to be an important data layer to learn from and help drive changes or decisions at a field level, proper management of the yield monitor in 2016 is key in order to generate accurate and reliable yield data. Grain moisture and test weight, along with grain flow through the combine, will vary within passes and across the field. Therefore, the flow and moisture sensors on combines must be calibrated to these expected conditions in order to log accurate data. The following best practice guidelines provide essential pre-harvest and harvest yield monitor tips:
- Be sure to update firmware and/or software for the yield monitoring systems. If necessary, contact your equipment or technology service provider about available firmware updates and where they can be downloaded.
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Most yield monitors use a mass flow sensor at the top of the clean grain elevator. Due to the grain impact, the plate will wear to the point of developing a hole if it isn't replaced soon enough. The wear that occurs changes the reading from the mass flow sensor. Be sure to replace the plate if wear is evident. Don’t neglect to recalibrate after replacing yield monitor components. This recalibration is necessary to ensure accuracy of the yield monitor.
- A more simple explanation is that a worn impact plate can result in an incorrect yield reading on your display. It is important to not overlook the yield mapping system as a worn component will throw off yield readings.
- Update and/or configure DGPS. Software related to auto-steer, yield monitors and other GPS-based systems requires separate attention. Licenses must be renewed. Calibrations and parameters must be updated or confirmed—especially if the display screen in the combine cab was used for planting or spraying earlier in the year. It’s necessary to meticulously switch every setting and value, from machine dimensions to type of crop and operation, so they are relevant to harvest operations.
- Check auto-steer operations and that previously used AB/guidance lines are available within the display. Remember, you may have to adjust sensitivity settings.
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It is also important to calibrate yield monitors for every crop, each season to ensure that all data being collected is as accurate as possible. The yield monitor needs to “be taught” how to convert the readings from the mass flow sensor into yield; therefore, it is necessary to show the yield monitor the range of yield conditions it will encounter throughout the season.
- It is wise to periodically check the calibration throughout the season to be sure the data being collected is still accurate.
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Remember to recalibrate if harvest conditions change. For example, if:
- Yield monitor components are replaced or adjusted.
- Grain moistures increase or decrease by over 6% to 8%.
- After a rain shower but still dry enough to harvest.
- The use of grain carts to calibrate yield monitors can be acceptable as long as it weighs accurately compared to certified scales. One should make sure the weigh wagon is on level ground (<2% slope) and stationary for a few seconds before documenting the weight.
- Bring along your field notes so you can review them during harvest as crop conditions vary or issues are observed.
- While harvest is a busy time, taking notes and images during harvest (especially if conducting on-farm research) can be valuable data when finally sitting down for post-harvest analysis and summary. We all forget, so notes and images can help document important information!
For more information on calibrating yield monitors, please check out the Ohio State Precision Ag website http://fabe.osu.edu/programs/precision-ag/other where a variety of yield calibration quick guides are available.
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PLANT PLANT PLANT!!!
The weather pattern has become favorable for planting. In the short-term planting is favorable but it could become less favorable in the next 1-2 week again so it is worth taking advantage of the window.As expected our weather pattern has changed to a much warmer one. This will persist for some time now. Temperatures for the rest of May will average +5F. This will allow May to go down as 0 to -1F for the month and it looks like the period of March to May will actually go down as +1 to +2F even with recent coolness.
Drying conditions will be excellent until Wedneday as relative humidity will be quite low until midweek. Humid conditions with dewpoints in the 60s will return Wednesday into the holiday weekend.
There will be a shift of the main rain focus to the western half of the corn and soybean belt over the next 2 weeks. Rainfall in the eastern sections will be close to normal. Normal is about an inch per week. Due to scattered thunderstorms starting Wednesday and on, rainfall will be quite variable. Rainfall through the rest of May will average 0.75 to 1.00 but will range from 0.25 to 2.00 inches. This is common in summer-time type patterns.
The outlook for June calls for temperatures +1 to +2F with rainfall 0 to +1 inches.
The outlook for July calls for temperatures 0 to +2F with rainfall -1 inch.
Outlook period Temperatures RainfallRest of May +5F 0.25-2.00 (averaged 0.75-1.00) inchesJune +1F to +2F 0 to +1 inchJuly 0 to +2F -1 inch -
Slowly Improving Conditions Next 1-2 Weeks For Planting
The main headline going forward the next 1-2 week across the corn and soybean belt as a whole is for improving conditions for planting across the region so expect to see increasing planting from west to east in the next 1-2 weeks.So what to expect going forward. As we talked last week it appears the below normal temperatures would hang on through about May 22 or so. This still looks to be the case. Temperatures this week will average 4-8 degrees below normal. At the same time, weather systems will move through on Tuesday then again late Friday into Saturday but the main focus will be the southern half of Ohio. Rainfall for the week will range from about 0.25 inches in the north to near 1 inch in the far south. Overall, this will mean below normal precipitation in most areas as well. Evapotranspiration with the cool weather will be below normal as well so drying will be slow but overall this week should not be as bad as last week.
Mother Nature has decided not to be so nice lately to us. As we talked last week we expected some frost May 15 and 16 and this is exactly what occurred. For the most part temperatures dropped to 31-36F Monday morning but it was mainly a frost event and no hard freeze as that requires temperatures below 28 for at least 3 hours and this appears to not have occurred. There was some lake effect snow mainly on grassy areas in far northeast Ohio as well.
I can't rule out some patchy frost in far eastern Ohio and northeast Ohio the middle of this week with low temperatures 35-40 degrees but again no hard freezes are expected.Going into the last full week of May we should see more dry days than wet with temperatures shifting to 1-3F above normal as we forecast last week as well.
The outlook through May 22 calls for temperatures below normal and rainfall normal to slightly below normal. The outlook from May 23 through May 31 calls for temperatures above normal and rainfall not far from normal or slightly below normal. Normal rainfall is about an inch per week.
Dates Weather Element Outlook
May 17 - May 22 Temperatures -4F to -8F
May 17 - May 22 Rainfall 0.25-1.0 inches north to south
May 23 - May 31 Temperatures +1F to +3F
May 23 - May 31 Rainfall 0.75-1.0 inchesThe two week rainfall outlook can be seen in the graphic. Normal rainfall for the period is about 2 inches.
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Planting and Pollinators
Beekeepers in Ohio benefitted from the generally mild winter of 2015-2016. In Columbus we lost less than 20% of our colonies over winter. Spring is the only reliably good season for bees in Ohio. Colonies that survived the winter and new colonies brought up from the Gulf Coast or California are currently in the process of harvesting nectar and pollen from spring-blooming trees and weeds. Little honey will be made from this spring bounty as most will be eaten by the bees themselves as they multiply and grow into large productive colonies that will be able to make a honey crop off of clovers, black locust, alfalfa and soybean in the coming months. Additionally, robust colonies will be needed to pollinate the fruit trees soon and pumpkins, squash and cucumbers later in the summer.
Spring build-up of honey bee colonies can be directly threatened by corn planting. Insecticide seed treatments used on corn seed generate an insecticidal dust when they are planted. Bees may encounter a cloud of insecticidal dust as they cross corn fields to visit the dandelions and blooming trees in field margins. Insecticidal dust can also settle on these flowers that bees are visiting. Insecticides formulated as dusts are the absolute worst for honey bees because they do not immediately kill the bees that encounter the insecticide. Rather than causing immediate death, the dust is packed up with the pollen and brought back to the colony where it is fed to young bees inside the colony.
In spring of 2015, we sampled pollen from ten bee yards in the counties west of Columbus. During corn planting, all colonies were bringing back pollen containing corn seed treatment insecticides. While no spectacular bee-kills were observed in our colonies, we did observe a significant increase in the number of dead bees appearing in front of colonies during the week of corn planting in 2015. While the long-term consequences of planting-related mortality are not clear, it is an unwelcome additional stress on bee colonies that are already under stress from mites, diseases and nutritional problems.
Corn growers can limit exposure of seed treatment dust to honeybees by 1) starting with clean and weed-free fields; 2) following recommendations for using talc; 3) avoid planting on windy days; and 4) following proper disposal procedures when finished.
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Farm Science Review - Agronomy College
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Regional Updates: May 28 – June 2, 2024
Planting progress is still variable across the state, but the weather last week provided another window for field activities. Hear from Ohio State University Extension Educators and Specialists on crop conditions and pest issues across the state.
Northeast – According to Lee Beers of OSU Extension Trumball County, about 75-85% of northeast Ohio is planted. Soybean is between VE and V2 growth stages and in good condition, though slugs continue to be reported in no-till fields (Figure 1).
Emerged corn is also in good condition and is anywhere between VE and V3 with increasing weed pressure in fields that did not use a residual herbicide. The main weed species present are pigweeds, common lambsquarter, and yellow nutsedge. In wheat and other small grains, cereal leaf beetle is present and causing foliar damage in affected fields (Figure 2).
The main field activities this past week were planting, spraying, and manure application. Some growers took advantage of a three-day window to make hay, but overall weather has not been conducive for making dry hay in the area.
Southwest – Gigi Neal reported that planting progress continues, and the area is now approximately 75% planted. Growers were also able to bale hay between rain events and continue nitrogen side dressing in corn. Emerged corn and soybean stands are in good condition, but some fields are suffering from poor weed control. Some replant did occur in the region, including a soybean field damaged by an herbicide misapplication. (Figure 3).
Southeast – Jordan Penrose of OSU Extension Gallia County shared that the southwest region is nearly finished with planting and dry conditions allowed for the making of hay and baleage. The majority of emerged soybean fields are in good condition and between VE and VC growth stages. This past week, slug damage was also reported in Licking County. Corn stands are in good condition and are reaching the V2 growth stage. Area Extension Educators noted cocklebur being identified in some pastures.
Northwest – OSU Extension Wood County Extension Educator Nick Eckel reported that the region is on average 70-80% planted, with areas in Henry, Wood, and Sandusky Counties further behind due to wet conditions. Corn is VE – V6 across the region, and soybean ranges between the VE and V2 growth stage. In wheat, some lodging has occurred, and true armyworm was identified in Paulding County. So far reports of Fusarium head blight or head scab have been minimal, but growers feeding out livestock with wheat straw should avoid infected fields to minimize mycotoxin risk. True armyworm was also observed in Van Wert County after the first cutting of hay, and potato leaf hopper was seen in unharvested alfalfa fields in Putnam County. Emerged soybean and corn are in good condition, though some earlier planted corn fields are showing signs of sidewall compaction likely due to suboptimal planting conditions.
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Autumn Harvest Still Looks Warmer Than Normal
The September to November timeframe still looks warmer than normal, somewhat like last year but not as warm in September into October as last year with a medium to high confidence in the outlook. Rainfall looks generally close to normal through November. Confidence in the rainfall is not as high and is considered medium as there is some uncertainty in the preferred tropical moisture flow. Like last year the first freeze looks to be normal to later than normal in October.
For September, the first half looks slightly warmer and drier than normal (see latest rainfall outlook in attached image). Uncertainty grows in the second half of September as it might turn wetter than normal. The second half will completely depend on tropical moisture return from the south. Therefore, a near normal rainfall pattern is currently anticipated when you average out the two September periods.
For October and November above normal temperatures will persist with precipitation somewhat variable around normal with a slight lean toward drier than normal.
It does not appear we will see any early freeze this autumn which is good news. Expect the first freeze about on time to a week or two later than normal in October.
The latest climate outlooks can be found by NOAA at: https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov
Finally, for the first half of September rainfall is forecast to average 1-2 inches which is not far from average.
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Early Season Wheat Diseases and Fungicides
The wheat crop in Ohio is now between early boot (Feekes 10, in the south) and approaching Feekes 8 (flag leaf emergence) in northern counties. Cooler-than-usual conditions over the last few weeks have slowed the crop down considerably, but as temperatures increase, the crop will advance through several growth stages over a relatively short period. Cool conditions have also kept foliar diseases in check, but Septoria, and to a lesser extent, powdery mildew are still showing up in some fields. Septoria tritici leaf spot is favored by cool, wet conditions similar to those experienced over the last several weeks. It usually shows up first on the lower leaves as yellowish flecks that later develop into irregularly-shaped, brownish-gray lesions, with easily-seen dark-brown to black spots (called pycnidia) in the center. Cool temperatures and high relative humidity are also required for the development of powdery mildew. Typical symptoms of powdery mildew are whitish fungal growth (pustules) on the surface of leaves and stems. If the variety is susceptible and conditions continue to be favorable, a fungicide application may be warranted to prevent both diseases from reaching the flag leaf before grain-fill.
Septoria tritici leaf spot on wheat – note the black dots (pycnidia) inside the lesion.
Powdery mildew on wheat leaf – as the name suggests, note the powdery, white pustules.
Most of the fungicides commonly used on wheat are rated as very good or excellent against Septoria and good or very good against powdery mildew. See the attached chart for fungicide options and efficacy. Remember, always read and follow the labels when making an application. For both diseases, a single application between Feekes 8 and Feekes 10 would be sufficient to protect the flag leaf and minimize yield loss. However, applications made at these early growth stages will not provide adequate control of late-season diseases like head scab and Stagonospora glume blotch. So, you should scout fields before making your fungicide application decisions. If powder mildew and Septoria levels are low as the crop approaches heading (Feekes 10.5), you may be better off waiting to treat fields at anthesis (Feekes), as this will help to suppress head scab, which is still the most damaging and important disease of wheat in Ohio, while at the same time provide very good control of Septoria, powdery mildew, and late-season diseases such as Stagonospora and rust.
Click on the image above to view a pdf printable version of the chart.
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2022 Ohio Weed University
2022 Ohio Weed University
Are you concerned about the effectiveness of your herbicide program? Want to sharpen your weed id skills? Not sure which nozzles provide the best control options? Is herbicide resistance REALLY that big of a problem? These topics and many more will be discussed at the 2022 Ohio Weed University.
Are you concerned about palmer amaranth? Did you know that palmer amaranth, waterhemp and other invasive weeds can now be found in most Ohio Counties? One female palmer amaranth plant can produce 1 million seeds. I have it … now how do I control it? How did I get it, how is it spread? These issues will be discussed at the 2022 Ohio Weed University.
This high-impact program is designed for producers wanting to be on the “Cutting Edge” of crop production for their operations. Topics Include: Local Weed Populations and Late Season Weed Issues; Hot Topics in Weed Control; Weed Biology and Control Strategies; Cover Crop Management in Forages; and Evaluating Your Herbicide Program. Hands-on activities include Weed identification utilizing live plants at various growth stages; Nozzle selection and calibration utilizing a spray table; and Tank mixing order for different products. Featured Ohio State University speakers include Dr. Mark Loux, Alyssa Essman and various Extension Educators.
Dates and locations are listed below:
February 2, 2022 – 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. February 3, 2022 – 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Coshocton County: Roscoe Village Adams County: Cherry Fork Community Center
Fayette County: Fayette Co. Extension Office Paulding County: Paulding Co. Extension Office
Morrow County: Morrow Co. Extension Office Shelby County: Amos Memorial Public Library
Registration information can be found at https://u.osu.edu/knoxcountyag/2022/01/03/ohio-weed-university/
Interested in additional weed management programs? Join Take Action for Inside Weed Management, a webinar series hosted by Take Action, providing helpful tools to help you manage herbicide resistance on your farm. This year, join weed scientists from land-grant universities across the country as they share information about harvest weed seed control, the value of residuals and metabolic herbicide resistance.
Registration Links:
Why Care About Metabolic Herbicide Resistance? – Thursday, 1/13/22, 10-11 a.m. CST
Value of Residuals in Herbicide-Resistant Weed Problems – Thursday, 1/20/22, 10-11 a.m. CST
Harvest Weed Seed Control Practices – Thursday, 1/27/22, 10-11 a.m. CST
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H2Ohio Signup Deadline Returned to Tuesday, March 31st
Due to the COVID-19 and expected resulting budget issues, the Ohio Department of Agriculture has reinstated the original Tuesday, March 31st deadline for H2Ohio sign-up. The original deadline had been tentatively extended to June 2nd because of the COVID-19 but this extension no longer exists.
Farmers and livestock producers in the 14 county Maumee River Watershed should immediately contact their local Soil and Water Conservation Districts. The SWCD districts will need your farm name, acres, and what practices you are interested in. They will likely be overwhelmed so have a good idea of what you want to sign-up for when you call. They can then work with you in the weeks that follow to get a contract signed.
For a complete list of the funded practices and for a listing of SWCD offices, go to http://h2.ohio.gov/agriculture/
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From the Heart
In trying times, where do you turn?
Farmers are some of the most humble, down to earth people I know and they thrive on being able to feed the country. The stresses these farmers and farm families are enduring and hard on everyone involved. While they know that they work in a business where risks are always present due to weather, they sometimes need support and encouragement to work through their own mental and physical stress and even fatigue during these times. Most of the farmers live on the land they farm and don’t have the chance to get away from these stresses. Most of us that work, work at a place that when it gets stressful, we get to leave for the day. Farmers, on the other hand, don’t usually have this option. They live, sleep and breathe their occupation.
There are so many decisions that farmers are making today into what this generation knows as uncharted territory. They are worried about wet weather, how will I feed my livestock and where will my income come from? Maybe you are a farmer reading this or maybe the farm wife, the neighbor, the family member or an agribusiness person, but one thing is for sure farmers are the heartbeat of many communities. This week in the CORN newsletter, I am asking you who are reading it to take into account some steps outside your normal routine.
1. Slow down and breathe - farmer, farm family or other - we live in such a fast-paced world. There are decisions that are being made that effect so many people. We are truly all in this together. We need to be kind and a friend at all times.
2. Take five minutes to take care of yourself. Depression and anxiety are real and you may seem like you can't even put one foot in front of the other today. Let me tell you something, you are valuable, you are needed and it will be okay. Maybe not okay in the sense that you think or the direction or path that was in your "Plan A" but you will be okay.
3. Give a smile, hello, nod or wave to another human being. Remember it takes more muscles to frown than it does to smile.
4. If you feel these families need some extra help, reach out to your local Extension Office and they will help point you in the right direction.
The CORN newsletter is full of information to help in the decision process. No, it's not all rainbows and unicorns – it is real-life decisions. Farmers, this week as you are reading the articles, remember these few things. Write down your options (the pros and cons). Talk with your local Extension Educator or call them out for a farm visit. We, at OSU Extension, are here for you. We care about you even if you have never stepped foot into our office. Our service to you is free.
Additionally, as you read through the articles, think about your options. When it comes to questions on prevent plant acres contact your insurance agent. Don't just assume they know your plans. This newsletter contains recommendations based on agronomic principals and potential considerations from an agricultural production perspective. If the management will be applied to crop insured acres, you should check any impact that the management change will have on current or future insurance payments and eligibility.
Please share this information in any way possible - forward the email, tweet the post #FarmLivesMatter, share to your non-farm friends, Snapchat it to your kids, post on Instagram, print it off and drop it at church or even the local grocery store. The agriculture community is powerful and has many opinions, stresses, and directions. Some people have no clue what is going on in and around the agriculture world, so share with them.
Lastly, I am asking the community to check on your farmer neighbors and their families. Drop into the farm to check on the farmer and family. Bring them dinner but don't just drop it off actually share some time with that family. They may come up with every excuse that the house is not clean or I am too busy. Maybe even drag them to your house for dinner. They may not want you there but they need you there as their support system. Getting a vacation from the farm is probably what many families are eliminating due to financial pressures, but human interaction is one powerful value. While a simple way to check in on farmers is a text message, texts don't work in these situations. They need your empathy, not your sympathy. Go old school and play the board game, shut down the social media and have a conversation. These things only cost your time. Did you ever think about giving back to those people who help feed the world?
Have a great week - Potentially more to come this week - Sarah Noggle, Editor
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Prevented Planting...What's That Again?
Wet conditions in Ohio and the Eastern Corn Belt has slowed (halted?) planting progress for Ohio producers. According to the May 20th Crop Progress Report by USDA National Ag Statistics Service, Ohio had only 9% corn planted. Surprisingly that was ‘double’ what was planted the week before and well behind the 5-year average of 62% planted. In 2018, Ohio was 69% planted by this report date.
Certainly, the Prevented Planting (PP) crop insurance tool has become a hot topic this year. Many of you have had the chance to attend PP meetings or speak with your crop insurance agent. If not, we will try to briefly summarize your options and strongly suggest you talk to your agent or utilize one of the calculators (see associated “Decision Tools” article by Sam Custer) to determine which option best suits your farm operation.
Your first option is to plant the corn crop by June 5, the final plant date for corn (or June 20 for soybeans). Up until the final plant date, you are eligible for your full guarantee at the level you have selected. For example, 80% coverage x 170 bu/ac APH x $4.00 = $544/acre. If you elect to plant corn after June 5, you will incur a 1% reduction in your guarantee up through June 25, at which time you can choose not to insure your corn crop or you can insure for the same guarantee as your prevent plant amount. For example, if you plant corn on June 8, the guarantee formula (170 APH, 80% coverage) would be: 80% x 170 bu/ac x $4.00 x 97% = $528/acre. Planting dates need to be recorded, as these rules apply on field-by-field and acre-by-acre basis.
Secondly, you can elect to switch your intended corn acres to soybean acres. You will not have the option to file a PP claim (unless you arrive at June 20 unable to plant soybeans). You will be charged for the soybean insurance premium, not the corn premium. The decision tool referenced earlier will be helpful here as this is not an easy decision. June weather (local and regional), supply/demand economics, trade policy and input options increase the complexity.
Your last option is to file for PP, assuming you did not get corn planted by June 5. The mechanics of PP deserve a review to ensure understanding. PP covers Yield Protection (YP), Revenue Protection (RP) and Revenue Protection with Harvest Price Option policies and references the February new crop corn pricing period (aka projected price). The projected price for 2019 corn is $4.00/bu and $9.54/bu for soybeans. A corn policy has a 55% PP guarantee (buy-up available to 60%) and soybeans a 60% guarantee (with buy-up available to 65%). In order to further be eligible for PP, at least 20 acres or 20% of that unit must not get planted (the lesser of the two). PP does not affect your yield history as long as you do not plant a second crop. So a quick example (80% coverage, 170 bu/ac APH) for prevented plant corn would be: 80% x 170 bu/ac x $4.00 x 55% = $299/acre.
To be sure, there are costs besides the premium that are associated with PP. Are there ‘restocking fees’ associated with returned seed or other inputs? What are the year-long weed control costs? If utilizing cover crops, what will their cost be? What are my land costs or how do I address my land costs? Do I need to pay labor & management costs even though the land wasn’t ‘farmed’? And finally, are their opportunity costs (marketing) missed because of taking PP? We do not have space in this article to address these but they are things to be considering.
The reporting of PP acres-should you elect that option-is quite simple. First, the total acres of PP corn that you can file in 2019 can be no greater that the greatest number of acres of corn you reported in any of the previous four years (2015-2018). To report Prevent Plant acres, you would first need to turn in a notice (starting June 6) to your insurance agent. Then report your PP to USDA Farm Service Agency to get it on your acreage report. Then you will need to work with your adjuster to finalize the claim, which will generally be paid within 30 days.
Prevented planting insurance payments can qualify for a 1 year deferral for inclusion in income tax. You can qualify if you meet the following criteria:
- You use the cash method of accounting.
- You receive the crop insurance proceeds in the same tax year the crops are damaged.
- You can show that under your normal business practice you would have included income from the damaged crops in any tax year following the year the damage occurred.
The third criteria is the sometimes the problem. Most can meet the criteria, although if you want reasonable audit protection, you should have records showing the normal practice of deferring sales of grain produced and harvested in year 1 subsequently stored and sold in the following year.
There are many additional questions that we could address in this article but these are the basic options to guide your thought process…unless Mother Nature just won’t cooperate!
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Head Scab Update: Week of May 20
In northern Ohio, most of the wheat fields are between Feekes growth stages 9 (full flag leaf emergence) and 10 (boot), with the odd early-planted field or field planted with an early- maturing variety beginning to head-out. In southern Ohio, fields are between Feekes 10 and early flowering (Feekes 10.5.1). For those fields of wheat at flowering and fields of barley heading-out today (May 20), the risk for head scab is moderate to low, according to the scab forecasting system (http://www.wheatscab.psu.edu) shown here.
However, persistent rainfall and warmer temperatures over the next few days will likely cause the risk to increase as more fields reach anthesis later this week and early next week. Remember, the scab fungus requires moisture in the form of rainfall or high relative humidity and warm temperatures to produce spores in crop residue, and for those spores to spread to wheat and barley heads, germinate, and infect. In addition, since infections occur primarily between pollination and early grain-fill, scab risk is also linked to crop development. Consequently, fields of wheat that are not yet at the flowering growth stage or fields of barley that are not yet at the heading growth stage are at low risk for head scab.
Continue to keep your eyes on crop development, the weather, and the forecasting system, and be prepared to apply a fungicide if warm, wet conditions coincide with flowering and early grain fill. The forecasting system uses average conditions during the 15 days immediately before flowering to assess the risk of scab. Although it has been relatively cool over the last few days, with the frequent rainfall we have experienced so far in most areas, it will only take a few days of warm conditions for the risk of scab to increase. Prosaro, Caramba, and Miravis Ace are the most effective fungicides for head scab and vomitoxin management, and you will have a 4-6-day window from the day the crop reaches the critical growth stage (heading for barley and flowering for wheat) to make an application. Do remember to stay away from the strobilurin fungicides when the risk for scab is high, as this group of fungicides has been linked to higher grain contamination with vomitoxin.
Click on these links to see updated factsheet # PLPATH-CER-06 for more on head scab of wheat and barley and factsheet # PLPATH-CER-03 for guidelines on how to use and interpret the scab forecasting system.
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Recommendations for Late Planted Soybeans
Persistent wet weather is likely to push soybean planting into late May-early June in many areas of the state. Late planting reduces the cultural practice options for row spacing, seeding rate, and relative maturity.
Row spacing. The row spacing for June planting should be 7.5 to 15-inches, if possible. Row width should be narrow enough for the soybean canopy to completely cover the interrow space by the time the soybeans begin to flower. The later in the growing season soybeans are planted, the greater the yield increase due to narrow rows.
Seeding rate. Higher seeding rates are recommended for June plantings. Final (harvest) population for soybeans planted in June should be 130,000 to 150,000 plants/acre. (For May planting dates, a final stand of 100,000 to 120,000 plants/acre is generally adequate.)
Relative maturity. For June planting dates, plant the latest maturing variety that will reach physiological maturity before the first killing frost. This is to allow the plants to grow vegetatively as long as possible to produce nodes where pods can form before vegetative growth is slowed due to flowering and pod formation. The recommended relative maturity ranges are shown in the table below.
Planting Date
Suitable Relative Maturity
Northern Ohio
June 1-15
3.2-3.8
June 15-30
3.1-3.5
July 1-10
3.0-3.3
Central Ohio
June 1-15
3.4-4.0
June 15-30
3.3-3.7
July 1-10
3.2-3.5
Southern Ohio
June 1-15
3.6-4.2
June 15-30
3.5-3.9
July 1-10
3.4-3.7
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First Report of Frogeye Leaf Spot in Ohio – is it Sensitive?
Frogeye Leaf Spot: Early symptoms on new leaves.
Northern Ohio and North Central Ohio farmers need to focus on Sclerotinia as we move into flowering. Southern Ohio producers also have something to focus on, scouting for frogeye leaf spot. There are still a few very high yielding but very susceptible cultivars planted in Ohio and it is the susceptible ones that we are most concerned about. Losses of 35% have been reported when the disease starts early and we have consistent, weekly rains. Another complication in the frogeye story, Ohio has a mixed population, some strains are still susceptible to the strobilurin class of fungicides while other strains are resistant, and some fields have both. We do have funding this year from Ohio Soybean Council to evaluate the strains for sensitivity to strobilurin fungicides. So if you have some samples, please mail them to us and we will test for sensitivity to strobilurin fungicides. This is done through the use of molecular markers which are targeted directly to the most common mutation that is known to occur for resistance development. These markers were developed by another group, led by Dr. Carl Bradley, that was funded through a United Soybean Board and Illinois Soybean Association.
The fungus that causes frogeye leaf spot, Cercospora sojina, infects new leaves. So as you are scouting your fields, look in the top 1/3 of the canopy. As new infections start, there are only a few spots scattered around the plants. At Western and here in Wooster, I typically will scout my fungicide trials at 50’ intervals. In the early part of the season, I am lucky if I can find one spot – but this will be enough to measure yield differences at the end of the season. This disease is polycyclic, meaning that everytime the moisture conditions are right, more leaves will be infected from the conidia produced on the older leaves. The spores of this fungus are produced on the underside of the leaf so if in the center of the gray colored lesion, it looks like is has whiskers – those are the spores of Cercospora. If the lesion is more tan, and there are black dots on the top scattered throughout the lesion, that is Phyllosticta, and is usually very minor. If on the bottom it looks white and stringy, that is downy mildew and none of the fungicides have worked on this nor do we any indication that it actually causes a yield loss. And finally, if there are no spores, the tissue is flat, even after letting it sit in a plastic bag overnight, this could also be herbicide injury. I’ve also seen where foam markers can sometimes leave round spots on leaves.
Monitoring for changes and shifts in fungicide sensitivity is critical for correct recommendations for fungicides. My colleagues to the south have eliminated strobilurin fungicides from the recommendation lists since all of their populations are now resistant. At the end of 2017, we had fields that were sensitive, resistant but most were a mixture of both. Stay tuned as we scour the state for samples and get the testing done.
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How to separate flooding injury from Phytophthora seedling and stem blight
Background
I received many calls last week from areas south of and along Interstate 70 that received more than 3 inches of rain and I expect next week they will come from northern Ohio where 4 or more inches of rain landed in some or our plots.
Flooding Injury
Flooding injury can range from lower roots killed to the whole plants if submerged for a long enough period of time. 
The damage and the yield loss associated with flooding injury are directly related to the amount of time the plants are in a low soil oxygen or high carbon dioxide state. The longer the time, the more damage. Most of the plants that I observed and collected last week will recover and in fact many had new roots coming at the top of the root, near the soil line. Most of the nodules were killed, and had turned gray and soft, but on some plants, the nodules at the top were still pink to red when you split them open. The common and tell-tale symptom of flooding injury are the white rat-tail appearance of the roots. The outer root tissue, the cortical layer, can easily be pulled off the roots and leaves the white, woody-feeling, center of the root. The plants will be yellow for a short time while they are recovering, but they will catch up. It is still early enough of a growth stage in soybean that the neighbors that survive will compensate for any plants that were killed either from other root pathogens or just killed out right from the flooding.
Phytophthora
Root rots and Phytophthora turn roots brown to black. These flooded soil conditions are just what the water molds need to infect soybean. When the fields are saturated these water molds form fruiting structures that have zoospores that swim through the soil water to the roots. These root pathogens produce all kinds of enzymes that break down the cell walls, the plants can fight back but the end result are soft brown roots. If the plants have resistance to these pathogens, they will also develop new roots and continue to grow – but there is a yield hit for severe damage.
If plants have low levels of partial resistance to Phytophthora, then the stem rot phase will develop following infection. The plants will turn yellow and a brown canker will develop on the stems. The Rps genes (1c, 1k, 3a, and 6) will give some protection to some of the strains of Phytophthora in these fields, but not to all. We can identify more than 50 different strains of Phytophthora from a single field. For Ohio, Rps1c has not been effective to more than half of the strains since the mid-1980s and Rps1k and Rps3a since the early 2000s.In Ohio, we are very dependent on the partial resistance, (also called tolerance in the seed industry) portion of the package. Both the Rps genes and partial resistance will hold up under flooding stress. In fact, we recently identified one locus that has
both partial resistance and flooding tolerance with our collaborators at University of Missouri. If you see a lot of plants develop Phytophthora stem rot in your field – you know two things. The first is that the Phytophthora package for that field is not right. For Ohio farmers, check the partial resistance score, a range of 1 to 9. Don’t forget to read the fine print at the bottom of the table to see if it is a 1 to 9 where 9 is good and 1 is poor or vice versa? Then check the variety rating. If the plants have Rps1c or Rps1k and they develop stem rot – then you will also know that that these Rps genes are not doing the job. Look at the proportion of plants – is it a few plants here and there or every plant has stem rot. For fields with a lot of stem rot – focus on the best partial resistance score and add a gene stack with more than one Rps gene.Soybean Field Problem
Characteristics
Phytophthora stem rot,
Phytophthora sojae
- Soybeans dying during early vegetative growth stages. The tissue is dried, brown, and collapsed.
- Phytophthora stem rot on plants with very low levels of partial resistance. Note the characteristic chocolate brown canker going up the stem. The Internal tissue is also brown and decayed.
Flooding Injury - Large numbers of plants in low lying areas of field
- Wilted appearance, some yellowing of leaves
- Almost a shepherds hook appearance on the tops
- New leaves on mildly affected plants were growing
- Note grayish color on some of the older leaves.
Figure 5. These are the roots from plants collected in the flooded areas of fields
Note the “rat-tail” appearance of the roots the outer cortical tissue of the roots was killed during the flooding and can be easily pulled off the roots. What is left is woody and tough. Also note on these roots that there are new roots forming at the tops of each of these roots.
The nodules are missing or dead from the flooding, but new ones will form.
If this was Pythium or Phytophthora- the roots would be soft and brown
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Corn Replant Decisions – Some Tips to Consider
Farmers confronted with poor stands due to excessive soil moisture, freezing temperatures and frosts, fungal seed decay and seedling rots, soil crusting, as well as other problems that affect corn stands, may be considering replanting their fields. Most corn that’s been planted has yet to emerge or develop much beyond the VE or V2 stage. According to the NASS (https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Ohio/Publications/Crop_Progress_&_Condition/index.php ) as of Sunday May 14, 49 percent of Ohio’s corn crop was planted - only 3 percent more than the previous week and 7 percent below the five year average. Only 24% of the crop has emerged.
Replant decisions in corn should be based on strong evidence that the returns to replanting will not only cover replant costs but also net enough to make it worth the effort. Don’t make a final assessment on the extent of damage and stand loss too quickly. The following are some guidelines to consider when making a replant decision.
If the crop damage assessment indicates that a replant decision is called for, some specific information will be needed, including:
Original target plant population/Intended plant stand
Plant stand after damage
Uniformity of plant stand after damage
Original planting date
Possible replanting date
Likely replanting pest control and seed costs
To estimate after‑damage plant population per acre, count the number of viable plants in a length of row that equals 1/1000 of an acre and multiply by 1000. Make several counts in different rows in different parts of the field. Six to eight counts per 20 acres should be sufficient. Table 1 below shows row lengths required to equal 1/1000 acre when corn is planted at various row widths.
Table 1. Length of row required for 1/1000 acre at various row widths1
Row width (in.) Length of row for 1/1000 A
15 34 ft., 8 in.
20 26 ft., 2 in.
28 18 ft., 8 in.
30 17 ft., 5 in.
36 14 ft., 6 in.
38 13 ft., 9 in.
40 13 ft., 1 in.
42 12 ft., 5 in.
1Example: For 30” rows, count the number of kernels dropped or the number of plants in 17 ft., 5 in. and multiply by 1000. If there are 21 in the 17 ft., 5 in. row, the population is 21,000 per acre.
A major consideration in making a replant decision is the potential yield at the new planting date and possibly different planting rate; this can vary depending on the hybrid used, soil fertility and moisture availability. Table 2 is adapted from a chart developed by Dr. Emerson Nafziger at the University of Illinois that shows effects of planting date and plant population on final grain yield for the central Corn Belt. Dr. Bob Nielsen at Purdue University modified this table to provide estimates of potential yield losses for planting dates in early June (on-line at
https://www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/corn/news/Articles_17/CornyDecisions-0508.html)
Grain yields for varying dates and populations in both tables are expressed as a percentage of the yield obtained at the optimum planting date and population.
Table 2. University of Illinois replant chart developed under high yielding conditions (adapted from Nafziger, 1995-96)
Plants per acre at harvest
Planting
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
35,000
Date
---------------------------% of optimum yield-------------------------
April 10
62
76
86
92
94
93
April 20
67
81
91
97
99
97
April 30
68
82
92
98
100
98
May 9
65
79
89
95
97
96
May 19
59
73
84
89
91
89
May 29
49
63
73
79
81
79
Here’s how Table 2 might be used to arrive at a replant decision. Let’s assume that a farmer planted on April 20 at a seeding rate sufficient to attain a harvest population of 30,000 plants per acre. The farmer determined on May 18 that his stand was reduced to 15,000 plants per acre as a result of saturated soil conditions and ponding. According to Table 2, the expected yield for the existing stand would be 81% of the optimum. If the corn crop was planted the next day on May 19 and produced a full stand of 30,000 plants per acre, the expected yield would be 91% of the optimum. The difference expected from replanting is 91 minus 81, or 10 percentage points. At a yield level of 175 bushels per acre, this increase would amount to a gain of about 17 to 18 bu per acre.
It’s also important to note plant distribution within the row. Remember that values in replant charts like Table 2 are based on a uniform distribution of plants within the row. Add a 5% yield loss penalty if the field assessment reveals several gaps of 4 to 6 feet within rows and a 2% penalty for gaps of 1 to 3 feet. Yield loss due to stand reduction results not only from the outright loss of plants but also from an uneven distribution of the remaining ones. The more numerous and longer the gaps between plants within the row, the greater the yield reduction. It’s also important to consider the condition of the existing corn.
When making the replant decision, seed and pest control costs must not be overlooked. Depending on the seed company and the cause of stand loss, expense for seed can range from none to full cost. As for the correct hybrid maturity to use in a late planting situation, continue to use adapted hybrids switching to early/mid maturities, if necessary, depending on your location in Ohio.
You also need to review herbicide and insecticide programs under late‑planting conditions. For instance, it may be necessary to reapply herbicides, especially if deep tillage is used. However, try to avoid such tillage depending instead on postemergence chemicals or cultivation for weed control. Concerning insect control, if soil insecticides were applied in the row at initial planting, check insecticide label restrictions before re‑application. Also remember that later May and early June planting dates increase the possibility of damage from European corn borer and western bean cutworm so planting Bt hybrids that effectively target these pests is often beneficial
The cost of replanting will differ depending on the need for tillage and chemical application. The cost and availability of acceptable seed will also be considerations. These factors must be weighed against expected replanting yield gains. If after considering all the factors, there is still doubt as to whether or not a field should be replanted, you will perhaps be correct more often if the field is left as is.
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Corn, Soybean, Wheat Webinars Continue
The second in a series of four webinars available to producers, Certified Crop Advisors and industry will be offered on January 31, 2017 beginning at 7 p.m. The webinar will focus on how to assess growing conditions and their impact on ear rots, mycotoxins and malformation in corn. The session will be taught by Dr. Peter Thomison, State Corn Production Specialist, OSU Extension and Dr. Pierce Paul, State Corn and Wheat Disease Specialist, OSU Extension.
Participants can register to view at host locations by contacting the host directly. Find a host location near you and a full schedule at go.osu.edu/cswconnection2017schedule. Certified Crop Adviser credits will be available each evening at physical locations only. If you prefer to view the webinars at home, you must pre-register the Friday before each session to receive login information. You may register online at go.osu.edu/cswconnection2017.
These webinars are part of the Corn, Soybean and Wheat Connection series and are on outreach tool of the OSU Extension Agronomic Crops Team. Each webinar will be recorded and available online one week after the live session. The location of the recordings will be announced in the CORN newsletter and published at agcrops.osu.edu. For questions or more information, contact Amanda Bennett at bennett.709@osu.edu or 937-440-3945.
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Adjustments for Late Planted (or Replanted) Soybean
Wet weather has kept many farmers (and us) out of the field. According to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, as of May 15, 10% of the soybean acres were planted. At the same time last year, 46% of soybean planting was complete. On average, in Ohio, the majority of soybean acres are planted mid to late May (Table 1). Although, it is not uncommon for soybean planting to creep into June. In general, we don’t recommend altering soybean management until planting in June. Below are some guidelines to consider if planting soybeans in June.
Row spacing. Regardless of planting date, we recommend planting soybean in narrow rows (7.5 to 15 inches). The goal is to have row widths narrow enough for soybean canopy closure by the time flowering occurs in late June/early July. This becomes even more important as soybean planting is delayed. The later in the growing season soybeans are planted, the greater the yield increase due to narrow rows.
Seeding rate. If planting soybean during the first half of June, a seeding rate of 200,000 to 225,000 seeds/acre is recommended. At a seeding rate of 200,000-225,000 seeds/acre, the final stand should be adequate to maximize yield (see Figure).
Relative maturity. Relative maturity has little effect on yield when planting during the first three weeks of May. During the first half of June, a four-day delay in planting delays physiological maturity about one day. As planting is delayed, yield potential goes down, and there is concern about whether late maturing varieties will mature before frost. When planting late, the rule of thumb is to plant the latest-maturing variety that will reach physiological maturity before the first killing frost. The reason for using late-maturing varieties for late planting is to allow the plants to grow vegetatively as long as possible to produce nodes where pods can form before vegetative growth is slowed due to flowering and pod formation. Table 5-4 from the Ohio Agronomy Guide gives the recommended soybean relative maturities for June and July planting dates. With these recommended relative maturities, soybeans should not get damaged by frost occurring at the normal time.
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Rusts on Wheat and Barley: An Update
Last Thursday I received reports of, and confirmed through pictures, stripe rust in southern Ohio. Reports coming in today suggest that the disease has since spread and may even be increasing in severity. This is very early for Ohio and is a cause for concern, especially since this disease develops best and spreads quickly under cool, rainy conditions, similar to what we have had over the last few weeks and will likely continue to have this week. Developing this early (before heading) on a susceptible variety under favorable weather, this disease has the potential to cause substantial yield loss.
Reports and pictures coming in today also indicate that rust is developing on barley. This has led to questions about rust spreading from wheat to barley and vice versa. Both crops can be affected by leaf rust, stripe rust, and stem rust, but the fungi are different. In other words, the leaf rust pathogen does not cause stripe rust and the stripe rust pathogen does not cause stem rust. In addition, the wheat rust fungi generally do not jump from wheat to barley or vice versa. Each crop has its own specialized and specific set of rust fungi. For instance, wheat leaf and stripe rust are caused by Puccinia triticina and Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, respectively, “strains” that are specific for wheat, whereas leaf and stripe rust of barley are caused by Puccinia hordei and Puccinia striiformis f. sp. hordei, respectively, “strains” specific for barley.
However, regardless of the rust disease and the crop, the important thing to note is that they can all be managed with the same set of fungicides, but applications have to be well-timed in order to be effective against any of these diseases - once symptoms are seen, the earlier, the better in most cases. Please refer to the updated factsheet # PLPATH-CER-12 for more on rusts diseases of wheat (http://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/plpath-cer-12) and click on the link below for a comparative look at different rust diseases of wheat and barley:
https://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/ad_hoc/36400500Cerealrusts/Rust_Diseases_National.pdf
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Regional Updates: May 21 – 28, 2024
Starting this week until harvest, Ohio State University Extension professionals across the state will report on crop progress and field conditions. This past week, growers made significant planting progress before weekend rains, and wheat continues to mature. OSU Extension Educators and Specialists report emergence issues in earlier planted corn and soybean fields from soil crusting and in some cases slug damage. Besides planting, main field activities have included tillage, manure and herbicide applications, nitrogen side-dressing in corn, and limited hay or haylage being made. Keep reading for region-specific field reports:
Northwest – Extension Educator Kendall Lovejoy reported that planting progress in northwest Ohio ranges from 40 to 90% completed, with early-planted corn and soybean approaching the V4 and V1 growth stage stages, respectively. Weather last week was conducive for spring manure and pre-emergent/burndown herbicide applications. The region received 0.5 – 1.5 inches of rainfall over the weekend, and some emergence issues are being reported from soil crusting and now excess moisture. In parts of northwest Ohio, periodic rainfall has delayed alfalfa harvest and alfalfa weevil has reemerged as previous insecticide applications only provide control for 10 – 15 days. Potato leafhopper has also been observed in forage fields in the region.
Northeast – Lee Beers of Trumball County estimated that 75% of northeast Ohio has been planted. Emerged corn and soybean are in good condition though slug damage has been reported in soybean. There has been an increase in black cutworm moth numbers, but armyworm is declining based on insect monitoring efforts across the area. Weed pressure continues, especially in late-planted fields where cressleaf groundsel is in full bloom. Stagonospora leaf blotch, stripe rust, and cereal leaf beetle were reported in wheat this past week (Figure 2).
Figure 2. Wheat showing signs and symptoms of stripe rust. Photo courtesy of Lee Beers.
Central & West Central – Extension Educator Caden Buschur reported that 70 – 100% of central and west central Ohio have been planted, with area growers busy in the fields ahead of rainfall this weekend. Precipitation ranged from 0.5 to 0.8 inches, along with localized reports of hail and heavy winds. Main field activities included hay chopping and baling, corn and soybean planting, corn side-dressing, and post-herbicide applications. Emerged soybeans are between VE and V2 growth stages with reports of slug damage in Knox County. Corn is in good condition and between VE and V3 growth stages depending on planting date.
Southeast – Dean Kreager of Licking County estimated that 80 – 90% of the region is planted. Some emergence issues have been reported, though average corn and soybean conditions are good, with corn in the V1 – V3 growth stage and soybean between VE and V2. Besides planting, corn side-dressing and herbicide applications occurred last week, though there has been limited forage harvesting at this point. Additionally, Extension Educators and Specialists in southeast Ohio are still receiving reports of cressleaf groundsel and poison hemlock in forage fields.
Southwest – Trevor Corboy reported on behalf of OSU Extension Educators and Specialists in southwest Ohio that about half of the area is planted, with a wide variation in planting and crop progress throughout the region. High rainfall in Brown and Clermont counties has led to soil crusting and emergence issues in soybean and may require replanting in some cases. Wet conditions have also limited hay activity.
Check back next week for continued updates from across the state. Here are some helpful Extension resources as you scout and make management decisions in the week ahead:
- Leaf Blotch Diseases of Wheat Factsheet
- Making Replant Decisions - Corn
- Soybean Stand Evaluation and Re-Plant Decisions
- Slugs on Field Crops Factsheet
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Battle for the Belt: Episode 16
Episode 16 of Battle for the Belt is now available:
In Episode 16, we talk to Jenna Moore, a Ph.D. student working with Dr. Horacio Lopez-Nicora in the Soybean Pathology and Nematology Lab at Ohio State. Her research focuses on the impact of planting dates on soybean and corn seedling diseases.
The Battle for the Belt project structure provides a great opportunity to better understand how environmental conditions (e.g., rainfall, soil temperature, etc.) at different planting dates and soilborne pathogen diversity impact soybean and corn seedlings. Jenna Moore explains several methods used to isolate pathogens from seedlings and surrounding soil at the VE stage (emergence) for both crops. Soil baiting is a method used to isolate water molds (i.e., oomycetes), which includes common pathogens like Pythium and Phytophthora. A second method, seedling surface sterilization, and plating is used to isolate fungi (e.g., Fusarium, Rhizoctonia, etc.) and oomycetes from within seedlings. Isolates are then transferred to new plates to achieve pure culture for further molecular characterization to the species level.
Jenna and the lab have partnered with our team to conduct seedling assessments across different planting dates and the different sites for corn and soybean. Later, the relationship between the identified pathogens and the environmental conditions at each planting date will be evaluated. Preliminarily, we are seeing many Fusarium isolates collected from within seedlings at early planting dates. Molecular identification will provide confirmation in the coming months, and we are looking forward to sharing results towards the end of the summer.
Battle For the Belt Location Updates
We have officially finished planting! The final date was planted at the Wooster site on June 21st (Figure 1). The conditions were favorable since this was after a week of much-needed rain. Though we are facing cooler than normal, temperatures are still optimal, and the plants are advancing in the stage. The last planting date at Northwest and Western for corn and soybeans are V1 and VC stages now.
Planting date one (April 12) in soybeans has achieved flowering in some plots at the Northwest location (Figure 2), many early April planted soybeans will be reaching R1 in the next week or so. The R1 stage is an ideal time to be scouting for disease pressure. Though the state has seen a dry spell, the incoming storms have the potential to create an environment for diseases to develop and grow. For example, cool and wet weather is the right environment for frogeye leaf spot to grow as well as white mold. Something to note is that Northwestern Ohio has had white mold in the last couple of years.
Planting dates two, three, and four in soybeans at the Northwest research station are V5, V4, and V2/V1. The corn is progressing well with planting date one at V8, planting date two at V7, planting date three at V6, and planting date four at V4.
At the Western research station for corn, planting dates one, two, three, and four are at V8, V7, V6, and V5, and for the soybeans, V5, V4, V3, and V1. The corn roots have not fully recovered from the floppy corn syndrome in planting dates one and two at this location. This condition was not seen at the other locations.
At the Wooster site, planting dates one, two, three, and four were V4,
V3, V2, and VC in soybeans. The corn stages are as follows for planting
dates one, two, three, and four: V7, V6, V5, and V3.
Table 1. The planting date environment for planting date five at all three locations. Location
Planting date
2-inch soil temperature (at planting)
Air Temperature (at planting)
Wooster,
Wayne
June 21
70°F
71°F
Western,
Clark County
June 8
69°F
63°F
Northwest,
Wood CountyJune 8
64°F
63°F
Table 2. The planting date one, two, three, and four in the trial at all three locations with the day of planting, soil, air temperature averages, and Growing Degree Days (GDDS). Information from CFAES Weather System, https://weather.cfaes.osu.edu/ Location
2-inch soil temperature
(June 19-June 25)Air Temperature
(June 19-June 25)
Planting date
GDDs
(Cumulative)
Precipitation
(Inches)
Wooster,
Wayne County
Max: 74°F
Mean: 71°F
Minimum: 67°F
Max: 84°F
Mean: 69°F
Minimum: 58°F
April 14th
April 27th
May 11th
May 30th
708
645
592
398
0.17”
Western,
Clark County
Max: 78°F
Mean: 70°F
Minimum: 66°FMax: 89°F
Mean: 70°F
Minimum: 60°F
April 13th
April 27th
May 11th
May 25th
923
837
753
559
0.17”
Northwest,
Wood CountyMax: 71°F
Mean: 70°F
Minimum: 65°FMax: 88°F
Mean: 72°F
Minimum: 59°FApril 12th
April 26th
May 11th
May 25th
889
795
728
559
0.82”
As a recap, this research project includes five planting date windows, 1) Ultra early = late March to early April; 2) Early = mid to late April; 3) Normal = early to mid-May; 4) Late = late May-first week of June; and 5) Very late = mid to late June. All locations have all five planting dates completed now. Stay tuned for results to learn what yielded best.
Keep following the ‘Battle for the Belt’ this growing season to learn more and get further updates! You can find the full video playlist of Battle for the Belt on the Ohio State Agronomy YouTube channel.
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Using the Corn Nitrogen Rate Calculator
Throughout this winter meeting season, fertilizer has been a hot topic. Generally, the discussion has been around nitrogen price and availability. Most of us have little to no influence on price or availability, but as a farmer, you decide your corn (and wheat) nitrogen rates, assuming you can get the nitrogen product you want. Your corn nitrogen rate could likely cost $100 per acre more in 2022 as compared to the year prior and nitrogen will probably surpass seed as the most expensive variable cost per acre this year. As such, it is important to note that the most recent revision (2020) of the Tri-State Fertilizer Recommendations for Corn, Soybean, Wheat and Alfalfa moved from nitrogen rate recommendations based on yield--from the original ‘Tri-States’--to a nitrogen rate based on maximum profitability or a maximum return to nitrogen (MRTN) rate. Sometimes the maximum return to nitrogen rate is referred to as the Economic Optimum Nitrogen Rate (EONR).
In the Corn Belt, the corn nitrogen rate calculator has been developed to generate these economic optimum rates. The purpose of this article is to help you understand what the corn nitrogen rate calculator is and how to use it. You can find the calculator at http://cnrc.agron.iastate.edu/ The calculator utilizes yield and rate data from on-farm and small plot research trials in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. The Ohio recommendations are based on nearly 300 corn nitrogen rate trials in the state. After selecting your state, you will need to select the crop rotation. See Figure 1. The third input is the source of nitrogen you will use and the price per ton you expect to pay. The final input is the price per bushel of corn at which you expect to sell your corn. Watch this short video to see how to use the Corn Nitrogen Rate Calculator.
Once you click calculate, a return to nitrogen graph is presented with three different lines plotted: Gross Return to N, Net Return to N, and Fertilizer N Cost. The Net Return to N line is arguably the most important. It identifies the N rate where the last unit of added nitrogen has an economic return (EONR) or in other words, it identifies the last unit of N that creates profit for your farm, given the N price and corn price inputs. Additionally, the output page identifies a profitable N rate range that suggests a little bit of ‘wiggle room’ for your total N rate, often times 10-20 lbs of N above and below the EONR (aka MRTN).
At a very basic , but helpful level, the output page calculates your nitrogen price per pound based on the product price per ton input. Is nitrogen cost per pound $.90 or $.30 this year? Another basic calculation that the output page provides is the nitrogen-to-corn price ratio. In the 2021 growing season, many farmers had a nitrogen-to-corn price ratio below one tenth (.1). What is your price ratio this year? See Figure 2 for the outputs when $1,500/ton anhydrous is used in Ohio, corn after soybean rotation, and with an expected corn price of $5.50/bushel.
The corn nitrogen rate calculator identifies an economic optimum rate based on corn and nitrogen prices, all other things constant. As farmers, you know that growing conditions aren’t always constant. On your own farm, I encourage you to use local weather, soil type, pre-sidedress N tests, manure history, and previous performance to refine your nitrogen rate in-season or with adaptive nitrogen management approaches.
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Wet Times and Challenges Ahead
Unlike last year's weak La Nina, this weak to moderate La Nina is behaving much more like an average La Nina. That means wetter and more challenging times ahead compared to 2021.
The pattern looks wet from now through spring. It looks pretty certain we will see a wetter late winter and spring than 2021 but right now it does not look as wet as 2019 or 2011 but it does look wetter than normal.
The official NOAA precipitation outlook through April is at this link:
https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/long_range/lead01/off01_prcp.gif
The official NOAA outlook for rainfall from April-June (heart of planting season) you can see it here:
https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/long_range/lead03/off03_prcp.gif
The summer outlook for rainfall still looks normal to wetter than normal and you can see the NOAA outlook here:
https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/long_range/lead05/off05_prcp.gif
Other challenges appear to be cold ground temperatures currently that will combine with a mild March but indications of a chilly April. This could mean ground temperatures will lag until at least May. This is something worth watching. If recent trends of a chilly April continue it could mean the last freeze/frost will be later than normal as well.
For the rest of February on a last note, it looks wet. Normal precipitation for about 2 weeks is 1-1.25 inches. We are looking at 2 to possibly 4 inches of precipitation from north to south across the state as shown in the image. A lot will come as rain but some snow will also occur in places. This will results in precipitation being 175%-300%+ of normal.
Keep in tune with OSU's Aaron Wilson on updates in the coming weeks
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Weather Update: Will Cold and Snowy Weather Continue into February?
Summary
We wrapped up 2021 with the second warmest December on record (1895-present). This secured last year as the fifth warmest year on record and the second warmest for overnight lows.
Figure 1). Accumulated precipitation for January 2 – 31, 2022. Figure courtesy of the Midwestern Regional Climate Center (https://mrcc.purdue.edu/).
Shortly after the first of the year however, the weather pattern turned much colder and has remained that way throughout the month. A heavy snowfall event dropped significant snow across the eastern counties, and lighter events have kept the ground covered with snow for much of the state. With snow in place, temperatures have been running 2-5°F below average for January. However, precipitation is running below average throughout the much of Ohio, 10-50% of normal across northwestern counties (Figure 1). Only far southern and eastern counties had a wetter than average month.
Forecast
Figure 2). Precipitation forecast from the Weather Prediction Center for 7pm Monday Jan 31 – 7pm Monday Feb 7.
High pressure will slide off to the east on Tuesday, providing a southerly breeze and thawing temperatures, as highs reach the 40s to mid-50s across the state. A major winter storm will develop this week and push through Ohio on Wednesday through Thursday night. Significant rain, ice, and snow are forecast to fall across the state with numerous impacts. Highs will trend downward throughout the event, falling from 30s and 40s on Wednesday to the teens and 20s by Friday. Another Arctic plunge will likely cause overnight temperatures to fall below zero over the weekend. A return flow out of the south will bump temperatures back up closer to average as the weekend ends. The Weather Prediction Center is currently predicting 1.5-3.0” inches of liquid-equivalent precipitation over the next 7 days (Figure 2). According to the NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center, warmer temperatures and precipitation falling on the existing snowpack will likely cause some runoff and may induce minor scattered flooding concerns across the state.
The Climate Prediction Center’s 6–10-day outlook for the period of February 6 - 9, 2022 and the 16-Day Rainfall Outlook from NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center indicate that temperatures are likely to lean below average for the period with drier weather expected after this week’s major storm (Figure 3). Climate averages for this period begin their slow climb out of winter minimums, with a high temperature range of 36-41°F, a low temperature range of 21-24°F, and average liquid-equivalent precipitation of 0.50-0.70 inches.
Figure 3) Climate Prediction Center 6-10 Day Outlook valid for February 6-10, 2022, for left) temperatures and right) precipitation. Colors represent the probability of below, normal, or above normal conditions.
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New Enlist Labels – When Enlist is Outlawed, Only Outlaws……
Sometimes you’d like the s**t to stop hitting the fan just long enough to get cleaned up, but you can’t get a break. Like when you’re in the middle of an endless pandemic, a worldwide shipping fiasco, herbicide scarcities and price increases, and parts shortages. And just when you had it worked out to use Enlist herbicides on Enlist soybeans for 2022 so you wouldn’t have to deal with dicamba, their use is no longer legal in your county. We’re trying to find something reassuring to say here, but there’s not much. The USEPA issued a new seven-year registration for Enlist One and Enlist Duo, valid through January 2029. Changes include a revised application cutoff for soybeans, “through R1” that replaces “up to R2” on previous labels, and the addition of a slew of spray nozzles to the approved nozzle list. The most significant change for Ohio is that due to changes in Endangered Species information, Enlist One and Enlist Duo cannot be used in 12 Ohio counties: Athens, Butler, Fairfield, Guernsey, Hamilton, Hocking, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Vinton, and Washington. We contacted Corteva to see if this was likely to change anytime soon, and got no assurances of this, although the PR information they have distributed indicates it is possible.
This really couldn’t happen at a worse time for growers in these counties. We lack solid information on herbicide availability and price, and it’s a fluid situation, but it appears that glyphosate and glufosinate can be in short supply, and prices high. Glyphosate resistance in key weed species makes us dependent on POST soybean herbicide systems based on use of glufosinate (Liberty etc), dicamba (XtendiMax/Engenia), or 2,4-D (Enlist One/Duo). The Enlist system allows use of glyphosate, glufosinate, and 2,4-D, and combinations of these. While Enlist soybeans are tolerant of other 2,4-D products, Enlist One and Duo are the approved 2,4-D products for all POST applications to Enlist soybeans, and any preplant or preemergence applications that occur less than 7 days before planting or anytime after planting. As far as we know, this prohibition of use does not apply to legal uses of other 2,4-D products. Some things to consider here:
- Some growers/applicators were planning on omitting glyphosate from burndown and/or POST applications. In the Enlist system, this increases the overall importance of the 2,4-D in these applications. Where the Enlist products cannot be used, revaluation of the mixture is warranted. It may be necessary to use glyphosate, or an alternative 2,4-D product in the burndown (with a 7-day wait to plant), or other herbicides, such as Sharpen or Gramoxone.
- The most obvious replacement for Enlist products in POST applications is glufosinate since glyphosate won’t control most populations of ragweed, waterhemp, or marestail. Growers going this route should check on availability and price immediately, since supply seems to be finite. For those in the 12 counties who are unwilling or unable to use glufosinate, the Enlist soybean essentially becomes a RoundupReady soybean with respect to herbicide use.
- Most users of glufosinate supplement the grass control by including either glyphosate, or a POST grass herbicide such as clethodim. Glufosinate is weak on barnyardgrass and yellow foxtail, volunteer corn, and large grasses in general.
- While spray volume and nozzle type are not that critical for effectiveness of 2,4-D and glyphosate, glufosinate requires these to be optimized to maximize activity. Most growers tell us that for glufosinate, 20 gpa works better than lower spray volumes. The nozzles that work well to minimize off-target movement of Enlist products may not be optimum for glufosinate.
- Where 2,4-D cannot be used in the POST, the effectiveness of the residual herbicides used becomes more important. Glufosinate applied alone or with just a grass herbicide can be less effective on certain broadleaf species, and large weeds in general, compared with mixtures of 2,4-D with glufosinate or glyphosate. We recommend using residual herbicides at planting, and possibly increasing herbicide rates and the overall complexity of the mixture.
Information we have received from Corteva includes several documents with explanation of label changes and restrictions, and supplemental labels for Enlist One and Enlist Duo. Aside from this, we don’t know any more than anyone else.
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How Cold is Too Cold for Wheat at Feekes 8 and Feekes 10.5.1 Growth Stages?
Every year presents a different set of challenges for agricultural production across Ohio. Last year, northwest and west central Ohio could not escape the rain. This year, Ohio cannot seem to shake the chill. An unusual weather pattern set up across the Midwest and Northeast U.S. late last week and into the weekend that led to some snow in spots and record or near-record lows across the state (Figure 1). Overnight lows for a few locations in Ohio on Saturday May 9, 2020 include 26°F outside of Toledo, 27° in Lancaster and Youngstown, and 28°F in Dayton, Cincinnati, and New Philadelphia. Many areas spent more than eight hours below 32°F with about 4 hours spent below 30°F. Naturally, this would raise questions concerning potential wheat damage.
Figure 1. Daily overnight lows based on station observations for May 9-10, 2020. Figures generated at Midwest Regional Climate Center.
Injury to winter wheat depends primarily on three factors: 1) growth stage, 2) how cold, and 3) duration of cold temperature. Differences in freeze injury among cultivars can usually be attributed to slight differences in growth stage.
At Feekes 8 growth stage (flag leaf visible, but still rolled up), the growing point is above the soil surface, but still protected within the crop canopy. Freeze damage at Feekes 8 growth stage can injure developing heads and damage the flag leaf. Symptoms of freeze damage include yellowing or browning (necrosis) of leaves. Once wheat enters Feekes 9 growth stage (ligule of flag leaf visible), the flag leaf may appear twisted (Figure 2). As the wheat head emerges, it can get stuck in the leaf sheath, causing a crooked appearance at heading (Figure 3). In our research, wheat grain yield was reduced, when the temperature dropped below 25°F for 15 minutes. According to research from Kansas State University, 28°F for two hours can cause moderate to severe reduction in wheat grain yield.
Figure 2. Twisting or spiral appearance of the flag leaf can be a symptom of damage from low temperatures.
Figure 3. Freeze damage may include browning or yellowing of the flag leaf. The wheat head may get stuck in the leaf sheath causing a crooked appearance at heading.
At Feekes 10.5.1 growth stage (beginning flowering), wheat heads are above the plant canopy, resulting in heads and anthers that are exposed with limited protection from the crop canopy. Freeze injury at Feekes 10.5.1 can cause sterility, embryo death, or complete loss of the spike. At Feekes 10.5.1, spikelets and awns may appear white or bleached in color as a result of cold temperatures (Figure 4). In our research, wheat grain yield was reduced, when the temperature dropped below 28°F for 15 minutes. According to research conducted at Kansas State University, at 30°F for two hours, winter wheat grain yield can be severely reduced.
Figure 4. Wheat spikelets and awns may appear white or bleached in color as a result of cold temperatures at Feekes 10.5.1 growth stage
Assessing damage. In the above map (Figure 1), temperatures dropped between 25 to 30°F between May 9 and 10. At these temperatures, wheat between the Feekes 8 and Feekes 10.5.1 growth stage may have freeze injury. It is important to assess fields for damage as damage may be more or less extreme depending on the growing environment (landscape features, soil moisture, wind speed, overall condition of the field, etc). We suggest waiting about a week to walk fields and look for symptoms of damage similar to what we have pictured here.
References:
Alt, D.S., A.J. Lindsey, R.M. Sulc, and L.E. Lindsey. 2020. Effect of temperature on survival and yield components of field-acclimated soft red winter wheat. Crop Sci. 60:475-484. https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/csc2.20087
Shroyer, J., M. Mikesell, and G. Paulsen. 1995. Spring freeze injury to Kansas wheat. Kansas State Univ. Ext. Serv. https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/c646.pdf
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Prevented Planning Decision Tools
We have reviewed two prevented planting decision tools that can serve as a resource in your decision making process with your crop insurance agent. Both tools also provide resources for determining replant decisions.
In a recent Farmdocdaily article Schnitkey, G., C. Zulauf, K. Swanson and R. Batts. “Prevented Planting Decision for Corn in the Midwest.” farmdoc daily (9):88, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, May 14, 2019 they highlighted their decision tool.
The farmdoc tool can be used to make calculations for expected returns from three options: 1. Take a prevented planting payment and not plant a crop to be harvested or grazed. 2. Plant corn. 3. Plant another crop.
The farmdoc Prevented Planting Module is used to aid in making calculations for each alternative. The Prevented Planting Module is part of the Planting Decision Model, a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet within the FAST series available for download on farmdoc (here). The specific spreadsheet is available (here).
Iowa State also has an article and tool that can be found at https://www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm/crops/html/a1-57.html.
The Iowa State model can be used to determine three options also: 1. Go ahead and plant the original crop. 2. Plant an alternative crop 3. Abandon the acres, and plant a cover crop.
The Iowa State model is designed specifically for Iowa but allows you to use your numbers. The farmdoc model contains Ohio data but also allows you to use your specific numbers.
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Managing Head Scab with Fungicides: Prosaro vs Caramba vs Miravis Ace
What should I spray for scab and vomitoxin control? With the addition of Miravis Ace (a new DMI + SDHI premix) to the list of fungicides recommended for the control of Fusarium head blight (head scab) and vomitoxin in wheat and barley, questions are being asked as to whether it is any better than Prosaro and Caramba. In 2018, we compared the three fungicides on scab susceptible varieties across 12 environments and found that in terms of efficacy against head scab and vomitoxin, Prosaro, Caramba, and Miravis Ace were very comparable. Disease severity, vomitoxin contamination, and fungicide efficacy varied among locations, but on average, all three fungicides reducing scab by about 55-60% and vomitoxin by approximately 50-55%.
When should these fungicides be sprayed for scab control? Another commonly asked question about Miravis Ace pertains to its efficacy when applied at early heading (Feekes 10.3). Until we have sufficient data to suggest otherwise, our recommendation would be to apply these fungicides at or a few days after heading in barley or at or a few days after flowering in wheat for best results in terms of scab and vomitoxin control. We have more than a decade of data clearly showing that Prosaro and Caramba are considerably less effective, particularly again vomitoxin, when applied early (5 days before anthesis in wheat or 5 days before heading in barley) than when applied at the recommended growth stages. Based on a much smaller set of data, similar trends were observed with Miravis Ace in 2018; efficacy in terms of vomitoxin control was much more variable when the fungicide was applied at Feekes 10.3 than at Feekes 10.5.1 in wheat or 10.5 in barley.
What about other diseases? Again, based on a limited number of trials in which the three fungicides were compared side-by-side, Miravis Ace, Prosaro, and Caramba seem to be very comparable in terms of their efficacy against powdery mildew, rust, Septoria, and Stagonospora. For control of late-season diseases such as the rusts and Stagonospora glume blotch, and single application of Miravis Ace at anthesis performed just as well as a single application of Prosaro or Caramba at the same growth stage. However, for early-season diseases such as powdery mildew and Septoria, applications made between Feekes 8 (full flag leaf emergence) and Feekes 10 (boot) were more effective than applications made at or after anthesis.
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2017 Ohio Corn Performance Test: Regional Overviews
In 2017, 205 corn hybrids representing 25 commercial brands were evaluated in the Ohio Corn Performance Test (OCPT). Four tests were established in the Southwestern/West Central/Central (SW/WC/C) region and three tests were established in the Northwestern (NW) and North Central/Northeastern (NC/NE) regions (for a total of ten test sites statewide). Hybrid entries in the regional tests were planted in either an early or a full season maturity trial. These test sites provided a range of growing conditions and production environments.
The 2017 Ohio growing season was characterized by one of the warmest springs on record (the month of April was the warmest on record). Precipitation at test sites in April was near normal but 1 to 4 inches above normal at most test sites in May and June. Temperatures in July were near normal but rainfall was considerably above normal at most sites especially those in Northwest, Southwest, West Central, and Central Ohio. Rainfall at the Hebron site was 12 inches above normal whereas that at Wooster it was slightly less than one inch above normal. The impact of drier than normal conditions in August and September were mitigated by below average temperatures. Foliar diseases and insect pests were generally not a major factor. However, rust, primarily common rust, was evident at several locations. Warm, dry conditions during the latter half of September through mid-October promoted crop maturation, which was important for late plantings and dry down, but persistent rains in November delayed harvest of late planted sites.
Despite excessive rainfall, which resulted in planting delays at several sites, as well as periods of dry weather during grain fill, OCPT corn yields generally exceeded those of recent years. Averaged across hybrid entries in the early and full season tests, yields were 268 bu/A in the Southwestern/West Central/Central region, 235 bu/A in the Northwestern region, and 233 in the North Central/Northeastern region. Yields at individual test sites, averaged across hybrid entries in the early and full season tests, ranged from 195 bu/A at Hoytville to 283 bu/A at Hebron. Lodging was largely absent across sites except at Van Wert and Upper Sandusky where some hybrids lodged as a result of heavy rains and strong winds in early November. Performance data for Washington Court House in the SW region and Bucyrus (Full Season) in the NE region are not presented due to variable field conditions that resulted in erratic stands, uneven growth and inconsistent yields.
Tables 1 and 2 provide an overview of 2017 hybrid performance in the early maturity and full season hybrid trials by region. Averages for grain yield and other measures of agronomic performance are indicated for each region. In addition, the range in regional test site averages is shown in parentheses. Complete results are available online at: http://oardc.osu.edu/corntrials/ . A bulletin containing the results, 2017 Ohio Corn Performance Test, is also published as an insert in Ohio’s Country Journal.
As you review 2017 test results, it’s important to keep the following in mind. Confidence in test results increases with the number of years and the number of locations in which the hybrid was tested. Avoid selecting a hybrid based on data from a single test site, especially if the site was characterized by abnormal growing conditions. Look for consistency in a hybrid's performance across a range of environmental conditions. Consider the table providing a “Combined regional summary of hybrid performance” which indicate the performance of hybrids common to eight statewide test sites and the six tests in western Ohio. Differences in grain moisture percentages among hybrids at harvest can provide a basis for comparing hybrid maturity. Yield, % stalk lodging, grain moisture, and other comparisons should be made between hybrids of similar maturity to determine those best adapted to your farm.
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Is Late Maturing Corn at Risk of Frost Injury?
According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service (http://www.nass.usda.gov/) as of Sept. 10, 69 percent of Ohio’s corn acreage was in the dent stage (R5) compared to 76 percent for the five-year average; 16 percent of the corn acreage was mature, slightly less than the five-year average, 18 percent. In some areas of the state, corn is considerably behind the five-year average because of late planting (the result of persistent rains and excessively wet soils that delayed planting in some localized areas) and cooler than normal temperatures in September. This later than normal maturation of the corn crop had led to questions concerning the potential for frost damage.
In Ohio, physiological maturity (when kernels achieve maximum dry weight and black layer forms) typically occurs about 65 days after silking. At physiological maturity (kernel moisture approximately 30-35%), frosts have little or no effect on the yield potential of the corn crop.
Dr. Bob Nielsen at Purdue University has summarized research findings from Indiana and Ohio that provide insight into both the calendar days and thermal time (growing degree days, GDDs) typically required for grain at various stages of development to achieve physiological maturity (kernel black layer, R6) and available on-line at http://www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/corn/news/timeless/RStagePrediction.html. The calendar days and thermal time from various grain fill stages to black layer for a 111-day hybrid maturity are shown in Table 1 (click here).
This research indicated that corn planted in early June compared to early May requires 200 to 300 fewer GDDs to achieve physiological maturity. Although slightly different responses among the four locations of the trial existed, there did not seem to be a consistent north / south relationship. Therefore, growers can use the results summarized in Table 1 to "guesstimate" the number of calendar days or heat units necessary for a late-planted field at the given grain fill stages to mature safely prior to that killing fall freeze.
How many GDDs can be expected from now until an average date of a killing frost for an adapted 111-day hybrid planted in mid-June? To answer this question, estimate the expected GDD accumulation from Sept. 2 until the average frost date (50% probability) for different regions of the state (click here for Table 2). These GDD expectations are based on 30-year historical normals reported by the Ohio Agricultural Statistics Service. The GDD accumulation was calculated using the 86/50 cutoff, base 50 method.
If you want to determine the "youngest stage of corn development" that can safely reach black layer before the average frost date at a given weather station, use the information in Table 2 on remaining GDD in conjunction with Table 1 which indicates GDDs needed to reach black layer at various stages of grain fill. Compare "GDDs remaining" for the site with the GDD required to achieve black layer depending on the corn's developmental stage.
If your corn is in the dent stage (R5) as of Sept. 9, will it be safe from frost? Table 1 indicates that corn planted in mid - June required about 217 GDDs to reach black layer from R5 and Table 2 indicates that all regions of the state are likely to accumulate sufficient GDDs before the 50% frost date.
However, if your corn is in the “milk” stage (R3) as of Sept. 9, it’s a different story. The kernel development - GDD accumulation relationships in Table 1 indicate that corn planted in mid-June that is at R3 needs about 681 GDDs to reach black layer. Table 2 indicates that no region of the state accumulates that number of GDDs before the 50% frost date. What if your corn is at the dough stage (R4) as of Sept. 9? According to Table 1 corn planted in late May that is at R4 requires about 489 GDDs to reach black layer and Table 2 indicates that only one region of the state (south central Ohio) come close to accumulating that number of GDDs before the 50% frost date.
The research results in Table 1 demonstrate that late planted corn has the ability to adjust its maturity requirements, and most of this adjustment occurs during the late kernel development stages. In previous growing seasons when GDD accumulation was markedly less than normal, the corn crop has usually achieved physiological maturity before the first frost occurred.
References
Nielsen, R.L. 2011. Predicting Corn Grain Maturity Dates for Delayed Plantings
Corny News Network, Purdue Univ. [On-Line]. Available at
http://www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/corn/news/timeless/RStagePrediction.html
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Cool Nights and Lots of Moisture can Equal Sclerotinia Stem Rot
We are approaching (if not already there) the flowering stage of soybean in many parts of Ohio. The cool nights and wet conditions over the last couple of weeks are very favorable for infection of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, the fungus that causes Sclerotinia stem rot or white mold of soybean. This is particularly concerning if you have a field with history of this disease and if a susceptible cultivar was planted.
The fungus forms sclerotia which are black, hard and irregular bodies with a pink to white center. Sclerotia can survive in the soil for many years, and the cool and wet conditions are favorable for germination and production of apothecia. Note that not every field in Ohio has inoculum. Sclerotia must be introduced into a field with contaminated seed or from another susceptible crop.
Infection is favored by narrow row spacing (7 - 15 in), high plant populations, and canopy closure at or prior to flowering. Apothecia are reproductive structures that look like little mushrooms that are the size of small erasers. Spores released from apothecia land on dead flowers and can infect the plant. Symptoms will not be observed for several weeks (2 to 8 weeks).
If you are scouting fields this week, focus on areas where the canopy is thick and look for small mushrooms structures on the soil surface under the soil canopy. They have a light-tan to brown color. But be careful! Do no mistake the apothecia by birds nest or any other fungi that produces similar structures (Figure 1).
Sclerotinia Immature Birds Nest Fungus: The top
will open up to reveal small sacs, or "eggs."
If a susceptible cultivar was planted and the cool nights, rain and heavy dews continue to occur, consider a fungicide application at the beginning of flowering stage (R1) to full flowering (R2). Results from 3 years of field trials have indicated that boscalid (Endura) fungicide is a good option for management of white mold. Also, lactofen herbicide (Phoenix) reduced disease incidence and severity when applied, however, be aware that some burning of the soybean canopy will be observed which will delay canopy closure in a few days. If soybean plants have already had some sort of stress during this growing season, application of lactofen is not recommended since it may also reduce yield. Picoxystrobin (Aproach) fungicide should be applied very early in the beginning of flowering stage (early R1).
If a resistant cultivar was planted, some disease will develop but it will be below the economic threshold. In most cases, incidence of 20% does not result in yield loss as the plants that are healthy next to the disease plants will compensate. Work with your seed supplier to determine if the variety planted in the historic white mold fields has a good resistance score. This is a type of partial resistance where fewer plants will become diseased, and even if infection does occur the disease will develop at a slower rate. If the resistance scores are good – then a fungicide will not be needed under Ohio conditions. In 3 years of studies, we were able to demonstrate that company scores were good and that a fungicide did not reduce the disease to any lower levels that warranted the spray.
Fungicides are only necessary if the field has a history of the disease and a susceptible cultivar is planted. In addition, if the fields are past flowering (late R2), it is too late for a fungicide application for white mold.
For more detailed information, there is an updated fact sheet available about white mold of soybean: http://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/plpath-soy-3
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Application of Manure to Double Crop Soybeans
Wheat fields will be harvested in Ohio over the next 10 days and many farmers will plant double-crop soybeans. In recent years there has been more interest from livestock producers in applying manure to newly planted soybeans to provide moisture to help get the crop emerged.
Both swine and dairy manure can be used to add moisture to newly planted soybeans. It’s important that the soybeans were properly covered with soil when planted to keep a barrier between the salt and nitrogen in the manure and the germinating soybean seed. It’s also important that livestock producers know their soil phosphorus levels, and the phosphorus in the manure being applied, so we don’t grow soil phosphorus levels beyond what is acceptable.
An acre-inch of water is 27,154 gallons. The application of 10,000 gallons per acre of dairy manure would be about 0.37 inches of moisture. The application of 7,000 gallons of swine manure would be about 0.26 inches of moisture. While we strongly encourage the incorporation of livestock manure whenever possible, the use of manure to help with double-crop soybean emergence does not really allow for incorporation.
If soybeans are emerged, swine finishing manure is likely to kill the emerged plants. Swine nursery manure and sow manure are unlikely to kill emerged soybeans.
If manure is incorporated prior to planting double-crop soybeans be sure the manure salt and nitrogen is not placed in the planting zone. Placing the manure in contact with germinating seeds can result in severe emergence problems.
As always, print out the weather forecast when surface applying manure. Remember the “not greater than 50% chance of 0.5 inches of rainfall in the next 24 hours” rule.
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Replanting failed corn stands – herbicide considerations
Replanting a corn field due to weather-related stand problems usually involves killing the first planting, which otherwise really just turns into a weed. A recent article by Dr. Aaron Hager in the U. of Illinois newsletter, “The Bulletin – pest management and crop development information for Illinois”, summarizes this and other herbicide issues for corn replant situations (http://bulletin.ipm.illinois.edu/?p=3874). Bottom line – the only methods to ensure complete control of the first stand of glyphosate-resistant corn are tillage or application of Select Max. Use of Select Max must be followed by a wait of six days before replanting corn, to avoid risk of herbicide injury. Gramoxone and glufosinate (assuming it’s not LibertyLink corn) can have substantial activity on the first stand of corn, but usually do not completely control it. These herbicides are most effective when applied with atrazine or metribuzin, and also when corn is tall enough that the growing point is out of the ground.
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Adult cereal leaf beetles found, look out for larvae in wheat soon
Adult cereal leaf beetles have been spotted in a few areas across OH. Adults do not normally cause yield loss in wheat, but, if present in high numbers, they could lead to heavy larval infestations over the next few weeks. Adult cereal leaf beetles are shiny, metallic blue and orange and are best found using a sweep net or by walking the field. Cereal leaf beetle larvae are small, gray and moist, resembling bird droppings, and are easily found on wheat leaves. Foliar damage on wheat occurs when larvae feed and strip the leaves, causing a “frosted appearance.” Economic threshold of cereal leaf beetle larvae averages 1 per stem. As wheat matures, growers should carefully inspect their fields for the presence of cereal leaf beetle larvae.
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2017 On-Farm Fertilizer Trials for Corn, Soybean, and Wheat
Ohio State is looking for farmer cooperators and crop consultants to help conduct on-farm field trials for the 2017 field season. The 2017 field season will likely be our last year of field trials before Ohio fertilizer recommendations are updated and/or revised. We are looking specifically at N, P, K and S in corn, soybean and wheat. We are collecting data from a large number of farms across the state to determine fertilization rates that maximize farmer profitability. These trials should be considered an opportunity to learn more about your farm’s fertility needs, but also contribute to a state-wide effort for better nutrient management and water quality outcomes.
We can work either directly with farmers, or contract crop consultants and agronomists to conduct the trials and collect data on farmers’ fields. Farmers can choose which nutrient they’d like to work with and will have a large degree of flexibility in the plot layout and applied rates. We have funds to compensate both farmers and crop consultants for their time and effort.
Here is a ranking of priorities for trials in 2017.
- Top Priority
o P and K in corn, soybean or wheat. We are especially interested in fields that test low in P and K
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Second Priority
- Sulfur in corn, soybean or wheat
- Starter P in corn
- Third Priority
- Late season N in corn
- N rate trial in corn and wheat
For more information, please see go.osu.edu/fert-trial-2017 or contact Steve Culman at culman.2@osu.edu or (330) 822-3787.
If you are interested in enrolling please go to: go.osu.edu/fert-trial-signup
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Fall Manure Application Tips
Silage harvest is moving along rapidly in Ohio, with corn and soybean harvest expected to be earlier this year than normal. Livestock producers and commercial manure applicators will be applying both liquid and solid manure as fields become available.
For poultry manure, handlers are reminded to stockpile poultry litter close to the fields actually receiving the manure. Stockpiles need to be 500 feet from a residence, 300 feet from a water source and 1,500 feet from a public water intake. Poultry litter cannot be stockpiled in a floodplain and cannot have offsite water running across the litter stockpile area. The site also cannot have a slope greater than six percent.
Litter stockpiles need to be monitored for insect activity and steps taken to keep insect populations in check if necessary. Farmers receiving poultry litter from a permitted facility need to have their fertilizer certification training completed. While field application rates of two to three tons per acre of poultry litter are common, farmers should still have soil tests and manure tests taken so manure nutrients being applied are fully utilized by the following crop rotations.
For liquid manure applicators, examine fields for tile blowouts, soil cracks, worm holes, and any other situations that might allow manure to reach surface waters. Old clay tile that are not charted, and may have an outlet buried in the bottom of a ditch, have caused a number of manure escapes in Ohio over the years.
Liquid manure application rates are limited to the moisture holding capacity of the soil or no more than a half inch or ~13,500 gallons per acre for tiled fields. Limiting application rates below legal limits can help keep more nutrients on fields. Remember, a corn-soybean rotation will remove about 120 pounds of P2O5 over two good growing seasons. That will drop your soil test level about 6 pounds per acre. Applying high amounts of manure will rapidly raise soil test levels and result in greater losses of phosphorus from farm fields.
Incorporated liquid manure or liquid manure incorporated within 24 hours does not have a setback requirement from ditches and streams this time of year. If just surface applied, with no plan of immediate incorruption, a vegetative setback of 35 feet is recommended or a 100 foot setback if there is little or no vegetation growing in the field. These recommendations for non-permitted farms are the rules for permitted farms.
The state-wide rule for surface manure application is a weather forecast saying “not greater than a 50% chance of a half inch or more of rain in the next 24 hours or for very heavy soils (typically Hydrologic group D) ¼ inch of rainfall can cause runoff when combined with a half inch of liquid applied on the surface. It’s advisable to print out the weather forecast when you start applying manure so you have the needed proof if an unexpected storm drenches the area.
The rain forecast does not apply to incorporated manure. However, the soil must be fractured and disturbed when manure is applied to quality for incorporated. Just poking holes in the soil does not qualify as incorporation. Deep incorporation of manure nutrients could help break up the phosphorus stratification issues that may be contributing to the increasing levels of dissolved phosphorus leaving Ohio farm fields.
For permitted farms, when more than 50 pounds per acre of manure nitrogen is being applied, it’s required that a field have a growing crop or cover crop be planted. In manure amounts, this could be a little as 1,500 gallons per acre of swine finishing manure, one ton of poultry litter, 3,000 gallons of dairy manure, 1,000 gallons of liquid beef manure or five tons per acre of solid pen pack manure.
All farmers should consider utilizing cover crops with manure applications to capture the available nitrogen and turn it into organic nitrogen in the form of additional roots and stems. Livestock producers in the Western Lake Erie Basin watersheds must have a growing cover crop in the field if they intend to apply manure to snow covered or frozen soil this winter.
Cover crops can help livestock farmers recapture manure nutrients and conserve soil by reducing erosion. Cover crop seedings do not have to be perfect. The goal is to combine nutrient recovery and protecting the environment.
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Corn Replant Tips
Although most corn that’s been planted has yet to emerge or develop much beyond the VE or V1 stage, there are localized reports of growers replanting early planted corn. Some of these replant issues appear related to the consequence of recent frost injury combined with excess soil moisture or flooding.
Replant decisions in corn should be based on strong evidence that the returns to replanting will not only cover replant costs but also net enough to make it worth the effort. Don’t make a final assessment on the extent of damage and stand loss too quickly. The following are some guidelines to consider when making a replant decision.
If the crop damage assessment indicates that a replant decision is called for, some specific information will be needed, including:
Original target plant population/Intended plant stand
Plant stand after damage
Uniformity of plant stand after damage
Original planting date
Possible replanting date
Likely replanting pest control and seed costs
To estimate after‑damage plant population per acre, count the number of viable plants in a length of row that equals 1/1000 of an acre and multiply by 1000. Make several counts in different rows in different parts of the field. Six to eight counts per 20 acres should be sufficient. Table 1 below shows row lengths required to equal 1/1000 acre when corn is planted at various row widths.
Table 1. Length of row required for 1/1000 acre at various row widths1
Row width (in.) Length of row for 1/1000 A
15 34 ft., 8 in.
20 26 ft., 2 in.
28 18 ft., 8 in.
30 17 ft., 5 in.
36 14 ft., 6 in.
38 13 ft., 9 in.
40 13 ft., 1 in.
42 12 ft., 5 in.
1Example: For 30” rows, count the number of kernels dropped or the number of plants in 17 ft., 5 in. and multiply by 1000. If there are 21 in the 17 ft., 5 in. row, the population is 21,000 per acre.
A major consideration in making a replant decision is the potential yield at the new planting date and possibly different planting rate; this can vary depending on the hybrid used, soil fertility and moisture availability. Table 2 is adapted from a chart developed by Dr. Emerson Nafziger at the University of Illinois that shows effects of planting date and plant population on final grain yield for the central Corn Belt. Dr. Bob Nielsen at Purdue University modified this table to provide estimates of potential yield losses for planting dates in early June (on-line at http://www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/corn/news/articles.08/delayedpltupdate-0523.html)
Grain yields for varying dates and populations in both tables are expressed as a percentage of the yield obtained at the optimum planting date and population.
Here’s how these Table 2 might be used to arrive at a replant decision. Let’s assume that a farmer planted on May 9 at a seeding rate sufficient to attain a harvest population of 30,000 plants per acre. The farmer determined on May 28 that his stand was reduced to 15,000 plants per acre as a result of saturated soil conditions and ponding. According to Table 2, the expected yield for the existing stand would be 79% of the optimum. If the corn crop was planted the next day on May 29 and produced a full stand of 30,000 plants per acre, the expected yield would be 81% of the optimum. The difference expected from replanting is 81 minus 79, or 2 percentage points. At a yield level of 175 bushels per acre, this increase would amount to a gain of about 3.5 bu per acre.
It’s also important to note plant distribution within the row. Remember that values in replant charts like Table 2 are based on a uniform distribution of plants within the row. Add a 5% yield loss penalty if the field assessment reveals several gaps of 4‑6 feet within rows and a 2% penalty for gaps of 1‑3 feet. Yield loss due to stand reduction results not only from the outright loss of plants but also from an uneven distribution of the remaining ones. The more numerous and longer the gaps between plants within the row, the greater the yield reduction. It’s also important to consider the condition of the existing corn.
When making the replant decision, seed and pest control costs must not be overlooked. Depending on the seed company and the cause of stand loss, expense for seed can range from none to full cost. As for the correct hybrid maturity to use in a late planting situation, continue to use adapted hybrids switching to early/mid maturities, if necessary, depending on your location in Ohio.
You also need to review herbicide and insecticide programs under late‑planting conditions. For instance, it may be necessary to reapply herbicides, especially if deep tillage is used. However, try to avoid such tillage depending instead on postemergence chemicals or cultivation for weed control. Concerning insect control, if soil insecticides were applied in the row at initial planting, check insecticide label restrictions before re‑application. Also remember that later May and June planting dates generally increase the possibility of damage from European corn borer (ECB) so planting ECB Bt hybrids is often beneficial.
The cost of replanting will differ depending on the need for tillage and chemical application. The cost and availability of acceptable seed will also be considerations. These factors must be weighed against expected replanting yield gains. If after considering all the factors, there is still doubt as to whether or not a field should be replanted, you will perhaps be correct more often if the field is left as is.
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Rainfastness of Fungicides in Wheat
Recent reports of leaf and stripe rust and the fact that the wheat crop is approaching flowering have producers thinking about applying a fungicide to protect their crop. However, it has rained consistently over the last several days and there is more rain in the forecast for the rest of this week. In addition to increasing disease risk, frequent rainfall may reduce fungicide efficacy by washing it off of the plant surface or diluting it to a less effective concentration. However, the extent to which these occur depends on how soon and how much it rains after the product is applied, the formulation of the product and whether it is applied with a surfactant, the properties of the fungicide, and the characteristics of the plant surface being treated.
The Rainfastness of a fungicide (or pesticide in general) refers to “the time needed between an application and a rain event for the product to maintain its effectiveness when compared to the same product applied in the absence of rain”. Quite often this information is vague or missing from product labels. For instance, some sources may say that the product is rainfast “as soon as it dries” or anywhere from 15 min to 2 hours after application. There is no simple answer to the question of rainfastness, as it depends on the product and treatment conditions. However, we have done some research on the rainfastness of Prosaro (plus a surfactant) for head scab control in wheat under wet field conditions and under dry greenhouse conditions. Our results showed that when Prosaro was applied as a protectant, before the fungus infected the wheat head, the rainfastness was 15 minutes under dry conditions, and when applied after infection had already occurred, the rainfastness was 30 minutes. However, when tested under wet field conditions (dew on the wheat heads), the ranfastness was about 60 minutes.
Results from our study on the rainfastness of Prosaro for head scab control should not be directly extrapolated to other fungicides, other diseases, or other plant parts. However, it can be used as a guide for making decisions about fungicide applications under rainy conditions, showing that rainfastness is generally shorter if the canopy is dry, about 15 min, and much longer, an hour or more, when the canopy is wet. To be on the safe side, if at all possible, try to apply the fungicide at least an hour before it rains.
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Farmers and Carbon Markets: Informational Needs and Attitudes
Survey Announcement
Purpose of this study: To understand the informational and educational needs of farmers and landowners considering participation in carbon markets.
Exciting News at the Farm Science Review-2024: London, Ohio
We are happy to announce that during this year’s Farm Science Review, presented by The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES), we are presenting this unique opportunity for farmers and extension educators to participate in this comprehensive survey that is focused on farmers and carbon markets. This study helps the researchers to understand the informational and educational needs of farmers, landowners, and industry professionals considering participation in carbon markets.Help us to shape the future:
The C-FARM (https://carbon.osu.edu/c-farm) team is looking for farmers, extension educators, and other individuals to participate in this study to evaluate the informational and educational needs of farmers and landowners considering participation in carbon markets.
How to participate: Visit us from September 17-19, 2024, at two different locations: 1) The Lal Carbon Center table within the Agronomic Crop Tent and 2) The Carbon Sequestration and Ecosystems Services booth in the Firebaugh building to take part in the survey and learn more about our current extension studies and research on this survey.
Completing the survey will take 7-10 minutes. It is also accessible online at the link provided below. You can complete the survey online until January 31, 2025. Completing the survey would constitute your consent to participate in the study.
Link: https://go.osu.edu/carbonsurvey
Inquiries with questions about the survey or its use should be directed to Mike Estadt, estadt.3@osu.edu, Asmita Murumkar, murumkar.1@osu.edu, or Elizabeth Hawkins hawkins.301@osu.edu, Prasanna Oruganti, oruganti.11@buckeyemail.osu.edu
Funding source: This Project is funded by “The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR).”
Principle Investigator(s): Mike Estadt, Prasanna Oruganti, Dr. Asmita Murumkar, Dr. Elizabeth Hawkins
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Late-Season Soybeans Can Be Pest Magnets
At the end of the growing season, when many soybean fields are shutting down, those which are still green can be a magnet for certain insect pests as they leave the mature fields. Double-crop soybeans and late planted beans that are running behind and are still fresh can be attractive for stink bugs, bean leaf beetles, and sometimes grasshoppers when they leave yellowing fields for greener pastures. If you have such soybean fields in areas where other fields are maturing, they are worth an extra eye until they reach the R6 (full seed) growth stage. After R6, the yield is mostly set and insecticide will not provide a return. Also, if you do spray late in the season, be mindful of the pre-harvest interval of the product you’re using, which can be up to several weeks. Consult our pest management guide for more information about these chemicals:
https://aginsects.osu.edu/news/msu-osu-insect-ipm-guideFor defoliating insects like grasshoppers, look for defoliation levels across the entire field of around 15% and whether the insects are still present. A guide to defoliation can be found here: https://aginsects.osu.edu/sites/aginsects/files/imce/Soybean%20defoliation%20Final.pdf
For stink bugs, which poke directly into the seed with their straw-like mouthparts, take several sweep net samples of 10 sweeps each in different parts of the field. If you average 4 stink bugs per 10-sweep set (grain) or 2 bugs per set (food-grade and seed) consider treatment. https://aginsects.osu.edu/sites/aginsects/files/imce/Stink%20bug%20ID%20card%20ID%205_1_19.pdf
Bean leaf beetles pose little threat when feeding on foliage earlier in the season. Later in the season they may feed directly on the pods, which can cause more damage – either through direct damage to the seed, or through opening the pod to disease. Inspect all the pods on 10 randomly selected plants and count the total number of pods and the number showing pod injury. Use your totals to determine percent pod injury. Treatment is justified if the percent pod injury is reaching 10 to 15%, and bean leaf beetle adults are still present and active.
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Soybean Planting Progress, Emergence, and Misconceptions
Recent wet weather across the state has slowed soybean planting progress, but should be picking up with warmer and dryer weather. As of the last week of April, 2% of the soybean acres in Ohio were planted. Last year at the same time, 17% of soybean acres were planted. However, 2018 through 2020, planting progress was similar at 1-2%.
Table 1. Percent soybean acres planted in Ohio by week for the past five years (USDA NASS).
Week
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2nd Week of April
0%
1%
0%
0%
0%
3rd Week of April
0%
8%
0%
0%
0%
4th Week of April
2%
17%
2%
1%
1%
1st Week of May
--*
20%
7%
1%
8%
*Not reported yet reported when this article was written.
As soybean planting continues and plants emerge, here are some things to look for as well as some common misconceptions from soybean extension specialists across the U.S.
What Matters at Planting and Emergence: At this point in the growing season, obtaining a stand of sufficient plant population is the first step in ensuring maximum soybean yield. It is important to seed at a rate that will provide an adequate and relatively uniform stand. In Ohio, for soybean planted in May, we recommend a seeding rate of approximately 140,000 seeds/acre with the goal of at least 100,000 plants/acre.
Soybean Emergence Misconceptions: There are several common misconceptions about soybean emergence:
Misconception
Reality
Soybean plants need to have uniform emergence and uniform spacing aka “the picket fence” to maximize yield.
Emergence uniformity is not critically important in soybeans. Recent research has shown planter downforce did not impact grain yield regardless of tillage, soil texture or gauge wheel type. Rate of emergence over four days was altered but did not result in yield differences. Additional research has shown no difference between random drop and precision planting until seeding rates were reduced to 40,000 seeds/acre.
Seed size of planted seed influences end of season crop yield.
Seed size can influence percent emergence (smaller seed size increased emergence 10%), but as long as an adequate stand is established, there is no influence of planted seed size on yield. Effect of seed size on emergence is dependent on soil texture, planting depth and environmental conditions from planting through emergence.
Supplemental nitrogen is essential to maximize yield in high yield environments.
Soybeans with active nodules do not require additional nitrogen, even in high yield environments. Yield responses to N are rare, unpredictable and not economically viable.
Suboptimal stands (<80,000 plants/acre) call for an automatic replant.
Visual stand assessment at VE often underestimates the total number of plants that will emerge. We often ask growers and crop consultants to wait until the VC growth stage to make the call about replanting. Even at suboptimal stands, an automatic replant is not always the best economic decision. Cost of replanting plus added planting date penalties must be considered before replanting.
For more information on soybean emergence misconceptions, this Science for Success video featuring my colleague Dr. Michael Plumblee from Clemson University: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpdokEECT5M and also this Science for Success FactSheet: https://soybeanresearchinfo.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Science-for-Success-Soybean-Growth-Stages-V3.pdf
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Congratulations to Harold Watters on his Retirement!
After 20+ years at Ohio State, Harold Watters retired earlier this month. Most recently, Harold was an Ohio State University Extension Field Specialist for Agronomic Systems, but his history at OSU dates back to 1975 when he was a student employee at the Farm Science Review. In his own words, Harold’s goal has been “…to do the work that needed to be done for row crop farmers- whether it was in response to drought in 2012, or floods and late planting in 2015…or the concerns of nutrient management and water quality.”
I cannot even begin to list Harold’s involvement, achievements, and impact he has had on Ohio’s agricultural community (and also international work in the Ukraine). Harold was co-leader of the OSU Extension’s AgCrops Team from 2004 through 2019. He helped move the team forward into the digital age with a website, easier transfer of the CORN newsletter, and provided lots of support for agronomic crops meetings. Harold served on the Ohio Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) board. He provided CCA training and actively encouraged and supported many extension educators to become CCAs. Harold was also actively involved in the AgCrops Team demonstration plots at Farm Science Review and agronomic programming at the Conservation Tillage and Technology Conference. Thank you, Harold, for everything that you’ve done for all of us over the years. You are a great agronomist, field specialist, and friend.
Harold plans on spending this winter skiing as much as possible, but I’m sure he’ll be around in the field this spring. Congratulations!
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Nitrogen Rate Recommendations for Wheat 2020
Wheat has already reached green-up across the state so spring N may be applied anytime fields are fit. Keep in mind that research has shown N can be applied up to Feekes GS 6 (one visible node) without a reduction in yield. However, wheat is growing slowly because of the cool temperatures, particularly in northern Ohio. Nitrogen applied early has the potential to be lost since wheat will use little N prior to jointing (Feekes GS 6). Urea-ammonium nitrate (UAN) or 28% has the greatest potential for loss and ammonium sulfate the least. Urea will have little potential for loss as long as it does not volatize. No stabilizer will protect the nitrate component of UAN, which is roughly 25% of the total N in UAN at application time.
Ohio State University recommends the Tri-State guide for N rates in wheat. This system relies on yield potential. As a producer, you can greatly increase or reduce your N rate by changing the value for yield potential. Thus, a realistic yield potential is needed to determine the optimum N rate. To select a realistic yield potential, look at wheat yield from the past five years. Throw out the highest and lowest wheat yield, and average the remaining three wheat yields. This three-year average should reflect the realistic yield potential.
Table 10 in the Tri State guide recommends 110 lb N for yield goals of 90+; 70 lb for 75 bushels; and 40 lb N for 50-bushel yield goal (these recommendations are for total N and include any fall N). If you prefer to be more specific, the following equation may be used for mineral soils, which have both 1 to 5% organic matter and adequate drainage:
N rate = 40 + [1.75 x (yield potential – 50)]
No credit is given for previous soybean or cover crops, since it is not known if that organic N source will be released soon enough for the wheat crop. The Tri-state recommends that you subtract from the total (spring N) any fall applied N up. I would not credit no more than 20 lb/A even if a larger amount was applied. Whether you deduct fall N depends how much risk you are willing to take and your anticipated return of investment from additional N. Based on the equation above and deducting 20 lb from a fall application, a spring application of 110 lb N per acre would be recommended for a yield potential of 100 bu, 90 for 90 bu potential; 70 for a 80 bu potential and 40 lb N per acre for a 60 bu potential. Nitrogen rate studies at the Northwest Agricultural Research Station have shown the optimum rate varies depending on the year. However, averaged over years, yield data from these studies correspond well with the recommendation equation given above. These studies have also shown that regardless of the year, yields did not increase above a spring rate of 120 lb N per acre.
Wheat generally does not benefit from a nitrification inhibitor since temperatures are relatively cool at application time and the application is made to a growing crop, this is especially true as the crop approaches Feekes GS 6. However urea may benefit from a urease inhibitor (products containing NBPT) if conditions for volatilization exist for several days after application. These conditions would include an extended dry period with warm drying temperatures (risk increases with temperatures above 70°F) and evaporating winds. Urea applications need at least a half inch rain within 48 hours to minimize volatilization losses unless temperatures remain relatively cool. The urease inhibitor will prevent volatilization for 10 to 14 days with the anticipation of a significant rainfall event during this time.
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Farm Bill Decision Deadline Fast Approaching
Enrollment in the 2018 Farm Bill programs (PLC, ARC-CO, and ARC-IC) ends on March 16th. If you do not enroll by this date you will default to the election you made in the previous Farm Bill and receive NO PAYMENTS for the 2019 program year. This same election holds true for 2020.
As a reminder, PLC is a price protection/income loss option that covers declines in crop prices and the ARC-CO program is an income support option based on county-level benchmark revenues and guarantees compared to actual revenues. For those with prevent planted acres, the ARC-IC program may be worth consideration. ARC-IC issues payments when individual crop revenue is less than the guarantee and uses individual yields, rather than the county yields.
Once an election is made, the choice carries through for 2019 and 2020. Annual changes can be made in 2021, 2022, and 2023 program years. If you have already made a program election and decide you want to make a change, you may do so until March 16th.
Information about the Farm Bill program options and the OSU Farm Bill Decision Tool are available at https://aede.osu.edu/research/osu-farm-management/2018-farm-bill/arcplc-decision-aid-tools. You may also consult your local FSA office or OSU Extension Educator for answers to your specific questions.
The Secretary of Agriculture has said there will not be an extension to the enrollment deadline. FSA offices are very busy processing enrollments and have a great deal of work to complete in less than one month. If you have not met with your FSA office staff to enroll in the Farm Bill program, please do so ASAP. Remember, the deadline is March 16th.
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Wetter Conditions Remain Favored into Spring
The outlook for February calls for near normal temperatures after the warm start with normal to above normal rainfall. That was the only change in the outlook. February looks wetter than a few weeks ago. Rainfall the next two weeks will average 1-4 inches across the state. Normal for two weeks is about 1.5 inches. You can see the consensus 16-day rainfall outlook at:
https://www.weather.gov/images/ohrfc/dynamic/NAEFS16.apcp.mean.total.png
The spring outlook is for a chilly start but a warmer than normal finish. Above normal rainfall is in the outlook until at least May. However, it does not look as wet as 2019 at this time.
The trends in the climate models indicate a switch to hotter and drier weather as we go through summer.
You can keep up-to-date on all the NOAA climate outlooks at:
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Early Indications Point to a Wetter Spring
It is that time of the year where winter is here but spring is just around the corner.
The weather, climate and hydrology patterns still remain wet across the region. This makes Ohio vulnerable to wet conditions.
The outlook for February calls for normal to slightly below normal temperatures with not too far from normal rainfall. There is a chance February could be drier than normal but the chances are not high.
The jet stream remains active from Japan across the North Pacific Ocean into North America but not as active as last year. Therefore, the spring outlook is for a chilly start but a warmer than normal finish. At the same time, above normal rainfall is forecast so we are likely to see spring planting challenges again into 2020 like many of the last 10+ years. However, it does not look as bad as 2019 at this time.
Many of the climate models show trends toward normal or below normal rainfall and hotter weather for summer which if it comes to happen will create challenges.
You can keep up-to-date on all the NOAA climate outlooks at:
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Corn vs. Soybeans in a Delayed Planting Scenario – Profit Scenarios
Wet weather and planting delays throughout much of Ohio and the eastern Cornbelt have many producers thinking about switching corn acres to soybeans or the taking the prevented planting option of their Multiple Peril Crop Insurance policy. Ohio had 9% of intended corn acres planted by May 19th which is far behind the 5 year average of 62%. Farms with pre-plant nitrogen or herbicides applied for corn production may have no option to switch to soybeans. Seed availability may also limit choice for some. Other factors, such as strict adherence to a crop rotation or landlord considerations may limit farmer choice when it comes to switching from corn to soybean plantings in a given year. Farm leases may contain specifications on crop rotations or even what crops may be grown. There may also be unwritten agreements between parties that limit the possibility of growing soybeans in successive years.
Producers that don’t have these limitations may be considering the option of switching acres to soybeans and it will likely come down to expected profit. Field by field budgeting is recommended and with delayed planting the yield expectations change as we move later into the growing season. What will be the likely yields for a given farm for the two crop choices? A recent article, “Delayed Planting Effects on Corn Yield: A “Historical” Perspective” is a good starting point in evaluating potential yield loss due to late corn planting: https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2019-12/delayed-planting-effects-corn-yield-%E2%80%9Chistorical%E2%80%9D-perspective
A recent article highlighting faculty in the College of Food, Agricultural and environmental Sciences always provides valuable insight into the possible yield swings related to late plantings of corn and soybeans: https://cfaes.osu.edu/news/articles/late-start-planting-might-not-hurt-yields-much
Looking at some simple scenarios may get your budgeting process moving for your own fields. These scenarios are based on the 2019 crop enterprise budgets available online at: https://farmoffice.osu.edu/farm-management-tools/farm-budgets
Scenario 1 – Yield prospects remain unchanged, new estimated revenue based on today’s markets:
- Corn – 170.2 bu/a & 4.00/bu
Returns Above Variable Costs $293
- Soybeans – 51.5 bu/a & 7.90/bu
Returns Above Variable Costs $207
Price changes in the last 3 weeks have been favorable to corn and shows some advantage to corn with these assumptions using OSUE Enterprise Budgets.
Scenario 2 – Corn yield 13% lower (per OSU Agronomy Guide, planting date 5-22 through 5-27), soybean yields remain unchanged, new estimated revenue based on today’s markets:
- Corn – 148 bu/a & 4.00/bu
Returns Above Variable Costs $227
- Soybeans – 51.5 bu/a & 7.90/bu
Returns Above Variable Costs $207
The choice becomes closer as we see corn still outperforming soybeans (barely) in Returns Above Variable Costs.
Scenario 3 – Corn yield 13% lower (per OSU Agronomy Guide, planting date 5-22 through 5-27), soybean yields 5% lower, soybean seed costs higher due to higher seeding rate (additional 30,000 seeds per acre planted) for late planted soybeans, new estimated revenue based on today’s markets:
- Corn – 148 bu/a & 4.00/bu
Returns Above Variable Costs $227
- Soybeans – 48.9 bu/a & 7.90/bu
Returns Above Variable Costs $175
This choice again favors corn as the lower soybean yield due to late planting and additional seeding costs make the choice of corn somewhat stronger compared to Scenario 2.
The recent announcements of another round of Market Facilitation Payments and changes to Prevented Planting Coverage due to the pending Disaster Aid Bill may add further complexity to this choice. As planting is delayed further into June the potential lower yields of both corn and soybeans due to a later planting window will tend to favor soybeans. These simplified scenarios are just examples and farmers should budget for the different yield, price and cost combinations based on their own numbers.
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Forages are Ready for Harvest!
Many alfalfa and forage stands across the state took a beating this winter and the wet spring has added insult to injury. For weak stands, harvesting a little later than normal will help them recover. However, we’ve seen some younger stands that are looking OK and are overall growing well despite the wet weather.
Orchardgrass was beginning to head out last week in Clark county and the alfalfa is ready or about ready for cutting (see below) in central Ohio and points to the south. Unfortunately, the rainy weather is hampering any attempts to harvest.
As we did last year, we are surveying alfalfa fields and estimating the neutral detergent fiber (NDF) content of those fields. For alfalfa, values ranging near 40-42% NDF are ideal for lactating dairy cows. For grasses, less than 55% NDF is ideal for lactating dairy cows, and once you see the grasses heading out, they are usually are near 55% NDF or higher. For classes of livestock with lower nutrient demands, higher NDF values are acceptable.
A short video describing the method we used to estimate NDF in the field can be found at the following website: https://forages.osu.edu/video. Look for the title “Estimating Alfalfa Quality in the Field”.
Keep in mind that this method is for pure alfalfa stands. Grasses will raise the NDF content. Grass-alfalfa mixtures should be harvested as soon as conditions allow if they are intended for lactating dairy cows. However, do wait until the soil is firm enough to avoid wheel track damage. It is better to take our lumps with lower quality forage than to live with wheel track compaction damage for the remainder of the stand life.
The following shows our NDF estimates in alfalfa fields from several counties this past week:
County
Date
Minimum %NDF
Maximum %NDF
Average %NDF
Wayne
14-May
29.9
35.4
32.3
Clark
15-May
37.1
40.4
38.6
Auglaize
19-May
34.5
39.5
36.8
Clark
20-May
40.7
41.4
41.1
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Delayed Planting Effects on Corn Yield: A “Historical” Perspective
According to the USDA/NASS, for the week ending May 5, only 2% of Ohio’s projected corn acreage was planted - compared to 20% last year and 27% for the five-year average. Persistent rains and saturated soil conditions have delayed corn planting. The weather forecast this week indicates the likelihood of more rain, so it is probable that many soggy fields may not dry out soon.
Long-term research by universities and seed companies across the Corn Belt gives us a pretty good idea of planting date effects on relative yield potential. The recommended time for planting corn in northern Ohio is April 15 to May 10 and in southern Ohio, April 10 to May 10. In the central Corn Belt, estimated yield loss per day with delayed planting varies from about 0.3% per day early in May to about 1% per day by the end of May (Nielsen, 2019). These yield losses can be attributed to a number of factors including a shorter growing season, greater disease and insect pressure and higher risk of hot, dry conditions during pollination.
Given these planting date effects, do yield losses associated with late plantings translate into lower statewide yields? Not necessarily. Let’s consider some previous growing seasons that were characterized by a “late start” and what impact this had on crop production. For the purposes of this discussion, we will consider “late start” years as those in which 40% or more of the corn acreage was not planted by May 20. Since 1980, there have been significant planting delays associated with wet spring weather in eleven years – 1981, 1983, 1989, 1995, 1996, 2002, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2014 and 2016.
Table 1 shows the percentage of corn acreage planted by May 20 and May 30, the 50% planting date (the date by which 50% of the corn acreage was planted), yield, the state average yield for the previous five years, and the departure from the yield trend in each of those years. Of these eleven years, the greatest delays in crop planting occurred in 2011 when only 19% of the corn acreage was planted by May 30. In five of the eleven years (1981, 1983, 1996, 2002, and 2008) average state yields were markedly lower than the state average yield of the previous five years (In six of the eleven years, average yields were five bushels per acre or more below the yield trend line for Ohio). In one of these years, 2002, the average corn yield dropped to 89 bushels per acre (nearly comparable to the record low of 86 bushels per acre for the major drought year of 1988). However, in six of the eleven years, yields were similar or higher than the statewide average yield of the previous five years, and in one of these years, 2014, a record high corn yield, 176 per acre, was achieved.
In 2017, 73% of the corn crop was planted by May 20 (which does not categorize 2017 as having a “late start”). However, field agronomists and county ag extension educators estimated that as much as 40% or more of the corn planted in late April of 2017 was replanted in parts of Ohio due to excessive soil moisture, freezing temperatures and frosts, fungal seed decay and seedling rots, and soil crusting. (NASS does not report replanted corn.) Nevertheless, the yield in 2017 was a record 177 bushels per acre, 16 bushels above the yield trend.
Table 1. Performance of Ohio’s “Late” Planted Corn Crop – Yield
% of Crop Planted by
Year
May 20
May 30
50%
Planting Date
Yield (Bu/A)
Avg. Yield of
Previous 5 Years
Departure from Yield Trend (Bu/A)
1981
30
55
May 26
96
108
-10
1983
45
65
May 22
80
109
-29
1989
22
40
June 4
118
116
0
1995
60
77
May 19
121
122
-6
1996
10
54
June 1
111
122
-17
2002
22
58
May 28
89
138
-48
2008
50
66
May 20
131
153
-14
2009
42
95
May 22
171
149
24
2011
10
19
June 5
153
153
2
2014
50
85
May 20
176
156
20
2016
50
84
May 20
159
155
0
Data Source: National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA/NASS (http://www.nass.usda.gov/)
This comparison of statewide average corn yields from past years (Table 1) indicates that lower grain yields are not a certainty with late plantings. While delayed planting may cause yield loss relative to early planting, planting date is just one of many factors that influence corn yield. Figure 1 shows grain yields associated with dates by which 50% of the corn acreage was planted in Ohio from 1980 to 2018 and it does not suggest a strong relationship between planting date and yield. There are other factors that are of greater importance than planting date in determining grain yield. Weather conditions (rainfall and temperature) in July and August are probably the most important yield determining factors. Favorable weather conditions subsequent to planting may result in late planted crops producing above average yields as was case in 2009 and 2014. However, if late planted crops experience severe moisture stress during pollination and grainfill, then crop yields may be significantly lower than average, with 2002 being the most notable example.
Figure 1. Corn yields associated with 50% planting dates, Ohio, 1980-2018.
Data Source: National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA/NASS (http://www.nass.usda.gov/)
References
Nielsen, R.L. 2019. The Planting Date Conundrum for Corn. Corny News Network, Purdue Univ. [online] https://www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/corn/news/timeless/PltDateCornYld.html [URL accessed May 2, 2019].
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What’s Legal to Apply to the LL-GT27 Soybean – The (maybe almost) Final Story
Having to issue a retraction to previous C.O.R.N. article where we thought we had it right is always fun. About a month ago we ran an article that covered the legality of POST glyphosate and glufosinate applications to the LL-GT27 soybean, which is resistant to both herbicides. The issue at that time was the legality of applying a mix of both herbicides, based on questions we had received. Cutting to the quick, our conclusion was that because it was legal to apply the mixture since both herbicides could legally be applied and labels did not prohibit mixing. We were naïve apparently, because that article caused the issue over whether it was actually legal to apply glyphosate to the LL-GT27 soybean to be raised. Since then, ODA, USEPA, and the companies who are the involved registrants have been working to come to a solution that clarifies this issue and keeps us all moving forward toward a resolution. The issue here seems to be this - wording on most glyphosate labels specifies application is allowed to “Roundup Ready” and “Roundup Ready 2 Yield” soybeans, and since the LL-GT27 soybean is not designated as such, those glyphosate products could not legally be applied. After a month of deliberation, the USEPA issued some guidance which took the form of the following:
“Users of pesticide products containing glyphosate should refer to the pesticide product labels of herbicide products containing glyphosate for the specific registered uses on pesticide-resistant crops such as soybeans with glyphosate-resistant trait(s). Regardless of the herbicide product name (brand name), if the label of the glyphosate product states it is for over-the-top (post-emergent) use on glyphosate-resistant soybeans, and it is not otherwise restricted by other label statements/directions for use, it can be used on any soybean that has a glyphosate-resistant trait. However, if the label of the glyphosate product states it is for use on crops such as soybeans, with specific glyphosate-resistant traits by name, then the glyphosate product can only be used on those crop(s) with those traits specifically identified on the label. Ultimately, growers and commercial applicators must comply with the entirety of the pesticide label. Please let us know if you have any questions.”
Questions – yes - excuse us while we look for the head scratching emoji. We can try to interpret in real-life speak. Here’s what it comes down to:
- the important part of the glyphosate label here is the use-specific directions, or the section within the larger “Roundup Ready” part of the label that deals with soybeans.
- If the soybean section of the glyphosate product label does not mention specific genetics by trade name, but just the wording “glyphosate-resistant” or “glyphosate-tolerant”, then it is legal to apply that product to the LL-GT27 soybean.
- if the soybean section of the label restricts use to certain genetics by trade name - “Roundup Ready”, “Roundup Ready 2 Yield”, etc, then it would not be legal to apply to the LL-GT27 soybean.
- if the wording on the label is along the lines of “For Use on Soybeans with the Roundup Ready gene”, or similar wording with other specific genetics, it would not be legal to apply to the LL-GT27 soybean.
Our not exhaustive search through glyphosate product labels indicates that most if not all do not contain any wording about “glyphosate tolerance” in the soybean section, and indicate use is specifically on “Roundup Ready” or “Roundup Ready 2 Yield” or “Soybeans with the Roundup Ready gene”. This includes Roundup PowerMAX, Durango DMA, Abundit Edge, Credit Extreme, and Cornerstone to name a few. Manufacturer reps with a glyphosate product label that varies from this are free to contact us so we know.
The inability to use glyphosate on the LL-GT27 soybean affects primarily growers who bought it for the genetics or other traits and not the LibertyLink trait, who might have planned to use only glyphosate POST. Most of the utility of this soybean on problem broadleaf weeds comes from the LibertyLink trait though (and it’s definitely legal to apply glufosinate POST). There’s plenty of generic clethodim around to help out with grass. We assume label language will adapt over time to take care of the glyphosate issue. We’re not even sure this issue would have come up if we hadn’t tried to clarify the tank-mix legality and stepped right in it. There appeared to be some confusion in the field about this though, with different stories being told, and better to just clear it all up way in advance of the season. Stay tuned for the next chapter. Offer void where not legal. Legality may vary by state. Your mileage may vary. Side effects may include confusion, apathy, anger, and spontaneous profanity.
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Increasing Variability In Rainfall
As summer nears, the weather pattern supports an increasing risk of big differences in rainfall totals from too wet to too dry.
There is a growing risk of a heat dome developing off the drought area in the south central to southwest parts of the U.S. The heat dome will expand northeast into parts of the corn and soybean belt from time to time over the next several weeks. This means enjoy the cooler than normal weather this week. Storms will ride along the northern edge of the heat dome as it shifts north and south. This means locally heavy rain will be next to areas that get missed. The end result will be a wide variety of rainfall reports in June.
The June outlook calls for above normal temperatures and a wide variation in rainfall amounts.
Maximum temperatures do not look to exceed the 90-95 range on the hottest days due to overall decent soil moisture conditions so even though we expect above normal temperatures, extremely high temperatures do not look in the offering for Ohio.
Rainfall for the next two weeks will average close to normal of 2 inches but with a range from 0.25 inches in the driest areas to over 3-4 or more inches in the highest areas. See attached image from NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center for more information on rainfall distribution across the entire corn and soybean belt.
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Crop Production Costs – Do you know yours? A quick look at the 2016 Ohio Farm Business Analysis
Which number is closest to your total direct and overhead cost of production per bushel of corn: $3.08, $4.17, or $6.21? Do you know? Forty-two farms completed their 2016 farm business and crop enterprise analysis in 2017. The four lowest cost producers averaged $3.08 per bushel, the median COP was $4.17, and the four highest cost producers averaged $6.21 per bushel.
Only the high 20% of these corn enterprises generated a positive net return for corn. For the other 80%, the personalized benchmark reports they receive helped them identify strengths and areas of opportunity in each crop enterprise.
The highest cost producers will know if their costs were high compared to previous years due to weather or other yield-depressing event or if these numbers are “normal” and are waving a big red flag. Combining the real-numbers information from enterprise and benchmark reports with production information gives each farm manager powerful information to make positive changes.
The 2016 Ohio Farm Business Analysis Crop Summary with Benchmark Reports is now available to download at http://farmprofitability.osu.edu. Forty-two farms with 27,733 crop acres completed both whole farm and enterprise analysis for their 2016 business year. Farm size ranged from 40 to more than 1,900 acres.
The report includes enterprise summaries and benchmark reports for corn, corn silage, soybeans, wheat, alfalfa and mixed hay. Any farm can use this information to supplement their decision-making.
All crop, livestock and dairy farms are encouraged to do farm business analysis for their farm. Thanks to a three-year grant from USDA, Ohio has expanded capacity to do farm business analysis work with four additional Farm Business Analysis Technicians working in Ohio. Each farm receives their farm’s analysis as soon as it is completed. All analyses will be completed by the end of May with benchmark reports and summaries available this summer.
Now is the perfect time to start farm business analysis. For more information, contact a Technician near you:
Defiance County 419.782.4771 Clint Schroeder schroeder.307@osu.edu
Licking County 740.670.5315 Dave Grum grum.1@osu.edu
Mahoning County 330.533.5538 Cristina Benton benton.132@osu.edu
Miami County 937.440.3945 Sharon Harris harris.2835@osu.edu
Pickaway County 740.474.7534 Trish Levering levering.43@osu.edu
Thanks to the USDA-NIFA Farm Business Analysis grant, the cost for a farm to complete an analysis for the 2017 business year is $100. To learn more about farm business analysis, contact Dianne Shoemaker or Haley Shoemaker at 330-533-5538 or email at shoemaker.3@osu.edu or shoemaker.306@osu.edu. See past farm business summaries at http://farmprofitability.osu.edu.
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Cool Weather and Corn Dry Down
The recent cooler than normal temperatures may impact corn drydown. Once corn achieves physiological maturity (when kernels have obtained maximum dry weight and black layer has formed), it will normally dry approximately 3/4 to 1% per day during favorable drying weather (sunny and breezy) during the early warmer part of the harvest season from mid‑September through late September. By early to mid‑October, dry-down rates will usually drop to ½ to 3/4% per day. By late October to early November, field dry‑down rates will usually drop to 1/4 to 1/2% per day and by mid November, probably 0 to 1/4% per day. By late November, drying rates will be negligible.
Estimating dry‑down rates can also be considered in terms of Growing Degree Days (GDDs). Generally, it takes about 30 GDDs to lower grain moisture each point from 30% down to 25%. Drying from 25 to 20 percent requires about 45 GDDs per point of moisture. In October, we accumulate about 5 to 10 GDDs per day. However, note that the above estimates are based on generalizations, and it is likely that some hybrids may vary from this pattern of drydown. Some seed companies indicate considerably lower GDDs for grain moisture loss, i.e. 15 to 20 GDDs to lower grain moisture each point from 30% down to 25% and 20 to 30 GDDs per point from 25% to 20%.
Past Ohio research evaluating corn drydown provides insight on effects of weather conditions on grain drying. During a warm, dry fall, grain moisture loss per day ranged from 0.76 to 0.92%. During a cool, wet fall, grain moisture loss per day ranged from 0.32 to 0.35%. Grain moisture losses based on GDDs ranged from 24 to 29 GDDs per percentage point of moisture (i.e., a loss of one percentage point of grain moisture per 24 to 29 GDDs) under warm dry fall conditions, whereas under cool wet fall conditions, moisture loss ranged from 20 to 22 GDDs. The number of GDDs associated with grain moisture loss was lower under cool, wet conditions than under warm, dry conditions.
Agronomists generally recommend that harvesting corn for dry grain storage should begin at about 24 to 25% grain moisture. Allowing corn to field dry below 20% risks yield losses from stalk lodging, ear drop, ear rots, insect feeding damage and wildlife damage.
For more on grain drydown, check out the following article by Dr. Bob Nielsen at Purdue
Nielsen, R.L. 2013. Field Drydown of Mature Corn Grain. Corny News Network, Purdue Univ.
URL: http://www.kingcorn.org/news/timeless/GrainDrying.html [URL accessed Sept. 11, 2017]. -
Pollination Underway in April Planted Corn
According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service for the week ending 7-9-17, 10% of the state’s corn was silking compared to 16% for the 5-year average. Given the wide range in corn planting dates this year, some late planted (corn planted in mid-June corn) may not achieve tasselling and silking until early 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 hail damage and drought) have the greatest impact on yield potential during the reproductive stage. The following are some key steps in the corn pollination process.
Most corn hybrids tassel and silk about the same time although some variability exists among hybrids and environments. On a typical midsummer day, peak pollen shed occurs in the morning between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. followed by a second round of pollen shed late in the afternoon. Pollen may be shed before the tassel fully emerges. Pollen shed begins in the middle of the central spike of the tassel and spreads out later over the whole tassel with the lower branches last to shed pollen. Pollen grains are borne in anthers, each of which contains a large number of pollen grains. The anthers open and the pollen grains pour out in early to mid morning after dew has dried off the tassels. Pollen is light and is often carried considerable distances by the wind. However, most of it settles within 20 to 50 feet.
Pollen shed is not a continuous process. It stops when the tassel is too wet or too dry and begins again when temperature conditions are favorable. Pollen stands little chance of being washed off the silks during a rainstorm as little to none is shed when the tassel is wet. Also, silks are covered with fine, sticky hairs, which serve to catch and anchor pollen grains.
Under favorable conditions, pollen grain remains viable for only 18 to 24 hours. However, the pollen grain starts growth of the pollen tube down the silk channel within minutes of coming in contact with a silk and the pollen tube grows the length of the silk and enters the female flower (ovule) in 12 to 28 hours. A well-developed ear shoot should have 750 to 1,000 ovules (potential kernels) each producing a silk. The silks from near the base of the ear emerge first and those from the tip appear last. Under good conditions, all silks will emerge and be ready for pollination within 3 to 5 days and this usually provides adequate time for all silks to be pollinated before pollen shed ceases.
Pollen of a given plant rarely fertilizes all the silks of the same plant. Under field conditions 97% or more of the kernels produced by each plant may be pollinated by other plants in the field. The amount of pollen is rarely a cause of poor kernel set. Each tassel contains as many as 2 million or more pollen grains, which translates to at least 2,000 pollen grains produced for each silk of the ear shoot. Shortages of pollen are a problem under conditions of extreme heat and drought; they may also occur in fields characterized by uneven emergence in later emerging plants. As noted above, poor kernel set is more often associated with poor timing of pollen shed with silk emergence – with silks emerging after pollen shed (poor “nick”). However, modern hybrids rarely exhibit this problem unless they experience extreme drought stress. Some of the new drought tolerant hybrids have shorter “anthesis silking intervals”, i.e. pollen shedding and silk emergence are more closely synchronized than hybrids more susceptible to drought. This shorter anthesis silking interval mitigates the impact of drought stress during pollination.
Pollen grains are dispersed by the anthers which hang from the tassel during pollination. Anthers emerge from the flowers in each spikelet of the tassel.
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Soybean seedling issues – a perfect storm
Several calls last week with pictures of injured and/or diseased soybean seedlings. For most of these situations we have the following scenario: PPO herbicides (flumioxazin, sulfentrazone, saflufenacil) included as a component of the preplant burn down, fields planted 7 days later with fungicide treated seed, followed by 1 to 2 weeks of suboptimum growing conditions (between 40 to 50oF) for 2 weeks, and greater than 2” rain. These conditions are very conducive to both Pythium damping-off and PPO injury.
Some of the reports from the field were with seedlings that have already croaked. Wispy skeletons of soybean seedlings could be found on or below the surface. These are most likely from Pythium, it moves fast under these conditions. Other seedlings had black at the hypocotyl hook with a reddish brown on the underside of the cotyledon. These could be PPO injury.
There is still much to learn from this unusual weather pattern, but if the soybean plants are slow to get out of the ground, they are exposed to the herbicide/cold temperatures for a much longer period of time. In addition, with soybeans and cold soil temperatures, they are stressed and leak nutrients, signal compounds which attract seedling pathogens, if they are stressed may also be more vulnerable to PPO injury. First, wash up some of the seedlings and cut some open to look at the interior tissue. If it is healthy on the inside, there is a good chance that it will recover.
How to tell the difference between pathogen, flooding, and PPO injury is not going to be easy this year. As all 3 may be present in the field at the same time. The first for pathogen, is the tissue soft? The stem or roots give easily under pressure when you squeeze it between two fingers. The browning (from light brown to dark black) is consistent through the interior of the seedling. This will also continue to progress over the next week.
Flooding injury – the first thing you will notice is the smell from the anaerobic conditions that occurred in the field. For severe cases, there may also be algae on the surface of the soil. But from the seedlings, the color is gray in the outside of the root tissue and it can be easily separated from the root stele (center of the root) – giving a white “rat tail” appearance. If you can pull of the outer root tissue very easily – and the injury is limited to the wettest areas of the field.
PPO injury – contact necrosis on the emerging shoot, variable rate of emergence, possibly some growth distortion, and failure to emerge or death if severe. This is often considered to be caused by “splash up” of herbicide as the shoot emerges. Most frequent when PPO herbicides are applied at or after planting, especially in a tilled seedbed. In our research, we find that application at least a week before planting in no-till minimizes the risk of injury, partly due to subsequent rains that move at least some herbicide off the soil and residue surface. This year’s situation is different due to the extended cold and wet soil conditions after planting. The PPO herbicides are often a component of a premix with either cloransulam or chlorimuron. Chlorimuron can also cause growth inhibition, yellowing, and dark veination when rain and soil moisture is abundant, so injury that is attributed to herbicide may not be due solely to PPO herbicides.
As you compare different fields, some of you will note different colors on the stem of this new seedling, this is referred to as the hypocotyl region. The gene for flower color is also expressed here, so purple colored flower varieties will have a purple hypocotyl and white flowered varieties will have a green hypocotyl color.
For all of these situations, the warm weather this week will greatly help get these seedlings out of the ground and form new roots. Once plants are up and growing they should be able to make up for their extra-long (3 to 4 weeks) time underground during this stressful 2017 growing season. Aim to take stand counts at the end of this week – and follow the guidelines outlined by Laura Lindsey for the different regions in Ohio.
Injury: PPO Cold or Both 
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Corn Emergence and Heat Unit Accumulation
Warm, dry weather promoted significant corn planting last week, especially in western Ohio. According to USDA/NASS estimates (https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Ohio/Publications/Crop_Progress_&_Condition/2017/cw1817oh.pdf) as of April 30, 42 percent of the corn crop in Ohio has been planted. However, much cooler temperatures forecast this week may slow germination and emergence of these late April plantings.
Corn typically requires 100 to 120 growing degree days (GDDs) to emerge (but emergence requirements can vary from 90 to150 GDDs). To determine daily GDD accumulation, calculate the average daily air temperature (high + low)/2 and subtract the base temperature which is 50 degrees F for corn. If the daily low temperature is above 50 degrees, and the high is 86 or less, then this calculation is performed using actual temperatures, but if the low temperature is less than 50 degrees, use 50 degrees as the low in the formula. Similarly, if the high is above 86 degrees, use 86 degrees in the formula. The high cutoff temperature (86 degrees F) is used because growth rates of corn do not increase above 86 degrees F. Growth at the low temperature cutoff (50 degrees F) is already near zero, so it so it does not continue to slow as temperatures drop further.
If it takes a corn hybrid 110 GDDs to emerge, and daily high and low temperatures average 70 and 50 degrees following planting, 10 GDDs accumulate per day, and corn should emerge in about 11 days (110 GDDs to emerge/10 GDDs per day = 11 days). However, if daily high and low temperatures are cooler, averaging 60 and 45 degrees after planting, 5 GDDs accumulate per day, and it may take more than 3 weeks (110 GDDs to emerge/5 GDDs per day = 22 days) for corn to emerge. In past years, corn planted in mid to late April has taken as much as 3 to 4 weeks to emerge in many fields.
Temperatures at or below 50 °F may also impact final plant stands, especially when there is protracted period of low temperatures following planting. When such conditions occur, stand loss is usually greater on heavier and poorly drained soils.
Given the relationship between GDD accumulation and emergence, we should not be too surprised that it sometimes takes early planted corn up to 3 or more weeks to emerge. Seedling emergence is dependent on soil temperature and air temperature. Also, keep in mind that estimates of emergence based on GDDs are approximate and can be influenced by various factors including residue cover, tillage, planting depth, hybrid differences, and soil organic matter (soil "color") and moisture content. -
Time to Scout for Black Cutworm in Corn
We have started to see cutworm damage in Ohio corn. Black cutworm (BCW) is the prime offender, though other species exist. Adult BCW (moths) are migrants from the south that start moving into Ohio in April, and lay eggs that hatch into the cutworm caterpillars. Although there are some hotspots for egg laying, these predictions are far from exact. Moths tend to seek out fields with a lot of weeds, especially winter annuals such as chickweed, to lay their eggs. The eggs are laid in the weeds and the tiny larvae feed on the weeds until the weeds are killed by herbicide or tillage at which time the larvae will move onto the corn planted in the fields. An additional concern related to corn is that most of the crop is being planted relatively late this spring. Corn will be rather small when larvae of these pests begin their heavier feeding. Thus, the potential for plant injury and subsequent economic losses will be much higher than normal because of the size of the corn. Black cutworms go through seven instars, with only the last four producing the greatest amount of injury.
Insecticidal seed treatments do not offer much protection. Some Bt corn train packages provide BCW protection and some do not (http://msuent.com/assets/pdf/28BtTraitTable2016.pdf). Early detection of cutworm infestations and timely application of rescue treatments are the keys to
achieving effective stand protection. Start scouting for BCW as soon as the corn begins emerge. Rescue treatments can then be applied if necessary. If cutting is above ground, cut plants will likely recover if a timely rescue treatment is applied. In contrast, below ground feeding is generally characterized by by wilting plants that have been cut below the growing point, or plants cut off before emergence, and is harder to recover from. Soil moisture conditions can sometimes dictate where you might expect to find cutting with above ground cutting occurring under moist soil conditions and below ground cutting occurring under dry soil conditions. Treatment is warranted when visible cutworm injury is observed on 3% to 5% or more of a stand. If a significant cutworm infestation is detected too late, cutting has occurred below ground and below the growing point, then a rescue treatment may achieve only marginal results.More information about cutworm biology, scouting, and management can be found at http://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/ENT-35
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Wheat is beginning to head out: time to start monitoring the risk for Scab
Wheat is now heading out in some fields, particularly in Southern Ohio, and will likely begin flowering in various parts of the state over the next two to three weeks. On average, it usually takes about 5 days from full head emergence (Feekes 10.5) to flowering, and flowering is usually over in about the same number of days. However, flowering could take a bit longer to occur and the flowering window could be much wider under cool conditions similar to those forecasted for the next week or so. Once wheat begins to flower, scab and vomitoxin become our biggest concerns. It is therefore time for a refresher on head scab, and some useful tips to help you use the scab forecasting system to monitor the risk of this disease.
Scab develops best and the risk is highest when wet, humid weather conditions occur during flowering. These conditions favor the production of spore by the scab fungus, Fusarium graminearum, infection of the wheat heads, development of the disease, and production of vomitoxin. Scab not only affects wheat, it also affects barley and other small grains, causing significant grain yield and quality losses, particularly if the variety is susceptible and the right fungicide is not applied at the correct growth stage. Unlike foliar diseases, you cannot wait until you see scab symptoms to make a fungicide application. It usually takes two to three weeks for symptoms to develop; by that time it is too late to apply a fungicide. If it rains and you cannot apply the fungicide at the recommended flowering stage for wheat or heading for barley, you can still get good control with applications made about 4-6 days after the recommended time.
Use the scab risk tool at http://www.wheatscab.psu.edu/ to help you monitor the risk for scab and as a guide for making fungicide application. The tool is currently showing that the risk is moderate to high (yellow and red colors on the map) across most of the state for wheat flowering today and will continue to be moderate to high over the next three days. Most of our wheat is not yet at the flowering growth stage, but continue to monitoring the crop to see when flowering begins and keep your eyes on the forecasting system to see how the risk changes as the crop approaches flowering. Prosaro and Caramba are the two fungicides recommended for head scab control. Stay away from the strobilurins when the risk for scab is high as they have been linked to higher grain contamination with vomitoxin. Click on the links below to see updated factsheet # PLPATH-CER-06 for more on head scab of wheat and barley and factsheet # PLPATH-CER-03 for guidelines on how to use the scab forecasting system.
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When is the Best Time to Apply N to Wheat
For any N application the question to ask is, “When does the crop need N?” Wheat does not require large amounts of N until stem elongation/jointing (Feekes Growth Stage 6), which is the middle or the end of April depending on the location in the state and spring temperatures. Ohio research has shown no yield benefit from applications made prior to this time period. Soil organic matter and/or N applied at planting generally provide sufficient N for early growth until stem elongation.
Nitrogen applied prior to rapid utilization has the potential to be lost and unavailable for the crop. Nitrogen source will also affect the potential for loss. Urea-ammonium nitrate (28%) has the greatest potential for loss, ammonium sulfate the least, and urea would be somewhere between the two other sources.
Ohio research has shown that yield losses may occur from N applied prior to green-up regardless of the N source. The level of loss depends on the year (losses would be smaller if the ground is not frozen or snow/ice covered). This same research did not observe a yield increase from applications made prior to green-up compared to green-up or Feekes Growth Stage 6 applications. Keep in mind that green-up is a descriptive, relative term and not a definable growth stage. Our definition of green-up is when the new growth of spring has covered the dead tissue from winter giving the field a solid green color – thus, growing plants.
There is a legitimate concern that wet weather may prevent application of N at early stem elongation. Ohio research has shown a yield decrease may occur when N application is delayed until Feekes Growth Stage 9 (early boot). Thus a practical compromise is to topdress N any time fields are suitable for application after initial green-up to early stem elongation. There is still a potential for loss even at green-up applications. To lessen this risk a producer may want to use a N source that has a lower potential for loss such as urea or ammonium sulfate. ESN (polymer-coated urea) would be another option but it needs to be blended with urea or ammonium sulfate to insure enough N will be available for the crop between Feekes GS 6 – 9. The source of N becomes less important as the application date approaches stem elongation. The percentage of urea and/or ammonium sulfate would need to be increased with ESN for application times closer to Feekes GS 6.
A split application of N may also be used to spread the risk of N loss and to improve N efficiency; however, Ohio State University research has not shown a yield increase from this practice. The first application should be applied no sooner than green-up. A smaller rate should be applied with the first application since little is needed by the crop at that time and the larger rate applied closer to Feekes GS 6.
In summary, a producer may get away with applying N prior to green-up on wheat. However university data has not shown a yield advantage for these early applications, but results have shown in certain years a major N loss and yield reduction from applications prior to green-up. Why take the risk, just wait until green-up; the wheat does not need most of the N until April and May anyway.
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Rapid Growing Degree Day Accumulation in May
Climate Summary
For May, temperatures averaged 2-6°F above the long-term mean (1991-2020). This led to a rapid accumulation of modified growing degree days, from 400-600 over the course of the month. This is 80-120 GDDs above the long-term mean for May (Fig 1), with seasonal totals since April 1 now sitting between 600 and 1000 (north to south). Precipitation was highly variable. Parts of west central, northeast, and southeast counties only received 1-2” (50-75% of normal). Other areas including Marion/Wyandot/Crawford Counties, across southern Ohio, and from Canton to Steubenville picked up more than 5” (125-175% of normal). According to CoCoRaHS, a site near Withamsville in Clermont County received 6.93” in May. Even where precipitation was a bit on the lighter side, frequent rainy days plagued the region early in the month, with improvements in planting windows for northwest Ohio just before Memorial Day.
Please visit the State Climate Office of Ohio for the latest up-to-date conditions, seasonal outlooks, and monthly climate summaries.
Weather Forecast
Warm, summer-like weather will start the week off, with highs generally in the 80s through Wednesday. After plenty of sunshine on Monday, clouds will start to build across the region on Tuesday with a few scattered showers and storms possible by Tuesday night. A better chance of showers and storms moves across the Buckeye State on Wednesday, followed by cooler air to end the week. Scattered showers are possible on Friday through Sunday with highs generally in the upper 60s to upper 70s across the region. The Weather Prediction Center is currently forecasting 0.50-1.00” for the bulk of the state over the next 7 days, with localized heavier amounts (Fig. 2).
The 8-14 day outlook from the Climate Prediction Center and the 16-day Rainfall Outlook from NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center show greater probabilities of below-average temperatures with near-normal precipitation expected (Fig. 3). Climate averages include a high-temperature range of 77-81°F, a low-temperature range of 57-61°F, and weekly total precipitation of 0.90-1.20”.
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Battle for the Belt: Season 2 Episode 9- Planting Date & Disease
Episode 9 of Battle for the Belt is now available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3zTyGvt1_s
In Episode 9, Dr. Horacio Lopez-Nicora, Ohio State Extension Soybean Pathologist, and PhD student, Jenna Moore, speak about early planting considerations for disease management and a couple of current research projects in their lab.
Early Planting Considerations:
Figure 1. Disease triangle showing three required components (susceptible host, virulent pathogen, and conducive environment for disease to occur.
Understanding how to manage diseases is hinged on the disease triangle. Diseases occur when all three components of the disease triangle intersect: a susceptible host plant, a virulent pathogen, and conducive/favorable environmental conditions (Figure 1). These components must align for disease to develop. For example, soil-borne pathogens like Phytophthora and Pythium can cause severe stand reduction, particularly in warm soil temperature fields with poor drainage that allow for sitting water. On the other hand, the fungus that causes sudden death syndrome (SDS), can cause more severe disease under cool and wet conditions but become less of a problem as the soil warms and dries out.
Early planting in Ohio generally means that you will likely plant soybeans in cool and wet soils, which can make the perfect environment for some of our most detrimental diseases.
To manage these diseases, you need to know your field history and which diseases you are dealing with because each disease can be mitigated by using different resistant varieties and seed treatments to protect the crop.
SCOUTING every year is extremely important to be able to identify disease pressure and create a management plan for that field. Identifying soil-borne diseases can be challenging during the scouting process due to their similar symptoms. If help with diagnosis is needed, samples of affected plants can be sent to the Ohio State Soybean Pathology and Nematology laboratory. It is essential to have a laboratory validate and confirm the disease diagnosis. With the support of the Ohio Soybean Council, soybean growers from all over the state can once again submit soybean samples showing symptoms of sudden death syndrome (SDS) to the laboratory. We look forward to receiving your SDS samples! You can conveniently complete the SDS submission form and send your samples to:
Attn: Horacio Lopez-Nicora, Ph.D. (lopez-nicora.1@osu.edu)
110 Kottman Hall
2021 Coffey Rd., Columbus, Ohio 43210After properly identifying the disease there are three main practices to fight these diseases. The first is soybean variety selection. Choosing a soybean variety that is resistant to the specific pathogen you are dealing with is one of the most important disease management decisions. The second is using a disease-specific seed treatment. And finally, well-drained soils to avoid compaction and saturation.
Battle for the Belt Disease Update:
Corn and soybean seedling samples are collected within seven days after the emergence of all five planting dates at each location in order to identify diseases in the plants and surrounding soil. Two different approaches are implemented to evaluate the samples: a traditional approach involving plating and growing the pathogen for molecular diagnosis, and a metabarcoding approach that extracts DNA and characterizes the microbial community present in a sample.
In 2023, we observed different structures in the microbial community of seedlings and soil, depending on the planting dates, locations, and crops. Last year we experienced a cool and wet early season, followed by a prolonged dry spell during planting, resulting in an increased prevalence of organisms such as Rhizoctonia. Consequently, the presence of pathogens and the occurrence of diseases vary based on the planting date, Ohio region, and crop. This emphasizes the importance of understanding your field's history.
What’s happening in the field?
At the Northwest location, the second date was planted on May 23rd (Table 1). At Northwest, our first planting date (May 16th) for both corn and soybeans were emerged, with corn being further along in growth than the soybeans (Table 2). Last week at the Western location, the first planting date (March 26) reached V6 in corn (Table 2), meaning the growing point is now above ground and sidedress applications will occur soon. Planting date four was planted on May 24th. At the Wooster location, the fourth date was planted on May 21st, with optimal planting conditions. While planting date one and two are progressing quickly with the warm weather.
Table 1. The planting date conditions for planting date four at the Western Agriculture Research Station, planting date two at the Northwest Agriculture Research Station, and the third planting date at the Wooster Campus.
Location
Planting date
2-inch soil temperature
(at planting)Air Temperature
(at planting)
Western, Clark County
May 24, 2024
76°F
85°F
Northwest, Wood County
May 23, 2024
87°F
83°F
Wooster, Wayne County
May 21, 2024
74°F
87°F
Table 2. Weekly weather conditions for each updated planting date at the Western Agriculture Research Station, Northwest Agriculture Research Station, and Wooster Campus, with day of planting, soil, air temperature averages, and Growing Degree Days (GDDS) from May 20 to May 26. Information from CFAES Weather System (https://weather.cfaes.osu.edu/).
Location
Precipitation
(Inches)
(May 20- May 26)
2-inch soil temperature
(May 20- May 26)Air Temperature
(May 20- May 26)
Planting date
GDDs
(Cumulative)
Soybean
Stage
Corn
Stage
Western,
Clark County
0.31
Max: 79°F
Mean: 72°F
Minimum: 67°FMax: 90°F
Mean: 74°F
Minimum: 61°F
March 25th
April 16th
May 6th
May 24th
719
610
374
68
V3
V2
VC
-
V6
V5
V1
-
Northwest,
Wood County
1.25
Max: 90°F
Mean: 73°F
Minimum: 61°FMax: 91°F
Mean: 75°F
Minimum: 55°F
May 16th
May 23rd
253
87
VE
-
VE
-
Wooster, Wayne County
0.1
Max: 76°F
Mean: 66°F
Minimum: 71°FMax: 87°F
Mean: 71°F
Minimum: 57°FApril 22nd
May 3rd
May 21st
469
364
127
V1
VC
-
V3
V1
-
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Spring Planting Weather/Climate Outlook
Spring is quickly approaching. The question is, what is in store for planting season from Mother Nature?
We have a strong El Niño ongoing in the eastern Pacific Ocean but it is weakening quickly and should end during planting season. Often effects in the atmosphere can linger a bit longer. The years where strong El Niño events come to an end in spring include 2016, 1998, 1982, 1973, 1958 and 1878. You can see this in the first graphic below.
However,as we go into summer and autumn, there is a growing chance of a La Niña returning which is opposite of El Niño. This means 1958 and 1878 drop off and you can see the summer and autumn precipitation results in images below.
The message is the above normal temperatures are expected to remain with us for most of 2024. Precipitation is likely to turn from drier than normal to slightly wetter than normal through our spring plant in Ohio (not as dry as 2023). As we get into the growing season uncertainty grows for rainfall as it looks like Ohio is likely to experience wide fluctuations with some areas slightly wetter than normal while other areas see potentially some drought development. Since Mother Nature is mad in the oceans right now with extreme water temperature changes, this could stress crop yields more in the eastern Ohio Valley in 2024 versus 2023.
Our vegetative greening up is running 20 days ahead of schedule now and is already into Kentucky. We expect this 10-20 day ahead of schedule greening up to continue through March. See latest green up image provided by the USGS with NOAA data. You can see the data anytime at https://www.usanpn.org/files/npn/maps/six-leaf-index-anomaly.pngFinally, the question is what about the last spring freeze date in 2024? Typically we see the last hard freeze in April. Right now, most data says a near normal April date is most likely. We do not see a late hard freeze into May this year as of now.
You can get all the official climate outlooks from NOAA's Climate Prediction Center at https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov .
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Regional Updates: October 10-16, 2023
More harvest progress was made this past week until rain set in over the weekend. Read more to hear from OSU Extension Educators and Specialists on how harvest is faring in their regions.
Northwest Ohio
Defiance County ANR Educator Kyle Verhoff reports that the majority of field activity in the region has been soybean harvest with yield reports ranging from 50 to 85 bu/ac. Corn harvest continues to be slowed by high grain moisture (21-26%) as growers hope for field drying conditions to return in order to lower drying costs prior to storage. Rainfall late last week halted harvest but is welcomed for wheat and cover crop germination.Central & West Central Ohio
Soybean harvest is finishing up in central Ohio as corn harvest lags. Growers in the region took advantage of last week’s field conditions to continue fall tillage, wheat and cover crop planting, and fertilizer applications. Late season tar spot continues to be a concern for the area, and affected fields should be monitored for standability issues as harvest continues. Giant ragweed, waterhemp, volunteer corn, and common lambsquarters are the main weed threats in soybean fields across the region.Southeast Ohio
Perry County ANR Educator Ted Wiseman reports that soybean harvest is around 90% complete with average yields near 70 bu/ac. Wheat and cover crop planting continues, and corn harvest is just starting in his region as growers battle high moisture and slow in-field dry down. Most of the area received less than a half inch of rain at the end of last week.Northeast Ohio
Wet conditions slowed harvest progress in the northeastern corner of the state. In Ashtabula County, Andrew Holden reports that 50-60% of soybeans are harvested, though other areas of the region like Geauga County have made less progress. Soybean yields are highly variable, with April planted beans outperforming those planted between May 1-15. Corn harvest is slow and lowering test weight and quality is a concern for area farmers as more rain is in the forecast. -
Weather Update: The Skies Opened Up
May 21st through June 10th was quite the dry spell across Ohio, with moderate drought conditions declared across 62% of the state by the US Drought Monitor on June 8th. These extended dry conditions compelled CFAES to activate its Rapid Response Team, which has created an early drought response resource site for Ohio’s farmers and communities. However, a change in the weather pattern this past weekend brought a strong cold front and Gulf of Mexico moisture to the region over the weekend. A wide swath of 1-2” of rain fell along and to the northwest of about I-71, with pockets of much heavier precipitation north of Dayton and in the Cleveland area (Figure 1). A CoCoRaHS observer west of Troy reported 3.41” of rain during Sunday-Monday’s event, with Miami, Loraine, Cuyahoga, and Lake Counties reporting multiple locations with 2-3” of rain. However, northwest and southeast counties were not as lucky, and although lighter rain certainly was a joy to experience, much drier than normal conditions continue across these areas. Except for areas that received the heaviest rainfall from this past weekend’s event, most of Ohio is running 10-50% of normal precipitation over the last 30 to 60 days. This event has slowed the progression of drought for many of us, but drought conditions continue. We encourage you to continue to submit observations and impacts for your location by visiting https://go.osu.edu/drought_cmor.
Forecast
After calm weather on Monday, a closed low pressure over the northern Great Lakes will bring northwesterly flow and the development of showers and isolated storms on Tuesday through Wednesday morning. Temperatures will be cooler than average, with highs generally in the 60s to low 70s and overnight lows in the 50s. A warming trend, with highs in the 80s, is expected for most of the state (cooler downwind of Lake Erie) from Thursday through Sunday. Weak disturbances will move across the region though, bringing periods of showers and storms across the state during this time. The current forecast shows another 1-2” could fall across most of Ohio over the next 7 days (Figure 2). If realized, this will continue to help improve drought conditions, crop health, and water supplies.
The Climate Prediction Center’s 8-14 Day Outlook and the 16-Day Rainfall Outlook from NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center indicate that the temperatures will be close to average with the possibility of near to below average precipitation for the period June 20-26, 2023 (Figure 3). Climate averages include a high-temperature range of 80-84°F, a low-temperature range of 60-64°F, and average weekly total precipitation of 0.85-1.15 inches.
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Weather Update: Heat Exacerbates Drying Trend
Summary
For most of the spring, Ohio has avoided hot temperatures. This changed last Friday and Saturday when highs reached the low to mid-90s across the state. Along with the heat came very dry air; for example, Columbus had a dewpoint temperature on Friday of 38°F with a relative humidity of 17%! The heat and low humidity combined for some evaporation rates of 0.20-0.25” per day or about 2” for the week for many stations, with only scattered storms on Saturday. Figure 1 shows that both the 30- and 60-day percent of normal precipitation have decreased this week, with parts of northern Ohio only receiving 5-25% of normal precipitation over the last 30 days (or less than 0.5”). This has continued to diminish soil moisture, lower streamflows, and lead to volunteer water use reductions in some communities. Agricultural impacts are also becoming evident, with stress on newly emerged crops and grazing conditions. To submit observations and impacts for your location, please visit the National Drought Mitigation Center’s Condition Monitoring Observer Reports (https://go.osu.edu/drought_cmor). These reports will help us monitor the rapidly changing conditions and update the US Drought Monitor for Ohio.
Forecast
Mainly dry weather will continue much of this week as well, though a cold front dropping south from Canada has cooled temperatures back to near to below-average levels. Highs this week will mainly range from the upper 60s to mid-70s, with cool overnight lows in the upper 40s to upper 50s. This pattern has also brought elevated wildfire smoke that has our skies looking quite milky at times. A few scattered showers are possible Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday morning, but high pressure will quickly resume control for Wednesday through Saturday. Another cold front may bring a round of showers on Sunday into Monday. The current forecast shows that this precipitation could amount to 0.25-0.75” (Figure 2), still short of the 1” per week normal rates.
Guidance from the Climate Prediction Center and the 16-Day Rainfall Outlook from NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center indicate that the near to below-average temperatures are likely to continue for June 11-15, with near to leaning toward above-average precipitation (Figure 3). Climate averages include a high-temperature range of 78-82°F, a low-temperature range of 58-62°F, and average weekly total precipitation of 0.85-1.05 inches.
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Dicamba Label Clarifications
We have received questions about the use of dicamba after June 30, for control of weeds in wheat stubble and other situations. The June 30 cutoff applies only to use of XtendiMax, Engenia, and Tavium in Xtend and XtendiFlex soybeans, which is the only labeled use for these products. Current uses of other dicamba products are not affected by the June 30 cutoff, including fallow, pasture, small grain, etc, as long as label directions are followed. We would of course encourage caution and common sense with regard to use of dicamba in hot weather, and near sensitive plants.
Another subject – it’s not too late to scout fields for escaped water hemp plants and remove them prior to mature seed production. We have been able to find mature seed but much of it is still immature. For a primer on determining the presence of mature seed, check out this short video.
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Corn at Vegetative Stages in August, will it Make it Safely to Maturity?
Early wet conditions caused significant delays in planting dates across the state. Additional issues such as poor crop establishment also led to replanting in some areas. A tour of Ohio’s corn crop during the first half of August found that some corn fields were still in vegetative stages.
The main question is whether this late corn will safely reach physiological maturity (black layer, R6) before frost. We present three planting dates using the Useful to Usable (U2U) tool to develop scenarios to answer this question. U2U provides county-level estimates based on historical growing degree days (GDDs) accumulation, planting dates, relative hybrid maturities, GDDs to black layer, and historical freeze temperature dates. Scenario 1
Location: Hardin County, Ohio | Hybrid relative maturity: 108-days
GDD start date: June 5 | Approx. planting date: June 1
Figure 1. U2U projections for Hardin County. GDD start date June 5.
Scenario 2
Location: Hardin County, Ohio | Hybrid relative maturity: 108-days
GDD start date: June 10 | Approx. planting date: June 5
Figure 2. U2U projections for Hardin County. GDD start date June 10.
Scenario 3
Location: Hardin County, Ohio | Hybrid relative maturity: 108-days
GDD start date: June 15 | Approx. planting date: June 10
Figure 3. U2U projections for Hardin County. GDD start date June 15.
The projected silking (R1) dates for scenario one is August 4, for scenario two, August 7, and for scenario three, August 12. Regarding the crop reaching physiological maturity, scenario one black layer is expected by October 17 and scenario two by November 2. For scenario three, the black layer is not likely to happen, and a freeze will terminate the crop. When the crop does not make it safely to physiological maturity (black layer, R6), lower grain weight (and yields) will result. Notice that the latest planted estimation in all three scenarios was for June 10. Therefore, the outcomes worsen if the crop was planted (or replanted) after June 10 for a 108-day hybrid (as example).
Scenario 3 may not have as harsh an outcome as shown in Figure 3. One important additional note on using the U2U tool to predict silking or maturity, U2U assumes the same GDDs to reach the black layer for the same hybrid, regardless of when it is planted. However, research has shown that hybrids adjust to later planting by maturing with fewer GDDs. A calculator that help further adjust the U2U output can be found in an article on corn’s ability to adjust GDD here (from Corny News Network, Indiana). Using this tool to adjust our scenario three from 2594 GDDs to black layer (U2U default) to 2322 GDDs (adjusted using the GDD calculator [40 days after May 1] and adding this as an input in U2U) shows the corn reaching black layer by October 5 (see below).
Figure 4. U2U for Hardin County with GDDs adjustment. GDD start date June 15.
We encourage you to use the U2U tool for your specific situation. Different locations, planting dates, and hybrid maturity will impact your outcomes. A summary from May 2022 of U2U output and delayed planting can be accessed here: https://agcrops.osu.edu/2022-16/delayed-corn-planting-and-u2u-tool.
Knowing the chances of reaching physiological maturity safely before a fall frost or killing freeze is necessary as alternative options can be available, such as harvesting for forage or silage to maximize value by mitigating potential losses (lower yields).
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CFAES Ag Weather System 2022 Near-Surface Air and Soil Temperatures/Moisture (Update 7 - Final)
Figure 1: Daily average air temperature (dashed red), two-inch (green) and four-inch (blue) soil temperatures for spring 2022. Current daily average soil temperatures are noted for each location. Soil type and location of measurements (under sod or bare soil) are provided in the lower right corner of each panel. A map of all locations is in the bottom right. Data provided by the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) Agricultural Research Stations located throughout the state.
The weather finally took a big turn toward warmer and drier conditions across the Buckeye State last week. Most locations throughout Ohio had daytime highs in the low to mid 80s on 5 or 6 days. This allowed soil temperatures rise about 15°F, ending the week in the mid to upper 60s. Though a cool down is underway early this week, air temperatures are expected to remain mild enough to keep soil temperatures averages in the 60s this week. This is the final soil temperature update for the season.
Figure 2: (Left) Total precipitation for the week ending May 16, 2022, according to the CoCoRaHS observing network. (Right) Soil moisture percentiles as of 05/15/2022 according to the Climate Prediction Center.
Along with the warm temperatures, dry conditions prevailed most of the week. Scattered, slow moving thunderstorms brought locally heavy rain to the region on Saturday. Fayette, Putnam, and Fulton County sites reported more than two inches. Another line of showers and storms moved across the state Sunday night into Monday morning, with most locations across Ohio picking up between 0.5-2” over the last 7 days (Fig. 2 -left).
Ohio Crop Progress Report (https://go.osu.edu/cropprogress) is the place for current updates on planting progress. Our earliest planting date corn was around 4/23/2022. These fields should be emerged regardless of you location in the state. Germination progress is soil temperature and moisture-related. The temperature relationship is reasonably predictable for corn, requiring 100 to 120 growing degree days (GDDs) to emerge. We refer you to a 2021 CORN for more on calendar vs. GDD for corn emergence at https://go.osu.edu/cornemergence. Table 1 below shows accumulated GDD at CFAES weather stations since April 23rd, when fieldwork broadly began across the state. 2-inch soil temperatures from the CFAES network are used to generate GDD. Based on the earliest planting dates we should be seeing corn emergence in the southern part of the state.
Table 1. GDD Accumulation at CFAES weather Stations based on 2-inch soil temperatures since April 23rd
CFAES Weather Station
GDD 2-in Soil
April 23 to May 15
Emergence of Corn Planted 4/23 (Yes or No)
Corn emergence would be expected for planting dates before
1-Ashtabula
188
Yes
5/8/2022
2-Northwest
170
Yes
5/8/2022
3-North Central
173
Yes
5/5/2022
4-Wooster
160
Yes
5/3/2022
5-Western
256
Yes
5/9/2022
6-Eastern
252
Yes
5/7/2022
7-Piketon
276
Yes
5/9/2022
For more complete weather records for CFAES research stations, including temperature, precipitation, growing degree days, and other useful weather observations, please visit https://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weather1/.
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Corn Planting Progress in Ohio is Slow but Coming Along
Better weather: more planting
April was a difficult month for farmers in Ohio; conditions were cold. Some snow and late freeze events were part of the month. This was conducive to limited water evaporation/evapotranspiration, and hence, generally, soils stayed wet.
Getting into May, the first week was still wet with some more precipitations spread around the state. As we move forward into May, warmer and drier weather would help push planting progress around the state. According to models, chances for freeze in May seem to be over on a positive note. The last Ohio weather report can be accessed here for more information.
Corn planting: USDA Crop Progress reports
For the week ending on May 1st, 2022, corn planting progress in Ohio was at 3%, while emergence rates were virtually 0%, which is understandable due to the weather conditions outlined above. For the week ending on May 8th, 2022, corn planting progress in Ohio only increased to 5%, while emergence rates remained at 0%.
Planting and emergence progress in 2022 is slower than records from past years. Progress in Ohio for the week ending on May 8th in 2021, planting was at 26% and emergence at 8%. If looking at the 2017-2021 averages for that same week, 27% of corn was planted, and 6% emerged.
On the other side of the Corn Belt (May 8th, 2022 report), states like Iowa (14% planted) and Nebraska (39% planted) have had stronger starts to the planting season. Like Ohio, closer east, Indiana (11% planted) and Pennsylvania (13% planted) are also having a slower start.
Certainly, some areas of Ohio can have more progress than others. The results presented in these reports can be variable, and they give a general understanding of the overall condition for each of these states. If you would like to see some more information on weekly Crop Progress Reports, you can access the USDA-NASS information here.
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Recommendations for Soybeans Planted in June
According to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 66% of soybean acreage in Ohio was planted by May 23. As soybean planting continues into June, consider row spacing, seeding rate, and relative maturity adjustments.
Row spacing. The row spacing for June planting should be 7.5 to 15 inches, if possible. Row width should be narrow enough for the soybean canopy to completely cover the interrow space by the time the soybeans begin to flower. The later in the growing season soybeans are planted, the greater the yield increase due to narrow rows.
Seeding rate. Higher seeding rates are recommended for June plantings. The final (harvest) population for soybeans planted in June should be 130,000 to 150,000 plants/acre. For May planting dates, a final stand of 100,000 to 120,000 plants/acre is generally adequate. (For more information on soybean planting date and seeding rate interactions see this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pqQSB4VBBQ&t=1463s starting at minute 8:00.)
Relative maturity. For June planting dates, select the latest maturing variety that will reach physiological maturity before the first killing frost. This is to allow the plants to grow vegetatively as long as possible to produce nodes where pods can form before vegetative growth is slowed due to flowering and pod formation. The recommended relative maturity ranges are shown in the table below.
Planting Date
Suitable Relative Maturity
Northern Ohio
June 1-15
3.2-3.8
June 15-30
3.1-3.5
July 1-10
3.0-3.3
Central Ohio
June 1-15
3.4-4.0
June 15-30
3.3-3.7
July 1-10
3.2-3.5
Southern Ohio
June 1-15
3.6-4.2
June 15-30
3.5-3.9
July 1-10
3.4-3.7
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Summer Weather Outlook
Our attention now turns to the summer growing season and what is in store. Some things are different this summer.
- The ocean temperatures are cooling in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean while ocean temperatures are above normal in the Gulf of Mexico into parts of the Caribbean. In addition, Lake Erie water temperatures will trend from cooler to warmer than normal as we get late into the growing season.
- With recent rains, soil moisture has increased again in Ohio and remains above normal in much of the corn and soybean belt. The soils are not as wet as 2019 but with above normal soil moisture will come plenty of evapotranspiration. In 2019 for Ohio, soil moisture generally ranked in the top 1-5% wettest while currently we are in the top 5-15% wettest. https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/Soilmst_Monitoring/Figures/daily/curr.w.rank.daily.gif
- Research shows 30-50% of summer rains come from local evapotranspiration from crops, trees etc. Given the wet soil conditions overall, expect a wetter than normal first half of summer, but not like last summer. We are likely to see the typical summer thunderstorm complexes in June and July ride along the high moisture content boundary of the corn crop from the northern Plains to Ohio.
- Rainfall becomes more uncertain the second half of summer. Given the warm Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean it will likely favor increased storm activity down there. When that happens we often dry out some at least in late summer up here.
- The outlook for June-August calls for slightly above normal temperatures with rainfall going from (above normal) first half to (normal or below normal) second half of summer. The above normal temperatures are favored more on overnight low temperatures versus daytime high temperatures due to soil moisture.
The latest climate outlooks are available at: https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/
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Cold Weather Impact on Corn and Soybean
In Ohio, between May 9 and 10, temperatures were as low as 26°F with some areas even receiving snow. The effect on corn and soybean depends on both temperature, duration of low temperature, and growth stage of the plant. The soil can provide some temperature buffering capacity, especially if soil is wet. Water is approximately 4x more resistant to temperature changes than air or dry soil, and thus will buffer the soil from experiencing large temperature changes as air temperatures drop. Deeper planted seeds may also be more resistant to large temperature swings.
Imbibitional chilling. Imbibitional chilling may occur in corn and soybean seeds if the soil temperature is below 50°F when the seed imbibes (rapidly takes up water from the soil, usually 24 hours after planting). Imbibitional chilling can cause reductions in stand and seedling vigor. If seeds were planted into soil at least 50°F (and have imbibed), the drop in temperature is not likely a problem if the plants have not yet emerged from the soil.
Corn after germination. The growing point of corn is below the soil surface until the V6 growth stage, and therefore is protected from low temperatures to some extent. However, if the soil temperature falls below 28°F, this can be lethal to corn. Temperatures between 28 to 32°F may result in frost damage, and both the temperature and duration will affect the severity of damage. Between May 9 and May 10, the minimum soil temperature at a 2-inch depth was 38°F at the Northwest Agricultural Research Station in Wood County, 44°F at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center in Wayne County, and 58°F at the Western Agricultural Research Station in Clark County.
Soybean after germination. The growing point of soybean is above the ground when the cotyledons are above the soil surface. If damage occurs above the cotyledons, the plant will likely recover. If damage occurs below the cotyledons, the plant will die. Look for a discolored hypocotyl (the “crook” of the soybean that first emerges from the ground), which indicates that damage occurred below the cotyledons.
Assessing your fields. It is best to assess damage to plants or seeds 48 to 96 hours after the drop in temperatures, as symptoms may take a few days to appear. Additionally, cold temperatures slow GDD accumulation and may further delay crop emergence. For corn, recent work suggests 50% emergence can be expected following accumulation of 130-170 soil GDDs (using soil temperature to calculate GDD rather than air temperatures) from planting, which may take 5-7 days to accumulate under normal weather conditions.
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Broadcasting Red Clover into Wheat
Looking at both the calendar and weather forecasts, frost-seeding is no longer a viable option to add red clover into a wheat stand. We can’t count on good freeze/thaw cycles to create those honeycomb conditions in the soil that create good seed to soil contact. The option left is to broadcast clover seed over the wheat stand. Successful establishment still depends upon getting good seed/soil contact. Growers need to evaluate soil, weather and stand conditions to determine if a straight broadcast operation is worth their time, effort and expense.
Evaluate the wheat stand. How dense is the stand? Can broadcast clover seed get down to the soil surface? How much soil is visible? A research study at North Carolina State University compared red clover seed broadcasted at 1.5-inch or lower vs. 3-inch high forage. The plots with 3-inch high forage had reduced clover seed germination and establishment. What is your field soil condition? Many soils around the state are saturated. This is not a desirable seeding condition. What is the weather forecast? Unfortunately, the reality for many wheat stands is that the window of opportunity to broadcast red clover is rapidly closing.
For those stands that still have limited top growth, have bare soil between rows, and are on non-saturated soil with good drainage, broadcasting red clover seed may still be an option. Consider the use of broadcasting seed using an ATV to increase timeliness on fields that are wet. Although we do not know of any replicated research trials to support this, some farms have reported success with adding red clover to their liquid nitrogen top-dress applications. A Penn State Extension publication on management of red clover as a cover crop includes the following statement, “An effective method of frost- seeding red clover is to mix the inoculated red clover seed with liquid nitrogen fertilizer and top-dress the mix onto winter small grains in March or early April. It is important to minimize the time that the seed and inoculant are in the fertilizer solution to maintain viability of the seed and bacteria. Therefore, mixing the seed with the fertilizer solution at the field is recommended. Since peat-based Rhizobium may clog up the sprayer, using a Rhizobium solution instead is recommended. Typically, flood nozzles are used, and screens are removed. Make sure the nozzles have an orifice large enough to keep them from becoming clogged up.”
References:
https://extension.psu.edu/management-of-red-clover-as-a-cover-crop
https://www.hayandforage.com/article-1193-Thinking-of-feeding-seed-Think-again.html
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Overwintering of Pathogens and Insects - What do Winter Temperatures Tell Us About Next Season?
Over the years we have developed databases of winter temperatures followed by scouting to indicate starting pathogen populations for Ohio.
Frogeye leaf spot – We have documented early infections and overwintering ability of the fungus, Cercospora sojina, that causes frogeye leaf spot. It appears that when there are less than 10 days during the months of December, January and February of less than 17 F, we have had reports of outbreaks of frogeye leaf spot. This occurred in fields where there was a high level of inoculum at the end of the season the same or similar moderately to highly susceptible cultivar was planted into the same field again which then initiated the epidemic that much sooner. Losses of greater than 35% in yield or very early fungicide applications were necessary.
Expecting continued warmer winter temperatures, for fields with a history of frogeye leaf spot, and no-till production systems, the first thing for farmers is to do now to mitigate losses in 2020:
- Rotate fields with high levels of frogeye leaf spot into corn or another crop.
- If it is still targeted for soybean, look at their soybean varieties frogeye leaf spot resistance scores. Your seed dealer will have more information. Plan now for what fields they will go into.
- Scout the susceptible cultivars much earlier than what we have called for in the past and monitor levels.
Another pathogen that may be more prevalent after a warm winter is Stewart’s bacterial wilt. This disease is transmitted to corn by corn flea beetle which survives in greater numbers in warm winters. This is a greater problem in popcorn and sweet corn as most field corn has high levels of resistance to the bacterium.
Most other field crop insect pests in Ohio are not highly influenced by winter conditions as they are well-adapted to withstand cold overwintering conditions. Once exception is Mexican bean beetle, an occasional pest of soybean (especially in central Ohio). Warm winter conditions may cause higher populations of this insect the following field season.
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Tar Spot of Corn
Tar Spot, a new disease of corn caused by the fungus Phyllachora maydis, was reported for the first time in Ohio at the end of the 2018 growing season. At that time, it was found mostly in counties close to the Indiana border, as the disease continued to spread from the middle of country where it was first confirmed in 2015. Over the last few weeks, there have been several new, confirmed report of Tar Spot in Ohio, this time not only in the northwestern corner of the state, but also from a few fields in central and south-central Ohio. As was the case last year, disease onset was late again this year, with the first reports coming in well after R4. However, some of the regions affected last year had more fields affected this year, with much higher levels of disease severity. It could be that Tar Spot is becoming established in some areas of the state due to the fungus overwintering in crop residue from one growing season to another. This is very consistent with the pattern observed in parts of Indiana and Illinois where the disease was first reported. We will continue to keep our eyes out for Tar Spot, as we learn more about it and develop management strategies. You can help by looking for Tar Spot as you walk fields this fall, and please send us samples.
What does it look like? Even though corn is drying down, if Tar Spot is present, you can still detect it on dry, senescent leaves almost as easily as you can on healthy leaves. So, please check your fields to see if this disease is present. “Symptoms of tar spot first appear as oval to irregular bleached to brown lesions on leaves in which raised, black spore-producing structures call stroma are formed... giving the symptomatic areas of the leaf a rough or bumpy feel to the touch… resembling pustules on leaves with rust. Lesions … may coalesce to cause large areas of blighted leaf tissue. Symptoms may also be present on leaf sheaths and husks.” As the name of the disease suggests, symptoms look like the splatter of “tar” on the leaves. In some cases, each black tar-like spot may be surrounded by a necrotic halo, forming what is referred to as “fish-eye” lesions.
What causes Tar Spot and how damaging is it? In the past, the greatest impact of this disease in terms of yield loss were observed when P. maydis-infected plants were co-infected with a second fungus called Monographella maydis. In other words, the damage tended to be much more severe when the two fungi worked together to affect the plant. So far, only the first fungus, P. maydis, has been reported in the US, but based on work done in Illinois, this pathology alone is capable of causing substantial yield reduction on highly susceptible hybrids when conditions are favorable and infections occur early.
Where did it come from and will it survive and become established? At this point it is still unclear as to how Tar Spot got to the US in the first place and how it continues to spread. The fungus is not known to be seed-borne or infect other plant species, so corn seeds and weeds are unlikely to be the sources of inoculum. However, the fungus can survive and be moved around on fresh and dry plant materials such as leaves and husks. In addition, since spores of the fungus can be carried be wind, it could be blowing in from neighboring states/counties/fields. Although not yet confirmed through survival studies, it appears that the fungus could be overwintering in infected crop stubble between growing seasons.
What should I do if I find Tar Spot? If you see anything that fits the description of, or resembles (Picture) Tar Spot, please inform your state specialist, field specialist, or county extension educator, but most importantly, please send samples to my lab (1680 Madison Ave, Wooster, OH) for confirmation. We will also be using your samples to study the fungus in order to develop effective management strategies.
Read more about Tar Spot of Corn at:
https://cropprotectionnetwork.org/resources/articles/diseases/tar-spot-of-corn
https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/BP/BP-90-W.pdf
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Managing Stored Grain Through Winter
Managing stored grain throughout the winter is an important part of your grain marketing plan for farm profitability. This winter we are already receiving reports of stored grain going out of condition, which can lower the value and be a hazard to those working around the grain facility. At a minimum, stored grain that has gone out of condition can cause health hazards, especially when grain dust contains mold and bacteria. Out of condition grain can also form a crust or stick to the bin walls and if someone enters the bin for any reason an entrapment could occur. For more information on safety when working around grain visit http://go.osu.edu/AFM and listen to episode 41 of the podcast on grain bin safety.
Too many of us know the scare of a close call with grain entrapment but lived to tell the story. Even if it was just in a wagon or a truck while unloading wet grain, the fear is real. Unfortunately, it does not always stop us from entering a bin without the proper safety equipment. To help raise awareness of the dangers of working around stored grain, Champaign County will be showing a screening of the movie SILO on February 6 at 6pm at the Gloria Theater in Urbana. SILO is “inspired by true events, SILO follows a harrowing day in an American farm town. Disaster strikes when teenager Cody Rose is entrapped in a 50-foot-tall grain bin. When the corn turns to quicksand, family, neighbors and first responders must put aside their differences to rescue Cody from drowning in the crop that has sustained their community for generations.” RSVP at https://silourbana.eventbrite.com.
While even grain in good quality can be hazardous, maintaining grain quality can help keep you safe. This year’s grain is presenting increased challenges due to more fines during harvest, warm fall temperatures making it difficult to cool grain properly, and higher moisture grain due to the crop being drought or frost killed. This premature killing of the crop before maturity can cause our moisture tester to read drier than the crop really is. With this in mind, being sure to monitor your bins this winter will be very important. Three keys to managing grain this winter include monitoring bins every two weeks, properly cooling grain, and, if you haven't already done so, coring bins very soon.
Monitoring Bins
When monitoring bins be sure to watch for insect activity or condensation forming on the inside roof of the bin. Monitor the temperature of the grain. Ideal winter stored grain temperature is 35°F, which is obtained through proper cooling. Temperature can be monitored with a long thermometer but there are also cable-monitoring systems that can do a much better job at monitoring entire bin temperatures and catching the hot spots caused by spoilage and insect activity.
Coring Bins
The most common area for spoilage is the center because of an increased concentration of fines restricting air movement. During the winter, cooling process bins should be cored to remove 90% of the fines. To properly core a bin, remove the entire peak creating a funnel shape inside. A proper core funnel starts at the bin wall, not part way up the current peak.
Cooling Grain
Most grain spoilage is a result of storing grain at too warm of temperatures over the winter, so cooling and keeping the grain cool is critical. Over the past two days we have had some excellent weather for cooling stored grain and should have more favorable weather within a few weeks. Look for days with no precipitation when the outside air temperature is 10-15°F cooler than the temperature of the grain. The goal is not to freeze the grain, just cool it to the point that insect activity and mold growth is slowed or stopped (35-40°F). The amount of time it takes to move a cooling front through the bin depends on the cfm/bu of the fan. For most bins, this is between 1 to 4 days but some may take longer. If you know the cfm of your fan for winter cooling use the equation hours=(20/cfm/bu).
While this article barely touches the surface of stored grain management, more information can be found in a recent webinar from Dr. Kenneth Hellevang of North Dakota: https://go.osu.edu/StoredGrain. With the importance of stored grain management we also recently hosted Dr. Kenneth Hellevang on episode 42 of our Agronomy and Farm Management podcast at: http://go.osu.edu/AFM.
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Wetter than normal still favored for much of Ohio into much of July
After a wet start to the last week of June, we will see some drying for the second half of the week. As a dome of warm air builds aloft, it will produce an above normal temperature week ahead with maximum temperatures mostly in the 80s and minimum temperatures in the 60s and 70s across the state as well.
Look ahead to the week 2 outlook across Ohio, The NOAA Climate Prediction Center is calling for a greater chance of above normal temperatures and rainfall. This will be triggered by storms riding along the northern boundary of a very warm high-pressure system to the south of Ohio. The latest CPC week two outlooks at be found at https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov
Looking further ahead to week 3 and week 4 outlooks, odds favor a return to slightly below normal temperatures. This will be a function of below normal maximum temperatures. However, minimum temperatures will remain at or above normal due to the high soil moisture conditions and the humid airmass in place. Rainfall is continuing to lean above normal especially in the western half of the heavy agriculture areas of Ohio. See the attached images. The week 3/4 outlooks can also be found at https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/The two-week average rainfall total still looks above normal as discussed above with rainfall averaging 2-4 inches across Ohio. Normal rainfall for Ohio for the two week period is 1.50-2.00 inches.
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Average Fall Freeze Dates for Corn Considerations
In last week’s C.O.R.N. newsletter, Peter Thomison provided useful information on tools available for switching corn hybrids (https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2019-15/more-switching-corn-hybrid-maturities). As Dr. Thomison points out, Dr. Bob Nielsen at Purdue University wrote an article describing the U2U Corn GDD Tool, available from the Midwest Regional Climate Center (https://mrcc.illinois.edu/U2U/gdd/), with caveats to keep in mind as one is making their decisions. Specifically, users are encouraged to modify their black layer GDDs within the tool in order to reflect a more accurate assessment of days to maturity.
To aid in these decisions, we have provided two maps below showing the average median date of the first fall freeze (based on 1981-2010 conditions) for selected sites across Ohio. Figure 1 shows the median date based on 32°F and Figure 2 shows the median date based on 28°F. Figure 1 shows that most of Ohio experience the first 32°F date between October 11 and October 20, with a freeze occurring prior to this period for some locations (dark green circles). The average first date for 28°F occurrence in the fall is between November 1 and November 10 (Figure 2; brown circles), with many sites across West Central, Northwest, and East Central Ohio indicating dates as early as October 21.
This and other important agricultural-related data may be found at the Midwest Regional Climate Center (https://mrcc.illinois.edu/cliwatch/special_topics/agriculture.html).
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Forage Options for Prevented Planting Corn and Soybean Acres
Image caption: Grazing oats planted on Prevented Planting acres in very late fall is an excellent alternative for harvesting this cover crop.
Today, as we sit here on May 28, we know three things for certain:
- Ohio has the lowest inventory of hay since the 2012 drought and the 4th lowest in 70 years.
- Ohio’s row crops will not get planted in a timely fashion this year.
- Despite improvement in the grain markets over the past week or two, for those with coverage, Prevented Planting Crop Insurance payments may still yield more income than growing a late planted corn or soybean crop this year.
Prevented planting provisions in the USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA) crop insurance policies can provide valuable coverage when extreme weather conditions prevent expected plantings. On their website, RMA also says "producers should make planting decisions based on agronomically sound and well documented crop management practices."
Today, insured corn and soybean growers throughout Ohio find themselves at the crossroads of a decision that pits the overwhelming desire to want to plant and grow a crop against the reality that financially and agronomically it might be a more sound alternative to accept a Prevented Planting insurance payment. Adding further support to the notion that today one might be better off not planting the corn or soybean crop is the opportunity to plant a 'cover crop' in those insured but unplanted acres and utilize it for cattle feed late this fall.
Let's start at the beginning. To an insured crop producer, what is Prevented Planting?
RMA says "Prevented Planting is a failure to plant an insured crop with the proper equipment by the final planting date designated in the insurance policy’s Special Provisions or during the late planting period, if applicable." The most common cause for the failure to plant a crop in a timely fashion is adverse weather. An insured producer in Ohio can elect to receive a Prevented Planting payment for corn on June 6th and/or June 21st on soybeans if adverse weather has prevented the crop from being planted by then.
You may ask why I'm discussing this in a beef cattle publication. Once the decision to apply for Prevented Planting (PP) has been made, cover crops - including those a cow can eat - may be planted on those PP acres and hayed or grazed without affecting the PP payment beginning November 1. It may take some creativity to turn cover crops into feed beginning November 1, but considering that inventory of quality hay in Ohio is so low right now, it merits consideration.
Before we go further, if you’re considering planting a cover crop that you might hay or graze on PP acres, check with your crop insurance agent and Farm Service Agency for any restrictions or timing issues you might need to consider.
While there are a variety of cover crops that might be planted and make feed yet by fall, I suggest spring oats be considered as a viable, affordable and productive alternative. Not only are there plenty of jobs on the farm aside from planting cover crops that need immediate attention, soil conditions across much of Ohio remain too wet for planting them today, most fields are plagued with weeds that have yet to be controlled, and in many cases fields are still rutted from last fall's harvest. And, if forage and not grain is the goal, plenty of time remains to get oats planted.
Over the years we’ve found it’s not important to rush to get spring oats planted in order to grow lots of high quality forage late in the summer. In fact our experience has been that we get a greater yield and higher quality feed if we wait until the end of July or early August to plant oats for forage. Without getting into a science lesson, it seems the oats prefer the cooler average daily temperatures we typically experience beginning in August, and they are more likely to not push out a seed head, but remain vegetative until extremely cold temperatures shut them down completely sometime in December.
Not only does an August 1 planting date seem to offer more yield and higher quality oats, but it will also allow ample time for fields to dry, ruts from last fall to be repaired, manure to be hauled, and weeds to be controlled. Based on our experience beginning in 2002 in Fairfield County with oats planted mid to late summer, if you can utilize a forage for haying or grazing late this fall or early winter, oats appear to be the most productive, highest quality, least cost, single harvest alternative available to Ohio livestock producers for planting during the summer months. In fact with some timely rainfall, when planted most any time before late August, there’s an opportunity to ‘create’ on a dry matter basis anywhere from two to five tons of forage while investing little more than the cost of 80-100 pounds of oats and 40 pounds of nitrogen.
Based on experiences with summer planted oats, Curt Stivison, who initiated this work in Ohio, and I offer these suggestions:
* Optimum planting date for oats from the perspective of forage yield is not until the first of August. Early August plantings also have resulted in the highest total amount of TDN produced per acre. Later plantings will be slightly higher in quality, but typically not enough so to offset the yield advantage of an August 1 planting. While being more conducive to a mechanical harvest in early Fall, planting in early to mid July reduces both yield and quality. The earlier oat plantings also have exhibited more susceptibility to rust.
* Regardless the planting date, or variety, no-tilled seeding rates of from 80 to 100 pounds of oats have consistently resulted in optimum forage yields.
* Optimum nitrogen application rate has been 40 to 50 pounds per acre. This application not only produces the highest yields, but at current values of nitrogen, it’s also the most cost effective rate. Higher rates of nitrogen actually depressed yields in our 2008 plots.
* Over the years, many growers have been successful using bin run ‘feed’ oats originating in Canada. Most of the concerns with utilizing ‘feed’ oats are obvious: no germination test, and the potential for bringing some weed seed onto the farm. Another problem we experienced once was that a few of the Canadian oats in the “feed bin” were apparently winter oats. After getting started in the fall, they went dormant over winter, and then elongated in the spring much like winter wheat does after breaking dormancy.
* The optimum combination of productivity and quality of August planted oats arrives 60 to 75 days after planting. Apparently due to the heat, oats planted in July mature more quickly and thus, rapidly decline in quality beginning 50 to 60 days after planting in most years.
* Oats harvested 50-60 days after planting and while still in the boot stage of maturity may offer some regrowth that could be grazed.
* A weed control application of glyphosate is a necessary and cost effective practice prior to oat planting.
An additional advantage observed when using oats for an annual forage crop is the opportunity to capture the total tonnage produced with a single cutting harvest if grazing is not an option. Crops that require multiple mechanical harvests increase costs of production significantly.
As oat forage harvest options typically beginning November 1 are considered, grazing provides the most effective and affordable alternative. In 2002, locally one family strip grazed oats all winter and actually began the calving season on them before the oats ran out in mid March.
Dry baling oats in the fall has been done around Ohio, but it’s a challenge considering that oats will dry less than half as fast a grass hay. Cut in November, oats typically require at least two weeks or more to cure. Wet wrapping them is an expensive alternative. Using an in-line bale wrapper/tuber is a little less expensive per ton than individually wrapped bales if the equipment is available locally.
Oats won’t die until temperatures have been in the mid 20’s for several hours. That means they’ll still be green and alive in December most years in Ohio. When they finally freeze, and if it’s not a wet winter, growers may be able to let them die and dry while standing, get a few days of dry frozen weather in January, mow them, rake them and quickly bale them after they’ve essentially cured while still standing.
In Canada, growers have sprayed their oats with glyphosate and let them dry out while standing. Then, after a few weeks and at a time when they get a dry week, they mow, rake and bale them all in a day or two. Locally, that’s been done once that I know of which allowed the oats to be baled in late December and January.
If grazing the standing oats is not an opportunity, while not presently approved by RMA as an alternative for cover crops grown on Prevented Planting acres, perhaps chopping and ensiling oats is the best alternative for harvest. This offers several advantages over baling or wet wrapping. Obviously the issue of curing the plants for dry harvest becomes a moot point. Chopping and ensiling into either a permanent structure or bags is also likely less expensive than wet wrapping individual bales. Perhaps even better, as detailed by Francis Fluharty a few years ago, chopped forages are 30 to 60% more digestible than long stem forages.
Admittedly chopping and ensiling is likely more expensive than rolling dry hay, but when you consider you get essentially no storage losses, the timeliness of harvest which is afforded, and the more digestible feed which results, it’s a good alternative. And if you’re able to bunk feed the chopped and ensiled oats, there will be no “bale ring” feeding losses to be experienced.
Keep in mind, if you plan to accept a full Prevented Planting Crop Insurance payment, cover crops can't be hayed or grazed until November 1. For more information on making the Prevented Planting decision, you may review this recent post from the University of Illinois farmdocdaily entitled Prevented Planting Decision for Corn in the Midwest.
During the winter of 2013 Ohio Forage and Grassland Council Annual Meeting, I was invited to share the presentation found here on YouTube: https://youtu.be/yW124VH6R6M, which includes a number of photos, about our past experience of growing oats late in the summer for forage. Oats, planted late in the summer, could indeed offer a productive and high quality forage alternative on insured Prevented Panting acres!
For additional information on beef cattle production in ohio, visit: http://u.osu.edu/beef/
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OSU’s Corn College workshop is March 13
Producers and agriculture professionals can get an update on the 2019 corn season by experts from the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences at The Ohio State University.
The 2019 Corn College is a daylong workshop offered on March 13 that will focus on what farmers need to know to develop a successful corn growing operation, said Sam Custer, an Ohio State University Extension educator who is organizing the program.
OSU Extension is CFAES’s outreach arm.
The goal of the workshop, Custer said, is to help farmers focus on critical topics that can help them not only get the most bang for their buck, but also raise the profit potential of their farms.
“We’ll offer producers a look at what the latest research shows as they work towards maximizing corn crop yields in an economical fashion,” he said. “Producers will be making some critical decisions this winter as they buy products to set up and plant their crops this spring.
“Offering this workshop now will give them time to digest some key production information before they start to get their corn planted in April.”
The workshop is taught by OSU Extension educators and specialists and will be held at Upper Valley Adult Applied Technology Center, 8811 Career Drive, Piqua, OH.
Topics will include:
* Budgeting a profitable corn crop.
* Agronomic practices that optimize profitability in corn production.
* Nitrogen timing and needs during corn development.
* Miami and Darke County corn on-farm research results.
* Insect pressure on today’s genetics and future control.
* Fungicide effects on disease, ear rot and yield in field corn.
* Using precision agriculture to improve corn production efficiency.
Registration for the workshop is $20 and includes the program, handouts, breakfast and lunch. The registration flyer can be downloaded at http://go.osu.edu/2019corncollege. Contact Custer at 937-548-5215 for more information. The deadline to register is March 6. Payment can be sent to OSU Extension, Darke County, 603 Wagner Ave., Greenville, Ohio 45331.
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Coshocton and Muskingum County Extension for the 2019 Agronomy School!
Featured presentations include…
Grain Commodity Economics
Corn and soybean prices could not have been more different from the start of 2018 to the end of 2018, as decreasing world stocks and growing demand provided positive outlooks in the first half of the year contrasted with global trade tensions and record U.S. production in the second half of the year. What price range can be expected in 2019 and what does that mean for Ohio producers?
Farm Bill
It only happens once in a 5 to 7 year span, but the U.S. Farm Bill included major implications for producers and sets the bedrock of farm risk management. Farm bills happen in two phases: the legislative phase where Congress writes and passes amendments to U.S. farm policy, and the implementation phase by government agencies like the Farm Service Agency and the Risk Management Agency. The legislative process is finished and assumptions can be made about the implementation phase and what that means for Ohio producers and federal risk management offered for agriculture the next five years.
Manure Management
Manure is a good source of nutrients, but like any fertilizer material it needs to be used appropriately. This presentation will cover manure use within the context of a 4 R program and current regulations. Determining an appropriate manure application rate involves soil testing, manure nutrient analysis, crop yield goals and manure spreader calibration.
Weed Management
Waterhemp continues to increase throughout Ohio and will cause growers to spend $5 to $30.00 more per acre to manage depending upon current practices. Giant ragweed is also increasing in Ohio and forces the use of a preemergence herbicides followed by two postemergence herbicide applications.
Corn Production…
Get the most out of your corn input decisions and maximize an efficient use of nitrogen in your program.
Lunch Provided
Certified Crop Advisor Credits Available
Fertilizer Applicator Certification Credits Available
Complimentary Copy of OSU Weed Control Guide
January 29, 2019
9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Dresden United Methodist Church
1014 Main Street
Dresden, Ohio 43821
$30 per person-RSVP by Jan 23
Registration: http://go.osu.edu/2019agschool
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Reminders about dicamba
This is the time of year when we received our first call about dicamba problems in soybeans in 2017. We can probably expect any problems to become evident soon, based on the timing of postemergence applications and timeline for development of symptoms. Off-target issues have already developed in states farther west and south, and we would expect at least some to occur here, unless we’re really lucky. The symptoms of dicamba injury show in new soybean growth within approximately 7 to 21 days after exposure, and most of our soybeans receive postemergence applications from early June on. It’s been a challenging year to properly steward postemergence applications. We still face some challenges in finding appropriate weather to catch weeds before they become too large, and before soybeans are too advanced in growth stage. There are a number of weather, application and adjacent crop factors to consider when applying dicamba, and applicators should review labels as frequently as needed to ensure legal application.
We have two requests relative to reporting of off-target dicamba issues. First, we ask that if at all possible, they be reported to ODA. It is important for ODA to have a record of these, in order to be able to make sound decisions on mitigating risk from dicamba as we move forward, or decide that no additional mitigation is necessary. Reporting to ODA allows them to be able to investigate the cause of off-target issues, and develop first-hand knowledge that can aid in making these decisions. As we ask this, know that we are fully aware of the reasons why off-target injury issues are not reported to ODA. The companies involved are once again at least talking a good game about investigating dicamba issues that are reported to them, and we would certainly encourage reporting any incidents to them also. Experience in 2017 would indicate that for at least one company, on-site investigations occurred only if reported by the party who purchased and applied the dicamba product. Reporting only by the affected party did not warrant the same level of investigation. Maybe this has changed.
The second request concerns how OSU Extension staff and clientele communicate anything pertaining to off-target dicamba problems to OSU Weed Science, including Mark Loux. Due to litigation on dicamba occurring somewhere beside Ohio, OSU has been subject to an open records request asking us to provide files we have related to our experience with dicamba – off-target investigations, research, etc. First time in my career this has occurred. In addition to the time we will have to put in to deal with this, there’s just the general hassle of it all. There is also another aspect - we cannot necessarily protect the confidentiality of anyone sending emails to us. My specific request is this – from this point on please do not send anything in written or electronic form to us about dicamba, including emails, photos, etc. Should you need to contact us about a dicamba issue, please feel free to call. We still want to provide information and service on this issue, and are certainly not trying to shut off communication. Moving forward, we are just trying to avoid maintaining any type of records that could be asked for in this type of request. Fun times to be an extension weed specialist.
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Early Corn Coloration – Green, Purple, or Yellow?
Corn seedlings often turn yellow (due to low nitrogen uptake and/or limited chlorophyll synthesis) or purple (reduced root development and/or increased anthocyanin production) under cool, wet conditions. Some hybrids are more likely to increase anthocyanin (purple pigment) content when plants are cool. Yellowing or purpling of corn plants at this stage of development generally has little or no effect on later crop performance or yield potential. If it's induced by environmental conditions, the yellow or purple appearance should change to a healthy green after a few sunny days with temperatures above 70 degrees F. If plants remain yellow, then closer inspection and assessment is needed to determine if yellowing is caused by nutrient deficiency or some other factor.
Environmental conditions (high rainfall causing saturated soils) can lead to the appearance of yellow corn. The visual appearance may be interpreted as N deficiency, but this is rarely the case. Excessive water leads to poor respiration of the roots inhibiting nutrient uptake. This results in the chlorotic appearance which resembles N deficiency. After soils dry out, the appearance returns back to normal. If the chlorotic condition persists after the soil dries, the problem should be investigated further. This short-term condition should not affect yield potential of the crop.
When you combine cool nighttime temperatures, high radiation levels during the day, and wet field conditions, you are likely to start seeing purple plants in some corn fields. The first thing that may come to mind is a phosphorus deficient soil. This is unlikely the case, especially this early in the year. As a defense mechanism to protect photosynthesis, a corn will form pigments to help absorb excess light and divert it away from their photosynthetic centers as a form of sunblock. This purple color is from anthocyanin's, which can be formed from excess light or caused by a buildup of sugar (sucrose). Diverting the excess sunlight protects the photosynthetic mechanism and can reduce the time needed for the plant to recover from excess light stress. Other factors including soil compaction, herbicide injury, etc. can make the effect even more pronounced. Purple corn can also be the result of what is known as the “fallow syndrome.” If corn follows a fallow season, a root fungus called mycorrhizae reaches a low population. Mycorrhizal infection of corn aids in phosphorus and zinc uptake. Until the fungal growth is stimulated by the corn roots, which exude starches and sugars, the purple color may persist. Fortunately, the purple tint is short-lived and rarely persists beyond the V6 growth stage. It should not have an impact on the yield potential of the field.
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Topdressing Wheat with Liquid Swine Manure
Despite the rainfall expected across Ohio this week, wheat fields will eventually firm up and the topdressing of nitrogen fertilizer will commence. There is usually a window of time, typically around the last week of March or the first week of April, when wheat fields are firm enough to support manure application equipment. By this date, wheat fields have broken dormancy and are actively pulling moisture and nutrients from the soil.
The key to applying the correct amount of manure to fertilize wheat is to know the manure’s nitrogen content. Most manure tests reveal total nitrogen, ammonia nitrogen and organic nitrogen amounts. The ammonia nitrogen portion is readily available for plant growth. The organic nitrogen portion takes considerably longer to mineralize and generally will not be available when wheat uptakes the majority of its nitrogen in the months of April and May.
Some manure tests also list a “first year available” nitrogen amount. This number is basically the ammonia nitrogen portion of the manure plus about half the organic nitrogen portion. Again, for the purpose of fertilizing wheat, the organic portion of the nitrogen should not be considered available in time to impact yields.
Most deep-pit swine finishing manure will contain between 32 and 45 pounds of ammonia nitrogen per 1,000 gallons. Finishing buildings with bowl waters and other water conservation systems can result in nitrogen amounts towards the upper end of this range. Finishing buildings with fixed nipple waters and surface water occasionally entering the pit can result in nitrogen amounts towards the lower end of this range.
To capture the most nutrients from manure farmers should consider incorporation. Incorporation can result in less nitrogen loss and can especially reduce the loss of dissolved phosphorus. Unfortunately, there are very few toolbars designed to incorporate manure into wheat.
Three years of on-farm wheat top-dress results are summarized in Table 1. Each field trial was replicated four times. In each plot, the manure ammonia nitrogen application rate was similar to the nitrogen amount in the urea fertilizer; typically about 105 pounds per acre. The manure was applied using a 4,800 gallon tanker with a Peecon toolbar 13.5 feet in width. This toolbar cut the soil surface with a straight coulter and a boot applied the manure over the soil opening. Urea was applied using a standard fertilizer buggy.
Table 1. On-farm Swine Fishing Manure Topdressing of Wheat Results (bu/ac)
Year
Swine manure (surface applied)*
Swine manure (incorporated)
Urea
Date of nutrient application
2009
127.5a
125.4a
128.2a
April 7th
2008
63.1a
61.4a
62.9a
April 3rd
2007
102.2a
98.0a
96.5b
March 28th
*Incorporation was performed with a modified Peecan toolbar attached to a 4,800 gallon tanker
In addition to the Peecon toolbar, OSU Extension as also conducted manure research on wheat using the both the Veenhuizen (Grassland applicator) toolbar and Aerway toolbar. All toolbars cutting through the soil surface cause some damage to the growing wheat, but side-by-side yield comparisons with conventional surface applied fertilizer have rarely shown any difference in yields.
Some Ohio commercial dragline operators are routinely applying livestock manure to wheat each spring. This practice is gaining acceptance as it’s faster and more efficient than manure application with a tanker. The risk of soil compaction is also reduced.
Dairy manure has been utilized with on-farm research plots when topdressing wheat. Dairy manure contains far less ammonia nitrogen per 1,000 gallons than swine finishing manure and does not consistently produce wheat yields similar to commercial fertilizer. Research on dairy manure as a top-dress to wheat by adding 28%UAN to the dairy manure to increase its fertilizer value has produced wheat yields similar to commercial nitrogen.
When applying livestock manure to wheat it’s recommended to follow the NRCS #590 Waste Utilization Standard to minimize potential environmental impacts. These standards include a 35 foot wide vegetative strip setback from ditches and streams. Applicators in the Western Lake Erie Basin also need to look at the weather forecast to be certain there is not greater than a 50 percent chance of a half-inch of rain in the 24 hours following manure application. Print this forecast out so you have proof in the event of a surprise downpour.
Additional on-farm manure top-dress of wheat plot results can be obtained by clicking on the on-farm research link on the OSU Extension Agronomics Crops team website at http://agcrops.osu.edu/
OSU Extension YouTube videos of manure to wheat and corn can be found here https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7jUsQNGM8fCHjbZUdT9pKw
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Update on required dicamba training for 2018
Following a summer of many instances of off-target movement of dicamba across the country from use in Xtend soybeans, the labels for Engenia, XtendiMax, and FeXapan were modified in an attempt to reduce future problems. These products became restricted use pesticides, and an additional requirement is that anyone applying these products must attend annual dicamba or group 4 herbicide-specific training, and have proof that they did so. Details are still being worked out on this training for Ohio, but it will not be conducted by OSU Extension, or accomplished through OSU winter agronomy or pesticide recertification meetings. At this point, as far as we know it appears that it will be conducted by Monsanto, BASF, and DuPont at meetings held specifically by them for this purpose, and also possibly through an online training module. Final details and meeting schedules are not likely to be in place until after the first of the year. We will pass on information as we get it from ODA and companies, and applicators will undoubtedly receive this information from multiple other sources as well.
OSU, Purdue, and U. of Illinois have put together a fact sheet on stewardship of dicamba, which is available here, or at our website – u.osu.edu/osuweeds. This is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of application requirements from labels, but it also contains some suggestions on stewardship that are not part of labels. Unlike the three companies selling these products, whose position is that applicator error was responsible for most off-target problems in 2017, university weed scientists concluded that volatilization of dicamba caused many of them. And we are not convinced that the label changes adequately address the potential for volatilization to occur, or provide conservative enough guidelines to help applicators assess how and where (and more important – where not) to apply dicamba in Xtend soybeans. OSU’s position on the use of dicamba in Xtend soybeans has not changed over the past year. We feel that off-target problems could be greatly minimized by restricting dicamba use to early-season, as a component of no-till burndown treatments. Dicamba has utility for control of marestail in the burndown, and there is just less emerged vegetation to damage earlier in the season should off-target movement occur. This is not to say there is no risk of movement or damage when used early-season. Just because risk to non-Xtend soybeans or other crops is low because they have not emerged yet, does not mean there is not risk to nearby fruit trees, vegetables, ornamentals, etc. However, postemergence use of dicamba accounted for most of the off-target problems in 2017, and we would expect a similar trend in 2018.
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Cover Crop Seeding into Standing Soybeans
As soybeans are maturing around Ohio, an opportunity to establish an early cover crop is available. If a farmer waits until after soybean harvest, then many days of growth are being wasted.
Soybeans should have dropped 10% of their leaves before seeding a cover crop. Planting too early and the cover crop may have too much growth and interfere with combine operation and green material separation. Waiting too late will place the seed on top of fallen leaves and not contact the soil properly. The idea is to place the seed on the soil, then have soybean leaves cover and mulch the cover crop seed to enhance germination.
Cover crops can be aerial seeded by plane or helicopter. Use an experienced pilot who can calibrate the application and control seed drop location. Also a high clearance sprayer can be used that is adapted for seed delivery. Following tram lines will lessen the damage to soybeans from wheel tracks.
Germination success may be more difficult with broadcast seeding versus drilling or planting. Therefore, seeding rates may need to be increased about 25% to result in a similar stand of cover crops compared to drilled. Ideally, seeding before a rainfall will get the cover crops off to a quick start.
Species like brassicas (radish), oats, buckwheat, and other frost sensitive cover crops need to be seeded before soybean harvest to ensure enough growing time before killing frost. Frost tolerant species such as cereal rye (at 1-2 bushel per acre) can be seeded into late fall. A mixture of cover crop seed such as ; radish, crimson clover, and oats would do well seeded into standing soybeans. A rate of 2 pounds radish, 15 pounds crimson clover, and 30 pounds oats per acre are minimum for soil coverage.
Annual ryegrass (at 30-60 pounds per acre) will also do well seeded into standing soybeans. Topgrowth is less than cereal rye yet root growth is deeper and more aggressive that cereal rye. With any cover crop that overwinters, have a plan in place for termination next spring.
Large seed size, such as Austrian Winter Pea, do not do well broadcast seeded. Large seeded cover crops need to be incorporated into the soil for better seed/soil contact for germination.
For more information refer to :
Aerial Seeding of Cover Crops – NRCS Technical bulletin Agronomy #36
https://prod.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb1167304.pdf
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Wind Damage in Corn - “Green Snap” and Root Lodging
Strong winds associated with rain storms last week caused localized root lodging and “green snap”. The magnitude of this damage is influenced by several factors including crop stage of development and hybrid genetics.
Root lodging occurs when strong winds pull corn roots part way out of the soil. The problem is more pronounced when soil are saturated by heavy rains accompanying winds. If root lodging occurs before grain fill, plants usually recover at least partly by "kneeing up." This response results in the characteristic gooseneck bend in the lower stalk with brace roots providing above ground support. If this stalk bending takes place before pollination, there may be little effect on yield. When lodging occurs later in the season, some yield decrease due to partial loss of root activity and reduced light interception may occur. If root lodging occurs shortly before or during pollen shed and pollination, it may interfere with effective fertilization thereby reducing kernel set.
Green snap or "brittle snap" are terms used to characterize pre-tassel stalk brakeage caused by wind. Corn plants are more prone to green snap during the rapid elongation stage of growth between V8 and tasseling, especially during the two-week period prior to tasseling (variable corn development this year may have limited green snap damage from wind storms last week). Breaks in the stalk usually occur at nodes (along nodal plates) below the ear. When soil moisture and temperature conditions are favorable for growth during this stage of plant development, plants elongate rapidly but stalks are unusually brittle. Stalk brittleness is greatest in rapidly growing corn under high temperature, high soil moisture conditions. There is speculation that rapidly growing plants are more susceptible to snapping-off for several days during the few weeks before tasseling because there has been little time for plants to develop lignified tissues at the nodes.
Although we encounter green snap problems periodically in Ohio, it's usually a more serious problem in the western Corn Belt. Vulnerability to green snap damage varies among hybrids. However, all hybrids are at risk from such wind injury when they are growing rapidly prior to tasseling. Once the crop tassels green snap problems generally disappear. Back in the 1990’s, Nebraska researchers observed that it was often the most productive fields with the highest yield potential that experienced the greatest green snap injury. They concluded that factors promoting rapid growth early in the growing season also predisposed corn to greater green snap injury.
According to Dr. Emerson Nafziger at the University of Illinois “Yield effects of green snap depend on the number of plants snapped and where the breakage takes place. Stalks that break above the ear will usually produce an ear, but if nearby plants are intact, they will shade the broken-off plants and reduce ear size. When plants break at the node below the top ear, dormancy will break and allow the next ear down to develop, but it may not receive enough pollen to produce a lot of kernels. Plants that break near the ground won't produce yield, of course, but will allow more light to reach intact plants, which in turn will produce more grain. Loss of plants thus typically reduces overall yield less than the percentage of broken plants might suggest.”
Fig. 1 Green snap injury near the ground will result in plants that won’t produce grain.
Reference
Nafziger, E. 2011. Wind damage in corn. University of Illinois. The Bulletin. http://bulletin.ipm.illinois.edu/article.php?id=1534
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It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like – Off-Target Dicamba Movement – our Favorite Time of the Year!
You would probably have to be living under a rock to not at this time be aware of the issues with off target dicamba movement affecting soybeans and other plants in the states of Tennessee, Arkansas, and Missouri. The latter two states just banned any additional dicamba applications for the remainder of the growing season to avoid additional problems (subject to change probably), and some changes are coming in Tennessee also apparently. We have seen firsthand examples of this in at least some Indiana and Ohio fields, and have heard about a number of additional ones. It’s somewhat difficult to gauge how widespread the issue is, since there is often reluctance of an affected party to contact regulatory officials and file a complaint, in order to keep good relations with the offending neighbor. This has been a trend over the years where applications of dicamba-containing products to corn have affected nearby soybeans – neighbors tolerating each other – partly based on the knowledge that soybean yield often appears to be unaffected by early-season dicamba exposure(see b). 
Our conclusion at this point based the fields we have examined is that the patterns of injury are indicative of both particle drift and volatility. However, an alarmingly high number of fields seem to show that we have more offsite movement due to volatility than we thought would happen based on past experience with dicamba use in corn and the development of lower volatility formulations of dicamba products labeled for use in Xtend beans. This is not to say that spray particle drift is not occurring. It is evident that in many situations, dicamba is being applied in too much wind, or with no buffer left between the treated field and adjacent non-Xtend soybeans. We certainly have had the “perfect storm” of limited days to spray with wet weather delaying field operations. When soil conditions were suitable for sprayer traffic, the winds were often excessive and we likely had herbicide applied during inversions as we rushed to get work done. However, with such an abundance of fields that show uniform symptomology across the entire field, we wanted to raise awareness of this situation and attempt to explain drift vs volatility. There is certainly a lot more to learn about how volatile these new products are under varying conditions. We would most likely expect some changes in how they can be used between now and next year, at least in certain states. The purpose of this article is to discuss particle drift versus volatility, and what history tells us about volatility and symptom development for dicamba products that have some volatility, and also the effect of exposure on soybean yields. This information may be helpful in the assessment of situations where dicamba injury occurs.
In some fields that we have examined, the symptoms of dicamba on sensitive soybeans have occurred at far greater distances, and at much more uniformity, than can be explained simply by spray particle drift. Spray particle drift has a telling pattern, which most anyone in the industry has observed at one time or another for various herbicides. The dosage and symptoms in an adjacent sensitive crop are greatest closest to the treated field, due to the highest frequency of larger spray droplets settling out fairly rapidly. For this reason, one indicator of spray particle drift is herbicide symptomology on weeds growing along an adjacent roadside or in a fencerow between the two fields. The injury then tapers off with distance from the treated area as a decreasing number of smaller droplets continues to settle out, until the point where no injury occurs due to insufficient number of droplets and dosage to cause injury. How sensitive the affected crop is comes into play here also, since it takes a lower dosage to cause injury on a more sensitive crop. Spray droplets can move well into an adjacent field, depending upon wind, temperature, nozzles, pressure, use of drift-reducing agents, etc.
But particle drift does not result in the relative uniformity of dicamba injury over a large adjacent field that has occurred in some cases. This would be more indicative of movement via dicamba volatilization from leaf or soil surfaces, occurring sometime within several days after application. Vapors then move with prevailing air currents, with potential to move far greater distances than spray particles, upwards of a half mile. Movement of vapors does not require much wind. For example, volatilization of dicamba that occurs under relatively still inversion conditions can result in prolonged suspension and movement of vapors with gentle air currents. In one field we looked at, there appeared to be an initial volatilization event from the adjacent dicamba-treated soybeans, with some subsequent soybean recovery. This appeared to followed by a second round of dicamba exposure and injury to the recovering soybeans several weeks later.
Soybeans may not show symptoms of dicamba until 10 to 21 days following exposure, when the injury becomes evident in newest growth. Injury takes the form of leaf wrinkling and cupping, and new leaves trying to expand emerge may remain tightly cupped and small. Higher doses can cause terminal growth inhibition (shorter plants) that are slower to cover the row middles. As soybeans recover, new growth will eventually emerge without symptomology. The ability of soybeans to recover from injury, the rate of recovery, and effect of yield is dependent upon dosage and subsequent environmental conditions, and obviously whether they are exposed to dicamba again while trying to recover. Exposure to dicamba in the vegetative stages has less long-term effect and potential to reduce yield compared with exposure in the reproductive stages. Our experience with injury during the vegetative stages is that it rarely leads to yield loss, unless there is a significant reduction in plant height. This assumption is based on continued suitable environmental conditions for soybean growth and seed fill prior to harvest. With regard to injury from most herbicides, late-planted soybeans can be generally more of a concern since they have less time to develop full yield potential anyway, especially in sub-optimum environments.
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Frost Damage in Wheat
Air temperatures dropped to an average of about 25-32 degrees on at least two nights over the last few days. Understandably, some wheat producers are concerned that these temperatures may have caused some damage to their crop. We will have to see what happens over the next few days. Based on information coming out of a Kansas State University publication http://www.bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/c646.pdf, at our current growth stage, between Feekes 9 and 10, in northern counties and between heading and flowering in southern Ohio, the yield effect of frost can range from moderate to very severe if temperatures drop to 24 - 28° F for two or more hours. It all depends on the growth stage, how cold it was, and the length of time plants were exposed to the cold temperatures. The amount of damage is a function of both time of exposure and the temperature, but we are unsure how modern wheat varieties growing under conditions in Ohio will react. For example, 28 degrees for 30 minutes may be as bad as 31 degrees for a long period. We are currently in the second year of a three year study to evaluate wheat freeze damage in modern soft red winter wheat cultivars.
Freezing temperatures between boot and flowering may cause leaf discoloration,
spikes to be trapped in boot, floret sterility, and damage to the lower stems. Bent heads may also be the result of rapid growth with warm temperatures followed by slower growth with low temperatures as we observed bent heads prior to freezing temperatures. The damage tends to be most severe with the greatest yield impact between heading and flowering. The head has some protection from cold temperatures until it emerges, but is easily damaged after emergence. Sterility and stem damage may lead to yield loss, however, since it is highly unlikely that all the plants in a field were at the same growth stage and were equally exposed to temperatures below 30° F, the overall damage may be minimal and restricted to low areas of the field. At most there may be some leaf tip burn on more sensitive varieties. Wheat is a winter crop and can tolerate cold temperatures.To determine if your wheat has suffered freeze injury, walk the field and observe leaves and stems for discolorations and deformations. Between Feekes 6 and 8, leaves and stems on freeze-damaged plants become twisted and turn light green or yellow, with necrosis (darkening) of the leaf tips (Figure 1). These symptoms usually appear about two to three days after freezing. At Feekes 8, the emerging flag leaf appears yellow (Figure 2B) or necrotic (Figure 2C) instead of healthy green (Figure 2A), indicating that the growing point is damaged or killed. Secondary, unaffected tillers will develop and produce grain, but tillers with damaged growing points will stop growing and will not produce a head. The visual symptoms of frost injury to the heads appear as bleached glumes (and can be confused with scab or take-all). Additionally, freeze damaged florets appeared to be lighter green in color than unaffected florets on the heads. Remember, you cannot detect damaged fields from the roadway; you will need to walk the field and inspect individual heads to see if there is any damage.
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Winter Application of Manure
Given the warmer than normal winter and large amounts of rainfall received in areas, some livestock producers will be looking to apply manure in February when farm fields are frozen enough to support application equipment. Permitted farms are not allowed to apply manure in the winter unless it is an extreme emergency, and then movement to other suitable storage is usually the selected alternative. This article is for medium and small livestock operations.
In the Grand Lake St Marys watershed, the winter manure application ban from December 15th to March 1st is still in effect. Thus, no manure application would normally be allowed in February.
In the western Lake Erie basin watershed, the application of manure to frozen and snow covered soils require there to be a growing crop in the field. This could be a pasture, alfalfa, clover, ryegrass or rape crop. There must be enough vegetation visible to provide 90% cover of residue and growing vegetation, Radishes and oats would not qualify as a growing crop as both are typically winterkilled.
The state-wide rainfall rule for surface manure application is a weather forecast saying “not greater than a 50% chance of a half inch or more of rain in the next 24 hours”. It is advisable to print out the weather forecast when you start applying manure so you have the needed proof if an unexpected storm drenches the area. Weather.gov is the accepted website for this forecast.
Small animal operations (those with less than 37,500 laying chickens, 200 dairy cows, 300 finishing cattle, 750 finishing hogs, 3,000 sheep, or 150 horses) can still be exempt from the growing crop requirement for this winter if they have completed the Application for Exemption from Ohio Revised Code 939.08(A). The form can be accessed at: http://www.agri.ohio.gov/public_docs/forms/SWC/Exemption%20Application%20Form%2020160212e.pdf and will only be good through July 3rd of 2017.
Winter manure application should also follow the NRCS 590 standards, which limit solid manure application to five tons per acre and liquid manure application to 5,000 gallons per acre. These have 200 foot setback distances from ditches, streams and creeks and must be on slopes of less than 6% and less than 20 acre areas without additional buffers.
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Impact of Frost on Soybean and Corn Survival
Soybean: Last Monday, May 16, air temperatures dropped to high 20s/low 30s causing some freeze injury to soybeans. Soybeans in low areas of the field are most likely to be affected. Plants should be assessed for damage at least five days after suspected injury to inspect for regrowth. If damage occurred above the cotyledons, the plant will likely recover. If damaged occurred below the cotyledons, the plant will not recover. Look for a discolored hypocotyl (the “crook” of the soybean that first emerges from the ground) which indicates that damage occurred below the cotyledons. The soybean plant pictured will not recover. If soybeans were not yet emerged at the time of the freeze, they should be fine.
If widespread freeze damage occurred, it is not too late to re-plant (see the Late-Planted Soybean article in this issue of the CORN newsletter).
Corn
Although early planted corn has been severely damaged by recent frosts in some areas, the effects of the low temperatures on corn survival will probably be
negligible for the most part. In past years, we have observed that corn that was in the process of germinating or as far along as the V1 stage (one leaf collar visible) survived freezing soil temperatures in April with little impact on crop performance or plant stand. Agronomists generally downplay the impact of low temperature injury in corn because the growing point is at or below the soil surface until V6 (six leaf collars visible), and thereby relatively safe from freezing air temperatures. Moreover, the cell contents of corn plants can sometimes act as an "antifreeze" to allow temperatures to drop below 32 degrees F before tissue freezes, but injury to corn is often fatal when temperatures drop to 28 degrees F or lower for even a few minutes.
Effects of low temperatures on germination are far more serious when combined with snow and freezing rain. When dry corn seed absorbs cold water as a result of a cold rain or melting snow, “imbibitional chilling injury” may result. However these conditions were largely absent following the recent frosts.Several studies have indicated that cool conditions following frost could lead to continued plant mortality as a result of bacterial stalk rot diseases. In Ohio, we’ve observed extensive stand loss in early corn subjected to heavy rains shortly after hail damage and defoliation. The increased plant mortality was associated with what appeared to be bacterial soft rot.
To assess the impact of freezing temperatures on emerged corn, check plants about 5 days after the freezing injury occurred (and preferably when growing conditions conducive for regrowth have occurred). New leaf tissue should be emerging from the whorl. You can also observe the condition of the growing point (usually located ½ in to 3/4 in below the soil surface) by splitting seedlings lengthwise. If the growing point appears white to light yellow and firm several days after the frost, prognosis for recovery is good.
For more information on frost effects on early planted corn, check out the following:
McMechan, J. and R. Elmore. 2016. Risk of Freeze Damage in Early Planted Corn. Cropwatch. University of Nebraska – Lincoln. http://cropwatch.unl.edu/2016/risk-freeze-damage-early-planted-corn (verified May 20, 2016)
Nielsen, RL (Bob). 2001. Symptoms of Low Temperature Injury to Corn and Soybean. Corny News Network, Purdue Univ. online at http://www.kingcorn.org/news/articles.01/Frost_Corn_Soy-0418_Gallery.html (verified May 20, 2016)
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Adjusting Corn Management Practices for a Late Start
As of Sunday May 8, 30 percent of Ohio’s corn crop was planted, which is 14 percent behind last year and 5 percent behind the five-year average (https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Ohio/Publications/Crop_Progress_&_Condition/index.php). Weather forecasts indicate more rain this week possibly continuing through Thursday. As prospects for a timely start to spring planting diminish, especially in northern Ohio, growers need to reassess their planting strategies and consider adjustments. Since delayed planting reduces the yield potential of corn, the foremost attention should be given to management practices that will expedite crop establishment. The following are some suggestions and guidelines to consider in dealing with a late planting season.
Although the penalty for late planting is important, care should be taken to avoid tillage and planting operations when soil is wet. Yield reductions resulting from "mudding the seed in" are usually much greater than those resulting from a slight planting delay. Yields may be reduced somewhat this year due to delayed planting, but effects of soil compaction can reduce yield for several years to come. (Keep in mind that we typically don’t see significant yield reductions due to late planting until mid-May or even later in some years).
If you originally planned to apply nitrogen pre-plant, consider alternatives so that planting is not further delayed when favorable planting conditions occur. Although application of anhydrous N is usually recommended prior to April 15 in order to minimize potential injury to emerging corn, anhydrous N may be applied as close as a week before planting (unless hot, dry weather is predicted). In late planting seasons associated with wet cool soil conditions, growers should consider side-dressing anhydrous N (or UAN liquid solutions) and applying a minimum of 30 lb/N broadcast or banded to stimulate early seedling growth. These approaches will allow greater time for planting. Similarly, crop requirements for P and K can often be met with starter applications placed in bands two inches to the side and two inches below the seed. Application of P and K is only necessary with the starter if they are deficient in the soil, and the greatest probability of yield response from P and K starter is in a no-till situation. Remember the longer our planting is delayed, the less beneficial a starter with P and K will be, because later planting dates typically have higher soil temperatures.
Keep time expended on tillage passes and other preparatory operations to a minimum. The above work will provide minimal benefits if it results in further planting delays. No-till offers the best option for planting on time this year. Field seedbed preparation should be limited to leveling ruts that may have been left by the previous year’s harvest - disk or field cultivate very lightly to level. Most newer planters provide relatively good seed placement in "trashy" or crusted seedbeds.
Don't worry about switching hybrid maturities unless planting is delayed to late May. If planting is possible before May 20, plant full season hybrids first to allow them to exploit the growing season more fully. Research in Ohio and other Corn Belt states generally indicates that earlier maturity hybrids lose less yield potential with late plantings than the later maturing, full season hybrids.
In delayed planting situations, use the optimal seeding rates for the yield potential of each field. Recommended seeding rates for early planting dates are often 5-10% higher than the desired harvest population because of the potential for greater seedling mortality. However, soil temperatures are usually warmer in late planted fields, and as a result germination and emergence should be more rapid and uniform. So, as planting is delayed, seeding rates may be lowered (decreased to 3% higher than the desired harvest population) in anticipation of a higher percentage of seedlings emerging.
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Armyworm and Cover Crops
True armyworm (Pseudaletia unipuncta) overwinters in the southern U.S. and adult moths migrate northward in April and May. Females lay eggs in grassy fields including rye cover crops, and the young caterpillars feed there, typically attacking corn from early may through June. Corn planted into rye cover is at greater risk for early season armyworm feeding because the caterpillars may already be in the field and move to the corn after the rye is killed. Armyworm can also move into corn from other fields such as wheat, in which case infestation usually occurs along field edges. Though some growers include an insecticide in their rye burndown herbicide, this prophylactic application is not recommended because in many years the armyworm populations will not be sufficient to warrant it or its cost. Foliar insecticides work well as a rescue treatment and can be applied in years when scouting indicates it will help. Corn fields planted into rye cover or into other no-till grassy habitats should be scouted beginning in early to mid May in southern Ohio and mid to late May moving further north.
Armyworms take shelter during the day in corn whorls or under debris so it can be difficult to find them. Their feeding damage is more obvious, with ragged edges that progress towards the midrib. When 15 to 20% of the stand has feeding damage the field should be re-checked within a few days to determine if defoliation is increasing. Rescue treatments in corn may be needed if stand infestation is greater than 50% and larvae are not yet mature. If defoliation remains less than 50% and the new growth shows minimal feeding injury, the stand will likely recover with minimal impact on yield. Early scouting is important because the caterpillars are easier to kill when small, and also because larvae nearing maturity have already done most of their feeding.
A number of labeled insecticides are available for armyworm (http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/ag/images/Corn_2013_ArW.pdf), and certain Bt trait packages are also labeled for true armyworm control (http://www.msuent.com/assets/pdf/28BtTraitTable2016.pdf).
Armyworm
Pseudaletia unipuncta
Photo credit: James Kalisch, University of Nebraska, Bugwood.org -
Celebrate National Nematode Day and Collect a Soil Sample for SCN Testing
The SCN Coalition, is excited to announce the celebration of the second National Nematode Day on October 1, 2024, sponsored by BASF, Bayer and Syngenta. This day is dedicated to raising awareness about the impact and threat that plant parasitic nematodes – such as soybean cyst nematode (SCN), Southern root-knot nematode, lesion nematode, and reniform nematode – pose to our crops.
For more detailed information and resources on National Nematode Day, visit HERE and follow #nematodeday on social!
Raising Awareness for Action
Awareness is the first step toward effective management. The SCN Coalition emphasizes the importance of identifying whether SCN is present in your fields and to know your numbers. The promotions for National Nematode Day aim to keep SCN top of mind for farmers and agronomists, encouraging soil testing this autumn.
Free SCN Soil Testing
With funding from the Ohio Soybean Council and in collaboration with The SCN Coalition, we are offering to process up to TWO soil samples per Ohio grower for SCN testing free of charge. We're excited to assist you in this important task. Download and complete the Soil Sample Submission Form and mail your samples to:
OSU Soybean Pathology and Nematology Lab
Attn: Horacio Lopez-Nicora Ph.D.
110 Kottman Hall
2021 Coffey Rd.
Columbus, Ohio 43210
Introducing the SCN Profit Checker
Additionally, The SCN Coalition has launched a powerful new tool: the "SCN Profit Checker calculator." This tool allows farmers to estimate yield and profit losses due to SCN in specific fields by inputting data such as SCN egg count, percent sand, soil pH, and the SCN female index on PI88788. This calculator underscores the critical need for autumn soil testing.
As the season progresses, we encourage growers to take soil samples for SCN analysis. Wishing you a prosperous harvest and a happy National Nematode Day!
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Summer-like Weather Sets In
Summary
High temperatures reached 90°F in Toledo and Findlay on Monday for the first time in 2024. Temperatures in the upper 80s to low 90s are well above the average highs in the low to mid 70s for middle May standards. Overall, temperatures through May 19th ran 2-6°F above the long-term mean (Fig. 1). Following a very wet April including a record monthly total of 7.94” in Toledo, precipitation in May has ranged from 1-3” across northwest counties, to 4-6” across parts of Highland, Adams, Scioto, Pike, and Jackson Counties. Overall, western and northern Ohio are running below average (50-100% of normal) for the month, despite rainfall occurring on 11 out of the first 19 days in many locations. For the latest up-to-date conditions, seasonal outlooks, and monthly climate summaries, please visit the State Climate Office of Ohio.
Figure 1. Differences from average temperature for May 1-19, 20245. Figure courtesy of the Midwestern Regional Climate Center (https://mrcc.purdue.edu/).
Weather Forecast
The hot conditions that started on Sunday, will continue across Ohio through Tuesday with highs in the mid 80s to low 90s across the state. A few widely scattered storms are possible as well across Ohio on Tuesday. A cold front will bring more widespread showers and storms on Wednesday with highs in the upper 70s to mid 80s. Scattered showers and storms along with cooler highs in the 70s will stick around Thursday and Friday. The weekend will feature highs back into the upper 70s to mid 80s with a continued chance for scattered showers and storms. The Weather Prediction Center is currently forecasting 0.75-2.00” northeast to southwest over the next 7 days, with localized heavier amounts (Fig. 2).
Figure 2. Precipitation forecast from the Weather Prediction Center for 8pm Monday May 20, – 8pm Monday May 27, 2024
The 6-10 day outlook from the Climate Prediction Center and the 16-Day Rainfall Outlook from NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center show greater probability of above average temperatures and precipitation (Fig. 3). Climate averages include a high-temperature range of 73-77°F, a low-temperature range of 50-55°F, and weekly total precipitation of 0.90-1.20”.
Figure 3. Climate Prediction Center 6-10 Day Outlook valid for May 26 – 30, 2024, for left) temperatures and right) precipitation. Colors represent the probability of below, normal, or above normal conditions.
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Growers and Retailers Needed: Understanding Yield Response to K Applications in Ohio
Potassium (K) is a key nutrient for growing profitable crops in Ohio. Recently in Ohio, consultants, retailers, and farmers have been concerned that soil K values have been decreasing. One cause for this decrease is higher soybean and corn yields leading to higher K removal rates in grain harvested from Ohio fields. Further, moving to annual applications of P and K for corn-soybean rotations has been the trend over the past decade. In recent years, certain regions in Ohio have noted corn and soybean yield responses to K that seem to fall outside the Tri-State Recommendations.
To further investigate the specific conditions and yield response to K, the Ohio AgriBusiness Association, the 4R Nutrient Council, and The Ohio State University have partnered to initiate a new project looking K management across Ohio. In 2023, a pilot study conducted with four, Nutrient Service Providers (NSPs) and support from Ohio Corn and Wheat and Ohio Soybean Council. Results and discussion from the pilot study has prompted a larger, 4-year study investigating crop yield response to K applications in corn-soybean rotations.
Consequently, we are looking for growers and Nutrient Service Providers interested in participating in this four-year K project. Farmers and their consultant would identify fields for the project. The research team would then work with them to block out replicated K treated and untreated areas. Fields need to be in a corn and soybean rotation and have pH levels within acceptable range. Fields would be committed for 4 years. The farmer would need a yield monitor with GPS to document yield within field plots. The Ohio State University will work with the farmer or consultant to collect needed soil and crop samples each year.
If interested, please reach out to Aaron Heilers (aheilers@oaba.net) or John Fulton (fulton.20@osu.edu).
Additional Guest Authors: Aaron Heilers
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What happened with crop yields during 1988 and 2012? A recap
After a couple of weeks of dry conditions in the state, “the skies opened up” during the last week or so (Figure 1). Showers and storms moved across the state during this period. Prior to these rainfall events, we heard comments “This is starting to look like 1988”, but thankfully, we think that we did not get there. The recent rains and cooler temperatures have alleviated (at least to some degree) the drought concerns in areas of the state. We still need steady rains throughout the growing season, and we hope we get them. For now, the next 7-day forecast has rains for most regions. Despite the recent rains and showers in most of the state, USDA-NASS reported (06/12/23) topsoil moisture conditions rated as 35% very short, 42% short, and 23% adequate. Subsoil moisture was rated 17% very short, 53% short, and 30% adequate. We anticipate these numbers will change after the rainfall last week. The soil surface conditions were the most affected during the dry period. At deeper layers in the soil, better moisture conditions have been available.
As a recap… 1988 and 2012 were years with significant drought effects across the region, here is a summary of drought impact for Ohio during those two years. We present the percentage yield reduction compared to the average yield in three years prior to drought conditions. This summary is presented using the USDA-NASS data, and split by Ohio Crop Reporting Districts, CRDs (Figure 2).
1988: Crop Yield Response to Drought for Ohio by State Total and Crop Reporting District (CRD). Percentage reduction of 1988 yields compared to the average of the three previous years (1985-1987). Data from USDA-NASS.
Crop changes – 1988
Crop Reporting District
Corn
Corn Silage
Soybean
Wheat
10 – Northwest region
-32%
-31%
-38%
-18%
20 – Northcentral region
-38%
-33%
-40%
-12%
30 – Northeast region
-39%
-39%
-17%
4%
40 – West central region
-35%
-35%
-36%
-10%
50 – Central region
-25%
-44%
-21%
-4%
60 – East central region
-29%
-37%
-5%
6%
70 – Southwest region
-34%
-34%
-25%
3%
80 – South central region
-28%
-40%
-14%
12%
90 – Southeast region
-32%
-39%
-6%
9%
State Average
-32%
-37%
-32%
-10%
2012: Crop Yield Response to Drought for Ohio by State Total and Crop Reporting District (CRD). Percentage reduction of 2012 yields compared to the average of the three previous years (2009-2011). Data from USDA-NASS.
Crop changes – 2012
Crop Reporting District
Corn
Corn Silage*
Soybean
Wheat
10 – Northwest region
-27%
.
3%
7%
20 – Northcentral region
-19%
.
-7%
2%
30 – Northeast region
-15%
.
-3%
17%
40 – West central region
-27%
.
-7%
16%
50 – Central region
-26%
.
-16%
8%
60 – East central region
-27%
.
-19%
14%
70 – Southwest region
-35%
.
-16%
5%
80 – South central region
-28%
.
1%
-1%
90 – Southeast region
-23%
.
-7%
-4%
State Average
-26%
-18%
-7%
8%
*Corn silage data by ag district is not reported by NASS for 2009-2012.
Main takeaway
This is the beginning of the season, and it is too early to make accurate assessments of how much or how little impact on crop yields drought could have caused. Note that some of the drought potential impacts to this point in the 2023 season might have been moderated through different mechanisms (to some degree). Some of those moderating mechanisms can include 1) hybrid/variety selection (breeding programs have improved the genetics that we grow today), 2) adjusting planting dates (earlier or later to avoid dry periods, either early in the season or later as well), and 3) rainfall later in the season (this is probably the most relevant now, as rainfall in the rest of the season [higher water demand] will dictate what the outcomes are for this crop year, moderating early-season impacts).
When it comes to crop conditions and effects on yields, corn, and soybean are most affected if drought happens close to the flowering period, which is when the most amount of water is demanded by each crop. For additional information on how dry conditions can affect early crop establishment, access:
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Fungicide and Insecticide at Flowering: Is This Really Warranted?
The wheat crop is flowering or will soon begin to flower in southern and central Ohio. Flowering will continue in the northern half of the state over the next two weeks. This is the growth stage as which the crop is most susceptible to infection by Fusarium graminearum, the fungus that causes head scab. Consequently, questions are being asked about applying a fungicide at flowering to control head scab, and at the same time, mixing in an insecticide to control cereal leaf beetle. According to the scab forecasting system (https://www.wheatscab.psu.edu/), the risk for head scab development has been low across the state over the past week. This is likely due, at least in part, to the cool, relatively dry conditions we have experienced across most of the state. The extended forecast suggests that dry (rain-free) conditions will persist over the next week or so.
Warm and consistently wet or humid conditions are required for head scab to develop. In fact, humid/wet conditions are also necessary for the development of most of the other economically important diseases of wheat such as Septoria, Stagonospora, and rust. When conditions are as consistently dry as they have been over the last few weeks, fungicides are not warranted. However, do continue to monitor the weather, and if it begins to rain, use the scab forecasting system to determine if the risk for scab is increasing as the crop continues to flower in the northern half of the state.
We specifically do not recommend tank-mixing an insecticide with a fungicide application if the insect populations do not legitimately warrant it. Not only will it kill pollinators, but it also can eliminate the beneficial parasitic insects that attack cereal leaf beetle. Insecticide is warranted for cereal leaf beetle control if there are 3 larvae per stem up to the boot stage, followed by a threshold of 1 larva per stem or flag leaf at boot stage and thereafter. As the wheat begins to mature and grain fill has progressed, the need for spraying diminishes as it will not provide a return on investment.
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Spring Weather & Soil Conditions: Update 5
Soil Temperatures and Moisture
Figure 1: Daily average air temperature (dashed red), two-inch (green) and four-inch (blue) soil temperatures for spring 2023. Soil type and location of measurements (under sod or bare soil) are provided in the lower right corner of each panel. A map of all locations is in the bottom right. Data provided by the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) Agricultural Research Stations located throughout the state.
What a raw way to start the month of May last week! Temperatures ran 4-10°F below average over the last seven days, with much of the state not making it out of the 40s for highs on Monday and Tuesday (May 1-2). Soil temperatures tanked by mid-week as well, bottoming out in the mid-40s to low 50s (Figure 1). However, a nice warming trend over the weekend has daily average soil temperatures back in the upper 50s, with a few locations recording maximum daytime soil temperatures near 70.
Figure 2: (Left) Total precipitation over the 7-day period of 8am May 1 – 8am May 8, 2023. Figure provided by the Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service (Right) Calculated soil moisture percentiles as of 5/7/2023 according to the Climate Prediction Center.
Much of Ohio received 0.50-1.0” of precipitation last week (Figure 2-left). A couple of pockets of 2-3” fell over southwest, northeast, and southeast counties (yellow and beige shading). Soil moisture remains adequate across the state. Cool conditions limited evaporation last week, and weekend rain has the surface damp. Much of the state is reporting soil moisture between the 30th and 70th percentiles, with slightly wetter conditions in far northwest Ohio (Figure 2-right). For more complete weather records for CFAES research stations, including temperature, precipitation, growing degree days, and other useful weather observations, please visit https://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weather1/.
Weather Forecast
Figure 3). Precipitation forecast from the Weather Prediction Center for 8pm Monday May 8 – 8pm Monday May 15, 2023.
A stationary front providing the focus of showers and storms on Monday will slowly move toward the east on Tuesday. High pressure will move in for Wednesday and Thursday with drier conditions and temperatures in the mid 70s to low 80s (north to south). Another system will move in starting on Friday, with opportunities for showers and storms persisting through Sunday. Highs will remain in the mid 70s to low 80s, with overnight lows staying well above the freezing mark. Overall, the Weather Prediction Center is currently forecasting 0.50-1.50” for much of Ohio with lighter amounts across far northeastern counties (Figure 3).
The 6-10 day outlook from the Climate Prediction Center and the 16-Day Rainfall Outlook from NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center show temperatures leaning toward cooler than average with near normal precipitation (Figure 4). Climate averages include a high-temperature range of 69-74°F, a low-temperature range of 49-54°F, and weekly total precipitation of about 0.85-1.15”.
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Spring Weather & Soil Conditions: Update 4
Soil Temperatures and Moisture
Cooler weather remained in place this past week with temperatures running 2-6°F below average. Overall, daily average soil temperatures are slightly warmer than they were last week (Figure 1). Northern locations are hovering in the low 50s, with southern stations reporting mid- to upper 50s.
Figure 1: Daily average air temperature (dashed red), two-inch (green) and four-inch (blue) soil temperatures for spring 2023. Soil type and location of measurements (under sod or bare soil) are provided in the lower right corner of each panel. A map of all locations is in the bottom right. Data provided by the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) Agricultural Research Stations located throughout the state.
Figure 2: (Left) Total precipitation over the 7-day period of 7am April 25 – 7am May 1, 2023. Figure provided by the Midwestern Regional Climate Center. (Right) Calculated soil moisture percentiles as of 4/23/2023 according to the Climate Prediction Center.
Precipitation was heaviest across portions western and southeastern Ohio, where 1-2” fell (Figure 1). Isolated heavier amounts greater than 2” were observed across central and west central Ohio (see CoCoRaHS). Soils moisture remain adequate to damp across the state, with this week’s rain helping to curb drying trends experienced over the last 30 days. Much of the state is reporting soil moisture between the 30th and 70th percentile compared to historical conditions (Figure 2-right). For more complete weather records for CFAES research stations, including temperature, precipitation, growing degree days, and other useful weather observations, please visit https://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weather1/.
Weather Forecast
This week is starting out with a rather raw weather pattern, with low pressure located to the north of the state providing stiff westerly winds, periods of rain/snow showers, and highs only in the 40s. These conditions will persist through Tuesday in the west and into Wednesday morning in the east until high pressure starts to wield its influence later in the week. After a cold and possibly frosty start to the day on Thursday, sunshine and southerly flow will help elevate highs back into the 60s, with some 70s showing up over the weekend. Except for a slight chance of a passing shower in the southwest on Friday, the period Thursday through Sunday should remain dry before precipitation could move in next Monday. Overall, precipitation will be light this week with the Weather Prediction Center currently forecasting 0.25-0.75” for much of Ohio and slightly higher amounts possible across the northeast (Figure 3).
Figure 3). Precipitation forecast from the Weather Prediction Center for 8pm Monday May 1 – 8pm Monday May 8, 2023.
The 6-10 day outlook from the Climate Prediction Center and the 16-Day Rainfall Outlook from NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center show temperatures leaning toward warmer than average with near normal precipitation (Figure 4). Climate averages include a high-temperature range of 68-73°F, a low-temperature range of 47-52°F, and weekly total precipitation of about 0.85-1.15”.
Figure 4) Climate Prediction Center 6-10 Day Outlook valid for May 7 - 11, 2023, for left) temperatures and right) precipitation. Colors represent the probability of below, normal, or above normal conditions
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Mild, Wet, and Windy Next 30 Days
Next 30-days...
The theme will be an active next 30-days with above normal temperatures (sometimes more than 20 degrees above normal) along with a series of progressive moderate to stronger weather systems. This will lead to a wet next 30-days with most areas getting 3-4 inches of rain and some places especially in the south possibly topping 6 inches. In the attached graphic, the rest of February will be wet with rainfall ranging from 1.5 inches in northwest Ohio to nearly 4 inches in far southern Ohio. This also means the windy pattern will persist with several windy storms over the next month! As for snow, there could be some mostly minor snows especially in the north but the cold outbreaks will overall be shallow and not last long.
4 inch soil temperatures are mostly in the 30s currently but more 40s will be showing up in the next few weeks with the warmer than average conditions. Soil temperatures are running above normal as well for this time of the year. As soil temperatures approach 50 ahead of schedule in March greenup/vegetation growth is expected earlier than usual.
Spring Planting Season Outlook...
La Nina is expected to end soon so a late freeze is not likely this spring. Soil temperatures and evapotranspiration will be above normal into spring but we expect the deviation from normal to not be as great in late March into April. However, the well above normal temperatures could resume again in May. The wet late winter and very early spring is likely to return quickly to normal rainfall as spring progresses. There is some risk of turning drier than normal at some point in spring. Overall, indications suggest a spring plant that is not delayed too much.
Summer Growing Season Outlook...
Warmer than normal temperatures are expected with a great deal of uncertainty in the rainfall patterns at this time. This will be updated more in the next month or two. There is some risk to a period of dry weather this summer but that risk currently is not high.
Autumn Harvest Season Outlook...
The harvest season is currently forecast to be warmer than normal with no strong indications of rainfall patterns as can be seen at https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov
Stay up to date on flood, drought and seasonal briefings at:
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Weather Update: A Warm and Wet Start to 2023
Summary
Extreme – probably the best way to describe the final couple of weeks of 2022. After running 2-5°F above the long-term average (1991-2020), winter arrived in a big way on December 23, with rain to snow and temperatures falling well below zero. Many locations experienced more than 24 hours below zero with windchills -25°F to -35°F. A week later however, sping-like temperatures in the low to mid 60s for many locations set daily record highs heading into the New Year, as moisture returned to the region.
Figure 1: Total precipitation for the period December 20, 2022 – January 3, 2022. Figure courtesy of the NWS – Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service.
Overall, 1-3” of liquid-equivalent precipitation has fallen over the state during the last two weeks (Figure 1). This has helped streamflows and soil moisuture start to recover, though further improvements are needed ahead of the upcoming planting season. For the latest up-to-date conditions, seasonal outlooks, and monthly climate summaries, please visit the State Climate Office of Ohio.
Forecast
A cold front will start to approach the region on Wednesday with rain showers likely but high temperatures well above average in the 50s and 60s. Cooler air will filter into the state for Thursday with a few scattered rain and/or snow showers possible and highs in the 30s and 40s. Friday should be dry before another system moves toward the Ohio Valley. There is some uncertainty regarding precipitation type, with the potential for some minor snow accumultion across northern Ohio. The forecast is likely to flucuate over the next several days. This system will move out by Sunday with high pressure taking over. Temperatures will remain closer to seasonal normals, with highs in the 30s and 40s and lows in the 20s and 30s throughout the upcoming weekend. Overall, the Weather Prediction Center is currently forecasting 0.10-1.0” (west to east) of liquid-equivalent precipitation over the next 7 days.
Figure 2). Precipitation forecast from the Weather Prediction Center for 7pm Monday January 3 – 7pm Monday January 10, 2022.
Guidance continues to suggest that despite temperatures cooling off a bit, they are likely to remain above normal. The Climate Prediction Center’s 8-14-day outlook for the period of January 11 -17, 2023 and the 16-Day Rainfall Outlook from NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center show a strong probability of above normal temperatures with precipitation leaning below normal (Figure 3). Climate averages include a high-temperature range of 34-39°F, a low-temperature range of 20-24°F, and average weekly total precipitation of 0.55-0.85 inches.
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Lep Monitoring Update: FAW Trapping Continues – Numbers Low in Ohio
Fall Armyworm
Additional counties set up Fall armyworm (FAW) traps over the past week, resulting in a total of 18 counties monitoring across the state. The majority of counties reported low numbers of FAW (an average of 7 or less moths per week), except Lucas, Putnam and Wood counties (Figure 1). The overall statewide average was up slightly with 3.9 moths per trap (3.4 last week). We will continue monitoring and reporting FAW numbers in Ohio over the next 4 weeks.
Fall Armyworm Moth Map
August 22 - 28, 2022
Figure 1. Average fall armyworm (FAW) moths captured from August 22nd through August 28th. The large number indicates the average moth count for the week and the small number in parentheses is the total traps set up in the county.
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Herbicide Carryover to Fall Established Cover Crops
Establishment is one of the most important factors in the management of a cover crop for weed suppression. With later planting dates this year followed by a very dry June, conditions were right for herbicide carryover to be a concern for fall planted cover crops. The increase in precipitation events throughout July likely decreased that risk. It is still important to consider which herbicides were used during the growing season when selecting cover crop species. Potential interactions between cover crops and herbicide residue were covered in depth previously in this article (hyperlink to https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2020-29/herbicide-residue-considerations-fall-cover-crop-establishment).
Herbicide persistence is difficult to predict and varies by field and year. If there are specific concerns, it is best to perform a field bioassay now to determine potential impact of herbicide residues. To do this, collect soil from the fields where carryover is a concern, and soil from a field with no herbicide residue and a similar soil type. Plant cover crop species in each soil, water, and monitor emergence after 2-3 weeks. If emergence and plant health look similar between the soil with and without the herbicide, it is likely that the cover crop can be planted without risk of injury.
There has been some discussion amongst weed scientists over the benefit of a cover crop with reduced stand or biomass due to herbicide residue versus no cover crop, and whether a reduction in plant health has any effect on the ability to suppress weeds. More research is needed in this area. What we do know for certain is that high levels of biomass and ground cover provide the most effective weed suppressive benefits. Cereal rye tends to be the most effective species for weed suppression and is also the least sensitive species to herbicide carryover.
For more information on herbicide carryover to fall established cover crops, check out: https://iwilltakeaction.com/uploads/files/20210623-factsheet-cover-crop-carryover-usdadraft.pdf
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Weather Update: Mild Conditions for August Continue
Summary: Precipitation across Ohio to start August has varied widely across the state (Figure 1). Wet conditions have prevailed across much of northwest and southeast Ohio (blue and purple shading), while dryness remains across portions of northeast and southwest Ohio (yellow and orange shading). After above average warmth for July, especially with overnight lows, a cooler pattern settled in across the state over the weekend. Low temperatures fell into the upper 40s to low 50s across much of Ohio on Saturday morning. Columbus tied for its coolest daytime high of 70°F for August 14. Overall, temperatures ran 2-4°F below average this past week. For the latest up-to-date conditions, seasonal outlooks, and monthly climate summaries, please visit the State Climate Office of Ohio.
Forecast: Low pressure across Kentucky may lead to a few isolated showers and storms for Tuesday and Wednesday, mainly across the eastern half of Ohio. High pressure will take control for Thursday and Friday, before the next cold front slowly moves in and lingers throughout the region for Saturday through Monday. This front will likely kick up a few showers and storms for the weekend. Temperatures will remain seasonally mild this week, with highs in the upper 70s to mid 80s and overnight lows in the upper 50s to mid 60s. The Weather Prediction Center is forecasting 0.25-1.0 inch of rain over the next 7 days (Figure 2).
The Climate Prediction Center’s 6–10-day outlook for the period of August 21-25, 2022 and the 16-Day Rainfall Outlook from NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center show near to below average temperatures with above average precipitation are expected (Figure 3). Climate averages for the period include a high-temperature range of 82-86°F, a low-temperature range of 61-65°F, and average weekly total precipitation of about 0.75 inches.
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Alfalfa is Ready to Harvest in Ohio
Ohio’s spring had a cold start but has rapidly turned the corner to persist warmer temperatures. Many of Ohio’s pure alfalfa stands are ready to be harvested for high-quality feed. As alfalfa field observations are being made across the state, educators are noticing in more southern regions alfalfa stage seems to be further behind than usual with current height measurements. Meaning, this year if producers were to make a harvest decision based on alfalfa maturity, %NDF would be higher than what is expected. Thus, using PEAQ to estimate %NDF quickly is such a valuable tool for alfalfa producers.
Some dairy producers took advantage of the warm dry weather this past weekend to harvest a few pure alfalfa stands. As more rain is expected across the state this week, be mindful of harvesting in wet conditions. Harvesting when the soil is too wet and soft will do non-reversible compaction damage to the stand and will lower the productivity the rest of this year and into future years.
If producers need more guidance on forage quality targets for certain animal classes, there was a great article written last week which can be referred to here.
The following table indicates average stage, height, and %NDF values over the last week across Ohio.
Date
Location (County)
Average Height
Stage
Average %NDF
5/12/22
Adams
26.4
Bud
36.1
5/13/22
Clark
26.4
Bud
35.5
5/16/22
Defiance
26
Bud
36.6
5/15/22
Licking
27
Bud
34.5
5/16/22
Putnam
25
Bud
35.9
5/16/22
Stark
N/A
N/A
Harvested
5/15/22
Wayne
24.3
Bud
35.5
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Soil Crusting Considerations for Corn and Soybean
Warmer temperatures combined with dryer weather will push planting progress along. For fields that have been already planted, recent precipitation and warmer days ahead can build conditions for soil crusting. When heavy rains occur after planting, soil crusting can become a concern, inducing a shallow hard layer on the soil surface that forms due to rapid drying (e.g., warm days and wind). Conditions prone to soil crusting include conventionally tilled fields (in addition to soil erosion), low cover crop residue, fine soil textures, and soils with low organic matter. Besides affecting seedling emergence, soil crusting can result in poor growing conditions, reduced stands and plant vigor, and less water infiltration to the soil profile (Figures 1 and 2).
Figure 1. Soybean seedling struggling to emerge in a surface-crusted, poorly-drained clay soil from Northwest Ohio, 2020.
Figure 2. Corn plant lacking optimum growth in a surface-crusted heavy texture soil from Eastern Nebraska, 2020.
For soybean, if you suspect poor emergence due to soil crusting (or any other factor), take a stand count from several areas within your field at the VC growth stage (unifoliate leaves unrolled sufficiently, so the leaf edges are not touching). See the AgCrops Team YouTube channel for a stand count demonstration. Although a plant population of 100,000 plants/acre is ideal, we do not suggest replanting until the plant population drops to 50,000 plants/acre. Fields with crusting problems can look extremely poor, but the plant stand is adequate, and the field does not need to be replanted. At low plant populations, soybeans can compensate by increasing the number of branches. In general terms, soybean plants tend to be more/better compensative than corn.
For corn, depending on the planting date, the potential yield loss from a reduced stand may be less than expected. To assist in this process, the relationship between planting date, plants per acre at harvest, and crop yield for corn and other adjustments/conversions can be found in the AGF-502 Factsheet. For example, a field planted on May 9th or before and with a stand of 25,000 plants/acre at harvest can still achieve 92% or more of the yield obtained at the optimum planting date and population. Replanting does not guarantee an increase in yields; if replanting happens late, the result can be lower yields (even with higher stands).
Some alternatives for mitigating the effects of soil crusting, other states have recommended: 1) if not planted yet, planting a little deeper for better seed/soil contact and access to moisture (but deep planting has associated risks due to inhibiting growth and vigor, seed running out of energy, uneven stands); 2) reduced or no-till systems that have more residues in the soil surface; 3) rotary hoe in the crusted layer (if crop is germinated and still below ground, but damage to seedlings may occur); 4) a row crop cultivator can be used if the crop is tall enough (limited to crops grown in rows spaced at 30-inch). More information on soil crusting and potential solutions can be accessed here. Although these may be some options, we have not tested these practices in Ohio.
In any case, assessing how strong the crusted lawyer is, where the crop stands (e.g., planted, germinated, emerged), weather forecasts, and timing is critical to inform the decision process better. Before decisions are made, keep in mind that about 5 to 10 percent of planted seeds can fail to establish and that plants can and often compensate for some damage/losses and still be able to produce ‘normal’ yields.
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Alfalfa Continues to Mature
Alfalfa stands across Ohio continued to mature in the past week despite our cooler temperatures and significant rainfall totals. Alfalfa fields jumped about 2-3 NDF percentage units in the last week depending on the geographical location. As warmer temperatures are expected to persist across the state in the next week, %NDF values will likely increase 5 percentage units or more. As a quick reminder, alfalfa values ranging near 40-42% NDF are ideal for lactating dairy cows. Higher NDF values are acceptable for classes of livestock with lower nutrient demands. Below is an updated table with the most recent alfalfa % NDF Field estimations.
Date
Location (County)
Average Height
Stage
Average %NDF
5/6/22
Adams
22
Vegetative & Bud
33.5
5/9/22
Crawford
18
Vegetative
29.9
5/9/22
Geauga
11
Vegetative
NA
5/9/22
Licking
24.7
Vegetative
34.5
5/9/22
Putnam
16
Vegetative
28.6
5/9/22
Stark
19
Vegetative
30.6
5/9/22
Wayne
18.3
Vegetative & Bud
30.6
*Alfalfa fields with a max height below 16 inches cannot be calculated using the PEAQ method
There have also been some reports of alfalfa weevil feeding across the state. In addition to keeping a close watch on alfalfa development for making harvest decisions, producers should be monitoring alfalfa weevil to determine if harvesting earlier is warranted. If alfalfa weevil damage is at or over the economic threshold, growers should consider cutting earlier to eliminate the risk of losing quality due to weevil feeding. Visit HERE for a factsheet on alfalfa weevil.
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Weather Update: Fall Weather Finally Arrives
Summary
After a very brief cool down the third week of September, summer-like weather has gripped the Buckeye State until this past Saturday. Most stations across Ohio have recorded their warmest October to date (1895-2021). Rainfall has been plentiful for some as well (Figure 1), especially across northwest Ohio, where locations have received 3-5 inches (200-300% of normal). Counties across central Ohio have been a bit drier. The strong cold front that swept through Friday night and dropped temperatures back closer to seasonal norms sparked several tornadoes across the state as well. The most significant (EF2- 115 mph winds) occurred near South Salem in Ross County. The chilly weather also brought the first reports of frost to some locations.
Forecast
Strong high pressure and fair weather will remain in control through Wednesday. Highs will reach the upper-60s to mid-70s Tuesday and Wednesday, with overnight lows in the 40s. A fast moving cold front will increase the threat of showers for Wednesday night through Thursday night. Behind this front, breezy, cooler, and drier conditions will move back into the state. Highs this weekend will only reach the 50s and 60s, with frost possible and lows in the mid-30s to mid-40s.
Cannot rule out a few low-lying valleys reaching the freezing mark. Another round of showers could enter the region early next week as well. The Weather Prediction Center is currently predicting up to 0.50” of rain over the next 7 days (Figure 2). The Climate Prediction Center’s 6–10-day outlook for the period of October 24-28, 2021 and the 16-Day Rainfall Outlook from NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center indicate temperatures and precipitation are leaning above average (Figure 3). Climate averages for this period include a high temperature range of 61-64°F, a low temperature range of 41-44°F, and average rainfall of 0.60-0.80 inches.
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Weather Update: Hot and Humid Conditions Return
Summary
July was an interesting weather month for the Ohio Valley. According to NOAA, Ohio experienced its 15th wettest July on record (1895-present). Even more interesting, daytime highs for July 2021 rank as the 33rd coolest, yet overnight lows rank as the 27th warmest, the 7th largest spread on record. Indeed, this was the result of numerous cloudy/rainy days that kept daytime temperature in check, not to mention, the occasional influx of wildfire smoke from active fires in the western states.Since the start of the month, widespread rainfall has been limited across Ohio. Figure 1 shows precipitation over the last 7 days through 8am August 9, 2021. A few rounds of showers and storms managed to drop 0.50-2” across West Central, North Central, and parts of northeast Ohio. Additional areas picked up rainfall on Monday as well as another small disturbance moved through the state. Fortunately, during this drier stretch temperatures have been mild, running 1-3°F below average through the first 8 days of the month.
Figure 1). Multi-sensor precipitation estimates for the last 7-days ending 8 a.m. August 9, 2021. Courtesy of the Midwest Regional Climate Center.
Forecast
Hot and humid conditions are taking over this week. The sultry air will provide the opportunity for scattered showers and storms each day through Friday. Highs will range from the mid-80s to the mid-90s, with overnight lows in the upper 60s to low 70s through Friday. The weekend is looking drier and a little more comfortable, with highs in the low to mid 80s.
The Climate Prediction Center’s 6–10-day outlook for the period of August 15 – 19 and the16-Day Rainfall Outlook from NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center indicate near to above average temperatures and below average precipitation (Figure 2). Climate averages for this period include a high temperature range of 82-86°F, a low temperature range of 60-65°F, and average rainfall of 0.70-0.90 inches.
Figure 2) Climate Prediction Center 6-10 Day Outlook valid for August 9, 2021, for left) temperatures and right) precipitation. Colors represent the probability of below, normal, or above normal conditions.
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Warmer weather favored for the rest of the growing season Hotter and drier than normal for much of July
After a cool spring, we are playing catch up fast with a warm June. June will end up being 1-3 degrees above normal with rainfall 50-100% of normal. The warm weather will continue for the rest of the summer. Maximum temperatures will likely be 1-3 degrees above normal in July. However, overnight temperatures will be even warmer, some 3-6 degrees above normal. Expect high temperatures in July to commonly be in the 85-95 range with overnight temperatures in the 65-75 degree range.
Rainfall will be a tougher call for July. The climate models which have been tracking best tend to favor normal or below normal rainfall. Some pockets of above-normal rainfall will occur over small areas and seem to favor southern parts of the state. The driest areas appear to be northwest Ohio. Rain will likely be 50-110% of normal again in July. For the first two weeks of July, expect hot and drier than normal weather. Rainfall for the first two weeks of July will average 0.25 to 1.25 inches while normal is not far from 2 inches for that time.
Therefore, small pockets of drought could develop in July if we remain hot and dry for too long.
August and September continue to favor temperatures several degrees above normal. Rainfall will be scattered with areas of below and above normal driven very much on the local-scale due to thunderstorms.
The early outlook for fall harvest season signals above normal temperatures and rainfall going from below to above normal but averaging close to normal overall. There is no indication of an early freeze this fall at this time.
The NOAA Climate Prediction Center Week 3-4 outlooks can be found here: https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/WK34/
The 16-day rainfall outlooks can be found on the NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center page at: https://www.weather.gov/images/ohrfc/dynamic/NAEFS16.apcp.mean.total.png
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Take Action
The USB Take Action initiative and university weed scientists have developed a free webinar series covering various weed and herbicide management issues. The webinar occurs every Thursday at 11 am EST through March 26. Each webinar will have two weed scientists giving presentations about 15 minutes long, and there is opportunity for viewers to ask questions via the web portal. The schedule is as follows:
Feb 20
Aaron Hager, University of Illinois – effective long-term management of waterhemp
Travis Legleiter, University of Kentucky – spray deposition factors
Feb 27
Pat Tranel, University of Illinois – metabolism-based resistance, multiple resistance, etc
Amit Jhala, University of Nebraska - pollen-mediated gene flow and transfer of herbicide-resistance
March 5
Tom Peters, North Dakota State University - status of research on electricity methods
John Wallace, Penn State University - cover crops and weed management
March 12
Bryan Young, Purdue University – drift retardants/volatility
Bill Johnson, Purdue University - mixing/antagonism, volunteer corn issues
March 19
Kevin Bradley, University of Missouri- status of on-combine seed destruction technologies
Joe Ikley, North Dakota State University – Enlist mixing issues
March 26
Mandy Bish, University of Missouri – inversions, weather effects on dicamba
Bran Young, Purdue University - dicamba off-target movement research
To register for each week’s webinar, go to “Iwilltakeaction.com” and look for the link to register near the bottom of the page. The “TakeAction” feed and each week’s link to register can also be accessed via Twitter. We will also post these links on the OSU weed science website – u.osu.edu/osuweeds. The webinars are recorded for viewing at a later time if this fits schedules better, and will be available at “iwilltakeaction.com/management”.
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Yield Survey Results Released
2019 was a growing season that will stick in our memories for years to come. Figure 1 shows the accumulated precipitation compared to normal conditions across Ohio for April and May 2019. Near record spring rains across west central and northwest Ohio (seventh and third wettest on record respectively), fell on already saturated ground, contributing to unprecedented delays in planting progress. Figures 2 and 3 show the planting progress for both corn and soybean planting from 1979-2019. Planting for both crops was the slowest on record and we pushed the boundaries with planting dates extending later into the season. These conditions also led to a record 1,564,611 unplanted acres at the end of the season.
The excessive rainfall during the 2019 season provided an opportunity to assess the impacts of extreme planting delays on yield in Ohio. Thanks to everyone who contributed data to the survey, we received data from 489 fields in 51 Ohio counties.
Corn Results
Reported planting dates reported ranged from 4/10 to 6/28 for corn fields, with an average planting date of 5/30. This average planting date is approximately 15 days later than USDA progress reports for 50% acres planted from 2015-2018. Table 1 shows the reported corn yield, moisture, and test weight by Ohio crop reporting district. Despite the challenging season, yields were higher than the 10-average yield reported by USDA NASS in all districts except the Central, and South Central districts. Figure 4 shows the relationship between planting date and yield. Yields trended lower as planting date was delayed.
Soybean Results
Planting dates reported ranged from 4/4 to 7/15 for soybean fields, with an average planting date of 6/11. This was off the 2015-2018 average 50% planted progress date reported by USDA by about 19 days. Table 2 shows the reported soybean yield, moisture, and test weight by Ohio crop reporting district. Despite the challenging season, yields were higher than the 10-average yield reported by USDA NASS in all districts except the West Central, Central, and Southeast districts. Figure 5 shows the relationship between planting date and yield. Yields trended lower as planting date was delayed.
Table 2. Average reported soybean yields, moisture, and test weight by crop reporting districts. USDA NASS 10-year average county yields included for comparison. Values in red are averaged from data from fewer than ten fields.
Summary
Overall, reported 2019 yields, where farmers were able to plant, were higher than expected for both corn and soybeans in Ohio. While good yields were achieved at some late planted locations, the risk of yield loss increased as planting was delayed for both crops.
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Are Sulfur Deficiencies Becoming More Common in Ohio?
Sulfur is an essential macronutrient for crop production, often ranked behind only nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in importance. Overall, for corn and soybean, deficiencies are fairly rare. However, deficiencies can occur and are most likely on sandy soils with low organic matter (<1.0%). Much like nitrogen, the primary form of sulfur in the soil is found in the organic fraction, and the form taken up by plants (sulfate) is highly mobile. For every 1 percent of organic matter, there is approximately 140 pounds of sulfur, most of which is unavailable. Like nitrogen, sulfur must be mineralized to become plant available. (Plants may exhibit sulfur deficiencies under cool, wet conditions when mineralization is slow.) Historically, sulfur was deposited in large quantities from rainfall primarily due to burning of fossil fuels. However, emission standards have resulted in a sharp decrease in sulfur deposition from the atmosphere. As this trend continues, coupled with higher yielding crops, sulfur fertilization may become more important in the future.
Figure 1. Sulfur deposition maps from 2000-2002 and 2015-2017 (USEPA, 2019).
A common question these days, is ‘Do I need to fertilize with sulfur?’ Table 1 summarizes on-farm sulfur trials conducted in Ohio from 2016 through 2019. Overall, only one trial (out of eight) resulted in a yield increase due to sulfur application (3 bu/acre in soybean). In addition to these on-farm trials, sulfur (applied as gypsum) did not increase yield in sixteen different environments across Ohio in studies conducted in 2013 and 2014. Lack of yield response is likely due to soils with organic matter levels >1%. (In our sixteen-environment study, soil organic matter levels ranged from 2.0 to 5.1%).
Table 1. Summary on on-farm sulfur trials in corn and soybean from 2016-2019.
Year
County
Crop
Sulfur Source, Rate, and Timing
Yield Response?
Reference
2019
Madison
Soybean
Thio-sul at V3
None
Nate Douridas (eFields report)
2019
Crawford
Soybean
Thiosulfate, 20 lb S/acre, starter
+3 bu/acre
Jason Hartschuh (eFields report)
2019
Darke
Soybean
AMS, R1 and R3
None
Sam Custer
2018
Darke
Corn
Starter
None
Sam Custer
2017
Darke
Corn
Starter
None
Sam Custer
2017
Darke
Corn
Ammonium thiosulfate, 20 and 40 lb S/acre, starter and sidedress)
None
Sam Custer
2016
Muskingum
Corn
Starter
None
Clifton Martin & Van Slack
2016
Darke
Corn
Starter
None
Sam Custer
Sulfur deficiency symptoms are similar to nitrogen, but unlike nitrogen, chlorosis (yellowing) is more visible on newer, upper leaves. If you think your crop is deficient in sulfur, plant tissue testing is the best way to assess. (Sulfur soil analysis is not recommended.) If possible, collect plants exhibiting deficiency symptoms and also plants not exhibiting deficiency symptoms for comparison.
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OSU Extension Farm Business Analysis Program
Additional author: Haley Shoemaker
How well do you know your farm? Sure, you could probably drive your fields blindfolded and you could name without a doubt the cow that will always come in the parlor last; but what about your farm as a business? If this question made you stop and think, then it’s time to become more familiar with your cost of production and other financial measures that make the rest of your farming operation possible.
The Ohio Farm Business Analysis Program is focused on working with farmers across Ohio to better understand the numbers behind their farm business in order to make more informed production, marketing and financial management decisions that will impact the farm’s overall profitability.
Farm business analysis is a tool that can be applied to any farm, regardless of size, crop, or livestock enterprise. Financial management is critical to the success of every farm business, and with analysis, farms are able to better understand the numbers behind their profits or losses.
To complete a farm’s analysis, we start with beginning and ending balance sheets from the most recent business year. To fill in the year between the balance sheets, we provide input forms that cover all income, expenses, capital purchases, sales, and enterprise information.
Farmers complete a whole farm analysis and may choose to do enterprise analysis. They receive their farm’s analysis and enterprise summaries that include their costs of production per acre, per unit (bu, ton, cwt, head) as well as machinery costs per acre. At the conclusion of each year’s analysis, farmers receive Ohio summary data, along with personalized benchmark reports that help them quickly identify areas of strength and concern.
All farm data is treated and handled with the utmost care to preserve confidentiality. Farms that complete analysis also contribute to the database of Ohio farm financial and production data. Ohio farm data is used for teaching, research, extension education and policy decision making.
To better serve Ohio’s farmers, the Farm Business Analysis Program has three Farm Business Analysis Technicians serving central and western Ohio. These technicians work out of the County Extension Offices in Mahoning, Miami and Pickaway counties, and will also work with farms in surrounding counties. We encourage you to contact the technician nearest your farm to get started on Farm Business Analysis:
Mahoning County 330.533.5538 Christina Benton benton.132@osu.edu
Miami County 937.440.3945 David Jenner jenner.12@osu.edu
Pickaway County 740.474.7534 Trish Levering levering.43@osu.edu
Thanks to the USDA-NIFA Farm Business Analysis grant, the cost for a farm to complete an analysis for the 2019 business year is $100. To learn more about farm business analysis, contact Dianne Shoemaker or Haley Shoemaker at 330-533-5538 or email at shoemaker.3@osu.edu or shoemaker.306@osu.edu. See past farm business summaries at http://farmprofitability.osu.edu.
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Dr. Peter Thomison Retires
Dr. Peter Thomison, Professor and Extension State Specialist for corn production, retired from Ohio State University at the end of December 2019 after 30 years of service.
Peter was an active member of OSU Extension’s Agronomic Crops Team. He contributed hundreds of timely, high-impact articles to the CORN newsletter, wrote several bulletins and Fact Sheets, and could be seen throughout Ohio during winter extension meetings and field days. Peter was at the forefront of corn production research, including corn hybrid by management interactions, causes and identification of abnormal corn ears, phenological responses of corn to heat accumulation, and agronomic performance and grain quality of specialty corn. Peter’s extension and research efforts to develop cropping systems that minimize production inputs and impact on environmental quality will have a lasting effect on extension, farmers, and the ag industry.
On a personal note, I will thoroughly miss Peter. Peter was extremely instrumental in helping me establish my extension and research program at Ohio State (and even served a mentor on my advisory committee during my Master’s degree program). Peter was always available to answer questions and provide guidance, and I enjoyed talking with him almost every day.
Congratulations on your retirement, Peter! You will be greatly missed by all of us on the Ag Crops Team. Thank you for your efforts over the past 30 years and best wishes for the future.
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Agronomy Beyond 2019: Prepare for 2020 at FSR Agronomy College
Calling all agronomists, Certified Crop Advisers, custom applicators and farmers! Last reminder - registration is now open for the 2019 FSR Agronomy College, a partnership event between the Ohio AgriBusiness Association and Ohio State University Extension.
Held September 10 at the Molly Caren Agricultural Center in London, Ohio, the FSR Agronomy College provides participants with up-to-date knowledge on current agronomy issues through a variety of breakout sessions. This year, topics will the challenges of the 2019 growing season and the opportunities moving into 2020 and beyond.
Featured speakers include Fred Whitford of Purdue University; Pierce Paul, Tony Dobbels, Kelley Tilmon, Anne Dorrance and Alex Lindsey of The Ohio State University.
Registration is $120 per participant. More information and registration is available at oaba.net/events.
Also at the Farm Science Review on September 17, 18 and 19 will be several programs that include Certified Crop Adviser CEUs. Continuing education is an important part of what makes a CCA so valuable to their clients. At FSR this year we have credits available in the Agronomy plots on the east end of the grounds, at the Small Farm Center on the west side of the exhibit area and north on SR 38 at the Gwynne Conservation area. All credits are included in the admission price to enter the grounds – you just have to sit, learn and then sign-in to get them.
See the FSR educational events page for CCA CEUs in the Agronomy area and in the Small Farm area: https://fsr.osu.edu/sites/fsr/files/imce/pages8-12.pdf; and at the Gwynne: https://fsr.osu.edu/sites/fsr/files/imce/FSR-2019-Program-Gwynne-AUG8.pdf. I know the credits are not specified for the Small Farms Center, but you know what to look for.
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Drier Week Ahead with Excessive Heat Possible Next Week
This past week featured a very summer-like pattern, with average temperatures running 2 to 8 degrees Fahrenheit above average and isolated but locally heavy thunderstorm activity. The largest differences compared to average occurred over northwest Ohio, where a lack of crop cover allowed surfaces to dry quickly and temperatures to rise efficiently. Much of the storm activity was found from parts of northwest Ohio, through east-central Ohio, and into the southeast counties, where widespread 2-3 inches fell with local amounts in excess of 5 inches. A CoCoRaHS (cocorahs.org) observer 0.7 miles north of Williamsport in Pickaway County reported 3 separate events over 2 inches this week for a total of 6.70 inches.
The upcoming week features a drier pattern on average across the state, as high pressure settles in over the region early in the week. This initial high will slide to the east on Wednesday and Thursday providing a better chance of isolated storms. High pressure will build back in for the weekend as well. Currently, the Weather Prediction Center depicts much less than 1 inch of rain for the entire state over the next 7 days (Figure 1), with a few localized heavier totals likely to occur with storms, most likely in the east. Temperatures will remain near to above average. Normal highs this time of year are in the mid to upper 80s with lows in the low to mid 60s.
Looking ahead at the 8-14-day outlooks, the NOAA Climate Prediction Center indicates a greater probability of above-average temperatures for the period July 16-22 (Figure 2). In fact, there is a slight (moderate) chance of excessive heat over the entire state (northern Ohio) during this period as well. This heat may challenge poorly established root systems and rapidly increase stress. This is accompanied by a slightly elevated probability of above-average precipitation (Figure 3). Rainfall for this period averages between 0.85 and 1 inch. The 3-4-week outlooks (not shown) generally indicate equal chances of above, below, or near-normal temperatures for all of Ohio, but there are signals indicating an increased probability of drier than average conditions across the northern third of the state. The latest CPC outlooks may be found at https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/.
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More on Switching Corn Hybrid Maturities
Corn GDD Tool to Identify "Safe" Hybrid Maturities for Late Planting. Dr. Bob Nielsen at Purdue University has written an article describing a powerful decision aid, U2U Corn GDD Tool, which can be used to identify "safe" hybrid maturities for late planting. The GDD Tool is currently available for Ohio and it can estimate county-level GDD accumulations and corn development dates based on current and historical GDD data plus user-selected start dates, relative hybrid maturity ratings, GDDs to black layer, and freeze temperature threshold values. The article can be found here: (http://www.kingcorn.org/news/timeless/HybridMaturityDelayedPlant.html ).
Silage Corn. Although corn for silage responds to timely planting, it is more tolerant of late planting than is corn planted for grain. Silage growers can generally continue to plant adapted hybrid maturities for silage purposes until late June because silage harvest typically occurs several weeks before physiological maturity. Penn State University researchers have reported yields of more than 20 tons/acre with mid-June plantings in some years. Their studies indicate that corn silage can produce reasonable forage yields in many areas, even when planted in late June. Penn State University studies have shown that energy levels are reduced in later-planted silage, presumably because of lower starch levels due to reduced grain fill.
“Ultra-early” Hybrids. Results of past OSU research indicate that some 100-104 day hybrids are available with yields comparable to hybrids of commonly grown maturities in early and late planting environments. The 100-104 day hybrids showed greater yield potential than the hybrids with maturity ratings less than 100 days (ultra-early hybrids). Grain moisture of the early 100-104 day hybrids were 3 to 5% lower than commonly grown maturities. At test sites with the highest level of stalk lodging, most of these early hybrids showed levels of stalk lodging comparable to those of the commonly grown hybrid maturities. However, our knowledge of early hybrid performance across Ohio production environments is limited. Some shorter season hybrids may not be suitable in terms of their stress tolerance and disease resistance.
Table 1 provides a comparison of grain moisture content at harvest in hybrids ranging from 102 to 113 days relative maturity (days relative maturity) planted in late April/ early May and in early/mid June (unpublished OSU research, 2009-2010).
Table 1. Effects of planting delays and hybrid maturities on corn grain moisture at harvest. * number in parentheses indicates number of studies
Hybrid Maturity (days)
Location/Year
Planting Date
102
104
111
113
-----% harvest moisture----
S. Charleston 2009 (3)*
Late April/Early May
13.9
14.9
16.6
18.9
Early/Mid June
16.4
17.3
22.3
28.4
S. Charleston 2010 (3)
Late April/Early May
10.9
11.7
13.0
13.0
Early/Mid June
14.8
16.3
21.9
23.4
Hoytville 2010 (1)
Late April/Early May
15.7
15.2
22.1
23.0
Early/Mid June
23.1
24.5
28.8
30.0
References
Nielsen, R.L. 2019. Hybrid Maturity Decisions for Delayed Planting. Corny News Network, Purdue Univ. http://www.kingcorn.org/news/timeless/HybridMaturityDelayedPlant.html [URL accessed May 2019]
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Alfalfa Weevil Scouting
The Wayne County Extension IPM scouting program has been monitoring ten alfalfa and alfalfa/grass mix fields for alfalfa weevil larvae since the beginning of May. Although weevil larvae numbers have increased somewhat over the past couple of weeks, numbers are well below threshold treatment levels and this appears to be consistent across the state this year. Our scouting and sampling have resulted in averages ranging from 0.33 to 0.50 larvae per stem when sampling 5 to 6 random areas for every 25 acres. Alfalfa height on our last sample date of May 14 averaged from 15 to 25 inches across ten different fields. At this point, even if threshold levels were detected, the recommendation would be to take harvest cutting rather than apply a rescue insecticide treatment.
For more information about how to scout for alfalfa weevil larvae, how to identify the larvae and threshold treatment levels watch this short video clip located on the OSU Extension Forages website: https://forages.osu.edu/video.
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Nitrogen Application Timing for Weak Wheat Stands
Late-planted wheat fields had little opportunity for growth before cold and wet conditions moved into the area last November. Fall tiller production was limited because of early cold weather soon after planting. In addition, some wheat stands have been damaged this winter from lack of snow cover, standing water, saturated soils, ice sheets, and days of very cold temperatures.
In these situations, producers have asked whether they should apply nitrogen earlier to increase the number of spring tillers. Keep in mind, it is fall tillers that provide most of the yield in a wheat field. Heads developing from spring tillers generally are much smaller than heads from fall tillers.
In northern climates, the vegetative period of growth is much shorter than the other wheat regions of the country; thus, plants have a much shorter time to recover from winter damage. From my experience, producers will have limited success in improving yields of poor stands and stands with reduced-growth by applying nitrogen earlier. A producer may get a few more spring heads, but not enough to significantly change the yield situation. The earlier application will also significantly increase the risk of nitrogen loss. In fact, a producer may need to readjust their yield potential for these fields and reduce their total nitrogen rate accordingly.
Wheat does not need large amounts of nitrogen until jointing (Feekes GS 6), generally the latter part of April. Soil organic matter and/or nitrogen applied at planting generally provide sufficient nitrogen for early spring growth. Ohio research has shown no yield advantage for nitrogen applied before jointing. The longer the time between nitrogen application and jointing, the greater the risk for nitrogen loss. Nitrogen source will also affect the potential for loss. Urea-ammonium nitrate (28%) has the greatest potential for loss, ammonium sulfate the least, and urea would be somewhere between the two other sources.
Ohio research has also shown that yield losses may occur from nitrogen applied prior to green-up regardless of the nitrogen source. The level of loss depends on the year (losses would be smaller if the ground is not frozen or snow/ice covered). This same research did not observe a yield increase from applications made prior to green-up any year compared to green-up or Feekes GS 6 applications. Keep in mind that green-up is a descriptive term and not a definable growth stage. My definition of green-up is when the new growth of spring has covered the dead tissue from winter giving the field a solid green color – thus, growing plants.
There is a legitimate concern that wet weather may prevent application of nitrogen at early stem elongation. Ohio research has shown a yield decrease may occur when nitrogen application is delayed until Feekes Growth Stage 9 (flag leaf fully emerged). Thus a practical compromise is to topdress nitrogen any time fields are suitable for application after initial green-up to Feekes GS 6. There is still a potential for loss even at green-up applications. To lessen this risk a producer may want to use a nitrogen source that has a lower potential for loss such as urea or ammonium sulfate. ESN (polymer-coated urea) would be another option but it needs to be blended with urea or ammonium sulfate to insure enough nitrogen will be available for the crop between Feekes GS 6 – 9. The source of nitrogen becomes less important as the application date approaches Feekes GS 6 (jointing). The percentage of urea and/or ammonium sulfate would need to be increased with ESN for application times closer to Feekes GS 6. A producer may want to consider the use of a urease inhibitor with urea if conditions are favorable for volatilization losses: warming temperatures, drying winds and no rain in the forecast for 48 hours.
A split application of nitrogen may also be used to spread the risk of nitrogen loss and to improve nitrogen efficiency; however, Ohio State University research has not shown a yield increase from this practice compared to a single application after green-up. In a split system, the first application should be applied no sooner than green-up. A smaller rate should be applied with the first application since little is needed by the crop at that time and the larger rate applied closer to Feekes GS 6.
In summary, some wheat fields look rough coming out of the winter. Applying nitrogen earlier may slightly increase the number of spring heads but probably not enough for a significant yield increase. The earlier application will increase the potential for nitrogen loss. University recommendation would be to topdress nitrogen when fields are suitable for application after initial green-up to early stem elongation.
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Intensive Soybean Management Workshop - Clinton County
2018 was a challenging year for soybean growers to say the least. Clinton County Extension will host an Intensive Soybean Management Workshop Tuesday, February 19, 2019 at the Clinton County Extension Community Room, 111 S. Nelson Ave., Wilmington, Ohio beginning at 9:00 AM and concluded by 3:30 PM.
This hands-on workshop is designed to help soybean growers become better crop managers and in turn become more profitable.
Topics will include:
Soybean Production Management Strategies: Dr. Laura Lindsey, Soybean/Wheat Extension Specialist;
Soybean Insect Management: Dr. Kelley Tilmon, Field Crop Extension Entomologist;
Weed Management Update: Dr Mark Loux, Extension Weed Specialist,;
Breaking yield barriers through soybean breeding and variety trial programs: Dr. Leah McHale, Soybean Breeding and Genetics Specialist;
Soybean Disease Management: Dr. Anne Dorrance, Field Crop Extension Pathologist.
In addition to the great presentations throughout the day, participants will receive a soybean management notebook that will include several useful management publications such as:
The Ohio Agronomy Guide or Weed Control Guide, Profitable Soybean Disease Management in Ohio , Ohio Corn, Soybean, Wheat, and Alfalfa Guide, and Stink Bug of Ohio Soybean Field Guide
Also, CCA, and Pesticide (Commercial and Private) credits have been requested.
PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED. $35.00 per person. Registration deadline is Friday, February 15.
(Includes lunch and resources) Make checks payable to The OSU Extension - Clinton.
Mail to: Clinton County Extension Community Room, 111 S. Nelson Ave., Wilmington, OH 45177
Questions please call Tony Nye 937-382-0901 or email nye.1@osu.edu.
The following link will connect you to the registration flyer: https://clinton.osu.edu/sites/clinton/files/imce/Soybean%20Workshop%202019%20Clinton%20flyer.pdf
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2019 Outlook Meetings to be held Across Ohio
Ohio State University Extension is pleased to announce the 2019 Agricultural Outlook Meetings! In 2019 there will be seven locations in Ohio. Each location will have a presentation on Commodity Prices- Today’s YoYo. Additional topics vary by location and include U.S. Trade Policy: Where is it Headed, Examining the 2019 Ohio Farm Economy, Weather Outlook, Dairy Production Economics Update, Beef and Dairy Outlook, Consumer Trends, and Farm Tax Update.
Join the faculty from Ohio State University Extension and Ohio State Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Developmental Economics as they discuss the issues and trends affecting agriculture in Ohio. Each meeting is being hosted by a county OSU Extension Educator to provide a local personal contact for this meeting. A meal is provided with each meeting and included in the registration price. Questions can be directed to the local host contact.
The outlook meeting are scheduled for the following dates and locations:
Date: January 24, 2019 Time: 9:00 am – 12:00 noon Speakers: Barry Ward, Ben Brown, David Marrison Location: St Mary’s Hall 46 East Main St. Wakeman, OH 44889 Cost: No Charge; $20.00 if past deadline RSVP: Call OSU Extension, Huron County 419-668-8219 By: January 22nd More information can be found at: http://huron.osu.edu
Date: January 28, 2019 Time: 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Speakers: Ian Sheldon, Ben Brown, Aaron Wilson Location: Jewell Community Center Cost: $10.00 (after deadline $20.00) RSVP: OSU Extension, Defiance County 419-782-4771 By: January 22nd More information can be found at: http://defiance.osu.edu
Date: January 30, 2019 Time: 9:30 am – 3:30 pm Speakers: Ian Sheldon, Ben Brown, Barry Ward, Dianne Shoemaker, David Marrison, Kenneth Burdine Location: Fisher Auditorium Cost: $15.00 RSVP: Call OSU Extension, Wayne County 330-264-8722 By: January 24th More information can be found at: http://wayne.osu.edu
Date: February 13, 2019 Time: 5:30 pm – 9:00 pm Speakers: Barry Ward, Ben Brown, Ian Sheldon Location: Wayside Chapel, 2341 Kerstetter Rd., Bucyrus OH 44820 Cost: $15.00 RSVP: Call OSU Extension, Crawford County 419-562-8731 or email hartschuh.11@osu.edu By: February 5th More information can be found at: http://crawford.osu.edu
Date: March 22, 2019 Time: 11:00 am – 4:00 pm Speakers: Barry Ward, Ben Brown, David Marrison, Ian Sheldon Location: Chamber Ag Day / Ag Outlook meeting, Darke County Romers 118 E Main St., Greenville Registration Flyer: http://go.osu.edu/2019darkeagoutlook Cost: $20 RSVP: Darke County Extension office at 937-548-5215 By: March 16th More information can be found at: http://darke.osu.edu
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Warm and Wet October Expected
After a very wet September across all but northwest Ohio in the Maumee River basin, we can expect more of the same in October. September saw some locations in the top 5 wettest on record for Ohio like Columbus and Dayton.
We expect the first two weeks of October to average 5-15F above normal with a few days almost 20F above normal. There will be a few days this week with lows of 65-70 degrees which is almost unheard of in October with normal lows in the 40s. The latest low of 70 at Cincinnati is Oct.9 in 1982, since 1947. It is possible to be near that level a few days this week across especially southern Ohio.
Overall, temperatures the first two weeks of October will average 5-15F above normal with the last two weeks 0-4F above normal.
Rainfall will average 1-4 inches the first half of October. The 1 inch will be in southern Ohio and the 4 inches would likely be in the north part of the state. Normal is 1-1.5 inches for two weeks.
See rainfall map above.
Rainfall may relax to more normal with a chance of below normal the second half of the month. The worst of the rain will be in the central and western corn and soybean areas where rainfall of 3-7 inches is possible so harvest delays are possible.
It continues to looks like frost will be no earlier than Oct. 10-20 range which is normal for Ohio but chances are growing it may be more in the Oct. 20-30 range.
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Fertilizer Recertification Begins in 2018
Ohio is now seeing full implementation of Ohio’s Agricultural Fertilizer Applicator Certification regulation. The regulation was result of Senate Bill 150, which can be found at http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/905.322 and http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/905.321. The 2014 regulation required farmers to complete a fertilizer certification program if they applied fertilizer to more than 50 acres of land in agricultural production primarily for sale. Exemptions included fertilizer applied through a planter, individuals whose crops remained on the farm for their livestock and not sold, or fertilizer applied by a commercial applicator.
Manure was not part of the regulation since it was specifically addressed by other regulations. However, the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) later clarified that if a farmer purchased composted manure, such as poultry, and then applied it themselves; it would be considered a fertilizer and they would have to complete the certification program.
Farmers were given three years to complete the certification training. Training included a two-hour program if they already had a Private Pesticide Applicator License, otherwise, they had to complete a three-hour program. Key components of the training were to know the potential causes for algal blooms and management practices to reduce phosphorus losses from farm fields. Training was provided primarily by County Extension Agriculture & Natural Resources Educators of the Ohio State University.
In three years, 17,493 Ohioans completed the Fertilizer Certification program. The three-year window to complete the initial certification program ended September 30, 2017. Any farmer applying fertilizer that has more than 50 acres of cropland without an Agricultural Fertilizer Applicator certificate after September can be fined and/or charged with a misdemeanor offense. Farmers that still need certification have two options: complete a three-hour training program or pass a state test.
The ODA has also made other changes to the Fertilizer Certification program starting October 1:
- Those renewing their fertilizer certificate, which must be done every three years, must either pass a fertilizer exam or take a one-hour class.
- Two new items were added to the required records that certified fertilizer applicators must keep: Now they must record the number of acres where they applied fertilizer and the total amount of fertilizer applied.
- Only one person at a farm or business needs to be certified to apply fertilizer. A family member or employee of the certificate holder can apply fertilizer under their direct supervision, meaning the certificate holder has instructed that person where, when and how to apply fertilizer, and is no farther than 25 miles away or within two hours travel of the applicator working under their direct supervision. The rule change clarified that provision.
- Certificate holders who do not also hold a license to apply pesticides will see their fertilizer certificate period change to April 1 to March 31. Previously, it was June 1 to May 31. The new cycle is aimed at ensuring that certifications will generally be in place prior to the planting season.
- A grace period of 180 days is offered to certificate holders who o not send in their application and payment prior to the date their certificate expires. However, in renewing their certificate, the applicant has to have completed the required training or test before March 31.
The Fertilizer Certification program was a result of a broader initiative developed by a 2012 state task force consisting of several Ohio agencies involved with agricultural, environmental, and natural resources issues. The task force developed recommendations to improve Ohio’s waterways while maintaining the integrity of the agricultural industry. The Fertilizer Certification program is one way that the agricultural community is assuring the public that farmers know the best management practices when applying fertilizer. More information on the Agriculture Fertilizer Applicator Certification program may be found at https://nutrienteducation.osu.edu/
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Using Cover Crops with Fall Manure Applications
Fall manure application is underway across the state. Livestock producers and commercial manure applicators are applying manure to fields following corn silage harvest and will soon be applying to harvested soybean and corn fields.
To best capture the nutrients in manure, livestock producers should incorporate fall applied manure and also consider using cover crops. Most swine finishing manure contains more than 40 pounds of ammonium (NH4) nitrogen per 1,000 gallons. Dairy manure, from facilities bedded with sand, can contain more than 15 pounds of ammonium nitrogen per 1,000 gallons. When Ohio experiences a warm winter or delayed wet spring planting season, much of this nitrogen is converted to the nitrate form (NO3) by soil bacteria and lost through leaching or denitrification before the following crop season begins.
Fall cover crops have been planted in Ohio for many years. While primarily used to help control soil erosion, cover crops can also recapture nutrients in livestock manure and keep these nutrients from escaping into lakes, streams and rivers. In one study, OSU Extension researchers found a cover crop decreased the nitrate nitrogen NO3 concentration in manure amended soil compared with the control soil by more than 70% before the field froze in the fall. This would have primarily been nitrogen that soil bacteria converted from the ammonium form to the nitrate form after it was land applied.
Cereal ryegrass is the best cool-season grass for capturing excess nitrogen. Because rye over-winters, research has shown it can capture and hold 25 to 50 pounds of nitrogen (organic form) per acre. It germinates at temperatures as low as 34 degrees so can be seeded later than oats. However, less nitrogen will be captured the later the rye is seeded. It will grow later in the fall and begin growth earlier in the spring than wheat. The organic nitrogen stored in the plant will eventually be released as ammonium nitrogen when the plant dies.
Farmers have also used radishes, wheat, clover, annual ryegrass, or almost anything they are comfortable growing. Oats are sometimes used as a cover crop in the fall and need to be planted soon after silage harvest. Drilling oats improves germination and growth before frost. Some farmers in northwest Ohio have had great success surface seeding oats and incorporating with shallow tillage or even with land leveling the fields in August. Oats winter-kill and are not a problem in the spring for no till or minimum tillage systems.
Cover crops can help livestock farmers recapture manure nutrients and conserve soil by reducing erosion. Cover crop seedings do not have to be perfect. The goal is to combine nutrient recovery and protecting the environment.
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Are Fall Herbicide Treatments Necessary in Xtend Soybeans?
There is obviously a lot going on with the dicamba issue, resulting in uncertainty as to where exactly we are headed with regard to future labels, restrictions, and stewardship. However, we are fairly confident that the label for early-season use of dicamba in preplant/premeergence burndown programs will be preserved into next year at least (“dicamba” in this article refers to the three dicamba products approved for use in Xtend soybeans – Engenia, XtendiMax and FeXapan). Dicamba is more effective than 2,4-D on marestail in the spring, and has a good fit in burndown programs to help with this weed. And using dicamba early-season is one way to minimize the risk of off-target movement and injury to surrounding vegetation, compared with later-season POST applications when temperatures are higher, inversions are more prevalent, and non-target plants are more developed and sensitive.
As we move into the fall herbicide application season, one question coming up is whether the spring dicamba burndown treatment is good enough on overwintered marestail plants to eliminate the need for fall herbicides. The answer is yes, maybe, and no, depending. In OSU research, inclusion of dicamba in burndown treatments prior to early May has resulted in effective control of small emerged marestail. Most of these treatments have also included residual herbicides and glyphosate. When application is delayed past early May and marestail get taller and older, we have occasionally observed reductions in control. It appears that among other reasons, the residual herbicides can antagonize and reduce the activity of the dicamba on larger marestail sometimes. Large marestail can be tough to control – period – and cold weather increases the difficulty. We have also observed this with 2,4-D so it’s not unexpected.
Our research results indicate that where the spring burndown treatment is applied early enough and includes comprehensive residual herbicides that control later-emerging marestail, there should be little need for a POST application of dicamba (for marestail at least). In a year when burndown applications and planting get delayed and overwintered marestail plants are large, expect there to more variability in the effectiveness of dicamba on existing marestail, and an increased need for follow up POST dicamba treatments. Hence the “yes” and “maybe”. Certainly one way to minimize the potential for problems with spring marestail control in Xtend soybeans is to keep using fall-applied herbicides. The fall treatment will accomplish the same thing in Xtend soybeans that is does for all other soybeans – control the marestail that emerges in late summer and fall so that fields are devoid of weeds in spring. The spring burndown then just has to take care of small spring-emerged marestail. This is still the most consistently effective way to manage marestail for not a lot of money.
With regard to the “no”, we need to consider all of the reasons why fall herbicide treatments became commonplace. While they became an essential component of marestail management programs over the past decade, fall treatments first gained traction in the decade before that for management of dense infestations of winter annual weeds and dandelion. Comments from growers at that time were that spring infestations of chickweed and deadnettle and dandelion were interfering with tillage and planting, and spring-applied burndowns just did not cause the weeds to die and dessicate fast enough. Dandelion and other cool-season perennials are more susceptible to herbicides in the late fall compared with spring. Dandelion in particular became extremely problematic for a few years. Some winter annual weeds also serve as a host for soybean cyst nematode and other insects in late-fall and/or spring. The adoption of fall herbicide treatments resolved many of these issues. So moving forward, the omission of fall-applied herbicides is likely to mean the return of some of these problems, even if spring-applied dicamba can handle the marestail adequately.
The bottom line here is that applying herbicides in fall still results in a weedfree seedbed well into spring that allows for maximum soil warming and drying, greatest ease of tillage and planting, and the most consistently effective marestail control. And fall treatments help take the pressure off of spring herbicide programs in a year when spring weather is less than ideal. Risk management 101.
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Producing Wheat in 15-inch Rows
Growers are interested in wide-row wheat production due to changes in equipment inventory (lack of grain drill and availability of air seeder) and to allow intercropping of soybean into wheat. Wheat row spacing work was conducted during the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 growing seasons with funding from the Ohio Small Grains Marketing Program and Michigan Wheat Program. Overall, wheat grown in 15-inch row widths yielded 1 to 11% lower compared to wheat grown in 7.5-inch row widths.
If you are planting wheat in 15-inch rows, consider the following:
1.) Variety selection. Choose a variety that is high yielding and resistant to major diseases such as powdery mildew, leaf rust, Septoria and Stagonospora blotches, and head scab. See oardc.osu.edu/wheattrials/ for the Ohio Wheat Performance Test Wide Row Evaluation.
2.) Planting date. Plant wheat as soon as possible after the Hessian fly-safe date.
3.) Seeding rate. A seeding rate of 25 to 29 seeds/foot of row (0.85 to 1.0 million seeds/acre) is recommended. In on-farm research trials conducted in Fulton County, there was no yield increase when wheat was seeded at 29 seeds/foot of row (1.0 million seeds/acre) compared to 43 seeds/foot of row (1.5 million seeds/acre).
4.) Herbicide application. Spring herbicide application is very important to maximize yield.
5.) Disease control. Changing row spacing will change the microclimate within the wheat canopy, and this could affect disease development. Scout fields for foliar diseases and use the scab forecasting system (wheatscab.psu.edu) to determine whether disease risk is high enough to warrant a fungicide application.
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Wheat Management for Fall 2017
Wheat helps reduce problems associated with the continuous planting of soybean and corn and provides an ideal time to apply fertilizer in July/August after harvest. With soybean harvest around the corner, we would like to remind farmers of a few management decisions that are important for a successful crop.
1.) Optimum seeding rates are between 1.2 and 1.6 million seeds per acre. For drills with 7.5-inch row spacing this is about 18 to 24 seeds per foot of row with normal sized seed. When wheat is planted on time, actual seeding rate has little effect on yield, but high seeding rates (above 30 seeds per foot of row) increase lodging and the risk of severe powdery mildew development next spring.
2.) Select high-yielding varieties with high test weight, good straw strength, and adequate disease resistance. Do not jeopardize your investment by planting anything but the best yielding varieties that also have resistance to the important diseases in your area. Depending on your area of the state, you may need good resistance to powdery mildew, Stagonospora leaf blotch, and/or leaf rust. Avoid varieties with susceptibility to Fusarium head scab. Plant seed that has been properly cleaned to remove shriveled kernels and treated with a fungicide seed treatment to control seed-borne diseases. The 2017 Ohio Wheat Performance Test results can be found at: http://oardc.osu.edu/wheattrials/
3.) Plant after the Hessian Fly Safe Date for your county. This date varies between September 22 for northern counties and October 5 for southern-most counties. Planting before the Fly Safe Date, increases the risk of insect and diseases problems including Hessian Fly and aphids carrying Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus. The best time to plant is within 10 days after the Fly Safe Date (click here for fly safe map). Fall wheat growth is reduced when planting is delayed resulting in reduced winter hardiness.
4.) Planting depth is critical for tiller development and winter survival. Plant seed 1.5 inches deep and make sure planting depth is uniform across the field. No-till wheat into soybean stubble is ideal, but make sure the soybean residue is uniformly spread over the surface of the ground. Shallow planting is the main cause of low tiller numbers and poor over-winter survival due to heaving and freezing injury. Remember, you cannot compensate for a poor planting job by planting more seeds; it just costs more money.
5.) Apply 20 to 30 lb of actual nitrogen per acre at planting to promote fall tiller development. A soil test should be completed to determine phosphorus and potassium needs. Wheat requires more phosphorus than corn or soybean, and soil test levels should be maintained between 25-40 ppm for optimum production. If the soil test indicates less than 25 ppm, then apply 80 to 100 pounds of P2O5 at planting, depending on yield potential. Do not add any phosphorus if soil test levels are higher than 50 ppm. Soil potassium should be maintained at levels of 100, 120, and 140 ppm for soils with cation exchange capacities of 10, 20, or 30 meq, respectively. If potassium levels are low, apply 100-200 pounds of K2O at planting, depending on soil CEC and yield potential. In Ohio, limed soils usually have adequate calcium, magnesium, and sulfur for wheat. Soil pH should be between 6.3 and 7.0. The key to a successful wheat crop is adequate and timely management.
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Western Bean Cutworm: Time to Scout
Western bean cutworm adult moth catches in our trapping network are ticking up, with a noticeable increase from the week before. The current statewide report is below. While we aren’t at peak flight yet, now is a good time to start your corn scouting, particularly in counties with a history of problems.
Life cycle and feeding. Adult moths (what we monitor in the traps) will be making their way into corn fields where females will lay eggs on the uppermost portion of the flag leaf. Eggs are laid in unevenly distributed clusters of 5–200, but averaging about 50 per cluster, and hatch within 5–7 days (Figure 1). Eggs first appear white, then tan and then a dark purple. Once eggs turn purple, they will hatch within 24 to 48 hours (Figure 2). In pre-tassel corn, caterpillars will move to the whorl to feed on the flag leaf and unemerged tassel. Once the tassel emerges, larvae then move to the ear, while feeding on corn pollen, leaf tissue, and silks. Later they will enter the ear through the tip, or by chewing through the side of the husk. Damage occurs from both direct feeding and from mold problems at feeding sites.
Scouting and management. Female moths prefer to lay eggs in pre-tassel corn approaching tassel, so check such fields first. To scout for eggs or larvae, choose at least 20 consecutive plants in 5 random locations and inspect the uppermost 3–4 leaves for eggs, as well as the silks for larvae if tassel has emerged. Be sure to inspect different areas of the field that may be in different growth stages. For field corn, if 8% or more of the plants inspected have eggs or larvae, consider treatment. For sweet corn, consider treatment if eggs or larvae are found on >4% of plants for the processing market or on >1% of plants for fresh-market. Bt corn with the Cry1F trait can no longer be relied upon for good western bean cutworm control, so these fields should be scouted too. These include Herculex I, Herculex Xtra, SmartStax, and others.
If infestations exceed threshold, many insecticides are available to adequately control western bean cutworm, especially those containing a pyrethroid. However, as with any ear-burrowing Lepidopteran pest, timing is critical. Insecticide applications must occur after egg hatch, or after tassel emergence, but before larvae enter the ear. If eggs have hatched, applications should be made after 95% of the field has tassel. If eggs have not hatched, monitor for the color change. Hatch will occur within 24–48 hours once eggs turn purple. To search for larval injury after it has occurred, search the corn for ears having feeding holes on the outside of the husks.
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Armyworm in Corn and Small Grains
In April we reported that University of Kentucky true armyworm moth counts were higher than average. These moths migrate northward, so if our southern neighbor reported high catches, many moths also likely made it into Ohio. After migrating and establishing, armyworms begin to lay eggs in grasses, including wheat fields and cover crop fields (that may have corn planted soon). Larvae feed for about 3 weeks before pupating. This article discusses armyworm management in corn and small grains.
Corn. Field corn planted no-till into grassy habitats should be monitored closely at this point in time for armyworm activity. Fields that may be at risk for significant armyworm infestations include corn planted no-till in rye cover crops and corn planted no-till into old hay fields. A severe infestation of armyworm can reduce stand when an infestation occurs in the pre-whorl stage and cause significant defoliation when corn is hit in the whorl stage. Total destruction of a field of no-till corn can occur if a severe infestation is allowed to develop without application of a rescue treatment.
When armyworm feeding damage is found on 15 to 20% of a stand this is an indicator of a potential problem, and the field should be rechecked within a few days to determine if defoliation is increasing and if a rescue treatment is warranted. In general, a severe infestation will impact almost 100% of a stand and defoliation of the plants will exceed 50%. If defoliation remains less than 50% and the new growth exhibits minimal feeding injury, the stand will likely recover with minimal impact on yield. Rescue treatment in corn may be needed if stand infestation is greater than 50% and larvae are not mature.
Since armyworms are foliar feeders, they are relatively easy to control with most foliar treatments. During the day, armyworm larvae will most likely be found seeking shelter in the whorl or possibly in the ground cover. It may be easier to scout at dawn or dusk, or on cloudy days when larvae are more visible. In general, armyworm larvae will feed first on the lower leaves and then progress to the new growth - especially when corn approaches the early whorl stage.
Small Grains. Wheat fields and other small grains should also be checked at this time for armyworm. Carefully examine a 4 square foot area in five locations spread around the field. Count the number of caterpillars that are between ½ and 1 inches long. If the average number of these caterpillars is 16 or more per 4-foot area, or if head-cutting is occurring, a rescue treatment is recommended. Other thresholds based on caterpillars per row foot range from 3 to 5 per foot, with lower numbers being used when wheat is selling at higher prices. Treatment of armyworm larvae reaching maturity (1¼ inch or more) is not judged economical because most of their feeding is already done and they will soon pupate. More information on armyworm management in wheat can be found at http://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/ENT-36
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Wet Weather and Evaluating Soybean Stand
Saturated soils after soybean planting can cause uneven emergence and stand reductions of varying extent depending on the stage of the soybean plant and other environmental factors including temperature and duration of saturated conditions. Additionally, increased disease incidence may further reduce plant stand.
Saturated Soil Prior to Germination: While soil moisture is necessary for germination, soybean seeds will not germinate when soils are saturated because oxygen is limiting.
Saturated Soil During Germination: Saturated soils during soybean germination may cause uneven emergence. In a laboratory study, soybean germination was reduced by ~15% after only one hour of flood conditions (Wuebker et al., 2001). After 48 hours of flood conditions, soybean germination was reduced 33-70% depending on when imbibition (seed taking up water) began relative to the flooding conditions. Practically, for Ohio, this means if soybean seeds were further along in the germination process when flooding occurred, the seeds will be more susceptible to flooding stress.
Evaluate Stand: If soybeans were planted shortly before heavy rainfall, it is important to evaluate soybean stands in the next couple of weeks. To quickly estimate stand, count the number of plants in 69’8” of row for 7.5-inch row spacing, 34’10” for 15-inch row spacing, or 17’5” of row for 30-inch row spacing. These counts represent 1/1000th of an acre (i.e., 120 plants in 7.5-inch row spacing = 120,000 plants/acre).
Keep in mind, the effect of plant population on yield is very small over the normal range of seeding rates. At this time of the year, final populations of 100,000 to 120,000 plants/acre are generally adequate for maximum economic return. For example, in our seeding rate trials in Clark County, 100% yield (77 bu/acre) was achieved with a final plant stand of 125,000 plants/acre. However, 95% yield (73 bu/acre) was achieved with only 77,000 plants/acre. (This trial was planted the second half of May in 15-inch row width.)
Source:
Wuebker, E.F., R.E. Mullen, and K. Koehler. 2001. Flooding and temperature effects on soybean germination. Crop Sci. 41:1857-1861.
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Diplodia Ear Rot
Over the last two weeks, we have received several samples of corn ears with symptoms typical of Diplodia ear rot. This is one of the most common ear diseases of corn in Ohio. It is caused by two species of fungi, Stenocarpella maydis and Stenocarpella macropora. The most characteristic symptom and the easiest way to tell Diplodia ear rot apart from other ear diseases such as Gibberella and Fusarium ear rots is the presence of white mycelium of the fungus growing over and between kernels, usually starting from the base of the ear. Under highly favorable weather conditions, entire ears may become colonized, turn grayish-brown in color and lightweight (mummified), with kernels, cobs, and ear leaves that are rotted and soft. Rotted kernels may germinate prematurely, particularly if the ears remain upright after physiological maturity. Corn is most susceptible to infection at and up to three weeks after silk emergence (R1). Wet conditions and moderate temperatures during this period favor infection and disease development, and the disease tends to be most severe in no-till or reduce-till fields of corn planted after corn. The greatest impact of this disease is grain yield and quality reduction. Mycotoxins have not been associated with this disease in US, although animals often refuse to consume contaminated grain.
Q&A:
- Can disease severity increase on the field? When should we harvest? What moisture should we start?
The disease will continue to develop in the field as long as conditions remain favorable. Fields with high incidence of Diplodia ear rot should be harvested as soon as possible and quickly dried to 14% moisture and cooled to 50oF before storage. Ideally, fields should be scouted to identify areas with Diplodia ear rot hot spots and these areas should be harvested and stored separately from grain harvested from healthier sections of the field. Higher moisture, warm conditions, and pockets of moldy grain in storage will lead to further spread of the disease and even colonization of the grain with other pathogens.
- How should the combine be set? Cobs are very soft.
Rotted kernels and cobs are broken into small pieces during harvest, increasing the amount of fine particles in the grain. These particles affect airflow through the grain, delay drying, and lead to further mold development in storage. Increasing the combine fan speed will help remove fine materials as well as severely infected kernels that are usually lighter than healthy kernels. The specific adjustments needed to remove moldy materials during harvest will vary from one combine to another; see manufacture’s guidelines for details on how to increase your combine fan speed.
- Will it get worse in the bin? How dry should it be dried? How long can we store it?
Clearing the grain to remove fine particles and storing it under cool, dry conditions (50F and 14% moisture) will slow-down fungal growth and mold development and extend the storage life of the grain at least through the winter. However, you should avoid storing severely affected grain for too long especially since it becomes much more difficult to keep grain cool and dry as outside temperatures increase in the spring and summer.
- Do we need to worry about vomitoxin and feeding?
No, vomitoxin is a mycotoxin produced by Fusarium graminearum, the fungus that causes Gibberella ear rot of corn and head scab of wheat. However, some populations of S. maydis, the fungus that caused Diplodia ear rot, do produce a different mycotoxin calling diplodiatoxin, but there have been no reports of animal-health problems associated with this toxin in the US. Nevertheless, since animals often refuse to consume moldy grain, you should avoid feeding grain affected by Diplodia ear rot to animals. In addition, moldy grain may be contaminated with other fungi, some of which do produce mycotoxins that are harmful to livestock.
- What does next year bring? We know hybrid selection is important. Does the residue need to be buried?
Yes, since the fungus survives in crop residue on the soil surface, any strategy to remove or bury the residue will reduce the risk of Diplodia ear rot (and other residue-borne diseases) next year. In addition, fields and hybrids with high incidence of Diplodia ear rot this year should be avoided next season. However, whether or not we have a similar problem with this disease next year will depend on the weather.
- Would a fungicide have made a difference?
Very little research has been done to evaluate the efficacy of fungicides against Diplodia ear rot. Although most of the common fungicides kill the fungus in the lab, results in the field have been highly inconsistent. More research is needed to improve application technology and to decide when the fungicide should be applied to effectively control Diplodia ear rot.
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Is the No-Cutting Fall Rest Period for Alfalfa Really Necessary?
The long-standing recommendation has been to take the last harvest of alfalfa by early September in northern Ohio and mid-September in southern Ohio. Every year I observe that many people do not follow this recommendation, probably for various reasons. Most people taking only three cuttings are finished with the final harvest by early to mid-September. But the fourth cutting is another story. As of the end of last week, only about half of the fourth cutting of alfalfa in Ohio was complete, which reflects the rate of fourth harvest completion going back at least five years.
I have heard some say that the fall rest period is not necessary and fall cutting never harms their stands. This could well be the case in many years on many farms, especially where excellent management is in place…where a good variety is used under excellent fertility and high soil pH, on well-drained soils, etc. Our killing frosts for alfalfa are also later than they used to be, and this fall is predicted to be warmer than normal. So I am not going to disagree with people about their fall cutting practices. But my question for those who take fall cuttings is: are you certain that it is not harming your stand productivity at all? Have you made a side-by-side comparison to see if there is a difference? If not, then try it this year. Leave some strips that you don’t cut when you take a fall cutting this year, mark those spots and look at them carefully next spring compared with where you did cut in the fall.
Cutting is always a stress to the plant. The recommendation to give plenty of time for recovery before winter is still a sound and very safe recommendation, particularly on soils that have less than ideal drainage or where the alfalfa is stressed.
There are situations when taking some risk may give a reward. The beautiful high quality fall forage present in an alfalfa field in late September to early October may be valuable enough to take some risk with cutting it at that time. The weather through the rest of the fall and winter may cooperate nicely and it could be no problem. But be aware there is more risk with cutting late, and the risk probably increases in the latter half of September and into early October because the recovery time for replenishing energy reserves used in regrowth soon after cutting is growing shorter with each passing day.
A number of factors affect the level of risk incurred with cutting during the fall period. These include overall stand health, variety disease resistance, insect stress on the stand 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.
Alfalfa varieties with high disease resistance and good levels of winter hardiness will be more tolerant of a fall cutting. Adequate fertility, especially soil potassium levels, and a soil pH near 6.8 will improve plant health and increase tolerance to fall cutting. Stands under 3 years of age are more tolerant of fall cuttings than older stands where root and crown diseases are setting in.
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. So a fifth cutting taken in the fall carries more risk than taking a fourth or third cutting during the fall.
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 have observed significant heaving in the past in NE Ohio, and many of those stands had been harvested the previous fall.
Cutting alfalfa during the critical fall period is always tempting due to the high quality of the forage in the fall and the sunny fall conditions. Carefully consider the condition of the stand and the risk factors discussed above before taking a fall cut. We will be taking a fourth cutting in one experiment around September 21-23, right beside where a fourth cutting was taken September 9th. So next year we will closely look at the spring yield following those two fall harvest dates. Join us with your own side-by-side comparison.
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Mid-season diseases – what are we watching out for?
I’ve scouted a number of fields and driven by many acres in the past two weeks and the crop looks great. A bit behind in some areas, but soybeans can compensate fairly well. With that comes the question what do we need to watch out for next.
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Frogeye leaf spot– particularly in those fields where it was present at high levels last year and the field is in soybean this year. I will assume that this practice was done due to the late planting date 
and not a continuous soybean practice. In these fields there is a higher probability that frogeye leaf spot will start early. If you do find spots, gray lesions with purple borders, look on the underside to see if there are whiskers (spores) on the bottom of the lesion. - Lots of noise about soybean rust this year. This is the first year that levels are high in the very deep south: Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. The good news is that the hot, dry weather forecast for most of this summer should keep it in check. In the past, from the sentinel plot surveys we have noted that once a pustule is found (1/100 leaves) – that this gives a 3 week notice. Unlike our southern producers who have spore deposits every day – Ohio and northern states have to wait for a large wet weather event to bring the inoculum in. It must then multiply in the field (9 to 10 days from inoculation to sporulation) and build-up with the field. To date no weather event has occurred and we will continue to monitor the situation especially for those late planted soybeans.
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Brown spot – where did it go? I have been very surprised at how clean the lower leaves and unifoliates are this year, even in no-till fields. This is really an indication of how dry it was for the time period following planting in many areas of the state. We will see how it looks next week after several rain events.
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Summer-time weather pattern in full swing.
The summer-time pattern is in full swing. Expect a warm week with threats of showers and thunderstorms to return for the middle of the week.
Temperatures this week will average 2-3F above normal. Rainfall will average 0.25 to 0.75 inches. Normal is near 1 inch.
For the week of June 20-27 the warmer than normal temperatures will persist. In fact the heat should intensify some the week of June 20-27. Temperatures will average 4-6F above normal. Rainfall will average 0.50 to 1.25 inches. Normal is near 1 inch.
The next two weeks can be summarized by warmer than normal, but we do not see extreme heat above 95F. We expect more night time lows above 65 than below 60 the next 2 weeks. Se expect more days (7-10) out of 14 with dew points above 60-70 than below. Rainfall will generally be at or below normal but most places should at least see some rain so no real extreme of no rain is expected the next two weeks. However, the main focus of rain the next 2 weeks will be in the western half of the corn and soybean region where 3-5 inches of rain will occur while only 0.50 to 1.50 in eastern areas. Normal across the region is about 2 inches. So expect wetter western corn and soybean belt and drier east.
As we talked about this spring, there is no change, all indications are a warmer and somewhat drier July for Ohio. The pattern of June that is warmer than normal and wetter western corn and soybean belt and drier in eastern areas (including Ohio) will last into July.
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Cressleaf Groundsel in Wheat and Hay
It’s definitely a big year for cressleaf groundsel (Senecio glabellus), that yellow-flowered weed that can be seen about everywhere right now. While it is most often found in no-till corn and soybean fields that have not yet been treated with burndown herbicides, there seems to be an above-average number of wheat and hayfields and pastures with substantial populations. Cressleaf groundsel can be identified by its hollow and grooved stem with a purplish color, and yellow sunflower-type flowers. It is a winter annual that emerges in late summer into fall, and can infest late-summer seedings of forages and hay, and fall seedings of wheat. It can be controlled with herbicides in most crops, ideally in the fall or early spring when plants are small and most susceptible to herbicides.
At this time of the year, plants are flowering and going to seed, thus ending their life cycle. Applying herbicides to hay fields at this time probably won’t do much to reduce the risk of toxicity to animals (and it’s too late to apply any herbicides to wheat). Plants that have flowered are more difficult to control, and will still be there even if killed by herbicides. Major management goals at this time are mowing infestations soon enough to prevent seed production, and deciding what the risk of toxicity in hay or straw is based on the level of infestation. Cressleaf groundsel should not be present in hay fields following the first cutting. However, it is advisable to scout fields in late fall for the presence of newly emerged plants, and treat with herbicides if necessary.
Cressleaf groundsel is poisonous to cattle, horses, goats, sheep, and humans due to the presence of pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs). Symptoms include weight loss, unthriftiness, poor hair coat, anorexia, behavioral changes, sunscald, aimless walking, diarrhea, jaundice, liver damage, and possibly death. All parts of the plant are toxic. Drying or ensiling the plants during the hay or straw making process does not reduce the toxicity of cressleaf groundsel. Historically, no confirmed cases of poisoning by S. glabellus have been reported by the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, although liver lesions suggestive of PA poisoning have been observed on rare occasions. Although the presence of the occasional plant in a hay or wheat field is probably not cause for concern, producers are advised to avoid harvesting areas of the field that have high concentrations of the plants. Or bale and discard hay or straw from those areas of the field, if this is more desirable than leaving the plant residue in the field.
This is not a new problem, and we have a fact sheet available on cressleaf groundsel at the OSU Weed Management website – http://u.osu.edu/osuweeds. Hover over “weeds”, and then click on “other” to get to it.
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Heat Unit Accumulation and Corn Emergence
There have been reports of slow corn emergence in some areas and that corn planted more than three weeks ago is not yet emerging. Is this cause for concern? Not necessarily. Corn requires about 100 growing degrees days (GDDs) to emerge (emergence requirements can vary from 90 to 150 GDDs). To determine daily GDD accumulation, calculate the average daily temperature (high + low)/2 and subtract the base temperature which is 50 degrees F for corn. If the daily low temperature is above 50 degrees, and the high is 86 or less, then this calculation is performed using actual temperatures. If the low temperature is less than 50 degrees, use 50 degrees as the low in the formula. Similarly, if the high temperature is above 86 degrees, use 86 degrees in the formula. The high cutoff temperature (86 degrees F) is used because growth rates of corn do not increase above 86 degrees F. Growth at the low temperature cutoff (50 degrees F) is already near zero, so it does not continue to slow as temperatures drop further.
If it takes a corn hybrid 100 GDDs to emerge, and daily high and low temperatures average 70 and 50 degrees following planting, 10 GDDs accumulate per day, and corn should emerge in about 10 days (100 GDDs to emerge/10 GDDs per day = 10 days). However, if daily high and low temperatures are cooler, averaging 60 and 45 degrees after planting, 5 GDDs accumulate per day, and it may take nearly 3 weeks (100 GDDs to emerge/5 GDDs per day = 20 days) for corn to emerge.
Given this relationship between GDD accumulation and emergence, growers should not be too surprised if their mid to late April planted corn will require more time to emerge than later planted corn. While there have been periods since mid- April when air temperatures have been warmer than average, with maximum high temperatures above 70 degrees, soil temperatures (as measured at the 2-inch soil depth) may be considerably cooler, in the 50 to 60 degree F range. Seedling emergence is dependent on soil temperature and air temperature. Also, keep in mind that these estimates of emergence based on GDDs are approximate and can be influenced by various factors including residue cover, tillage, and soil organic matter (soil “color”) and moisture content.
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2024 Ohio Soybean Performance Trials: Yield Results For All Trial Locations
Yield results for the 2024 Ohio Soybean Performance Trials are available for all locations: https://stepupsoy.osu.edu/sites/hcs-soy/files/OCJ%202024_Yield%20Only_0.pdf We will update the report with seed protein, oil, and size as we finish analyzing samples. Sortable yield data will be available in the upcoming days on the Ohio Crop Performance Trials website: https://u.osu.edu/perf/ The purpose of the Ohio Soybean Performance Trials is to evaluate soybean varieties for yield and other agronomic characteristics. This evaluation gives soybean producers comparative information for selecting the best varieties for their unique production system.
In 2024, soybean yield varied greatly among the six trial locations (Henry, Sandusky, Mercer, Licking, Preble, and Clinton Counties) (Table 1). Soybean yield was lowest in Henry and Sandusky Counties, averaging as low as 37.8 bu/acre for the early maturity trial (2.0-3.1 relative maturities) in Sandusky County. Soybean yield was greatest in Licking, Preble, and Mercer Counties, averaging as high as 87.3 bu/acre for the late maturity trial (3.7-4.4 relative maturities) in Preble County. Season-long rainfall in Licking, Preble, and Clinton totaled 22.0, 17.3, and 15.6 inches, respectively, whereas rainfall totaled 11.7, 12.4, and 14.3 inches in Henry, Mercer, and Sandusky, respectively. Locations with greater season-long rainfall were also the highest yielding locations.
Table 1. Soybean yield range and average yield at each trial location for the early-maturity and late-maturity trials.
Early Maturity Trial
Late Maturity Trial
North Region
Henry County
31.5-59.5 (avg = 48.0)
48.0-67.4 (avg = 56.8)
Sandusky County
29.2-51.1 (avg = 37.8)
31.4-52.4 (avg = 41.7)
Central Region
Mercer County
45.2-71.4 (avg = 61.7)
55.0-68.2 (avg = 61.6)
Licking County
63.8-100.8 (avg = 78.8)
70.7-95.9 (avg = 84.6)
South Region
Preble County
62.3-81.2 (avg = 74.3)
59.3-87.3 (avg = 87.3)
Clinton County
64.5-86.5 (avg = 76.7)
67.5-87.5 (avg = 78.9)
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Hurricane Helene Howls
Climate Summary
Ohioans have been waiting a long time on the arrival of tropical moisture to help ease and reverse long-term drought conditions in the state. On Friday, September 27, 2024, a little too much of good thing arrived with the name Helene. After devastating parts of Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas with punishing wind and flooding rains, the system quickly moved north, stalled out, then was absorbed by another system in central Kentucky that lingered throughout the weekend. With the arrival of the remnants on Friday, widespread wind gusts of 45-70 mph were felt across southern Ohio (Fig 1). This wreaked havoc on tree limbs and corn fields alike. The system also brought heavy rainfall, with much of southwest and south-central Ohio receiving 3-10” of rain, and areas farther north seeing 1-3” (Figure 2). This was all on the heels of another expansion of drought conditions last week that currently depicts more than 12% of the state in exceptional drought and the greatest percentage of D2-D4 (Severe to Exceptional Drought) that Ohio has seen since the US Drought Monitor inception in 2000.
This week’s rainfall will help ease drought in many areas. If you are continuing to experience drought impacts or to document improvements, you can view or submit local reports at the Condition Monitoring Observer Reports page. For a more detailed look at conditions and resources, visit our Drought Response Page or for the latest up-to-date conditions, seasonal outlooks, and monthly climate summaries, please visit the State Climate Office of Ohio. 
Weather Forecast What is left of the tropical system is starting to move off to the east but will keep showers and foggy conditions around for Monday and Tuesday. Sunshine will try to return by midweek, with highs in the 60s and 70s and overnight lows in the 40s and 50s for Wednesday through Sunday. The Weather Prediction Center is currently forecasting 0.1-5” of additional rain this week (Figure 3).
The 8-14 day outlook from the Climate Prediction Center and the 16-Day Rainfall Outlook from NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center show near average temperatures are probable with precipitation leaning toward below normal (Figure 4). Climate averages include a high-temperature range of 69-73°F, a low-temperature range of 48-51°F, and weekly total precipitation of 0.7-0.8”.
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Forage Nitrate Toxicity a Major Concern as Drought Worsens
Weather conditions across Ohio have been challenging this growing season with some areas of the state reaching a D3 drought status. Other areas of the state may not currently be under drought status but are drier than normal and at risk of quickly experiencing a flash drought. These adverse growing conditions can cause unforeseen challenges with forages. We have had multiple reports of high nitrate levels this year in early harvested summer annual forages as producers needed feed.
Plants readily take up nitrates from the soil, even under dry or cool conditions. Once in the plant, nitrate is converted to nitrite, then ammonia, and finally into amino acids and plant protein. Any environmental stress that significantly slows down plant photosynthesis and metabolism can lead to excessive nitrate levels in the plant because the nitrate uptake from the soil will be faster than its metabolism into plant protein. Such stresses include drought, frost, extended cold weather, cloudy conditions, or hail damage. While frost is a concern for increasing nitrates in forage a few months from now, the sorghum family also has prussic acid concerns when plants die quickly because of a frost. Prussic acid and nitrate poisoning are not the same.
The highest level of nitrate accumulation in corn occurs from V6 through pollination. While all drought-stressed corn can be at risk of high nitrate levels the greatest risk is in corn that was not drought-stressed from V6 through pollination and then became drought-stressed. This corn took up much of the nitrogen that was applied to the field but did not produce grain to utilize that nitrogen.
When ruminants consume excessive levels of nitrate in their diet, the nitrate is converted to nitrite by rumen microbes faster than it can be converted to ammonia, amino acids, and eventually plant protein. Accumulated nitrite in the rumen is then absorbed into the bloodstream where it prevents oxygen transport, which leads to death. Livestock sensitivity to nitrates ranked from highest to lowest is: pigs > cattle > sheep > horses. Older or sick animals are generally more sensitive than young healthy animals. The fetus in pregnant animals is very sensitive to high nitrates ingested in the diet.
One of the common solutions for forages that have slightly elevated levels of nitrates is to mix them with another forage source that is low in nitrates. The best way to do this is to truly mix the two forages so that your cattle eat both at once as a balanced lower nitrate diet. When this is not possible, feed the low nitrate forage first, allowing them to fill up on it, then offer the higher nitrate forage keeping them full for the day alternating forages each feeding. This year it may be important to test those dilution forages to be sure they are truly low in nitrates. Nitrate levels in forage are commonly reported in 3 different ways, ppm NO3 DM, percent NO3, and ppm NO3-N (DM). Table 1 below summarizes how to interpret the results.
Table 1: Interpretation of nitrate forage test results.
ppm NO3 (DM)
Percent NO3
ppm NO3-N
(DM)
Interpretation of results
0-3,000
0-0.3%
<350
Generally safe for all cattle.
3,000-5,000
0.3-0.5%
350-1130
Generally safe for non-pregnant beef cattle. Low risk of reduced breeding performance and early-term abortions. Total ration for dairy cattle should be less than 2500 ppm NO3.
5,000-9,000
0.5-1.0%
1130-2260
Some risk for all cattle. May cause mid to late-term abortions and weak newborn calves. May decrease growth and milk production.
>9,000
>1%
>2260
Potentially toxic for all cattle. Can cause abortions, acute toxicity symptoms, and death.
Any time forage growth has been significantly slowed due to dry conditions, extended cold nights, cloudy weather, or premature plant death, nitrates may be an issue. All these stresses can lead to higher nitrate levels in plants due to slowed growth. Nitrogen fertilizer or manure applications made to forages increase the risk for higher nitrate levels in plant tissue, especially if excess nitrogen is available and forage growth is slow.
Nitrate accumulation is possible in many forage species, including all cool-season perennial forage grasses, alfalfa, all cereal forages (oat, rye, triticale, wheat, barley, spelt, etc.), and brassicas (might be present in cover crop mixes). Nitrates can also accumulate in warm season annuals (corn, sorghum species, millet, and many weeds). Weed species are heavy nitrate accumulators, including lambsquarter, pigweed, dock, some mustard species, johnsongrass, horse nettle, nightshade, quackgrass, and jimsonweed. Heavy infestations of those weeds when harvested with the forage will increase the risk of nitrate toxicity.
Nitrate levels are generally higher in younger than more mature growth. Delaying forage harvest to the dough stage and other forages to flowering/heading stages can significantly reduce nitrate levels. Cutting height can also affect levels as nitrates accumulate in the lower one-third of plants more than in the upper two-thirds.
Plant nitrate concentrations are higher in the morning than later in the day (plant metabolism during daylight drives the conversion of nitrate to plant protein). Mowing hay late in the afternoon on a sunny day can reduce nitrate levels in forage. Once hay is mowed, nitrate levels do not change much during the drying process, so dry hay levels will be similar to levels at the time you mow. Prior to mowing, nitrate levels vary across the field based on plant growth and variable soil nitrogen. This variability increases even more in a field based on mowing time. If we start in the morning and mow all day, the evening mowed forage should have lower nitrate levels.
However, ensiling can reduce nitrate levels from 10-65% provided fermentation is good. But if the forage is initially very high in nitrates, the silage could still contain toxic nitrate levels, so this is not an automatic fail-safe option. Be very cautious as high nitrate forages ferment, the bacteria break down the nitrate and release deadly nitrogen gas. Nitrogen oxide gases are heavier than air, may be reddish or yellow-brown in color, and have a bleach-like smell. Nitrogen oxide gases will accumulate in low-lying places, such as around the base of a silo or in the feed room below a tower. When ensiling forage that may have high nitrate concentrations, do not enter the silo for at least three weeks after harvest. If you must enter the silo to level or cover the silage, do it immediately after filling and leave the blower running while anyone is in the silo. If you usually run the blower for an hour prior to entering the silo, it may be necessary to run it for 2 hours to be sure the gas is cleared and fresh air is present.
Silage must be harvested at the proper moisture for complete fermentation (Table 2). When forages are harvested too dry, they do not ferment properly and nitrate reductions will be less. Baleage is often harvested on the drier side, and even when it is harvested in the ideal moisture range, reductions will not be as much as well-packed silage. Baleage densities are much lower than properly packed silage, so the additional oxygen slows fermentation. If nitrate levels are reduced in silage in about 3 weeks, it will take 6 or more weeks for levels to be reduced in baleage. Since nitrate levels can vary across a field, the harvested forage can be quite variable in nitrate concentration.
Table 2. Ideal moisture content for forage stored as silage or baleage.
Type of Silo
% Moisture Content
% Dry Matter Content
Horizontal (bunker) silo
65% - 70%
30% - 35%
Bag silo
65% - 70%
30% - 35%
Tower silo
62% - 67%
33% - 38%
Oxygen-limiting tower silo
55% - 60%
40% - 45%
Baleage
50% - 60%
40% - 50%
The bottom line is that if you suspect the forage could be high in nitrate, the safest thing to do is to sample the forage and have it tested before it is harvested, because if levels are high, you can delay harvest to reduce the levels. You should certainly sample the stored forage before feeding it if you suspect higher levels! Call your forage lab and follow their guidelines closely for sampling the forage, packaging, and shipping the sample to them.
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Using Liquid Manure with Newly Planted Corn and Soybeans
Most farmers in northwest Ohio finally got a planting window last week for corn and soybeans. Given the soil temperatures, crop emergence should only take a few days. Commercial manure applicators also made some progress on finally getting manure to fields.
Liquid manure can be applied to both corn and soybean fields after planting. There are some advantages of post manure application over applying manure before crops are planted. One advantage is corn or soybean planting not being delayed by the added soil moisture from the liquid manure. The second advantage is the liquid manure adding moisture to the soil that can enhance crop germination and emergence, especially if the weather turns off dry.
As soon as a field is planted, the manure can be applied. The seed is protected by an inch or more of soil. In university research the application of 10,000 gallons per acre of dairy manure and 5,000 gallons per acre of swine finishing manure has not negatively impacted crop germination and emergence on corn or soybeans. If the crops are emerging, manure can still be applied to corn but not soybeans. Newly emerging soybeans can easily be killed by the application of liquid manure. Corn can tolerate the drag hose through the V4 stage of growth without an issue. Once soybeans are more advanced and have more leaves, they can also tolerate liquid manure application and the potential damage from a drag hose but usually show some leaf burn.
When a drag hose is utilized, the drag hose applicator commonly applies the manure at an angle across the field. The field needs to be firm enough to support the drag hose to avoid scouring the soil surface and burying small corn plants or further burying seeds. Fields that are spring tilled are not good candidates for a drag hose. No-till fields, stale seed beds, fields with dead or alive cover crops, and tilled fields that have been packed with heavy spring rain are usually good fields for a drag hose.
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Weather Update: Fall Weather Settles In But No Freeze Yet
Summary
The weather pattern over the last couple of weeks has certainly brought cooler temperatures to the region. However, temperatures are still above average across the state through the first 16 days of October. In fact, most locations across the northern half of Ohio typically experience their first 32°F (freeze) in the first two weeks of the month. As Figure 1 shows, this is not the case in 2023, with only a couple of stations having reported freeze conditions so far.
Despite widespread rainfall this past week, with many sites picking up 0.5-1.5” of rain, precipitation is still running 25-75% of normal across the bulk of the state. As of Thursday October 12, 2023, 97% of the state was described as abnromally dry and about 46% of the state was experiencing moderate drought conditions according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Cooler temperatures and any moisture should help to slowly improve conditions over the next few weeks to months, but with the strong likelihood of El Niño conditions persisting through winter, we will need to watch the progress of soil moisture recharge closely throughout winter. For more information, check out the State Climate Office and sign up for our monthly and quarterly climate summaries.
Forecast
We are starting the week off with northerly flow and a few scattered lake effect rain showers across the state on Monday. These should diminish throughout the day on Tuesday, leaving drier weather and a modest warming trend for Tuesday and Wednesday. Highs should recover into the 60s for much of the week, ahead of low pressure that is expected to move through the Great Lakes region on Thursday through Saturday. This system will drag a series of cold fronts through with rain showers and breezy conditons to end the week. Temperatures will drop back into the 50s for daytime highs over the weekend, but clouds should keep overnight lows from falling too low. Clearing skies Sunday and Monday night next week could create a scenario for a more widespread freeze event however. The current forecast shows anywhere from 0.10” NW to as much as 1.5” across eastern Ohio over the 7 days (Figure 2).
The Climate Prediction Center’s 8-14 Day Outlook and the 16-Day Rainfall Outlook from NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center indicate that above average temperatures are likely for Ohio with precipitation leaning toward above average for the period of October 24 – 30, 2023 (Figure 3). For this time of year, the average high-temperature range is 61-66°F, the average low-temperature range is 41-45°F, and the average weekly total precipitation is 0.55-0.75 inch.
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Spring Weather & Soil Conditions: Update 6
Soil Temperatures and Moisture
Figure 1: Daily average air temperature (dashed red), two-inch (green) and four-inch (blue) soil temperatures for spring 2023. Soil type and location of measurements (under sod or bare soil) are provided in the lower right corner of each panel. A map of all locations is in the bottom right. Data provided by the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) Agricultural Research Stations located throughout the state.
Air temperatures ran 2-4°F above average over the last 7 days, with a statewide average increase of more than 100 accumulated growing degree days. Soil temperatures continue to warm as well (Figure 1). Only far northeast Ohio remains in the upper 50s for daily average 2” and 4” soil temperatures. The rest of the state shows temperatures in the mid to upper 60s.
Figure 2: (Left) Total precipitation over the 7-day period of 8am May 8 – 8am May 15, 2023. Figure provided by the Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service (Right) Calculated soil moisture percentiles as of 5/14/2023 according to the Climate Prediction Center.
Most of Ohio received 0.25” or more of rain over the last 7 days, with heavier pockets falling across central Ohio (Figure 2-left). Reports of 2-3” occurred in northern Shelby, parts of Champaign, Madison, and Franklin Counties. Columbus, Ohio set a daily record on Friday May 12 of 2.49”. This led to isolated reports of flooding and standing water in newly planted fields. Soil moisture remains adequate across the state, varying between the 30th and 70th percentiles (Figure 2-right). For more complete weather records for CFAES research stations, including temperature, precipitation, growing degree days, and other useful weather observations, please visit https://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weather1/.
Weather Forecast
Figure 3). Precipitation forecast from the Weather Prediction Center for 8pm Monday May 15 – 8pm Monday May 22, 2023.
A weak system moving across Kentucky on Tuesday May 16 will bring a few scattered showers to southern Ohio. By Wednesday, high pressure will settle in behind a cold front and remain in place through Friday morning. A cold front will approach the region late Friday, crossing the state on Saturday with a few showers and storms. High pressure and fair conditions will follow. Temperatures will start the week on the cool side with highs only in the 60s on Tuesday and Wednesday. Overnight lows will drop mainly into the 40s. Highs should return to the 70s for Friday through Monday. Overall, the Weather Prediction Center is currently forecasting below average precipitation over the next 7 days, with only 0.25-0.50 expected across much of Ohio, slightly higher amounts near the Ohio River (Figure 3).
The 6-10 day outlook from the Climate Prediction Center and the 16-Day Rainfall Outlook from NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center show temperatures leaning toward cooler than average with below average precipitation likely (Figure 4). Climate averages include a high-temperature range of 73-76°F, a low-temperature range of 50-55°F, and weekly total precipitation of about 0.85-1.05”.
Figure 4) Climate Prediction Center 6-10 Day Outlook valid for May 21 - 25, 2023, for left) temperatures and right) precipitation. Colors represent the probability of below, normal, or above normal conditions.
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Great Lakes Wheat Yield Enhancement Network (YEN) Registration Closing Soon!
Wheat growers interested in becoming part of a ground-breaking new program in the Great Lakes region must register now, so they don’t lose out on the 2023 opportunity to learn more about their wheat crop and how to hit their yield potential.
Registration closes January 27 for growers interested in participating in the second year of the Great Lakes Wheat Yield Enhancement Network (YEN) program. To register or for more information on Great Lakes YEN visit https://www.GreatLakesYEN.com or look for the hashtag #GreatLakesYEN.
Every farm involved in the Great Lakes YEN anonymously shares soil, tissue and whole plant analysis for comparison and benchmarking. Growers receive reports specific to their farm. Growers will learn more about how their wheat crop develops and produces yield, and how they compare to their peers.
According to 2022 participant Rick Clifton of Circleville, Ohio, “The sampling aspect of the YEN program in itself is a learning opportunity. It makes you get out of the cab of the sprayer and combine and see things in your wheat crop that you don’t see driving across the field.”
Great Lakes YEN registration for 2023 closes January 27. Growers must be registered and submit the $250 participation fee prior to program launch in February 2023. Sponsorships may be available for Ohio growers who sign up.In 2022, growers from six states and Ontario participated in the program, including over 25 growers from Ohio.
This is a great opportunity for wheat growers to identify yield-limiting factors within their individual fields. By collecting soil samples and plant samples, farmers will be ground-truthing their own fields, which is a great learning opportunity.
“The idea of looking at the estimated yield potential and then providing a direct link back to growers is a novel concept that has really “moved the needle” in the UK when it comes to yields,” said Dennis Pennington, YEN collaborator and Michigan State University wheat specialist. “There was much interest by growers as to how the UK YEN functioned. We had already begun our collaborative work with Ontario, so these comments from growers were just what we needed to get the Great Lakes YEN up and running even more quickly,” Pennington said.
As the second year of Great Lakes YEN gets underway, it’s already proving to be a program that encourages farmers to try new things and learn from data that are comparable across the Great Lakes region. Every field is different and has different yield potential based on a multitude of factors, such as environment (rainfall, sunlight), soil (water holding capacity, nutrient level), and management (inputs used and timing). Growers are responsible to enter their data throughout the growing season.Once harvest is complete, data is compiled and reported back to each participant via a field-specific written report as well as through regional events. Individual farm data will be specific to each grower and is safeguarded and not reported back to anyone except that grower.
For more information visit www.GreatLakesYEN.com. Additional information is available by contacting Dennis Pennington, Wheat Systems Specialist, Michigan State University, pennin34@msu.edu. -
Incomplete Kernel Set and Tipped-Back Corn: How Do They Differ?
Crop tours in Ohio have indicated that crop pollination was generally good, but kernel abortion was noted in some fields. It is important to recognize that both affect final corn yields. Similarly, it is relevant to understand when/how issues occur (e.g., pollination issues vs. kernel abortion). The result is the same: fewer viable kernels per ear, but diagnosing the difference helps understand and identify the potential associated causes.
__________________
Incomplete kernel set
Poor or scattered kernel set in the ear (Fig. 1). Poor or scattered kernel set on ears results from either failed pollination/fertilization of ovules (VT or R1) or abortion of young kernels during the several weeks after pollination (R1–R3).
Figure 1. Ears displaying incomplete kernel set at varying degrees from least (left) to most (right).Possible causal factors: Silks damage (e.g., insect feeding and silk clipping), stress due to drought and high temperatures, pollination issues (e.g., asynchronous pollen shed and silking, inadequate pollen supply), phosphorus deficiency, herbicide injury, and cloudy days (due to low photosynthetic capacity).
Postulated development timing: Pollination, VT or R1; and early reproductive stages, R1–R3.
_______________
Tipped-back ears
Missing kernels at the tip of the ear (Fig. 2). Tipped-back ears can include failed pollination or kernel abortion at the ear tip and progressing down to varying severities. Tip-back ears are also referred to as tip-dieback, nosing, or tipping back. The nose or tip back in a corn ear can be the result of different conditions—a plant population response (i.e., higher seeding rates, more interplant competition, failure of pollination of ovules in the ear tip) and weather after pollination (i.e., non-favorable conditions, inadequate photosynthate supply, kernel abortion). Unfertilized ovules and aborted kernels may appear dried up and shrunken, but aborted kernels often have a slight reddish or yellowish color. In a corn ear, pollination/fertilization starts from the base and ends on the ear tip. Hence, kernels that develop on the tip of the ear are particularly vulnerable or susceptible to abortion as they form last (if they form at all).
Figure 2. Tip back ear in corn displaying lack of pollination in the very tip (whiteish color) and kernel abortion during grain filling period below the tip (reddish or yellowish color).Possible causal factors: Pollen and silk availability, kernel abortion, heat/drought stress, genetics, higher seeding rates, nitrogen deficiency, foliar diseases, and cloudy days.
Postulated development timing: Pollination, VT or R1; and early reproductive stages, R1–R3.
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Management Considerations
Follow recommended guidelines for minimizing crop stress for incomplete kernel set (Fig. 1) and tipped-back ears (Fig.2). This includes (but is not limited to) maintaining appropriate fertility, adjusting planting depth with varying soil conditions, following recommended herbicide application dates/rates, selecting adapted hybrids and seeding rates consistent for yield potential and planting dates, avoiding planting too early in wet/cold soils, and minimizing weed competition with effective herbicide applications and/or timely cultivation.
Ears exhibiting tip back may not always be cause for concern. Favorable growing conditions may result in more potential kernels per row than usual. So even if corn ear tips are not filled entirely due to poor pollination or kernel abortion, yield potential may not be affected significantly, if at all, because the number of kernels per row may still be above normal. On the other end, a general rule of thumb can be that presence of ears consistently filled to the very tip may indicate that a higher plant population might have been needed to optimize corn yields.
Resources
Ortez, O. A., McMechan, A. J., Hoegemeyer, T., Ciampitti, I. A., Nielsen, R., Thomison, P. R., & Elmore, R. W. (2022). Abnormal ear development in corn: A review. Agronomy Journal, 114, 1168– 1183. https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.20986.
Incomplete Kernel Set – Whole Ear: https://u.osu.edu/mastercorn/incomplete-kernel-set/.
Tip Dieback (also referred to as “tip-back”, or “nosing or tipping back”): https://u.osu.edu/mastercorn/tip-dieback/.
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Warm Weather to Persist Into Fall Harvest
After a drier June and wetter July, August is shaping up to be the tail of two months with the first half normal to slightly wetter than normal followed by drier for the second half of August. Temperatures are forecast to be above normal but nothing extreme (limited days at or above 95). Going toward the end of growing season and the start of harvest in September, it still looks warmer than normal with below normal rainfall. The warmer and potentially drier patter will likely persist into October as well. It would not be surprising if harvest season gets going in late September again this year. Early indications are the first frost and freezes will either be normal or later than normal much like 2021. Overall, much of the information indicates an August to October period not a lot different than last year thanks in part to our ocean patterns. In the short-term, rainfall in the attached graphic for the first half of August is projected to range from 1-3 inches. This means most places will be normal or slightly above except in those areas that only receive an inch. You can see a comprehensive seasonal outlook on the Ohio River Forecast Center website including autumn and winter anytime at:https://www.weather.gov/ohrfc/SeasonalBriefing
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Hay Barn Fires a Real Hazard
Mother nature has been at it again, hardly giving us enough days to make dry hay with a risk of pop-up showers every afternoon. These conditions are very dangerous for hay producers since wet hay doesn't just rot it may also burn. Hay fires are caused when bacteria in wet hay create so much heat that the hay spontaneously combusts in the presence of oxygen. At over 20% moisture mesophilic bacteria release heat-causing temperature to rise between 130°F to 140ºF with the temperature staying high for up to 40 days. As temperatures rise thermophilic bacteria can take off in your hay and raise the temperature into the fire danger zone of over 175°F.
Assessing your risk
If the hay was baled between 15-20% moisture and acid preservatives were used there is still potential for a hay fire but not as great as on non-treated hay. Having a moisture tester on your baler can help you know the variability across your field in moisture and when to use hay preservatives. Without a moisture tester, you find darker green damp spots occasionally, or if humidity is high be sure to monitor for heating. Most propionic acid-based products are effective if applied at the correct rates at inhibiting bacteria growth in hay up to 25% moisture, with variable effectiveness at 25-30% moisture.
Temperature Assessment
Temperature (°F/ °C)
Action
125°/51.6°
No Action needed
150°/65.6°
Hay is entering the danger zone, check temperatures twice per day. Disassemble haystacks moving bales outside to allow air circulation to cool the hay.
160°/71.1°
Hay has reached the danger zone. Carefully check the hay temperature every few hours. Disassemble stacked hay to promote air circulation to cool hay be very careful of even hotter spots. Have a tank of water present while unstacking.
175-190°/79.4-87.8°
Hot spots or fire pockets are likely. Alert fire service to the possible hay fire incident. Close barns to minimize air movement around the hay. With the assistance of the fire service, remove hot hay. Be aware that bales may burst into flames, and keep tractors wet so the tractor does not catch fire.
200°+/93.3°+
Fire is present within the haystack near the temperature probe. With the assistance of the fire service, remove hot hay. If possible, inject water into the hot spot to cool the hay before moving. Most likely a fire will occur, keep tractors wet and fire hose lines charged in the barn and along the route of where bales will be stacked.
Monitoring the haystack
There are a couple of options available to monitor hay temperature. One of these is high technology, like the cables that can be used to monitor the temperature in stored grain. There are a couple of companies that produce cables that would be placed between bales in a stack or monitoring probes that are placed in bales and use radio frequency to transmit signals.
If you believe that you may be at risk for hay heating, monitoring temperature is critical. It should be done daily until temperatures stabilize in the safe zone or reach 150°F when monitoring needs to be increased too twice daily. This can be done with technology or manual temperature probes. When monitoring hay temperature, be very cautious, hot hay can burn within the stack and cause cavities underneath that you can fall into. Use planks to spread out your weight while walking on the stack and have a harness system attached to the ceiling in case you fall into a burned-out cavity. Also, work in pairs with someone on the ground within voice range to assist you if you find yourself in a bad situation. Temperature monitoring should continue for possibly six weeks until values stabilize in the safe zone.
Temperature monitoring depends on the stack size but should be taken close to the center of the stack. In larger stacks ideally, this is 8 feet down in the stack. This can be done by purchasing a long probe thermometer or building your own. Building your own can be done with a 3/8-3/4 piece of pipe or electrical conduit cut into a closed point. The pipe size will depend on the thermometer probe size you will put in the pipe. A larger pipe can be used and a thermometer on a string is lowered into the pipe. Drill 3/16-inch holes in the bottom four feet of the pipe. Leave the thermometer in the stack for about 10 minutes to get an accurate reading. A less accurate method is to leave a pipe in the stack all day, and if a section is too hot to hold in your hand when removed you are at risk for fire. Or even better use an infrared thermometer to measure the temperature of the pipe. Any time temperatures are above 175ºF hay should not be removed from the barn until the local fire department is present, you are at risk for fire. Once the fire department is present hay should be carefully removed from the barn with charged fire hoses ready if spontaneous combustion occurs. Have a safe and well-drying hay season this year!
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Forage Harvest Management to Speed Drying and Store High Quality Forage
First cutting should be taken very soon to achieve high quality forage, as seen by some of the estimated NDF levels in standing alfalfa crops around the state. Keep in mind that for dairy quality hay, alfalfa should be stored near 40% NDF and grass hay crops should have less than 55% NDF, which happens in the boot stage, or before the first flowering heads begin to emerge. Keep in mind also that the cutting, drying, and storing process results in raising NDF levels at least 3 NDF units above what it was in the standing crop at the time of cutting, and that assumes quick drying and ideal harvesting procedures.
So, it is time to be thinking about that first cutting and looking for weather windows of opportunity, especially along I-70 and south. Cutting forage for haylage or dry hay is certainly a gamble but waiting for the perfect stretch of weather can end up costing us through large reductions in forage quality as the crop matures and the fiber becomes less digestible.
Before cutting though, keep in mind that the soil should be firm enough to support equipment. Compaction damage has long-lasting effects on forage crops. We’ve seen many fields where stand loss in wheel tracks led to lower forage yields, weed invasion, and frustrating attempts to “fill in” the stand later.
Before cutting also keep in mind any harvest intervals required for any pesticides applied. We know some growers around the state have applied insecticides for alfalfa weevil control, so any pre-harvest intervals on the insecticide label have to be followed in order to feed the forage after harvesting.
This article summarizes proven techniques that can help speed up the process involved in storing good quality forage. While the weather limits how far we can push the limits, these techniques can help us improve the chances of success in those short windows of opportunity between rains, and hopefully avoid overly mature stored forages.
Haylage vs. hay.
Consider making haylage/silage or baleage instead of dry hay. Haylage is preserved at higher moisture contents, so it is a lot quicker to get it to a proper dry matter content for safe preservation compared with dry hay. Proper dry matter content for chopping haylage or wrapping baleage can often be achieved within 24 hours or less compared with 3 to 5 days for dry hay.
“Hay in a day” is possible when making hay crop silage, under excellent drying conditions, which is less probably in spring than mid-summer. The forage is mowed first thing in the morning and laid in wide swaths to be raked in the late afternoon and chopped as haylage starting in early evening. Proper dry matter content for haylage ranges from 30 to 50% (50 to 70% moisture) depending on the structure used.
Wrapped baleage usually requires 24 hours to cure. Wrapped baleage should be dried to 40 to 55% dry matter (45 to 60% moisture).
Dry hay should be baled at 80 to 85% dry matter (15 to 20% moisture), depending on the size of the bale package. The larger and the denser the dry hay package, the drier it must be to avoid spoilage. For example, safe baling moistures for dry hay without preservatives are 18-20% for small square bales (80 to 82% dry matter), 18% or less for large round bales, and less than 17% for large square bales. See below for more information on baling with preservatives.
Mechanically condition the forage.
Faster drying of cut forage begins with using a well-adjusted mower-conditioner to cause crimping/cracking of the stem (roller conditioners) or abrasion to the stems (impeller conditioners). Adjust roller conditioners so at least 90% of the stems are either cracked or crimped (roller conditioners) or show some mechanical abrasion (impeller conditioners).
Some excellent guidelines for adjusting these mower conditioners can be found in an article by Dr. Ronald Schuler of the University of Wisconsin, available online at https://fyi.extension.wisc.edu/forage/adjusting-the-conditioning-system-....
Consider desiccants.
Desiccants are chemicals applied when mowing the crop that increase the drying rate. The most effective desiccants contain potassium carbonate or sodium carbonate. They are more effective on legumes than grasses and most useful for making hay rather than silage or baleage. Desiccants work best under good drying conditions. They do not help increase drying rate when conditions are humid, damp, and cloudy, such as we can often experience in the spring. Consider the weather conditions before applying them.
Maximize exposure to sunlight.
I once heard someone say "You can’t dry your laundry in a pile, so why do you expect to dry hay that way?"
Exposure to the sun is the single most important weather factor to speed drying. Expose to sunshine as much of the cut forage as possible.
The swath width should be about 70% of the actual cut area. The current mowers on the market vary in how wide a windrow they can make, but even those that make narrow windrows have been modified to spread the windrow wider. Details can be found in articles at the Univ. of Wisconsin website mentioned above (see especially “Getting the Most from the Mower Conditioner” by Kevin Shinners, https://fyi.extension.wisc.edu/forage/getting-the-most-from-the-mower-conditioner/).
Another way to spread out and aerate the crop for faster drying is with a tedder. Tedders are especially effective with grass crops. They can cause excessive leaf loss in legumes if used when the leaves are dry. Tedders can be a good option when the ground is damp, because the crop can be mowed into narrow windrows to allow more ground exposure to sunlight for a short time, and then once the soil has dried for a few hours to a day, the crop can be spread out with the tedder. Tedding twice may decrease drying time. Tedding shortly after mowing allows 100% ground coverage, then tedding the next day helps keep the crop off the ground. Be cautious to set the tedder properly so that dirt is not incorporated into the hay but all hay is lifted off the ground.
Take precautions to follow manufacturer recommendations on ground speed and RPM’s when tedding. Many of the modern in-line “fluffer” type tedders are ground driven and operators often exceed recommended speeds, which can result in bunching and wrapping of the hay, which will increase drying time and make raking more difficult.
When making haylage, if drying conditions are good, rake multiple wide swaths into a windrow just before chopping. For hay, if drying conditions are good, merge or rake multiple wide swaths into a windrow the next morning when the forage is 40 to 60% moisture to avoid excessive leaf loss.
Research studies and experience have proven that drying forage in wide swaths can significantly speed up drying. Faster drying in wide swaths results in less chance of rain damage and studies by the University of Wisconsin showed that wide swaths (72% of the cut width) result in lower neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and higher energy in the stored forage.
Consider preservatives.
Sometimes the rain just comes quicker than we have time for making dry hay. As mentioned above, making haylage helps us preserve good quality forage in those short rain-free windows. A second option is to use a preservative. The most effective preservatives are based on proprionic acid, which is caustic to equipment, but many buffered proprionic preservatives are available that minimize that problem.
Preservatives inhibit mold growth and allow safe baling at moisture contents a little higher than the normal range for dry hay. Carefully follow the preservative manufacturer’s directions and application rates for the hay moisture content at baling. Be sure the application is uniform to avoid spots that spoil. Most products are effective when hay moisture is less than 25% but become less dependable between 25-30% moisture and do not work if hay moisture is over 30%. When utilizing preservatives, safe baling moisture can go up to 26% on small squares and round bales, but only 23% on large squares, according to label guidelines on most proprionic acid-based products. Baling at these moistures requires properly calibrated equipment to apply the correct amounts of preservative, and it does not guarantee that bales will not generate internal heat.
While the acid works to limit the production of mold and fungal spores that can lead to additional heating, any type of bale made over 20% moisture always has the potential to heat. Although mold production may be limited, discoloration and carmelization of the higher moisture stems can still occur. This heating can also degrade proteins in the hay, reducing overall feed quality despite still helping to preserving the hay from spoilage and hopefully making it safe to store indoors. Keep in mind that preservative treated hay should be fed within a year or less, as the preservative effect will wear off over time.
If baling on the wet side, watch those bales carefully! If hay is baled at higher moisture contents that are pushing the safe limits, keep a close watch on them for two to three weeks. Use a hay temperature probe and monitor the internal temperature of the hay during the first three weeks after baling. See the following article for more information on monitoring wet hay: https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/15-2021/hay-barn-fires-are-real-hazard
We hope you have a successful and safe forage harvesting season this spring and throughout the growing season.
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Forage Quality Targets Based on Animal Class
The optimal time for making a first cutting of forages is fast approaching. But what is the optimal timing to take the first cutting (or any cutting for that matter)? Many will answer by saying it is when you have time and there is a good weather window to get the forage cut and put up! Yes indeed, that is a valid answer. Both of those factors are important and can’t be ignored. However, we know that forage quality declines as the crop moves into flowering stages. The first cutting is usually the highest yielding cutting, so we should try to aim for good quality for as much of it as possible!
But what is “good quality” forage? The correct answer is that it depends on what you feed it to. The concentration of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) is a measure of most of the fiber in forages. The concentration of forage fiber increases with maturity and is negatively correlated with feed intake by animals and the energy concentration of the diet. With hay crop forages, digestibility of the fiber and NDF concentrations have a strong negative correlation so one can assume forages with greater NDF concentrations have fiber that is less digestible.
Below are good forage NDF targets to aim for when feeding different classes of livestock (Table 1). These are general guidelines, but forage within these NDF ranges should provide good animal performance in properly balanced diets.
Table 1. Optimal ranges for forage neutral detergent fiber (%NDF) for different classes of livestock.
Forage type
Dairy cows:
high producing & early lactatingDairy cows: average producing (<27,000 RHA1)
Beef cows: Gestating
Beef cows: lactating
Horses
Legumes
35 – 40%
38 – 45%
50%
45%
42 – 46%
Grasses
48 – 53%
50 – 55 %
60%
55%
55 – 60%
Grass/legume mixture
42 – 46%
46 – 50%
52 – 56%
47 – 51%
48 – 52%
1 RHA = rolling herd average, calculated as the total pounds of milk produced in the last 365 days for the average cow in the herd.
So how do these targets help us with harvest timing? How do we know when the forage growing in the field is approaching these targets? Many factors affect forage quality, but we can make some educated estimates. An article published last week in this newsletter explains how to estimate alfalfa NDF in the field and we are tracking alfalfa NDF in fields across Ohio each week for the month of May (see this week’s article for updated estimates of alfalfa NDF).
The lower value of the NDF ranges in Table 1 should be the latest starting point to begin harvest, weather permitting, because the cutting, field curing, and harvesting process always results in higher NDF values than what the NDF value of the forage was at the time of cutting. Because forage quality changes so fast it is better to start too early than a little too late.
Grasses mature quickly and the optimal harvest window can be only a few days. In general, for high quality grass forage (50 – 55% NDF) suitable for lactating cows, the first harvest should be taken in late vegetative (pre-boot to very early boot stage) in the spring. The grass stem will have one to two palpable nodes (you can feel and see them on the lower stem) and no flowers have emerged. As soon as you see flowering heads emerging in the grass, the NDF is most likely just over 55%. As harvest is delayed, the NDF levels will quickly increase to 60% or higher. Maturity of the grass has a much bigger effect on forage NDF level than does grass species.
For subsequent harvests after the first, alfalfa can be harvested in the bud to early bloom stage (about every 30 days) for excellent quality. Bud stage alfalfa will usually contain 22% or higher crude protein (CP) and 40% NDF, while early bloom alfalfa will average 20% CP and 40 to 45% NDF. However, protein and NDF are not strongly correlated; often CP concentrations will be much higher or lower than these values. A good compromise to extend stand life of alfalfa in a dairy operation is to harvest at least one cutting during the summer months in the early bloom stage. The first two cuttings should be taken near 40% NDF, and later summer cuttings can be taken in the early bloom stage. The NDF content of alfalfa declines more rapidly with maturity early in the season, so the late summer harvests can be made at a later maturity stage without as great a penalty on forage quality. The PEAQ estimation procedure for alfalfa NDF works well in all cuttings and for all types of alfalfa, including reduced lignin varieties. But reduced lignin varieties will have slightly higher fiber digestibility than standard varieties across all levels of NDF concentration. So reduced lignin varieties can offer a wider harvest window to achieve acceptable fiber digestibility when compared with standard alfalfa varieties.
For high quality pure grass stands, subsequent cuttings of grasses after the first harvest should be taken every 24 to 28 days, depending on location. For example, in northeastern Ohio, cutting intervals of about 28 days have provided forage of adequate quality for lactating cows. Delayed cutting beyond these intervals greatly reduces nutritional value of grass forage. Such cutting intervals are challenging, and that is why grass-legume mixtures should be considered if higher quality forage is needed. Legume-grass mixtures provide a much wider harvest window for good to high quality forage as compared with pure grass stands.
My hope is that this article helps you be alert and prepared to cut forages in a timely manner, and that the weather cooperates for a successful harvesting season this year!
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2022 Central Ohio Agronomy School: The Nuts & Bolts About Corn & Soybean Production
The 2022 Central Ohio Agronomy School will be held on Monday evenings, beginning on Monday
March 7 through Monday March 28, from 6:30 –9:00 p.m. at the Ramser 4-H Activity Center 700 Perimeter Dr. Mount Vernon, Ohio 43050 (on the fairgrounds). This four-week program will provide the attendees with the most comprehensive, up-to-date crop production and agricultural technology information available today. This school is designed with everyone in mind; part-time or full-time producer, beginner or CCA agronomist. Within each subject area we will teach the basic concepts and progress to the most advanced agronomic principles.
Topics include:
March 7 - Weed ID With Live Plants - Key Identifying Characteristics
John Barker, Ag Educator, Knox County
I Have It … Now How Do I Get Rid of It? – Developing Multi-Year Herbicide Programs
Dr. Mark Loux, OSU Weed Science
March 14 - Local, State and National Issues Facing American Farmers
John Linder, Chairman National Corn Growers Association
Are Retirement Plans in Your Future – What Do I Need To Consider?
David Marrison, OSU Extension - Coshocton County
March 21 – Corn Disease Update – Tar Spot, Vomitoxin and Much More
Dr. Pierce Paul, OSU Plant Pathology
Carbon Credits - Is There Really A Market In Ohio?
Mike Estadt, OSU Extension - Pickaway County
March 28 – Solar Leasing Considerations For Ohio Farmers?
Eric Romich, Field Specialist Energy Education Ohio State University Extension
Ag Outlook - Farming In A World Facing Supply Chain & COVID Issues
Ben Brown, Sr. Research Associate Univ. of Missouri Extension
This school will provide:
11.5 continuing education credits (CEU’s) for Certified Crop Advisors,
C.M. 2, I.P.M. 5.5, N.M 1, P.D. 3.
8.5 hours of Commercial Pesticide & Fertilizer Credits
Core, 2A, 2C, 2D, 9, and 15 (fertilizer).
8.5 hours of Private Pesticide & Fertilizer Credits
Core, Cat 1, Cat 2, Cat 6, and Cat 15 (fertilizer).
Registration costs vary due to CCA credits and pesticide applicator credits.
This program is sponsored by Advantage Ag & Equipment, B&B Farm Service, Central Ohio Farmers CO-OP, Clark Seeds, Cubbage Electric, Farmcredit, Seed Consultants, and The Ohio State University Extension,
For more information contact the OSU Extension Office in Knox County (740-397-0401). The following link will provide more information for this program. https://u.osu.edu/knoxcountyag/2022/01/28/2022-central-ohio-agronomy-school/
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Considerations for managing P & K in 2022
During this period of high prices and uncertain availability of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, a few basic soil fertility concepts can help guide application decision-making. Fortunately, the work during 2014-2020 that led to the Tri-State Fertilizer Recommendation for Corn, Soybean, Wheat, and Alfalfa-2020 is current information we use. Here are a few key points from the Tri-States plus some other principles that may help.
- Have a current soil test and use it.
- Apply lime if needed
- Suspend buildup P and K applications
- Prioritize fertilizer application to soil test P and K areas below "critical" value
- Use banded placement with a lower rate
- P & K in manure equal fertilizer pound for pound to maintain soil values, prioritize low soil test fields for manure
1. Have a current soil test and use it.
What is the best investment when fertilizer prices are high, a recent reliable soil test! What is a recent reliable soil test? A recent soil test is no more than four years old. A reliable test is where you believe the number for pH, phosphorous, and potassium on the soil test represents that field you farm. If you question your soil report numbers, think about changing how you collect samples for soil testing. You want to consider three things: the size of the sampled area, does the sample area represent productivity and using a standardized sample depth. For more information on soil sample collection procedures, see the factsheet at https://go.osu.edu/soilsample.
Recent reliable soil test values for pH, phosphorus, and potassium will tell you if you need to apply lime or fertilizer this year or if we can wait. Comparing your soil test values to the Tri-State Fertilizer Recommendations will answer critical questions about your fertility needs. Get your copy of the Tri-state Fertilizer Recommendations for Corn, Soybean, Wheat, and Alfalfa at https://go.osu.edu/fertilizer. The publication is available for sale as a printed copy or a free pdf version.
2. Apply lime if needed
The first thing to look at on your soil test reports is pH. Soil pH is the critical factor in nutrient availability. If soil water pH is less than 6.0, consider liming before applying fertilizer. When soil pH values are acidic (< 6.0), the lime investment will make more soil stored phosphorus and potassium crop available. Use buffer pH from the soil test report to determine how much lime you need. Apply enough lime to bring soil pH into the 6.5-6.8 range. Spend your first fertilizer dollars on lime.
3. Suspend buildup P and K applications
Buildup nutrient recommendations are recommendations to increase below critical soil tests value and have no yield impact. The total recommendation shown in the Tri-State tables is crop removal plus and added buildup amount for any soil value below critical for the crop. Consider suspending this portion of the nutrient recommendation until we have more favorable fertilizer prices. Table 1 shows the critical soil test values for phosphorus and potassium.
4. Prioritize fertilizer application to soil test P and K areas below "critical" value
You have been using a build maintenance fertilization strategy if you have been following our Tri-state Fertilizer Recommendations for Corn, Soybean, Wheat, and Alfalfa. The build maintain strategy has the pricing and availability situation we are currently experiencing in mind. Comparing your soil test value for phosphorus and potassium to the critical value defines the need for annual fertilizer application. The text from the Tri-State bulletin states, "Soil test values above the critical value are "optimal," unlikely to be responsive to fertilizer application. Soil test values below the critical value are "deficient," more likely to have a yield response to fertilizer application."
Shown in Table 1 are critical soil test values for phosphorus and potassium in corn, soybean, wheat, and alfalfa. In summary, with a build maintenance approach, as long as soil test values are above the critical value, you can defer fertilizer applications when fertilizer prices are high, or weather conditions do not favor application.
Table 1. Critical Soil Test Values from Mehlich 3 Soil Test for Phosphorus and Potassium. (Tri-state Fertilizer Recommendations for Corn, Soybean, Wheat, and Alfalfa, 2020.)
Phosphorus
Mehlich 3
Potassium
Mehlich 3
Crop
Soils with CEC
<5 meq/100g
Soils with CEC >5 meq/100g
Corn & Soybean
20
100
120
Wheat & Alfalfa
30
100
120
If your crop for 2022 is corn or soybeans, here is how it works. First, scan your soil test reports for less than 20 ppm P soil values. Below 20 ppm is where the risk of yield loss is more likely. Therefore, the recommendation would be to apply a crop removal rate of P. Determine yield potential based on-field productivity. Then multiply the yield potential by the crop removal P rate for the crop. Crop removal is 0.35 pounds P2O5 per bushel for corn, and soybean is 0.80 pounds P2O5 per bushel.
Here is an example. A field (or zone) with a soil test P-value of 15 ppm Mehlich 3, and corn yield is 195 bushels per acre. Therefore, the nutrient needed is 68 pounds P2O5, 195 multiplied by 0.35. The amount of MAP fertilizer required to meet this need is 131 pounds found by taking 68 pounds P2O5 needed dividing by 0.52, which is the P2O5 percentage of MAP, 11-52-0. If you are using DAP, it would be 148 pounds found by taking 68 pounds P2O5 needed dividing by 0.46, which is the P2O5 percentage of DAP, 18-46-0.
Where your soil test reports show soil P values above the 20 ppm critical value, you can defer fertilizer applications to when fertilizer prices are more favorable. However, keep in mind that if your soil test values are near the critical value, you can only defer for a short time. Soil test P values decline over time, but change is not dramatic from one year to the next due to the soil's ability to buffer available P. Estimated change in soil test P values is only 2-3 ppm per year from crop removal.
Decisions for potassium are similar to phosphorus. The difference is we need to look at both the Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) number and the soil test potassium value. If CEC is less than 5, use 100 ppm Mehlich as the critical value. If CEC is greater than 5, use the 120 ppm value. The crop removal for corn is 0.20 pounds of K2O per bushel, and for soybean, it is 1.15 pounds of K2O. Now scan your soil test reports for K soil values less than the critical value. Below the critical value is the situation where the risk of yield loss is more likely. Therefore, the recommendation would be to apply a crop removal rate of K. Determine expected yield based on-field productivity. Then multiply the expected yield by the crop removal for P for the crop. Crop removal is 0.35 pounds P2O5 per bushel for corn, and soybean is 0.80 pounds P2O5 per bushel.
Continue with our example of a field (or zone) with a 195 bushel per acre corn yield and a soil test K value of 110 and CEC of 15 meq/100g. The K2O need would be 39 pounds per acre. Therefore, the potash fertilizer recommendation would be 65 pounds. Fertilizer need is calculated by taking the 39 pounds K2O needed, divided by 0.60, the K2O percentage of potash, 0-0-60.
Where your soil test reports show soil K values above the critical value, you can defer fertilizer applications to when fertilizer prices are more favorable. However, keep in mind that if your soil test values are near the critical value, you can only defer for a short time. This is because soil test K values decline over time, while K is buffered like P, the soil changes from one year to the next due tend to be greater than with P. Estimated change in soil test K values are 6-10 ppm per year from crop removal for grain crop but are higher with forages.
We provide a spreadsheet that many folks have found helpful to do nutrient and fertilizer calculations. You can see that tool at https://go.osu.edu/ohiofertilitytool.
5. Use banded placement with a lower rate
"For deficient soils, recommended rates of fertilizer should be applied annually. Placement and timing techniques to enhance nutrient availability, such as sub-surface banding, or spring application, may also be beneficial on nutrient-deficient soils. Applying 25 to 50 percent of the recommended fertilizer in a band to enhance early growth should be considered." Tri-State Fertilizer Recommendation for Corn, Soybean, Wheat, and Alfalfa-2020
6. P & K in manure equal fertilizer pound for pound to maintain soil values, prioritize low soil test fields for manure
Livestock manure is a good P & K nutrient source for crop production. There are two things to know when comparing P2O5 and K2O availability in manure to commercial fertilizer. First, the pounds of available P and K nutrient shown on the manure test is equivalent to commercial fertilizer. Therefore, those manure nutrients are a one-to-one replacement for commercial fertilizer. Second, manure is not a good substitute when starter fertilizer is needed. The key to using manure in the fertility program is to get a manure nutrient test, then use that test to guide the application. Application rates should be determined using both the manure source's N and P content, being sure not to over-apply either nutrient.
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Low Vomitoxin Levels in Corn but Rain and Delayed Harvest Could Change this Picture
After walking more than 40 corn fields and sampling more than 3,500 ears, we believe that Gibberella ear rot (GER), and consequently, vomitoxin levels likely will be much lower this year than they were last fall. This is because conditions during the weeks after silking were considerably less favorable for the disease to develop and the toxin to contaminate grain this year than last year. However, as is often the case, there were a few exceptions. We found low levels of GER in (sentinel-type) plots and research fields deliberately planted with hybrids that are highly susceptible to the disease, and these plots/fields will likely yield grain with some level of vomitoxin contamination (we are still processing our samples). Averaged across 10 locations, the incidence of GER on a susceptible hybrid ranged from 10 to 20%, i.e., 1 to 2 out of every 10 ears had visual symptoms of GER, and on average, less than 5% of the surface area of affected ears showed symptoms of the disease.
GER tends to be most severe, and the crop is usually as greater risk for vomitoxin contamination, when infections occur early (during silking), before the ears mature and grain dries down, and conditions are warm and wet during the first three weeks after silking. However, it is not uncommon for grain to become contaminated with vomitoxin as a result of infections occurring late in the season. This is particularly true when harvest is delayed by frequent rainfall, hybrids are susceptible, and ears dry-down in an upright position. Water collects at the base of upright ears, creating conditions suitable for the fungus to enter and infect the ear from the base upwards.
It is not always possible to tell which fields were planted with GER susceptible hybrids, because this information is not readily available in all seed catalogs. However, it should be noted that no hybrid is 100% resistant or immune to GER. As a result, all fields that have not been harvested and have been exposed to rain over the last several days are at risk for Gibberella and other ear rots (including Trichoderma) and grain contamination with mycotoxins. Peel back the husk and examine about 10 ears in each of 8 to 10 sections (approximately 50-ft-long stretches of rows) spread out across the field for symptoms of GER either at the tip or at the base of the ear (see pictures). This will give you an idea of whether your field is affected by GER and vomitoxin will likely be a concern. Where possible, handle and store grain from severely affected fields separately from grain harvested from healthier fields (fields harvested before the rains with little or no GER).
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Hazy Days…How Does Light Influence Corn and Soybean?
Quite often this summer, our skies have been filled with smoke from western wildfires. Strong, dominant high pressure has focused record-breaking heat in the west while here across the Midwest, westerly to northwesterly flow has funneled that smoke our direction (See Figure 1 for current active fires, air quality, and smoke plume across the U.S.). Typically, this smoke remains at high altitude, resulting in hazy sunshine. What impact can this filtered sunshine have on crop production?
Figure 1: Current fire and air quality conditions across the U.S. and Canada from AirNow (https://www.airnow.gov/) as of Monday, August 9. 2021. Fire symbols indicate active fires. Air quality is provided by the colored circles/triangles (green-good; yellow-moderate; orange-unhealthy for sensitive groups; red – unhealthy). Smoke plume and intensity indicated by gray shading.
Capturing sunlight energy, which drives photosynthesis, is important to maximize crop yield. Typical plant canopy-level instantaneous light values (also known as photosynthetic photon flux density) on sunny days range from 1200 to 1800 µmol/m2/s while typical instantaneous plant canopy-level values for cloudy days are 100 to 400 µmol/m2/s. In general, sunny days (all else equal) are better for crops, especially if moisture is non-limiting.
For soybean, photosynthetic photon flux densities that exceed 700 µmol/m2/s produce minimal gains in leaf-level photosynthetic efficiency, which ultimately can translate into yield production. With radiation values above or below this level, the plant can still photosynthesize but may need to adjust leaf angle to change how direct interception is. As the sun moves across the sky, leaves can orient themselves perpendicular to incoming direct light to increase interception or parallel to the light to decrease direct interception as too much direct light can be harmful for plants. Changing orientation in the upper canopy can also allow for more light to be intercepted by lower leaves allowing for more leaves to optimize photosynthetic rates at a time.
Corn (having a slightly different photosynthetic pathway) can continue to increase photosynthesis with increasing light and tends to benefit from more sun if temperatures and water levels are not limiting growth. Upper leaves in corn grow more vertically and are smaller but become larger and more horizontal lower in the canopy. This orientation works to increase light penetration into the canopy and optimize interception. Corn’s major response to too much light (often paired with water stress or high vapor pressure deficit) is to roll its leaves to minimize excess light exposure.
So, with the wildfire haze and just regular cloudy days, how have our average radiation values for June and July compared to past years? In 2021, the daily average photosynthetic photon flux density was lower for June and July as compared to the last 4 years (2017-2020) (Table 1). Given these are daily values, the cumulative effects of this reduction will likely equate to lower overall yield potential because of the additive nature of light loss. However, cooler temperatures could help extend the season and help crops gain yield from more days with active growth during the grain fill period. The levels of light seen in 2021 may still be sufficient if other factors end up being more limiting to yield production; factors like water stress, biotic factors, and adequate mineral nutrition still play a major role in yield gains during the season.
Table 1: Daily average photosynthetic photon flux density during daylight hours in Wood County, Ohio.
Year June July µmol/m2/s 2021 679 694 2017 to 2020 730 738 Difference -51 -44 References:
C.M. Stirling, C. Aguilera, N.R. Baker and S.P. Long. 2009. Changes in the photosynthetic light response curve during leaf development of field grown maize with implications for modelling canopy photosynthesis. Photosynthesis Research 42:217-225. https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/BF00018264.pdf
X. Yao, H. Zhou, Q. Zhu, C. Li, H. Zhang, J.-J. Wu, and F. Xie. 2017. Photosynthetic response of soybean leaf to wide light-fluctuation in maize-soybean intercropping system. Frontiers in Plant Science 8: 1695. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2017.01695/full
R.A. Slattery, A. VanLoocke, C.J. Bernacchi, X.-G. Zhu, and D.R. Ort. 2017. Photosynthesis, light use efficiency, and yield of reduced-chlorophyll soybean mutants in field conditions. Frontiers in Plant Science 8: 549
A.H Fitter and R.K.M. Hay. 2005. Chapter 2: Energy and Carbon. In Environmental physiology of plants, Third Edition. Pages 23-73.
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CFAES Ag Weather System 2021 Near-Surface Air and Soil Temperatures/Moisture (Final 2021 Installment)
Figure 1: Daily average air temperature (dashed red), two-inch (green) and four-inch (blue) soil temperatures for spring 2021. Current daily average soil temperatures are noted for each location. Soil type and location of measurements (under sod or bare soil) are provided in the lower right corner of each panel. A map of all locations is in the bottom right. Data provided by The College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) Agricultural Research Stations located throughout the state.
As summer-like weather takes hold, soil temperatures have responded in a big way. Air temperatures were 2-12°F (south to north) above average this past week. Toledo Express Airport recorded a 4-day 90°F+ streak, the longest in May since 1962. Several CFAES Ag Weather stations are reporting daily average 2-inch and 4-inch soil temperatures in the low to mid 70°F range, with others not far behind (Fig. 1). This is a rapid two-week warm up, with soil temperatures increasing 20-30 degrees over the last two weeks. Additional warming is expected early this week before more seasonal temperatures return for the latter half of the week.
Most of Ohio picked up very little rainfall this week. A system last Tuesday brought a decent amount of moisture to the southwestern portion of the state, where 0.25-0.75” fell (isolated 1.50”; Fig. 2-left). Wednesday through Sunday were dry and warm across the state. Sunday night, a small cluster of storms fired along the northern edge of high-pressure, with reports of 0.25-2.00” from Lucas County southeast through Richland and Morrow Counties. Overall, this is still below average for most of Ohio, with 30-day precipitation falling well below average in far northwest and south-central Ohio. As a result, soil moisture is still lacking relative to historical conditions across many areas of Ohio (Fig. 2-right). Although the latest U.S. Drought Monitor remained the same (8% of the state with abnormally dry conditions), moderate degradation is likely this coming week. However, the forecast indicates multiple opportunities for scattered rainfall between Wednesday and Saturday with below to near average totals (0.75-1.00”).
Figure 2: (Left) Precipitation estimates for the last 7 days ending on 5/24/2021. Figure provided by the NWS Ohio River Forecast Center (https://www.weather.gov/ohrfc/). (Right) Soil Moisture (%) for 0-40 cm depth as of 5/24/2021 according to NASA’s SPORT-LIS (https://weather.msfc.nasa.gov/sport/modeling/lis.html).
For more complete weather records for CFAES research stations, including temperature, precipitation, growing degree days, and other useful weather observations, please visit https://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weather1/.
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Western Bean Cutworm Numbers Continue to Increase
Western bean cutworm (WBC) trap counts for the week of July 13 – 19 continue to increase in many Ohio counties. A total of 27 counties monitored 91 traps resulting in 467 WBC adults (5.1 average moths per trap) (Figure 1). Counties that are averaging more than 7 moths per week should begin monitoring for egg masses (Figure 2). These counties include Fulton, Huron, Lucas, and Sandusky. While numbers of WBC moths increased from the previous week, the general trend of WBC for 2020 is currently low compared to previous years (Figure 3).
Scouting guidelines
Scout pre-tassel corn approaching tassel fields. Choose at least 20 consecutive plants in 5 random locations (scout different areas of the field that may be in different growth stages). Inspect the uppermost 3–4 leaves. Consider treatment if >8% of inspected plants have eggs or larvae (field corn) or in sweet corn, if >4% of inspected plants have eggs or larvae (processing market), or >1% of plants (fresh-market).Treatment
If the number of egg masses/larvae observed exceed threshold, many insecticides are available to adequately control WBC, especially those containing a pyrethroid. However, as with any ear-burrowing caterpillar pest, timing is critical. Insecticide applications must occur after egg hatch, or after tassel emergence, but before caterpillars enter the ear. If eggs have hatched, applications should be made after 95% of the field has tassel. If eggs have not hatched, monitor for the color change. Hatch will occur within 24–48 hours once eggs turn purple. To search for larval injury after it has occurred, search the corn for ears having feeding holes on the outside of the husks. -
Double Crop Soybean Recommendations
As small grains are harvested across the state, here are some management considerations for double-crop soybean production:
Relative Maturity. Relative maturity (RM) has little effect on yield when soybeans are planted during the first three weeks of May. However, the effect of RM can be larger for late planting. When planting soybean late, the latest maturing variety that will reach physiological maturity before the first killing frost is recommended (Table 1). This is to allow the soybean plants to grow vegetatively as long as possible to produce nodes where pods can form before vegetative growth is slowed due to flowering and pod formation.
Table 1. Recommended relative maturity (RM) ranges for soybean varieties planted in June and July in northern, central, and southern Ohio.
Planting Date
Suitable RM
Northern Ohio
June 1-15
3.2-3.8
June 15-30
3.1-3.5
July 1-10
3.0-.3.3
Central Ohio
June 1-15
3.4-4.0
June 15-30
3.3-3.7
July 1-10
3.2-3.5
Southern Ohio
June 1-15
3.6-4.2
June 15-30
3.5-3.9
July 1-10
3.4-3.7
Row Spacing. Double crop soybeans should be produced in narrow rows- 7.5 to 15-inch row spacing. The later in the growing season soybeans are planted, the greater the yield increase due to narrow rows. Soybeans grown in narrow rows produce more grain because they capture more sunlight energy, which drives photosynthesis.Seeding Rate. Harvest population for mid- to late June plantings should be between 130,000 to 150,000 plants/acre. Harvest population for early July plantings should be greater than 180,000 plants/acre. Harvest plant population is a function of seeding rate, quality of the planter operation, and seed germination percentage. It depends on such things as soil moisture conditions, seed-soil contact, and disease pressure.
Figure 1 shows the partial economic return by seeding rate (grain price of $9.44/bu and seed cost of $0.43/1000 seeds) for double-crop soybean planted in Clark County, Ohio. In June, the optimum seeding rate was >250,000 seeds/acre, while in July, the optimum seeding rate was 213,000 seeds/acre. The average harvest population for soybean planted in June at 250,000 seeds/acre was 143,000 plants/acre (57% of the seeding rate) due to heavy rainfall after planting. The average population for soybean planted in July at 250,000 seeds/acre was 204,000 plants/acre (82% of the seeding rate).
For additional information on double-crop soybean see: https://stepupsoy.osu.edu/soybean-production/double-crop-soybean-production-guidelines
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Dicamba takes another blow: Court of Appeals vacates dicamba registration
Dicamba has had its share of legal challenges, and a decision issued yesterday dealt yet another blow when the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the product’s registration with the U.S. EPA. In doing so, the court held that the EPA’s approval of the registration violated the provisions of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (“FIFRA”), which regulates the use of herbicides and other chemicals in the U.S. Here’s a summary of how the court reached its decision and a few thoughts on the uncertainty that follows the opinion.
The challenge: EPA’s approval of three dicamba products
We first have to step back to 2016, when the EPA approved three dicamba-based products-- Monsanto’s XTendiMax, DuPont’s FeXapan, and BASF’s Engenia--as conditional use pesticides for post-emergent applications in 34 states, including Ohio. Although dicamba has been around for years, the approval came after the companies reformulated dicamba to make it less volatile and in anticipation of the development of dicamba tolerant soybean and cotton seeds. The agency conducted a risk assessment and concluded that if used according to the label restrictions, the benefits of the dicamba products outweighed “any remaining minimal risks, if they exist at all.” The EPA also provided that the registrations would automatically expire if there was a determination of an unacceptable level or frequency of off-site dicamba damage.
Before the conditional registrations were set to automatically expire in late 2018, the EPA approved requests by Bayer CropScience (previously Monsanto), Cortevo (previously DuPont) and BASF to conditionally amend the registrations for an additional two years. The approval came despite widespread concerns about dicamba drift and damage during the 2017 growing season. To address those concerns, EPA chose not to conduct a new risk assessment and instead adopted additional label restrictions that had been proposed by Monsanto/Bayer to minimize off-field movement of dicamba. Many states added restrictions for dicamba use that exceeded the label restrictions, including banning any use of the product during certain periods.
Several organizations challenged the EPA’s dicamba registration approvals. The National Family Farm Coalition, Center for Food Safety, Center for Biological Diversity, and Pesticide Action Network North America filed suit against the EPA, claiming that the agency violated both FIFRA and the Endangered Species Act in approving the product registrations. Monsanto requested and was granted permission to intervene in the case.
The Ninth Circuit’s review
To approve the request to amend the dicamba registrations, FIFRA required the EPA to make two conclusions: first, that the applicant had submitted satisfactory data related to the proposed additional use of the pesticide and second, that the approval would not significantly increase the risk of unreasonable adverse effects on the environment. The task before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals was to review the EPA’s 2018 decision and determine whether there was substantial evidence to support the EPA's conclusions and amend the registrations.
The conclusion that drew the most attention from the court was the EPA’s determination that amending the dicamba registrations for two years would not cause unreasonable adverse effects on the environment. The court determined that the EPA erred in making this conclusion when it substantially understated several risks of dicamba registration, such as:
- Misjudging by as much as 25% the amount of acreage on which dicamba would be used in 2018.
- Concluding that complaints to state departments of agriculture could have either under-reported or over-reported the actual amount of dicamba damage, when the record clearly showed that complaints understated the amount of damage.
- Failing to quantify the amount of damage caused by dicamba, “or even to admit that there was any damage at all,” despite having information that would enable the EPA to do so.
But that’s not all. The court pointed out that the agency had also “entirely failed to acknowledge other risks, including those it was statutorily required to consider,” such as:
- The risk of substantial non-compliance with label restrictions, which the court noted became “increasingly restrictive and, correspondingly, more difficult to follow” and to which even conscientious applicators could not consistently adhere.
- The risk of economic costs. The court stated that the EPA did not take into account the “virtually certain” economic costs that would result from the anti-competitive effect of continued dicamba registration, citing evidence in the record that growers were compelled to adopt the dicamba products just to avoid the possibility of damage should they use non-dicamba tolerant seed.
- The social costs of dicamba technology to farming communities. The court pointed out that a farmer in Arkansas had been shot and killed over dicamba damage, that dicamba had “pitted neighbor against neighbor,” and that the EPA should have identified the severe strain on social relations in farming communities as a clear social cost of the continued registration of the products.
Given the EPA’s understatement of some risks and failure to recognize other risks, the Court of Appeals concluded that substantial evidence did not support the agency’s decision to grant the conditional registration of the dicamba products. The EPA “failed to perform a proper analysis of the risks and resulting costs of the uses,” determined the court. The court did not address the Endangered Species Act issue.
What remedy?
A critical point in the decision is the court’s determination of the appropriate remedy for the EPA’s unsupported approval of the dicamba products. The EPA and Monsanto had asked the court to utilize its ability to “remand without vacatur,” or to send the matter back to the agency for reconsideration. The remedy of “vacatur,” however, would vacate or void the product registrations. The court explained that determining whether vacatur is appropriate required the court to weigh several criteria, including:
- The seriousness of the agency’s errors against the disruptive consequences of an interim change that may itself be changed,
- The extent to which vacating or leaving the decision in place would risk environmental harm, and
- Whether the agency would likely be able to offer better reasoning on remand, or whether such fundamental flaws in the agency’s decision make it unlikely that the same rule would be adopted on remand.
The court’s weighing of these criteria led to its conclusion that vacating the registrations of the products was the appropriate remedy due to the “fundamental flaws in the EPA’s analysis.” Vacating the registrations was not an action taken lightly by the court, however. The judges acknowledged that the decision could have an adverse impact on growers who have already purchased dicamba products for the current growing season and that growers “have been placed in this situation through no fault of their own.” Clearly, the court places the blame for such consequences upon the EPA, reiterating the “absence of substantial evidence” for the agency’s decision to register the dicamba products.
What now?
The court raised the issue we’re all wondering about now: can growers still use the dicamba products they’ve purchased? Unfortunately, we don’t have an immediate answer to the question, because it depends largely upon how the EPA responds to the ruling. We do know that:
- FIFRA § 136a prohibits a person from distributing or selling any pesticide that is not registered.
- FIFRA § 136d allows the EPA to permit continued sale and use of existing stocks of a pesticide whose registration is suspended or canceled. The EPA utilized this authority in 2015 after the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the EPA’s registration of sulfoxaflor after determining that the registration was not supported by substantial evidence. In that case, the EPA allowed continued use of the existing stocks of sulfoxaflor held by end-users provided that the users followed label restrictions. Whether the agency would find similarly in regards to existing stocks of dicamba is somewhat unlikely given the court's opinion, but remains to be seen. The EPA’s 2015 sulfoxaflor cancellation order is here.
- While the U.S. EPA registers pesticides for use and sale in the U.S., the product must also be registered within a state in order to be sold and used within the state. The Ohio Department of Agriculture oversees pesticide registrations within Ohio, and also regulates the use of registered pesticides.
- If the EPA appeals the Ninth Circuit’s decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, the agency would likely include a request for a “stay” that would delay enforcement of the court’s Order.
- Bayer strongly disagrees with the decision but has paused its sale, distribution and use of XtendiMax while assessing its next step and awaiting EPA direction. The company states that it will “work quickly to minimize any impact on our customers this season.” Bayer also notes that it is already working to obtain a new registration for XtendiMax for the 2021 season and beyond, and hopes to obtain the registration by this fall. See Bayer’s information here.
- BASF and Corteva have also stated that they are awaiting the EPA’s reaction to the decision, and will “use all legal remedies available to challenge this Order.”
- Syngenta has clarified that its Tavium Plus VaporGrip dicamba-based herbicide is not part of the ruling and .that the company will continue selling that product.
For now, all eyes are on the U.S. EPA’s reaction to the Ninth Circuit’s decision, and we also need to hear from the Ohio Department of Agriculture. Given the current state of uncertainty, it would be wise for growers to wait and see before taking any actions with dicamba products. We’ll keep you posted on any new legal developments. Read the court's decision in National Family Farm Coalition et al v. U.S. EPA here.
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Managing Head Scab with Fungicides Q&A
Most of the wheat in the northern half of the state is still between Feekes growth stage 8 (early flag leaf emergence) and 9 (full flag leaf emergence), but in the southern half of the state, wheat is much further along. Malting barley is even further along than wheat, and will soon be approaching the heading growth stage. Understandably, given the wet weather we have had so far this season, folks are asking questions about head scab and vomitoxin. Based on some of the questions I have been asked over the years, here are a few things to remember and consider as you make your head scab management decision.
Question?
Answer - Wheat
Answer - Barley
What should I apply for head scab and vomitoxin control?
Prosaro, Caramba, or Miravis Ace. In my experience, they are just as effective when applied at the correct growth stage.
What is the correct growth stage for applying a fungicide to control vomitoxin and head scab?
The best results are seen when the application is made at or shortly after early anthesis (Feekes 10.5.1).
For barley, the best results are seen when the treatment is applied at or shortly after heading (Feekes 10.5).
How do I know that the crop is at the right growth stage for scab control with a fungicide?
Anthesis – fresh anthers are seen sticking out of the central portion of the head.
Heading – heads are fully out of the boot, i.e., out of the leaf sheath of the flag leaf.
How do I make an application decision when some of the heads are at the right growth stage while other heads are not?
Unfortunately, wheat growth is never uniform, that is why we recommend 50% anthesis as a guide for apply a fungicide for scab control.
The growth of barley tends to be even more uneven than wheat. That is why we usually recommend 50% heading as a guide for apply a fungicide.
Does 50% mean half of the head is out or at anthsis, or half of all the heads/tillers I examine?
It means half of all the heads you examine. If you select 20 heads, and 10 of them have anthers sticking out of the central part of the head, you are at 50% anthesis.
It means half of all the tillers you examine. For barley, if you examine 20 tillers, and 10 of them have the head fully emerged, you are at 50% heading.
However, you will need to examine way more than 20 heads/tillers to get a good estimate. In fact, you should examine multiple sets of 20 heads at multiple locations (50 to 60) across the field – the larger the field and the more variable the field, the more heads/tillers you should example. And focus your attention on the primary tillers.
What if I miss the 50% growth stage, is the fungicide still going to work?
YES, once it is applied within the first 4-6 days after 50% anthesis. A “late” application often do just as well as the 50% anthesis application. However, the later you wait, the greater the risk of missing the application window, if it rains and you cannot get into the field.
YES, once it is applied within the first 4-6 days after 50% heading. Quite often, waiting until 75+% of the heads are fully out do just as well. However, the later you wait, the greater the risk of missing the application window, if it rains and you cannot get into the field.
What if I apply early (to beat the rain), say, before 50% early anthesis or heading?
You are still going to get some scab and vomitoxin control, but not as good as if you apply at or shortly after 50% early anthesis.
You are still going to see some scab and vomitoxin control, but not as good as if you apply at or shortly after 50% heading.
I follow all the guidelines but still get scab. Why is that?
Unfortunately, none of the fungicides are 100% effective. That is why we often say scab suppression – the word control can be misleading. You will see the best results if the fungicide is applied to a moderately resistant variety than to a susceptible variety.
I follow all the guidelines, get good scab control, but still get vomitoxin. Why is that?
Quite often, good scab control comes with good vomitoxin reduction. But in some years, particularly when cool, wet, rainy conditions occur between head and harvest, vomitoxin levels may increase, even if scab levels remain low and unchanged.
Would I see better results in terms of scab and vomitoxin control if I make two applications? Based on a limited number of experiments with wheat, better scab and vomitoxin control was seen when Miravis Ace was applied at 50% anthesis followed by Caramba, Prosaro or tebuconazole 4-6 days after than when a single application was made at 50% anthesis. Less information is available on two-treatment programs on barley. It is cold, should I even be concerned about scab and vomitoxin?
Scab develops best under warm, humid, or rainy conditions. Cold or cool weather close to heading definitely reduces the risk of scab. For those fields at Feekes 8-9, continue to monitor the progress of the crop – there is a lot of moisture in the air and warm weather is in the forecast. Also, keep your eyes on the scab forecasting system at http://www.wheatscab.psu.edu/. Contact your county, field, or state (me at paul.661@osu.edu) extension specialists for guidance.
Read more about head scab at: https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/plpath-cer-06
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Cover Crop Recipes for New Users
Wondering how to do cover crops? OSU Extension, in collaboration with the Midwest Cover Crops Council (MCCC), has produced cover crop “recipes” for two scenarios: Post corn, going to soybean and Post soybean, going to corn.
The recipes are intended to provide step-by-step guidance to some of the lowest-risk starting points for cover crops. They don’t cover the whole spectrum of possibilities, but they can help beginners get most pieces in place to incorporate cover crops into a farm operation. The two recipes were developed to address Ohio’s most common crop cropping system, the corn/soybean rotation.
The “Post corn, going to soybean” recipe suggests cereal rye, which provides an overwintering ground cover. Soybeans often thrive when planted into standing dead or living cereal rye residue. The “Post soybean, going to corn” recipe suggests an oats/radish mix, which will winterkill and leave a smaller amount of residue in the corn seedbed the following year.
In addition to protecting soil from erosion and building soil organic matter, cover crops can take up excess nitrate left after a cash crop, reducing nitrogen loads in surface or groundwater.
Talking with Ohio State University Extension, NRCS, or Soil and Water Conservation District employees about what’s working locally can also help set new cover crop users up for success.
The recipes can be found on the MCCC website, which also includes detailed information about many common cover crop species and links to other resources. Ohio is one of 13 states and provinces represented on the MCCC, a collaborative group with the goal of supporting broad adoption of cover crops across the Midwest. Funding for the recipe project was provided by the McKnight Foundation.
Extension Educator Sarah Noggle led the recipe development along with Jim Hoorman, Hoorman Soil Health Services. Additional reviewers and contributors on the project include Jason Hartschuh, Ohio State University Extension; Eileen Kladivko, Purdue University; Anna Morrow, Midwest Cover Crops Council; Eric Richer, Ohio State University Extension; and Alan Sundermeier, Ohio State University Extension. -
Learn More about eFields at Regional Meetings
Have you been enjoying the 2019 eFields Report and are excited to learn more? The Ohio State Digital Ag team is hosting six regional eFields meetings this winter. Join us to learn more about the eFields program and results we are seeing across the state. Each meeting will feature presentations highlighting local trials including seeding rate, nutrient management, and crop management. There will be a panel discussion featuring cooperating farmers who are conducting on-farm research with Ohio State Extension. We would also like to hear from you about what topics you are interested in seeing in eFields in the future.
There is no cost to attend; for more information or to register for a meeting, visit go.osu.edu/eFieldsMeeting. Please plan to join us for the meeting nearest you:
Southwest Region: February 10th, 9AM-12PM, Wilmington
Northwest Region: February 26th, 9AM-12PM, Bryan
Central Region: February 27th, 9AM-12PM,
South Central Region: March 9th, 9AM-12PM, Circleville
East Region: March 10th, 6-9PM, Coshocton
West Central Region: March 16th, 9AM-12PM, Piqua
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H2Ohio Meetings Scheduled for February
The Ohio Department of Agriculture is rolling out the H2Ohio plan this month at eight meetings in the Maumee River Watershed. Farmers living in the following 14 northwest Ohio counties will be eligible to apply for funds at their local Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD) starting this week: Allen, Auglaize, Defiance, Fulton, Hancock, Hardin, Henry, Lucas, Mercer, Paulding, Putnam, Van Wert, Williams, and Wood. Soil and water Conservation Districts will be the first contact for farmers interested in the available funding.
There is a series of meetings in February for farmers to learn more about the program.
Meeting dates and locations are:
February 4
3 p.m.
Owens Community College
Veterans Hall
30335 Oregon Road
PerrysburgFebruary 5
2 p.m.
Delphos Eagles
1600 E. 5th Street
DelphosFebruary 5
6 p.m.
Defiance K of C Hall
111 Elliott Road
DefianceFebruary 11
6 p.m.
Auglaize Co. Jr. Fair Bldg.
1001 Fairview Drive
WapakonetaFebruary 18
6 p.m.
American Legion Hall
601 N. 2nd St.
ColdwaterFebruary 20
6 p.m.
Fogle Center
815 E. Mathias St.
LeipsicFebruary 27
6 p.m.
Kissell Community Bldg.
509 N. Main Street
West UnityFebruary 28
9:30 a.m.
Ohio Northern University
McIntosh Center
525 S. Main Street
AdaFarmers are strongly encouraged to contact their local SWCD offices by March 31st to get the process started. A Voluntary Nutrient Management Plan is required and only farm fields with soil phosphorus test levels of 50ppm (Bray P-1) or lower will be eligible for funded practices. The first seven practices eligible for funding are: Nutrient Management Plans, Variable-Rate Fertilizer, Subsurface Nutrient Application, Manure Incorporation, Conservation Crop Rotation, Cover Crops, and Drainage Water Management.
The website to learn more about the program and the practices being funded is http://h2.ohio.gov/
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2019 eFields Report Available
The 2019 eFields Research Report is now available online or in a hardcopy version. 2019 was a challenging year for many farmers including the eFields team but despite the challenges, the team was able to grow. The 2019 report covers 88 on-farm, field scale trials conducted in 30 Ohio counties. and provides information on a variety of topics including new studies. Here is a list of some of the 2019 study topics and pages you can read about their results:
- Nitrogen 4Rs: pages 48-63
- Fungicide and Insecticide: pages 38-39, 104-109
- Cover Crops: pages 156-158 and 202
- Forages: pages 154-185
- Ag Tech: pages 186-197
- Crop Production Budgets: pages 26-31
- Ohio Planting Progress: page 22
- 2018 Farm Bill: page 32
The e-version of the 2019 eFields report can be viewed or downloaded at go.osu.edu/eFields. To receive a printed copy, contact your local OSU Extension office or email digitalag@osu.edu. We hope you find the information insightful and a resource for crop production.
The eFields team has also planned 6 regional meetings to discuss results from local and state-wide research trials. We also use these meetings to gather feedback about research interests for 2020. There is no cost to attend; for more information or to register for a meeting, visit go.osu.edu/eFieldsMeeting. Please plan to join us for the meeting nearest you:
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- Southwest Region: February 10th, 9AM-12PM, Wilmington
- Northwest Region: February 26th, 9AM-12PM, Bryan
- Central Region: February 27th, 9AM-12PM,
- South Central Region: March 9th, 9AM-12PM, Circleville
- East Region: March 10th, 6-9PM, Coshocton
- West Central Region: March 16th, 9AM-12PM, Piqua
We would like to sincerely thank all of our 2019 collaborating farms and industry partners. The eFields team enjoys working with each of you and we are looking forward to continuing to learn together in 2020.
Follow our social media using @OhioStatePA on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or subscribe to our quarterly newsletter, Digital Ag Download (go.osu.edu/DigitalAgDownload), to keep up with the eFields program throughout the year. For more information on how to get involved in eFields in 2019, contact Elizabeth Hawkins at hawkins.301@osu.edu.
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OSU Extension and Ohio Soybean Council Energy Study: Understanding the Impact of Demand Charges & Power Factor in Agriculture
Farmers have long explored options to provide energy savings associated with their agricultural operations. Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Soybean Council have partnered to provide research-based data driven tools to help Ohio farmers assess and navigate various energy infrastructure investment options for their farm. Specifically, the project team is interested in learning more about your experience and interest in implementing energy management strategies such as peak demand reduction, power factor correction, and/or the integration of solar generation systems to reduce electricity costs on your farm.
Farmers with commercial rate structures that charge for peak demand and poor power factor can implement equipment and management strategies to reduce electricity costs, thus increasing long-term profitability. However, very little is known about the economic feasibility of investing in equipment to reduce peak electric demand charges in agriculture. To determine the economic feasibility of implementing energy management strategies it is important to simultaneously study the real costs of installing new equipment, ongoing risks, challenges, as well as understanding how these improvements will influence the calculations of a farms electric bill a comprehensive manner.
If you are an Ohio farmer and interested in participating, you may click the survey link below to participate in this voluntary study. The survey will take less than 5 minutes and is designed to determine the overall level of interest in implementing energy management strategies such as peak demand reduction, power factor correction, the integration of solar generation systems to reduce electricity costs on your farm and to identify individuals who have experience with on-farm energy management strategies to summarize benefits and challenges. This project will provide our research team with data to identify actionable recommendations that will inform future Extension outreach and education programs.
If you have additional questions regarding this study please contact Eric Romich, Ohio State University Extension Field Specialist, at 419-294-4931 or by e-mail at: (romich.2@osu.edu).
Survey Link: https://osu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4MaQn34JafSQlQ9
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2019 eFields Releasing on January 8th
Now that 2019 has come to an end, many of us are ready to leave the memories of the challenges we faced last season behind. However, the weather conditions we dealt with provided us an opportunity to learn how we can be more resilient in agriculture while learning how to deal with the growing conditions experienced. The 2019 eFields Research Report highlights 88 on-farm, field scale trials conducted in 30 Ohio counties. Research topics include nutrient management, precision crop management, cover crops, and forages. Additional information about production budgets, planting progress, and the 2018 Farm Bill is also included.
The 2019 report is now available in both a print and e-version. To receive a printed copy, contact your local OSU Extension office or email digitalag@osu.edu. The e-version can be viewed and downloaded at go.osu.edu/eFields with the online version readable on smartphone or tablet devices.
The eFields team has planned six regional results meetings to discuss local results and gather information about research interests for 2020. There is no cost to attend; for more information or to register for a meeting, visit go.osu.edu/eFieldsMeeting. Please plan to join us for the meeting nearest you:
Southwest Region: February 10th, 9AM-12PM, Wilmington
Northwest Region: February 26th, 9AM-12PM, Bryan
Central Region: February 27th, 9AM-12PM,
South Central Region: March 9th, 9AM-12PM, Circleville
East Region: March 10th, 6-9PM, Coshocton
West Central Region: March 16th, 9AM-12PM, Piqua
We would like to sincerely thank all of our 2019 collaborating farms and industry partners. The eFields team enjoys working with each of you and we are looking forward to continuing to learn together in 2020.
Follow our social media using @OhioStatePA on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or subscribe to our quarterly newsletter, Digital Ag Download (go.osu.edu/DigitalAgDownload), to keep up with the eFields program throughout the year. For more information on how to get involved in eFields in 2019, contact Elizabeth Hawkins at hawkins.301@osu.edu.
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Harvesting Immature Corn as Silage
Corn silage is an important component of many dairy and beef cattle rations. The goal is to make a high-quality feedstuff, but to achieve this requires planning before harvest, monitoring plant moisture, good harvest practices, and good storage management. Our 2019 corn silage harvest presents some challenges, specifically the late planted corn that will be harvested in an immature state with little to no grain production.
The single most important factor in silage production is plant moisture content at harvest. Silage is a fermented or “pickled” product. The fermentation process involves bacteria converting plant sugars into lactic acid. The bacteria responsible for this work need certain conditions to thrive and one of those conditions is moisture. These desirable bacteria work best in a moisture range of approximately 64-68%, which corresponds to a plant dry matter content of 32-36%. Varying more than a few percentage points to either side of this optimum range greatly increases the probability that you will end up with poor quality silage at best, and at worst, unpalatable junk.
Dr. Limin Kung, from the University of Delaware, is widely recognized for his work on silage production and the biology behind the fermentation process. Dr. Kung has described silage making as a battle between good and bad microbes. On the good side, we have the lactic acid bacteria and on the bad side, there are yeasts, molds, clostridia organisms and entero bacteria. Both types of microbes are present in green chopped forage. To make good quality silage the lactic acid bacteria must win the battle. For that to happen, the correct moisture and anerobic conditions must be present. When lactic acid bacteria dominate, they lower the pH below 4.5, which is required to stop the activity of those bad microbes. Typical well-eared corn silages have pH values between 3.8 and 4.0.
There is a considerable amount of corn planted after mid-June and even into the later part of July in parts of the state. There are consequences to this that affect silage production. Depending upon the planting date and maturity rating, there will be little to no grain production. Plant starch concentration will be lower as compared to normal, well-eared corn plants. This affects the energy value of the silage. Most if not all, of this late planted corn will not mature and begin normal die-back and dry-down. These plants are going to stay vegetative and green with high moisture content possibly as high as 75 to 80%, until a frost. If plants are harvested too wet, besides poor fermentation, a major issue with wet silage is seepage. Seepage equates to loss of nutrients and if that seepage reaches a stream, almost certain fish kill. Fish kills mean a visit from the EPA and fines. Minimize silage seepage with correct harvest moisture and have a plan to contain any seepage that may occur.
Following a frost, the plant starts drying down, but immediately after a frost plants can look drier than they are. Looks are deceiving so take time to measure plant moisture before chopping. Once harvest moisture is reached, there is a narrow harvest window and the clock is ticking. Is there enough on-farm and/or custom harvesting capacity to get all the acres harvested before the plant is too dry?
An option is to treat this crop as a grass forage, much like a sorghum sudangrass planting. Cut before a frost and wilt the forage to a correct moisture content for ensiling or for baleage. From a quality standpoint, cutting earlier rather than later is better. If there is corn in the pre-tassel stage, cut it before it goes into reproductive growth. As with any grass forage, quality declines as the plant matures.
Be aware that there are some risks with the cut and wilt harvest as compared to the chop after a frost option. Kevin Shinners, a biological systems engineer in the Ag Engineering Department at the University of Wisconsin, says soil contamination could be an issue because this is not like hay ground. Whenever there is soil contamination, the risk of undesirable clostridial fermentation increases. The key will be careful setup of equipment to keep dirt out of the harvested forage.
Finally, this is a year when silage inoculants will be very beneficial. The favorable lactic acid producing bacteria population is more likely to be limiting with an immature corn forage. For corn harvested as silage at an immature growth stage, consider the use of a homolactic bacteria inoculant that can help produce more lactic acid and drive that silage pH down.
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Problems in Soybean Fields
We have multiple planting dates in Ohio this year with soybeans in all different growth stages. Management decisions are based on the stage of crop development.
For soybeans that are flowering, there was a confirmed report of frogeye leaf spot. If the soybeans in the field are in good health then managing this disease is often cost effective on susceptible varieties. Scouting between R2/R3, if frogeye is easy to find on the newly expanded leaves a fungicide application is warranted. There are many fungicides available with fair to very good efficacy. The one caveat is in Ohio, we have identified strains of the fungus that causes frogeye leaf spot that is resistant to strobilurin fungicides, so choose a product that has another mode-of-action.
For soybeans that are in the early seedling stages that have continued to get these saturating rains, damping-off is occurring. So these fields will continue to decline until about V2, then the resistance in the plant will take over. So continue to monitor stands in these fields. If stem rot develops at the later stages, then that is from Phytophthora sojae. In these cases, a better variety is needed for the future that has higher levels of quantitative resistance.
Pictured: Soybean seedling damping off.
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Above normal temperatures and precipitation will rule July
Above normal temperatures and precipitation will rule July
Even though it has gotten a little drier recently, the pattern around a big high pressure to the west and south of Ohio favors a warm and humid July with rain chances. However, there will be swings in the the pattern from week to week.
The first week of July will offer a very warm and humid pattern with increasing rain chances.
Week 2 will offer a cooler pattern but with continued rain chances.
Week 3 and 4 will return to above normal temperatures and rainfall near normal.
For the next two weeks, expect the average rainfall to be 2-4 inches across the state which is at or above normal.
Looking ahead to August, expect above normal temperatures with rainfall normal or above normal.
It should be noted that the above normal temperatures will be driven much more so by overnight low temperatures versus daytime maximum temperatures. Maximum temperatures will generally only be a few degrees above normal while overnight minimum temperatures will at times be 5-10 degrees above normal.
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2019 Challenge: Forage Production Options for Ohio
Across Ohio, farmers are facing challenges unimagined just four months ago. Widespread loss of established alfalfa stands coupled with delayed or impossible planting conditions for other crops leave many farmers, their agronomists and nutritionists wondering what crops can produce reasonable amounts of quality forage yet this year. In addition, frequent and heavy rains are preventing harvest of forages that did survive the winter and are causing further deterioration of those stands.
With July 1st just around the corner, Mark Sulc, OSU Extension Forage Agronomist and Bill Weiss, OSU Extension Dairy Nutritionist, help address this forage dilemma. If one is looking for quality and quantity, what are your best options? The article starts with a quick summary of options and then dig into some of the pros and cons of these options (listed in no particular order of preference).
Options
- Corn plant silage– Still has the highest potential yield but silage quality will decline with delayed planting and getting it harvested at the right moisture is the biggest risk.
- Forage sorghum – Brown midrib (BMR) varieties are best for lactating cows. Conventional varieties are okay if BMR seed is not available.
- Sorghum-sudangrass - BMR varieties are best for lactating cows. Conventional varieties are okay if BMR seed is not available.
- Sudangrass - BMR varieties are best for lactating cows. Conventional varieties are okay if BMR seed is not available.
- Oat or spring triticale silage – Safer option than corn silage but lower yield than corn silage. It can be mowed and allowed to wilt to correct harvest moisture. Spring Triticale is commonly planted as a hay or haylage crop and can produce high levels of dry matter under challenging conditions. It is later maturing than oats or barley and will maintain its forage quality for an extended harvest window.
- Oat and Winter Rye mixed silage – Has the advantages of oat silage with a slightly higher yield in the fall and the potential for rye silage harvest in the spring.
- Italian Ryegrass silage – Small fall harvest with three cuttings next year starting in April.
- Soybean silage – If you need a replacement for alfalfa, soybean silage is a reasonable alternative. Care must be taken with spray programs that allow harvest as a forage.
- Teff – Is a warm-season annual grass best suited for Sheep and Beef, lower yield than sorghum grasses despite multiple harvests being possible.
- Millets – Millets are a major grain crop worldwide and best suited for beef and sheep, many will produce a single harvest.
- Brassicas - High in energy, but very low in fiber (more like a concentrate) with high moisture content. Only for grazing by Sheep and Beef.
Note: These forage options all require adequate nitrogen fertilization to maximize yield potential. Check any potential herbicide restrictions from the previously planted crop. Work with your nutritionist to incorporate these alternative forages into properly balanced rations.
Option 1: Corn silage
The biggest risk with late-planted corn is getting moisture down to a reasonable level at harvest. With current soil moisture conditions, it will be a crap shoot when many farms will be able to plant. Corn planted into July will not make corn silage as we know it because it won’t have many ears and will be low in starch. This silage will primarily be a source of fiber with potential yields about half of normal.Harvesting corn silage at the proper moisture will be critical to a successful fermentation (drier than 30% DM up to about 40% DM). Before a frost, many of these plants will be about 20% DM. Some late-planted corn may require a frost to allow the plant to dry down. Because leaves die after frost, plants look drier than they actually are, so measuring dry matter regularly is essential. When a plant is frosted, the window of opportunity to harvest as silage - before the plant is too dry - may be limited depending on local weather conditions. Harvest timing is critical, so regularly monitor plant moisture post-frost and be ready to harvest when conditions are met. Another possible option for corn with no ear would be to mow at some point before a killing frost and wilt the crop to the proper dry matter before chopping and ensiling the crop.
This high fiber feed will probably contain about 60% NDF. Work with your nutritionist as substantial diet changes must be made. More than likely these changes will include increased feeding of corn grain. With higher corn prices looming, this is not an attractive option, but the tradeoff is feeding more expensive hay.
Check with seed suppliers for any seed treatment restrictions on the use of the corn seed for silage or forage when planted this late.
Option 2-4: Forage sorghum, Sorghum-sudangrass hybrids, Sudangrasses
Brown midrib (BMR) varieties are most desirable, but the seed may not be available. If this is the case in your area, conventional varieties are your next best choice. Plant by July 15th and plan for one cutting. A mid-September cutting will optimize quality for milking cows. An early October cutting will have a much higher yield, but the higher-fiber forage will be more suited for heifers, dry cows, or beef cattle. Sudangrass harvested at 50 days of growth is an okay feed for dairy cattle. At a 60-day harvest range, it is more challenging to feed to dairy cows for good milk production.
Challenges: If the sorghums are frosted, prussic acid formation in the plant is an issue. It can be mitigated by ensiling, but avoiding frost is the best option.
Option 5: Oat or Spring Triticale silage
Do not plant these for silage before the last week of July or overall yield will suffer. The overall potential yield is the lowest of the forage options. Yields of 1.5 to 3 tons of DM per acre (about 5 to 5.5 tons at 30 to 35% DM) of chopped oat silage are possible if planted in early August. Harvesting between late boot, or early heading, will optimize quality.
The potential feed value of oat will be similar to mid-bloom alfalfa. As a grass, inclusion rates in a lactating cow diet would have to go down, but it is a very acceptable feed.Spring Triticale is a biotype of the hybrid cross between cereal rye and wheat (there is a winter biotype that acts like winter wheat). In our research, oat averaged slightly higher fall yields than spring triticale, but this varied with season. Spring triticale yields a higher feed value similar to early mid-bloom alfalfa. Seed cost for spring triticale will be higher than oat, but it is later maturing than oat or barley and will maintain its forage quality for an extended harvest window. Spring triticale yields a higher feed value similar to early to mid-bloom alfalfa.
These forage options all require adequate nitrogen fertilization to maximize yield potential. Check potential herbicide restrictions from the previously planted crop. Potential challenges include rust infection in damp conditions, especially with oat. Rust could impact yield and feed quality and depends on when the infection of rust occurs during the growing season.
Option 6: Oat or Spring Triticale and Cereal Rye mixed silage
Planting mixtures of oat or spring triticale and cereal rye will allow a fall harvest as well as a spring harvest. Note that the window for harvesting rye silage in the spring to optimize feed quality is usually very short. The rye harvested in early spring can yield 2.5 to 3 tons of DM per acre of dairy-quality forage when harvested at boot stage. In the fall, the oat/rye or spring triticale/rye mix should yield slightly more than oat or spring triticale alone, with the potential for the spring cereal rye harvest.
Option 7: Italian Ryegrass silage
This crop emerges as fast as oats and could produce up to a ton of dry matter per acre in the fall if planted in August, and less yield if planted into September (it should be planted by mid-September at the latest). This crop would also be available for additional cuttings next year, starting in late April or early May and then every 25-30 days.
Plot work with fall harvest and three harvests the following year have shown average yields between 3 to 5 tons of dry matter from improved varieties with good winter survival and adequate moisture. It will winterkill in severe winters. Do not let a lot of growth go into the winter to avoid winter as mold growth that damages the stand. To avoid this, make a late fall cutting or graze to a height of 3 inches. This crop will shut down by mid- to late-summer the year after a fallen establishment.
As a grass, harvesting earlier optimizes quality. If planted in September and harvested in late fall, the quality will be superb (NDF 48% and Neutral Detergent Fiber digestibility (NDFd) about 80%). August plantings harvested in late fall will not be quite as high in quality. It will probably have protein in the mid-teens and NDF in the mid-50s. Next year, the crop will head out quickly at each harvest. Overall it is a medium quality forage, but with proper diet, this formulation can work for lactating cows.
Option 8: Soybeans
Soybeans planted at this time of year and harvested as silage will yield about 2 tons of dry matter per acre (dry plants to 65 to 70% moisture before chopping). Narrow rows will yield about 15% more than wide rows. Harvest between R5 and R7 stage, but no later than R7 (one pod on the stem is a mature color).
Silage harvest will be easier than dry hay because of difficulty in getting the crop dry. Silage harvesting later creates issues with the high oil content of the beans, and more leaf shatter will inhibit a good fermentation. Harvesting later than R5 to R7 creates an issue with the high oil content of the beans, and more leaf shatter will inhibit a good fermentation. Feed quality would be similar to early bloom alfalfa.
Check seed treatment labels or ask seed suppliers for any restrictions on using soybean seed for forage, as some seed treatments may not allow it. Review any herbicides applied and see labels for restrictions before use to verify that the crop can still be used for animal feed.
Adding an annual grass such as oats, spring triticale, or sudangrass could be a good option to lower the protein content for some classes of livestock and improve the mechanical handling of this crop.
Option 9: Teff
Teff is a warm-season grass that can be used for hay, silage, or pasture. The first crop should be ready in 40 to 50 days. It may produce up to 2 to 2.5 tons per acre of dry matter in multiple cuttings and can tolerate both drought-stressed and waterlogged soils.
Cornell research showed that when teff was harvested at the proper time and sufficient N was applied, crude protein was between 15 and 16% of dry matter and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) 48-hr digestibility averaged about 60%. It should be planted as soon as possible because it dies at the first frost.
Option 10: Millets These summer annuals can be used as hay, silage, green chop, and pasture. There are varietal differences between the pearl, foxtail, proso and Japanese types. Because of evidence that Pearl Millet may cause butterfat depression in lactating dairy cows. Millet forages are better suited for beef, sheep or dairy heifer feed.
Option 11: Brassicas
Turnip, swede, rape, kale, and other brassica species and hybrids are highly productive annual crops that can be grazed 80 to 150 days after seeding. When planted by early August they can extend the grazing season in November and December. They are highly digestible and crude protein levels are high, varying from 15 to 25 percent in the herbage and 8 to 15 percent in the roots depending on the level of nitrogen fertilization and weather conditions. These species contain high moisture content, so they should be used for grazing only. Brassicas have very low fiber and high energy and should be treated more like a concentrate than as forage in diets.References: More detailed information on many of these options including seeding rates are available in these publications:
- Supplemental Forage Options for Late Summer to Early Autumn Planting: https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2015-22/supplemental-forage-options-late-summer-early-autumn-planting
- Feeding Low Forage Diets to Dairy Cows: https://dairy.osu.edu/sites/dairy/files/imce/DIBS/DIBS33-16_Feeding_Low_Forage_Diets_to_Dairy_Cows.pdf
- Fall-grown Oat Forages: https://fyi.extension.wisc.edu/forage/fall-grown-oat-forages-cultivars-planting-dates-and-expected-yields/
- How Late can you Plant Corn for Silage? https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/how_late_can_you_plant_corn_for_silage
- Forage and Bedding Shortage Issues: https://dairy.osu.edu/newsletter/buckeye-dairy-news
- Soybeans for Hay or Silage https://fyi.extension.wisc.edu/forage/soybeans-for-hay-or-silage/
- Teff as an Emergency Forage: http://nmsp.cals.cornell.edu/publications/factsheets/factsheet24.pdf
- Millets Forage Management: https://www.extension.iastate.edu/sites/www.extension.iastate.edu/files/iowa/MilletFS55.pdf
- Growing and Managing Forage Cover Crops http://mccc.msu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/OH_2015_Using-Cover-Crops-as-Forage-051815.pdf
- Brassicas: http://www.forages.psu.edu/topics/species_variety_trials/species/brassica/char_adapt.html
- Emergency Forages for Planting Early to Mid-Summer: https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2019-14/emergency-forages-planting-early-mid-summer
Definitions
- BMR: Brown midrib - Brown midrib (BMR), a genetic mutation in several grassy species, reduces lignin content in the total plant parts. Lignin is mostly indigestible but also plays an important role in plant rigidity. The brown midrib trait has been incorporated into forage sorghum, sudangrass, and corn.
- DM: Dry Matter – feedstuff sample remaining after the water is removed; 100 minus moisture % = DM %.
- NDF: Neutral detergent fiber – a percentage of cell walls or other plants structural material present; includes cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin; only partially digested by cattle; greater NDF values are associated with less dry matter intake.
- NDFd: Neutral detergent fiber digestibility (NDFd) is a measure used to improve the predicted energy value of forages. The digestibility of NDF can be measured by either In vitro or In situ methodology. Incubation times vary, although 24, 30, or 48 hours are typical times used by commercial labs. Using the amount of NDF present at the beginning of the incubation and the amount of NDF remaining at the end of the incubation, NDF digestibility is calculated (often this is called NDFd). NDFd values will vary across laboratories, as there will be differences in either rumen fluid (In vitro) or rumen environment (In situ). For this reason, it is important to compare forage reports from a single lab.
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Delayed Soybean Planting - A Yield Perspective
Across the state, soybean planting is still on-hold due to continued wet weather. A few weeks ago, I wrote an article on recommendations for June-planted soybeans: https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2019-12/recommendations-late-planted-soybeans You can also find recommendations for late-planted soybeans in the Ohio Agronomy Guide available to download as a pdf here: https://stepupsoy.osu.edu/soybean-production/ohio-agronomy-guide-15th-edition (click on the picture of the guide to download).
I think June-planted soybeans still have a great deal of yield potential; however, it will depend on how the rest of the year turns out. (Will there be water limitations during pod-setting and seed fill? Will we have an early frost?)
Figure 1. Effect of soybean planting date on soybean grain yield at the Western Agricultural Research Station (WARS) (Clark County) in 2013 and 2014 and the Northwest Agricultural Research Station (NWARS) (Wood County) in 2014.
In Clark County at the Western Agricultural Research Station (WARS), we have observed a 0.6 bu/acre/day reduction in soybean yield (see Figure 1). Soybeans planted on July 2, 2013 yielded close to 60 bu/acre and soybeans planted on July 1, 2014, yielded close to 50 bu/acre. Interestingly, in Wood County at the Northwest Agricultural Research Station (NWARS) in 2014, yield was just over 50 bu/acre regardless of planting date, which spanned from May 8 to June 18. I’ve summarized some of our other late-planted soybean yield data in the table below.
Planting date
County
Average yield
(bu/acre)
June 1, 2011 (performance trial)
Preble County
64-71
June 1, 2016 (relative maturity trial)
Clark County
60
June 3, 2011 (performance trial)
Mercer County
57-66
June 4, 2011 (performance trial)
Delaware County
43-56
June 4, 2017 (performance trial)
Sandusky County
57-58
June 5, 2011 (performance trial)
Erie County
59-65
June 6, 2017 (relative maturity trial)
Wood County
50
June 6, 2011 (performance trial)
Henry County
54-56
June 7, 2011 (performance trial)
Fayette County
58-72
June 7, 2011 (performance trial)
Mercer County
53-55
June 8, 2017 (relative maturity trial)
Clark County
60-65
June 9, 2016 (relative maturity trial)
Wayne County
68
June 9, 2017 (relative maturity trial)
Wayne County
55
June 13, 2016 (relative maturity trial)
Wood County
58-61
June 26, 2018 (double crop trial)
Clark County
48
June 29, 2018 (double crop trial)
Wayne County
41
June 29, 2017 (double crop trial)
Clark County
39-47
July 11, 2016 (double crop trial)
Clark County
43
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Valuing Ohio Nutrient Resources
The Ohio Agribusiness Association, Ohio’s Livestock Commodity Groups and Nutrient Specialists have planned two meetings for an open discussion on how we balance Ohio’s vast nutrient resources at two meeting next week. Speakers include Mark Fritz, 4R Outreach Coordinator; Dan Anderson, Iowa State University; Tom Menke, Menke Consulting; Glen Arnold, OSU Extension; and Eric Dresbach, WD Farms.
The first of the two programs will be on Monday February 25 at CJ HighMarks - 1211 Irmscher Boulevard, Celina, OH 45822 from - 8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.
The second program will be held on Tuesday February 26 at the Hillcrest Golf Club - 800 W. Bigelow Avenue, Findlay, OH 45840 from - 8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.
A complete agenda for each meeting can be accessed here Click here to download the event agenda.
Registration is free but a reservation is required by February 21. Click here to RSVP.
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Northeast Ohio Agronomy School Slated for February 20, 2019
The OSU Extension offices in Northeast Ohio are pleased to be offering the “2019 Northeast Ohio Agronomy School”on Wednesday, February 20, 2018 from 9:00 to 3:30 p.m. at the Bristolville Community Center located at 1864 State Route 88 in Bristolville, Ohio. With profit margins decreasing it will be vital for crop producers to get the biggest bang from the dollars they invest in land rental, seed and fertilizer, technology, chemicals, and crop protection in 2019. A full day of topics with six different speakers has been planned for producers to learn more about the major issues impacting corn and soybean production in northeast Ohio.
Topics include:
New Field Crop Fertilizer Recommendations - Steve Culman,
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- This talk will highlight major changes and findings of extensive state-wide on-farm fertilizer field trials
Stink Bug Management in Soybeans - Andy Michel
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- Dr. Michel will cover stink bug identification and management as well as tools to estimate insect defoliation in soybean.
Preventing Waterhemp and Palmer Amaranth from Ruining Your Life - Mark Loux
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- Dr. Loux will discuss strategies to prevent waterhemp and Palmer Amaranth from becoming established in NE Ohio.
Soybean Disease Update - Anne Dorrance
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- Dr. Dorrance will discuss diseases that are popping up in Ohio with the wet weather, and what are some new recommendations to control their spread.
Yield Limiting Factors in Soybeans, and Agronomic Management of Barley - Laura Lindsey
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- What is holding back your soybeans from increasing yield? Dr. Lindsey will discuss how to increase your soybean yield and also talk about agronomic decisions for growing barley.
Malting Barley in Ohio – A Growing Opportunity - Whitney Thompson
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- Origin Malt and Malting Seed Producers are excited to continue building their network of barley growers in the State of Ohio. The talk today will address information about Origin Malt, malting barley best practices and how to become a malting barley grower.
Registration-The registration fee for this workshop is $15 per person and includes refreshments, lunch, speaker travel expenses, and program handouts. Pre-registration is required by February 18, 2019. Make checks payable to OSU Extension, and mail to Trumbull County Extension office, 520 West Main Street, Cortland, OH 44410. A registration flyer can be found at: trumbull.osu.edu More information can be received by calling the Trumbull County Extension office at 330-638-6783.
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Wyandot Agronomy Day
Wyandot Agronomy day will be held on January 29th from 9:00 to 3:30 at the Sycamore Community Center, 3498 St Rt 103, Sycamore Ohio 44882. Featured Presentations will include Dr. Pierce Paul presenting on Corn and Wheat Disease and Dr. Aaron Wilson on Todays Weather and Climate. Other presentations by local educators will cover all pesticide categories and fertilizer for recertification credits. The program includes lunch and will cost $50 including recertification credits if you wish to attend and do not need recertification credits the program will only cost $20. For more information and to register see the flier or call 419-562-8731
Topics include
Creating a herbicide program to match your farms needs
Managing disease in forage crops
Applying Nutrient management BMPS on your farm
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Conservation Tillage Club Breakfast Series
The 2019 Conservation Tillage Club breakfast program series will begin on Tuesday, January 8 at the Plaza Inn Restaurant in Mt. Victory. Each session will start at 7:30 am with a complimentary buffet breakfast followed by the program at 8:00 am. Other sessions will be held on January 22, February 5 and 19.
On January 8, the program will feature Dr. Mark Loux, OSU Extension State Specialist in Weed Science speaking on No Pigweed Left Behind. Western Ohio and other areas of the state have seen the recent spread of waterhemp and Palmer amaranth beginning to infest fields. These pigweeds are currently resistant to three herbicide modes of action in Ohio and because they are genetically diverse, have the ability to become resistant to other chemicals in a short period of time. Once they do, they become difficult and expensive to control and can rapidly decrease the profitability of a field. The presentation at the Conservation Tillage Club breakfast will focus on how to prevent the spread of these weeds, as well as how to manage them once they do show their presence in a field. Dr. Loux’s presentation will also address other resistant weeds that are difficult to control.
The January 22 program will feature Bailey Elchinger, an INTL FC Stone, Risk Management Consultant with Grains. Her presentation will focus on the 2019 Grain Marketing Outlook. After experiencing a high yielding growing season this year with lower grain prices, farmers are looking for marketing tips to make the new year more profitable. World events such as trade with China, changing weather patterns, production in other crop producing areas, and the abundant supply of grains have had an impact on the current markets. Elchinger will discuss some of these events and how they could impact market projections for 2019. Her presentation will also provide some insight about grain marketing options to consider and tools that producers might use to help reduce risk and gain better insight to help make better marketing decisions.
February 5 Dr. Pierce Paul, OSU Extension State Specialist in Corn and Small Grain Diseases will speak to the Conservation Tillage Club about Corn Diseases. Although the current crop season started out with few corn diseases, gray leaf spot and northern corn leaf blight did appear in some area corn fields. Later in the growing season, some farmers experienced corn ear rots which had an impact on grain quality. Dr. Paul will discuss these and other disease issues in corn production, providing recommendations for effective control. Deciding when the disease reaches an economic threshold for fungicide treatment is only one factor to consider. The other one is the window of opportunity to make application for best control. Producers will learn about these topics as well as choosing a disease resistance package while selecting the best hybrid for a field will be part of this meeting’s message.
The February 19 program will feature an interactive panel discussion of “Agriculture in 2030: A Look at Innovation through the Next Generation’s Eyes” presented by the Ridgemont FFA chapter. The discussion will focus on changes seen by current farmers since they began their operations, today’s agricultural technology, and changes that are predicted for the future. Topics may include artificial intelligence, crop production advances, 3-D printing of replacement parts, animal agriculture progression, greenhouse systems management, adult farmer education delivery, and the impact of alternative fuels. Attendees to this breakfast meeting will be challenged to think outside of the box to consider the possible impact these future changes may have on current and future operations.
The Conservation Tillage Club breakfast program series is jointly sponsored by OSU Extension and the Soil and Water Conservation Districts of Hardin, Logan, and Union Counties, and in cooperation with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Contributions to meeting planning and presentation are being provided by the Ridgemont FFA. Breakfast is courtesy of the generous support from agricultural lenders and agricultural businesses. All events are open to the public and no advance registration is required. Continuing education credits for Certified Crop Advisers is pending.
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Hot streak ahead!
After a really wet period last week and even some flooding in northwest Ohio, we will be seeing a switch toward hotter weather and a drier window from Thursday into the weekend.
We have had a few hot bursts this summer but nothing like the stretch ahead. So far May and June have been warmer and wetter than normal in most places. It looks like after one more round of showers and a few storms the middle of this week it will turn hot for the end of June. This heat will last into the first half of July before relaxing some for the second half of July. There may a a day or two break from time to time during the warm weather the next few weeks but above normal temperatures will rule into July.
Rainfall also looks to relax more toward the normal range but with longer stretches of dryness mixed in with the wetness.
The outlook for the remainder of June calls for temperatures to average 3-5 degrees above normal. Rainfall will average 0.50-1.0 inches for the last week of June which is close to normal or slightly below normal. The outlook for the first week of July calls for temperatures to average 6-8 degrees above normal with highs mostly 85-95. Lows will be 65-75. Rainfall will average 0.25 to 1.00 inches which again is normal to below normal for most of Ohio. The outlook for the rest of July (weeks 2-4) calls for temperatures 1-3 degrees above normal and rainfall of 1-4 inches. Normal highs in Ohio are 80-85 and normal lows are 60-65. Rainfall normally average near 1 inch per week.
Looking further ahead in the growing season and harvest season, it appears August will still see slightly above normal temperatures and slightly below normal rainfall. September looks near normal temperatures and normal or slightly wetter than normal. Finally, October appears to be about normal temperatures and slightly drier than normal. For the latest 2 weeks rainfall predictions, see the graphic from the NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center using the North American Ensemble Forecasting System average rainfall.
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It’s probably not Frogeye Leafspot and no Brown Spot IS NOT an economically important disease
As farmers and consultants have been out checking their soybean stands, they are finding spots on the leaves. The most common spotting on the unifoliates and first leaves is caused by Septoria glycines. This is a fungus that overwinters on the previous soybean crop residue and in modern cultivars it is limited to the lower canopy. We’ve done extensive studies on this disease over the past decade and I have yet to attribute an economic value in managing this. We did this one experiment where put chlorothalonil on every week (not a legal application but for research purposes only) and could only measure a 3 to 4 bu increase when the soybean plants were totally clean of this disease. Secondly, applications of herbicide plus fungicide did not manage this disease throughout the season nor do the R3 applications.
At todays’ fungicide application costs and soybean prices, this is a hard one to even break even on.The one disease we have gotten substantial response to fungicide applications, is with frogeye leaf spot. There are a few high yielding soybean cultivars that are very susceptible to this disease. Yield losses of 8 to 35 bushels have been recorded. The fungus that causes this disease can overwinter in Ohio, this was confirmed by studies in Illinois as well. This fungus, Cercospora sojina, can also spread via large storm fronts, hurricanes from southern states where it can build up and the spores can be carried to new areas. This happened in 2005 and again last summer based on my own scouting of test plots. The symptoms are gray centers surrounded by a deep purple circle which forms the lesion. Under high moisture conditions,
the spores of the fungus will form in the lesion on the underside of the leaves, actually look like whiskers. There are a few herbicides, adjuvants, foam markers that under the right conditions will cause similar looking symptoms. The easiest way to check is to place leaves with these symptoms in a plastic bag and see if they form the whiskers – or spores overnight. These bags just need humidity – not a lot of free water. Also note, this fungus will infect new leaves and if it is established with every rain event there will be continual infections of the new foliage. To manage this disease, foliar applications at R3 have been very good in Ohio at managing this pathogen. One note is that we have documented that strobilurin resistance is here in Ohio, so if you have any questions please send us these leaves, we do have time to test the fungicide sensitivity before you will need to spray.
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Using PEAQ to Estimate Alfalfa NDF for Multiple Cuttings
Much of the region’s alfalfa crop has been harvested over the past two weeks. As cooler temperatures move into the area regrowth will likely slow down. Once regrowth reaches 16 inches tall again, the NDF (neutral detergent fiber crude protein) can rapidly be estimated in the field using the predictive equations for alfalfa quality (PEAQ).
Instructions on how to rapidly measure NDF in the field can be found HERE. This in-field estimate can be useful for timing each of your subsequent harvests in different fields, based on your forage quality goals.
It’s important to remember PEAQ NDF estimates are to be only used in standing pure alfalfa stands. PEAQ will not provide growers with an accurate representation of quality once the alfalfa has been cut, cured, and stored. After the forage is stored, samples should be sent to a lab to determine nutritive values for fitting the forage into a ration.
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Agricultural Data Coalition
As farmers wrap up harvest and begin thinking about the 2018 cropping season, data organization and archiving may be a topic of interest. There are many data repositories provided by the private sector and we know that farmers are beginning to reap the benefits of historical agricultural data. As the industry moves towards adoption of AgTech, many are beginning to see evidence of how historical data may inform the creation of prescriptions to guide and optimize crop production inputs. We know that many farmers have bought into AgTech, and have few concerns with sharing their data, while others remain somewhat reluctant to upload their data to cloud service providers.
Unfortunately, many farmers find themselves sitting on the sidelines when it comes to uploading their data to some service providers. In response to numerous concerns expressed by farmers, the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) adopted the following data privacy and security policy. Proprietary data collected from farming and agricultural operations is valuable, should remain the property of the farmer, and warrants protection. AFBF supports:
- requiring companies that are collecting, storing, and analyzing proprietary data to provide full disclosure of their intended use of the data;
- compensation to farmers whose proprietary data is shared with third parties that offer products, services or analyses benefitting from that data;
- utilizing all safeguards to ensure proprietary data is stored at an entity that is not subject to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request; and
- the right of a producer who no longer wishes to participate in aggregated data sharing with a private company, to remove their past aggregated data from the company’s database and revoke that company’s ability to sell or use that data in the future.
A little over two years ago, several public and private sector partners came together to begin addressing data privacy and security concerns. Today, the Agricultural Data Coalition (ADC), a non-profit organization, provides a cloud-based data repository designed and built to address farmers’ data concerns. During 2018, the ADC will form a farmer-owned, for-profit cooperative to license to the ADC’s data repository. Keeping the AFBF principles in mind, the ADC is unique because:
- Coalition includes universities, industry, and agricultural service providers to support farmers and advance collaboration in the new era of data driven agriculture;
- Farmers save time and money by having all their data in a single, secure and transparent repository;
- A farmer using ADC can permission and share data with one or more advisors or ag tech providers in support of prescriptive agriculture; and
- Permissions can be managed for files, folders, time interval or project; so that grower maintains full control of their data assets.
Key benefits of the ADC non-profit structure include:
- Platform and related infrastructure for the collection of agricultural-related data and its use for non-commercial research and development with data owner permission;
- Conduct, support and facilitate collaborative data research and educational activities that benefit and enhance the use of agricultural data and its range of applications;
- Educate the agricultural industry and the public about the value of agricultural data and its impact or potential; and
- Educate the agricultural industry about the operability of agronomic, machine and other agricultural-related data.
Agricultural professionals interested in learning more about the ADC can go to http://agdatacoalition.org/ to subscribe to the newsletter, http://agdatacoalition.org/join-adc to become a member of the non-profit, or https://web.agdatacoalition.org/login to create an account and begin storing and protecting their data.
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Wheat Variety Selection: An Important First Step for Reducing Scab and Vomitoxin
Even though we did not have high levels of scab and vomitoxin this year, we still need to keep this disease in our minds as we select varieties to plant this fall. In the past, there were very few Ohio-grown winter wheat varieties with decent scab resistance, and some of those varieties yielded poorly or did not grew well under our conditions. Today we have far more varieties with very good scab resistance in combination with very good yield potential. So, as you prepare to plant wheat this fall, scab resistance should be a top priority on your list when selecting a variety. However, remember, no variety is completely resistant or immune to scab, so if conditions are wet and humid during flowering, even varieties considered resistant will develop scab and become contaminated with vomitoxin, but, disease and toxin levels will likely be lower in resistant varieties than in susceptible varieties. When conditions are favorable for scab, producers who plant resistant wheat varieties and applied a fungicide at flowering usually see lower levels of scab and vomitoxin than those who plant susceptible varieties. With a scab resistant variety, growers tend to see greater benefit from the use of fungicides if scab develops. In general, compared to the most susceptible varieties, scab and vomitoxin reductions may be as high as 70% when fungicides (Prosaro or Caramba) are applied to resistant varieties, and only about 50% when susceptible varieties are treated.
This table (click here) shows the most scab resistance varieties in this year’s wheat performance trials. There were several varieties rated as either R or MR. R = resistance, indicating that a variety has resistance comparable to Truman, one of the most scab resistant soft red winter wheat varieties. MR = moderately resistant, indicating that a variety has resistance comparable to Freedom, the old resistant standard. Other rating include MS = moderately susceptible, and S = susceptible. More information about the varieties shown in the table will be published in the 2017 Wheat Performance Trial: https://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/wheattrials/
NOTE: R does not mean that the variety will not become infected; it means that it is among the most resistant we have at this time, based on multiple years of testing. You will still need to treat a variety rated R or MR with a fungicide to control scab if it becomes wet and humid next spring.
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Hay and Straw Barn Fires a Real Danger.
We’ve heard of one barn fire here in Ohio this morning and a lot of hay was put up last Thursday ahead of the rain. Much of the hay was wetter than it should have been for safe dry hay storage. Watch those moist bales very carefully for the next two to three weeks! Use a hay temperature probe and monitor the internal temperature of the hay during these first three weeks after baling.
Usually, we think of water and moisture as a way to put a fire out, but the opposite is true with hay and straw, which when too wet can heat and spontaneously combust. This is more common with hay than straw because there is more plant cell respiration in hay. When baled at moistures over 20% mesophilic bacteria release heat-causing temperatures to rise between 130⁰F and 140⁰F. If bacteria die and bales cool, you are in the clear but if thermophilic bacteria take over temperatures can raise to over 175⁰F.
The moist bales should be kept outside or in a well-ventilated area. Don’t stack the moist bales, because that prevents the heat and moisture left in the hay from escaping. It is normal for hay to go through a “sweat” in the first few days after baling. Internal temperatures of 110° F in the first five days after baling are quite common in our region and are not a big concern.
Assessing the Fire Risk
- Most hay fires occur within the first six weeks after baling
- Was the field evenly dry or did it have wet spots
- Were moistures levels kept at 20% or less
- If over 20% was hay preservative used
Monitoring at-risk Hay
If you are concerned that your hay or straw may be a fire risk, you should monitor it twice a day for the first six weeks or until low temperatures stabilize. Ideally, temperatures are taken from the center of the stack or down about 8 feet in large stacks.
If you have a long probe thermometer it can be used but some homemade options are available. A ¾ inch pipe with the ends closed into a point and 3/16 inch holes drilled in the bottom 4 inches can work well, lower a thermometer on a string or the sensor wire of a thermometer into the pipe. The sensor on a long wire can work very well once in place you can read temperatures without removing it. Leave the thermometer in the stack for 15 minutes to get an accurate reading.
Another cruder option is to stick a 3/8 pipe into the stack and pull out twice a day if the pipe is too hot to hold in your hand, you are at risk for a fire. Be very cautious when taking hay temperatures if the hay gets hot and a cavity burns out underneath you can fall in. Use planks to spread out your weight and have someone nearby in case you fall in a burned out pocket. Using a harness and tying yourself off would be even better as a safety measure when checking bales.
Hay bale temperatures of 120° to 130° F will likely result in mold growth and will make the protein in the hay less available to animals. While those temperatures are not high enough to cause hay fires, the concern is if the mold growth continues and pushes temperatures upward into the danger zone.
If the temperature in the hay continues to rise, reaching temperatures of 160° to 170° F, then there is cause for alarm. At those elevated temperatures, other chemical reactions begin to occur that elevate the temperature much higher, resulting in spontaneous combustion of the hay in a relatively short period of time. If the hay temperature is 175° F or higher, call the fire department immediately, because fire is imminent or present in the stack.
Critical Temperatures and Actions to Take
Temperatures (⁰F)
Condition and Action
125°
No Action Needed
150°
Hay is entering the danger zone. Check twice daily. Disassemble stacked hay bales to promote air circulation to cool the hay outside.
160°
Hay has reached the danger zone. Check hay temperature every couple of hours. Disassemble stacked hay to promote air circulation to cool hay have fire department present while unstacking from here on.
175°
Hot pockets are likely. Alert fire service to possible hay fire incident. Close barns tightly to eliminate oxygen
190°
With the assistance of the fire service, remove hot hay. Be aware the bales may burst into flames keep tractors wet
200° +
With the assistance of the fire service, remove hot hay. Most likely, a fire will occur. Keep tractors wet and fire hose lines charged in the barn and along the route of where bales are to be stacked.
If you are in the risk zone and there is machinery or livestock also in the barn, remove them before removing the hay for safety. Also call the fire department when you are in the risk range. They would much rather be present and not have to put a fire out them have to call mutual aid when your entire barn is on fire. For more information on Preventing Fires in Baled have and straw visit- http://articles.extension.org/pages/66577/preventing-fires-in-baled-hay-and-straw
Extreme caution needs to be taken when monitoring hot hay. Please read the article below for additional safety guidelines and procedures for monitoring hot bales and for preventing and controlling hay fires:
Hay Fire Prevention and Control, Virginia Cooperative Extension http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/442/442-105/442-105.html
References:
Preventing fires in baled hay and straw. (2012). Farm and Ranch eXtension in Safety and Health (FReSH) Community of Practice. Retrieved from http://www.extension.org/pages/66577/preventing-fires-in-baled-hay-and-straw.
Hay Fire Prevention and Control, Virginia Cooperative Extension http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/442/442-105/442-105.html
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Determination of ear size in corn well underway
During the past two weeks, corn has “exploded” in growth in many Ohio fields. Under favorable growing conditions corn plants can grow nearly three inches per day between V8 (i.e., the eight leaf collar stage) and V15. However, there is considerable variability in corn development across the state, between neighboring fields, and within fields. Most of this variation can be attributed to planting date differences. Corn planted in mid to late April is at or beyond V13 whereas corn planted in early to mid-June is usually at stages no later than V3-4. Variation in growth and development is also related to differences in rainfall accumulation. Within fields, corn subject to ponding and prolonged anaerobic conditions often appears chlorotic and stunted and may be one to three leaf collar stages behind corn growing nearby under more favorable drainage conditions. Keep in mind that canopy and plant height can be quite variable at any given collar stage (Table 1).
What impact will these varying environmental conditions have on kernel numbers and ultimately grain yield? As early as the V5 or V6 stage, the tassel and the uppermost (harvestable) ear are initiated (Nielsen, 2007 and Abendroth et al., 2011). Kernel row numbers per ear may be established as early as V8. Kernel row numbers are usually affected less by environmental conditions than by genetic background. Corn hybrids characterized by "girthy" ears exhibit more kernel rows (about 18 or 20 rows) than hybrids with long tapering ears (about 14 or 16 rows). Determination of kernels per row (ear length) is usually complete by V15 stage and maybe as early as V12 (Nielsen, 2007).
Unlike kernel rows per ear, kernels per row can be strongly influenced by environmental conditions. Kernels per row (ear length) can be adversely impacted by stress (often drought) in the two weeks prior to pollination. Many of our late planted corn fields experiencing excess soil moisture have not yet reached these critical stages. For most of these fields, loss of kernels per row on developing ears may be minimal and impact on potential yield limited. However, if N losses associated with ponding are substantial they may result in N deficiencies that can lead to kernel abortion during early grainfill stages and premature plant senescence.
Canopy height and extended leaf height at different V-stages, S. Charleston, OH, 2007-2009.
V-Stage
Canopy Height
Extended Leaf Height
----------------------inches----------------------
V5
14-20
20-28
V8
33-37
41-49
V11
53-63
61-78
V15
70-81
78-93
References
Abendroth, L.J., R.W. Elmore, M.J. Boyer, and S.K. Marlay. 2011. Corn growth and development. Iowa State Univ. Ext. PMR 1009.
Nielsen, R.L. 2007. Ear Size Determination in Corn. Corny News Network, Purdue Univ. [online] http://www.kingcorn.org/news/timeless/EarSize.html. [URL accessed 6/26/17].
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Delayed planting effects on corn yield: A “historical” perspective
According to the USDA/NASS (https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Ohio/Publications/Crop_Progress_&_Condition/2017/cw2117oh.pdf), for the week ending May 21, corn was 73 percent planted, which was 24 percent ahead of last year and the same as the five-year average. However, at this time, it is unknown what percent of the earlier planted corn has been or will be replanted due to excessive soil moisture, freezing temperatures and frosts, fungal seed decay and seedling rots, and soil crusting. Some field agronomists estimate that as much as 40% or more of the corn planted in late April has been or will be replanted in parts of Ohio.
Long term research by universities and seed companies across the Corn Belt gives us a pretty good idea of planting date effects on relative yield potential. The recommended time for planting corn in northern Ohio is April 15 to May 10 and in southern Ohio, April 10 to May 10. In the central Corn Belt, estimated yield loss per day with delayed planting varies from about 0.3% per day early in May to about 1% per day by the end of May (Nielsen, 2017). These yield losses can be attributed to a number of factors including a shorter growing season, greater disease and insect pressure and higher risk of hot, dry conditions during pollination.
Given these planting date effects, do yield losses associated with late plantings translate into lower statewide yields? Not necessarily. Let’s consider some previous growing seasons that were characterized by a “late start” and what impact this had on crop production. For the purposes of this discussion I’ll consider “late start” years as those in which 40% or more of the corn acreage was not planted by May 20. Since 1980, there have been significant planting delays associated with wet spring weather in eleven years – 1981, 1983, 1989, 1995, 1996, 2002, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2014 and 2016. Table 1 shows the percentage of corn acreage planted by May 20 and May 30, the 50% planting date (the date by which 50% of the corn acreage was planted), yield, the state average yield for the previous five years, and the departure from the yield trend in each of those years. Of these eleven years, the greatest delays in crop planting occurred in 2011 when only 19% of the corn acreage was planted by May 30. In five of the eleven years (1981, 1983, 1996, 2002, and 2008) average state yields were markedly lower than the state average yield of the previous five years (In six of the eleven years, average yields were five bushels per acre or more below the yield trend line for Ohio). In one of these years, 2002, the average corn yield dropped to 89 bushels per acre (nearly comparable to the record low of 86 bushels per acre for the major drought year of 1988). However, in six of the eleven years, yields were similar or higher than the statewide average yield of the previous five years, and in one of these years, 2014, a record high corn yield, 176 per acre, was achieved.
Table 1. Performance of Ohio’s “Late” Planted Corn Crop – Yield
% of Crop Planted by
Year
May 20
May 30
50%
Planting Date
Yield (Bu/A)
Avg. Yield of
Previous 5 Years
Departure from Yield Trend (Bu/A)
1981
30
55
May 26
96
108
-10
1983
45
65
May 22
80
109
-29
1989
22
40
June 4
118
116
0
1995
60
77
May 19
121
122
-6
1996
10
54
June 1
111
122
-17
2002
22
58
May 28
89
138
-48
2008
50
66
May 20
131
153
-14
2009
42
95
May 22
171
149
24
2011
10
19
June 5
153
153
2
2014
50
85
May 20
176
156
20
2016
50
84
May 20
159
155
0
Data Source: National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA/NASS (http://www.nass.usda.gov/)
This comparison of statewide average corn yields from past years indicates that lower grain yields are not a certainty with late plantings. While delayed planting may cause yield loss relative to early planting, planting date is just one of many factors that influence corn yield. Figure 1 shows grain yields associated with dates by which 50% of the corn acreage was planted in Ohio from 1980 to 2016 and it does not suggest a strong relationship between planting date and yield. There are other factors that are of greater importance than planting date in determining grain yield. Weather conditions (rainfall and temperature) in July and August are probably the most important yield determining factors. Favorable weather conditions subsequent to planting may result in late planted crops producing above average yields as was case in 2009 and 2014. However, if late planted crops experience severe moisture stress during pollination and grainfill, then crop yields may be significantly lower than average, with 2002 being the most notable example.
Figure 1. Corn yields associated with 50% planting dates, Ohio, 1980-2016. Data Source: National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA/NASS (http://www.nass.usda.gov/)
References
Nielsen, R.L. 2017. The Planting Date Conundrum for Corn. Corny News Network, Purdue Univ. [online] https://www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/corn/news/timeless/PltDateCornYld.html [URL accessed May 22, 2017].
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Soybean Stands -- Lots of Changes
From too wet, too cold, to too dry and too hot. It seems like Ohio has seen quite a range of conditions this spring. All of these conditions can influence stand. The following is a summary of potential issues that will affect stands.
The pathogens: for those fields that received saturating rains the most common seedling pathogens are the water molds, a mix of Pythium spp. and Phytophthora sojae and Phytophthora sanosmeana. These will infect the roots when the soils are saturated and can cause brown to tan lesions on the roots and the most common symptom at this time of year is damping-off or skips in the rows.
Other seedling pathogens that we may see this year due to the drier conditions will be Rhizoctonia, which is another seedling pathogen. This pathogen has a brick red color at the base of the stem and can also have lesions on the roots. Fusarium spp. and Macrophomina phaseolina can also infect roots in these spots.
Watermolds:
Pythium spp.
Phytophthora sojae
Phytophthora sansomeana
Rhizoctonia solani Phythium spp. <25
Phytophthora sojae
Phytophthora sansomeana
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Rainy day entertainment – get up to speed on pigweed ID
When you finish every possible indoor task during this rainy spell, take a few minutes and check out our latest video on pigweed identification. The video compares four aspects of pigweed biology that we use to differentiate between redroot pigweed, waterhemp, and Palmer amaranth – pubescence, petiole length, leaf shape, and inflorescence (seedhead) characteristics. Find it at the OSU weed management website – http://u.osu.edu/osuweeds. There are far worse ways to spend a few minutes.
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May Chill Ahead
Climate Summary
May weather often brings much warmer temperatures and the first hints of that summer humidity from time to time, and this past week was no exception. In fact, Ohio has added about 200 growing degree day heating units over the last two weeks, helping those crops that have been planted emerge from the ground. However, the weather pattern so far in May has limited the average suitable fieldwork days across the Buckeye State to just 1-3 days per week. With systems moving in every couple of days, the ground has remained fairly saturated despite warmer temperatures. Precipitation for the last seven days varied considerably across Ohio (Figure 1). Many counties in the east and far southwest only saw 0.25-0.5 inch, while pockets of 2-4 inches occurred in places near Findlay and Zaneville. Severe weather was prevalent as well, with reports of baseball sized hail (2.5 inches in diameter) in Highland County. For the latest up-to-date conditions, seasonal outlooks, and monthly climate summaries, please visit the State Climate Office of Ohio.
Figure 1: Total precipitation (inches) over the last seven days, ending at 2 pm EDT Monday May 19, 2025. Figure courtesty of the Ohio River Forecast Center in Wilmington, Ohio.
Weather Forecast
Although we started the week off with another beautiful Monday, our next weather maker will make its presense known for much of the upcoming week. Periods of showers and a few storms are likely for Tuesday through Thursday. Temperatures will fall as well, with mostly 60s for highs on Tuesday, followed by 50s on Wednesday and Thursday. These temperatures will be about 15 degrees below average for this time of year. Much of Ohio will see 0.5-1 inch of rain over the next seven days, but locally heavier amounts are possible where thunderstorms occur. A few lingering showers are possible on Friday, with drier and warmer temperatures expected for the weekend. The National Weather Service is currently forecasting 0.5-1 inch of rain for the bulk of Ohio, with 1-2” possible in northeast and southwest Ohio (Figure 2).
Figure 2). Precipitation forecast from the National Weather Service for 8pm May 19 - 26, 2025.
The 8-14 day outlook from the Climate Prediction Center and the 16-Day Rainfall Outlook from NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center show strong probabilities toward of cooler than normal temperatures with near normal precipitation (Figure 3). Climate averages include a high-temperature range of 74-78°F, a low-temperature range of 52-57°F, and weekly total precipitation of 0.90-1.15 inches.
Figure 3) Climate Prediction Center 6-10 Day Outlook valid for May 27 – June 2, 2025, for left) temperatures and right) precipitation. Colors represent the probability of below, normal, or above normal conditions.
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Spring Conditions Starting to Prevail
Climate Summary
After the state’s deluge to begin April, precipitation has generally underperformed forecasts over that last couple of weeks. Totals over the last seven days show three primary tracks of heavier rainfall: one across northwest Ohio, one from Mercer to Mahoning County, and a third across far southern Ohio (Figure 1). These areas remain soggy despite warmer and windier conditions of late. Frequent frost and freeze conditions last week (typical for mid-April in Ohio) have given way to a string of warmer days and nights, bumping growing degree days (base 50) up to a range bewteen 155 near Ashtabula to more than 300 across southern Ohio. Soil moisture and stream flows are decent to health, with daily average soil temperatures ranging from the low to mid 50s across the north to near 60 in southen Ohio. For the latest up-to-date conditions, seasonal outlooks, and monthly climate summaries, please visit the State Climate Office of Ohio.
Weather Forecast
The weather pattern this week is expected to remain fairly active with systems moving through every 2-3 days. A cold front crossed the state on Monday, sweeping showers out of the area through Thursday. Highs on Tuesday and Wednesday should be in the 60s and 70s with overnight lows in the 40s and 50s. Southerly flow by the end of the week could bring a few late day showers to the region on Thursday with a good chance of rain on Friday. Temperatures will climb well into the 70s to low 80s for the end of the week before cooling back into the 60s for the weekend. Our next system then looks to enter the region by Monday. The National Weather Service is currently forecasting 0.5-1 inch of precipitation for Ohio over the next 7 days (Figure 2).
The 6-10 day outlook from the Climate Prediction Center and the 16-Day Rainfall Outlook from NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center show strong probability of above normal temperatures with near or leaning toward slightly wetter than average conditions (Figure 3). Climate averages include a high-temperature range of 63-68°F, a low-temperature range of 42-46°F, and weekly total precipitation of 0.80-1.00 inch.
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Green Fields Green Dollars Episode 2 is out now!
The second episode of OSU Extension’s newest video series, Green Fields Green Dollars, is now live on the OSU Agronomy YouTube channel! Hosted by Rachel Cochran, Water Quality Extension Associate, and Clint Schroeder, Farm Business Analysis Program Manager, episode two focuses on the economics of cover crop benefits. Check out the video, linked here, to learn more about cover crops’ impact to yield, breakdown of returns by experience level, and value of ecosystem services.
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Manure Application to Parched Soil
Most of Ohio is very dry and there is no nearby forecast for substantial rainfall. Livestock producers applying manure to farm fields need to take extra caution to prevent liquid manure following soil cracks to field tile
Preferential flow is when liquid manure follows soil cracks, worm holes, and crayfish holes to find field tile and escape into ditches and streams. Dry wheat stubble fields are notorious for soil cracks. In these instances, tillage is considered the best management practice before liquid manure is applied. Corn and soybean fields will also have more, and larger soil cracks than typical this fall. If you have tile control structures, they should be closed at the time of manure application.
While livestock producers and commercial manure applicators often inject manure to better capture the nutrients, the extremely dry soils will cause excessive wear on shovels and coulters. It might be worth considering disking the field in advance and applying the manure on top to get even coverage and rapid absorption. H2Ohio requires the manure to be incorporated to a depth of two inches for potential payments so check with your SWCD office in advance of manure application.
To make the best use of the nitrogen in manure, apply the manure to a growing crop. Dairy and swine manure can both be used successfully to encourage the emergence of wheat or fall cover crops. In past years, farmers have applied dairy manure ahead of wheat planting or applied on top of newly planted wheat. At 12,000 gallons per acre, it can provide moisture to get wheat started. Swine finishing manure is higher in nitrogen and can cause germination and emergence issues if incorporated into the field just prior to wheat planting. Getting the swine manure on a week ahead of wheat planting should help this issue.
If you are applying solid manure, again the best use is with a growing crop, or a crop planted soon afterwards to utilize the nutrients. Solid manure tests indicate nutrients per ton of manure. If you can estimate the tons of manure applied to an acre you can calculate the nutrients applied. The best way to do this is by having a small tarp that is 56 inches by 56 inches. Weigh the tarp empty, then place the tarp in a field and follow your normal manure spreading pattern. Collect the tarp and weigh it with the manure collected. Each pound of manure collected is equal to one ton applied per acre. If you collected 10 pounds, your manure application rate was 10 tons per acre.
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Dry Conditions in Corn – Implications and Recommendations
Environmental conditions across regions have been a concern recently with regards to crop growth. It is important to understand what potential implications these conditions may have on the crop and yields. The U.S. Drought Monitor and recent reports from several areas across the state have reported abnormally dry or worse conditions this month (Figure 1).
Figure 1. U.S. Drought Monitor for Ohio as of August 20, 2024. Source: droughtmonitor.unl.edu.
Drought and High Temperature Effects
Corn yields can be affected by drought; among cereals, corn is one of the most sensitive crops. Weather extremes, particularly drought and heat, pose significant challenges to farmers. Seasonal air temperatures and precipitation may explain about 30% or more of the year-to-year variability of crop yields in the largest crops, including corn. Corn has shown a negative yield response to higher air temperatures. These lower yields have been offset (at least partially) by introducing new genetics, agronomic strategies, and technologies.
Current weather forecast are not very optimistic, and we can continue to see some crop stress in fields. It is expected (and has been observed) that many fields, especially across western and northern Ohio, are still okay given good soil moisture levels below the surface from past rains. Most of our corn fields in Ohio are at the dough (R4) and dented (R5) stages. The highest water use in corn is around the tasseling (VT) and silking (R1) stage with about 0.3 inches of water per day. The corn water use rate between dough and dent stage is estimated at about 0.20-0.24 inches per day. Water use decreases from this point forward as corn gets closer to maturity. Learn more about corn water use here.
Implications in Corn Yield
If prolonged heat and drought conditions exist, crop yields can be affected primarily by:
1. Reducing number of kernels per ear (kernel set issues and kernel abortion). The success of pollination, kernel fertilization, and kernel retention determines the actual number of harvestable kernels through about R3 (milk stage). Normal ears have the potential to produce about 800 to 900 kernels. However, pollination issues or kernel abortion during grain formation will lead to lower numbers. By the R3 stage, the kernels that will continue to fill will increase in depth and those that were pollinated but aborted will appear yellow and will begin to shrivel. Large issues with unpollinated ovules or aborted kernels suggest stress during the VT/R1 (tassel-silking) to R2 (blister) growth stages.
2. Reducing kernel weight (or so called lower test weight). Kernel weight is determined during the latter half of the season from about R2 (blister stage) through to R6 (right before physiological maturity or black layer). Ears with low kernel weight would reflect conditions during the second half of the reproductive stages (R3 to R6). At this time, moisture in the grain is going down, while dry matter accumulation is going up. Approximately 40-45% of grain weight is gained during the first half of the dent stage (R5) alone. By R6 (physiological maturity), kernels have no longer milk line and have reached maximum dry matter.
Final Considerations
In the absence of drought/heat stress, other considerations include that modest increases in temperatures can increase growing degree day accumulation, which positively affects crop growth, development, and yields. An example of that is the more rapid progress seen in 2024. Given crop progress over this season plus the dry conditions faced in some areas now, it is expected that crops will mature and be harvested earlier this 2024 season.
The shift toward longer growing seasons (warmer temperatures) provides corn growers with an opportunity to increase yield and profits by selecting hybrids with later relative maturities or greater growing degree day requirements, particularly in northern US.
Some resources that can help to sort out the management or stress and timing that can impact corn yield are available here 1) Assessing yield-limiting factors in corn, 2) troubleshooting abnormal ears, 3) incomplete kernel set and tipped-back, 4) arrested ears, and 5) other ear abnormalities.
Agronomic decisions that could be used to lessen the effects of drought and high temperatures in corn production in future years are summarized in Table 1. One caveat is that these decisions need to be made prior to or at planting and cannot be implemented later in the season. These practices may be worth examining in future years to help offset some of the stress and potential yield loss caused by drought and heat conditions.
Table 1. Drought and high temperatures in corn production - summary of potential management decisions and challenges with their implementation. Source: Ortez et al., 2023.
Management Decisions
Challenges with their Implementation
Minimize the occurrence of stress during the kernel set period to optimize plant growth rate and ensure kernel numbers are preserved through varying hybrid-relative maturities or planting date variations.
It is unclear when stress occurrence will appear within a season, and the critical period is long (one week before to three weeks after silking).
Drought-tolerant hybrids can produce a 15–45 bushels-per-acre yield increase relative to drought-sensitive hybrids if drought conditions exist. On the other hand, drought-tolerant hybrids can have 5–15 bushels-per-acre lower yield relative to the standard hybrids when hybrids are grown under adequate moisture.
Higher yields for drought-tolerant hybrids have not been consistent or have been negative at times. Yield advantage of drought-tolerant inconsistencies have been partly attributed to different yield levels or actual water availability.
Conservation tillage has been largely recommended for goals related to soil conservation, water management, and building soil organic matter, which are all critical aspects of crop production.
Yield advantages have been reported in no-till systems (relative to conventional tillage) in southern areas of the United States. Less consistent results have been reported in the northern US (due to colder/wetter springs and and poorly drained soils).
Use of controlled drainage structures may help retain water to facilitate off-season soil moisture recharge and could possibly raise the water table to help alleviate short-term water deficit conditions.
Cost of installation is high, and the benefit may not be realized every year. Its suitability will be location specific.
Installation of irrigation systems – a common strategy in western US Midwest (e.g., Kansas, Nebraska).
Many of the limitations would be the same as the use of controlled drainage structures (high costs and inconsistent benefits for our region).
References
- Corn Response to Long-Term Weather Stressors
ANR-0150: https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/anr-0150
- Ortez, O. A., Lindsey, A. J., Thomison, P. R., Coulter, J. A, Singh, M. P., Carrijo, D. R., Quinn, D. J., Licht, M. A., & Bastos, L. (2023). Corn response to long-term seasonal weather stressors: A review. Crop Science, 63(6), 3210–3235. doi.org/10.1002/csc2.21101
- Corn Response to Long-Term Weather Stressors
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Wheat Management for Spring 2024
Spring is an important time to make key management decisions for winter wheat. Decisions should be made on wheat growth stage, not calendar date or crop height. Correct growth stage identification and knowledge of factors that affect grain yield can enhance management decisions, avoiding damage to the crop and unwarranted or ineffective applications. Several scales can be used to identify wheat growth stages, including the Feekes and Zadoks scale. Here we focus on the Feekes Growth Scale and key spring management practices.
Feekes 5 Growth Stage. At Feekes 5 growth stage, leaf sheaths are strongly erect. This is an ideal growth for spring topdress nitrogen application. Weed control efforts should be made prior to or during Feekes 5.0 with 2,4-D and other labeled herbicides. This is also a good stage to begin scouting for foliar diseases.
Feekes 6 Growth Stage. At Feekes 6 growth stage, the first node is visible above the soil surface and is commonly referred to as ‘jointing.’ Above this node is the head or spike, which is being pushed upwards. To identify Feekes 6 growth stage, you may need to remove the lower leaves and leaf sheath to see or feel the first node (Figure 1). A video demonstrating for identifying Feekes 6 growth stage can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_f3VrqzV5c&list=PLYlh_BdeqniJ8oD8TnyGhQHRd96ptV0Yt&index=1
Most herbicide applications should be made by the time wheat enters the Feekes 6 growth stage. Herbicide options become increasingly limited as wheat enters Feekes 6 and progresses to the boot stage. Do not apply growth regulator herbicides such as 2,4-D, dicamba, or MCPA after Feekes 6 as these materials can be translocated into the developing head, causing sterility or distortion. Figure 1 in the Weed Control Guide provides growth stage cutoffs for the different herbicide options. Refer to the herbicide label for specific guidelines, as growth stage restrictions vary among different products. Sulfonylurea herbicides are safe at this growth stage, but for practical reasons, weed control should have been completed by now. Wheat can still show good response to nitrogen topdressing at this time.
Figure 1. Wheat stem with leaves and sheath removed showing the first node above the soil surface, indicating Feekes 6 growth stage.
Feekes 7 Growth Stage. At Feekes 7 growth stage, the second node is visible above the soil surface. These nodes are usually seen as clearly swollen areas of a distinctly different (darker) shade of green than the rest of the stem. Wheat will still respond to nitrogen fertilizer applied at Feekes 7 if weather prevented an earlier application; however, mechanical damage may occur from applicator equipment. A video demonstrating for identifying Feekes 7 and 8 growth stages can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnV57AhUt-Y&list=PLYlh_BdeqniJ8oD8TnyGhQHRd96ptV0Yt&index=2
Figure 2. Feekes 8 growth stage where the flag leaf is visible, but still rolled up.
Feekes 8 Growth Stage. At Feekes 8 growth stage, the flag leaf is visible, but still rolled up (Figure 2). This stage is particularly significant because the flag leaf makes up approximately 75% of the effective leaf area that contributes to grain fill. It is therefore important to protect and maintain this leaf healthy (free of disease and insect damage) before and during grain development. To confirm that the leaf emerging is the flag leaf, split the leaf sheath above the highest node. If the head and no additional leaves are found inside, Feekes 8 growth stage is confirmed. At this stage, the grower should decide whether or not to use foliar fungicides to management early-season and overwintering foliar fungal diseases.
Feekes 9 Growth Stage. At Feekes 9 growth stage, the ligule of the of the flag leaf is visible. After the flag leaf emergence, army worms can seriously damage yield potential. A video demonstrating for identifying Feekes 9 and 10 growth stages can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1UVNBR2jRk&list=PLYlh_BdeqniJ8oD8TnyGhQHRd96ptV0Yt&index=3
Feekes 10 Growth Stage. At Feekes 10 growth stage (‘boot stage’), the head is fully developed and can be easily seen in the swollen section of the leaf sheath below the flag leaf (Figure 3). This is another important growth stage for making fungicide applications for foliar disease management, particularly late-season diseases such as Stagonospora leaf and glume blotch and rusts.
Figure 3. At Feekes 10 growth stage, the head is fully developed and can be easily seen in the swollen section of the leaf sheath below the flag leaf.
For more information on wheat growth stages and management, please see our FactSheet- https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/agf-126 and Ohio State Agronomy YouTube playlist- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYlh_BdeqniJ8oD8TnyGhQHRd96ptV0Yt
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Spring 2024 Weather & Soil Conditions: Update 3
Soil Temperatures and Moisture
Daily average soil temperatures jumped 5-10°F this week due to warmer conditions, randing from the low 50s in Ashtabula to as warm as 57°F at Western in Clark County (Figure 1).
Figure 1: Daily average air temperature (dashed red), two-inch (green) and four-inch (blue) soil temperatures for spring 2024. Soil type and location of measurements (under sod or bare soil) are provided in the lower right corner of each panel. A map of all locations is in the bottom right. Data provided by the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) Agricultural Research Stations located throughout the state.
Another active weather week brought widespread 1.5-3” of rain to the Buckeye State (Figure 2). Some small creeks and streams flooded again, with high flows on all the major rivers. Minor flooding is occurring or expected to occur along most of the Ohio River hampering river barge traffic. Soils are saturate, especially across northern counties (Figure 2). Conditions are likely to remain fairly wet with another week of near to above normal rainfall this week.
Figure 2: (Top) Precipitation (inches) for the 7-day period ending April 15, 2024 courtesy of the Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service. (Bottom) Calculated soil moisture percentiles as of April 14, 2024 according to the Climate Prediction Center.
For more complete weather records for CFAES research stations, including temperature, precipitation, growing degree days, and other useful weather observations, please visit https://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weather1/.
Weather Forecast
We started the week with warm dry conditions for all but far northeastern Ohio, where cooler conditions lingered after some last Sunday night rainfall. A front near the Ohio River will begin to push north on Tuesday bringing a few scattered showers to the region and highs in the 60s and 70s. This front will push north of the state on Wednesday leading to widespread showers and storms, some of which may be severe. A cold front will push through Wednesday night and Thursday, with a secondary cold front bringing a few showers back to the area on Friday. Highs will trend downward into the 50s and 60s on Thursday and Friday. High pressure will slowly take control over the weekend into early next week with even cooler conditions possible. The state should be aware of potential frost and/or freeze conditions for Sunday and Monday mornings. Overall, the Weather Prediction Center is currently forecasting 0.5-1.25” of precipitation over the next 7 days, with isolated heavier amounts (Figure 3).
Figure 3). Precipitation forecast from the Weather Prediction Center for 8pm Monday April 15 – 8pm Monday April 22, 2024.
The 6-10 day outlook from the Climate Prediction Center and the 16-Day Rainfall Outlook from NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center show below average temperatures are likely with near average precipitation (Figure 4). Climate averages include a high-temperature range of 61-67°F, a low-temperature range of 39-45°F, and weekly total precipitation of 0.85-1”.
Figure 4) Climate Prediction Center 6-10 Day Outlook valid for April 21 - 25, 2024, for left) temperatures and right) precipitation. Colors represent the probability of below, normal, or above normal conditions.
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Please Participate! Using Data-Driven Knowledge for Profitable Soybean Management Systems
Help us help you grow more profitable soybeans through the power of data science. Soybean agronomists are developing an app to help you make decisions in real time.
The more data we collect, the more accurate the tool will be. (And…the more data we have from Ohio, the more applicable the tool will be to our state!) The app will allow growers to drop a pin in a field, enter input variables, and receive crop management decision help directly and through online scouting tools such as Sporecaster and Tarspotter. For more information on the app, please see: https://coolbean.info/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/12/2023_SoybeanAppRecruit.pdf This is what we are asking from you:
- Provide field management and yield information from two or more of your soybean fields from 2023: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/7a5e999e1832473a8b5fd2a2d21d234f?
- A paper copy of the survey is here: https://coolbean.info/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/11/2023_NCSRP_Survey.pdf Feel free to use the paper copy and email to lindsey.233@osu.edu or send in the mail (Laura Lindsey, 2021 Coffey Rd., Columbus, OH 43210).
This project is funded by the North Central Soybean Research Program and led by Dr. Shawn Conley at University of Wisconsin- Madison and Dr. Paul Esker at Penn State University. All data we receive will be treated with confidentiality.
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Late-season Pigweed Scouting
Pigweed plants that escaped POST applications or emerged after can now be seen above soybean canopies. Especially important are waterhemp and Palmer amaranth, as these species pose increased economic and management concerns. Waterhemp and Palmer plants can produce upwards of one million seeds per plant in certain situations. Managing these weeds often starts with preventing introductions. Anything we can do from now through harvest to prevent seed from being deposited into the soil seed bank will pay dividends down the road. At this point there are limited control options beyond scouting and hand pulling. Just a few plants left in the field can lead to a total infestation if they produce seeds.
Viability of pigweed seed is greatly reduced after 3-5 years. Management over a couple of growing seasons can drastically reduce populations. Aside from tremendous seed production, fast growth rates, and lengthy emergence windows, what makes us most nervous about these weeds is their propensity to develop herbicide resistance. In other states, waterhemp has exhibited the ability to resist up to seven different herbicide sites of action, and Palmer amaranth up to nine. Resistance to more than one site of action within a single population is not uncommon. Metabolic herbicide resistance may increase the prevalence of populations with resistance to multiple herbicide groups. Experience would tell us it's only a matter of time until we have these types of resistance issues in Ohio. The status of herbicide resistance in Ohio waterhemp populations was covered in this article.
We have a ton of resources that can be helpful for scouting, including a pigweed ID guide, pigweed management fact sheet, and YouTube video. More helpful information on the management of pigweeds can be found on the OSU weed science website.
Late-season scouting will allow us to evaluate how well our programs worked this year and forecast issues for next year. Below are some guidelines for scouting as we approach harvest.
- Scout all fields at some point between now and harvest. Evaluations of the weed species present and level of infestation can take place from the road or field edge. This can also be a good use of drones and other technology. At this time of year corn mostly hides weed infestations, but weeds can be seen above the soybean canopy.
- Fields that are suspected to have any level of Palmer amaranth or waterhemp should be evaluated more closely. If you are unsure of whether or not you are dealing with one of these problematic pigweeds, send pictures to us or your local extension educator.
- Remove waterhemp and Palmer amaranth plants by hand. Cut plants at the soil surface, and where mature seed is present, bag seed heads before removing them from the field. This will help reduce the spread of seed.
- Where there are severe infestations and hand removal is not realistic, the decision then becomes whether it is best to mow or harvest, both between and within fields. Harvesting fields with waterhemp or Palmer with mature seed heads will contaminate equipment and increase the likelihood of spreading seed to other fields or operations. Mowing before seed is mature can help reduce future populations. Where the decision is made to harvest infested areas, harvest these areas last and thoroughly clean equipment afterwards.
- Waterhemp is increasing in prevalence across the state. If you discover waterhemp, feel free to reach out to the OSU weed science program or your local extension educator for management recommendations. Palmer amaranth is not quite as widespread at this time. If you discover Palmer amaranth, please reach out to us so we can monitor its location in the state.
Feel free to reach out to Alyssa Essman (Essman.42@osu.edu, 614-247-5810) for questions regarding this topic or other concerns related to the identification and control of weeds.
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Battle for the Belt: Episode 15
Episode 15 of Battle for the Belt is now available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTgin3qPtoU
In Episode 15, we have a conversation with Dr. Pierce Paul, Cereal Plant Pathology Specialist about corn disease concerns and scouting, along with a field update from the Northwest and Western research stations and an Allen County farmer who planted soybeans first.
Corn Disease Updates
At the early growth stages in corn, the main diseases that can be scouted for are Pythium, Fusarium, and Rhizoctonia. These diseases occur in cold and wet environments. These diseases can be observed by poor emergence or skips in the corn stand. To check for this disease in surviving plants, dig up the root and look for discoloration and damage, which would indicate seedling disease issues. Approaching growth stage V5 corn can show symptoms of Anthracnose with frequent rainfall, however, in Ohio Anthracnose is not known to be yield-limiting. Because of the recent dry weather, most diseases are not a problem but as we receive more rain, the environment can become conducive to disease growth. To decide if you need a fungicide application start scouting before tasseling, between V12 and V18 (12 and 18 collared leaves). Scout the field on a weekly to biweekly basis to monitor any presence and/or severity. Consult the field guide for disease-specific scouting here.
Battle For the Belt Location Updates
Planting date five was planted on June 8th at both the Northwest and Western research stations. These locations were very dry like the rest of the state, thankfully, a few days after the planting date five in each location received rain. Around the June 8th date, the corn and soybeans for planting date four had not emerged yet (planted on May 25th, both locations).
The Wooster location received over 2 inches of rain last week according to Table 1. The corn for planting date one, two, three, and four are at growth stages V5, V5, V4, and V3. Corn height has been affected by the weather. Planting date one has a stunted height with planting date three, being a stage behind is as tall as planting date one. With soybeans the growth stages for planting dates, one, two, three, and four are as follows: V3, V2, V2, and VC. Thus far planting date three in soybeans has had the best environment for growth at this location.
The Western Location continues to be the furthest along in stage with corn showcasing planting date one at V7, planting date two at V6, planting date three at V5, and planting date four at V3. With soybeans, the growth stages for planting date one, two, three, and four are as follows: V4, V3, V2, and VC. At this location, floppy corn syndrome was found in planting dates one and two. This syndrome occurs when the root system is not well developed. However, this particular disorder has not been found at other locations.The Northwest Research Station received the least amount of rain last week in comparison to the other locations (see Table 1.) The stand at this location for each planting date has been good. The corn stages are V7, V6, V5, and V3 for planting dates one, two, three, and four. The stages for soybeans in planting dates one, two, three, and four are as follows: V4, V3, V2, and VC.
As a recap, this research project includes five planting date windows, 1) Ultra early = late March to early April; 2) Early = mid to late April; 3) Normal = early to mid-May; 4) Late = late May-first week of June; and 5) Very late = mid to late June. The planting date five update for the Wooster location will come next week or so.
Keep following the ‘Battle for the Belt’ this growing season to learn more and get further updates! You can find the full video playlist of Battle for the Belt on the Ohio State Agronomy YouTube channel.
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Time to Start Scouting for Potato Leafhoppers in Alfalfa
Now is a good time to start scouting for potato leafhopper in alfalfa, as second-cut alfalfa grows. Potato leafhoppers migrate up from the south in late spring to early summer. While they may be present in first-cut alfalfa they’re seldom a problem. But in the second-cut alfalfa numbers can increase rapidly. Younger alfalfa is more susceptible to damage at lower leafhopper numbers. Also, vigorous alfalfa can tolerate higher numbers, and stressed alfalfa can tolerate fewer – an important consideration should the current dry conditions continue. If alfalfa is more than 7 days from a cut and plants are under normal stress, a good rule of thumb for a treatment threshold is: when the number of leafhoppers in a 10-sweep set is equal to or greater than the height of the alfalfa. For example, if the alfalfa is 8 inches tall and the average number of leafhoppers per sample is 8 or higher, treatment is warranted. If the average is 7 or lower, the grower should come back within a few days to see if the population is higher or lower. While we don’t have specific guidance for thresholds in stressed alfalfa, consider the guidelines above and lower them some.
For a comprehensive list of products labeled in different field crops, their active ingredients, and scouting/threshold guidance, download the Michigan/Ohio State Field Crop Insect Pest Management Guide at https://aginsects.osu.edu/extension-publications/msuosu-ipm-guide
For a video on scouting technique visit https://forages.osu.edu/video/scouting-potato-leafhopper-alfalfa?width=657px&height=460px&inline=true#colorbox-inline-51399545
For a video with detail on damage, ID, and control options visit https://forages.osu.edu/video/potato-leafhopper-identification-and-damage-alfalfa?width=657px&height=460px&inline=true#colorbox-inline-397628030
Our extension factsheet on potato leafhopper in alfalfa is at https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/ENT-33
A great resource for other forage-related questions is the Forage Page at https://forages.osu.edu/home
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Battle for the Belt: Episode 14
Episode 14 of Battle for the Belt is now available:
In Episode 14, we have a conversation with Dr. Alex Lindsey about the effect of drought stress on corn and soybeans.
Up to last week (June 5 to June 11), most of Ohio has been in slight/moderate drought conditions, which can be a concern as plants are undergoing germination, emergence, and early vegetative growth. Planted seeds need to increase in moisture content before germination will occur (approximately double the internal moisture content of the planted seeds). Corn germination can occur once internal moisture content achieves 32%, though soybeans can start germinating at 20% moisture content. If drought occurs before germination, seeds are relatively unaffected. If seeds have germinated but have not emerged, drought conditions can reduce survival and realized emergence (fewer plants out of the ground). Once emerged, plants will exhibit rolled leaves and have a blueish color in response to water deficit. Plants can work to produce more root biomass, though hot dry soil can limit corn root development and lead to floppy corn (Figure 1). The change in leaf angle (or rolling leaves) helps plants retain moisture and reduce direct light interception (less light = less heat). If the water deficit persists, plants will overall be shorter, have smaller leaves, and develop thicker waxy cuticles. Once drought conditions improve, conducting a stand count will be important to assess the condition and distribution of surviving plants.The water deficit effect is more detrimental to yield during flowering and grain fill, but the early-season drought will affect how plants look to some degree as well as how well they can capture light and photosynthesize. Altered growth during vegetative stages does not necessarily translate to a severe yield penalty. The seasonal conditions will continue to be monitored, and future updates will be supplied in relation to anticipated plant responses and potential yield effects.
Battle For the Belt Location Updates
The drought conditions persisted throughout all locations of the study last week until the majority of the state received rain on Sunday. Finally! The Wooster, Western, and Northwest research stations were all at similar moisture levels. One may expect to see symptoms of drought stress, however, both the corn and soybeans have been resilient with little reaction to the dry environments for the most part. The lack of moisture caused both crops to slow down crop growth & development. During hot/dry weather corn and soybeans can have the ability to grow up to two stages in one week. Comparatively, each location may have increased a singular growth stage or completely stagnated. Soil samples were taken to observe moisture at all three locations, and all were similar (Figure 3). 
The soil still had moisture at two inches of depth and in the root zone (a good thing!) (Figure 4). At the Wooster location planting date one, two, three, and four were V2, V2, V1, and VE for soybeans and V5, V4, V3, and VE for corn. At the Western location, soybeans were staged at V3, V2, V1, and VC and corn was at V7, V5, V4, and V2. The Northwest location’s soybeans were at V2, V2, V1, and VC and corn was at V6, V5, V4, and V1. Some locations have applied side-dress nitrogen and herbicide.Table 1. The planting date one, two, three, and four in the trial at all three locations with the day of planting, soil, air temperature averages, and Growing Degree Days (GDDS). Information from CFAES Weather System, https://weather.cfaes.osu.edu/. 2-inch soil temperature
(June 5-June 11)Air Temperature
(June 5-June 5)
Planting date
GDDs
(Cumulative)
Wooster,
Wayne County
Max: 65°F
Mean: 64°F
Minimum: 59°F
Max: 81°F
Mean: 60°F
Minimum: 43°F
April 14th
April 27th
May 11th
May 30th
501
438
385
191
Western,
Clark County
Max: 80°F
Mean: 70°F
Minimum: 63°FMax: 86°F
Mean: 66°F
Minimum: 47°F
April 13th
April 27th
May 11th
May 25th
687
602
518
323
Northwest,
Wood CountyMax: 72°F
Mean: 67°F
Minimum: 55°FMax: 86°F
Mean: 66°F
Minimum: 43°FApril 12th
April 26th
May 11th
May 25th
643
548
481
313
As a recap, this research project includes five planting date windows, 1) Ultra early = late March to early April; 2) Early = mid to late April; 3) Normal = early to mid-May; 4) Late = late May-first week of June; and 5) Very late = mid to late June. Weather permitting, the last planting date (very late) is scheduled for mid to late June. More updates on the last planting date coming soon.
Keep following the ‘Battle for the Belt’ this growing season to learn more and get further updates! You can find the full video playlist of Battle for the Belt on the Ohio State Agronomy YouTube channel.
References:
Kim, S.H. and Jeon, Y.S. (2009). Critical seed moisture content for germination in crop species. The Journal of the Korean Society of International Agriculture 21:159-164.
Senaratna, T., and McKersie, B.D. (1983). Dehydration injury in germinating soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) seeds. Plant Physiology 72:620-624.
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Dry Weather Impacts on Corn and Soybean Establishment and Wheat Grain Fill
In past years we dreamt of a dry spring. Guess we should be careful what we wish for as we face an early dry spell this season.
The CFAES weather stations on Wooster Campus and Northwest and Western Agricultural Research Stations reported 58-70% less precipitation in May than normal (Figure 1). Dry weather is not only a concern for Ohio now (Figure 1), but several other states are also facing similar or worse conditions, especially those in the central Corn Belt (Figure 2). Soil surface conditions are the most affected at this point. Moving a little deeper into the soil profile, better moisture is available. USDA-NASS reported subsoil moisture at 68% adequate and 3% surplus in last week’s report (5/28/23). For topsoil moisture, 7% is very short, and 38% is short. So how will current abnormally dry conditions impact early corn and soybean growth and wheat grain fill?
Corn
As of May 28, 89 percent of Ohio corn was planted, and 54 percent had emerged (USDA NASS, Great Lakes Regional Office). Corn planted in mid to late April is between V3 and V5 growth stages. Fortunately, corn is moderately tolerant to dry conditions during early vegetative stages (up to V12) and can rebound if good rainfall conditions occur during silk emergence and pollination (Table 1). Early season dryness may even encourage deeper initial rooting. However, if the soil surface is too dry it can negatively affect nodal root system development. The developing roots will desiccate and die if they do not reach adequate soil moisture. Nutrient uptake will suffer, and lodging may occur if the nodal root system is not properly established (i.e., "floppy corn syndrome"). Conventionally tilled fields and ones without residue are more at risk as the soil surface warms and dries more quickly. Corn planted in late May this year and close to the V1 growth stage is more vulnerable than more established plants (V3-V5).Corn yield components are determined during both vegetative and reproductive stages (Assessing yield components in corn). Corn requirements vary depending on the development stage (Table 1), with corn's water use reaching its peak daily need during the pollination period. Shortfalls in water availability can affect the crop this season, however, tasseling (VT) and silking (R1) is the most critical period when it comes to water use.
Soybean
Soybean planting also made significant progress in progress the last week of May, with 87 percent planted and 45 percent emerged (USDA NASS, Great Lakes Regional Office). Soybean seeds must imbibe half their weight in water to germinate, so dry soil conditions may delay emergence in the remaining 55 percent. Recently planted fields may experience slowed radicle and hypocotyl elongation. Emergence may not be uniform, but this is not critically important for soybeans.Soybeans planted in mid to late April reaching the V1 growth stage can expect reduced plant height and smaller leaf size as resources in the plant are reallocated to roots. During dry periods, the plant will prioritize root growth and grow deeper into the soil profile to search for moisture. The crop can then “catch up” and put on compensatory vegetative growth during later periods of rainfall. Vegetative development takes place over more than half of the soybean growing season, so leaf area that is lost early can often be recovered as growth continues with no loss in yield. This is why short-term, moderate dryness during early growth stages does not generally impact soybean yield.
Significant yield losses occur when drought stress coincides with flowering and pod fill. However, even then, soybean plants are master compensators. Hot, dry conditions may reduce flower and pod number, but with late-season rainfall, seed size will increase. We will keep an eye on conditions as soybean fields progress through vegetative to reproductive stages.
For more information on the soybean growth cycle, including important risks, management, and misconceptions, please see the Science for Success bulletin: https://soybeanresearchinfo.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Science-for-Success-Soybean-Growth-Stages-V3.pdf
Wheat
Nearly all wheat in Ohio was jointed as of May 28 and 75 percent had headed (USDA NASS, Great Lakes Regional Office). With recent dry weather, the risk for head scab development remains low (https://www.wheatscab.psu.edu/). Dry, hot weather will shorten the grain-fill period of small grains between Feekes 10.5.4 (kernels watery ripe) and Feekes 11.3 (kernels hard, but dividable with thumbnail). If dry, hot weather persists, winter wheat harvest may be earlier than normal. Keep an eye on wheat maturity. Dry grain that is re-wetted increases the risk of disease, lodging, and seed sprouting, ultimately reducing grain yield and test weight. -
Consideration for Corn N Management under Dry Soil Conditions
When considering adjusting your corn nitrogen program for dry weather conditions, consider how N gets to the root system for uptake. Mass flow is the primary mechanism for nitrogen (also sulfur, magnesium, and calcium). Mass flow is where nutrients in soil solution move toward the root as the plant takes up and transpires water through the crop canopy. Also, consider how dry weather affects the plant root system. Root growth will slow in dry soils, the situation we are now experiencing in the upper soil depths. Fortunately, root growth will re-establish, and the mass flow of nitrogen will quickly improve with rainfall. Here are a few considerations for managing N applications.
Nitrogen placement is one area to consider changes within the limitation of equipment available. The nodal root system originating from the lowermost nodes will take up nearly all N. Normally we discourage surface applications of nitrogen due to potential volatilization losses of N in urea form found in UAN or urea. Under dry weather conditions, we have limited opportunities for rainfall to move N into position for uptake. The goal should be to have nitrogen close to the root system and close to roots actively taking up water. So, moving UAN placement closer to the row and a little deeper will improve plant access. Anhydrous application is already deep enough and moving closer to the row increases root injury potential, so no adjustment is needed.
Nitrogen rate is another consideration. Looking at our N yield response data from 1998-2022 does not show that lower yields usually require less fertilizer N than higher yields. We think that’s because the causes of lower yields, which are typically stress from having less available water at critical times, often affect root growth, and so may make it harder for plants to take up the N that is in the soil. If your plan was to apply a rate based on the Corn Nitrogen Rate Calculator (https://www.cornnratecalc.org) which is for corn after soybean and a N:Corn Price between 0.1 and 0.15, the rate is 160 to 181 pounds of N per acre then stay with that amount. If the plan was to apply more than that, then cutting back would be reasonable.
A final consideration is timing. Application systems that make late-season applications possible have become more common. Putting down a reasonable side-dress rate and then basing a later application on rainfall could be a reasonable strategy.
Cover crops would also be something to start looking at now. We know if the yield falls short of normal, we will have excess soil nitrogen left after the growing season. The edge of field studies conducted by USDA-ARS has shown we can recover a substantial amount of this residual N through a cover crop. Exploring available cost-share programs with NRCS and SWCD would be a reasonable way to retain that valuable N on your field for a future crop.
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Spring Weather & Soil Conditions: Update 7 (Final)
Soil Temperatures and Moisture
Air temperatures in Ohio ran 2-5°F below average over the last 7 days. In fact, locations across northwest and northeast Ohio fell below freezing on the morning of May 18th, with unofficial reports as low as 26°F in Sandusky County. Daily average soil temperatures cooled late last week with the colder temperatures but have rebounded back into the low 60s across the north and mid 60s for central and southern locations (Figure 1).
Two main paths of showers and storms dropped 1-2” of rain this past week over portions of west central to north central Ohio, as well as counties in eastern Ohio and along the Ohio River (Figure 2-left). Despite this rainfall, the western half of the Buckeye State is running 50-75% of normal precipitation over the last 30 days. Cool conditions have kept evaporation at a minimum however, and soil moisture remains adequate across the state (Figure 2-right). For more complete weather records for CFAES research stations, including temperature, precipitation, growing degree days, and other useful weather observations, please visit https://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weather1/.
Weather Forecast
High pressure will dominate the forecast this week, with very few opportunities for rain across the region. A few light scattered showers may brush the state on Tuesday, then again on Friday and Saturday with a passing system coming up the east coast. Most of the state will remain dry with only up to 0.10” expected for the southeastern half of the state (Figure 3). Temperatures will remain mild as well, with highs mostly in the 70s to low 80s and overnight lows in the 40s and 50s.
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Weather Update: January 2023 - A Month of Soil Moisture Recharge
Summary
Did it feel like winter was largely absent during January? If so, you are not alone, and we have the climate statistics to prove it. Figure 1 shows that much of the state will end the month with temperatures about 10°F above the long-term average (1991-2020). This places January 2023 in the top 5 warmest Januarys on record for many cities across the state. It was also a wet month, with precipitation running 125-200% of normal. Frequent systems, typical of the La Niña weather pattern we are in, helped recharge soil moisture and elevate stream flows across the state. With the lack of cold weather and wet conditions, muddy conditions are now being felt by many across Ohio.
Figure 1: (left) Departure from 1991-2020 normal temperatures and (right) percent of normal precipitation for January 2023. Figure courtesy of the Midwestern Regional Climate Center.
Forecast
This week will feature a much colder and overall drier pattern for Ohio. Chilly conditions will be in place for Tuesday and Wednesday with highs generally in the 20s and overnight lows in the teens. After a brief warm up into the 30s on Thursday, cold air will punch south again for Friday with highs only in the teens and 20s and overnight lows in the single digits and teens across the state. Another warm up is expected heading into the upcoming weekend. After a bit of wintry mix across southern counties on Tuesday, the next chance of rain and/or snow will arrive on Sunday. Overall, the Weather Prediction Center is currently forecasting less than 0.10” statewide over the next 7 days.
Figure 2). Precipitation forecast from the Weather Prediction Center for 7pm Monday January 30 – 7pm Monday February 6, 2022.
Heading into the second week in February, guidance from the Climate Prediction Center and the 16-Day Rainfall Outlook from NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center show temperatures and precipitation are likely to remain above average. Climate averages include a high-temperature range of 35-40°F, a low-temperature range of 18-23°F, and average weekly total precipitation of ~0.65 inches. February’s outlook is similar, with above normal temperatures and precipitation likely to stick around throughout the month with short periods of colder air.
Figure 3) Climate Prediction Center 8-14 Day Outlook valid for February 7 - 13, 2023, for left) temperatures and right) precipitation. Colors represent the probability of below, normal, or above normal conditions. -
Don't Miss Out on 2023 Soil Health Webinar Series
Join the OSU Extension Agronomic Crops Team 2023 Soil Health Webinar series for a Thursday morning series about soil health. You won’t want to miss out on this year’s line-up of farmers and academic experts covering a wide range of soil health topics as they dig below the surface to investigate new developments in soil health and soil management.
Featuring a variety of speakers from Ohio and beyond, all sessions are 8:00-9:00 a.m. with time for Q & A:
January 5, 2023. Precipitation & Management and their Effect on Soil Health by Dr. Peter Tomlinson, Kansas State University. Dr Tomlinson will examine the influence of precipitation and management including cover crops on soil health. CCA credits available: 1SW.
February 2, 2023. Know your Biologicals and What They Can (or Cannot) Do for You by Dr. Mark Licht, Iowa State University. Separate fact from fiction and learn about the types and potential applications of biological crop inputs. CCA credits available: 1SW.
March 2, 2023. Intercropping & Soil Health by Lucas Criswell, No-till Producer. Are you interested in relay cropping on your farm? Lucas Criswell will share his experience with relay cropping on his family’s operation in Lewisburg, PA. CCA credits available: 1NM.
March 30, 2023. Soil Health & Water Quality by Dr. Vinayak Shedekar, The Ohio State University & Dr. Will Osterholz, USDA-ARS. Learn more about the impacts of cover crops and no till systems on Ohio water quality. CCA credits available: 1SW.
There is no cost to attend these programs, but registration is required. Register at
1-hour of CCA CEU credits are available for each session. If you attend all four webinars, you will obtain 3 hours of credits for Soil and Health Management and 1 hour of Nutrient Management. CCA credits are only available to those attending the live webinar programs.
(OSU cannot grant credits for any recorded sessions).
All programs will be recorded, and recordings will be available to view on our YouTube channel. Past year’s Soil Health Webinar sessions can be viewed online here.
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Can We Get More Information From Our Soil Samples?
A soil test is a profitable investment to inform our nutrient management strategy. Some farms find value in increasing sampling frequency (every one to two years) and intensity with more samples per field (0.5 versus 2.5-acre grid). Another possible way to increase the value of soil sampling is to consider additional tests that can provide helpful management information. Some examples are soil health, soybean cyst nematode, and corn nematode testing.
Depending on the lab we use, some tests may be available by checking a box on the lab input form. Sample collection costs may be minimal if we need a separate sample for a specific analysis. For example, depending on how we collect the nutrient soil sample, we often collect more soil than what will fit in the lab bag. Rather than tossing the excess soil back in the field, we can put it in a second bag. If the soil volume is not enough to split for a second (or third) analysis, we can collect additional cores.
There is a wide range of available soil health measures. The Soil Health Institute did a broad ranging analysis of 30 soil health test. SHI recommends a minimal suite of three measurements to be widely applied across North America (and likely beyond). Those measurements include: 1) soil organic carbon concentration, 2) carbon mineralization potential, and 3) aggregate stability.
We have recently updated our guidelines for choosing a soil nutrient lab to include information on nutrient testing and soil health measures. Common nutrient and soil health terms are described. Plus, a listing of labs and services they offer is shown. Find the fact sheet at https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/anr-0107 The list here focuses on a few of the more common tests available from labs in our region.
- Active organic matter (POXC). Measures the portion of organic matter most likely to interact with plants and fertility.
- Solvita test. This soil respiration test measures the soil's biological activity.
- Haney test. This test measures how hospitable soil is for microbial life. Tests include measuring soil nutrients available to soil microbes, soil respiration (microbial breathing), water-soluble organic carbon, organic nitrogen, C:N ratios, and NO3, NH4, and other key nutrients. The results indicate the amount of food readily available to soil microbes and is sensitive to measuring root exudates and decomposed organic material.
- Bulk density and aggregate stability. These laboratory tests measure soil structure and compaction.
- Soil texture (or particle size analysis). A measurement of the amount of sand, silt, and clay in your soil, which dictates soil type.
Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) testing
Active management of Soybean Cyst Nematode (SCN) begins by knowing if you have the problem. Until the end of September (beginning of October for late planted soybean fields) you can scout fields and carefully dig out root to check for the presence of SCN. In addition, a composite soil sample will reveal the presence (or not) of SCN in your field, but most importantly, it will tell you the levels of SCN (Know your numbers!), which will help you select the best SCN management approach. You can collect soil sample for SCN test any time (i.e., in fall after harvest, spring before planting, or during the growing season).
As we mentioned above, the same composite sample collected for soil analysis can be divided into a subsample for SCN testing. Remember that nematodes are alive, and we want them alive until samples are processed. Therefore, samples must be protected from heat and direct exposure to sunlight until they are shipped to the lab. Find details about how to sample and where to send your SCN samples here.
Furthermore, with funding from Ohio Soybean Council and The SCN Coalition, growers may submit up to two soil samples to the Soybean Pathology and Nematology Lab, and we will test them for SCN free of charge.
Corn nematode testing
Several nematode species can negatively impact corn production (Fig. 1).
Sampling for corn nematodes is slightly different than sampling for SCN. For example, we do not recommend collecting samples for corn nematode analysis in the fall. We must sample during the growing season to determine the relationship between nematode levels and potential damage to corn. Only corn fields showing symptoms [chlorotic and stunted plants, swollen and poorly developed roots (Fig. 2), etc.], specially under nutrient availability, should be sampled for corn nematodes.
Samples can be collected when symptoms start appearing during the season. Up to corn growth stage V6, soil and root samples must be collected for corn nematode analysis. Collect a composite soil sample from the transition zone, the area between symptomatic/damaged plants and healthy ones. Using a shovel, collect plants with their roots from the transition zone. Place these roots in well-labeled plastic bags for shipping. Between corn growth stages V6 to R3, only composite soil samples should be collected. For corn growth stage R4 and beyond, we do not recommend sampling because the nematode levels are variable and not consistent with potential damage to corn. Keep in mind that nematode samples are alive, therefore, you must handle it carefully. To keep the nematodes alive, store your samples in a cool, dark place out of direct exposure to sunlight and ship them to the lab as quickly as possible.
Final considerations
Yield or past soil test results should drive sample area size decisions. A single sample should not represent more than 25 acres. Grid or zone sampling often results in zone sizes of two to twelve acres and target lime or nutrients to areas of greatest need. Sample depth should be consistent. For sample depth, our Tri-State Recommendations use an 8-inch sample core. Mark your probe at your selected depth. Throw out and take another sample core when cores are compacted in the probe. We like to blame the lab for bad samples, but we generally see more variability in the sample collection process than laboratory procedures for nutrient analysis. If you want more information on soil sample collection procedures, see the factsheet at https://go.osu.edu/soilsample .
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Soybean Diseases are Showing up in Ohio
In early August we recommended to start scouting fields for soybean diseases. At that time (two weeks ago), disease incidence across Ohio was very low to moderate. Conducive environmental conditions, however, are turning things around and more fields are developing disease symptoms.
Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS)
We are finding fields in Ohio severely affected by sudden death syndrome (SDS) [Fig.1 and Fig. 2]. SDS is caused by the fungal pathogen Fusarium virguliforme. This species is the most prevalent in the region, however, other Fusarium species can cause SDS. SDS above-ground symptoms can be confused with those produced by a different fungus (Cadophora gregata) that causes brown stem rot (BSR). To distinguish SDS from BSR, symptomatic plants should be dug out and stem cut open longitudinally. SDS-infected plants have white, healthy-looking pith, while BSR-infected plants present brown discoloration of the pith. Moreover, fields with severe SDS symptoms can also have high levels of soybean cyst nematode (SCN). Visit here for more information on SDS.
Figure 1. Soybean field in south Ohio severely affected by sudden death syndrome (SDS) with premature defoliation in the R5/R6 growth stage (A); symptoms begin with interveinal yellowing (chlorosis) of leaf (B); eventually leaf tissue dies and becomes brown but veins remain green (C). The fungus infects the root and produces toxins that are responsible for the above-ground symptoms.
Figure 2. Soybean roots affected by the sudden death syndrome (SDS) fungus. Note the light blue mass (A) of fungal spores (B) on soybean roots with SDS.
If you have SDS, we encourage you to submit a sample to the Soybean Pathology and Nematology Laboratory in the Department of Plant Pathology at The Ohio State University in Columbus (see address below). We will confirm if it is SDS or BSR; additionally, if it is SDS, we want to determine what Fusarium species is the causal agent. To submit samples, dig out three to five symptomatic plants (including roots), placed them in a plastic bag, and submit them to our lab. Do not hesitate to contact your extension educator or us if you have any questions.
Bacterial Blight, White Mold, and Phytophthora Root and Stem Rot
Recent rainstorms with high winds and lower temperatures favored the development of bacterial blight (caused by Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. glycinea) in different parts of Ohio (Fig. 3). Angular brown lesions surrounded by chlorotic halo appear first in the upper canopy. Visit here for more information about bacterial blight of soybean.
Figure 3. Upper to mid soybean canopy affected by bacterial blight in northcentral Ohio.
We are also finding more fields in Ohio with white mold, a fungal disease caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. To scout for this disease, we recommend walking soybean fields and looking in-between rows. A white fluffy mass of fungal mycelia will be observed in infected plants (Fig. 4). Black round sclerotia will be present amidst the white mycelia. Visit here for more information about scouting for white mold of soybean.
Figure 4. White mold of soybean in northeast (A, photo credit: Lee Beers) and south (B, photo credit: James Morris) Ohio. White, fluffy fungal mycelia (red circle) and sclerotia (yellow circle) on stem of infected soybean plants. Eventually, infected plants will wilt and die. Note how many soybean pods are lost when plants are affected by white mold compared to healthy plants (B).
We continue to receive samples with plants affected by Phytophthora root and stem rot. Commonly, these samples come from fields with poor drainage. Phytophthora root and stem rot can sometimes be confused with stem canker and white mold. You are welcome to submit samples to the Soybean Pathology and Nematology Lab for diagnosis. Visit here for more information about scouting for Phytophthora root and stem rot in soybean.
Frogeye Leaf Spot
We are finding frogeye leaf spot in our fungicide trials in north and south Ohio (Fig. 5). Frogeye leaf spot is caused by a fungal pathogen (Cercospora sojina) which can reduce yield if plants are severely affected between R3 to R5 soybean growth stage. We encourage growers to submit samples with frogeye leaf spot lesions to our lab. The fungus can develop resistance to fungicide, and we want to determine if these populations are present in Ohio. Best way to submit frogeye leaf spot samples to our lab is by placing symptomatic leaves in a plastic Ziploc bag and mail it to our lab as soon as possible. Keep samples in cool conditions and avoid exposure to sunlight and heat. Visit here for more information on frogeye leaf spot.
Figure 5. Frogeye leaf spot symptoms (A) in soybean plants at R3/R4 and R5 growth stage in north and south Ohio, respectively. Lesions (A) present conidiophores which produce conidia and look like whiskers (B). Spores (i.e., conidia) are club-shaped (C).
We can help diagnose soybean diseases with you!
You are welcome to submit your samples to the address below. Contact us if you have any questions. Send your samples to:
Soybean Pathology and Nematology Lab
Attn: Horacio Lopez-Nicora, Ph.D.
110 Kottman Hall
2021 Coffey Rd.
Columbus, Ohio 43210 -
All Puckered Up: Dicamba Drift Reminders
As in years past, we are hearing reports of soybean damage caused by off-target movement of plant growth regulator (PGR) herbicides. Off-target movement can be classified as primary or secondary. Primary herbicide movement takes place at the time of application, also referred to as particle drift. Nozzle type, droplet size, sprayer speed and other management factors affect particle drift, along with wind speed. Particle drift is not influenced by herbicide formulation. Plant injury from primary movement typically has a distinct pattern, often occurring along field edges closest to the treated field and becoming less noticeable farther from the source. Secondary herbicide movement occurs after the time of application and is often used in reference to vapor drift (volatility) or wind erosion. This source of off-target spread is extremely problematic and can be very difficult to predict. There is not always a tell-tale pattern of injury. The growth regulator herbicides 2,4-D and dicamba can be particularly volatile due to their chemical makeup and high vapor pressure. Formulation greatly affects the volatility of 2,4-D. Higher temperatures and lower humidity generally increase the potential for secondary movement of these herbicides. Contamination of shuttles or sprayers with a growth regulator is another source of injury. This can resemble off-target movement but is typically more uniform over the treated area. Injury from growth regulators often appears within 7 to 14 days following an off-target event or contaminated application. Symptoms of PGR (group 4 & 19) herbicide injury include leaf cupping, leaf strapping, epinasty (stem twisting), and plant stunting. Soybean tolerance to sublethal rates of these herbicides varies between the different active ingredients even within the same mode of action classification.
Soybean is extremely sensitive to dicamba, with injury symptoms occurring at rates as low as 1/20,000x of a labeled application rate. The introduction of crops tolerant to dicamba greatly increased use of this herbicide by allowing for POST applications later in the season. Newer dicamba formulations are purported to reduce the risk of secondary movement, but have not eliminated this. In 2021, there were 34 official reports of dicamba injury in Ohio, compared to 28 in 2017 (the first year for legal over the top applications). These reports likely underestimate actual damage to soybean, ornamental, horticultural and residential areas. Most instances of injury from off target movement are not reported. Typical dicamba injury includes leaf cupping with a white or yellow leaf tip and plant stunting, but there can be a wide range of symptoms.
PGR damage can also occur later in the season as a result of other dicamba products used in corn, such as DiFlexx, and Status (dicamba + diflufenzopyr; group 4 + 19). Other PGR’s such as clopyralid (group 4; Stinger) or Enlist One/Duo (group 4; 2,4-D) can cause injury similar in appearance. All of these herbicides can cause dicamba-like symptomology when used near sensitive soybean. Soybean sensitivity varies based on herbicide active ingredient. According to research at the University of Illinois, soybean sensitivity to PGR herbicides is as follows: dicamba > dicamba + diflufenzopyr > clopyralid > 2,4-D (see fact sheet #2). The addition of diflufenzopyr does not seem to increase injury to soybean relative to dicamba alone. Clopyralid injury can take place due to residue carryover or off-target movement. Clopyralid has a long half-life in the soil and risk of injury is increased in years with low rainfall. Typical PGR symptoms can occur following carryover or off-target movement of clopyralid, but injury may be less severe with more rapid recovery, compared with dicamba. Soybean is least sensitive to 2,4-D relative to the other PGR herbicides discussed. Whereas dicamba causes severe leaf cupping, 2,4-D tends to result in more leaf strapping (plant veins parallel) and callus formation on stems. Several years ago, OSU was involved in a multi-state study looking at dicamba and 2,4-D injury at various soybean growth stages. Injury from 2,4-D was occasionally undetectable, and higher rates were necessary to cause similar yield reduction that occurred with lower rates of dicamba (see fact sheet #3). Product and rate used, as well as weather conditions following off-target movement influence damage severity and yield potential.
Some speculation has occurred over the years about other sources that can cause injury that appears to be from PGRs. Leaf malformation (crinkling) can result from postemergence applications of acetochlor (Warrant). There is no evidence that AMS (ammonium sulfate), glufosinate (Liberty), or PPO inhibitors (Flexstar) cause the leaf cupping associated with plant growth regulator injury. We have also heard of dicamba-like symptoms (leaf cupping, spike-like appearance of upper soybean stem) following application of 2,4-D to Enlist soybeans. Per EPA guidelines, generic 2,4-D can have up to 250 ppm of dicamba contamination, and only 100 ppm are required to cause visible injury to soybean. Dicamba applications to tolerant soybean systems are not legal past the June 30 cutoff. Other potential sources of off-target injury can occur from PGR applications to ditches, pastures, lawns, and contaminated water movement.
Some fact sheets worth reviewing:
Bish M, Oseland E, Bradley K (2021) Off-target pesticide movement: a review of our current understanding of drift due to inversions and secondary movement. Weed Technol. 35: 345– 356. doi: 10.1017/wet.2020.138
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Recommendations for Soybeans Planted in June
According to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 36% of soybean acreage in Ohio was planted by May 22. As soybean planting continues into June, consider row spacing, seeding rate, and relative maturity adjustments.
Row spacing. The row spacing for June planting should be 7.5 to 15 inches, if possible. Row width should be narrow enough for the soybean canopy to completely cover the interrow space by the time the soybeans begin to flower. The later in the growing season soybeans are planted, the greater the yield increase due to narrow rows.
Seeding rate. Higher seeding rates are recommended for June plantings. Final (harvest) population for soybeans planted in June should be 130,000 to 150,000 plants/acre. (For May planting dates, a final stand of 100,000 to 120,000 plants/acre is generally adequate.)
Relative maturity. For June planting dates, select the latest maturing variety that will reach physiological maturity before the first killing frost. This is to allow the plants to grow vegetatively as long as possible to produce nodes where pods can form before vegetative growth is slowed due to flowering and pod formation. The recommended relative maturity ranges are shown in the table below.
Planting Date
Suitable Relative Maturity
Northern Ohio
June 1-15
3.2-3.8
June 15-30
3.1-3.5
July 1-10
3.0-3.3
Central Ohio
June 1-15
3.4-4.0
June 15-30
3.3-3.7
July 1-10
3.2-3.5
Southern Ohio
June 1-15
3.6-4.2
June 15-30
3.5-3.9
July 1-10
3.4-3.7
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Alite 27 – Residual Herbicide for GT27 Soybeans
Alite 27 is isoxaflutole (Balance Flexx) repackaged and labeled for preemergence use in LL-GT27 soybeans, minus the safener, cyprosulfamide, which protects corn from injury. The LL-GT27 soybean has resistance to glyphosate, glufosinate, and isoxaflutole, and is the only type of soybean that can be used with Alite 27. Isoxaflutole has been used as a residual herbicide in corn for quite a while, but mostly in Corvus now, where it’s combined with thiencarbazone and cyprosulfamide. While there are many residual premixes for soybeans that control/suppress grasses and broadleaf weeds, Alite 27 probably has a broader spectrum that any other single active ingredient product. Alite 27 can provide about 70% initial control of many annual grasses, and we rate it an 8 or 9 on most broadleaf weeds. It can provide about 60% initial control of burcucumber and giant ragweed (at least the early-season emergers). Many populations of common and giant ragweed in Ohio have at least some degree of resistance to site 2 herbicides (ALS inhibitors – chlorimuron, cloransulam, etc). This results in a complete lack of residual herbicide options for control of giant ragweed, and only flumioxazin for common ragweed. So – one of the fits for Alite 27 is to improve residual control of these ALS-resistant weeds, as long as the right soybean is being planted. We have conducted limited research to determine whether there’s a benefit to mixing Alite 27 with other residual herbicides, and determined it’s probably not necessary in many fields that are receiving an adequate follow up POST herbicide treatment. Adding another herbicide could help with resistance management and improve control of grasses and waterhemp.
Aside from being useful only in GT27 soybeans, the other catch is that Alite 27 is currently labeled for use only in certain Ohio counties. We don’t know the reason for this. These counties are: Allen, Auglaize, Belmont, Carroll, Columbiana, Crawford, Darke, Guernsey,Hancock, Harrison, Lake (are there soybeans here?), Mercer, Monroe, Morgan, Morrow, Muskingum, Noble, Preble, Richland, Shelby, Van Wert, Washington,Wyandot. For more info, check the weed control guide and the Alite 27 label.
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REMINDER: Join Us for the 2nd Annual Virtual Corn College and Soybean School
Due to popular demand, the AgCrops Team will host the 2nd annual virtual Corn College and Soybean School on February 15, 2022 from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM featuring your OSU Extension state specialists, including the new corn agronomist, Dr. Osler Ortez, and new soybean pathologist, Dr. Horacio Lopez-Nicora. CCA CEUs will be available during the live presentations (2.0 CM, 5.0 IPM, and 1.0 NM).
To register, please go to: http://go.osu.edu/cornsoy There is a $10 registration fee for this event, which goes directly to support OSU AgCrops Team activities. Presentations will be recorded and uploaded to the AgCrops Team YouTube channel after the event (https://www.youtube.com/c/OSUAgronomicCrops).
MORNING SESSION 9:00-noon
9:00-9:40 Laura Lindsey Soybean Management for 2022
9:50-10:30 Osler Ortez Corn Management for 2022
10:40-11:20 Horacio Lopez-Nicora Soybean Disease Management
11:20-noon Pierce Paul Corn Disease Management
AFTERNOON SESSION 1:00-4:00
1:00-1:40 Kelley Tilmon Soybean Insect Management
1:50-2:30 Andy Michel Corn Insect Management
2:40-3:20 Mark Loux Weed Management for Corn and Soybean
3:20-4:00 Steve Culman Meeting Nutrient Needs for Corn and Soybean
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Still a Big Window for Fall Herbicide Treatments
Many growers know the benefits of fall herbicide treatments, and like how fields look the following spring. We know that it’s not always possible to complete harvest and then still find the time, weather, or field conditions to get herbicides applied. This is just a reminder that we have a lot of time yet to apply herbicide this fall. In OSU weed science plots, we have typically applied most of our fall herbicides in early to mid November, but have occasionally applied into December and maintained effectiveness on winter annuals and dandelion. When we get a period of very cold weather in later November, there is typically a decline in dandelion and thistle (change from green to purplish) so that control decreases, but we seem to still control the winter annuals. So we should still have up to 6 weeks yet to apply herbicides, although we may be up against increasingly wet field conditions.
Following our previous article on fall herbicides, where we discussed how to proceed without glyphosate, we were told that 2,4-D prices have increased considerably, and supply may be short. There are apparently some ongoing adaptations of fall herbicide programs to minimize use of 2,4-D and glyphosate both, and we are getting questions about using dicamba as the base for treatments instead of 2,4-D. Among all of the herbicides we have used in fall, dicamba seems to be affected by cold weather the most and require considerable help from another herbicide to obtain comprehensive control. Some considerations based on our research:
- Do not apply dicamba alone – it won’t be effective enough and misses some key weeds (same can be said for 2,4-D which misses chickweed)
- When using dicamba as a base to mix with lower rates of 2,4-D or glyphosate, use a dicamba rate of at least 0.5 lb ai/A. In the mixtures mentioned below, use a rate between 0.25 and 0.5 lb ai/A, depending upon how effective the mix partner is.
- Mixtures of dicamba and metribuzin can be “good enough”. Our most typical mix has been 0.25 lb ai dicamba plus 0.38 lbs ai metribuzin. We have not tested mixtures of dicamba with simazine.
- We have tested mixtures of dicamba with some ALS inhibitors (Harmony Xtra and Express) in the fall in wheat, and they have worked well. We have not tested these combinations in the fall in a fallow situation but our assumption is that they will provide adequate control there as well. This would include combinations of dicamba with products containing tribenuron and/or rimsulfuron, or chlorimuron.
- In our research, we do not use adjuvants with dicamba/2,4-D. If they are mixed with glyphosate, we add AMS. Treatments containing metribuzin, simazine, and the ALS inhibitors are usually applied with crop oil concentrate.
Different topic – the shortage or anticipated shortage of various products has caused some growers to buy and take possession of herbicide this fall, including filled shuttles, for use next spring (maybe this is a common practice for some growers – we don’t follow how herbicide moves around). Be sure to know the storage requirements for situations like this – minimum temperature, etc. Also be aware that changes in the product – separation or settling out of certain components – can occur over time, and there may be recommended procedures to prevent this or restore the integrity of product at the end of long storage. Check with manufacturer and distributor representatives for the appropriate information.
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Prevent Combine Fires During Fall Harvest
Autumn weather conditions have led to an increase in combine fires. Two recommendations to prevent injuries and property damage include: preventative maintenance and pre-planning for fire emergencies.
Ohio ranks fourth in the nation for combine fires. Other states leading the list include Minnesota (1st), Iowa (2nd), Illinois (3rd), Kansas (5th), Nebraska (6th) and South Dakota (7th).
The majority of harvester fires start in the engine compartment. Contributing factors for heat sources include faulty wiring, over-heated bearings, leaking fuel or hydraulic oil. The dry crop residue makes a ready source for rapid combustion to occur when the machine is operated in the field. Birds and wildlife are known to make nests in the engine compartment or exhaust manifolds – which can add fuel sources for unsuspecting combine operators.
TIPS TO PREVENT COMBINE FIRES INCLUDE:
- Have a daily maintenance plan during the harvest period. Keeping machinery well maintained plays a large role in preventing fires from these sources. Cleaning up spills, blowing off chaff, leaves, and other plant materials on a regular basis, proper lubrication of bearings/chains, and checking electrical connections should be part of the daily routine. Farmers may choose to do their daily maintenance in the morning while waiting for the dew to burn off the crops. However, performing maintenance at night will highlight any hot-spots or smoldering areas as the machine is cooling down. Removing chaff at the end of the day will reduce the amount of debris available to spark a fire.
- Eliminate static electricity. A chain may also be mounted on the bottom of the machine to drag on the ground while in the field. This decreases the buildup of static electricity.
IF A FIRE BREAKS OUT, IT’S IMPORTANT TO HAVE AN EMERGENCY PLAN IN PLACE:
- Call 911 or your local first responders at the first sign of a fire. Don’t wait to know if you can contain a fire yourself, rapid response is important to saving valuable equipment. Combine fires are often in remote locations where a specific address may not be available and access is limited. Emergency response times will be longer in these situations.
- Have (2) ABC fire extinguishers mounted on the combine. A 10-pound ABC dry chemical fire extinguisher in the cab or near the ladder of the cab is quick access to protect the operator. A second extinguisher (20-pound ABC) is recommended to be mounted on the outside of combines where it is accessible from the ground. It’s possible that one unit will extinguish a small fire; having the second unit will help with any additional flare-ups. Don’t forget to check that the extinguishers are fully charged at the beginning of the season. Not having extinguishers ready when needed leads to a helpless feeling of watching one of your most expensive pieces of equipment go up in flames.
- Have a water truck positioned by the field. Hot mufflers and catalytic converters from other vehicles driving in the field can pose a risk to the dry field fodder. Smoldering materials may go by 15 to 30 minutes before being noticed. A small gust of wind could rapidly turn that smoldering into a fire. In extreme dry conditions, a water truck may help protect against field fires. Never use water on fires that are electrical or fuel-sourced.
- Have an emergency plan in place and discuss it with the other workers or family members. Knowing what to do in the event of a fire emergency is important. Knowing the address to the field and how to contact fire departments directly instead of through the 911 system are important safety conversations for the entire harvest crew.
Don’t get caught thinking it can never happen on your farm. Take preventative action and be prepared.
Dee Jepsen, Extension State Safety Leader, can be reached at 614-292-6008 or jepsen.4@osu.edu. Wayne Dellinger, ANR Educator Union County, can be reached at 937-644-8117 or dellinger.6@osu.edu.
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Potato Leafhoppers Have Arrived in an Alfalfa Field Near You
Potato leafhopper adults have been observed in alfalfa fields in Ohio. These adults have likely begun laying eggs, and it only takes about 3 weeks for these eggs to hatch into nymphs and develop into adults. Populations of PLH will begin increasing. The second and third crops of alfalfa each year are the most vulnerable to this serious insect pest.
Growers should begin scouting their alfalfa fields now within the first two weeks after the first harvest. New spring seedings of alfalfa must be checked regularly, as they can be extremely damaged by relatively low numbers of PLH. Action thresholds can be exceeded very quickly in these slow-growing new stands. Once damaged, PLH can impact their growth for the rest of the year. The PLH can also reduce root growth and development in the seeding year that might impact the alfalfa yield potential in future years.
Proper scouting must be done with a standard-sized sweep net. For a video on scouting techniques visit: https://forages.osu.edu/video/scouting-potato-leafhopper-alfalfa
If alfalfa is more than seven days from a cut and plants are under normal stress, a good rule of thumb for an action threshold for treatment is when the number of PLH (nymphs+adults) in a 10-sweep set is equal to or greater than the height of the alfalfa. For example, if the alfalfa is 10 inches tall, and the average number of PLH per sample is 10 or higher, treatment is warranted. If the average is nine or lower, the grower should come back within a few days to see if the population is continuing to increase (treatment warranted), staying the same (come back again in a few days), or declining (treatment not warranted). Vigorous alfalfa can tolerate higher numbers, and stressed alfalfa can tolerate fewer, so you may need to adjust your action threshold based on the condition of the alfalfa.
For a video with detail on damage, ID, and control options visit: https://forages.osu.edu/video/potato-leafhopper-identification-and-damage-alfalfa
Ohio State University Extension’s factsheet on potato leafhopper in alfalfa is at: https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/ENT-33
An excellent resource for other forage-related questions is the OSU Extension’s Forage Page at: https://forages.osu.edu/home
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Head Scab Risk Low
According to the FHB forecasting system (http://www.wheatscab.psu.edu/), the risk for head scab is low across the state of Ohio for wheat flowering (anthesis) today, May 24, and over the next three days. Although temperatures have increased over the last few days, it has been very dry across most of the state where is crop is between full head emergence and early anthesis (flowering). Infrequent rainfall and low relative humidity between heading and early grain fill usually reduce the risk for scab, as the disease develops best under warm, wet, or humid conditions. However, do keep your eyes on the weather and the forecasting system as the crop continues to go through the anthesis growth stage over the next several days. The forecast is for cooler temperatures and average rainfall over the next week, with a few scattered and isolated showers between Wednesday and Saturday. If the weather turns wet and humid in your area over the next few weeks, the risk for scab and vomitoxin contamination of grain will increase. You may need to consider applying Prosaro, Caramba, or Miravis Ace, but remember, these fungicides are most effective against head scab when they are applied at or a few days after anthesis. Click on the links below for more details on fungicide efficacy and application for head scab control:
https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2020-13/managing-head-scab-fungicides-qa
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Warmer Weather, Finally!
As recently as last Wednesday and Thursday (May 13-14), some locations across Ohio had morning lows dipping down to near or below freezing (Figure 1). This follows numerous frost and freeze events since mid-April that led to reports of damage to vegetables, tree fruit, and certain grape varieties, and some minor leaf-tip damage to wheat and alfalfa. For more information on recent climate conditions, check out the weekly Hydro-Climate Assessment from the State Climate Office of Ohio.
Figure 1: Morning lows on left) May 13, 2020 and right) May 14, 2020. Figures courtesy of the Midwest Regional Climate Center (https://mrcc.illinois.edu).
But it seems as though we have turned a corner on this cool weather; after all, June is fast approaching and there is still some work to be done. Will the weather cooperate?
Unfortunately, we have a slow-moving system and weak cold front this week that is already providing a focal point for numerous showers and storms across the state. Tropical Storm Arthur, moving up the U.S. east coast, is slowing the progression of this system, with expected lingering showers throughout the week across the region. Heavy rain and some flooding are possible, especially over portions of western and southern Ohio, where 2-4 inches of rain are expected with locally heavier amounts (Figure 2). This is well above the 1 inch per week we typically see this time of year. Lighter amounts are forecast for northeast Ohio.
Figure 2: Forecast precipitation for the next 7 days. Valid from 8am Monday May 18, 2020 through 8 am Monday May 25, 2020. Figure from the Weather Prediction Center https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/).
Temperatures are likely to cool a bit behind the cold front on Tuesday and Wednesday, with highs below average in the 50s and 60s. A moderating trend in temperatures is likely by the weekend, with highs returning to the 70s and 80s. This may also bring some scattered thunderstorm activity.
The latest NOAA/NWS/Climate Prediction Center outlook for the 6-10 day period (May 24-28) shows a strong likelihood for above average temperatures with slightly elevated probability for above average precipitation (Figure 3). Normal highs during the period should be in the low to mid-70s (north to south) with overnight lows in the upper 40s to mid-50s and about 0.9-1.10” of precipitation per week. The 16-Day Rainfall Outlook from NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center reflects well above average precipitation over the next couple of weeks, largely a reflection of this week’s wet weather.
Figure 3: Climate Prediction Center 6-10 Day Outlook valid for May 24-28, 2020 for left) temperatures and right) precipitation. Colors represent the probability of below, normal, or above normal conditions.
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Register for Certified Livestock Manager Training
The 2020 Certified Livestock Manager (CLM) training will be on Thursday February 27th and Friday February 28th at the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s (ODA) Reynoldsburg campus.
The first day of the training session will focus on core topics related to ODA rules, basic nutrient management practices, manure application practices, and water quality. The second day will focus on agricultural policy, livestock management, university research on nutrient movement from agricultural fields, and livestock economics.
A Certified Livestock Manager (CLM) certification is required for any of the following:
- For a Major Concentrated Animal Feeding Facility (MCAFF) with 10,000 or more cattle; 7,000 or more mature dairy cattle; 10,000 or more veal calves; 25,000 swine over 55 lbs. or 100,000 swine under 55 lbs.; 550,000 or more turkeys, or 820,000 laying hens with other than a liquid manure system. Other requirements for a CLM are in Section 903.07 of the Oho Revised Code and Rule 901:10-1-06 of the Ohio Administrative Code.
- For a person who is a livestock manure broker that buys, sells or land applies more than 4,500 dry tons per year or 25 million gallons of liquid manure, or its equivalent.
- For any person who is livestock manure applicator who land applies and transports more than 4,500 dry tons per year, or 25 million gallons of liquid manure, or its equivalent.
Registration for the 2020 ODA Certified Livestock Manager training is now open. You can find the registration form and training details on the ODA website by clicking this link: https://agri.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/oda/divisions/livestock-environmental-permitting/forms/2020%2Boda%2Bclm%2Btraining
In order to obtain or maintain the CLM certification, an individual is required to have at least 10 hours of training every three years. These training hours are called continuing education units (CEUs).
The Midwest Professional Nutrient Applicators Association (MPNAA), the association that represents the interests of Ohio manure applicators, will be having a meeting on Thursday February 27th at the end of ODA program. The group will then have their annual dinner at City BBQ in Reynoldsburg immediately afterwards. They are always open to new members.
For any questions related to registration, please contact Nancy Cunningham at 614-728-6356 or nancy.cunningham@agri.ohio.gov.
- For a Major Concentrated Animal Feeding Facility (MCAFF) with 10,000 or more cattle; 7,000 or more mature dairy cattle; 10,000 or more veal calves; 25,000 swine over 55 lbs. or 100,000 swine under 55 lbs.; 550,000 or more turkeys, or 820,000 laying hens with other than a liquid manure system. Other requirements for a CLM are in Section 903.07 of the Oho Revised Code and Rule 901:10-1-06 of the Ohio Administrative Code.
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Considerations for Stored Seed
Additional authors: Andrew Evans, OSU Horticulture & Crop Science and John Armstrong, Ohio Seed Improvement Association
2019 was full of challenges, including what to do with purchased seed that did not get planted. If the purchased seed was not returned and was stored with intent to use it in the 2020 season, producers should consider re-testing the seed lots for germination and possibly add a seed vigor test to help make planting decisions for 2020. Most seed germination percentages on a seed tag for agricultural seeds (like corn and soybeans) are valid for 12 months from the last date of the month in which they were completed, with the exception being cool season grasses which are valid for 15 months beyond the month of testing (Ohio Revised Code, Chapter 907.07).
Table 1. Change in germination over time for five corn and five soybean seed lots stored in a non-conditioned warehouse.
Crop
Lot
Period of open storage (months)
0
6
12
Germination (%)
Corn
A
98
97
94
B
96
96
88
C
98
97
90
D
98
97
44
E
96
94
22
Soybean
A
86
87
81
B
94
90
80
C
90
84
74
D
88
77
44
E
86
56
12
Seed quality is key to establishing a good crop, with major components of quality being genetic quality, physical purity (% other crops, % inert, and % weeds), and physiological quality (seed germination and vigor). Over time the physiological quality of a seed lot can change, especially as a result of its storage environment. Storing seed where the temperature (in degrees F) plus the % relative humidity are less than 100 (Harrington’s rule) helps to minimize the rate of seed deterioration (or loss in germination and vigor). However, in non-conditioned storage conditions viability may vary dramatically after 12 months with different seed lots that had similar initial germination rates (Table 1).
Seed germination is an important consideration for determining seeding rate to ensure the critical final stand for yield is achieved for crops like corn and soybeans. Check the seed tag for both the date of the test as well as the germination when planning seeding rates. This percentage is usually derived from the results of a standard warm germination test, which often assesses seed germination under optimal conditions (warm moist temperatures). To determine a seeding rate for a targeted harvest population (e.g. 32,000 plants/ac for corn), then divide your harvest population by the germination (e.g., 95%) as a decimal. In this example, 33,684 seeds/acre (32,000/0.95) would need to be planted to achieve the desired harvest population given an 95% germination rate.
A seed vigor test can provide further insight into how a seed lot may perform in the field under stressful conditions compared to other seed lots. This information could help producers plan for what lots should be planted early vs. later, as well as positioning fields that are typically more stressful for seedlings. A higher vigor score is usually more tolerant of adverse conditions than a lot with a lower vigor score. These can be used on carry over seed lots, but also can be conducted on new seed lots prior to planting.
Common seedling vigor tests include a cold test (cold moist soil) or a saturated cold test (cold moist soil conditions plus embryo is placed directly into soil). The cold test and saturated cold test provide insight into germination of a seed lot under cool conditions common to April planting dates. The cold test uses of cool moist conditions with the addition of soil, and can be conducted using rolled towels or shallow trays. The saturated cold test is a more standardized version of the cold test that uses sieved soil, the soil contains more water content (lower oxygen content as well), and places the embryo directly into the cold wet soil. The accelerated aging test helps estimate longevity of seed in storage, and has been related to field emergence and stand establishment. The seeds in this test are exposed to a short period of high heat and humidity conditions (ex: 2-3 days, 105 degrees F, 100% relative humidity) before a standard germination test is conducted. Others, such as a seedling growth rate test, can provide insight into germination as well as the amount of energy storage reserves in the seeds.
The recommendation for sampling a specific seed lot for testing is that a sample should be collected from 5 bags plus 10% of the remaining bags for that lot to ensure a representative sample. Please look to the NCR bulletin 403 - Seed Lot Sampling for more specific guidelines (https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/fss/seed-increase-program/seed-lot-sampling-ncr-bulletin-403).
Source:
J.C. Delouche and C.C. Baskin. 1973. Seed Science and Technology 1:427-452.
A.D. Knapp, T.J. Gutormson, and M.K. Misra. 1991. Seed Lot Sampling. Northcentral Region Extension Bulletin 403.
Seed Vigor Testing Handbook. 2002. Association of Official Seed Analysts.
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Stalk Quality Concerns
2019 may be an especially challenging year for corn stalk quality in Ohio. Stress conditions increase the potential for stalk rot that often leads to stalk lodging (Fig. 1). This year persistent rains through June caused unprecedented planting delays. Saturated soils resulted in shallow root systems. Corn plantings in wet soils often resulted in surface and in-furrow compaction further restricting root growth. Since July, limited rainfall in much of the state has stressed corn and marginal root systems have predisposed corn to greater water stress.
Corn stalk rot, and consequently, lodging, are the results of several different but interrelated factors. The actual disease, stalk rot, is caused by one or more of several fungi capable of colonizing and disintegrating of the inner tissues of the stalk (Fig. 2). The most common members of the stalk rot complex are Gibberella zeae, Colletotrichum graminicola, Stenocarpella maydis and members of the genus Fusarium.
The extent to which these fungi infect and cause stalk rot depends on the health of the plant. In general, severely stressed plants are more greatly affected by stalk rot than stress-free plants.
When corn is subjected to stress (due to weather, esp. drought, foliar diseases or insects) during grain fill, photosynthetic activity is reduced. As a result, the carbohydrate levels available for the developing ear are insufficient. The corn plant responds to this situation by removing carbohydrates from the leaves, stalk, and roots to the developing ear. While this "cannibalization" process ensures a supply of carbohydrates for the developing ear, the removal of carbohydrates results in premature death of pith cells in the stalk and root tissues, which predisposes plants to root and stalk infection by fungi.
The stalk rot fungi typically survive in corn residue on the soil surface and invade the base of the corn stalk either directly or through wounds made by corn borers, hail, or mechanical injury. Occasionally, fungal invasion occurs at nodes above ground or behind the leaf sheath. The plant tissue is usually resistant to fungal colonization up to silking, after which the fungus spreads from the roots to the stalks. When diseased stalks are split, the pith is usually discolored and shows signs of disintegration. As the pith disintegrates, it separates from the rind and the stalk becomes a hollow tube-like structure. Destruction of the internal stalk tissue by fungi predisposes the plant to lodging.
The presence of stalk rots in corn may not always result in stalk lodging, especially if the affected crop is harvested promptly. It is not uncommon to walk corn fields where nearly every plant is upright yet nearly every plant is also showing stalk rot symptoms! Many hybrids have excellent rind strength, which contributes to plant standability even when the internal plant tissue has rotted or started to rot. However, strong rinds will not prevent lodging if harvest is delayed and the crop is subjected to weathering, e.g. strong winds and heavy rains.
Nothing can be done about stalk rots at this stage; however, growers can minimize yield and quality losses associated with lodging by harvesting fields with stalk rot problems as early as possible. Scout fields early for visual symptoms of stalk rot and use the "squeeze test" to assess the potential for lodging. Since stalk rots affect stalk integrity, one or more of the inner nodes can easily be compressed when the stalk is squeezed between the thumb and the forefinger. The "push" test is another way to predict lodging. Push the stalks at the ear level, 6 to 8 inches from the vertical. If the stalk breaks between the ear and the lowest node, stalk rot is usually present. To minimize stalk rot damage, harvest promptly after physiological maturity. Harvest delays will increase the risk of stalk lodging and grain yield losses and slowdown the harvest operation. Since the level of stalk rot varies from field to field and hybrids vary in their stalk strength and susceptibility to stalk rot, each field should be scouted separately.
Some of the same stress conditions promoting stalk rots may also be affecting the integrity of corn ear shanks. Corn ears usually remain erect on plants prior to physiological maturity (black layer). Ear “drooping” (Fig. 3) occurs when shanks have collapsed or crimped. In such ears, the milkline is still evident (Fig. 4). This year drooping ears are evident in many fields, which have experienced late season drought stress. According to Dr. Bob Nielsen at Purdue University, this crimping of the shank (Fig. 5) suggests a loss of turgidity in the ear shank due to stress, possibly combined with some cannibalization of the ear shank similar to what occurs when the carbohydrates of the main stalk are cannibalized in response to severe stress (https://extension.entm.purdue.edu/newsletters/pestandcrop/article/do-you...). If droopy ears have not yet reached physiological maturity, collapsed ear shanks may cause kernels to black layer prematurely, which reduces grain yield.
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Harvesting Late Planted Corn for Silage
We have some very late planted corn this year that will be harvested for silage. Some of this corn was planted early enough to produce grain and will reach normal stages of maturity for silage harvest before a frost. The normal maturity stage for full-eared corn when the whole-plant dry matter content is correct for direct chopping and ensiling (32-36% dry matter, 64-68% moisture) usually occurs shortly after the corn kernels are fully dented and the milk line is in the upper half of the kernel.
But some corn was planted so late this year that pollination will not occur, and the stalks will be barren of grain. Other corn plantings will produce ears but will not reach the proper dry matter content in the dent stage before a frost. How should these two cases be managed? Joe Lauer, Extension Corn Specialist at the University of Wisconsin, addresses these scenarios in detail in the references listed at the bottom of this article, and are available online. Other references listed provide additional details that apply to these conditions. Below are a few salient points taken from these references.
- Corn producing ears with grain has two peaks in forage quality, with the first occurring at pollination (tassling/silking); however, whole plant moisture is too high at this stage for direct chopping and ensiling. After pollination, forage quality of the whole plant decreases until grain content increases sufficiently to begin offsetting the forage quality decline of the forage portion of the corn crop. Forage quality improves with increasing grain fill until reaching the second peak of forage quality, which occurs just after the grain kernels are fully dented and the milk line is about halfway down the kernel.
- The median frost date in Ohio ranges from October 10 in the northwest to October 20 in southern Ohio and near Lake Erie and the Cleveland area (Ohio Agronomy Guide, 15th edition).
- In Ohio, corn kernels will reach the dough stage 24 to 28 days after tasseling/silking (Ohio Agronomy Guide, 15th edition). If corn plants are severely frosted before dough stage, the whole plant moisture will seldom drop enough to reach acceptable levels for proper fermentation before the plants rot in the field. Therefore, if it is anticipated that corn will NOT reach dough stage before a killing frost (consider median frost dates and current predictions of first frost date) then it is advisable to cut the corn with a mower earlier and wilt it in the field to the dry matter content that ensures good fermentation (see accompanying article in this newsletter “Wilting Corn Silage Before Ensiling”).
- If frost occurs in the dough stage (at least 24 to 28 days after tasseling) but prior to 50% milk line in the dent stage (45 to 52 days after tasseling), then the crop should be allowed to field-dry until whole-plant moisture drops to 64 to 68% (see accompanying article “Harvesting Immature Corn as Silage”). The more mature the kernel is prior to frost, the lower the whole plant moisture will be and the shorter the drying period necessary. Be sure to test moisture content before chopping.
- Cutting height can also be raised to achieve drier forage, but this occurs at the expense of yield. Based on a meta-analysis of multiple published studies, researchers at the University of Florida (Paula et al., 2019) concluded that a 12-inch increase in cutting height of corn silage would increase the dry matter percentage of the silage by 2.5 – 3.0 units, but decrease forage yield by 0.7 tons/acre (on dry matter basis, not as-fed). The 12-inch cutting height increase caused forage quality to be improved (milk production per ton of silage increased) but milk production per acre of land decreased because of the lower forage yield.
- Forage yield and quality of barren and poorly pollinated corn was evaluated in Wisconsin and provides useful information for what to expect with varying degrees of barrenness (see reference article below “Yield and Quality of July Planted Corn”). The planting date and timing of a killing frost will have a big effect, especially on forage yield achieved.
References:
- Lauer, J. 2019. The “Normal” Pattern of Corn Forage and Grain Development. University of Wisconsin Agronomy Advice, Field Crops 28.5-132. Available at http://wisccorn.blogspot.com/2019/08/B105.html.
- Lauer, J. 2019. Yield and Quality of July Planted Corn. University of Wisconsin Agronomy Advice, Field Crops. University of Wisconsin Agronomy Advice, Field Crops 28.47-134. Available at http://wisccorn.blogspot.com/2019/08/B106.html.
- Carter, P.R. and O.B. Hesterman. 1990. Handling Corn Damaged by Autumn Frost. National Corn Handbook NCH-57.
- Paula, E.M., B.A. Saylor, J. Goeser, and L.F. Ferraretto. 2019. Influence of cutting height on nutrient composition and yield of whole-plant corn silage through a meta-analysis. J. Dairy Science Vol. 102, Suppl. 1, page 104.
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What to do about Nitrogen Fertilizer in Corn?
The persistent rain this year may force many growers to sidedress their nitrogen in corn much later than what is considered normal. Other growers may be supplementing their earlier N applications to replace N lost from denitrification and leaching. The following are some suggestions based on common questions we’ve been hearing.
Do I need additional N?
Nitrogen is one the most dynamic crop nutrients in the soil and has many pathways for loss. It’s leaky nature plus the fact that crops need it in such large quantities makes the task of knowing exactly how much N to apply very challenging. The excessive water this spring has clearly driven losses in many fields, but how much? Recent research at Ohio State has shown that ear leaf N, soil nitrate and grain yields were significantly reduced after just 2 days of standing water in the field. So N losses can occur quickly with excessive water.
What tools can help me determine if I need additional N?
A perfect indicator of N need does not exist, but some tools can help. Crop sensing tools like NDVI meters or crop sensing aerial imagery can provide insight if they are used routinely. Soil-based tests can also monitor N availability. Soil nitrate is the most widely-available and vetted test. A value of 25 ppm or higher indicates that there is sufficient N. More information can be found here: https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2017-20/manure-psnt-and-n-recommendations Ongoing research at Ohio State is looking to develop soil health indicators that can provide insight into how much N will be available over the growing season.
How late can N be applied?
Corn typically takes up less than 1 pound/ acre of N before the V4 stage, but N uptake rates will increase dramatically through tasseling. N uptake does continue beyond tasseling and into grain fill, but at much lower rates. Research at Ohio State and Purdue has shown that if sidedress applications are not made due to saturated conditions, rescue N fertilizer applications can increase yields and reduce the negative impact of flooding. Note these responses are much more likely to occur in fields that had high N loss conditions (excessive water).
How much N should be applied?
This is a difficult question to answer, it’s important to keep in mind that yield potential of corn can be severely restricted by excessive stress in the early phases. But corn that has simply grown too tall to sidedress might not have been severely stressed and yield potential could still be good. The potential of N loss and the extent of stress should be considered when determining N rates. It’s also important to consider the likelihood of economic return to invested N fertilizer. This economic model is used to maximize farmer profitability: http://go.osu.edu/corn-n-rateWhat is the best N source to use?
This choice will likely be driven by application equipment, but best practices for minimizing N losses should be considered and practiced if at all possible. Consider that N losses can increase as the growing season progresses and soil and air temperatures rise. For example, if broadcasting with urea, consider a stabilizer such as Agrotain to minimize volatilization losses.
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Western ARS Agronomy Field Day, Wednesday July 17, 2019
The Western Agricultural Research Station Agronomy Field Day will be held July 17th. The station is mostly planted but everything went in on the edge – as you saw it on your farm too. Hear our researchers thoughts and recommendations on how to manage this interesting season.
A couple of items we will walk through are:
- A herbicide mode of action demo – you will get a chance to walk through the crop and weed screen with Mark and Tony to see what kills what these days – it’s not as easy as it was twenty years ago!
- A cover crop and emergency summer forage demonstration. Hear Rory talk through options and share the economic value of the choices.
Held at the OSU Western Agricultural Research Station at 7721 South Charleston Pike, South Charleston (https://oardc.osu.edu/facility/western-agricultural-research-station)
Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. and the event will start promptly at 9:00 a.m.
Topics planned, subject to change with the concerns and problems of the growing season:
- 9:00 Corn Row Width – Technology vs. Agronomy – John Fulton, Alex Lindsey
- 9:45 Organic matter, what’s the difference
- Organic Matter Measurements on the Go? – Alex Lindsey
- Long Term Tillage Continuous Corn Trials – Steve Culman
- 10:30 Grow it, Kill it
- Cover Crops and Forages – Rory Lewandowski
- Herbicide Mode of Action Demo – Mark Loux, Tony Dobbels
- Grow local - Hops, Barley & Ohio Beer
- 12:00 Lunch
- 1:00 Barley and Double Crop Soybeans – Laura Lindsey
- 1:45 Delayed planting impacts
- Corn & Soybean Diseases – Pierce Paul
- Stinkbugs and hole punchers – Kelley Tilmon
- 3:00 Thank you, safe trip home
Cost is free and is open to the public; lunch provided. But please tell us you are coming. Please RSVP to Joe Davlin at 937-462-8016, or davlin.1@osu.edu, or Harold Watters at 937-604-2415, or watters.35@osu.edu by July 12, 2019. Flyer
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Mid to Late June Prevented Planting Decisions
Consistent rains across Ohio and the Corn Belt continue to delay planting progress as the June 17 USDA Planting Progress report showed that 68% of intended corn acres and 50% of intended soybean acres have been planted in Ohio. Nationwide, roughly 27 million acres of corn and soybeans will either be planted or filed under prevented planting insurance. Across Ohio, the Final Plant Date (FPD) for soybeans is June 20. Soybeans can be planted after the FPD, but a one percent reduction in the insurance guarantee occurs. This brief article outlines economic considerations for soybean prevented planting under three scenarios: planting soybeans on corn acres, planting soybeans late, and taking prevent plant soybeans. There are three sections to this article: a brief market update on corn and soybeans, a policy update on Market Facilitation Payments, and then finally the scenarios listed above. This article contains the best information available as of release, but conditions may change. Farmers should check with their crop insurance agents when making prevented planting decisions. OSU Extension is not an authorizing body of federal crop insurance policies.
Market Update
The World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates released on June 11, 2019, provided a mixed bag of news for corn prices, but the bullish factors outweighed the bearish factors and the December futures price increased 15 cents by market close. The Outlook Board lowered acreage 3 million acres reflective of relative returns from prevent plant and revenue over variable costs. However, the 10 bu. /acre drop in the national yield, reflective of the late planting across the Corn-Belt, provided possibly the biggest shock to the corn market. Most analysists had a decrease in final yield, but few expected a 10-bushel decrease down to 166 bushels per acre in the June WASDE- a month that rarely sees a decrease in yield given the length of season left. The market seems to have now figured in a yield decline and a reduction of 5-7 million acres. Further declines in yield during the growing season and increases in prevented planting acres favor price increases heading into fall. However, these are still largely unknown factors and market softness could happen as well.
The mixed bag continued with bearish signals in the corn balance sheet- corn exports continue to weaken on large to near record production quantities in Southern Hemisphere and currency exchange rates working against U.S. grain sellers. Strong yields in South America and the price differential may significantly reduce U.S. corn exports. Higher prices and lower production in the U.S. reduce the availability of corn for feed use. U.S. corn exports and corn for feed use estimates were collectively lowered 425 million bushels. The U.S. corn ending stocks to use ratio is lowered to 11.8%, the lowest ratio since the 9.2% experienced during the 2013/14 marketing year. Market increases in the fall of 2019 provide opportunities for producers to market multiple years’ worth of grain at profitable prices.
The soybean balance sheet continues to show market softness with no change in acreage or yield. The March Planting Intentions Report had already lowered soybean acres 4.6 million earlier in the year to 84.6 million acres and planting challenges for corn potentially have shifted some intended corn acres to soybeans. With a couple more weeks to go in the soybean-planting window, final soybean acreage is far from known. However, soybean ending stocks topped the 1 billion bushel mark- an emotional mark for soybean prices. U.S. soybean exports continue to struggle with lower world demand and competitive prices. The U.S. soybean beginning stocks for 2019/2020 were increased on softness in soybean export estimates for the end of 2018/2019. The reduced planting intentions earlier in the year and some switching from corn acreage could mean there is little price rally in a moderate reduction in soybean acreage or yield. An increase in soybean acreage would provide another bearish signal to an already soft market. While an increase in soybean acreage might sound crazy given current planting conditions, the current acreage count was already lowered in March.
Policy Update
A USDA issued press release on June 10th provided some details of the announced trade package.
- The 2019 Market Facilitation Program (MFP) payments will be made on a planted acre basis and the rates will be calculated for each county. The rates were not released. All eligible crops in a county will receive the same payment.
- If a cover crop is planted and that cover crop has the potential to be harvested, then that cover crop will be eligible for a minimum MFP payment- providing a way to get an MFP payment on prevented plant acres. The definition of a harvestable cover crop was not defined. This payment is not included in the examples below there is no way to know the size of this payment.
- The disaster assistance in the “Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act of 2019” will be eligible for Secretarial or Presidential declared disaster areas. On June 14, Governor DeWine sent a letter to Secretary Purdue requesting a disaster deceleration request for Ohio. The additional assistance could increase the prevented planting payment value, but the press release indicated a modest increase. The Disaster Bill passed by Congress and signed by President Trump also allows for the use of the higher of the projected price or the harvest price for the targeted areas. Because it is unknown which or if any areas will be included in the disaster aid bill, there is not the inclusion of changes in prevented payments in the examples below.
Acres intended to be planted to Corn
The corn FPD for full crop insurance purposes in Ohio was June 5. Producers could still plant corn in Ohio at a reduced crop insurance guarantee of 1% per day after the FPD or they could take a prevented planting indemnity on Revenue Insurance (RP), Yield Insurance (YP) or other Common Crop Insurance Policies (COMBO). Producers have 4 options available for intended corn acres:
- Plant corn
- Take a prevented planting payment
- Plant soybeans
- Take 35% of the corn prevented planting payment and plant soybeans after the late plating soybean period of June 20 in Ohio.
Given the calendar is starting the 3rd week of June, it is unlikely that there are many producers who are still planning to plant corn that have not done so. However, a relatively high 18% was planted last week in Ohio. Planting corn this late in the season is connected to the expectation that prices will increase through the year and be high enough to offset yield losses and added increases in drying costs. Two additional scenarios exist where producers will likely still see the benefits of planting a corn crop.
- He or she has applied nutrients and some input costs
- He or she needs feed for a livestock operation
Still, it is difficult to see corn reaching black layer before the first fall frost. For acres where no input costs have been applied, yield and insurance guarantee declines along with current futures prices of $4.62/ bushel and an increase to drying costs do not suggest producers should continue to plant corn. As mentioned in the market update section there is a possibility for higher prices, especially if the market is on the high end of acreage estimates and summer weather is not cooperative for moderate yield variations. For producers that have applied some input costs, the window is almost closed for expected returns to be larger than the prevented planting corn payment. This varies on the producer and the level of input costs.
The third option is to plant soybeans on those intended corn acres. As mentioned in a previous OSU Extension article- soybean returns above variable costs at current prices do not return a higher value than taking corn prevented planting payments. Higher soybean prices would tighten the decision, but the current balance sheet does not show the needed support to soybean prices. In the case that soybean planting continues to be delayed, the usual soybean prevented planting payment is considerably lower than the original corn prevented planting payment. Most producers will want to maximize the corn share of their prevented plant acres given the corn/soybean indemnity ratio.
The last option to take 35% of the corn prevented planting payment and plant soybeans become relevant for corn acres after the late planting period has concluded (June 25 in Ohio). Producers do not have this option available to them at this moment. A consideration of this option needs to be made that historical production history or APH yields will be negatively affected decreasing the insurance guarantee in future years. At this time, market signals do not suggest this option provides returns that are larger than straight prevented planting payments of corn. The inclusion of a MFP payment on the planted soybeans could make this option comparable. It is hard to know without the release of county payment rates.
Acres intended to be planted to Soybeans
The FPD for soybeans in Ohio is approaching quickly and with only half the crop planted, there is the potential that large amounts of Ohio soybean acreage will be planted in the late planting period or classified as prevented planting under insurance policies. Producers should continue to plant soybeans up to the FPD if possible. Once the FPD on June 20 is reached, producers have three options:
- Plant soybeans
- Take the prevented planting payment for soybeans
- Wait until the late planting period has finished and plant an alternative crop while taking 35% of the prevented planting payment on soybeans.
After the FPD for soybeans has been reached, the first option for soybean intended acres is to plant soybeans in the late planting period. Remember, like corn, the soybean insurance guarantee decreases a percent per day during this period. Yield declines in soybeans are harder to estimate given the variability in previous late planting years and final yields. The trend line does decrease with late planting but the variation in yields is larger as a percent than that experienced in corn. Economic considerations for planting soybeans versus taking the prevented planting soybean payment should first be calculated on the net return of the soybean crop above variable cost and the net return of soybean prevented planting payment. The calculations below are illustrated for an 80% coverage level on a RP insurance policy and a trend-adjusted actual production history of 50 bu. / acre. As mentioned in the policy section, the Federal Disaster Bill allows for the inclusion of the higher of the projected price or the harvest price. However, that is not guaranteed so the projected price of $9.54/bushel is used in these calculations.
Returns from Planting Soybeans
The insurance guarantee for soybeans in this scenario is
(80% x 50 bu. x $9.54/bu.)= $381.60
However, producers planting soybeans do not receive the projected Variable costs will need to be subtracted from this an addition of a reasonable MFP payment. Using the Farm Budget for soybeans on the OSU Farm Office webpage, a variable cost of $220/ acre on soybeans seems reasonable. Adding in a $45/ acre MFP payment (it is not sacred about this value other than if you weight MFP payments in 2018 for corn and soybean acres the average is close to $45/acre) you get your expected returns for planting soybeans.
Insurance Guarantee of $381.60 minus cost of $220 plus MFP payment of $45 = $206.60/acre
Remember that this insurance guarantee drops 1% per day after the FPD of June 20. Given that current November futures contracts are $9.34/bushel, there is the possibility of an insurance payment being made with a relatively large drop in yield. In this scenario of the price at $9.34/bu. a yield of 41 bushels/ acre would be needed to trigger insurance payments. A lower price would not require as large of a drop in yield similarly as a higher price would require a larger drop in yield.
Returns from Soybean Prevented Planting
Using the same scenario as above- the prevented planting payment would be 60% of the insurance guarantee. Some producers could have bought up to a higher coverage level, but most Ohio producers have a 60% prevented planting coverage level.
Insurance Guarantee of $381.60 x 60% = $228.96
There is no MFP added to this scenario and we are assuming that there is no additional cost to include. It is possible that soybean seed has already been purchased and will need to be factored into the equation. However, a maintenance charge of $25/acre is included to manage the bare acres. This brings the prevented planting return to $203.96/ acre.
In comparison, the net return for planting soybeans was roughly $3/acre higher for planting soybeans given an estimate for possible MFP payments at $45. Outside of planting a soybean crop in 2019 and having low yields that could affect future actual production history values, the minimum returns to planting soybeans is similar to those of taking prevented planting payments. There is some potential upside to net returns if prices strengthen most likely due to further decreases in soybean acreage or U.S. soybean exports increase at the end of 2018/19, the beginning of 2019/20 or both. A price later in the season that provides a cash price (futures minus basis) above $7.63/bu. and a yield that matches the historical production of 50 bu./acre would calculate to a higher net revenue than prevented planting payments. Similarly, a yield of 45 bu./acre would need a cash price above $8.48/bu. to trigger a higher return than the prevented planting payment. Because of yield and insurance guarantees of 1% per day after June 20, the downside risk of planting a soybean crop will grow.
Conclusion
The above analysis is based on a set of assumptions for soybean planting near the FPD of June 20 in Ohio. It is assumed that the MFP payment will be $45/acre (again this is not a final rule, and should be seen as illustration purposes only) and that costs are roughly $220 per acre. Some producers will have variable costs included on prevented planting soybean acres- especially purchases treated soybean seeds.
Decisions around prevented planting will continue to be difficult. However, corn prevented plant payments are estimated to have a higher net return than soybean prevented planting payments. Switching corn intended acres to soybeans and taking a prevented planting payment on soybeans does not seem like the best option. The producer should continue to plant soybeans up to the June 20 FPD, after that the decision is tight between planting a soybean crop and taking the prevented planting payment. There is some upside potential for planting soybeans although the current U.S. soybean balance sheet does not provide many positives. Moving later into the late planting period window decreases the insurance guarantee and soybean yields and improves the possibility of soybean prevented planting net returns being larger than late planted soybean net returns. For most Ohio producers this point comes roughly around June 25, the same day that the late planting period for corn ends. As a final reminder- producers should always consult with their crop insurance provider before making final decisions.
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Current Weed Issues I: Controlling Weeds in Prevented Planting Areas
As we get closer to decisions about cropping versus prevented planting, weed control may be one of the factors to consider. The season-long weediness of bare areas that occur in some crop fields from flooding and crop loss give a good idea of what can be in store on prevented planting acres. Some observations follow on all of this.
The goals for unplanted acres are really to: 1) prevent annual weeds from going to seed and increasing the soil seedbank – anything that goes to seed will have to be dealt with in the future; and 2) treat any perennial weeds in the appropriate growth stage to reduce their population. Winter annual weeds have already gone to seed or are in the process of doing so. Summer annuals will keep emerging in a bareground area for much of the summer, depending upon rain. At some point later in the season, though, newly emerging summer annuals will run out of time to mature and develop much seed before frost, and the overall goal is to control them from now until then.
Control can be accomplished with multiple passes of mowing, tillage, or herbicide, or a combination of these. Assume a cost for at least two passes for the sake of any calculations used to determine whether to plant a crop or go with prevented planting. Weeds that survive/regrow following tillage or mowing become more difficult to kill with herbicides, so where a combination of these methods are used, herbicide may be best used in the first pass. Tillage is best used for relatively small weeds, because large ones are difficult to completely uproot. A single mowing may be best used later in the season, when any weed regrowth will be taken care of by frost before seed can be produced.
Where foliar-applied herbicides will be used for control, we would suggest one application fairly soon, while weeds are small enough to be controlled, followed by a second one later in summer as needed. The most cost-effective approach is probably glyphosate plus 2,4-D, although other growth regulator herbicides that contain dicamba or clopyralid can be added also. This approach may not kill large marestail, but can stop most of the seed production. Gramoxone or glufosinate could be substituted for glyphosate in some fields, but mostly where weeds are still small, and large grasses can be a problem.
Planting a cover can help suppress weeds and reduce reliance on herbicides alone. This will most likely not eliminate the need for herbicides, and a burndown treatment or tillage will be necessary to allow planting. Planting a grass cover will allow use of growth regulator herbicides to control broadleaf weeds. If the field was previously treated with residual corn or soybean herbicides but then not planted, check to make sure it’s safe to plant the intended cover after use of those herbicides. A
A common question in this situation is whether residual herbicides can be used to replace or minimize the need for foliar-applied herbicide, or extend the time until they are needed. In our opinion, it is difficult to make the case to spend money for residual herbicides here, because the ones we use on corn and soybeans struggle to provide enough control in a bare ground situation, and most are not labeled for use in noncrop areas. The herbicides used in industrial vegetation situations that will provide enough control will also persist long enough to mess up crop rotations. The goal for residual herbicide use would be a minimal investment for herbicide(s) that provide broad spectrum control for a month or more. The only possibilities we could find that have labels for true noncrop areas are pendimethalin, Valor, and Surflan.
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Cover Crop Resources from Purdue
Purdue has recently published cover crop recipes intended to provide a starting point for farmers who are new to growing cover crops. With experience, farmers may fine-tune the use of cover crops for their systems. Additional Purdue resources are also listed:
Post Soybean, Going to Corn: Use Oats/Radish (Indiana Cover Crop Recipe series, MCCC-101/AY-357-W) — available from www.mccc.msu.edu select states/provinces, then Indiana.
Post Corn, Going to Soybean: Use Cereal Rye (Indiana Cover Crop Recipe series, MCCC-100/AY-356-W)—available from www.mccc.msu.edu select states/provinces, then Indiana.
Managing Cover Crops: An Introduction to Integrating Cover Crops into a Corn-Soybean Rotation (Purdue Extension publication AY-353-W
https://extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/AY/AY-353-W.pdf
Residual Herbicides and Fall Cover Crop Establishment (Purdue Extension Weed Science publication), https://extension.entm.purdue.edu/newsletters/pestandcrop/article/residual-herbicides-and-fall-cover-crop-establishment/
Terminating Cover Crops: Successful Cover Crop Termination with Herbicides (Purdue Extension publication WS-50-W), https://mdc.itap.purdue.edu/item.asp?Item_Number=WS-50-W
Recommended Cover Crop Seeding Methods and Tools (Indiana–Agronomy Technical Note 6)—available from the USDA–Natural Resources Conservation Service, https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcs144p2_030986.pdf
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Brief Break from Wet Weather Continues before More Wet Weather Returns
We have had a few weeks of colder and drier overall weather after the very warm start to October. We expect dry weather through this Thursday except for a few lake effect showers in northeast Ohio about the middle of the week.
Then the pattern will change. Temperatures will likely remain chilly for the rest of the month but we will gradually wet up again. This week will be the best conditions for harvest or any planting of wheat still needed. We expect some showers to return from Friday into early next week with a more potent system later next week. There could be a few snowflakes mixed in this weekend but with marginal temperatures and the warm Lake Erie, it should be mainly rain showers.
Also, northeast Ohio remains somewhat protected from a hard freeze right now with a warm Lake Erie and preferred northwest winds.
The outlook for November calls for near normal temperatures and above normal precipitation.
The outlook for December calls for near normal temperatures and above normal precipitation.
Looking further ahead, a minor El Nino is forecast for this winter but confidence in the details is rather low. This leads to low to moderate confidence in the outlooks. Right now winter is shaping up to be near normal temperatures and slightly below normal precipitation. Looking into next spring for planting season it looks like below normal temperatures and above normal rainfall.
For the next two weeks, rainfall will increase to to 1-2 inches. Normal is 1-1.25 inches for two weeks on average, see attached NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Center Rainfall map. You can see this map updated all the time by visiting the OHRFC briefing pages at https://www.weather.gov/ohrfc/Briefings . The briefing pages include our flood, drought and seasonal briefings.
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Delayed Wheat Planting
Wet weather has delayed wheat planting in many areas of the state. Generally, the best time to plant wheat is the 10-day period starting the day after the fly-free-safe date. When wheat is planted more than 10-days after the fly-free-safe date, there is an increased chance of reduced fall growth and reduced winter hardiness. The effect of planting date on wheat yield is shown in Figure 6-2 of the Ohio Agronomy Guide. (A free pdf of the guide is available here: https://stepupsoy.osu.edu/wheat-production/ohio-agronomy-guide-15th-edition)
There is still time to plant wheat, but the window is closing. Wheat planted 3-4 weeks after the fly-free-safe date can achieve the same yield as earlier planted wheat if freezing weather does not occur until late November or early December. However, as we enter three to four weeks after the fly-free-safe date, growers should plant at a higher seeding rate than the regularly recommended rate of 1.2 to 1.6 million seeds per acre for 7.5-inch rows (that is about 18 to 24 seeds per foot of row with normal sized seed) to compensate for fewer tiller development. Instead, plant at a rate of 1.6 to 2.0 million seed per acre. The number of seeds per pound and germination rate are important for determining the correct seeding rate and drill calibration. There are fewer seeds per pound of large seeds than per pound of small seeds. The number of seeds per pound can be found on the seed bag. Additionally, late planting also means plants will be smaller than normal when entering dormancy, have smaller and more shallow root systems than normal making them more susceptible to heaving next March. The best heaving control it to get the seed placed between 1.0 and 1.5 inches deep when planting and to plant no-till. These two practices combined will reduce heaving potential by more than 95 percent.
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Seed Quality Issues in Soybean
Let’s face it – we’ve had historic rains in parts of Ohio during 2018 and we are now observing many late season issues that come with this. Seed quality is one of them and the symptoms or warning signs that there could be issues are on the stems. The stems in some fields are heavily colonized with a mix of disease pathogens that cause Anthracnose, Cercospora, and pod and stem blight (Figure 1). The bottom line is that all of these diseases can be better managed with higher levels of resistance but ultimately during 2018 – we had a perfect storm, lower levels of resistance combined with higher than normal rainfall conditions and add in the presence of a new insect pest, stink bugs. Below I’ve outlined the general conditions of the crop and for each disease, the distinguishing characteristics.
1. Discolored, moldy seeds along with shriveled seeds are very evident in some fields (Figure 2). Some reports indicate that it is worse around the edges but not in all cases. Sometimes the pods look fine until they are cracked open and others the outside of the pod is a definite give away.
2. Fungi in the genus Cercospora can cause two different diseases, frogeye leaf spot which also affects and stems and seed is caused by Cercospora sojina; and purple seed stain is caused by a complex of species, the most common has been C. kikuchii, The symptoms of frogeye leaf spot during the season were well documented this year, but on stems and pods they are not well described. In our experience, the gray to black smudges on seed and yield the conidia of this pathogen. For C. kikuchii, the first symptoms can appear on the petioles during the reproductive phases. These appear as purplish to reddish streaks which turn darker after leaflets drop but the petioles can remain on the stems. On seed, dark reddish purple blotches will appear.
3. Diaporthe pod and stem blight including Phomopsis were very apparent this year. Some of the stems I collected this season were just pure fruiting structures. This is a complex disease, in that there are several closely related fungi that can infect soybeans throughout the growing season. These sometimes appear as black dots in a row on the stem, but some species are more randomly placed over the surface of the stem or pods (Figure 3). They are flask like structures that hold the overwintering spores. We have documented several different species causing substantial losses in Ohio over the past 3 years.
4. Anthracnose – this has been very rare in Ohio but this year I did find it on petioles early on some susceptible varieties. This is another one that looks like a black dot, but this fungus, Colletotrichum truncatum and related fungi have hairs (setae) that are around the fruiting structures. A moist chamber and a microscope can help sort out the differences. Pods can have lesions that are large brown and irregularly shaped.
5. Opportunists – based on some plating we have done over the past week, there are many secondary fungi that have been able to colonize these seeds. It will take us a few weeks to identify everything to verify that are opportunists and not pathogens, but let’s just say it is pretty ugly even for a mycologist.
All of these fungi can affect seed health. Fields that have a high incidence should not be used for seed, but should be fine for feed but best in low quantity. To my knowledge there are no animal toxins associated with these fungi like we see for head scab. For fields with low incidence, many seeds will be asymptomatic so when a fall germination test is done, the percentage of moldy seed maybe high. Some of the seed may have some mycelium on the outside layers but have not reached the young soybean. Over the winter, under dry conditions, the mycelium (fungus) on these outside seed tissues will die and then those seed will appear normal in a germination test. The point here is to keep the seed dry to prevent any further colonization of the seed.
These fungi ALL overwinter on crop residue which then serve as inoculum for the 2019 soybean crop. This is especially important for the no-till continuous soybean fields. There are a few management strategies that can be done for 2019.
a) Don’t plant the same variety back in the same field – Rotate varieties and look for those with better resistance scores than your current one.
b) Do something to help break down the residue, it doesn’t need to be a lot, but some light tillage to bury some of the residue will go a long way.
c) Rotate to wheat, barley, or corn. These are non-hosts for this group of pathogens and planting something else in that field will go a long way to reducing inoculum for when soybeans are put back in that field.
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Corn leaf striping often temporary
Leaf striping (interveinal chlorosis) in corn is appearing in many Ohio fields. There are several nutrient deficiencies (including sulfur, zinc, magnesium, and manganese) that result in leaf striping and some of these look similar. The severity of the striping may vary considerably within a field and may be associated with differences in soil pH, organic matter, compaction, tillage, temperature and moisture. Bright yellow to white interveinal striping running the length of leaves may be the result of “genetic stripe”, but it’s usually limited to scattered plants within a field.
Striping symptoms often disappear when favorable growing conditions promote plant rapid growth after the V8 stage. For more on distinguishing between the different nutrient deficiencies that give rise to striping and the plant tissue sampling procedures for diagnosis, check out articles by Dr. Jim Camberato, Purdue University extension soil fertility specialist, entitled “Striped Corn - Potential Nutritional Deficiencies” (http://www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/soilfertility/news/Striped_Corn.pdf) and Dr. Lloyd Murdock, University of Kentucky (https://graincrops.blogspot.com/2011/06/temporary-sulfur-deficiencies-are.html)
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2018 Agronomic crops Outlook Meetings
Ohio State University Extension is pleased to announce the 2018 Agricultural Outlook Meetings! In 2018 there will be seven locations in Ohio. Each location will have speaker addressing the topics of Free Trade Agreements: Why They Matter to US Agriculture, Grain Market Outlook, and Examining the 2018 Ohio Farm Economy. Additional topics vary by location and include 2018 Farm Bill Policy Update, Dairy Production Economics Update, and Farm Tax Update.
A meal is provided with each meeting and included in the registration price. Questions can be directed to the local host contact.
The outlook meeting are scheduled for the following dates and locations:
Date: January 22, 2018
Time: 7:30 am – 10:30 am
Speakers: Barry Ward, Matt Roberts, Ian Sheldon
Location: Emmett Chapel, 318 Tarlton Rd, Circleville, OH 43113
Cost: $10.00
RSVP: Call OSU Extension Pickaway County 740-474-7534
By: January 15th
More information can be found at: http://pickaway.osu.edu
Date: January 22, 2018
Time: 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Speakers: Barry Ward, Matt Roberts, Ian Sheldon
Location: The Loft at Pickwick Place, 1875 N Sandusky Ave., Bucyrus OH 44820
Cost: $15.00
RSVP: Call OSU Extension, Crawford County 419-562-8731 or email hartschuh.11@osu.edu
By: January 15th
More information can be found at: http://crawford.osu.edu
Date: January 26, 2018
Time: 8:00 am – noon
Speakers: Barry Ward, Matt Roberts, Ian Sheldon
Location: Der Dutchman, Plain City
Cost: $15.00
RSVP: Call OSU Extension, Union County 937-644-8117
By: January 19th
More information can be found at: http://union.osu.edu
Date: January 29, 2018
Time: 9:00 am – 12:00 noon
Speakers: Mike Gastier, Matt Roberts, Ian Sheldon
Location: St Mary’s Hall 46 East Main St. Wakeman, OH 44889
Cost: No Charge; $20.00 if past deadline
RSVP: Call OSU Extension, Huron County 419-668-8219
By: January 22nd
More information can be found at: http://huron.osu.edu
Date: January 29, 2018
Time: 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Speakers: Barry Ward, Jim Byrne, Ian Sheldon
Location: Jewell Community Center,
Cost: $10:00 (after deadline $20.00)
RSVP: OSU Extension, Defiance County 419-782-4771 or online at http://defiance.osu.edu
By: January 22nd
More information can be found at: http://defiance.osu.edu
Date: January 31, 2018
Time: 9:30 am – 3:30 pm
Speakers: Ian Sheldon, Jim Byrne, Ben Brown, Barry Ward, Dianne Shoemaker, David Marrison
Location: Fisher Auditorium
Cost: $15.00
RSVP: Call OSU Extension, Wayne County 330-264-8722
By: January 24th
More information can be found at: http://wayne.osu.edu
Date: March 23, 2018
Time: 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Speakers: Barry Ward, Matt Roberts, Chris Bruynis
Location: Chamber Ag Day / Ag Outlook meeting, Darke County
Registration Flyer: http://go.osu.edu/2018darkeagoutlook
Cost: $20
RSVP: Darke County Extension office at 937-548-5215
By: March 16th
More information can be found at: http://darke.osu.edu
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The outlook for October does include some rain chances finally as expect between Oct. 4-10.
September ended warmer and drier across Ohio for the most part. But it was the tail of two months. The first half of September was 5-10 degrees below normal and the second half of the month was 10-15 degrees above normal.
For October we expect slightly warmer than normal conditions. Confidence is rather high on the temperature outlook. As for rainfall, more and more weather and climate models indicate above normal rainfall but confidence is low on this. Therefore, we expect near normal to slightly below normal rainfall until we see rain on the ground. The good news for wheat planting is there should at least be some rain between Oct. 4-10. If we do not get it then it might not be until almost early November before we turn wetter so let's hope for some rain in the next week.
The week of October 3-8 will see above normal temperatures, no frost or freeze conditions and rain chances. Rainfall will average 0-0.50 inches southeast half of Ohio and 0.50 to 1.00 in northwest half with isolated 1+ inch total north and west areas.
The week of Oct 9-15 will turn normal to cooler than normal with drier weather returning starting Oct. 10.
The second half of the month will feature a return to above normal temperatures with below normal rainfall.
Early indications are November will be a warmer month with conditions turning wetter especially in the north half of the state. The south half may stay at or below normal rainfall.
There is some risk for a minor frost and freeze about the middle of the month between Oct. 10-20. If we do not see it then, it may wait until almost the end of the month then.
The two week NOAA/NWS/OHRFC rainfall total can be seen on the attached graphic.
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Reduce the Risk of a Combine Fire
I have seen several photos and even some video clips of harvest 2017 combine fires come across my twitter feed. On our recent CORN newsletter conference call, several Extension Educators mentioned seeing or hearing about combine fires in the past week. Crop residue accumulation near a direct heat source such as the engine or exhaust system, or on and around bearings, belts and chains where heat can be generated, accounts for the majority of combine fires. I recently read an article from a Michigan State University Extension web page as well as an article from Dick Nicolai, a South Dakota Extension specialist that both provided advice regarding how to prevent and how to be prepared for combine fires. Some of their safety recommendations include:
- Keep the combine as clean as possible. During harvest, frequently blow dry chaff, leaves and other crop materials off the machine. Remove any materials that have wrapped around bearings, belts and other moving parts. Be sure to check those pockets that house wires or lights and where chaff accumulates.
- Keep wiring and fuses in proper working condition. Check wiring and insulation for rodent damage and replace as needed.
- Keep fittings greased and watch for overheated bearings.
- Use a ground chain attached to the combine frame to prevent static charges from igniting dry chaff and harvest residue, letting the chain drag on the ground while in the field.(Click here to see photo)
- Prior to fueling a hot combine, wait 15 minutes to reduce the risk of a spill volatilizing and igniting.
- Don’t park a hot combine in the shed or shop. After a long day of harvesting, smoldering hot spots may be present in the combine. If those spots suddenly flare up, at least you won’t lose the building!
- Keep at least one fully-charged, 10-pound ABC dry chemical fire extinguisher with an Underwriter’s Laboratory approval in the combine cab.
- Mount a second, larger fire extinguisher on the outside of the machine at a height easily reached from ground level.
- Have a plan if a fire starts. Turn off the engine; get the fire extinguisher and your phone. Get out and get help.
- Stay a safe distance away.
- Call 911 before beginning to extinguish the fire.
- Approach the fire with extreme caution. Small fires can flare up quickly with the addition of air (by opening doors or hatches).
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Should we add Diaporthe stem canker and Cercospora leaf blight to our list of disease ratings for Ohio in 2018?
Improving soybean yields in 2018 begins first with the selection of the cultivars that have the best resistance package for Ohio’s notorious pathogens and pests. Any grower that’s slacked off on the Phytophthora package gets a quick reminder of the damage that this pathogen can continually cause in a vast majority of Ohio’s production regions. Same thing with soybean cyst nematode; while the symptoms may not be present, planting a susceptible variety and getting half the yield that the neighbors got leaves some farmers scratching their heads. We finally have resistance to Sclerotinia that is effective for those regions that deal with it on an annual basis. Over the past decade, we’ve added frog eye leaf spot to that list as it can overwinter and if infections get started at flowering it can cause substantial damage. Why put another $30+/Acre for a fungicide to control frogeye or Sclerotinia when the cultivar resistance can hold that disease in check?
Now it may be time to begin to think about some additions to this list as in the past 3 years, I’ve been called to fields that have been severely affected by some pathogens that are typically rare in this part of the U.S. Diaporthe Stem Canker and Cercospora Leaf Blight (Figures 1 and 2). Let’s take each of these separately and explain a bit more.
Diaporthe stem canker:
The symptoms that are occurring in Ohio this year are large patches of early dying plants that still have their leaves attached. The canker is not as well defined but can occur from the third node at the bottom of the plant up to the top 1/3. There may be rows of small pin dots in the center of the canker or on pods that are the actual fungus. The bottom two nodes of the plant are still green – which can separate it from Phytophthora. If the stem is bleached white and has white mold – it is Sclerotinia. For Diaporthe, the internal tissue – both the pith and the stem are degraded.
Diaporthe is caused by several different fungi and can also lead to Phomopsis seed rot. The fungus survives very well on residue. And in fact the most affected fields that I have walked in 2017 – were in fields where the disease may have occurred to a smaller extent the previous year. Diaporthe also infects a number of weed hosts that can also contribute to the survival in fields including: black nightshade, morning glory, northern joint vetch, and spiny amaranth are a few and most do not show symptoms.
Infections for this disease occur in the early vegetative growth stages of the plant and these are favored by long periods of warm (72 to 86F) wet weather. Rain splash of spores from plant residue can facilitate these infections. Does this sound like our summer where some areas had 15” or more during June-July? This fungus takes its time, and the symptoms tend to coincide when the seeds begin to fill in the pods.
Management is highly successful with two tactics, planting resistant cultivars and reducing inoculum. The screening for resistance to this pathogen is fairly straightforward for Diaporthe, so most companies should be doing this. Tillage and rotation both are effective in reducing inoculum. A study in Georgia reported in 1988 indicated that a soybean-wheat double crop was not as effective as a soybean-fallow rotation.
Cercospora leaf blight-and Purple Seed Stain
Another foliar and seed pathogen that is not well known in Ohio and is much more prevalent in the Southern US. The reddish discoloration and leathery appearance begins to appear on the top leaves as the plants begin to fill out the seeds. Purple lesions on the petioles or stems also develop. The infected petioles remain attached to the plants while the infected leaves fall off the plants. Warm temperatures and frequent rains also contribute to this disease which can be spread by rain and wind. This can also be residue born – so for farmers that have this in their fields in 2017 – TAKE NOTE- residue management and planting varieties with resistance will be essential in 2018.
Infections for Cercospora can begin at flowering and repeat throughout the season, but symptoms do not develop until pod fill. Seed can also become infected and develop the same purplish-red coloration and contribute secondary losses if they are food grade soybeans. The pathogen that causes Cercospora leaf blight and Purple seed stain produces a light-activated plant toxin, which contributes to the purple discoloration of the diseased tissue. Spores are produced on the residue or infected tissue and are dispersed by wind or rain onto nearby soybean plants. Only susceptible varieties will develop symptoms and these will be more pronounced when dry, warm conditions occur at pod fill.
Disease management strategies include planting high-quality disease free seed, tillage to break down infested residue and crop rotation to prevent inoculum build-up, and planting resistant varieties. For fields that are affected in 2017 – a timely harvest to ensure the fewest number of seeds develop purple seed stain. Secondly, for fields in 2018 that go back into soybean, if susceptible varieties are planted, a fungicide application of a triazole at R3 may provide some protection. However, infections can occur during the vegetative phase and most of the data to date is from the southern states with determinant later maturity groups. This is a big hole in our data set for providing recommendations for fungicide timing for Cercospora blight in northern areas.
The bottom line, when you are at Farm Science Review this week talking with the seed companies, ask for the resistance packages on the varieties. Yes, yields are important – but the resistance and savings in additional mid-season inputs is key to profits in years with narrow margins. The risk for disease development continues to increase with mild winters that favor overwintering and the soil-saturating rains that seem to occur weekly. These conditions make those resistance scores more and more important each year.
For some additional reading while you are on auto-steer during harvest check out these resources:
https://agcrops.osu.edu/sites/agcrops/files/imce/StemCanker_CPN1006.pdf
http://soybeanresearchinfo.com/diseases/cercosporaleafblight.html
http://plantpathology.ca.uky.edu/files/ppfs-ag-s-20.pdf
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More on the Diagnosis of Southern Rust of Corn
With corn now beyond the R4 growth state in most fields, there is really nothing you can do about southern rust in terms of fungicide application. However, correct diagnosis of this disease is still very important from the standpoint of identifying the hybrids that were most severely affected. Although our growing conditions generally do not favor this disease and we may go for another several years without seeing as much southern rust as we did in 2017, we still need to identify those highly susceptible hybrids. Late-season rust symptoms have some very characteristic features that are extremely useful for diagnosis.
Late-season rust symptoms are somewhat different from those observed early in the season, adding to the confusion of trying to tell the difference between southern and common rusts. Figure 1, (click here) shows early southern rust pustules on the surface of a leaf. Notice the bright orange color that is considered typical of this disease. These look considerably different from the pale to almost yellowish-colored pustules in Figure 2 (click here). This latter picture also shows symptoms of southern rust, but these are older pustules on the leaf of an R5 plant. Southern rust symptoms often begin as bright reddish-orange pustules, but as the pustules and the leaf age, they take on the pale appearance seen in Figure 2.
Taking a closer look at aging leaves with the pale pustules, you will also notice some very distinct black specks (insert in Figure 2). There are telia, a different stage of the same disease. Yes, we are still talking about southern rust. As the leaves age and begin to die, the fungus kicks into a type of “survival mode”, producing black instead of orange pustules. These black pustules may also develop on the stems and leaf sheaths as shown in Figure 3 (click here), and their arrangement relative to the orange or pale pustules is very important for the diagnosis of southern rust. As highlighted in Figure 3, the black pustules do not replace the orange pustules, but develop around them. This can be seen with the naked eyes by carefully examining the leaves, but are better detected with a hand lens or microscope as shown in Figure 4 (click here).
Common rust produces large cinnamon-brown pustules early-on, that also become pale and later dark, but the dark pustules usually replace the cinnamon-brown or pale-colored pustules instead of surrounding them.
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Estimating Soybean Yield
To estimate soybean yield, four yield components need to be considered: plants per acre, pods per plant, seeds per pod, and seeds per pound (seed size). A printable worksheet to estimate soybean yield can be found by clicking here.
Proceed with caution when estimating soybean yield. It is difficult to accurately predict soybean yield because of plant variability and fall weather conditions can influence seed size. Estimates are more accurate later in the growing season and on uniform stands.
To estimate soybean yield:
1. To calculate plants per acre, count the number of pod-bearing plants in 1/1,000th of an acre. In 7.5-inch row spacing, count the number of plants in 69 feet, 8 inches of row. In 15-inch row spacing, count the number of plants in 34 feet, 10 inches of row. In 30-inch row spacing, count the number of plants in 17 feet, 5 inches of row.
2. To estimate pods per plant, count the number of pods (containing one or more seeds) from 10 plants selected at random. Divide the total number of pods by 10 to get the average number of pods per plant.
3. To estimate the number of seeds per pod, count the number of seeds from 10 pods selected at random. Generally, the number of seeds per pod is 2.5, but this number can be less in stressful environmental conditions. Divide the total number of seeds by 10 to get the average number of seeds per pod.
4. To estimate the number of seeds per pound (seed size), assume that there are 3,000 seeds per pound. If the soybean plants experienced stress, seed size will be reduced, and it will take more seeds to make one pound. Use a seed size estimate of 3,500 seeds per pound if smaller seeds are expected because of late season stress.
Using the above estimates, the following formula is used to estimate soybean yield in bushels per acre: bushels per acre = [(plants/1,000th acre) x (pods/plant) x (seeds/pod)] ÷ [(seeds/pound) x 0.06]
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Is yield jeopardized when replants result in excessive stands?
When widespread replanting occurs as it did this year, situations arise in which the original corn planting is not entirely killed and competes with the replanted corn. To make room for a replant, several herbicide treatments are recommended and these were described in an earlier C.O.R.N. Newsletter (https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2017-14/more-killing-corn-replant-situation). However, these treatments are sometimes not applied. Following severe frosts and protracted periods of freezing, it may appear that the initial planting or stand is dead when, in fact, some portion of it survived. In extreme situations, fields may end up with final stands nearly double what was normally targeted. There is a perception that the greater competition for nutrients, soil moisture and light associated with these excessive stands will result in barren plants and/or small ears (too small to harvest effectively) and will cause major yield losses.
Seed company and university research across the Corn Belt indicates that corn can tolerate plant stands of 50,000 plants per acre and higher without major yield loss. However, in the replant situation that results in excessive stands, plants from the original stand and the replant may only be a few inches apart (sometimes resembling “twin rows”) and at different stages of development, often with those of the replant at more advanced stages. So, does mean the later developing plants will be weeds adversely affecting the yield potential of the replant? We participated in a study in 2009 and 2010 (Terry et al., 2012) that gave us an opportunity to compare the yield potential of a replant in which original stand was eliminated and a replant in which most of the original stand was present.
The goal of this study was to identify effective herbicide treatments for killing an original stand of corn when replanting herbicide resistant corn. A seeding rate of 32,000 plants per acre was used for the original planting and the replant. One of the treatments (Select Max + Roundup) effectively eliminated the initial stand and the final stand of the replant was approx. 29,000 to 32000 plants per acre in 2009 and 2010 (Table 1). Another treatment (Gramoxone) killed much of the vegetative growth of the initial stand (simulating frost/low temperature damage) but failed to kill most of the plants, and when replanted, the final stand was approximately 53,000 to 61,000 plants per acres. Yields for the Gramoxone treatment were about 5 to 14% less than the Select Max + Roundup treatment but the magnitude of the losses would probably be acceptable to most growers dealing with a replant situation. The results suggest that the likelihood of major yield reductions resulting from competition between plants of a replant and an original stand are small.
Table 1. Herbicide treatment effects on yield, grain moisture and final stand, S. Charleston, OH 2009-2010.
Year
Treatment
Yield
Grain Moisture
Final Stand
-- Bu/A--
%
-- plants/A--
2009
Gramoxonea
213
15.7
60766
Select Max plus Roundupb
247
17.4
32180
2010
Gramoxonea
231
12.9
53143
Select Max plus Roundupb
242
15.7
28804
aGramoxone Inteon (2 LBA/GAL)
bSelect Max (1 LBA/GAL) and Roundup PowerMax (4.5 LBAE/GAL)
References
Loux, Mark. 2017. More on killing corn in a replant situation. Ohio State University C.O.R.N. Newsletter. 2017-14. https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2017-14/more-killing-corn-replant-situation
Terry, R.M., Tony Dobbels, Mark M. Loux, Peter R. Thomison, and William B. Johnson. 2012. Corn Replant Situations: Herbicide Options and the Effect of Replanting into Partial Corn Stands. Weed Technology 26: 432-437.
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Don’t get burned by hopper burn: Potato Leafhoppers reaching high levels in alfalfa and forage
We have heard of and observed increasing potato leaf hopper (PLH) damage in many areas across OH last week. PLH feed similar to aphids, by piercing and sucking on plants causing stunting, thinning and yellowing of alfalfa, often called hopperburn. To scout fields, use a sweep net—a single sweep sample is a set of 10 sweeps, and choose 5-10 different field locations. Treatment is needed if the number of PLH (adults and nymphs) caught a sweep sample is equal to the height of alfalfa. For glandular haired or PLH-resistant alfalfa, the threshold is multiplied by 3. For older, thinning alfalfa stands, thresholds can also be increased, while newer stands (e.g. new seedings or 1st year) are more vulnerable. See Ohio State University Extension Bulletin 545, Control of Insect Pests of Field Crops (https://agcrops.osu.edu/publications/control-insect-pests-field-crops-bulletin-545), for those insecticides labeled for potato leafhopper, or for all insecticides labeled on alfalfa.
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Will Planting Delays Require Switching Corn Hybrid Maturities?
According to the USDA/NASS (https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Ohio/Publications/Crop_Progress_&_Condition/2017/cw2117oh.pdf), for the week ending May 21, corn was 73 percent planted, which was 24 percent ahead of last year and the same as the five-year average.
However, persistent rains and saturated soil conditions have resulted in replanting and delayed corn planting. The weather forecast this week indicates the likelihood of more rain so it is probable that many soggy fields may not be drying out soon.
Given this outlook, is there a need to switch from full season to shorter season hybrids? Probably not - in most situations full season hybrids will perform satisfactorily (i.e. will achieve physiological maturity or "black layer" before a killing frost) even when planted as late as May 25, if not later in some regions of the state.
Results of studies evaluating hybrid response to delayed planting dates indicate that hybrids of varying maturity can "adjust" their growth and development in response to a shortened growing season. A hybrid planted in late May will mature at a faster
thermal rate (i.e. require fewer heat units) than the same hybrid planted in late April or early May).In Ohio State and Purdue University studies, we've observed decreases in required heat units from planting to kernel black layer which average about 6.8 growing degree days (GDDs) per day of delayed planting. Therefore a hybrid rated at 2800 GDDs with normal planting dates (i.e. late April or early May) may require slightly less than 2600 GDDs when planted in late May or early June, i.e. a 30 day delay in planting may result in a hybrid maturing in 204 fewer GDDs (30 days multiplied by 6.8 GDDs per day).
There are other factors concerning hybrid maturity, however, that need to be considered. Although a full season hybrid may still have a yield advantage over shorter season hybrids planted in late May, it could have significantly higher grain moisture at maturity
than earlier maturing hybrids if it dries down slowly. Moreover, there are many short-to mid-season hybrids with excellent yield potential. Therefore, if you think you may end up planting in late May or early June, consider the dry down characteristics of your various hybrids. In recent years we’ve seen a range of drying conditions. In years with hot, dry conditions in September, some mid- to- full season hybrids had grain moisture levels at harvest similar to those of short season hybrids because of rapid dry down rates. However, in other years, cool, wet conditions after maturity slowed dry down and major differences in grain moisture at harvest were evident between early and full season hybrids.Late planting dates (roughly after May 25) increase the possibility of damage from European corn borer (ECB) and western bean cutworm and warrant selection of Bt hybrids (if suitable maturities are available) that effectively target these insects. In past OSU studies, Bt hybrids planted after the first week of June consistently outyielded non-Bt counterparts even at low to moderate levels of ECB.
For more information on selecting corn hybrids for delayed planting, consult "Delayed Planting & Hybrid Maturity Decisions", a Purdue/Ohio State University Extension publication available online at: http://www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/pubs/AY-312-W.pdf .
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Soybean End of Season To-Do List
Soybean variety selection is the crucial first step to a successful year and bountiful harvest. In Ohio, we face many challenges and some of them were quite apparent in different parts of the state. Frogeye leaf spot, sudden death syndrome, white mold and even more surprising, Phytophthora stem rot. To add to this soybean cyst nematode (SCN) can now be found at detectable and higher levels than 20 years ago. There is very good resistance to all of these pathogens in the soybean cultivar line up of all companies. We sometimes just get the wrong genetics in the wrong field or in the wrong region. So it is time for folks to take these things seriously and know what fields these pathogens are in and how much damage they are causing. A good scouting at the end of the year will give producers a handle on if:
- The variety they purchased had the right resistance package for Ohio’s plethora of pathogens.
- Pathogens are present – what resistance packages will be needed in future years – aka drop that variety in that field
Key for Phytophthora, the Rps genes will only go so far, and what is critical for Ohio conditions is the quantitative resistance portion of the package (seed companies market this as tolerance, partial resistance).
Resistance to SDS has come a long way: In our trial this year (North Central Soybean Research Program), only the susceptible checks developed symptoms, very impressive! Be sure you also have the SCN portion of the package.
How long have you been growing SCN resistant varieties with PI88788 and do you now have SCN? If the answer to this is a long time and a lot- you are past due for a genetic change to Peking sources. These aren’t easy to find, so start your search now.
Frogeye seems to be a recurring theme for a disease that really was never a problem before 2005. With lower soybean prices, it is time to get away from depending on the sprays and moving towards eliminating this disease by planting more resistant varieties. I have had side-by-side trials of resistant and susceptible varieties the last 2 years at Western – Resistance is winning hands down.
White mold – we have had a similar pattern with this as well. Check out the OSU Soybean Pathology facebook page for a gorgeous picture of resistant vs susceptible – side by side plots. The resistance is there so for those regions where this disease is now an annual occurrence (even in a dry humid 2016), choose varieties with higher levels of resistance.
These are all good things to ask the seed companies next week while you are at Farm Science Review!
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Disclosure, Use and Sale Limitations -- The Big Data Confusion: Part 9
Have you ever wondered why your recent web searches for items or information show up on other websites you visit? Frequently, these recent searches appear in the form of advertisements along an edge of another webpage you are viewing. These advertisements are typically provided by third party data aggregators. These third party data aggregators play a crucial role in target advertising if a “data” company does not already have in-house capabilities to capture this type of data. Third party data aggregation is specifically addressed in The Privacy and Security Principles for Farm Data published by AFBF with their policy about Disclosure, Use and Sale Limitation:
“An ATP will not sell and/or disclose non-aggregated farm data to a third party without first securing a legally binding commitment to be bound by the same terms and conditions as the ATP has with the farmer. Farmers must be notified if such a sale is going to take place and have the option to opt out or have their data removed prior to that sale. An ATP will not share or disclose original farm data with a third party in any manner that is inconsistent with the contract with the farmer. If the agreement with the third party is not the same as the agreement with the ATP, farmers must be presented with the third party’s terms for agreement or rejection.”
The key points of this principle regarding data disclosure, use and sale limitations include making sure growers understand the terms outlined in their contract as well as how any data is being shared or possibly sold to a third party. This principle draws on the need to be transparent around who has access to farm data and if data will be supplied to a third party or business affiliate. Further, it is important to have legal contracts relating to not only the ATP data relationship but contracts with other entities that provide data services (or access) as well. This need of full disclosure and the ability to understand contracts has been reported by recent Big Data surveys of farmers as being a matter of primary concern.
Similar to last week’s installment focusing on Terms and Definitions within contracts, an ATP will not sell or distribute any non-aggregated farm data to third party without consent from the grower. Additionally, if a sale of data is to be conducted on behalf of the grower by the ATP, the grower must be notified. If the grower agrees, the contract with the third party aggregator must either be the same, or a new contract should be provided for the grower to review.
While some growers are comfortable with their farm data being aggregated and used as a marketing tool, others are not. Big data companies will have the ability to provide targeted marketing with information based on data collected similar to those seen online when searching for goods. Growers should be given the protection and choice about how their data is being used and sold to third party data aggregators. By specifically reviewing the disclosure, use and sale limitations within an ATP contract, growers have the ability to make an informed decision about how their data will be used, on their own terms.
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Early postemergence plus residual in soybeans and other weed issues
It’s possible to find just about everything in this year’s weed control situation – cover crops that didn’t die, marestail that didn’t die, early burndown plus residual treatments that worked but are now breaking because soybeans haven’t been planted, PRE herbicides that did not or may not receive enough rain, and of course more cressleaf groundsel than in an average year. Some comments on a few of these:
1. Where burndown has yet to be applied for no-till soybeans, and the field has big marestail, we would suggest pulling out all the stops. Wait another week to plant soybeans, and apply a mix of glyphosate, 2,4-D, Sharpen, and metribuzin. Be sure to include MSO and higher spray volumes (20 gpa) are likely to be beneficial. Where it’s not possible to wait a week, omit the 2,4-D and ideally switch to Liberty Link soybeans so there is the option of applying glufosinate POST to try to control marestail escapes. It’s also possible to switch from glyphosate to glufosinate in the burndown mixture. This will definitely help with marestail, but there is the risk of less control on larger grasses and a few other weeds. Where glufosinate is used in both the burndown and POST treatments in LibertyLink soybeans, be sure to know the total amount that can be applied per season among all treatments. It’s also possible to till some fields that are in this situation of course – be sure tillage is thorough enough to completely uproot weeds and not just beat them up.
2. Where burndown plus residual treatments were applied early, and are now becoming reinfested with weeds, best strategy is to apply another burndown before soybeans are planted or emerged if possible. This is a mandatory step in fields with emerged marestail. Consider including a reduced rate of residual herbicide since much of the activity of residual applied a month or more ago has dissipated. Where the initial burndown consisted of glyphosate plus 2,4-D, something like glyphosate plus Shapren could be applied now. A mixture of metribuzin plus either Gramoxone or glufosinate could also work. There are various options depending upon what was used in the initial burndown and how long it will be until soybeans are planted.
3. We have also received questions about the possibility of early POST application of residual herbicides in soybeans, where it was not possible to apply residuals before soybeans emerged. Most residual herbicides cannot be applied once soybeans have emerged, due to risk of severe injury. Scepter always had a good fit in this situation, and apparently is likely to be sold again at some point by AMVAC. Pursuit has substantial activity on a range of grass and broadleaf weeds, as long as they are not resistant to ALS inhibitors (group 2). FirstRate has activity on broadleaf weeds that are not ALS-resistant, and products containing fomesafen (Flexstar, etc) have activity on certain broadleaf weeds. Some products that contain dimethanamid (Outlook), metolachlor, pyroxasulfone (Zidua), or acetochlor (Warrant) can be applied early POST for residual control of grasses, nightshade, and Amaranthus species (redroot pigweed, waterhemp, Palmer amaranth). Several newer premix products combine two of the individual herbicides just mentioned, and these are described and rated in the “Weed Control Guide for Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois”. These include Prefix and generic equivalents, Anthem, Torment, and Warrant Ultra among others. Most anything applied early POST for residual would still need to be mixed with glyphosate or glufosinate for control of emerged weeds. And a final caution is that many of these products have little or no residual activity on marestail and giant ragweed – check our ratings during the selection process to make sure the product addresses the weeds of concern.
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Fertilizer Applicator Certification Training Materials Available Online
The number of individuals who have been trained for the Ohio Fertilizer Applicator Certification by Ohio State University Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources staff has reached 11,859 as of April 30, 2016. The ongoing training has generated a lot of positive response from farmers who attended. Requests have come in to make short review videos of key parts of the training available for review. The videos which range from 5 to 15 minutes in length have been posted to https://agcrops.osu.edu/video/fact-videos. In addition to the videos, the website also has copies of the training manual and other materials that can be printed from the 2016 sessions.
These videos are provided as review materials for anyone interested in soil fertility information related to plant production, water quality impacts and have completed the necessary Ohio Department of Agriculture forms. To attain Fertilizer Applicator Certification you must attend a workshop where training is offered. To learn more about who needs certification, and trainings near you, visit the Ohio Nutrient Education website
The current video series covers the following topics:
1. Introduction: Fertilizer Applicator Certification Laws-- SB150 and SB1
2. Calculate 12 and 24-hour Precipitation Forecasts
3. Water Quality and Agriculture
4. Agriculture and Types of Water Quality Impairments
5. Why the Focus on Agriculture?
6. Edge of Field Studies
7. Soil Sampling
8. Soil Sampling and the Lab
9. Tri-State Fertilizer Recommendations and Phosphorous Management
10. Training Exercise 1: Reading a Soil Test Result for Phosphorous
11. Training Exercise 2: Making a Fertilizer Recommendation
12. Water Quality and the Fate of Nitrogen
13. Determining the Nitrogen Rate and Timing for Ohio
14. Tools for predicting Crop Nitrogen Need
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What's Limiting Soybean Yield?
As I travelled the state this winter, the same question came up, “What’s limiting soybean yield? No matter what I do, I get the same soybean yield every year.”
With funding from the Ohio Soybean Council and North Central Soybean Research Program, I am embarking on a state-wide project aimed at generating some baseline producer data on current soybean management practices in Ohio’s production systems. The project goal is to identify key factors that preclude the state soybean producers from obtaining yields that should be potentially possible on their respective individual farms. The term used for the difference between what yield is possible on your farm each year and what yield you actually achieve is called a “Yield Gap.”
To participate in this research, please see the online survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ohiosoybean
We are asking crop producers in Ohio to provide us with yield and other agronomic data specific to their soybean production fields. With that data, we could then conduct an in‐depth analysis of what on‐farm factors might be causing a Yield Gap on producer farms. We intend to provide annual reports to all crop producers informing them of what factors we may have identified that, based on our analysis of the data collected from farms, are likely limiting you from achieving soybean yields closer to yield potential that is likely possible on your farms!
Specifically, we are requesting yield and other data specific to two 2015 fields of soybean and also two 2014 fields of soybeans, that YOU grew on your farm. We recognize that you may best remember the yields and related agronomic data for the 2015 season because you just harvested those fields within the past few months. However, we would very much appreciate additional data in the last two columns of the Survey Form for two 2014 soybean fields on your farm. If you cannot recall or do not have data for any given cell in the columns shown on the Survey Form, leave them blank.We look forward to receiving your data. Keep in mind that all data submissions will be kept strictly confidential. In this project, our objective is to WORK FOR YOU. Our goal is to use the data YOU supply to help YOU get soybean yields on YOUR farm fields that, in the future, will be closer to the potential soybean yields that are possible on those fields, once you know what production system factors are holding back YOUR current soybean yields.
If you have any questions regarding this survey, please feel free to contact me at 614-292-9080 or lindsey.233@osu.edu.
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Wheat Foliar Diseases and Head Scab Risk
Wet conditions have stalled corn and soybean planting but may be ramping up the risk of foliar disease in wheat.
Ohio’s wheat crop is either at or past Feeke’s Growth Stage 10 (boot) and now is the time to scout fields if you have not already. Foliar diseases like Septoria leaf spot and powdery mildew thrive in cool, wet conditions and can potentially reduce grain yield and quality by damaging the flag leaf. When scouting for Septoria leaf spot, look for irregular brown blotches that may become bleached in appearance and contain small, blackish dots (fungal fruiting bodies). The main sign of powdery mildew is fluffy, whiteish-gray powdery growth (called pustules) on the leaf surface and lower stem. As the pustules age they will become covered with black dots on the surface.
As temperatures increase this week, keep an eye out for other potential foliar diseases such as Stagonospora leaf blotch and leaf rust. Stagonospora leaf blotch symptoms develop when temperatures are between 68- and 81-degrees Fahrenheit and typically appear as brown, lens-shaped lesions surrounded by yellow halos. Leaf rust also prefers warmer temperatures coupled with rainy, humid conditions and can be diagnosed by its round, orangish-red pustules scattered across the leaf surface.
If disease is present and conditions remain favorable for further disease development, consider a fungicide application between Feekes Stages 8 through 10 to prevent disease from reaching the flag leaf. Fungicide options can be found at https://cropprotectionnetwork.org/publications/fungicide-efficacy-for-control-of-wheat-diseases.
Once wheat reaches flowering, Fusarium head blight or head scab becomes the main concern. Risk for head scab infection and deoxynivalenol (DON) contamination is greatest when wet, humid conditions coincide with flowering. To estimate the risk of infection in your area, utilize the Fusarium Risk Assessment Tool just prior to flowering. It is available at http://www.wheatscab.psu.edu/ If a susceptible variety is planted and the risk of FHB is moderate to high, consider a fungicide application of Prosaro, Caramba, Proline, or Miravis Ace at Feekes Growth Stage 10.5.1 (early flowering, Figure 3) or within the first 4 day after Feekes 10.5.1.
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Favorable Planting Weather
Climate Summary
Precipitation over the last week has been hit or miss. Although systems have moved through at a pace of every 2-3 days, some areas received much more rain than others (Figure 1). Particularly hard hit this week was northeast Ohio, where a swath of 2-5 inches of rain fell from eastern Medina County through Trumbull County. Pockets of heavy rain were also felt in Paulding, parts of west central Ohio (with a tornado reported near Greenville), and a few counties across the south. Temperatures were mild this past week with reports of scattered frost, but no major freeze events occurred. Growing degree days (base 50) now range from about 220 units in Ashtabula to more than 425 across southern Ohio. Daily average soil temperatures range from the upper 50s across the north to the low 60s in southen counties. Soil moisture and stream flows are elvated in the Cincinnati area but close to normal elsewhere. For the latest up-to-date conditions, seasonal outlooks, and monthly climate summaries, please visit the State Climate Office of Ohio.
Weather Forecast
The weather pattern this week offers several chances of rainfall but not everyone will see rain each day. A strong cold front with windy conditions on Tuesday will lead to some showers and storms. A few storms could be severe with large hail, damaging winds, and isolated tornadoes. Highs will soar into the upper 70s to mid 80s across the state. Cooler air will filter in on Wednesday with a few scattered showers possible across the south. Thursday will be another breezy day with scattered showers and storms likely as another cold front moves toward Ohio. This front will move through on Friday with scattered showers possible. The weekend will be dominated by high pressure with drier and cooler conditions. Patchy frost cannot be ruled out both Saturday and Sunday mornings. Overall, the the National Weather Service is currently forecasting 0.5-1.5 inches of precipitation for Ohio over the next 7 days, with higher isolated amounts with some thunderstorms (Figure 2).
The 6-10 day outlook from the Climate Prediction Center and the 16-Day Rainfall Outlook from NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center show strong probability of above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation (Figure 3). Climate averages include a high-temperature range of 66-70°F, a low-temperature range of 46-50°F, and weekly total precipitation of 0.90-1.10 inches.
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Wheat Management for Spring 2025
Spring is an important time to make key management decisions for winter wheat. Last year, wheat developed and the dried down quickly, causing harvest to be about 7 to 10 days earlier than previous years. This serves as an important reminder that decisions should be made on wheat growth stage and not calendar date or crop height. Correct growth stage identification and knowledge of factors that affect grain yield can enhance management decisions, avoiding damage to the crop and unwarranted or ineffective applications. Several scales can be used to identify wheat growth stages, including the Feekes and Zadoks scale. Here we focus on the Feekes Scale and key spring management practices.
Feekes 5 Growth Stage. At the Feekes 5 growth stage, leaf sheaths are strongly erect. This is an ideal stage for spring topdress nitrogen application. Weed control efforts should be made prior to or during Feekes 5.0 with 2,4-D and other labeled herbicides. This is also a good stage to begin scouting for foliar diseases.
Feekes 6 Growth Stage. At the Feekes 6 growth stage, the first node is visible above the soil surface and is commonly referred to as ‘jointing.’ Above this node is the head or spike, which is being pushed upwards. To identify Feekes 6 growth stage, you may need to remove the lower leaves and leaf sheath to see or feel the first node (Figure 1). A video demonstrating for identifying Feekes 6 growth stage can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_f3VrqzV5c&list=PLYlh_BdeqniJ8oD8TnyGhQHRd96ptV0Yt&index=1
Most herbicide applications should be made by the time wheat enters the Feekes 6 growth stage. Herbicide options become increasingly limited as wheat enters Feekes 6 and progresses to the boot stage. Do not apply growth regulator herbicides such as 2,4-D, dicamba, or MCPA after Feekes 6 as these materials can be translocated into the developing head, causing sterility or distortion. Figure 1 in the Weed Control Guide provides growth stage cutoffs for the different herbicide options. Refer to the herbicide label for specific guidelines, as growth stage restrictions vary among different products. Sulfonylurea herbicides are safe at this growth stage, but for practical reasons, weed control should have been completed by by the time the crop reaches Feekes 6. Wheat can still show good response to nitrogen topdressing at this growth stage.
Feekes 7 Growth Stage. At the Feekes 7 growth stage, the second node is visible above the soil surface. These nodes are usually seen as clearly swollen areas of a distinctly different (darker) shade of green than the rest of the stem. Wheat will still respond to nitrogen fertilizer applied at Feekes 7 if weather prevented an earlier application; however, mechanical damage may occur from applicator equipment. A video demonstrating for identifying Feekes 7 and 8 growth stages can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnV57AhUt-Y&list=PLYlh_BdeqniJ8oD8TnyGhQHRd96ptV0Yt&index=2
Feekes 8 Growth Stage. At Feekes 8 growth stage, the flag leaf is visible, but still rolled up (Figure 2). This stage is particularly significant because the flag leaf makes up approximately 75% of the effective leaf area that contributes to grain fill. It is therefore important to protect and maintain this leaf healthy (free of disease and insect damage) before and during grain development. To confirm that the leaf emerging is the flag leaf, split the leaf sheath above the highest node. If the head and no additional leaves are found inside, Feekes 8 growth stage is confirmed. At this stage, the grower should decide whether or not to use foliar fungicides to management early-season foliar fungal diseases.
Feekes 9 Growth Stage. At the Feekes 9 growth stage, the ligule of the of the flag leaf is visible. After the flag leaf emerges, army worms damage can seriously reduce yield potential. A video demonstrating for identifying Feekes 9 and 10 growth stages can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1UVNBR2jRk&list=PLYlh_BdeqniJ8oD8TnyGhQHRd96ptV0Yt&index=3
Feekes 10 Growth Stage. At the Feekes 10 growth stage (‘boot stage’), the head is fully developed and can be easily seen in the swollen section of the leaf sheath below the flag leaf (Figure 3). This is another important growth stage for making fungicide applications for foliar disease management, particularly late-season diseases such as Stagonospora leaf and glume blotch and rusts.
For more information on wheat growth stages and management, please see our FactSheet- https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/agf-126 and Ohio State Agronomy YouTube playlist- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYlh_BdeqniJ8oD8TnyGhQHRd96ptV0Yt
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Drought Slowly Eases Across the State
Climate Summary
The major weather story of 2024 has been the drought conditions that began back in June and persisted throughout the summer and fall. This was capped off by this October ranking as the 7th driest October on record for Ohio (1895-2024), with 2024 year-to-date ranking as the warmest year for Ohio so far. However, conditions have finally started to moisten up over the last few weeks. Two-four inches of rain has fallen across southern Ohio, with much of the state reporting wetter than normal conditions (Figure 1). However, soil moisture recharge and improvements to streams, rivers, and lakes will take time. As of November 12, 2024, the US Drought Monitor shows about 5% of the state remains in D4 - exceptional drought with about 67% of the state still experiencing drought conditions (D1-D4).
If you are continuing to experience drought impacts or to document improvements, you can view and/or submit local reports at the Condition Monitoring Observer Reports page. For a more detailed look at conditions and resources, visit our Drought Response Page or for the latest up-to-date conditions, seasonal outlooks, and monthly climate summaries, please visit the State Climate Office of Ohio.
Weather Forecast This week will feature a major weather pattern shift toward much colder conditions. A first in a series of cold fronts will bring rain showers to the region on Tuesday but temperatures will remain above normal in the 60s. A second cold front will keep showers around on Wednesday, followed by much colder air and windy conditions on Thursday. Snow showers and/or a mix of rain and snow are likely on Thursday with highs only in the 30s. Winds could gust to 30-40 mph, but snow accumulation should be kept to a mimum due to warm ground conditions. Damp conditions will persist on Friday before slowly improving weather resumes for the weekend. Highs are expected to close out the week in the 40s with overnight lows in the 20s and 30s. The Weather Prediction Center is currently forecasting 0.25-1.00” of liquid-equivalent precipitation this week, with higher amounts in northeast Ohio (Figure 2).
The 8-14 day outlook from the Climate Prediction Center and the 16-Day Rainfall Outlook from NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center show that temperatures and precipitation probabilities are leaning toward above average (Figure 3). Climate averages include a high-temperature range of 48-52°F, a low-temperature range of 32-35°F, and weekly total precipitation of about 0.75.”
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Fall 2024 Regional Weeds University
OSU Extension invites crop producers, CCAs, and agribusinesses to attend a regional at the Fall 2024 Ohio State Weeds University on Thursday, November 21, 2024, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. The program will take place at locations across the state. Locations include Darke, Highland, Sandusky, Licking, Paulding, and Mahoning counties. This program is designed to keep agronomic crop producers on the cutting edge of weed control for their operations. Topics addressed will include preharvest weeds survey results, drone applications of herbicides, burcucumber control, new herbicides, and new technology in weed science. Hands-on exercises such as weed ID with live plants will also be part of the program and tailored to local needs. This is an in-person event with a portion of the presentations being broadcast virtually at each regional location.
Featured presentations and speakers include:
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Drone Applications – Dr. Steve Li, Associate Professor & Weed Science Extension Specialist, Auburn University. Dr. Li’s research evaluates weed control and herbicide usage in agronomic and emerging crops, as well as herbicide drift and off-target injury. His research program is also a nationwide leader in evaluating drones for agricultural applications.
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Burcucumber Control – Dwight Lingenfelter, Weed Science Extension Associate, Penn State University. Mr. Lingenfelter works in Extension and applied weed science research at Penn State, including the herbicide evaluation program. He has conducted some of the most comprehensive research on the management of burcucumber, a species that is now a reemerging threat to crop production in Ohio.
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Ohio Agronomic Weeds Update – Dr. Alyssa Essman, Assistant Professor & Weed Science Extension Specialist, The Ohio State University. Dr. Essman provides leadership for an applied research and extension program for integrated weed management in agronomic crops. This talk will cover new herbicide products and EPA/ESA regulations for the coming growing season.
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New Technology in Weed Science – Dr. Eugene Law, Assistant Professor, Weed Ecology, The Ohio State University. Dr. Law’s research program is focused in the areas of weed science and ecology, and precision technology for novel integrated weed management. This talk will cover new and emerging technology options for weed management and their relative efficacy
The registration fee per person is $40 and is due by November 14, 2024. This fee includes course materials and speaker Q&A sessions. On-site walk-ins are not available for this event and each site is limited to a maximum of 30 people. Commercial, Private Pesticide, and Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) credits will be available. Online registration will begin on Monday, October 28 (go.osu.edu/24FallWeedsUniv) or for additional information on the event, contact the educator in the county in which you are attending:
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Sarah Noggle at noggle.17@osu.edu for the Paulding County event
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Caden Buschur at buschur.46@osu.edu for the Darke County event
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Ty Hamilton at hamilton.949@osu.edu for the Highland County event.
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Al Gahler at gahler.2@osu.edu for the Sandusky County event
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Dean Kreager at kreager.5@osu.edu for the Licking County event
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Haley Shoemaker at shoemaker.306@osu.edu for the Mahoning County event.
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Fall 2024 Regional Weeds University
OSU Extension invites crop producers, CCAs, and agribusinesses to attend a regional at the Fall 2024 Ohio State Weeds University on Thursday, November 21, 2024, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. The program will take place at locations across the state. Locations include Darke, Highland, Sandusky, Licking, Paulding, and Mahoning counties. This program is designed to keep agronomic crop producers on the cutting edge of weed control for their operations. Topics addressed will include preharvest weeds survey results, drone applications of herbicides, burcucumber control, new herbicides, and new technology in weed science. Hands-on exercises such as weed ID with live plants will also be part of the program and tailored to local needs. This is an in-person event with a portion of the presentations being broadcast virtually at each regional location.
Featured presentations and speakers include:
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Drone Applications – Dr. Steve Li, Associate Professor & Weed Science Extension Specialist, Auburn University. Dr. Li’s research evaluates weed control and herbicide usage in agronomic and emerging crops, as well as herbicide drift and off-target injury. His research program is also a nationwide leader in evaluating drones for agricultural applications.
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Burcucumber Control – Dwight Lingenfelter, Weed Science Extension Associate, Penn State University. Mr. Lingenfelter works in Extension and applied weed science research at Penn State, including the herbicide evaluation program. He has conducted some of the most comprehensive research on the management of burcucumber, a species that is now a reemerging threat to crop production in Ohio.
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Ohio Agronomic Weeds Update – Dr. Alyssa Essman, Assistant Professor & Weed Science Extension Specialist, The Ohio State University. Dr. Essman provides leadership for an applied research and extension program for integrated weed management in agronomic crops. This talk will cover new herbicide products and EPA/ESA regulations for the coming growing season.
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New Technology in Weed Science – Dr. Eugene Law, Assistant Professor, Weed Ecology, The Ohio State University. Dr. Law’s research program is focused in the areas of weed science and ecology, and precision technology for novel integrated weed management. This talk will cover new and emerging technology options for weed management and their relative efficacy
The registration fee per person is $40 and is due by November 14, 2024. This fee includes course materials and speaker Q&A sessions. On-site walk-ins are not available for this event and each site is limited to a maximum of 30 people. Commercial, Private Pesticide, and Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) credits will be available. Online registration will begin on Monday, October 28 (go.osu.edu/24FallWeedsUniv) or for additional information on the event, contact the educator in the county in which you are attending:
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Sarah Noggle at noggle.17@osu.edu for the Paulding County event
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Caden Buschur at buschur.46@osu.edu for the Darke County event
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Ty Hamilton at hamilton.949@osu.edu for the Highland County event.
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Al Gahler at gahler.2@osu.edu for the Sandusky County event
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Dean Kreager at kreager.5@osu.edu for the Licking County event
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Haley Shoemaker at shoemaker.306@osu.edu for the Mahoning County event.
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Ohio Soybean Growers: Submit Your Sudden Death Syndrome Samples
We are currently observing fields in Ohio affected by sudden death syndrome (SDS), caused by the fungal pathogen Fusarium virguliforme. While this is the most prevalent species in the region, other Fusarium species, as well as brown stem rot (BSR) or the yet-to-be-reported in Ohio, red crown rot (RCR), can exhibit similar symptoms.
With the support and funding from the Ohio Soybean Council, our goal is to:
1. Determine the species and genetic diversity of Fusarium associated with SDS in Ohio.
2. Assess the fungicide sensitivity of isolates in our culture collection.
3. Confirm whether the symptoms point to SDS, brown stem rot, or red crown rot.
To achieve these objectives, we need your assistance.
Symptoms to Watch For:
- Early leaf drop and stunted growth (Fig. 1A).
- Interveinal chlorosis (yellowing, Fig. 1B) and necrosis (browning, Fig. 1C) on leaves.
- Root rot and stem discoloration (see HERE).
Figure 1. Soybean field in south Ohio severely affected by sudden death syndrome (SDS) with premature defoliation in the R5/R6 growth stage (A); symptoms begin with interveinal yellowing (chlorosis) of leaf (B); eventually leaf tissue dies and becomes brown but veins remain green (C). The fungus infects the root and produces toxins that are responsible for the above-ground symptoms.
How You Can Help:
If you encounter symptoms indicative of SDS or suspect brown stem rot or red crown rot, we encourage you to submit a sample to our Soybean Pathology and Nematology Laboratory at The Ohio State University.
Submission Instructions:
1. Dig out three to five symptomatic plants, including roots.
2. Place the plants in a plastic bag.
3. Complete this SDS submission form.
4. Mail the samples to our lab.
For more information on SDS, click [HERE]. If you have any questions, please contact your extension educator or reach out to us directly.
Mail Your Samples To:
OSU Soybean Pathology and Nematology Lab
Attn: Horacio Lopez-Nicora, Ph.D.
c/o Jenna Moore
110 Kottman Hall
2021 Coffey Rd.
Columbus, Ohio 43210
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Be Mindful of Fall Armyworm, Which Could Get Interesting
Since the extremely unusual fall armyworm outbreak of 2021 which affected forage including alfalfa and sorghum sudangrass, and turf, we have instituted a monitoring program in 14 Ohio counties. Though it’s too early to declare an outbreak, we’re seeing higher numbers in the traps than typical for the last couple of years (see Lep Monitoring report in this newsletter for more details). These moths will lay eggs which will hatch into the first instar, the smallest caterpillars which will grow as they feed. Control is easiest in younger instars. Fall armyworm migrates into Ohio during the latter part of summer and could cause problems into late summer. Unlike the true armyworm that only feeds on grasses (i.e., corn, wheat, forage grasses), the fall armyworm has well over 100 different types of plants upon which it feeds including many grasses but also alfalfa, soybeans, beets, cabbage, peanuts, onion, cotton, pasture grasses, millet, tomato, and potato. Obviously, a few of these crops are not produced in Ohio, but several of them are. As a result, we encourage farmers to be aware of feeding damage in their fields, especially forage crop fields, where we saw a lot of action in 2021.
Figure 1. Fall armyworm feeding damage. Photo by James Morris, OSU Extension
Fall armyworms are much easier to kill when they are smaller, and feeding accelerates rapidly as they grow, so early detection is important. Look for egg masses glued not only to vegetation but to structures like fence posts. Egg masses have a fluffy-looking cover (Figure 2). When the cover is peeled back, eggs are pearly and tan when new, and turn darker as they approach egg-hatch.
Fall armyworm caterpillars vary in color from greenish to tan to dark brown with stripes along the body. They can be easily confused with other species, but a good identifier is an inverted white “Y” shape behind the head. (Figure 3). Another species, true armyworm, feeds at night but fall armyworm will feed during the day.
Figure 2. Fall armyworm egg mass, with cover peeled back. Photo by Ric Bessin, University of Kentucky.
Insecticides will not penetrate egg masses well; it’s best to spray caterpillars when they are less than ¾ inches long, at which point most armyworm-labeled pyrethroids will kill them reasonably well. For larger caterpillars, products containing chlorantraniliprole will provide longer residual which may help with control of the harder-to-kill caterpillars over ¾ inches.
In forages, a threshold that can be used is 2-3 fall armyworm larvae per sq foot. If larvae are smaller (less than ¾ inch), they can still do a lot of feeding and are worth treating with an insecticide application. An early cut can help limit damage to the alfalfa, but one must check the field for survivors. If survivors are abundant, an insecticide application may be warranted to protect nearby fields. Armyworms get their name from moving in large bodies (marching) to new feeding areas.
Figure 3. Fall armyworm caterpillar, with an inverted “Y” near the head. Photo by James Morris, OSU Extension
In corn, armyworms can randomly feed on leaves, with holes occurring throughout the leaf surface. The more damaging stage is when they feed on developing silks and kernels after entering the ear. Once they enter the ear, control by insecticides is much more difficult. Most Bt corn varieties with above ground protection is labelled for armyworm control, but resistance to several Bt traits has appeared in the US. While we have not found Bt resistance in armyworms in Ohio, we would recommend growers scout ALL corn (Bt or non-Bt) for any evidence of damage or resistance.
Fall armyworm does not overwinter in Ohio. Moths come up from the South early in the season and temporarily colonize the area, especially in grassy areas. The current caterpillars are second generation. If we have a warm fall we could possibly see a problem third generation, especially in forage, cover crops, and winter wheat planted before the fly-free date (see Figure 4). Because of this, scouting for fall armyworm should continue for the rest of the season. Closely observe hay and pasture crops even after cutting or grazing, especially where the crop was heavily damaged. Additional treatment later might be necessary. Moths prefer light-colored surfaces for egg-laying. Check fence rails, fence posts, and tree limbs in and around pastures and hayfields
Figure 4. Fly Free Dates in Ohio. Wheat planted after this date have lower risks of damage from Hessian Fly as well as other pests, including fall armyworm and aphids that spread wheat viruses
Please visit the Forages chapter in the Michigan State/Ohio State Field Crops Insect Pest Management Guide for management notes and labeled insecticides in forages. https://aginsects.osu.edu/sites/aginsects/files/imce/MSU%20-%20OSU%20Insect%20IPM%20Guide.pdf
Hay fields with infestation that are near harvest should be harvested as early as practical, and then the regrowth closely monitored for fall armyworm activity. In Kentucky, the fall armyworms have been reported to be present in hayfields after harvesting the crop off. This and the fact that we could get another generation if the fall is long and warm are reasons to continue monitoring closely.
Badly damaged alfalfa or grass hay fields should be cut and then rested the rest of this fall with no fall cutting. Fertilize according to soil test recommendations. Monitor the regrowth closely to catch any re-infestation that occurs. Established alfalfa should come back from fall armyworm damage. Recovery of the cool-season perennial grasses will depend on the relative severity of the damage, the overall health of the stand going into the infestation, and how many young tillers were not consumed. It is hard to predict how they will recover, time will tell.
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Battle for the Belt: Season 2 Episode 12- Nitrogen Recommendations for Corn
Episode 12 of Battle for the Belt is now available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2kzyppty88
In Episode 12, we discuss nitrogen management in corn with Dr. Manbir Rakkar, the Ohio State Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management Specialist.
What is the optimal rate for sidedress nitrogen application in Ohio?
The optimal rate is the amount of nitrogen that will give us the maximum net profit. Nitrogen is a major essential nutrient but the relationship between corn yield and nitrogen input is not always linear. When we add nitrogen, the very first units of nitrogen are what gives the largest yield increase. The yield response of corn to nitrogen application generally will plateau and decline after a certain point. Another factor to consider is the cost of nitrogen and the price of corn.
There is a tool that considers all these factors, yield response, cost of nitrogen, and corn price, called the Maximum Return to Nitrogen or MRTN. You can find the tool at https://www.cornnratecalc.org/. To use this tool, enter your location, the crop rotation (corn after corn or corn after soybean), the source of N (UAN, anhydrous ammonia, urea, etc), the nitrogen product price, and the corn price per bushel. The tool will then calculate the recommended N rate for your specific situation. The tool is informed by intensive research conducted across Ohio and several other corn belt states and is continually updated.
At what stage should we sidedress corn?
The recommended stage of sidedress application in corn is the V4/V5 stage. Corn only uptakes about a pound of nitrogen from planting to V4. After V4 through tasseling the corn dramatically increases (Figure 3). The target for sidedress application is to apply nutrients with crop needs.
I missed my sidedress application timing, what do I do?
Even if the weather did not permit a sidedress application at the V4/V5 stage, this application is necessary for yield, and crop uptake is at a high from the V4 to tasseling. So, any time that you have the ability to get into the field to make the application that will be agronomically and economically practical.
How do we identify a nitrogen deficiency?
Nitrogen deficiencies are characterized by chlorosis of the leaf in a V shape beginning at the tip of the leaf and moving down the midrib toward the leaf base (Figure 4). Nitrogen is mobile in the plant so this deficiency will be seen in the lower leaves because the plant will use the older leaves to supply new leaves with nitrogen.
What are more resources for fertility recommendations in Ohio?
For more information and Ohio fertility recommendations including phosphorus, potassium, lime, and micronutrient recommendations for our main crops consult The Tri-State Fertility Guide. A physical copy of the book can be purchased or a free pdf can be downloaded.
Another option is the Ohio Agronomy Guide which has cultural management practice recommendations for corn, soybean, wheat, and alfalfa.
What’s happening in the field?
In the field this week, the ultra-early planted (3/25) soybeans at the Western location began to show pods and the second planting date (4/16) was at full flowering (R2). Both planting dates have had early flower dates and will be interesting to follow the rest of the season. For both crops, there is no sign of disease.
At the Northwest location, planting date three was put in the ground on June 10th. This area of Ohio has progressed in planting in the last week.
At the Wooster location, there has not been significant disease pressure in either crop but a presence of Septoria brown spot in soybean and anthracnose in the corn. Neither of these diseases should affect yield.
A summary of weekly conditions for all three sites and completed planting dates is presented in Table 2.
Table 1. Planting conditions for planting date three at the Northwest Agricultural Research Station. Location
Planting date
2-inch soil temperature
(at planting)Air Temperature
(at planting)
Northwest,
Wood County
June 10, 2024
72°F
70°F
Table 2. Weekly weather conditions for each updated planting date at the Western Agriculture Research Station, Northwest Agriculture Research Station, and Wooster Campus, with day of planting, soil, air temperature averages, and Growing Degree Days (GDDs) from June 10 to June 16. Information from CFAES Weather System (https://weather.cfaes.osu.edu/). Location
Precipitation
(Inches)
(June 10- June 16)
2-inch soil temperature
(June 10-June 16)
Air Temperature
(June 10- June 16)
Planting date
GDDs
(Cumulative)
Soybean
Stage
Corn
Stage
Western,
Clark County
0.0
Max: 78°F
Mean: 70°F
Minimum: 62°FMax: 90°F
Mean: 69°F
Minimum: 47°F
March 25th
April 16th
May 6th
May 24th
1097
988
752
446
R2
R2
V4
VC
V9
V8
V6
V3
Northwest,
Wood County
0.02
Max: 87°F
Mean: 71°F
Minimum: 56°FMax: 92°F
Mean: 71°F
Minimum: 48°F
May 16th
May 23rd
June 10th
638
473
144
V1
VC
V5
V2
Wooster, Wayne County
0.01
Max: 76°F
Mean: 69°F
Minimum: 63°FMax: 87°F
Mean: 65°F
Minimum: 44°FApril 22nd
May 3rd
May 21st
June 4th
776
670
434
216
V4
V2
VC
VE
V7
V6
V4
VE
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Spring 2024 Weather & Soil Conditions: Update 5
Soil Temperatures and Moisture
Figure 1: Daily average air temperature (dashed red), two-inch (green) and four-inch (blue) soil temperatures for spring 2024. Soil type and location of measurements (under sod or bare soil) are provided in the lower right corner of each panel. A map of all locations is in the bottom right. Data provided by the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) Agricultural Research Stations located throughout the state.
Depite a few mornings with sub-freezing temperatures last week, a strong late week warming trend sent daily average soil temperatures up in the upper 50s to mid 60s (Figure 1). Current forecast trends indicate that warm weather should keep soil temperatures mild this week.
Precipitation totals were lighter this week as well, with much of the state picking up 0.10-0.50” of rain over the previous 7 days ending April 29, 2024 (Figure 2). The heaviest (up to 2”) fell across northwestern counties (e.g., Van Wert and Defiance Counties). Warm temperatures and wind gusts to 35 mph for several days led to a significant decrease in soil moisture compared to earlier in the month, allowing for a notable increase in field activities.
Figure 2: (Top) Precipitation (inches) for the 7-day period ending April 29, 2024 courtesy of the Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service. (Bottom) Calculated soil moisture percentiles as of 4/28/2022 according to the Climate Prediction Center.
For more complete weather records for CFAES research stations, including temperature, precipitation, growing degree days, and other useful weather observations, please visit https://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weather1/.
Weather Forecast
The weather started off beautifully on Monday, with fair skies and highs in the mid 70s to low 80s. Afternoon and evening clouds rolled in, with rain showers and a few storms arriving Monday night. Showers will continue on Tuesday, with clearing later in the day from west to east. Highs will be a bit cooler on Tuesday as well, in the upper 60s to mid 70s. Mostly sunny skies will dominate on Wednesday and Thursday with highs in the upper 70s to mid 80s (north to south). Another system will move in on Friday with showers and storms with highs in the 70s. This front will try to stall out over the region for the weekend with scattered showers and storms possible and highs in the 70s. No sub-freezing temperatures are expected this week, with only about a 20-50% chance (south to north) historically of seeing a 32°F temperature after April 28 (not a forecast). Overall, the Weather Prediction Center is currently forecasting 0.25-1.50” of precipitation over the next 7 days, with the heavier amounts close to the Ohio River (Figure 3).
Figure 3). Precipitation forecast from the Weather Prediction Center for 8pm Monday April 29 – 8pm Monday May 6, 2024.
The 6-10 day outlook from the Climate Prediction Center and the 16-Day Rainfall Outlook from NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center show a strong likelihood for above average temperatures continuing with probabilities learning toward above average precipitation (Figure 4). Climate averages include a high-temperature range of 67-72°F, a low-temperature range of 45-50°F, and weekly total precipitation of 0.90-1.20”.
Figure 4) Climate Prediction Center 6-10 Day Outlook valid for May 5 – 9, 2024, for left) temperatures and right) precipitation. Colors represent the probability of below, normal, or above normal conditions.
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Big Swings Ahead for Planting, Growing and Harvest Season
As El Niño continues to weaken in the eastern Pacific Ocean the "rapid change" often leads to a wetting up as we discussed last time for a part of spring. This wetting up has occurred across Ohio in the last month with some areas wetter than others and could continue into May but to a lesser extent. The years where strong El Niño events came to an end in spring include 2016, 1998, 1982, 1973 and 1958. However, as we go into summer and autumn, there is a growing chance of a La Niña returning which is opposite of El Niño. This swing in the ocean pattern will likely put some stress on Ohio crops this year.
Above normal temperatures are expected from May to autumn harvest with the warmth favoring nighttime minimum temperatures more than daytime maximum temperatures. There will likely be some 95+ degree days this summer but there is more of a chance of 75+ overnight temperatures. You can see the official summer temperature outlook by NOAA attached.
Rainfall will see significant swings the rest of this year. We are in a normally wet time of the year currently averaging 0.8-1.0 inch per week. We expect this wetness to last into May. However, as growing season arrives it appears there will be growing variability in the rainfall patterns. In addition, we expect some dryness to expand as summer progresses and La Niña develops with confidence higher for dryness in June and August/September timeframes at this point. The extent of any summer/early autumn drought development needs to be monitored in the coming weeks.
Even though it is typical to still see some light freezes/frosts in April, most data suggests this is not likely as we go into May meaning a near normal last freeze for most of the state.
You can get all the official climate outlooks from NOAA's Climate Prediction Center at https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov .
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Spring 2024 Weather & Soil Conditions: Update 2
Figure 1: Daily average air temperature (dashed red), two-inch (green) and four-inch (blue) soil temperatures for spring 2024. Soil type and location of measurements (under sod or bare soil) are provided in the lower right corner of each panel. A map of all locations is in the bottom right. Data provided by the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) Agricultural Research Stations located throughout the state.
Daily average soil temperatures remained steady or fell slightly for most locations this past week, with temperatures now in the mid to upper 40s. (Figure 1).
Figure 2: (Top-Left) Precipitation (inches) for April 1-8, 2024 courtesy of CoCoRaHS. (Top-Right) Precipitation as a percent of normal (1991-2020) for April 1-8, 2024 provided by the Midwestern Regional Climate Center. (Bottom) Calculated soil moisture percentiles as of April 7, 2024 according to the Climate Prediction Center.
This was due in large part to an active weather pattern that brought several rounds of showers and storms including 8 tornadoes (27 year-to-date) and flooding conditions to many parts of the state. Particulalry hard hit were counties across south central and southest Ohio, with an EF-2 tornado in Jackson County and flooding conditions along the Muskingum and Ohio Rivers. Weekly precipitation tallied to 4-7” from Mercer County to Monroe County, while most of the state picked up at least 1.5” (Figure 2). This rainfall has saturated ground conditions across the state, evident by improved soil moisture indicators. These conditions are likely to remain saturated with another week of above normal rainfall expected.
For more complete weather records for CFAES research stations, including temperature, precipitation, growing degree days, and other useful weather observations, please visit https://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weather1/.
Weather Forecast
We began the week with some high clouds around on Monday, but overall, conditions were decent for the solar eclipse. A cold front will start to approach the area on Tuesday with scattered rain showers. Periods of showers and storms will be possible from Tuesday through Friday, with some locally heavy rain possible. We dry out on Saturday before additional showers move in for Sunday and Monday. Temperatures will range from the upper 60s to mid 70s on Tuesday and Wednesday, before a slight cool down ensues for Thursday and Friday. Temperatures will rebound back above normal by the weekend. Overnight lows should remain well above freezing this week. The Weather Prediction Center is currently forecasting 1.25-2.50” of additional precipitation over the next 7 days, with isolated heavier amounts (Figure 3).
Figure 3). Precipitation forecast from the Weather Prediction Center for 7pm Monday April 8 – 7pm Monday April 15, 2024.
The 6-10 day outlook from the Climate Prediction Center and the 16-Day Rainfall Outlook from NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center show above average temperatures are likely with near to above average precipitation (Figure 4). Climate averages include a high-temperature range of 57-62°F, a low-temperature range of 37-42°F, and weekly total precipitation of 0.85-1”.
Figure 4) Climate Prediction Center 6-10 Day Outlook valid for April 14 - 18, 2024, for left) temperatures and right) precipitation. Colors represent the probability of below, normal, or above normal conditions.
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Plot Twist: Time for a New Nozzle List
A few years ago, the Ohio State University Pesticide Safety Education Program put together a list of approved sprayer nozzles for applying pesticides.
This list was recently updated in May 2023 and can be viewed at https://pested.osu.edu/sites/pested/files/imce/ApprovedNozzles2023.pdf .
The list describes the minimum and maximum operating pressures for each sprayer nozzle. Any limitations for specific nozzles are indicated by a footnote on the chart.
For more information, please visit our website: pested.osu.edu, or contact the Pesticide Safety Education Program at pested@osu.edu.
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Battle for the Belt: Episode 13
Episode 13 of Battle for the Belt is now available:
In Episode 13, we have a conversation with Dr. Kelley Tilmon, Field Crop Entomology State Specialist, about pests in soybean and corn. A field update is also given by CFAES farm managers as well as a farmer from Allen County, Ohio.
Scouting UpdatesWe observed bean leaf beetle damage at all three of our trial locations (Wood County, Clark County, and Wayne County). However, each planting date had different levels of feeding. For planting dates one (April 12-14) and two (April 26-27), more feeding damage was observed than for planting date three (May 11).
Planting date affects the appearance of bean leaf beetle because initial planting attracts overwintering beetles to the site to lay eggs. Later planting may give the second generation in August/September the opportunity to feed on pods that are still maturing. Bean leaf beetle damage early in the growing season does not typically affect yield, but pod feeding has caused economic loss.Battle For the Belt Location Updates
Planting date four occurred at the Wooster location on May 30, just five days after the Western and Northwest locations were planted. The planting conditions at Wooster were dry, like the rest of the state. Comparatively, at this location, planting date three (May 11) has had the most favorable conditions to date. Because of the lack of rain and the dry soil, many would not expect quick emergence; however, there was enough moisture in the soil for both corn and soybean in Western (Clark County) and Northwest (Wood County) to emerge within a week. Ohio is not yet in a drought but is considered abnormally dry on the drought monitor scale.
Table 1. The planting date environment for planting date four at all three locations. Location
Planting date
2-inch soil temperature
(at planting)Air Temperature
(at planting)
Wooster,
Wayne
May 30th
65.9
70.2
Western,
Clark County
May 25th
71°F
56°F
Northwest,
Wood CountyMay 25th
68°F
53°F
The Wooster location is developmentally behind the other locations by at least one stage. Planting dates one, two, and three in corn is at V3, V2, and V1, respectively. The inclement weather has made planting dates one and two fall behind in development. In the soybeans, the stages are V2, VC, and VC for planting dates one, two, and three, respectively. Planting date three has surpassed planting date one in height and is at a similar stage to planting date two. For both crops, the early planting dates are shorter than normal in comparison to planting date three.
At the Western Research Station, for corn, planting dates one, two, and three are V5, V4/V5, and V3, respectively. (For corn, we are also testing several maturities, so there can be some variability in the growth stage). The soybeans at Western are at V3, V2/V1, and VC for planting dates 1, 2, and 3, respectively. At the Northwest Research Station, the stages for planting dates are starting to become more even with Western as Northwest received more GDDs last week. The corn for planting dates one, two, and three is V5, V4, and V3, respectively, and soybeans are at V2, V1, and VC for planting dates one, two, and three, respectively.Table 2. The planting date one, two, three, and four in the trial at all three locations with the day of planting, soil, air temperature averages, and Growing Degree Days (GDDS) (Information from CFAES Weather System, https://weather.cfaes.osu.edu/) 2-inch soil temperature
(May 29-June 4)Air Temperature
(May 29-June 4)
Planting date
GDDs
(Cumulative)
Wooster,
Wayne County
Max: 71°F
Mean: 67°F
Minimum: 61°F
Max: 88°F
Mean: 70°F
Minimum: 46°F
April 14th
April 27th
May 11th
May 30th
428
366
313
119
Western,
Clark County
Max: 73°F
Mean: 67°F
Minimum: 61°FMax: 88°F
Mean: 70°F
Minimum: 46°F
April 13th
April 27th
May 11th
May 25th
442
366
313
171
Northwest,
Wood CountyMax: 91°F
Mean: 73°F
Minimum: 55°FMax: 83°F
Mean: 69°F
Minimum: 59°FApril 12th
April 26th
May 11th
May 25th
531
436
368
200
As a recap, this research project includes five planting date windows, 1) Ultra early = late March to early April; 2) Early = mid to late April; 3) Normal = early to mid-May; 4) Late = late May-first week of June; and 5) Very late = mid to late June. Weather permitting, the last planting date (very late) will occur in mid to late June.
Keep following the ‘Battle for the Belt’ this growing season to learn more and get further updates! You can find the full video playlist of Battle for the Belt on the Ohio State Agronomy YouTube channel.
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Changes Ahead with Potential El Niño
After a dry late summer and autumn of 2022, winter turned wetter to offset that dry period. However, in April 2023, we turned a bit drier again. The main thing we need to monitor closely now is a rapidly developing event in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. It appears we are on our way toward an El Niño very soon. There are two types of El Niño events, ones in the eastern equatorial Pacific near South America (almost directly south of Ohio) and the other in the central equatorial Pacific Ocean more south of Hawaii. It appears this one may be an eastern Pacific type. Historic years with the eastern Pacific developing El Niño (EPAC) include 1957, 1965, 1972, 1982, 1997 and 2015.
The following images are what happens from May to August in those developing eastern Pacific El Niño years since 1950 for temperatures and precipitation. In those summer growing seasons, it tends to be normal temperatures (with limited extreme maximum temperatures above 95) with a tendency toward drier than normal conditions. The wheat areas of the Plains and western corn and soybean areas tend to see wetter conditions while eastern corn and soybean areas tend to be drier.
The Midwest Regional Climate Center at Purdue has a great page with crop yields impact related to these developing El Niño events. Most of the EPAC El Niño years had below normal trend line yields in Ohio. It is not a guarantee this would happen this year yet as things are developing at this time. We should know more in a month or so.
https://mrcc.purdue.edu/mw_climate/elNino/impacts.jsp
OUTLOOKS:
The outlook for the rest of May includes near normal temperatures with precipitation near normal in southern Ohio and below normal in northern Ohio.
The latest U.S. climate model indicates a drier June and August and a near normal July for rainfall.
https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/CFSv2/htmls/usPrece3Mon.html
Looking ahead to autumn harvest season, the normal temperature pattern and normal to below normal rainfall trends are expected to linger through October before wetter conditions may arrive late in the harvest season about November. The other indication is freeze and frost conditions do not look likely in September but could occur at or earlier than normal in October based on projected El Niño conditions.
https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/CFSv2/htmls/usT2me3Mon.html
In summary, it appears an El Niño is coming very soon and could have some negative impacts to Ohio. Monitor for areas of developing dry conditions into June.
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Planning Your Winter Annual Cereal Grain Forage Harvest
The greatest challenge with winter annual cereal forages for many producers is managing harvest timing to maximize quality with spring rainfall events that not only delay custom harvesters but also cause your perfectly timed harvest to come to a halt. One goal should be to harvest at least some of your summer annuals at the highest quality possible unless your operation only needs low-quality forage. Staging our forage plots in Fremont our cereal rye is currently at Feeks 9 but in Southern Ohio, it is at Feeks 10.1 needing to be harvested today.
Planted on the same day the four species we have been comparing flowered over a 3 week period. The four species we are comparing are cereal rye, triticale, barley, and wheat for yield and quality at an ideal harvest timing of Feeks 10, head in the boot to delayed at Feeks 10.5, flowering. Figure one shows the growth stages of small grains.
We have found differences in speed of maturity and in tonnage between species at the same maturity. On average most species put on half a ton more dry matter as they mature to Feeks 10.5 but triticale added over a ton of dry matter, figure 2 shows average dry matter yields. Cereal rye and triticale had a similar yield of around a 1.75 tons dry matter average at boot but had a low of .75 tons to over 3 tons per acre. The lowest-yielding location had lower tillers experiencing excessive winter and spring rainfall. At Feekes 10.5 triticale takes the lead in tonnage with an average of 2.75 tons and a high of 5 tons.
While tonnage is critical another important part of the risk management decision is how quality declines as the species matures, shown in figure 3. All species saw a similar decline in crude protein of about 2 percent with no significant difference in crude protein percentage between species, only between harvest dates. Neutral Detergent Fiber, NDF and Total Digestible Nutrients, TDN were a different story. These two nutrients moved inverse of each with TDN declining and NDF increasing between the two harvest timings, both of which lead to a decline in quality. TDN which is one measure of energy was the highest for wheat at both harvest timings. Harvesting at Feeks 10 had the highest TDN with all species declining when harvest was delayed to Feeks 10.5. Barley had the least quality decline of all species. Wheat stands out as having the greatest digestibility. This is followed by triticale and cereal rye at Feeks 10 with NDF increasing about 10 points as both matured.
Figure 3.
Even when lower quality forage is needed plan to harvest some at prime quality and then accept them at the lower quality when the weather forces a delayed harvest. Otherwise, you may plan for medium quality and end up with all low quality straw like forage.
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Weather Update: Transitioning to Spring: Will Spring-like Weather Continue?
Summary
Not to be outdone by January, February temperatures have been much above normal as well. Figure 1 shows that much of the state will end the month with temperatures about 5-10°F above the long-term average (1991-2020). Locations such as Dayton and Columbus experienced daily high temperatures of at least 70°F on three different days in February, a first for both locations. Despite the continued presence, although weakening La Niña, it was a drier than normal month for much of the state. The exception to this was northwest Ohio, where many counties picked up 125-200% of normal precipitation. The warm temperatures have certianly advanced the accumulation of growing degree days, with numerous signs of spring. For a detailed look at growing degree days and to see what might bloom next in your area, check out the The Ohio State Phenology Calendar.
Forecast
An active weather pattern will continue this week as temperatures remain mostly above average. A few scattered rain showers are possible Tuesday through Thursday, but no widespread rain is expected until Friday when another moisture-laden storm will move in from the southwest. Daily temperatures will vary quite a bit from the mid 40s to low 60s (north to south, and day to day). In the wake of Friday’s system, temperatures will generally cool down into the 30s and 40s for highs with sub-freezing overnight lows. There could be a little snow on the backside of the system for Saturday across the north. Watch local media outlets throughout the week for any changes to the forecast. Overall, the Weather Prediction Center is currently forecasting 1-2” statewide over the next 7 days, with locally higher amounts possible.
The 8-14 day outlook from the Climate Prediction Center and the 16-Day Rainfall Outlook from NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center show temperatures leaning toward cooler than average with near to slightly above average precipitation. Climate averages include a high-temperature range of 43-49°F, a low-temperature range of 24-30°F, and average weekly total precipitation of 0.65-0.95 inches.
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What Is a Good Soil Health Number In Ohio?
As our understanding of soil health advances, farmers are increasingly interested in assessing and improving soils on their farms. Several commercial labs now offer soil health analyses but generating values in a lab is only the first step. A frame of reference for what constitutes a typical, low, or high soil health value is essential for understanding these tests and inferring soil function. A common question farmers ask is, “What’s a good soil health number?”
A recent report helps answer this question, by providing a state-wide baseline of soil health values from Ohio. This report can now help farmers and landowners assess soil health in their fields. The full report can be found here: go.osu.edu/SH-baseline with a summary provided below.
The assessment was compiled from 10 distinct projects conducted by Ohio State University from 2015 – 2021. These projects involved mostly on-farm research that either included a simple agronomic manipulation or sampled soil in a survey approach. Nearly all soils were from production agricultural fields. Projects were diverse and included field crop fertilizer recommendation trials, certified organic corn fields, soybean fields, hopyards, and tomato fields. A total of 2,454 soil samples came from 75 counties across Ohio (Figure 1). Soils were most commonly a single soil sample per field, but no more than 10 soil samples per field.
Figure 1. The Ohio counties (red shaded) where soil samples were collected from for this baseline soil health assessment.
Soils were sampled typically in the fall or spring and mailed or transported to Ohio State where they were dried and ground to <2 mm. Soil health analyses (POXC or active carbon, Respiration, and Soil Protein) were run in the Soil Fertility Lab (soilfertility.osu.edu/protocols), and routine nutrient analysis (pH, Mehlich-3 nutrients, organic matter via loss-on-ignition) was run by Spectrum Analytic with recommended procedures (NCERA-13, 2015).
As expected, soil properties varied greatly across all 2,442 soil samples (Table 1). Fifty percent of the soils had optimal pH values 6.0 – 6.8 and most had sufficient Mehilch-3 P and K values. In general, soil test levels were in optimal ranges for grain crops in Ohio (Culman et al., 2020). Soil organic matter ranged from 0.1 to 9.8% for these soils, with 50% of the values falling below and 50% of the values falling above 2.2% (median value). Soil health measures that reflect biologically active organic matter values varied greatly, with median values of 496 mg/kg for POXC, 46.5 mg/kg for respiration and 4.4 g/kg for soil protein (Table 1).
Table 1. Summary of soil data based on percentiles (n=2442).
Variable
Minimum
25th
50th
75th
Maximum
pH
4.2
6.0
6.4
6.8
8.0
Mehlich-3 Phosphorus (mg/kg)
2
27
44
70
969
Mehlich-3 Potassium (mg/kg)
28
105
140
179
633
Cation Exchange Capacity (meq/100g)
1.9
9.1
12.0
15.3
27.5
Organic Matter (%)
0.1
1.7
2.2
2.7
9.8
Soil Organic Carbon (g/kg)
0.6
1.4
1.7
2.1
7.1
Permanganate Oxidizable Carbon (mg/kg)
55
401
496
617
1433
Respiration (mg/kg)
4.4
32.0
46.5
65.3
458.5
Soil Protein (g/kg)
1.5
3.9
4.4
5.3
25.6
The Importance of Soil Type
Soil type often needs to be considered when assessing soil fertility test values. For example, sandy soils cannot hold as much Mehlich-3 K as a clay soil. Similarly, there is widespread agreement that soil type needs to be considered when evaluating soil health organic matter values. Soils with more clay are inherently capable of holding more organic matter relative to sandier soils. Because of this, we grouped soils by soil type and by CEC (cation exchange capacity).
The tables in the report are intended to provide some reference for typical soil health values based on a given soil type. When a grower gets soil health test results, they can use these tables to see where their soils fall relative to other fields in Ohio. This is an important first step in establishing baseline values. The next step is using this information to understand how management impacts soil health, and ultimately how these values can inform future management and actionable decisions.
More information is provided in the full report: go.osu.edu/SH-baseline
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More on Tar Spot: Mid to Late R-Stage Fungicide Application
Most of the corn across the state of Ohio is now between the late-R1 (silking) and late-R3 (milk) growth stages, with a few late-planted fields at late vegetative stages. Concerns about tar spot, but more likely, a sense of security provided by relatively high grain prices have led to several fields being sprayed with a fungicide at or shortly after R1 and questions being asked about spraying additional fields that are now at mid reproductive stages (between late-R2 [kernel blister] and R3 [milk]) of development. Concerns about tar spot are understandable, given how widespread the disease was last year (2021) and the level of damage it is capable of causing. However, the basic approach for tar spot management in Ohio should be no different from the approach commonly recommended for managing other, more common foliar, fungal diseases such as gray leaf spot. You have to scout fields, monitor the weather, and if needed, apply the fungicide when it is most likely to be effective, without violating label restrictions.
So far this season, of the more than 15 samples examined (actual leaves or images) and 40+ field scouted at 15-day intervals, only three were positive for tar spot. This is considerably lower than what we saw at a similar time and growth stage in 2021. Does this mean that your R2-R3 corn is no longer at risk for tar spot? In places where the disease is endemic (hot spots where lots of spores may be readily available), a susceptible hybrid is planted, and weather conditions are favorable (moderate temperatures and wet and humid), tar spot may still develop and spread quickly after R3. However, under conditions less favorable for tar spot development (cool and dry) where spores need to blow in from outside, the crop is at lower risk for tar spot, even if symptoms begin to develop at R3. So, the short answer is, if you planted a susceptible hybrid no-till or minimum-till in a corn field that had tar spot last year, and weather conditions become highly favorable over the next few weeks, your crop could still be at risk.
In scouting my R2-R3 corn field for tar spot, should I focus my attention on the lower or upper leaves? If you planted corn-after-corn in a no-till field that had tar spot last year, the lower leaves will likely be the first to become infected and develop symptoms. However, in cases were spores have to be blown in from neighboring fields or regions, symptoms may develop first on leaves in the middle and upper portions of the plant. But it is not always easy to determine where the spores are coming from, and as such, where symptoms will develop first. In addition, depending on the weather, it may take several days or weeks after infection for symptoms to develop. So, when scouting for tar spot, examine the entire plant. Begin at the edge of the field where more spores are likely to be deposited and work your way towards the center, examining plants at regular intervals as you go. Do this in multiple areas of the field.
If I scout and find tar spot, I did not spray at R1, my corn is now at R3, and the forecast is for wet, rainy weather over the next several days, would I benefit from spraying a fungicide now at R3? Based on data from neighboring states, fungicides do show promising results against tar spot, particularly those with multiple active ingredients (AI). Applications made between R1 and R2 tend to give the best results in terms of tar spot control and yield response, but you may still see a benefit from an R3 application, particularly if the disease comes in late, the hybrid is highly susceptible, and the wet weather persists for several weeks. Prolonged and extended wet conditions during the latter half of the season seem to favor tar spot. However, keep your eyes on the fungicide preharvest interval. Most of the 2- and 3-AI fungicides that are among the most effective against tar spot have preharvest intervals greater than 20 days. Always read and follow the labels.
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Stink Bugs in Soybean
There are many species of stink bugs that feed on soybean including brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), green, red shouldered, and brown stink bugs. Stink bugs injure soybean in the latter half of the season after flowering by feeding on pods and seeds, resulting in lower yields and reductions in seed quality, the latter being a major concern when soybean is grown for seed or food grade purposes.
Sampling: Begin scouting for stink bugs when the soybean plant reaches the R2 stage (full bloom, when the plant has an open flower at one of the two upper-most nodes on the main stem). Stink bug feeding can cause economic loss from the R3 stage (pod set) to the R6 stage (full seed set). Using a sweep net, sample in at least 5 locations in smaller fields, more in larger fields. Stink bugs tend to be more numerous on field edges so sample hroughout the field for the overallpicture. At each location take a set of 10 sweeps, taking a step with each sweep of the vegetation. Count the number of stink bugs captured in your sweep net for each 10 sweep set. All pest stinkbug species, both adults and nymphs, should be counted together. Average your counts per set – thresholds range from an average of 2 to 4 stink bugs per 10-swep set based on intended use.
For more information about stink bug biology, identification, and management visit our new field guide to the Stink Bugs of Ohio Soybean at https://aginsects.osu.edu/sites/aginsects/files/imce/Stink%20bugs%20of%20OH%20field%20guide%20FINAL%202_2_22%20online.pdf
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Prevent Plant Economics
To avoid duplication, we do not make it a habit to cross-post articles from other publications. We assume that if you are interested in information from other newsletters and publications, you will subscribe to those. With that being said, we do want to direct your attention to the Ohio Ag Manager article “Evaluating the Prevent Plant Option” published June 9. If this situation applies to you, and you would like more information on the economics of this decision, please visit https://u.osu.edu/ohioagmanager/ to read the article in its entirety.
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Cooler to Warmer June Ahead
May worked out as forecast with a wet start followed by a gradual planting window.
Looking forward, the variable weather pattern continues in the short-term with temperatures continuing to fluctuate.
June Growing Season Outlook
For June, we expect slightly cooler than normal temperatures to persist until mid-month (-1 to 3F). Temperatures are likely to switch to above normal for the second half of the month (+1 to +4F). Confidence in this is medium to high.
Rainfall will be much more variable and scattered ranging from 0.50 inches to over 3 inches through June 20th (see attached rainfall forecast map for the next two weeks) You can also see this on the NOAA NWS Ohio River Forecast Center webpage at:
https://www.weather.gov/images/ohrfc/dynamic/NAEFS16.apcp.mean.total.png
Normal is about 1.5 to 2.0 inches. Confidence on where it will be drier or wetter is low as thunderstorms will drive the details of the outcome.
Rest of Growing Season Outlook
The outlook for July is for a warmer month with rainfall near normal (but the normal rainfall will be made up of anything but normal). Most areas will either be above or below normal rainfall in July but as a statewide average near normal is anticipated.
The warmer weather will persist into August with a trend toward normal or below normal rainfall. The question will be the preferred tropical track of tropical systems. Currently, most climate models indicate this will be from the Gulf of Mexico to the Southeast U.S. This will likely leave Ohio in the normal or possibly below normal precipitation category.
Fall Harvest Season
Early Indications for harvest season are for a warmer and drier than average pattern with low chances for early freezes.
Flood Risk Maps
The NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center generates ensembles of potential river conditions which can be helpful to the agricultural industry with lowland crops. You can see the 10-day river flood potential maps here:
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Delayed Corn Planting and the U2U Tool
Normally, we refer to the first half of May as a safe planting window to explore a longer growing season. Sure, weather permitting. Over May, several regions in Ohio have received enough precipitation that has not made that planting target possible, hence delayed planting. Delayed planting makes the growing season shorter in calendar days and available growing degree days (GDDs).
On May 23, the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service reported that 52% of corn was planted in Ohio, seven points below the five-year average. Already on the last day of May (May 31), it is expected that most corn in Ohio has been planted. If still planting corn, adjusting to shorter maturities can give an advantage or mitigate the risk of fall frost or killing freeze before the crop reaches maturity.
Emerged corn at the V1 stage in Wayne County, Ohio on May 31.
Useful to Usable (U2U) is a tool that can help as part of this decision. U2U can make county-level estimations across the US Midwest, including Ohio. Estimates are based on current and historical GDDs, planting dates, relative hybrid maturities, GDDs to black layer, and freeze temperature values. You can use U2U to test different scenarios and inform your decisions, specific to your location and conditions.
For using the U2U tool, five steps are needed:
Step 1. Access the U2U here: https://mygeohub.org/groups/u2u/purdue_gdd.
Step 2. Select your location, zoom in-or-out as needed in map. Search by Zip/City/County can be used.
Step 3. Select the start date for GDD. As a proxy, the planting date can be used here.
Step 4. Select your corn hybrid maturity. For example, 108 days, 114 days.
Step 5. Observe the projections. Ensure all boxes are checked on the upper left-hand side of the screen.
The U2U figure will include the 2022 GDD line, average GDD from 1981 to 2010, last freeze dates in the Spring, first freeze dates in the Fall, expected silking dates, and black layer. You can see the outcomes using a predetermined location, date, and hybrid maturity. You can repeat the exercise as many times as needed to evaluate other potential scenarios.
For example, specific to Hancock County, Ohio, May 31 GDD start, a 114-day hybrid was conducted (Figure 1). From this result, the earliest black layer date is October 25 (the actual and latest black layer date is projected for later). The risk of the crop being affected by freeze events are high.
Figure 1. U2U projections for Hancock County Ohio, GDD start date of May 31 and 114-day hybrid.
A second example is for the same location (Hancock County Ohio), same GDD start (May 31), but adjusting to a shorter relative maturity of 106-day (Figure 2). From this result, the earliest black layer date is October 2 (the actual and latest black layer date is projected for later). The risk of the crop being affected by freeze events are lower than in the previous scenario, but the chances are still high.
Figure 2. U2U projections for Hancock County Ohio, GDD start date of May 31 and 106-day hybrid.
Note: U2U assumes the same GDDs to reach the black layer for the same hybrid, regardless of when it is planted. There has been some information that pointed to hybrids maturing with fewer GDDs if planted later. More information on this can be found here (from Corny News Network).
Closing: planting hybrids of varying maturity can be effective strategy for managing risk. Some shorter maturity hybrids can yield similar to longer maturities, although longer maturities should have a higher potential. Shorter maturities can benefit harvest ease and grain drydown.
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CTTC Update – Masks Optional, Early Bird Registration Through March 1
Due to recent changes by the CDC with masking guidelines and the fact that the CDC COVID-19 transmission level for Hardin County has dropped, hospitalizations in the local area and in Ohio are declining, campus COVID case numbers are decreasing, and that severity continues to remain low, Ohio Northern University has indicated that masks are now optional in public indoor spaces on the ONU campus which includes the buildings that house the Conservation Tillage & Technology Conference.
As a result of these recent changes, the Conservation Tillage & Technology Conference, scheduled for March 8-9 at Ohio Northern University in Ada will extend its early bird registration rate of $100 through Tuesday, March 1. This extension of the early bird conference registration rate is reflected at the online registration site which can be found at https://www.allenswcd.com/cttc/. Further information about the CTTC can be found, including the final list of topics and presenters at http://ctc.osu.edu.
In addition, information and registration for the Midwest Cover Crops Council meeting being held the day before the conference on March 7, can be found at these two websites. Although the ctc.osu.edu website still mentions that masks are currently required as of writing this article, a request for updating this website has been made. If you have any questions about these changes, you can contact Randall Reeder at reederassociates@gmail.com. Anyone who wants to wear a mask will be welcome. In fact, there will be extra masks on hand, plus hand sanitizer for conference attendees for those who prefer to use it.
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Wheat Refresh and Field Walk
Whether it’s been a while since you’ve grown wheat or been a while since you have evaluated a wheat field, it is time to freshen up on how to do so. Even if you’re considering growing wheat for the first time, this event will get you started off on the right foot.
On March 30, we’ll walk a field with Dr. Laura Lindsey who will show us how to evaluate the field coming out of winter and refresh growth staging the wheat. Growth staging is critical for nutrient and crop protection applications. Resources and recommendations on disease scouting and control will also be shared.
Nate Douridas, Farm Manager of the Molly Caren Ag Center, will have a sprayer setup for nitrogen application which will lead into recommendations for wheat. An air seeder will also be setup to discuss seeding timing, row spacing and rates. There will be a combine with a wheat specific setup on site along with an equipment specialist from Ag-Pro Ohio to answer questions.
CCA credits offered: 1 CM, 1 NM.
Please RSVP for the free event. Doughnuts, coffee and a limited number of Corn, Soybean, Wheat and Alfalfa Field Guides will be provided. Contact information is needed to notify in the event of a cancellation.
March 30, 8:30 – 10:30 a.m.,
Molly Caren Ag Center North Farm1782 OH-38, London, OH 4314 (2 miles north of Farm Science Review on St. Rt. 38).
Registration: https://go.osu.edu/wheatrefreshContact: Amanda Douridas, Douridas.9@osu.edu
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Soybean Growers are Invited to Participate in a New Study to Improve Honey Bee and Soybean Productivity
The corn-soybean cropping system dominates the landscape in much of the Midwest where one-third of US honey bee colonies reside. We are looking for soybean growers to help with a new study that will test whether a slightly different management strategy for soybeans can help support pollinators, improve honey production for beekeepers, and improve soil health while maximizing crop productivity.
This study was largely inspired by a pilot project led by Nate Douridas at the Molly Caren Agricultural Center, where a perennial wildflower mix was planted in low-yielding areas in a large field (see video “Turning Red Acres Green” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpPhLj-0Db0). During soybean bloom last year, we observed lots of bees foraging on the wildflowers and on soybeans near the wildflower zones. We would like to further investigate how this management strategy, along with planting soybean varieties that are attractive to bees, could improve productivity in both honey bees and soybeans.
We are seeking large fields (100 acres or more) with some existing low-yielding areas identified by yield monitor data that can be replaced with wildflowers (we will provide wildflower seed). Wildflowers may also be planted in border areas of the field. The experiment will continue for four years with the following schedule:
- Year 1: plant wildflowers and a soybean variety of the grower’s choice.
- Year 2: plant corn. No change to the wildflower areas.
- Year 3: plant a nectar-rich soybean variety. No change to the wildflower areas.
- Year 4: remove wildflowers, plant a nectar-rich soybean variety in the entire field.
We will be working with the Ohio Soybean Performance Trials to identify a list of nectar-rich soybean varieties (data will be available by the end of 2022). We will also monitor the growth of four honey bee colonies installed at one edge of the field with an automated hive scale throughout the study period. We will evaluate the diversity of insect pollinators in the wildflower zones and adjacent soybeans during bloom. Yield monitor maps and pod evaluations (from a small set of hand-harvested plants) will be compared to evaluate any yield benefits. Soil samples will be collected to determine how the perennial wildflowers affect soil properties.
You can also participate without the wildflower experiment by just planting nectar-rich soybean varieties and allowing us to collect insect and plant samples in the field and monitor honey bee colonies housed near the soybean field.
If you are interested in participating in this research, please contact Chia Lin (614-247-4780 or email Lin.724@osu.edu).
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Winter and Spring Weather Outlooks
After a cooler and drier November, our attention turns to the winter and spring outlooks.
With a weak La Nina ongoing again this upcoming winter, what will it mean for Ohio? La Nina is only one of many factors that impacts our weather and climate.
The outlook for December is for warmer and wetter conditions across most of the state. This pattern will likely persist into February, though January may become less wet though confidence in that is low. We will likely have some short intense cold snaps mixed in with the warmer than normal conditions. As for snow, with the cold bursts, if timing is right, we should see more snow than last year but there is no indication of anything more than about normal snow at this time.
One note for winter is if we do not have snow on the ground when we get the cold bursts, it will make crops like wheat more vulnerable so this is worth watching.
As we go into next planting season, indications are like so many springs for it to start off with normal or even a bit colder than normal temperatures and above normal precipitation. However, by May things should relax toward normal conditions.
You can get the latest information on hydrology, temperature and precipitation outlooks at:
https://www.weather.gov/ohrfc/SeasonalBriefing
In the shorter-term, the wetter pattern will result in 1-4 inches of rainfall up to the holidays across Ohio with the least in the northwest part of the state and the most in the south and east. See the attached graphic for details.
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Jack Frost Will Bite Soon - Precautions for Feeding Frosted Forages
One of these days soon we will have a frost. There is potential for some forage toxicities and other problems that can develop after a frost. Prussic acid poisoning and high nitrates are the main concern with a few specific annual forages and several weed species, but there is also an increased risk of bloat when grazing legumes after a frost.
Nitrate accumulation in frosted forages. Freezing damage slows down metabolism in all plants, and this might result in nitrate accumulation in plants that are still growing, especially grasses like oats and other small grains, millet, and sudangrass. This build-up usually is not hazardous to grazing animals, but greenchop or hay cut right after a freeze can be more dangerous. When in doubt, send in a sample to a forage testing lab and request a nitrate before grazing or feeding the forage after a frost.
Prussic Acid Toxicity
Several forage and weed species contain compounds called cyanogenic glucosides that are converted quickly to prussic acid (i.e. hydrogen cyanide) in freeze-damaged plant tissues, or under drought conditions. Some labs provide prussic acid testing of forages. Sampling and shipping guidelines should be carefully followed because prussic acid is a gas and can dissipate during shipping leading to a false sense of security when no prussic acid is found in the sample.
Plant age affects toxicity. Young, rapidly growing plants of species that contain cyanogenic glucosides will have the highest levels of prussic acid. Pure stands of indiangrass can have lethal levels of cyanide if they are grazed when the plants are less than 8 inches tall.
Species with prussic acid poisoning potential. Forage species that can contain prussic acid are listed below in decreasing order of risk of toxicity:
- Grain sorghum = high to very high toxic potential
- Indiangrass = high toxic potential
- Sorghum-sudangrass hybrids and forage sorghums = intermediate to high potential
- Sudangrass hybrids = intermediate potential
- Sudangrass varieties = low to intermediate in cyanide poisoning potential
- Piper sudangrass = low prussic acid poisoning potential
- Pearl millet and foxtail millet = rarely cause toxicity
Species not usually planted for agronomic use can also develop toxic levels of prussic acid, including the following:
- Johnsongrass
- Shattercane
- Chokecherry
- Black cherry
- Elderberry
It is always a good idea to check areas where wild cherry trees grow after a storm and pick up and discard any fallen limbs to prevent animals from grazing on the leaves and twigs.
Frost affects toxicity. Cyanogenic glucosides are converted quickly to prussic acid (i.e. hydrogen cyanide) in freeze-damaged plant tissues. Prussic acid poisoning potential is most common after the first autumn frost. New growth from frosted plants is palatable but can be dangerously high in prussic acid.
Drought stress can affect prussic acid poisoning risk. Drought-stunted plants can contain or produce prussic acid and can possess toxic levels at maturity. Prussic acid poisoning can be associated with new regrowth following a drought-ending rain. Rain after drought plus young stages of plant maturity can combine to cause toxic levels of prussic acid in forage.
Fertility can affect poisoning risk. Plants growing under high nitrogen levels or in soils deficient in phosphorus or potassium will be more likely to have high prussic acid poisoning potential.
Fresh forage has more risk. After frost damage, cyanide levels will likely be higher in fresh forage as compared with silage or hay. This is because cyanide is a gas and dissipates as the forage is wilted and dried for making silage or dry hay.
Prussic Acid Toxicity Symptoms
Animals can die within minutes if they consume forage with high concentrations of prussic acid. Prussic acid interferes with oxygen transfer in the blood stream of the animal, causing it to die of asphyxiation. Before death, symptoms include excess salivation, difficult breathing, staggering, convulsions, and collapse.
Ruminants are more susceptible to prussic acid poisoning than horses or swine because cud chewing and rumen bacteria help release the cyanide from plant tissue.
Grazing Precautions Against Nitrate & Prussic Acid Poisoning
The following guidelines will help you avoid danger to your livestock this fall when feeding species with nitrates or prussic acid poisoning potential:
- Do not graze on nights when frost is likely. High levels of toxic prussic acid are produced within hours after a frost, even if it was a light frost.
- Do not graze after a killing frost until plants are dry, which usually takes 5 to 7 days.
- After a non-killing frost, do not allow animals to graze for two weeks because the plants usually contain high concentrations of prussic acid.
- New growth may appear at the base of the plant after a non-killing frost. If this occurs, wait for a killing freeze, then wait another 10 to 14 days before grazing the new growth.
- Do not allow hungry or stressed animals to graze young growth of species with prussic acid potential. To reduce the risk, feed ground cereal grains to animals before turning them out to graze.
- Use heavy stocking rates (4-6 head of cattle/acre) and rotational grazing to reduce the risk of animals selectively grazing leaves that can contain high levels of prussic acid.
- Never graze immature growth or short regrowth following a harvest or grazing (at any time of the year). Graze or greenchop sudangrass only after it is 15 to 18 inches tall. Sorghum-sudangrass should be 24 to 30 inches tall before grazing.
- Do not graze wilted plants or plants with young tillers.
- Under drought conditions, allow animals to graze only the upper one-third to one-half of the plant or the leaves of coarse-stemmed forages if the nitrate levels in these plant parts is safe. Monitor animals closely and remove them quickly when the upper portion of plants is grazed off.
- Generally, forage nitrate levels drop significantly 3 to 5 days after sufficient rainfall, but it is always safer to send in a sample for testing before grazing or feeding forage soon after drought stress periods.
- Making hay does not reduce nitrate levels in the forage, but the hay can be tested and diluted sufficiently with other feeds to make it safe for animals.
- Ensiling forage converts nitrates to volatile nitrous oxides, or “silo gases”. These gases are highly toxic to humans. Safety practices include removing tarps from a portion of the silo a day or two before removing the silage from the bunker.
Greenchop
Green-chopping will not reduce the level of nitrates and is not likely to greatly reduce the level of prussic acid present. However, green-chopping frost-damaged plants will lower the risk compared with grazing directly, because animals are less likely to selectively graze damaged tissue. Stems in the forage dilute the high prussic acid content that can occur in leaves. However, the forage can still be toxic, so feed greenchop with great caution after a frost. If feeding greenchopped forage of species containing cyanogenic glucosides, feed it within a few hours of greenchopping, and do not leave greenchopped forage in wagons or feedbunks overnight.
Hay and Silage
Prussic acid content in the plant decreases dramatically during the hay drying process and the forage should be safe once baled as dry hay. The forage can be mowed any time after a frost if you are making hay. It is rare for dry hay to contain toxic levels of prussic acid. However, if the hay was not properly cured and dried before baling, it should be tested for prussic acid content before feeding to livestock.
Forage with prussic acid potential that is stored as silage is generally safe to feed. To be extra cautious, wait 5 to 7 days after a frost before chopping for silage. If the plants appear to be drying down quickly after a killing frost, it is safe to ensile sooner.
Delay feeding silage for 8 weeks after ensiling. If the forage likely contained high levels of cyanide at the time of chopping, hazardous levels of cyanide might remain and the silage should be analyzed before feeding.
Species That Can Cause Bloat After Frost
Forage legumes such as alfalfa and clovers have an increased risk of bloat when grazed one or two days after a hard frost. The bloat risk is highest when grazing pure legume stands and least when grazing stands having mostly grass.
The safest management is to wait a few days after a killing frost before grazing pure legume stands – wait until the forage begins to dry from the frost damage. It is also a good idea to make sure animals have some dry hay before being introduced to lush fall pastures that contain significant amounts of legumes. You can also swath your legume-rich pasture ahead of grazing and let animals graze dry hay in the swath. Bloat protectants like poloxalene can be fed as blocks or mixed with grain. While this an expensive supplement, it does work well when animals eat a uniform amount each day.
Frost and Equine Toxicity Problems
(source: Bruce Anderson, University of Nebraska)Minnesota specialists report that fall pasture, especially frost damaged pasture, can have high concentrations of nonstructural carbohydrates, like sugars. This can lead to various health problems for horses, such as founder and colic. They recommend pulling horses off of pasture for about one week following the first killing frost.
High concentrations of nonstructural carbohydrates are most likely in leafy regrowth of cool-season grasses such as brome, timothy, and bluegrass but native warm-season grasses also may occasionally have similar risks.
Another unexpected risk can come from dead maple leaves that fall or are blown into horse pastures. Red blood cells can be damaged in horses that eat 1.5 to 3 pounds of dried maple leaves per one thousand pounds of bodyweight. This problem apparently does not occur with fresh green leaves or with any other animal type. Fortunately, the toxicity does not appear to remain in the leaves the following spring.
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Don’t Delay Wheat Harvest
Wheat harvest date could impact both grain yield and quality. Delaying wheat harvest puts the crop at risk for increased disease, lodging, sprouting, harvest loss, and grain contamination with mycotoxins. Even though head scab seems to be relatively low across the state this year, delaying wheat harvest could cause increased levels of vomitoxin contamination of grain, particularly if it rains for several days leading up to harvest.
In 2018, we evaluated wheat harvested on June 29 (at 12% moisture content) and July 8 (at 14% moisture content). Grain moisture increased between June 29 and July 8 due to 0.58-inch rain between the two dates. When the wheat harvest was delayed until July 8, yield decreased by 9 bu/acre, test weight decreased by 2.9 lb/bu, and DON level increased by 0.86 ppm (see figure). These reductions in yield and test weight and increase in DON are likely attributed to the re-wetting of dry grain, showing the importance of the timely wheat harvest.
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Roughstalk Bluegrass in Cereal Grain and Forage Crops
There is a new and emerging weed challenging cereal grain and forage producers across the state. Roughstalk Bluegrass has taken root in wheat fields and newly established forage stands. This weed has reached population levels high enough to inhibit the harvest of cereal grains, reduce the quality of forages, and crowd out newly established forages.What is it?
Roughstalk Bluegrass (Poa trivialis) is a perennial cool-season grass that has traditionally been an issue in turfgrass production. This plant can be found growing throughout the Midwest. Rough Stock Bluegrass has a high level of tolerance to shade and wet conditions or poorly drained soils. This weed can reach heights of 1-3 ‘tall. Often climbing above winter cereal grains and reducing growth. Most commonly Roughstalk Bluegrass is not noticed by producers until late May or early June when cereal grains are in the boot stage of growth.
How does it spread?
Roughstalk Bluegrass has two means of reproduction and spread, by stolon’s or above grown creeping stems and seed heads. The majority of spread in Cereal grain crops is by seed but for forages and turf stolon’s can be the main way this weed can spread.
IdentificationRoughstalk Bluegrass is very similar to turf bluegrass species. However, Roughstalk Bluegrass leaves are folded in the bud and have a membranous ligule that can be absent or be very long. “Rough” stalk Bluegrass gets its name from small hairs on the leaf surface and margin. This bluegrass, like turf-type bluegrasses, has a broad collar and a boat-shaped leaf tip. Roughstalk Bluegrass has yellow-green leaves that are shiny. The leaves can turn red during drought and heat stress. The plant goes to seed from mid-May to June, with an open panicle, like Kentucky Bluegrass.
Control and Prevention
Controlling this weed species takes diligence and scouting early in the season. Early April is a good time to start scouting for Roughstalk Bluegrass seedlings. Preventing this weed species from going to seed is very important. Use of grass herbicides as part of your overall weed management program can be successful, including best management practices such as proper seeding rates, planting dates, and fertility programs will also help to keep this weed from getting established in your fields.
Resources - https://www.canr.msu.edu/wheat/weeds/Roughstalk%20Bluegrass%20Handout.pdf
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High Temperatures Mean Higher Risk of Spray Drift
Mean high temperatures for the month of June in Central Ohio vary between 75°F at the beginning of the month and approaches around 80°F towards the end of the month. We have seen extremely hot days in the first week of June temperatures reaching almost 90°F, almost 10-15 degrees higher than the mean temperature in the first week of June. The same can be said for other parts of Ohio. We are out in the fields spraying pesticides to protect crops from weeds, insects, and diseases. How do such high temperatures affect spray drift which is defined as the movement of pesticides applied leaving the intended target area? Spray drift is influenced by many factors. One of them is weather conditions. We have to be extremely careful when spraying under adverse weather conditions such as high wind, high temperature, and low relative humidity.
Since evaporation of liquid from a droplet decreases its mass, it also influences the drift distance of the droplet. Evaporation rates of droplets by time vary depending on the initial size of droplets at the time they are released from the nozzle, temperature, and relative humidity. Effect of temperature and relative humidity will be much greater for small droplets especially those smaller than 100 micron which is the approximate diameter of human hair.
Let me give you some examples to illustrate the influence of just the temperature and relative humidity on spray drift. I will tackle the effect of wind on drift in another article. These examples are coming directly from the Ohio State University Extension Publication FABE-525, “Effect of Major Variables on Drift Distances of Spray Droplets (https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/fabe-525). For this illustration, I will assume a wind speed of approximately 5 mph, relative humidity of 50%, and the nozzle height from the top of the target is 18 inches. I will give you drift distances of different sizes of droplets under two temperatures: 68°F and 86°F. Droplets under 100 microns will almost always drift some distance away from the discharge location, however, they may at least have a chance to deposit on the target at 68°F. However, the same droplet at 86°F temperature will likely evaporate at some distance away from the discharge location. For example, a droplet with an initial size of 70 microns at 68°F will likely deposit on the target after a drift distance of 6 feet. However, at the time of deposition on the target, the final droplet size will be reduced from 70 to 44 microns (a reduction of 37% in size). The same 70-micron droplet at 86°F will completely evaporate after traveling only 13 feet. In contrast, a 150-micron droplet under similar conditions will be affected much less by the temperature. It will lose its size by only 2 or 3% of its size at 68°F and 86°F, respectively. It will deposit on the target after drifting only about 3 feet. So, these numbers tell us one very important message: If you must spray at high temperature and low relative humidity conditions, here are some options you can choose to diminish the effect of high temperatures on spray drift. The first option is to choose nozzles that will reduce the number of droplets smaller than 100 microns. Check the nozzle manufacturers’ websites to see which nozzles will provide droplets larger than 100 microns under the spray pressure conditions you will be doing your spraying. The second option is to reduce spray pressure and adjust the sprayer travel speed accordingly to make sure the gallons per acre application rate remains the same. Always remember, the higher the spray pressure, the higher the number of drift-prone droplets discharged from the same nozzle. The third option is to add so-called “drift retardant” adjuvants in the spray mixture to bump up the droplet size spectrum and reduce the number of drift-prone droplets. However, if you want to choose this last option, always check the pesticide label to make sure they allow adding drift retardant chemicals into the spray mixture. Some pesticides provide a list of specific drift reduction products or adjuvants that can be used. So, please check the pesticide label before adding drift retardant chemicals or other adjuvants to the spray mixture.
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Common-sense practices for effective spraying of pesticides
June is a busy time with spraying pesticides, especially herbicides. Paying attention to some key principles of spraying is likely to result in achieving your goal: maximum net return on expensive pesticides sprayed. Before giving you some specific recommendations on how to achieve the best results from pesticides sprayed, I want to remind you of 6 key elements of successful spray application: When applying pesticides, certain tasks are required for maximum biological efficacy. These include:
- Uniform mixing of pesticides (especially dry products) in the sprayer tank. This can be accomplished only if the agitation system in the tank has sufficient capacity for its size and is operating properly.
- Choosing a pump with sufficient capacity to deliver the required gallonage (gal/acre) to the nozzles
- Ensuring hoses and fittings between the pump and nozzles are properly sized to minimize pressure losses
- Ensuring minimum loss of pesticides as they are delivered from the nozzles to the target.
- Attaining maximum retention of droplets on the target (minimum rebound)
- Providing thorough and uniform coverage of the target with droplets carrying active ingredients.
Here are just a few of the best spraying practices you may want to pay attention to and get the most out of the pesticides sprayed:
- Carefully read and follow the specific recommendations provided on the pesticide label, in nozzle manufacturer's catalogs, and sprayer operator’s manuals.
- Calibrate the sprayer to ensure the amount recommended on the label is applied.
- Check the sprayer set up to ensure the amount applied is distributed evenly across the spray swath.
- If more than one type of chemical is added to the sprayer tank, check product labels to ensure the mixing is done in the appropriate order.
- Conduct calibration of the sprayer, mixing, and loading of chemicals in areas without risk of ground/surface water pollution.
- Operate the nozzles at a pressure that allows them to produce the spray quality (droplet size) recommended on the product label.
- To achieve the best coverage on the target, select the appropriate types of nozzles for the product, and if applicable (not restricted by the label) keep the spray volume (carrier application rate) above 15 GPA for ground and 5 GPA for aerial applications.
- Pay special attention to the selection of nozzles when applying pesticides containing 2,4-D and Dicamba. Check the labels of these products for specific requirements for nozzles and operating pressure ranges.
- Follow recommendations to reduce spray drift to a minimum. The probability of spray drift is much greater with some nozzles than others, and when nozzles are operated at a much higher pressure than they are designed for which forces them to increase the number of drift-prone small droplets discharged.
- Slow down when spraying. Spray coverage is usually improved at slower speeds. The higher the travel speed, the greater likelihood of spray drift.
- For herbicide applications, flat-fan nozzles are better than cone nozzles which tend to produce a much smaller proportion of extremely small, drift-prone droplets.
- Good coverage of just the top of the canopy may be sufficient for adequate pest control with some products. However, both horizontal and vertical coverage of the plant may be necessary for other situations, such as disease and insects that may be hidden in lower parts of canopies.
- Air-assisted sprayers usually provide better coverage and droplet penetration into the canopy, than conventional sprayers when there is a full, dense canopy, such as soybeans sprayed in the late season.
- Be careful when using twin nozzle/pattern technology for the application of fungicides. Two nozzles or spray patterns angled (one forward, one backward), work better when the canopy is not dense and tall, or when the target is the upper part of the canopy, such as with a wheat head scab. Use single flow pattern nozzles under dense canopy conditions when penetration of droplets into the lower parts of the spray canopy is desired.
- Take advantage of technological advancements in spray technology, such as GPS, Pulse Width Modulation nozzles for selective and variable-rate spraying, and auto-guidance systems.
- Be safe. Wear protective clothing, goggles and rubber gloves, and respirators if required on the label, when calibrating the sprayer, doing the actual spraying, and cleaning the equipment.
Of course, there are equally important topics I did not mention here, including general inspection of the sprayer, importance of proper product agitation in the sprayer tank, adequate size hoses and fittings, determining sprayer setup for acceptable application rate, selecting proper boom height based on nozzle angle and spray overlap, cleanliness, and pH of water used to mix the products in the tank, proper cleaning of the sprayer tank, spray additives that can enhance product performance, and handling pesticide waste and empty containers. I will cover some of these topics in more detail in my future articles throughout the summer. However, as we get into the busy spraying season, I highly recommend you check two OSU extension publications for detailed discussions on the topics I covered and not covered in this article:
- FABE-527, “Best Management Practices for Boom Spraying” (https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/fabe-527); and
- FABE-532, “Best Practices for Effective and Efficient Pesticide Application” (https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/fabe-532).
- Another excellent source of information on a wide range of topics related to pesticide application technology is http://sprayers101.com.
Wishing you a happy and safe spraying season!
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Corn Replant Decisions
As the weather has turned warm this past week, many of our fields planted in April/early May should be emerged or be in the process of emerging. Cool temperatures paired with rain over the last few weeks may have resulted in seeds sitting in the ground longer than expected, or some fields experiencing imbibitional chilling or surface crusting as the soil dried. These conditions could result in stand reductions by preventing seeds from successfully germinating and emerging (Fig. 1). Concerns about stand have been raised with these earlier planted fields and this article discusses some considerations when making the replant decisions.
Figure 1. Corn seedling where emergence was impeded by soil crusting.
In an earlier article this year, we mentioned the first corn plants began emerging 110-120 soil growing degree days (base 50 degrees F) after planting. For planting depths greater than 1 inch, 90% emergence was seen after 177-182 soil growing degree days were accumulated. Depending on heat unit accumulation per day, this can vary slightly in the number of calendar days this total is reached after planting. An early stand count after this point is key when making replant decisions. Stand counts in corn planted in 30-inch rows should be conducted on a length of 17 ft 5 inches of row. This equates to 1/1000th of an acre being counted, so the quick way to get stand is to count the number of plants in 17 ft 5 inches of row and multiply by 1000. More information on corn stand counts (as well as quick demo) can be seen in this video: https://youtu.be/qvWLuSJvo9M?t=260
While stand loss contributes to a reduction in a field’s yield potential, planting date also plays a major role. In much of the state, yield potential declines as planting date gets later. Decisions related to replanting should take into account the initial planting date and existing stand, as well as how a later planting date with a higher stand compares. A useful guide to see if a replant is a viable choice can be found in the AGF-502 Factsheet (https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/agf-502) as well as Chapter 4 – Corn Production of the Ohio Agronomy Guide (Table 4-13), and it has been reproduced below in Table 1.
Table 1. Planting date and final stand impacts on relative yield production in corn.
Planting Date
Plants per Acre at Harvest
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
35,000
Percent of Optimum Yield (%)
April 10
62
76
86
92
94
93
April 20
67
81
91
97
99
97
April 30
68
82
92
98
100
98
May 9
65
79
89
95
97
96
May 19
59
73
84
89
91
89
May 29
49
63
73
79
81
79
The greatest yielding seeding rate and planting date combination was observed at 30,000 plants per acre final stand planted on April 30 (100%). In the case of an April planting, even if stand was reduced to 20,000 plants per acre, yield was only reduced by 9-14% compared to the highest yielding treatment. If a producer elected to replant this area on May 19 and achieved a stand of 30,000 plants per acre, the yield would still be 9% lower than the optimum (which is equivalent to the 20,000 plants per acre stand planted April 20).
This past week as well as the upcoming week should provide more clarity on these decisions with rising temperatures. Be sure to check with your seed representatives on procedures for getting seed for replanting, and also be on the lookout for any applicable herbicide restrictions related to replanting if weed control measures have already been applied.
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Side-dressing Manure into Corn
With great planting conditions last week. Corn fields are emerging across the state. For livestock producers, especially pork producers, the application of manure to corn can make better use of the available manure nutrients. Incorporating manure into growing corn can boost crop yields, reduce nutrient losses, and give livestock producers or commercial manure applicators another window of time to apply manure to farm fields.
It is important to know the nutrient content of manure if a livestock producer is counting on using the nutrients to replace commercial fertilizer. Various swine integrators use different feeding rations so a recent manure analysis it important.
Numerous livestock producers have adapted manure tankers for side-dressing corn into emerged corn by modifying rims and wheels for traveling down corn rows. Even with the soil compaction concern, corn yields from side-dressing with manure are similar to side-dressing with commercial fertilizer. Using a manure tanker also allows the corn to be taller, providing a wide window for manure application.
Other livestock producers are using drag hose systems to apply manure. The drag hose travels across the corn, flattening it in the process. Livestock producers using this process have found that manure outyields their commercial fertilizer treatments by more than 12 bushels per acre.
To use a drag hose, the field must be firm enough to support the hose. Spring tilled fields that were worked deeply are generally too soft to support the hose unless there were compacted by heavy rainfall. No-till and other systems where the field was not deeply tilled in the spring generally work well. The other limit to the use of a drag hose is the maturity of the corn. Drag hose damage is minimal until the corn gets beyond the V4 stage.
A YouTube video created from 2021 Conservation Tillage and Technology virtual Conference on side-dressing corn with liquid manure can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0nhw3GG6Q8&t=14s
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First Widespread Freeze Arrives; Wetter Pattern Sets In
Much of Ohio experienced frost or freeze conditions this past Friday and/or Saturday night. In fact, many locations dropped below 30°F (Table 1), with unofficial observations as cold as 26°F! How does this compare to typical first freeze dates?
Figure 1 shows the climatological median date (50th percentile; 1980-2010) occurrence for the first 32°F in the fall. Ohio’s dates vary widely, as early as the last week in September in some of the colder valleys of the northeast hills (light blue) to as late as the first week of November (brown) in the far east. However, much of Ohio experiences first freeze during the second and third weeks of October. So, this year’s first freeze appears to be right on schedule across the north and a bit early for areas of southern and southwest Ohio.
Forecast
A stalled boundary is currently draped across Ohio. This boundary is providing a focus for shower activity, bringing the heaviest widespread rainfall that we have seen in Ohio since Labor Day. CoCoRaHS observations show that 0.5-1.25” of rain has fallen in the last 24 hours, with additional rain showers expected Monday night into Tuesday morning. This frontal boundary will lift north of the region by Wednesday afternoon, but not before providing the opportunity for additional showers through Wednesday morning. Highs will warm into the mid to upper 70s for mid to late week, perhaps even low 80s across the south on Thursday, with dry conditions expected through Friday morning. A strong cold front will approach the region on Friday, bringing a line of showers and storms through late in the day. Behind this front, much cooler air will filter back into the region, with highs in the 50s and 60s and overnight lows in the 30s and 40s expected this weekend. The weekend should remain dry before damp, chilly conditions return early next week. The Weather Prediction Center is currently forecasting 0.50-1.25” of rain across most of Ohio for the next 7 days, with greatest totals in the far southwestern counties (Fig. 2).
The latest NOAA/NWS/Climate Prediction Center outlook for the 8-14 day period (October 27 – November 2) shows below average temperatures and above average precipitation are likely (Fig. 3). Normal highs during the period are in the upper-50s to low-60s, lows in the upper-30s to low-40s, with about 0.85” of rainfall per week.
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Drought Conditions Expand but Some Relief Ensues
As of the Thursday July 30, 2020 release of the U.S. Drought Monitor, 37% of the state is covered by D1- moderate drought conditions (Figure 1). Hot and mostly dry conditions continued through much of June and July, with only scattered areas of heavy rain throughout the state. This has depleted soil moisture and lowered stream flows. If you are seeing drought impacts in your area, consider submitting a report to the Drought Impact Reporter.
Figure 1: U.S. Drought Monitor for Ohio as reported on Thursday, July 30, 2020
Over the last two weeks, the frequency and coverage of showers and storms have increased. West central, north central, and areas near the Ohio River have picked up widespread 2-4” over the last 14 days, with some local amounts greater than 5”. Coupled with cooler temperatures this past week, drought conditions have relaxed in these areas of Ohio. For more information on recent climate conditions and impacts, check out the latest Hydro-Climate Assessment from the State Climate Office of Ohio.
Though we are dealing with a frontal boundary with showers and storms moving through the region through Tuesday, drier and less humid conditions are expected to set up for most of the week. Temperatures will be below average on Wednesday through Saturday, generally in the mid to upper 70s across northern Ohio and upper 70s to low 80s across the south. Overnight lows will likely drop into the 50s several nights this week. Showers and storms may return for Sunday and Monday, though we are only expecting light precipitation over the next 7 days (Figure 2).
Figure 2: Forecast precipitation for the next 7 days. Valid from 8 pm Monday, August 3, 2020 through 8 pm Monday, August 10, 2020. Figure from Weather Prediction Center.The latest NOAA/NWS/Climate Prediction Center outlook for the 8-14 day period (August 11 – 17) shows the heat returning, with increased confidence in above average temperatures and slightly elevated probability of above average precipitation (Figure 3). Normal highs during the period are in the low to mid-80s, normal lows in the low to mid-60s, with 0.80-0.90” of rainfall per week. The 16-Day Rainfall Outlook from NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center shows about average rainfall over the period. This is likely to bring some continued minor improvement to drought conditions throughout Ohio.
Figure 3: Climate Prediction Center 8-14 Day Outlook valid for August 11 to 17, 2020 for temperatures (left) and precipitation (right). Colors represent the probability of below, normal, or above normal conditions.
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Ohio Department of Agriculture: dicamba use in Ohio ends June 30, 2020
The dicamba roller coaster ride continues today, with a statement issued by the Ohio Department of Agriculture clarifying that the use of XtendiMax, Engenia, and FeXapan dicamba-based products in Ohio will end as of June 30, 2020. Even though the US EPA has issued an order allowing continued use of the products until July 31, 2020, use in Ohio must end on June 30 because the Ohio registrations for the three dicamba-based products expire on that day.
As we’ve explained in our previous blog posts here and here, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the registration of the dicamba products on June 3, 2020. In doing so, the court stated that the EPA had failed to perform a proper analysis of the risks and resulting costs of the products. According to the court, EPA had substantially understated the amount of acreage damaged by dicamba and the extent of such damage, as well as complaints made to state agriculture departments. The court determined that EPA had also entirely failed to acknowledge other risks, such as the risk of noncompliance with complex label restrictions, economic risks from anti-competition impacts created by the products, and the social costs to farm communities caused by dicamba versus non-dicamba users. Rather than allowing the EPA to reconsider the registrations, the court vacated the product registrations altogether.
The EPA issued a Cancellation Order for the three products on June 8, stating that distribution or sale by the registrants is prohibited as of June 3, 2020. But the agency also decided to examine the issue on the minds of many farmers: what to do with the products. Applying its “existing stocks” policy, the EPA examined six factors to help it determine how to deal with stocks of the product that are in the hands of dealers, commercial applicators, and farmers. The EPA concluded that those factors weighed heavily in favor of allowing the end users to use the products in their possession, but that use must occur no later than July 31, 2020 and that any use inconsistent with the previous label restrictions is prohibited.
Despite the EPA’s Cancellation Order, however, the Ohio Department of Agriculture is the final arbiter of the registration and use of pesticides and herbicides within Ohio. ODA patiently waited for the EPA to act on the Ninth Circuit’s ruling before issuing its guidance for Ohio users of the dicamba products. In its guidance released today, ODA stated that:
- After careful evaluation of the court’s ruling, US EPA’s Final Cancellation Order, and the Ohio Revised Code and Administrative Code, as of July 1, 2020, these products will no longer be registered or available for use in Ohio unless otherwise ordered by the courts.
- While use of already purchased product is permitted in Ohio until June 30, further distribution or sale of the products is illegal, except for ensuring proper disposal or return to the registrant.
- Application of existing stocks inconsistent with the previously approved labeling accompanying the product is prohibited.
But the roller coaster ride doesn’t necessarily end there. Several dangling issues for dicamba-based product use remain:
- We’re still waiting to see whether the plaintiffs who challenged the registrations (the National Family Farm Coalition, Center for Food Safety, Center for Biological Diversity, and Pesticide Action Network North America) will also challenge the EPA’s Cancellation Order and its decision to allow continued use of the products, and will request immediate discontinuance of such uses.
- Bayer Crop Science, as an intervenor in the Ninth Circuit case, could still appeal the Ninth Circuit’s decision, as could the EPA.
- All of these orders add complexity to the issue of liability for dicamba damage. That issue has already become quite controversial, often pitting farmer against farmer and requiring the applicator or damaged party to prove adherence to or violation of the complicated label restrictions. But the Ninth Circuit’s attention to the risks of adverse impacts from the products raises additional questions about whether an applicator who chooses to use the products is knowingly assuming a higher risk, and whether a liability insurance provider will cover that risk. For this reason, growers may want to have a frank discussion with their liability insurance providers about coverage for dicamba drift.
The dicamba roller coaster ride will surely continue, and we’ll keep you updated on the next development.
Read the ODA’s Official Statement Regarding the Use of Over-the-Top Dicamba Products here.
Additional update from Peggy Hall.
It appears that there will not be an immediate federal order to cease use of dicamba, despite the emergency motion filed by the National Family Farm Coalition last Thursday that asked the Ninth Circuit to void the EPA’s order that allow use of existing stocks. Since then:
- The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has directed the EPA to respond to the emergency motion, giving the agency until the end of the work day on June 16 to do so.
- The court has also directed the Coalition to then file a reply to the EPA’s response, and to do so by the end of the workday on June 18.
This suggests that the court will make a ruling after June 18. For the time being, then, the Court of Appeals has not taken any further action that would disallow ODA’s allowance of the use of dicamba in Ohio until June 30.
However, as I mentioned in my last blog post on the Ohio Ag Law Blog, it would be wise for applicators to check in with their insurers to determine whether their insurers will cover a drift incident given the “vacated” registration status of XtendiMax, FeXapan and Engenia. Some insurers have already indicated that they will not ensure coverage.
Be aware, also, that Corteva Agriscience (maker of FeXapan) and BASF (maker of Engenia) have filed motions to intervene in the case. Although it’s doubtful that the court will allow intervention at this point in the process, the motions suggest that the three companies (Bayer Crop Science is already an intervenor in the case) are planning an appeal of the Ninth Circuit’s decision to vacate the registrations. That appeal would go to the U.S. Supreme Court.
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Weather Potpourri: Hot and Tropical – Turning Cooler This Weekend
After a long period of cold spring temperatures, the last couple of weeks have generally been above average by a degree or two in southeast Ohio to more than four degrees above average in north-central and northeast Ohio. Precipitation has usually been light during this time as well (less than 2 inches) except in a few heavier pockets across southern and eastern Ohio (Figure 1). For more information on recent climate conditions, check out the Hydro-Climate Assessment from the State Climate Office of Ohio.
Tropical Storm Cristobal came ashore in Louisiana Sunday night, and the remnants of this storm are moving northward into the central U.S. This storm will turn northeastward toward the Great Lakes on Tuesday. This will lead to a hot Tuesday across the region, with much of Ohio hitting the upper-80s to perhaps mid-90s. Scattered thunderstorms are possible in the west Tuesday afternoon and evening, with a better chance of scattered storms Tuesday night and Wednesday across the state. Weather will turn fair for Thursday through Sunday, maybe a passing shower over the weekend, as temperatures dip below average. Highs are expected to be in the 70s with lows in the upper-40s to low-50s. Overall, we are expecting light precipitation over the next seven days except in isolated locations where heavier storms occur on Wednesday (Figure 2).
The latest NOAA/NWS/Climate Prediction Center outlook for the 6-10 day period (June 14-18) shows a strong likelihood for below-average temperatures and below-average precipitation (Figure 3). Normal highs during the period should be in the upper-70s to low-80s (north to south), normal lows in the upper-50s to low-60s, with about 1.05-1.20 inches of rainfall per week. The 16-Day Rainfall Outlook from NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center strongly supports below-average precipitation over the next couple of weeks.
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Corn and Soybean Seedling Blights
Low stands or poor development of plants is, unfortunately, a common occurrence for fields that were planted in many regions of Ohio with heavy soil or are poorly drained soil. Symptoms include skips, missing plants, or dried up and brown seedlings. There may also be, wilting plants with and rotten, brown, decaying spots or lesions on the roots. Now is an excellent time to scout stands and check to be sure that the fields are not just crusted over – and that the seeds and seedlings that are there are still healthy.
While there, dig up a few of the affected plants, if the roots are brown and soft, the seedling will die eventually or be very weak. So don’t count them as part of your total stand. On soybeans check to see if there are nodules, the corky looking knobs on the roots that help legumes fix nitrogen. The cold, wet weather does not favor nodulation, so this may take a bit longer, for now, native Rhizobium spp. to get a foothold in the plants. Once the plants have nodules, they will recover and grow. On corn, the root (mesocotyl) between the young seedling and the seed, should be white. If it is dark brown or soft, this will also be a weakened plant. Some pathogens, if the environment is right, will continue to multiply and grow to kill the seedling. 
For management, improving soil drainage, and having at least two ingredients in the seed treatment mixture targeting water molds (Pythium and Phytophthora) are necessary for the challenging areas in Ohio that have a history of replanting. If you do have to replant, take a look at what the seed treatment package is and note what is in the mix. The one caution, though, is if the field was submerged for more than 24-48 hours (Ponding), this is flood injury, and there are no seed treatments for this. -
Good Time to Scout Wheat and Barley Fields
It has been a little over two weeks since overnight low temperatures were <32°F throughout the state. These low temperatures can be cause for concern, but this concern may have been a bit premature. Now is a good time to scout wheat and barley fields to assess whether cold temperatures simply set back grain development, or whether they caused permanent damage.
1. Walk your field. Make sure to examine several areas within each field. There are micro-climates within a field, and small differences in temperature can cause large differences in damage and grain yield. Barley out of the boot is able to withstand canopy temperatures just below freezing for several hours. Damage from cold temperatures may cause yellowing or browning of leaf tips, but provides limited insight on grain yield potential.
2. Collect heads. Collect heads from both primary and secondary tillers. If there is cold damage, the extent will vary based on developmental stage at the time of the cold temperature/freeze event. Collect heads that look healthy and damaged for comparison. Healthy heads will appear unblemished, whereas freeze-damaged heads can have white spikelets and awns and may appear water-soaked. Depending on the extent of the freeze, damage may be patchy.
3. Look for symptomatic heads. In plant tissue, freeze damage occurs when ice forms in the intracellular spaces. The formation of intracellular ice can rupture cell membranes and sub-cellular structures causing fatal injuries to the cell. When the wheat plant is headed, symptoms of freeze damage include spikelets and awns that are white or bleached in color (Figure 1). Plants that have white awns may still have a developing kernel. However, when a spikelet was white, we noticed no developing kernel.
Figure 1. Small grain awns and spikelets appear white or bleached as a result of freeze damage.
4. Examine spikelets. Pull individual spikelets off of the small grain head. Figure 2 shows an individual spikelet. (This spikelet is from ‘Puffin’ winter malting barley. Other barley or wheat varieties may be awnless.) Examine spikelets from the top, middle, and bottom portion of the head. Flowering first begins at the middle of the head, then top, and finally the bottom portion. It is possible only a portion of the head to be damaged depending on which part of the head was flowering at the time of the cold temperature or freeze.
Figure 2. Individual spikelet from barley head.
5. Disect the spikelet. Disecting the spikelet is a much better way to examine if there is a developing kernel (grain) than simply feeling the head because just feeling the head for a developing kernel can be challenging when the kernel is small. The inside of a spikelet is shown in Figure 3. A healthy flower should have a stigma (female portion) that looks white and feathery. Anthers (male portion) may also be inside the spikelet or may have already been extruded from the spikelet. Figure 4 shows a healthy anther, stigma, and ovary removed from the spikelet.
Figure 3. The spikelet should be dissected to examine the male (anther) and female (stigma) reproductive structures.
Figure 4. A healthy stigma, ovary, and anther that have been removed from an individual spikelet. This anther has been broken open, and shows that there is pollen production.
6. Look for developing kernel. Last week, in southern and central Ohio, developing kernels were observed within spikelets. Some of these developing kernels were still very small (which is why the spikelet needs to be dissected instead of just felt) (Figure 5). Other kernels were further along and larger (Figure 6). In northern areas, it may be too early to observe a developing kernel. Keep checking fields over the next few days.
In summary, the cold events of May 9-13 were a cause for concern. Producers and agronomists are encouraged to scout fields regularly to evaluate kernel development by dissecting spikelets. Based on our observations of fields in southern, central, and northern Ohio, pollination seems to have occurred and kernels are developing.
Figure 5. Small, but healthy developing kernels.
Figure 6. Larger developing kernel.
In summary, the cold events of May 9-13 were a cause for concern. Producers and agronomists are encouraged to scout fields regularly to evaluate kernel development by dissecting spikelets. Based on our observations of fields in southern, central, and northern Ohio, pollination seems to have occurred and kernels are developing.
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Scab Risk Low, but Keep Your Eyes on Leaf Diseases
According to the FHB forecasting system, the risk for head scab continues to be low across the state of Ohio, for wheat flowering (or barley heading) today, May 18. In spite of the wet weather we have had, it has been very cold over the last week to 10 days. Cold temperatures between heading and flowering usually reduce the risk for scab, as the disease develops best under warm, wet, or humid conditions. However, you must continue to be vigilant as the crop in the northern half of the state approach heading and anthesis. If it continues to rain and stays wet and humid over the next few weeks, the risk for scab and vomitoxin will increase as the temperature increases. Be prepared to treat fields with Prosaro, Caramba, or Miravis Ace. Click on this link for more details on fungicide application for head scab control: https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2020-13/managing-head-scab-fungicides-qa
While scab is not yet a concern, either because it is too early, or because it has been too cold, current conditions do favor leaf diseases such as Septoria leaf spot and powdery mildew. Both have been reported on the lower leaves of susceptible varieties, and will continue to spread up the plant if it stays cool and wet. In addition, persistent rainfall and warmer temperatures over the next few weeks will not only increase the risk for scab, but will also increase the spread and severity of other diseases such Stagonospora leaf and glume blotch. All of these diseases can reduce grain yield and quality, if flag leaves and heads are severely damaged before grain fill is complete. Continue to walk fields and look for leaf diseases. If the variety is susceptible, an early fungicide application may be needed to keep leaf diseases in check. Otherwise, an application (of Prosaro, Caramba or Miravis Ace) at or shortly after flowering (at or shortly after heading in barley) for scab control will also provide effective control of leaf diseases.
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Potential for Toxic Nitrate Levels in Forages
The recent cold and cloudy weather has raised the concern for higher nitrate levels in forages that could potentially be toxic to animals consuming those forages. It is true that any stress condition that slows plant growth and metabolism can increase the risk of higher plant nitrate levels. This article discusses factors to consider, especially given the recent cold weather we have been experiencing in Ohio and surrounding regions.
Plants readily take up nitrates from the soil, even under colder conditions, and especially since we have plentiful soil moisture to facilitate uptake. Once in the plant, nitrate is converted to nitrite, then ammonia, and finally into amino acids and plant protein. Any environmental stress that significantly slows down plant photosynthesis and metabolism can lead to excessive nitrate levels in the plant because the nitrate uptake from the soil will be faster than its metabolism into plant protein. Such stresses include frost, extended cold weather, cloudy conditions, hail damage, or drought. We have had all those conditions recently, except drought.
When ruminants consume excessive levels of nitrate in the diet, the nitrate is converted to nitrite by rumen microbes faster than it can be converted to ammonia, amino acids, and eventually to protein. Accumulated nitrite in the rumen is then absorbed into the bloodstream where it prevents oxygen transport, which leads to death. Livestock sensitivity to nitrates ranked from highest to lowest is: pigs > cattle > sheep > horses. Older or sick animals are generally more sensitive than young healthy animals. The fetus in pregnant animals is very sensitive to high nitrates ingested in the diet.
Below are factors to consider regarding the potential for high nitrate levels in forages, in the context of our situation this spring:
- Forage growth has been significantly slowed due to extended cold nights, cloudy weather, several hard frost events, and even hail damage in some areas. All these stresses can lead to higher nitrate levels in plants. Warmer temperatures later this week will help reduce the plant nitrate levels as plants gain active growth again.
- Nitrogen fertilizer or manure applications made to forages this spring definitely increase the risk for higher nitrate levels in plant tissue, especially where forage growth is slow.
- Nitrate accumulation is possible in many forage species, including all cool-season perennial forage grasses, alfalfa, all cereal forages (oat, rye, triticale, wheat, barley, spelt, etc.), and brassicas (might be present in cover crop mixes). Nitrates can also accumulate in corn and sorghum species, but those are not an issue for harvest at this time in Ohio.
- Several weed species are heavy nitrate accumulators, including lambsquarter, pigweed, dock, some mustard species, horse nettle, nightshade, quackgrass, and jimsonweed. Heavy infestations of those weeds when harvested with the forage will increase risk of nitrate toxicity.
- Nitrate levels are generally higher in younger than more mature growth. Delaying cereal forage harvest to dough stage and other forages to flowering/heading stages can significantly reduce nitrate levels.
- Nitrates accumulate in the lower one-third of plants more than in the upper two-thirds.
- Plant nitrate concentrations are higher in the morning than later in the day (plant metabolism during daylight drives the conversion of nitrate to plant protein).
- Risk of nitrate toxicity is highest with grazing, especially where nitrogen or manure applications were made this spring.
- Making dry hay does not appreciably reduce nitrate levels in the forage.
- The ensiling can reduce nitrate levels from 10 to 60% provided fermentation is good. But if the forage is initially very high in nitrates, the silage could yet contain toxic nitrate levels, so this is not an automatic fail-safe option.
- Nitrate levels can vary across a field, so the harvested forage can be quite variable in nitrate concentration.
The bottom line is that if you suspect the forage could be high in nitrate levels, the safest thing to do is to sample the forage and have it tested before it is harvested, because if levels are high you can delay harvest to reduce the levels. You should certainly sample the stored forage before feeding it if you suspect higher levels! Call your forage lab and follow their guidelines closely for sampling the forage, packaging, and shipping the sample to them. It might be a good idea to delay harvest until we get warmer weather, more sunshine, and a little more maturity on those forages that are known to be nitrate accumulators, especially where several of the risk factors listed above are present.
For more details, see the following references:
Drewnoski et al., Nitrates in livestock feeding. University of Nebraska Extension NebGuide G1779. Available at http://extensionpublications.unl.edu/assets/pdf/g1779.pdf.
Adams et al., Prevention and control of nitrate toxicity in cattle. PennState Extension. Available at https://extension.psu.edu/prevention-and-control-of-nitrate-toxicity-in-cattle.
Glunk, E. Nitrate toxicity of Montana forages. Montana State University Extension MontGuide MT2002205AG. Available at http://www.animalrangeextension.montana.edu/forage/documents/Nitrate%20Toxicity%20MontGuide.pdf.
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Ohio Farm Custom Rate Survey 2020
A large number of Ohio farmers hire machinery operations and other farm related work to be completed by others. This is often due to lack of proper equipment, lack of time or lack of expertise for a particular operation. Many farm business owners do not own equipment for every possible job that they may encounter in the course of operating a farm and may, instead of purchasing the equipment needed, seek out someone with the proper tools necessary to complete the job. This farm work completed by others is often referred to as “custom farm work” or more simply “custom work”. A “custom rate” is the amount agreed upon by both parties to be paid by the custom work customer to the custom work provider.
Custom farming providers and customers often negotiate an agreeable custom farming machinery rate by utilizing Extension surveys results as a starting point. Ohio State University Extension collects surveys and publishes survey results from the Ohio Farm Custom Survey every other year. This year we are updating our published custom farm rates for Ohio.
We need your assistance in securing up-to-date information about farm custom work rates, machinery and building rental rates and hired labor costs in Ohio.
This year we have an online survey set up that anyone can access. We would ask that you respond even if you know only a few rates. We want information on actual rates, either what you paid to hire custom work or what you charged if you perform custom work. Custom Rates should include all ownership costs of implement & tractor (if needed), operator labor, fuel and lube. If fuel is not included in your custom rate charge there is a place on the survey to indicate this.
You may access the survey at: ohio farm custom rates survey 2020
Or: https://osu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7WN0eNQz3VO41nv
The deadline to complete the survey is March 31, 2020.
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2019 Organic Corn Performance Test Results Available
In January 2019, Ohio State University / Ohio Agriculture Research and Development Center was approached by a representative of the organic seed industry inquiring if an organic corn performance test would be possible. Organic seed suppliers were contacted to gauge their interest and gather input on test protocol. The end result, 35 organic hybrids representing 7 commercial brands were submitted for evaluation in the new Organic Corn Performance Test. The tests were conducted on certified organic fields in Apple Creek and Wooster (Fry and West Badger Farms) and intensively managed for nutrients and weed control. Each hybrid entry was evaluated using four replications per site in a randomized complete block design. Hybrids were planted either in an early or full season maturity test based on relative maturity information provided by the companies. The relative maturity of hybrid entries in the early maturity trial was 106 days or earlier; the relative maturity of hybrid entries in the full season trial was 107 days or later. The planting rate was 34,000 seeds/acre with a final stand target of 30K – 31K plants/acre. Composted manure and Chilean Nitrate were applied according to recommended cultural practices for obtaining optimum grain yields.
The spring of 2019 was one the wettest on record and resulted in major planting delays throughout Ohio. According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, only 33% of Ohio's corn was planted by June 2. The Organic OCPT fields were planted May 24th and 25th into fields with optimal soil moisture & temperature for uniform emergence and early growth. Frequent rain events continued into June limiting weed control opportunities. Timely rains in August and September, combined with above average temperatures, were favorable for corn development and extended the grain fill period. Diplodia ear rot was observed in a few hybrids at low levels. Stalk lodging, while present, was generally one or two nodes below the ear node and did not impact harvestability for most hybrids. The Wooster/Apple Creek areas were fortunate and missed most of the weather extremes experienced in other parts of Ohio. Excellent conditions throughout the growing season minimized stress.
Despite delayed planting dates, above normal rainfall and warmer than normal conditions during grain fill, Organic OCPT yields exceeded expectations. Averaged across hybrid entries in the early and full season tests, yields were 236 bu/A. Yields at individual test sites, averaged across hybrid entries in the early and full season tests, ranged from 232 bu/A at Apple Creek to 240 bu/A at Wooster.
Confidence in test results increases with the number of years and the number of locations in which the hybrid was tested. Look for consistency in a hybrid's performance across a range of environmental conditions. Yield, standability, grain moisture, and other comparisons should be made between hybrids of similar maturity to determine those best adapted to your farm. Results of the crop performance trials for 2019 are available online at: http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/organiccorntrials. Hybrids can be sorted by yield, brand, and other variables online.
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Field Wilting Corn for Silage Harvest
We have some very late planted corn this year intended for silage harvest on prevented plant acres that may not reach the dough stage before a killing frost (see accompanying articles about corn silage in this newsletter). For corn that does not reach dough stage, past research indicates that whole plant moisture after the killing frost will seldom drop enough for proper fermentation. In those cases, it is advisable to cut the corn with a hay mower before a frost (and earlier will likely have higher forage quality) and wilt it in the field to the proper dry matter content that ensures good fermentation (64-68% moisture, or 32-36% dry matter). For corn that is barren of grain (pollination was unsuccessful), harvest can occur at any point either before tasseling when maximum forage yield is attained or after tasseling. Earlier harvesting will likely produce higher forage quality.
Corn plants can be cut and field-wilted, but this practice requires very careful attention to mechanical details to avoid a disaster and severe soil contamination. Also, be sure to test the moisture content (using a microwave oven or Koster Tester) during the wilting period to ensure the proper moisture range is achieved for ensiling prior to picking up the windrow. The wilting period could be quite short depending on the initial moisture level, condition of the crop, and weather conditions.
Below are some thoughts and guidelines on the mechanical aspects on field wilting corn from Dr. Kevin Shinners, Professor of Agricultural Engineering in the Biological Systems Engineering Department at the University of Wisconsin:
- Disk mowers are able to cut and swath/windrow whole plant corn. Open the roll clearance a bit to prevent machine plugging, but not so much that the stems are not conditioned (crimped) to help drying. Don’t expect to have high ground speed if yield is high.
- Forage harvesters will pick this material off the field – the one caveat is if the corn goes down and the disk mower doesn’t cut it well, the long stalks still attached to the ground can cause problems with picking up the windrow. If possible, try to mow the crop before lodging occurs.
- An important consideration is whether to place in a wide swath or narrower windrow. Swathing causes the crop to dry more quickly and uniformly, but it also exposes more of the crop to soil contamination (see below). If windrowed, high yields could result in dense, heavy windrows that dry poorly and decompose. However, windrows may offer less risk of soil contamination. Yield (bulk) of the material affects this decision.
- Soil contamination should be carefully monitored. Corn ground is not like hay ground (especially if tillage was used prior to corn planting), so it will have a lot of bare soil in contact with the wet stalks, and that could cause a lot of soil contamination.
- Rocks are another concern when you are picking corn off bare, recently tilled ground. Combined with the soil in the windrow, you could really cause wear and damage to the chopper.
- Having said all those negatives, producers have successfully chopped windrowed corn stover with a forage harvester. They are careful about the header gauge wheels to prevent tines from touching soil and they try hard to keep dirt out of the windrow when they form it. No reason to think windrowed corn can’t be harvested if folks are thoughtful about how they set-up the machine.
- I have seen folks round bale and wrap grainless corn silage rather than chop it. The balers with pre-cutters work well, but to prevent plugging, the baling will likely be slow. Just like the chopper, be careful to set the pick-up height to minimize soil contamination. Try to target slightly less than 60% moisture (40% DM) and be thoughtful about the weight of the bales with regard to safe transport and handling.
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Western Bean Cutworm Monitoring
The Ohio State University Western bean cutworm (WBC) network has officially started monitoring traps as of last week. Green bucket traps containing a lure were placed along the edges of corn fields during the week of June 17th. The first trap count includes WBC adults captured during the week of June 24th. Overall, 22 counties monitored 62 traps across Ohio; which resulted in 12 WBC adults captured (0.2 average moths per trap) (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Average Western bean cutworm adult per trap followed by total number of traps in the county in parentheses for week ending June 29, 2019.
The adults are moths that begin to emerge in late June and peak flight occurs anytime between the 2nd through 4th week of July (Figure 2). Monitoring for the adults allows us to pinpoint the optimal time to begin scouting for egg masses as well as track peak flight across the state. While it is too early to tell what kind of year we will have with WBC, it is important to note that WBC prefers to lay eggs in pre-tassel corn.
Figure 3. Average Western bean cutworm (WBC) adults for each week from June 23 through August 25 in 2016 (blue), 2017 (red), 2018 (green) and 2019 (purple).
More information on our trapping summary for the 2018 field season can be found here: https://aginsects.osu.edu/sites/aginsects/files/imce/Trapping%20summary%202018%20AGINSECTS.pdf
Further information on WBC can be found in our fact sheet: http://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/ENT-40 and a free article in the Journal of Integrated Pest Management: http://jipm.oxfordjournals.org/content/1/1/A1
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More of the Same
Wet conditions into July will impact additional planting but also harvesting crops. This includes wheat and hay.
There is not much change from last week's thinking. Overall, we expect above normal rainfall for the rest of June and likely into parts of July.
Rainfall for the next two weeks will average 2-5 inches which are 100-250% of normal. Isolated totals will exceed 6 inches.
Temperatures will continue to average about normal but that will be a mix of below normal maximum temperatures and above normal minimum temperatures. This will be the result of high moisture levels and humidity. The outlook for July is near or slightly above normal temperatures and above normal rainfall and humidity.
The latest observed 7-day 4-km hi-resolution rainfall estimates can be found here: https://www.weather.gov/images/ohrfc/dynamic/latest7day.jpeg
The latest 16-day rainfall outlook is attached to this article but the daily update can be found at https://www.weather.gov/images/ohrfc/dynamic/NAEFS16.apcp.mean.total.png
The latest NWS Ohio River Forecast Center river conditions can be found at: https://www.weather.gov/ohrfc/
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Current Weed Issues II: Revised Herbicide Management Strategies for Late Planting
We’re running about a month behind in many cases, and with respect to weeds we are a month later than normal in implementing herbicide programs. The most important thing to know about this is that we are well into the period of summer annual weed emergence, most of which occurs between early May and the end of June, which overall shortens the period of weed control that we need and allows earlier application of POST herbicides. There are some advantages to this - here’s what it means for those fields just planted or that will still be planted within the next couple weeks:
Because we are this late, the burndown has become a major part of what is usually our in-season herbicide program, and is taking care of a good portion of the summer annuals that residual and POST herbicides would usually control. The big glaring issue at this time is nasty burndown situations, and we provided some suggestions for this in previous articles. Lots of pretty yellow fields due to cressleaf groundsel. Keep in mind that this and other winter annuals that have flowered are ending their life cycles, so they have died or started dieing on their own anyway. Focus should be more on the large giant ragweed, lambsquarters, marestail, etc that are present. We are also late enough that waterhemp is part of the burndown mix in come fields. Don’t skimp.
Herbicide programs do not have to last as long in crops planted late. When we plant in early May, we need an herbicide program that controls weeds from then until the end of June or so, which is in part why we use residual herbicides and frequently apply POST herbicides 5 to 6 weeks after planting. Applying the POST too early in a crop planted in early May introduces the risk of poor control of weeds that emerge soon after that application, before the crop is developed enough to control them on its own. This is much less of an issue with a late-planted crop. Since summer annual weed emergence tapers off as we move through June, the POST herbicides can be applied much sooner after planting without sacrificing control. Planting soybeans this late can therefore allow earlier POST applications when weeds are small – more like 3 weeks after planting. This can help minimize carryover concerns with fomesafen, and also provide a wider window to look for the right conditions to apply dicamba (see below).
In studies of reduced-rate POST applications that we conducted a couple decades ago, planting soybeans in late May or early June allowed us to use earlier POST applications (e.g 21 days after planting) at lower rates and still maintain control. There were just fewer weeds emerging after planting and the duration of weed emergence after planting was also shorter. It was not possible to achieve this in early-planted soybeans – we needed either two applications at reduced rate or a later application at full rates for control.
One issue with later POST sprays is the potential for herbicide carryover from products such as mesotrione and fomesafen (Flexstar, etc), among others. Fomesafen carryover has been rare in the state but risk increases with later applications, especially if rainfall subsequently becomes limiting. Where glyphosate and fomesafen are being combined in a late POST application to control ragweeds, it may become necessary to replace the fomesafen with lactofen (Cobra/Phoenix) as applications move into July. Our research indicates that the lactofen products are less effective than fomesafen in this mix by about 10 to 20%.
Another concern would be POST applications of dicamba on Xtend soybeans shifted later into the hotter weather that occurs as we move from June into July. The consensus of the weed science community is that both of the approved dicamba formulations have potential to move via volatilization, and the risk of this would increase with increasing temperatures and increased frequency and duration of inversions. The current long-range forecast also indicates a trend for hotter than normal temperatures as we move into mid-summer. Current labels allow application through 45 days after planting or prior to the R1 stage, whichever occurs first. For soybeans planted early, the 45-day limit is often the main determinant, but later planted soybeans progress through growth stages more rapidly so the R1 stage may be the more frequent limitation. Movement of dicamba onto other types of soybeans later in summer also has increased potential to reduce yield, since long-term effects of exposure to dicamba are more severe when soybeans have flowered. Bottom line here is that there is less weather and time suitable for dicamba application with late-season applications, and movement and injury that does occur can have more substantial impact. Planting within the next couple weeks and looking for the right conditions to spray starting about June 21 would provide more flexibility with regard to weather and weed size than deciding to wait until about July 10 to spray when it’s hotter and weeds are already large.
Can residual herbicides be omitted in late-planted soybeans? Maybe. Reduced weed populations could make this more feasible, but we really hesitate to recommend it. Omitting residuals is never the right thing to do in fields with a history of weed control problems or high weed populations, or those with waterhemp and Palmer amaranth. One advantage of omitting residuals would less risk of antagonism with burndown herbicides in mixtures. Applying certain soybean residuals in June can increase risk of carryover. The effectiveness of current soybean herbicide-tolerance trait systems makes this more of a possibility, but lack of residuals generally increases risk of problems and selection for resistant weeds, and makes timing of POST herbicides more critical. The latter point is important because with a compressed season, applicators can be required to cover a lot of acres within a short period of time. Keeping residuals in the program allows for more flexibility overall.
In late-planted corn, residual herbicides may be effective enough to reduce need for POST herbicides. Or the residuals could be applied early POST, after the rush to plant is over (keeping rotation guidelines in mind). Some corn fields are already in this situation, planted without any herbicide applied yet. The table below shows restrictions on POST use of residual corn herbicides (source – U of Illinois). This information can also be found in the herbicide descriptions in the Weed Control Guide , and is also summarized in this PSU newsletter article and this table from the MSU weed control guide. Reminder that use of 28% UAN as a spray carrier is prohibited for POST application of herbicides with the exception of Degree Xtra.
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Soybean Cyst Nematode Samples – Spring is still a good time!
Lots of news about Soybean cyst nematode at Commodity Classic a couple of weeks ago. We have continued support to run assays and education sessions for farmers throughout the region to be able to answer “What’s your number?” There are fields throughout the Midwest, where not only are SCN numbers creeping up to economic levels but also the reproduction factor, which is the ability to reproduce on the one source of resistance (PI 88788) is also creeping up. The good news is that adaptation to the PI 88788 type of resistance towards SCN in soybean is going to be slow – but it is happening in a couple of fields in Ohio where the number of cysts are up to 27% of the susceptible check.
We received soil samples from 238 fields during 2018 – here is the breakdown.
SCN Population Level
Total fields
% of total
None Detected
89
37.4
Trace (40-200)
58
24.4
Low (200-2000)
58
24.4
Moderate (2000-5000)
22
9.2
High (5000 +)
22
4.6
Total
238
The highest counts to date are approximately 15,000 eggs per 100 cc of soil.
So here is the challenge – we are missing samples from some regions of Ohio and definitely could use some more soil samples from all counties. Here is the breakdown by county.
County
# Fields sampled
County
# Fields sampled
County
# Fields sampled
Allen
3
Highland
2
Portage
4
Auglaize
7
Huron
5
Preble
1
Champaign
3
Licking
2
Putnam
10
Columbiana
1
Lucas
2
Ross
4
Crawford
4
Madison
6
Sandusky
16
Coshocton
2
Mahoning
1
Scioto
8
Darke
7
Marion
17
Tuscarawas
1
Defiance
17
Medina
2
Union
1
Erie
2
Mercer
3
Van Wert
2
Fayette
15
Miami
13
Wood
13
Fulton
38
Muskingum
2
Wyandot
10
Hancock
4
Paulding
5
Hardin
3
Pickaway
2
Once the samples are processed, those with >500 eggs per 100cc are then added to the pipeline to evaluate for which source of resistance is effective towards that population: PI 88788 or Peking. This will help first, the farmer to know what type of seed to buy and second companies to make decisions on what type of SCN resistant trait to target for Ohio soils. So help us have the best data set in the US by sampling today.
How to sample – there are lots of you tube videos on this from my extension colleagues throughout the region, and Ohio State is no exception. One of our former Ph.D. students, who earned his degree studying soybean cyst nematode produced this piece:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQgg-UPQdcs&feature=youtu.be
And here are my specific suggestions of where to sample to find SCN:
1. Review the yield maps and target those areas of the field where yields were low and you can’t explain why. No flooding or weed outbreak.
2. Target fields with heavy purple dead nettle or other winter annuals that can SCN can reproduce on, especially during a warm winter.
3. Target fields that are planted continuously to soybean or those where rotations are rare. Don’t forget double crop situations in these fields. For full season soybeans, we can have 3 to 4 life cycles per growing season depending on where your fields are in the state, with double crop soybean, there is time for at least 2 life cycles, thus almost negating the effect of planting a non-host, where the populations can drop by 50%.
Members of the American soybean Association were sent sample bags last May. And if you are like me, it is probably still on your desk, so please take a look for that. If you are not a member, let your county educator know – we will be shipping bags to each county educator in the next few weeks.
Information to supply when submitting a soil sample for SCN processing
For more information- check out our SCN information at:
- OSU soybean diseases: https://u.osu.edu/osusoybeandisease/
- https://cropprotectionnetwork.org/
SCN Coalition: https://www.thescncoalition.com/
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Northern Ohio Crops Day
Northern Ohio Crops Day, held annually on the first Thursday in February at Ole Zim’s Wagon Shed near Gibsonburg, Ohio in Sandusky County is all set for another outstanding program that the progressive grain crop producer will not want to miss.
Thursday, February 7, 2019, the program will begin at 8:30 a.m. with a look at fungicide use in alfalfa led by Jason Hartschuh, Ag Educator in Crawford County. Alan Sundermeier, Ag Educator in Wood County will then provide an update on the status of palmer amaranth and waterhemp in the area along with management strategies. A discussion on temperature inversions and their impact on our spray practices will be led by OSU Extension climatologist Aaron Wilson.
Greg Labarge, OSU Extension agronomic systems specialist will give an update on where we’ve been and what we’ve learned on Lake Erie, phosphorous, and water quality, and Andrew Kleinschmidt from OSU’s Ag Engineering department will present research findings on high speed planters and pinch row mitigation.
Chris Zoller, Ag Educator in Tuscarawas County will lead a discussion on financial strategies and farm management in difficult economic times, and Allen Gahler, Ag Educator in Sandusky County will present local research findings from a study analyzing the use of cover crops as forages for livestock feed.
CCA credits will be available. Pesticide license holders that attend the entire program will receive 3 hours of certification including all categories, and commercial credits will be available as well. Fertilizer re-certification will be covered beginning at 1:00 p.m. Registration is open at 8:00 a.m. with morning refreshments and time to visit with local sponsors, and the program beginning at 8:30. Lunch will be served by the Ole Zims staff. Sponsors include several local ag businesses, and plenty of time will be available for participants to visit their display tables. There is a $50 registration fee for the program, which includes all certification credits, and pre-registration is required by calling the Sandusky County Extension office at 419-334-6340 or by emailing Allen Gahler at gahler.2@osu.edu.
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Northern Ohio Crops Day
Northern Ohio Crops Day, held annually on the first Thursday in February at Ole Zim’s Wagon Shed near Gibsonburg, Ohio in Sandusky County is all set for another outstanding program that the progressive grain crop producer will not want to miss.
Thursday, February 7, 2019, the program will begin at 8:30 a.m. with a look at fungicide use in alfalfa led by Jason Hartschuh, Ag Educator in Crawford County. Alan Sundermeier, Ag Educator in Wood County will then provide an update on the status of palmer amaranth and waterhemp in the area along with management strategies. A discussion on temperature inversions and their impact on our spray practices will be led by OSU Extension climatologist Aaron Wilson.
Greg Labarge, OSU Extension agronomic systems specialist will give an update on where we’ve been and what we’ve learned on Lake Erie, phosphorous, and water quality, and Andrew Kleinschmidt from OSU’s Ag Engineering department will present research findings on high speed planters and pinch row mitigation.
Chris Zoller, Ag Educator in Tuscarawas County will lead a discussion on financial strategies and farm management in difficult economic times, and Allen Gahler, Ag Educator in Sandusky County will present local research findings from a study analyzing the use of cover crops as forages for livestock feed.
CCA credits will be available. Pesticide license holders that attend the entire program will receive 3 hours of certification including all categories, and commercial credits will be available as well. Fertilizer re-certification will be covered beginning at 1:00 p.m. Registration is open at 8:00 a.m. with morning refreshments and time to visit with local sponsors, and the program beginning at 8:30. Lunch will be served by the Ole Zims staff. Sponsors include several local ag businesses, and plenty of time will be available for participants to visit their display tables. There is a $50 registration fee for the program, which includes all certification credits, and pre-registration is required by calling the Sandusky County Extension office at 419-334-6340 or by emailing Allen Gahler at gahler.2@osu.edu.
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Wet Weather Ahead
The weather pattern will support wet weather into the middle of November with a series of storms now every several days. With clay type soils and reduced evaporation this could lead to standing water in fields in the next few weeks. We expect a wet weather system for the middle of this week followed by another next week.
November will be marked with above normal rainfall and temperatures trending from near normal to above or much above normal for the second half of the month.
Rainfall for the next two weeks will average 2-4 inches across the state with isolated higher totals in the south and east sections. A few spots in the northwest sections may be below 2 inches. This is above normal in all areas of the state though and much above normal in eastern and southern sections. See attached graphic for the two week rainfall outlook from NOAA/NWS/OHRFC.
The pattern remains in place with overall wetter conditions into December (though the second half of November may dry out some). It still appears January into February and possibly March will experience normal or slightly below normal rainfall before more wet weather returns sometime in April of 2019.
Much of the state has seen freeze conditions already with only pockets of the state not seeing a freeze yet (like near Lake Erie in northeast Ohio). However, much of the state has not seen a hard freeze yet (though parts of Northwest Ohio have). There is a chance we will go well into November before we see a hard freeze widespread across the state of Ohio.
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Syngenta Corn Seed Settlement Claims Due Oct.12th
Those post cards advising producers of a $1.51 billion settlement in the Syngenta corn seed lawsuits are legitimate, and corn producers seeking compensation from the settlement must file claims by 11:59 p.m. on October 12, 2018. The settlement is the result of class action and individual lawsuits alleging that Syngenta failed to receive import approval from China before selling its genetically modified Viptera and Duracade seeds in the United States, which led to the rejection of U.S. corn shipments and a lowering of corn prices from 2013 to 2018.
Who can file a claim?
Three types of claimants that were involved in the U.S. corn market between September 15, 2013 and April 10, 2018 may file claims:
- Corn producers, which includes any owner, operator, landlord or tenant who shared in the risk of producing any variety of corn, not just Syngenta varieties. Landlords who operated under fixed cash leases are not eligible.
- Grain handling facilities that purchased, transported, stored, handled and sold any variety of corn.
- Ethanol production facilities that produced, purchased and sold dried distillers' grains from any variety of corn.
How to file a claim?
File electronically through a secure, encrypted portal at www.CornSeedSettlement.com or download a printed form on the same website to file via U.S. mail. Claimants must file using either a federal tax ID number or social security number and must file a separate claim for each Form 578 filed with FSA. Note that the settlement claims administrator states that all claims information is confidential and will be destroyed after the payment of claims.
How much will a claimant receive?
Payments will vary and will depend upon the total number of filed claims. For corn producers, the claims administrator will determine payments based on the following factors: (1) compensable recovery quantity as calculated by number of acres, ownership interest, NASS county yields and predetermined marketing year averages, (2) the year of planting, (3) the producer’s ownership interest, and (4) whether the producer purchased and planted Agrisure Viptera or Duracade seed or a different variety.
When will claimants receive payments?
A claimant might not receive a payment for about a year. A court hearing to approve the settlement will take place in the U.S District Court in Kansas on November 15, 2018. If the court approves the settlement, those who object to the approval can file appeals. Final payments won't occur until the court resolves all appeals, which could take about a year or more.
Must claimants report payments as income?
Class action settlement payments that compensate for the loss of business income should be reported for tax purposes. Claimants should consult with tax advisors to determine IRS reporting requirements.
For more information, an extensive list of frequently asked questions about the Syngenta corn seed settlement is available here.
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Stalk Quality Concerns
Poor stalk quality is being observed and reported in Ohio corn fields. One of the primary causes of this problem is stalk rot. Corn stalk rot, and consequently, lodging, are the results of several different but interrelated factors. The actual disease, stalk rot, is caused by one or more of several fungi capable of colonizing and disintegrating of the inner tissues of the stalk. The most common members of the stalk rot complex are Gibberella zeae, Colletotrichum graminicola, Stenocarpella maydis and members of the genus Fusarium.
The extent to which these fungi infect and cause stalk rot depends on the health of the plant. In general, severely stressed plants (due to foliar diseases, insects, or weather) are more greatly affected by stalk rot than stress-free plants. The stalk rot fungi typically survive in corn residue on the soil surface and invade the base of the corn stalk either directly or through wounds made by corn borers, hail, or mechanical injury. Occasionally, fungal invasion occurs at nodes above ground or behind the leaf sheath. The plant tissue is usually resistant to fungal colonization up to silking, after which the fungus spreads from the roots to the stalks. When diseased stalks are split, the pith is usually discolored and shows signs of disintegration. As the pith disintegrates, it separates from the rind and the stalk becomes a hollow tube-like structure. Destruction of the internal stalk tissue by fungi predisposes the plant to lodging.
Nothing can be done about stalk rots at this stage; however, growers can minimize yield and quality losses associated with lodging by harvesting fields with stalk rot problems as early as possible. Scout fields early for visual symptoms of stalk rot and use the "squeeze test" to assess the potential for lodging. Since stalk rots affect stalk integrity, one or more of the inner nodes can easily be compressed when the stalk is squeezed between the thumb and the forefinger. The "push" test is another way to predict lodging. Push the stalks at the ear level, 6 to 8 inches from the vertical. If the stalk breaks between the ear and the lowest node, stalk rot is usually present. To minimize stalk rot damage, harvest promptly after physiological maturity. Harvest delays will increase the risk of stalk lodging and grain yield losses and slowdown the harvest operation. Since the level of stalk rot varies from field to field and hybrids vary in their stalk strength and susceptibility to stalk rot, each field should be scouted separately.
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Tropical Moisture Invades Ohio
It was quite the wet week across the state of Ohio! Scattered thunderstorms throughout the week brought isolated 1-2” rainfall amounts. The big story began on Friday night, as a stalled out front provided a path for the remnants of Tropical Storm Gordon to move through the region, bringing steady to moderate rain and gusty winds from Friday night through Monday morning.
While rainfall was certainly heaviest across the southern counties of Ohio this weekend, almost the entire state picked up appreciable amounts of rain. Figure 1 shows estimated precipitation totals between Friday morning and Monday morning (September 7-10), showing many areas exceeding 2” of rain for the 72-hour event. Preliminary isolated totals of 7.44” and 6.35” occurred in northwest Montgomery County and northern Scioto County, respectively. Combined with rainfall from earlier in week, these rainfall totals represent 3-6 times the normal rainfall for a typical week in early September. With farmers throughout the state eager to continue or begin harvest, the big question is, how soon will we dry out?
The immediate forecast looks favorable. In the wake of this past weekend’s rainfall, high temperatures are expected to moderate from the low to mid 70s into the low to mid 80s by week’s end. Dew point temperatures in the 50s and low 60s means dry air will prevail, with partly to mostly sunny skies throughout the week. These weather conditions should help fields dry out throughout the state.
The 8-14 day projection (September 17-23) provided by the Climate Prediction Center, which includes Farm Science Review week near London, Ohio, suggests both near-normal temperatures and precipitation across Ohio. Normal high (low) temperatures throughout the state during mid-September range from the low 70s (upper 40s) across the north to upper 70s (mid to upper 50s) across southern Ohio, with anywhere from 0.5” to 1” of weekly rainfall.
However, there is some uncertainty in the forecast given the eventual path of another tropical cyclone currently moving toward the southeast U.S. coast. At the time of this article, Hurricane Florence has reached Category 4 (sustained winds of 130 mph) and is expected to come ashore near Wilmington, NC late Thursday (September 13). While the storm will weaken after moving inland, wind damage and a tremendous amount of rain are expected across the Carolinas and mid-Atlantic regions. Whether Florence will have a large impact on weather conditions in Ohio beyond this weekend is still uncertain, but the situation should be monitored over the next several days. If Florence does make it far enough inland to affect Ohio, the areas to watch right now are the southern and eastern counties. With the ground already saturated from this past weekend’s rainfall, additional heavy rain could quickly deteriorate field conditions once more and stall harvest activities further during the third week of September.
Here is the link to the Midwestern Regional Climate Center.
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Customizing your Weed Management Program
Two similar advanced weed management program are planned for February 13th in Marion and 14th in Willard. They will both feature Mark Loux and Bruce Ackley with hands on weed identification. They will also be covering weed biology and making a cost effective weed control program that fits your farm. These will be hands on programs working with green house grown weeds, for weed identifiaction at various growth stages. The Willard Program will have an hour after lunch focusing on sprayer clean out and effects of spray nozzles. The Willard program will also offer pesticde recertification credits and CCA credits. Please call the respective program sponsors on the fliers below for more information and to registure by Wednessday this week.
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Customizing your Weed Management Program
Two similar advanced weed management program are planned for February 13th in Marion and 14th in Willard. They will both feature Mark Loux and Bruce Ackley with hands on weed identification. They will also be covering weed biology and making a cost effective weed control program that fits your farm. These will be hands on programs working with green house grown weeds, for weed identifiaction at various growth stages. The Willard Program will have an hour after lunch focusing on sprayer clean out and effects of spray nozzles. The Willard program will also offer pesticde recertification credits and CCA credits. Please call the respective program sponsors on the fliers below for more information and to registure by Wednessday this week.
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Customizing your Weed Management Program
Two similar advanced weed management program are planned for February 13th in Marion and 14th in Willard. They will both feature Mark Loux and Bruce Ackley with hands on weed identification. They will also be covering weed biology and making a cost effective weed control program that fits your farm. These will be hands on programs working with green house grown weeds, for weed identifiaction at various growth stages. The Willard Program will have an hour after lunch focusing on sprayer clean out and effects of spray nozzles. The Willard program will also offer pesticde recertification credits and CCA credits. Please call the respective program sponsors on the fliers below for more information and to registure by Wednessday this week.
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The difficulty in legally applying dicamba – weather factors
Labels for the dicamba products approved for use on Xtend soybeans, Engenia, FeXapan, and XtendiMax, were recently revised, and are now generally more restrictive in an effort to prevent some of the problems with off target injury that occurred in 2017. Whether these additional restrictions do much to prevent volatility is doubtful, but this aside, one of the problems with labels this restrictive is the difficulty in even finding enough time to make legal applications. It can be an interesting exercise to review past weather conditions with the goal of determining legal windows of application, taking these restrictions into account. Weed scientists at Purdue University conducted this type of analysis for west central Indiana for June 2017, and came up with a total of 48 hours when it would have been legal to apply (hours of dawn to dusk, wind speeds between 3 and 10 mph).
We conducted a similar analysis, used weather information for June of 2017 at the Dayton International Airport. Assumptions in determining the legally sprayable hours for the month: 30 days, 6 am to 7 pm, wind 3 to 10 mph. Days with rain were considered to have no sprayable hours, along with those when rain occurred the next day, since it’s not legal to apply if rain is in the 24-hr forecast. We did not take inversions into account since it could not be determined whether these occurred from the weather data, but we did some additional calculations just to show what happens if hours when temperature was above 85 were omitted (when spray droplet evaporation and volatility would be more likely). We also ignored the fact that maximum wind and wind gusts exceeded the hourly weather observations on almost all days, and this could further restrict applicators, depending upon how often they measured wind speed. The spreadsheet with all of these figures is shown below. Here’s how it shook out:
- There was a total of 390 possible hours to apply, assuming that applicators are willing to work 13 hours a day every day of the month. Taking into account the wind speed and rain forecast, there was a total of 77 hours when it would have been legal to apply the dicamba products. Omitting any of these hours when temperature exceeded 85, number of sprayable hours declined to 70.
- Disregarding the 85-degree limit, there was a total of 12 days with at least 2 legally sprayable hours, but only 8 days with more than 3 sprayable hours.
- Days with legally sprayable hours were not evenly distributed throughout the month. The second half of June was fairly windy apparently. There were 9 days with at least 2 sprayable hours between June 1 and 16, but only three days between June 17 and the end of the month. And there was a total of only 11 sprayable hours in those three days after June 17.
- We ran some some rough calculations on how much ground can be covered by an applicator running a 100 ft boom at 15 mph relative to the legally sprayable hours. An applicator running at 15 mph with a 100 ft boom can in theory cover 181.8 acres per hour, which we rounded to 170 acres per hour factoring in some load and transport time (readers probably have a much better idea of the actual feasible number here then we do). So an applicator could possibly apply dicamba to about 13,000 acres in those 77 hours of legal spray time. But in the second half of June when there were only 11 hours, the applicator could cover only 1870 acres.
- The weather data can be mined for a couple of other interesting pieces of information. First, in following the dicamba labels, it’s important to determine to which fields dicamba can be applied on a given day based on wind direction and the location of sensitive crops or areas. The weather information from Dayton indicate that wind direction is frequently quite variable throughout the day, which makes this determination more complicated. Looking at the 12 days with sprayable hours, the wind directon had variability of 90 degrees or less on 8 days, and more than this on the rest. Assuming that the wind remained low enough to apply during a day, one would still have to continually assess what sensitive areas might be downwind based on changing wind direction.
- One can also determine for those days with legally sprayable hours, whether the primary wind directions remain relatively unchanged over the next two days following application. This can be important if the one assumes that dicamba could revolatilize over those following two days and move with prevailing winds. In this case, for only 5 of the 12 days with sprayable hours did wind direction remain relatively the same over the following two days. So for the other 7 days, if some revolatilization did occur subsequent to application, and the wind direction changed, the potential exists to injure crops that were not actually downwind from the treated field on the day of application.
It’s probably possible to quibble with some of these figures depending upon what parameters for day length are used, etc, and what location is used for weather information. But this does not negate the overall message – managing dicamba applications will be complicated. Just some food for thought as we move into another year of weed killing. Safe holidays everyone.
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Nutrient Management Plan Writers Are Still At Work In The Western Lake Erie Basin In 2018
Nutrient Management Plan Writers are still working for the 2018 year in the Western Lake Erie Basin to write free plans for non-CAFO farmers. Our goal is to complete 65,000 acres for NMP’s in 2018. These plans are written free of charge to farmers and require a small amount of your time and effort. As the plan writer we gather information that is pertinent to your farm such as your crop rotations, tillage practices, current (within three years) soil test results, yield goals, conservation goals, where water is and more. Then we take that information and work it into several computer programs to complete a NMP or CNMP for your farm. These plans may be required for many financial institutions when building new livestock structures. They may also help with your plan to apply for EQIP funding through NRCS and serve as affirmative defense through SWCD. The NMP may help you reduce your fertilizer cost and provide 4R recommendations for nutrient stewardship practices for your farm.
All four NMP Writers are available to work with anyone from the WLEB and if you would like to discuss a NMP or CNMP for your farm please contact one of us at our offices:
Jessie Schulze – Defiance County – 419-782-4771 – schulze.72@osu.edu
Linda Lauber – Fulton County – 419-337-9210 – lauber.40@osu.edu
Tony Campbell – Paulding County – 419-399-8225 – campbell.94@osu.edu
Brittany Sieler – Wood County – 419-354-9050 – sieler.1@osu.edu
You can also contact any of your county Extension Ag Educators who can forward the information to us.
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Soybean Pod Shattering and Harvest Moisture
Pre-harvest and harvest loss of grain can result in significant yield reductions. Pre-harvest pod shatter (breaking of pods resulting in soybeans on the ground) can occur when dry pods are re-wetted. This year, in our trials, we’ve seen very little pre-harvest loss.
At grain moisture content less than 13%, shatter loss at harvest can also occur. As soybean moisture decreases, shatter and harvest loss increase. In some of our trials, we’ve seen approximately 8% loss when harvesting at 9% moisture content. At 13% moisture content, we still see some loss, but at a much lower level (1-2%). Four soybean seeds per square foot equals one bushel per acre in loss (see picture). The seeds are often covered by soybean residue and chaff which need to be brushed away to look for seed losses.
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Weather Outlook: Tropical Systems Influence
The tropics are a big player in the weather this time of the year. The outflow from tropical systems creates high and low pressures further north in our region this time of the year and modifies weather patterns. Saying all that, this is an active year for the United States which we have not seen for about a decade. This all translates to uncertainty in our September weather and climate pattern for Ohio and surrounding areas.
All eyes are on Hurricane Irma and the direct or indirect impacts to the United States and surrounding areas.
September will be cooler than normal for the first three weeks of the month with a turn to warmer than normal for the last week of September. Rainfall now appears to start below normal then go above normal. The wettest areas appear to be southern and eastern areas of the state. There is a chance the northwest part of the state is normal to drier than normal even though much of the state is normal to wetter than normal in September. It will be driven by tropical system outcomes.
October into November still look on track to be warmer and wetter than normal with widespread frosts arriving at normal to a week later than normal for most areas.
The latest 16 day rainfall can be seen in the image below. It shows 1-2 inches common across the state with the lightest to the northwest and heaviest to the south and east areas.
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The Western Agronomy Field Day is July 19th
The Western Agronomy Field Day will be held Wednesday July 19, 2017, with registration 8:30 a.m. and the program starting at 9:00 a.m., running until 3 p.m.
Speakers and topics include:
- John Fulton – Late Season Nitrogen Management and Application Methods
- Mark Loux – How to Manage New Herbicide Resistant Soybean
- Laura Lindsey – Soybean Scouting
- Anne Dorrance – Wet Year?, How About Soybean Seed Treatments
- Steve Culman and Harold Watters– Fertilizer Management
- Andy Michel – Stink Bug Demo
- Plus more!
- CCA CEU credits will be available.
Location - Western Agricultural Research Station
7721 South Charleston Pike
South Charleston, Ohio 45368
Cost – Free and open to the interested agronomic crop producers, and their advisors; lunch will be provided.
Sponsors for the day include the Ohio Soybean Council, DuPont, JD Equipment, Brodbeck Seeds, Syngenta, Integrated Ag, Bayer, and Valent.
Pre-registration is required by July 14 to reserve your spot and lunch. To RSVP, please email to Joe Davlin, davlin.1@osu.edu or Harold Watters, watters.35@osu.edu. For further information you can call 937-462-8016.
For more information about the OSU Western Agricultural Research Station see: https://oardc.osu.edu/facility/western-agricultural-research-station
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More on killing corn in a replant situation
An article in last week’s C.O.R.N. covered in brief the options for killing a first corn stand to make room for a replant, and referenced an article from the University of Illinois. We received a number of questions and comments after that relative to the use of Gramoxone + metribuzin to kill corn, some to the effect that we were too hard on it. Our comment last week was that Gramoxone or Gramoxone + metribuzin was not as consistently effective as Select Max, which is accurate. We also stated that the Gramoxone treatments could be variable in effectiveness, and we lumped it in with glufosinate (Liberty) in this regard, which is somewhat unfair to Gramoxone based on a review of data from our past studies. And Liberty will not have any activity on corn with the LibertyLink trait of course.
The summarized results of several OSU and Purdue studies follow. The V stage indicates the corn stage of growth at the time of herbicide application. Specific treatments and rates varied among studies. The “%” indicates final level of control at about 3 weeks after application.
Study 1 - 2006
Liberty (32 oz): V1-2 – 98% ; V4-5 – 73% SR
Gramoxone Inteon (18 oz): V1-2 – 96% SR; V4-5 – 83% SR
Gramoxone Inteon (36 oz): V1-2 – 100% SR; V4-5 – 97% SR
Gramoxone Inteon + metribuzin 75DF (18 + 3 oz): V1-2 – 97% SR; V4-5 – 96% SR
Study 2 – 2009 – all applied at V2
Liberty (22 oz): 7%
Select Max (8 oz): 100%
Gramoxone Inteon + metribuzin (40 + 3 oz): 93%
Gramoxone Inteon + atrazine 4L (40 + 16 oz): 88%
Study 3: 2009/2010 - OSU/Purdue Study – all applied at V3-4
Select Max (8 oz): 100%
Gramoxone Inteon (40 oz): 65% (Purdue only)
Gramoxone Inteon + metribuzin (40 + 3 oz): 97% or greater
Liberty (22 oz): 35% (OSU), 70% (Purdue)
Liberty (22 oz) followed by POST Liberty (22 oz): 97% or greater
For reference, both Gramoxone Inteon and Gramoxone SL (the current formulation) contain 2 lbs of paraquat per gallon. We suggest the following as the most effective approach to killing a stand of corn with Gramoxone: Gramoxone SL – at least 3 pt/A (or at least 2 pint of a 3L paraquat formulation); metribuzin 75DF – 3 to 5 oz /A (or equivalent amount of a 4L); plus a petroleum-based crop oil concentrate - 1 qt/A preferable but at least 1 gallon/100 gallons of mix. Apply in spray volume of at least 15 GPA with appropriate nozzles to maximize contact herbicide coverage. Keep in mind that this approach can have some variability in control, even given how good some of the data above appear, and not all weed scientists across the region are comfortable recommending it. Select Max or tillage will be more consistently effective, but there is a 6-day wait to plant corn after use of Select Max. Use of Gramoxone + metribuzin does allow immediate planting, or even planting first followed by herbicide application sometime prior to corn emergence.
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Still trying to figure out what to do with dicamba in Xtend soybeans this year?
Even if you are planting RR Xtend soybeans, the answer to this could be – maybe nothing. A number of growers have told us that even though they are planting RR Xtend soybeans, they plan on “letting the dust” settle this first year and stay with their regular herbicide program. And then of course there are also some solid reasons to use dicamba in a preplant or postemergence treatment, depending upon what has been done in the field already and whether previous practices have been ineffective for control of certain herbicide-resistant weeds. A few other things to consider before we cover some of the dicamba use options:
- Be sure to know the dicamba labels and stewardship guidelines well. It might be worth assessing fields now to determine whether some just should not be treated with dicamba based on sensitive surroundings, and whether for others the wind direction the day of intended application will be a major consideration.
- While we use the term “dicamba” throughout this article for the sake of brevity, only three dicamba products are labeled for use in Xtend soybean herbicide programs – XtendiMax, FeXapan, and Engenia. Use of other dicamba products is not legal.
- For those planting both nonXtend and Xtend soybeans where dicamba use is planned, some type of system to ensure that dicamba is applied to the right fields might be in order.
- Check the websites for the dicamba products for approved mixtures and nozzles while in the planning stages, and be sure not to deviate from this list. We have these links in the Jan 23 dicamba post on our blog – u.osu.edu/osuweeds.
- If relying on a custom applicator for dicamba applications, be aware that some are still declining to apply dicamba on soybeans this year, and other are charging higher fees for dicamba. This is good information to have now.
There are several possible approaches to use of dicamba in Xtend soybeans. We tend to look at this with regard to three weeds, marestail, giant ragweed, and waterhemp (and common ragweed in areas), since current herbicide programs control everything else well usually, and these are our major herbicide-resistant weeds in the state. Our assumption is that where it is used, dicamba will be one component of the comprehensive two-pass approach of burndown and residual herbicides followed by postemergence herbicides that gets used on most of our soybeans. So our thoughts here are really along the lines of where dicamba can be plugged into this program to replace or supplement the other herbicides.
Where current herbicide programs for RR soybeans are still effective for control of these more problematic weeds, there’s not necessarily a need for dicamba. One reason for use could be to reduce the selection pressure for resistance to certain herbicides due to their continuous use or overuse. An example of this is the reliance on site 14 herbicides (Valor and other flumioxazin herbicide, Flexstar and other fomesafen products, Cobra/Phoenix) in preemergence and postemergence applications for control of common ragweed that is resistant to glyphosate and ALS inhibitors. Continued use of this practice in soybeans is pushing the ragweed to become resistant to site 14 herbicides as well, and swapping in dicamba for fomesafen or Cobra in the postemergence treatment can mitigate this. The same thing can be said about waterhemp, based on the importance of POST-applied site 14 herbicides for control of glyphosate/ALS resistant populations, and the tendency for this weed to fairly rapidly develop resistance to anything used postemergence even as often as every other year.
There can be issues of cost/effectiveness where dicamba is a better choice. For example, postemergence combinations of glyphosate + dicamba are likely to be more effective on glyphosate/ALS-resistant giant ragweed than combinations of glyphosate + fomesafen (Flexstar etc) for about the same money. Dicamba can have a good fit in preplant burndown programs for control of marestail, to replace or supplement 2,4-D. The advantage to dicamba on marestail occurs primarily in fields not treated with herbicide last fall, since those are the fields where the variability in 2,4-D effectiveness has been observed for the most part. Dicamba will be more expensive than 2,4-D, but also more consistently effective in that specific situation.
There are instances where dicamba will just be more effective than current herbicides, especially in weed populations for which herbicides have been so badly mismanaged for years that multiple resistance occurs and the population continues to increase. For growers who have multiple resistance already in ragweeds and waterhemp, the ability to use dicamba in postemergence applications may be the only good option left. The ability to use dicamba postemergence can certainly be helpful for marestail where the combination of preplant herbicides and suppression by soybeans fails to result in adequate control. Keep in mind when making seed choices that use of glufosinate in LibertyLink soybeans accomplishes most of what has been mentioned here also. And that failure to use any of these new technologies judiciously can result in selection for resistance to them as well and possibly reduce their utility fairly rapidly. Our assumption is that growers who have mismanaged current technology can just as easily mismanage and break any new tools as well. I would say “you know who you are” here but I would guess these growers are not avid CORN newsletter readers.
Finally, using dicamba instead of 2,4-D in the preplant burndown treatment does away with having to wait 7 days to plant soybeans, which certainly allows for more flexibility in the spraying/planting operation. Dicamba and glyphosate can be applied anytime before or after planting (and even after soybean emergence), but keep in mind the residual herbicides included in mixtures cannot. Almost all of the residual products have to be applied before soybean emergence. Any residual product that contains flumioxazin (Valor) should be applied within 3 days after planting per product labels. This restriction is in place to minimize the risk of injury to soybeans when application occurs too close to crop emergence. In our experience, risk of soybean injury with any product containing flumioxazoin or sulfentrazone (Authority) increases when applied at or after planting, compared with application a week or more prior to planting. Our suggestion for these products in the “Weed Control Guide for Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois” is that they be applied at least a week ahead of planting, even in dicamba systems where a wait between application and planting is not required.
And a reminder also that weather can wreak havoc with the best plans. Planning to plant a lot of soybean acres first, with the assumption that the dicamba/glyphosate/residual mixture can be applied to all of these acres prior to soybean emergence (or within 3 days of planting where flumioxazin is used) can look good in theory. Insert a big rain somewhere in there and this can become more difficult to achieve. From a time and weather management perspective, the better approach would be to start applying dicamba/residual mixtures over the next several weeks as fields dry out, instead of trying to do it all at or after planting. And just a final note – while dicamba is more effective on marestail than 2,4-D is, waiting too long in spring to apply it can result in some problems controlling larger plants. In one 2016 OSU study, control of overwintered marestail plants, where stem elongation had started, was reduced when mixtures of dicamba and residual herbicides were applied in early May.
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Printer Friendly Version of CORN
Many folks want a printed version of C.O.R.N. newsletter to print and share. With the new email distribution, there is an extra step to get a printer friendly version of the newsletter. Use the following steps:
1) Go to the link https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter
2) Look in the right hand column of the webpage for the red button that says “Printer Friendly Version” and put your curser over the button and click.
3) A version of the entire newsletter is seen that will contain the entire set of articles for the current issue, plus pictures and tables in an easily readable format. Use the print function in your browser.
Thanks for distributing the newsletter to others and hope you find this better formatted print function valuable.
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How do Corn Hybrids With and Without Various Transgenic Traits Perform?
According to the USDA-Economic Research Service in 2015, 85% of the state’s corn acreage was planted to transgenic corn hybrids with 68% of total acreage planted to stacked trait hybrids (http://www.ers.usda.gov/data/biotechcrops/ ). However, many corn growers in Ohio are interested in growing non-transgenic (non-GMO) corns. Some want to grow non-GMO corn to reduce seed costs associated with traited corn and/or take advantage of the premiums offered for non-GMO corn. Growers who have not experienced serious problems with rootworm and corn borer and who have controlled weeds effectively with traditional herbicide programs question the need for transgenic hybrids. There are also corn growers interested in cutting costs by selecting hybrids with fewer transgenic traits for similar reasons.
A major concern of growers is whether the yield potential of hybrids with fewer transgenic traits or no transgenic traits is less than that of stacked trait hybrids with multiple genes for above and below ground insect resistance. One explanation for this concern is that some seed companies are no longer introducing non-transgenic versions of certain hybrids or are releasing non-transgenic versions some years after the original hybrid has been introduced. So, when a new high yielding hybrid is introduced it’s often only available with stacked traits. As a consequence, some growers believe that in order to optimize yields with the newest “genetics” you need to plant stacked trait corn hybrids with transgenic traits for above and below ground insect resistance.
Table 1 shows four groupings of hybrids that were entered in the 2014 and 2015 Ohio Corn Performance Tests (OCPT) - 1) hybrids without transgenic traits (non-GMO), 2) hybrids with transgenic herbicide resistance, 3) hybrids with transgenic traits for above ground insect resistance, and 4) hybrids with transgenic traits for above and below ground insect resistance (the latter two groups are also characterized by transgenic herbicide resistance). Table 1 also includes the average yield, range in yield, number of hybrids, and number of test plot comparisons associated with each of these groups. Hybrids with transgenic traits comprised over 90% of the OCPT entries in 2014 and 2015 respectively. The grouping of hybrids with above and below ground insect resistance accounted for the largest number of hybrids tested (62% and 50% in 2014 and 2015, respectively) followed by the grouping of hybrids with transgenic traits for above ground insect resistance only (31% and 40% in 2014 and 2015, respectively). Non transgenic hybrids and hybrids with herbicide resistance accounted for less than 10% of OCPT entries each of these years.
In Table 1, the average yields and range in yield of the four hybrid groupings show that non-transgenic hybrids are available that yield competitively with many transgenic corn hybrids in the absence of corn borer and rootworm pressure. Similarly yields of hybrids with transgenic traits for above ground insect resistance only were comparable to yields of hybrids with transgenic traits for above and below ground insect resistance. Force 3G soil insecticide is applied in a T-band to all OCPT plots to minimize rootworm injury.
Table 1. Grain yields of hybrids grouped by transgenic traits for above and below ground insect resistance, herbicide resistance and no transgenic traits (Non-GMO), Ohio Corn Performance Test, 2014-2015.
2014 2015 Traits Yield
Bu/A
Range
Bu/A
No. of
Hybrids1
Yield
Bu/A
Range
Bu/A
No. of
Hybrids1
Non-GMO 223 160-268 11(144) 204 139-279 18(213) Herbicide Resistant only 194 142-251 4(36) 213 151-262 2(30) Above Ground Insect Resistance 229 151-289 65(996) 226 134-294 87(1134) Above and Below Ground Insect Resistance 226 151-282 129(2055) 207 136-304 108(1608) 1Number in parentheses indicates the number of test plot comparisons.
Growers interested in identifying high yielding hybrids for non-GMO grain production should consider using the Ohio Corn Performance Test website http://oardc.osu.edu/corntrials/ . Once a region or test location is selected, the sort feature under “Traits” can be used to find “NON-GMO” hybrids. A similar approach can be used to assess the yields of hybrids with varying numbers of transgenic traits.
For other considerations in choosing hybrids check out the accompanying article “Corn Hybrid Selection – 2015”.
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Wheat Heading, Flowering, and Head Scab Risk
HEADING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6Da1HRlmV8
After being slowed down by cold temperatures over the last 7-10 days, the wheat crop is now heading-out or flowering in some parts of the state – do not be deceived by the fact that plants still look short in some fields. Heading and flowering will continue over the next few weeks. These are very important growth stages from the standpoint of disease management, since it is critical to maintain the heads and the leaves healthy during grain fill to enhance yield.
- Examine primary tillers at multiple locations in the field – remove them if it makes it easier for you to examine;
- Identify the flag leaf, which is the uppermost (last) leaf, and look at the position of the head in the leaf sheath of the flag leaf;
- If the flag leaf is fully emerged and the head is still encased and swollen in the leaf sheath, then you are still at Feekes 10, the boot stage;
- If the first few spikelets are out of the leaf sheath then you are at Feekes 10.1;
- If about 25% of the head is out of the leaf sheath then you are at Feekes 10.2;
- If about 50% of the head is out of the leaf sheath then you are at Feekes 10.3;
- If about 75% of the head is out of the leaf sheath then you are at Feekes 10.4; and
- If the head is fully emerged (the entire head is out of the leaf sheath) then you are at Feekes 10.5;
- Once the heads are completely out, it may take another 3-5 days, and sometimes longer if it’s cool, for it begin to flower.
FLOWERING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybZVW_YbhxY
This stage is marked by the extrusion of anthers from the spikelets; the reason for which this process is also referred to as anthesis. The identification of this growth stage is very important for the management of Fusarium head blight (head scab) with fungicides.
- Closely examine the heads (also called the spike) of primary tillers at multiple locations in the field for the presence of anthers – often seen as a yellowish (or other color) part of the flower hanging from the spikelet;
- If no anthers are seen, then your wheat may still be at the heading growth stage, Feekes10.5;
- If the first few anthers are seen hanging from florets/spikelets in the central portion of the spike, your wheat is at Feekes 10.5.1 - early flowering or early anthesis;
- If anthers are seen hanging from florets/spikelets in the central and top portions of the spike, your wheat is at Feekes 10.5.2 - mid-flowering or mid-anthesis;
- If anthers are seen hanging from florets/spikelets along the entire length of the spike, your wheat is at Feekes 10.5.3 - late-flowering or late-anthesis;
Note: When trying to identify flowering growth stages, base your assessment on the presence of fresh (brightly colored) anthers, since dried, discolored, and spent anthers may remain hanging from the spikes well after Feekes 10.5.3. This can be misleading. Fungicides are most effective against head scab and vomitoxin when applied during Flowering.
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Alfalfa Weevils are Active Statewide
Alfalfa weevil larval activity is beginning its peak activity across the state. Alfalfa weevil feeding activity is driven by the accumulation of growing degree days (GDD) and reaches their peak feeding and damage when heat units for the area are between 325 and 575 (accumulation from a base of 48°F starting January 1st). The warm temperatures over the past week have contributed to a significant jump in GDD and ramped up alfalfa weevil larval feeding. As of writing this (Jan. 1 – April 28), heat units range from 499 in southcentral Ohio to 267 in northeast Ohio.
Scouting is key to the proper management of alfalfa weevil. Scouting is an easy process and was covered in an article written earlier this spring “Alfalfa Weevil Scouting and GDD.” Additionally, this video resource outlines the process: Alfalfa Weevil Scouting Video.
To monitor alfalfa weevil development, county educators from across the state scout fields in their respective counties as shown in Table 1.
Table 1: County alfalfa weevil scouting reports for April 22-28
County
Alfalfa Height (inches)
Larvae Count per Stem
Allen
6-12
0.3
Defiance
8-13
0.7
Fulton
6-12
0
Mercer
10-20
0.05
Ross
6-19
0.8
The county averages listed don’t warrant utilizing a control method, but individual fields can be highly variable. Scout your fields and use Table 2 to help make management decisions.
Stand Height
(Inches)
Indication of Problem
(% Tip Feeding)
Problem Confirmation
(Larvae per Stem)
Recommended Action
6
25
1
Recheck in a week
9
50
>1
Spray
12
75
>2
Spray
16
100
>4
Harvest early
For more information on control methods consult the OSU and MSU “Field Crops Insect Pest Management Guide” (https://aginsects.osu.edu/extension-publications/msuosu-ipm-guide)
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Reminder to Scout for Alfalfa Weevil
Despite the colder start to the year, we are still accumulating growing degree days (GDD). The southern portion of the state is in the prime range, of between 325 and 575 GDDs, for alfalfa weevil feeding and damage. For the northern part of the state, don’t let the lower GDDs give you a false sense of security. Despite lower GDDs, alfalfa weevils may be present. Identifying a problem early gives you a greater opportunity for control, in what always seems to be a hectic spring.
To brush up on your alfalfa weevil scouting procedure, an article was written earlier this year outlining how to scout for alfalfa weevil and can be found here: Alfalfa Weevil Scouting and GDD. There is also a great video resource outlining the process here: Alfalfa Weevil Scouting Video.
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Battle for the Belt: Season 3, Episode 4: Ultra – Early Soybean Planting & Weed Control
Season 3, Episode 4 of Battle for the Belt is now available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDs6iQhBe7s
In Episode 4 of Battle for the Belt, learn about a soybean planting date and weed control study from Lucas Dias Mendonca, a MS student in Horticulture and Crop Science, conducted at the Western Agricultural Research Station.
At the beginning of the field season, there are many tasks to accomplish before and just after planting. When considering ultra-early planting (prior to April 15), one management practice that needs careful consideration is weed control. In ultra-early planting situations, we often see a reduction in soybean plant population and slow canopy closure due to cold soil and air temperatures, resulting in more competition from weeds. Weeds, such as giant ragweed, can grow more quickly than soybean, especially when the weather is wet and cold (Figure 1)., competing for sunlight, water, and nutrients. Another concern is the influence on pre-emergence herbicide efficacy. Early applications in cold, wet conditions could lead to inconsistent weed control or crop injury from soil applied residual products.
Lucas’ research project compares various herbicide programs for weed control and yield implications in ultra-early planted soybean. In this study, there are two planting dates, “ultra-early” and “normal” occurring in late March/early April and mid-May, respectively. There are six herbicide treatments (Table 1). This research takes place in two fields at the Western Agricultural Research Station, one with a Crosby soil type and the other with a Kokomo soil type, to evaluate potential soil interactions. The target weeds for control in this study are giant ragweed and annual grasses, primarily yellow and giant foxtail.
Table1. Herbicide program treatments for the 2025 growing season. (In 2024, dicamba was used instead of 2,4-D.)
Herbicide Program
Treatment
PRE
Early POST
Late POST
1
Metribuzin
2, 4-D+ Glyphosate
-
2
Sulfentrazone
2, 4-D+ Glyphosate
-
3
S-metolachlor
2, 4-D+ Glyphosate
-
4
-
2, 4-D+ Glyphosate
Glufosinate
5
-
2, 4-D+ Glyphosate
Glufosinate + Glyphosate
6
-
2, 4-D+ Glyphosate
Glufosinate + Glyphosate + S-metolachlor
Preliminary results from the 2024 growing season indicate that we cannot rely on pre-emergence herbicides for season-long weed control. Multiple POST applications were necessary to provide weed control in the ultra-early plating date. Applying a residual with the POST improves weed control. For the ultra-early planted soybean, the weed control program that resulted in the highest soybean yield was an early POST application of dicamba + glyphosate followed by a late POST application of glufosinate + glyphosate + s-metolachlor. For the normal planting date, high soybean yields was achieved across several weed control programs.
We are repeating this study for the 2025 growing season, with the first planting date on April 14th and application of pre-emergence herbicide on April 17th (Figure 2). Final results from this study will be available in 2026! This study is funded by the Ohio Soybean Council.
Field Updates
The northwest location was able to plant the second planting date of Battle for the Belt last week! The soil dried down enough to plant and average soil temperatures were in the mid-40s (Table 2). Corn and soybean planted on the first planting date (March 27) have not yet emerged, as the temperatures have not been warm enough (Table 3). This location needs about twenty more growing degree days for emergence to occur. Corn and soybean planted on the first planting date (also March 27) at the Wooster location have not emerged yet either. Planting date two occurred on April 18th with optimal planting conditions! The Western location was able to plant their first planting date on April 18th (Table 2). Previously, the western location had been too wet to plant, but fortunately had optimum soil conditions for planting last week.
Table 2. Average soil temperature and air temperature for planting date two at the Northwest Agricultural Research Station and Wooster Campus and planting date one at the Western Agricultural Research Station.
Location
Average Soil Temp. (2-inch depth)
Average Air Temp.
Date
Northwest Agricultural Research Station, Wood County
45/47°F
41/50°F
4/16 & 4/17
Wooster Campus, Wayne County
Data unavailable from weather station
66°F
4/18
Western Agricultural Research Station, Clark County
Data unavailable from weather station
52°F
4/18
Table 3. Precipitation, soil temperature, average air temperature, and cumulative GDDs at the Northwest Agricultural Research Station and the Wooster Campus. Weather data retrieved from: https://weather.cfaes.osu.edu/.
Location
Precipitation
(Inches)
April 14th -April 21st
2- Inch Soil Temp
April 14th -April 21st
Average Air Temp
April 14th -April 21st
Planting Date
Cumulative
GDDs
Northwest Agricultural Research Station, Wood County
0.2
Min: 37℉
Max: 67℉
Avg: 50℉
Min: 29℉
Max: 84℉
Avg: 55℉
3/27
81
Wooster Campus, Wayne County
0.05
Data unavailable from weather station
Min: 32℉
Max: 81℉
Avg: 54℉
3/27
123
As a recap, this research project includes five planting date windows, 1) Ultra early = late March to early April; 2) Early = mid to late April; 3) Normal = early to mid-May; 4) Late = late May-first week of June; and 5) Very late = mid to late June.
Keep following the ‘Battle for the Belt’ this growing season to learn more and get further updates! You can find the full video playlist of Battle for the Belt on the Ohio State Agronomy YouTube channel.
Authors: Taylor Dill, Laura Lindsey, Osler Ortez, Lucas Diaz Mendonca, Maria Kessler, Diego Mirand Tosta, Alyssa Essman
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Ohio Corn Performance Test (OCPT) – 2024 Results Overview
The purpose of the Ohio Corn Performance Test (OCPT) is to evaluate corn hybrids for grain yield and other important agronomic characteristics. Results of the test can assist farmers in selecting hybrids best suited to their farming operations and production environments as well as recommendations made by seed companies and breeding programs.
Results for the 2024 Ohio Corn Performance Test can be accessed by selecting any of the three test regions on the left side of the webpage (Southwestern/West Central/Central, Northwestern, North Central/Northeastern): https://ohiocroptest.cfaes.osu.edu/corntrials/ or access a copy of the PDF Full Report Here.
Growing conditions - 2024
The 2024 Ohio growing season will be remembered for its extreme variability. One of the main challenges was a delayed start to the planting season. Despite above-average temperatures in April and May, persistent rain events limited suitable days for field work, especially in the Northwest region of the state. By May 5, 26% of corn was planted in Ohio according to USDA reports. By May 19, 46% of Ohio’s corn acres were planted, and reported planted acres reached 90% by June 2 (3% behind 2023 and 17% ahead of the five-year average). Temperatures in June through August were generally below average, and precipitation was well below average. Rainfall during the growing season was variable across test sites ranging from 18.5 inches (7.8” below average) at Upper Sandusky to 25.7 inches (2.2” below average) at Hoytville in the Northwest Region. Averaged across the 10 Ohio Corn Performance Test locations, precipitation was 5.9 inches below the ten-year average. Heat-unit accumulation was generally greater at OCPT sites in the Southwestern/West Central/Central and Northwestern regions (with heat-unit accumulation ranging from 3,491 to 3,619 Growing Degree Days - GDDs) than sites in the North Central/Northeastern region (3,112 and 3,375 GDDs). Overall, the heat-unit accumulation was 470 GDDs higher in 2024 when compared to 2023.
Foliar diseases and insect pests were generally not a major yield-limiting factor in 2024. Gray Leaf Spot (GLS) and Northern Corn Leaf Blight (NCLB) were present at nearly all sites in mid-July. Fungicide was applied at nine of the ten test sites between tasseling/silking (VT/R1) and brown silk (R2). Additionally, Tar Spot was observed late in the season (R4 and R5 stages) at all locations, except Hebron. When Tar Spot appears late in the season, less yield impact is expected. Above-normal temperatures returned in September. However, with limited soil moisture, the corn crop was unable to add the late-season starch, increase test weight, and achieve the top-end yields we have seen in recent years. The extended dry periods also delayed crop maturation and dry down in the full-season hybrids until mid-October.
Summary of results – 2024
Yields varied across the state depending on planting dates, rainfall distribution (timing, total precipitation received), and disease pressure. Despite fluctuating temperatures and variable precipitation during grain fill, OCPT yields exceeded expectations. Averaged across hybrid entries in the early and full-season tests, yields were 260 Bu/A in the Southwestern/West Central/Central region, 216 Bu/A in the Northwestern region, and 253 Bu/A in the North Central/Northeastern region. Yields at individual test sites averaged across hybrid entries in the early and full season tests, ranged from 208 Bu/A at Hoytville to 285 Bu/A at Hebron.
A regional summary of the early maturity and full-season tests is presented in Tables 1 and 2. Corn hybrids differ considerably in yield potential, standability, maturity, and other agronomic characteristics that affect profitable crop production. Hybrid selection should be based on proven performance from multiple test locations and years.
Table 1. A regional overview of the early maturity, 2024 Ohio Corn Performance Test.
Region
Entries
Grain Yield
(Bu/A)
Moisture
(%)
Lodging
(%)
Emergence
(%)
Final Stand
(plants/A)
Test Wt.
(lbs/bu)
SW/WC/C
70
264
(240-283)
20.9
(18.3-23.8)
12
(1-33)
96
(87-99)
34,600
(30500-38000)
55.3
(53.4-57.9)
NW
53
222
(203-239)
17.0
(15.3-18.5)
0
(0-1)
95
(87-99)
34,000
(30700-37500)
58.6
(56.8-60.4)
NE/NC
57
244
(209-271)
20.7
(17.9-23.1)
0
(0-1)
93
(81-99)
32,800
(26700-36800)
56.5
(54.2-59.0)
Table 2. A regional overview of the full season, 2024 Ohio Corn Performance Test.
Region
Entries
Grain Yield
(Bu/A)
Moisture
(%)
Lodging
(%)
Emergence
(%)
Final Stand
(plants/A)
Test Wt.
(lbs/bu)
SW/WC/C
57
255
(233-272)
22.4
(20.1-25.9)
18
(1-34)
96
(91-99)
34,400
(32000-36800)
54.9
(52.6-58.8)
NW
88
211
(183-235)
18.0
(15.7-21.4)
0
(0-1)
96
(90-99)
34,500
(30100-37100)
58.2
(55.7-61.7)
NE/NC
68
261
(239-284)
23.1
(20.8-25.1)
0
(0-0)
95
(90-98)
33,700
(30200-36300)
55.6
(52.7-58.5)
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Winter Weather Preparedness on the Farm
With the turn of the calendar year coming off a year with a record setting number of tornados in Ohio, what should we expect for early 2025? The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasts the 2024-2025 winter season in Ohio have temperatures leaning above to likely above normal, and precipitation leaning above to likely above normal. While these forecasts are for the overall winter season, OSU Extension Climate Specialist Aaron Wilson cautioned of the possibility of significant snowfall or ice accumulation in the coming days. This could be followed by very cold, Artic air through the first half of January.
How do we prepare the farm for such conditions? Take advantage of daylight, when temperatures are warmer, and when weather is favorable to winterize equipment and buildings. This is also a good time for routine maintenance so there is less probability of breakdowns needing repair when conditions are less than favorable.
Keep an eye on the weather. Being aware of not only the short-term forecast, but also the long-term forecast is as important in the winter as it is in the Spring when trying to get crops in the ground. Before a heavy snow falls, it is beneficial to clearly mark where drives are and especially where any lagoons and ponds are located. This will assist those less familiar with the layout of the farmstead to avoid dangerous situations.
Take care of yourself! Layer clothing so depending on the amount of physical labor you are performing you may remain comfortable. Ensure your head and hands are always warm. Even as in the summer, be mindful to stay hydrated and avoid over-exertion. When using alternate power and heating sources, be mindful of carbon monoxide buildup and provide adequate ventilation. At all times, let someone know where you will be working.
Being prepared increases safety, reduces stress, and facilitates smooth operation in less-than-ideal circumstances.
For more information, please call Wayne Dellinger at the Union County Extension Office at 937-644-8117 or email dellinger.6@osu.edu.
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Episode 4 of Green Fields Green Dollars to dive into Nitrogen economics
Episode 4 of OSU Extension’s Green Fields Green Dollars series is now live on YouTube! The newest episode of the series features Greg LaBarge, field specialist in agronomic systems, who talks with Rachel and Clint about Nitrogen timing and economics. They discuss trends in the region, along with benefits and challenges of different N application timing. View the latest episode here, or visit this link to view the full series.
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P & K Fertility Decision with Tight Margins
Looking closely at fertilizer input needs is one way to deal with tighter profit margins. The biggest concern with reducing fertilizer is, of course, loss of yield. The best strategy to reduce fertilizer input while avoiding yield loss is to know the ability of soil to supply nutrients through soil testing. It is impossible to predict the impact of changes to a fertility program without measuring soil-available phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). Once the fertility supply in the soil is known, the Tri-State Fertility Recommendations can be used to determine if fertility is low and to what degree.
Soil pH is a key driver in determining nutrient availability. When soil pH drops below 6.5, phosphorus availability rapidly decreases. Below 6.0, the plant availability of many other nutrients such as potassium, sulfur, and magnesium also decreases (Fig. 1). In Ohio, there is a lot of acreage with low pH soils, especially in the eastern part of the state where acidic subsoil dominates. If soil tests reveal a low soil pH, applying lime this fall can be an inexpensive way to increase nutrient availability without applying fertilizer. Adjusting pH to the desired range of 6.2-6.8 is also beneficial for soil bacteria that mediate many soil processes. An example is the nitrogen-fixing relationship between rhizobium and legumes such as soybean.
Figure 1. Relative availability of elements essential to plant growth at different pH levels for mineral soils.
Source: Ohio Agronomy Guide, 15th EditionA few reminders about lime application:
- Base the application rate on the buffer pH value on a soil test.
- Use Table 3-6 in the Ohio Agronomy Guide to determine application rate.
- Know the effective neutralizing power (ENP) of the lime source.
- Adjust for tillage depth (ex. 3” tillage depth multiply rate by 0.38).
- More liming details can be found in https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/AGF-505-07
If soil pH is in the desired range, utilize the soil test reported P & K values to determine which fields have the lowest probability of yield reductions without applied fertilizer. Remember each crop has a critical soil test level where, below that level, the probability of a yield loss increases. When soil test values are above the critical value, we are in the maintenance range where we apply a crop removal rate to keep fertility levels above that critical level. Maintenance fertilizer application can occur in future years when profit margins improve. Table 1 shows the critical values as the lowest number in the range while the maintenance limit is the highest value. For example, if a field going to soybeans is at or below 20 ppm phosphorus, there is a higher probability that not applying phosphorus will result in yield loss. If a field going to soybeans is at or above 40 ppm the probability of a yield increase is very low.
Table 1. Optimal Level or Maintenance Range
Crop
Phosphorus (Mehlich-3 P)
Potassium (Mehlich-3 K)
Sandy Soils (CEC <5 meq/100g)
Loam and clay soils (CEC >5 meq/100g)
Corn, Soybean
20-40 ppm
100-130 ppm
120-170 ppm
Wheat, Alfalfa
30-50 ppm
100-130 ppm
120-170 ppm
Source: Tri-State Fertilizer Recommendations for Corn, Soybean, Wheat and Alfalfa
A more detailed look at fertilizer response trials provides the frequency and magnitude of yield responses at various soil test nutrient levels for P and K.
Data from 439 field phosphorus trials showed that when soil P levels were below 20 ppm, about 34-67% of trials showed a positive yield response with a substantial yield bump of 7-13% (median relative yield of 87-93%; Table 2). If a field is solidly in the maintenance range of 20-40 ppm, yield loss due to no application of fertilizer for a year should be minimal to non-existent. About 86-88% of field trials showed no yield gain when soil P levels were above 20 ppm P (Rakkar and LaBarge, 2024). When P is not applied, how much a soil test P level drops from crop removal varies by soil type. P trials in Ohio have shown a drop of 0.8–2.1 ppm on an annual basis in a corn-soybean system (LaBarge and Cochran, 2023).
Table 2: Soil Phosphorus and Crop Response to Phosphorus Fertilizer in Ohio
Source: Rakkar and LaBarge, 2024.Soil test potassium impacts on yield show a similar trend to P. As soil tests decrease, the frequency and the magnitude of yield increase. Table 3 shows potassium response from 458 fields in Ohio. The data showed no yield response to K fertilizer in 95-98% of trials when soil test K was above 130 ppm, indicating a low risk of yield penalty. When soil test K values are between 100-130 there is a higher number of responsive trials, but relative yield increases were about 4%. It is when soil K levels were below 100 ppm that about 40-50% of trials showed a positive yield response with a substantial yield bump of 11-14% (or a median relative yield of 86%).
Table 3: Potassium Uptake and Ohio Crop Response
Source: Rakkar and LaBarge, 2024.Most have come to realize that manure is a great source of nutrients. It can be difficult to get ahold of, but it may be worth asking a livestock neighbor to see if it is a less expensive option. Municipal biosolids also offer a good nutrient source and are fairly easy to transport. The challenge here is paperwork but the municipality may work with farmers and consultants to complete the paperwork.
When considering nitrogen application next spring, remember that the university recommendations are based on the Maximum Return to Nitrogen model which considers nitrogen and corn prices. This is the best way to maximize economic return to your nitrogen application. You can find it at: https://www.cornnratecalc.org/.
Drought Considerations: Very dry soils can affect soil test results. It can be difficult to keep sampling depth consistent due to pushing a probe into the ground and soil falling out of the probe. Dry soils also impact K and pH values. Keep this in mind if large differences are seen between samples taken within 3-4 years of each other. To learn more about the impacts of drought on soil test results, please read: https://extension.entm.purdue.edu/newsletters/pestandcrop/article/keep-in-mind-soil-test-k-and-ph-are-affected-by-low-soil-moisture/
Resources
Rakkar, M., LaBarge, G. Potassium Uptake and Ohio Crop Response. Retrieved from: https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/anr-0147
Rakkar, M., LaBarge, G. Soil Phosphorus and Crop Response to Phosphorus Fertilizer in Ohio. Retrieved from: https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/anr-0146
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IMPACTFUL DROUGHT FORECAST TO CONTINUE ITS EXPANSION
Drought in Ohio has been a major concern for a while now and most indicators suggest drought will expand then persist at least through October-November. The latest drought status of the Drought Monitor can be found here: https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?OH
This will continue to impact everything in agriculture from crops, speciality crops and water levels.
Lake levels are now dropping across Ohio and could reach winter pool drawdown levels early on their own. Some lakes now have zero inflow. Many rivers are running very low and some are nearing record low flows. This likely will persist into October.
Back in April we talked about the concern for dryness this summer and fall as in the article we said, " In addition, we expect some dryness to expand as summer progresses and La Niña develops with confidence higher for dryness in June and August/September timeframes at this point."
Our driest months for much of the region were June (first three weeks), August and September. La Niña has not developed yet but is projected to in the next few months though it looks to be rather weak. What this means is dryness likely lasts through at least the first half of harvest season and possibly much of harvest season with the first hard freeze likely being delayed until the second half of October at least.
For the rest of September, expect above normal temperatures and below normal rainfall to continue. Many places will see little if any rain for the rest of September.
October is forecast to remain warmer and drier than normal, especially the first half, see attached graphic from NOAA Climate Prediction Center for the first half of October rainfall outlook. With crops drying out fast, this should lead to opportunities for early harvest where crops were able to mature properly.
November still looks warm but not as dry with some rain returning. The bottom line, we liely will have to wait until at least November for any drought relief.
The latest data says this La Niña will be fairly weak this winter and would likely end by spring quickly. Therefore, this winter we will likely start milder than normal again and finish chilly but any wet signal appears marginal. Depending on how much wetter we get this winter will determine how much the drought improves in Ohio and where we will stand going into next spring.
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Production of Specialty Small Grains in Ohio: NEW FACTSHEET AVAILABLE
In Ohio, soft red winter wheat is the predominately produced small grain, with 530,000 acres planted in fall 2024 (USDA-NASS, 2024). Soft red winter wheat is commonly used for sponge cakes, cookies, crackers, and other confectionary products (U.S. Wheat Associates, 2023). Although soft red winter wheat is commonly produced by farmers in Ohio, there is interest in other classes of wheat or other small grains due to local demand and niche markets.
A three-year experiment was established at the Northwest Agricultural Research Station in Wood County, Ohio, to compare soft red winter wheat yield with specialty small grain yield. Across the three-year experiment, soft red winter wheat had the highest yield, averaging 93 bu/acre (Figure 1). The fall-planted ancient wheat (spelt) yielded an average of 47 bu/acre. Winter malting barley had an average yield of 82 bu/acre and triticale had an average yield of 80 bu/acre. Hybrid winter rye yielded an average of 71 bu/acre while winter rye for feed yielded 59 bu/acre.
Hard red spring wheat and durum wheat yielded much lower than fall-planted wheat, averaging 39 and 35 bu/acre, respectively (Figure 1). The two spring-planted ancient wheats, einkorn and emmer, yielded even lower at 13 and 17 bu/acre, respectively. Spring barley for feed yielded an average of 51 bu/acre, and spring barley for malt yielded an average of 60 bu/acre. Of the spring small grains, oat had the largest yield at an average of 73 bu/acre; however, yields were extremely variable depending on the year and variety. Please see the FactSheet for detailed variety information: https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/anr-0154
Overall, spring small grains tended to have lower yields than the winter small grains. This is likely due to the shorter grain-fill period associated with spring small grains compared to winter small grains. Furthermore, spring-planted small grains are extremely sensitive to planting date. Spring-planted small grains yielded the highest amount in 2021 and 2023 when they were planted on April 5 and April 13, respectively. In 2022, the spring small grains were planted on April 20 due to wet weather, which resulted in lower grain yields.
Figure 1. Grain yield of winter and spring small grains. The shaded box shows the inter-quartile range, representing the middle 50% of the value. The solid line within each shaded box represents the median value. The upper and lower whiskers represent the maximum and minimum value, respectively.
Although grain yield is an important parameter, there are several other important factors that need to be considered before producing specialty small grains.
- Contracts or Other Agreements
Specialty small grains are not sold through traditional grain elevators that sell corn, soybean, and wheat, so a contract or other agreement should be in place before planting. - Grain Quality Parameters
Depending on the end-use, certain grain-quality parameters may need to be met. For example, hard red winter wheat should have a medium to high protein content of 10% to 13% (U.S. Wheat Associates, 2023). However, in an Ohio environment, protein content may be lower. In addition to protein, other quality parameters of test weight, grain plumpness, germination, and deoxynivalenol concentration may be important depending on end-use. - Agronomic Best Management Practices
In Ohio, most small grain agronomic best management practices are based on soft red winter wheat. Guidelines are available for producing winter malting barley in Ohio (Lindsey et al., 2020), but are limited for other specialty small grains. Agronomic management of specialty small grains in Ohio is an area of research that needs to be further explored.
FactSheet- To read the full FactSheet, please see: https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/anr-0154
Acknowledgments- This experiment was conducted in Ohio as part of a larger study initiated and directed by Dr. Shawn Conley and Dr. Haleigh Ortmeier-Clarke at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Special thanks go to Matt Davis and Matt Hankinson for establishing and managing the experiment in Ohio.
References
Lindsey, L., Shrestha, R., McGlinch, G., Culman, S., Loux, M., Paul, P., & Stockinger, E. (2020). Management of Ohio winter malting barley [PDF]. Retrieved from
stepupsoy.osu.edu/sites/hcs-soy/files/Malting%20Barley%20Handout-%20Spring%202020.pdfUnited States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA-NASS). (2024). Quick stats tools [Webpage]. Retrieved from
quickstats.nass.usda.gov/results/3BA3C0D7-24AE-36BD-A06F-2C39A833B3B9U.S. Wheat Associates. (2023). Crop quality, soft red winter [Webpage]. Retrieved from
uswheat.org/crop-quality/soft-red-winter - Contracts or Other Agreements
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Regional Crop Updates: August 20-26, 2024
Dry conditions remain throughout most of the state, and intensify in southeastern counties. This week Ohio State University Extension Educators and Specialists note low-yielding hay, soybean vein necrosis virus, and waterhemp escapes in soybean. Keep reading below for region-specific crop updates.
Northeast – Lee Beers of OSU Extension Trumbull County reported that corn is in good condition and between R3 (milk) and R5 (dent) with very little disease pressure so far. Soybean is also in good condition despite dry conditions throughout large portions of northeastern Ohio. First crop soybean is between R4 (full pod) and R6 (full seed). In terms of disease, soybean vein necrosis virus incidence is high in the region (Figure 2), and frogeye leaf spot has also been found. So far white mold has not been an issue as it has in past years. Dry conditions have led to lower-yielding second cutting grass hay and third cutting alfalfa.
Central and West Central – Ryan McMichael of OSU Extension Mercer County reported that corn has reached the dent stage (R5) and overall is in fair condition with low disease pressure as it approaches black layer. Soybeans are in good condition and the main weed escapes observed in the region include waterhemp, volunteer corn, giant ragweed, and velvetleaf. Corn silage harvest began last week, but the majority of fields remain to be harvested this week. Second and/or third cutting hay continues, with good quality but low yield.Northwest – Kayla Wyse of OSU Extension Williams County shared that disease and insect pressure remains low in corn and soybeans in northwestern Ohio, with mainly low levels of gray leaf spot and tar spot in corn. There was little field activity this past week in the region, but tomato harvest and manure hauling continue in portions of the region.
Southeast – Dean Kreager of OSU Extension Licking County reported that corn and soybeans are in poor condition as drought continues to impact the region. Though north central and west central portions of Licking County have received reasonable precipitation, the southeastern corner of the region is extremely dry. Pasture conditions continue to deteriorate and hay yields have been very poor. Area growers are invited to submit a report of local conditions and drought impacts here.
Southwest – Ken Ford of OSU Extension Fayette County reported that both corn and soybeans are in good condition, with early planted corn beginning to dry down (Figure 3). Soybean senescence is variable, and double crop soybeans faring surprisingly well given the low soil moisture levels since planting. Silage harvest is close to being finished in southwestern Ohio, occurring earlier than in past years. Third and/or fourth cutting of hay is also underway. Like other areas of the state, quality is average, but yield has been below average due to continuing dry conditions. -
Strong Storm Damage to Corn – What to expect?
Strong storms through the state may have caused issues with corn fields in recent weeks. Questions may arise regarding what to expect after the storm comes through, especially with regards to whether the crop will recover or what the yield impact will be. In general, if the plant is still undergoing vegetative growth or is in early reproductive stages (earlier than R2), it is possible some upright growth may occur. Some lodged plants may recover and exhibit goosenecking/bent stalks, but other damaged plants may not recover and lead to yield losses. However, once plants have entered into the grain filling stages (R2 and later), flattened plants will likely remain flattened through the end of the season.
Yield losses from root lodging (where the stalk remains intact) are most severe (up to 45% yield loss) when it occurs during pollination time (Table 1). Root lodging is less of an issue when corn is at vegetative stages (lower percent yield reductions reported in the literature). However, if corn becomes root lodged during the grain fill stages may be non-harvestable resulting in greater losses if the damage is severe and no harvest accommodation can be made to pick ears from plants almost laying flat on a field.
Table 1. Percent grain yield reductions reported as a result of root lodging at different developmental stages. Table originally published in Severe Storm Damage and Short-Term Weather Stresses on Corn: A Review, Crop Science 64(3):1129-1166. https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.21212.
Development stage range
Carter and Hudelson (1988)
So et al. (2013)
Minami and Ujihara (1991)
Li et al. (2015)
Lindsey, Carter, & Thomison (2021)
% yield reduction
V10–V12
2–6
–
–
14
5
V13–V15
5–15
–
<1
–
22
V17–R1
12–31
25–40
16
–
43
R2–R4
–
–
15–16
30–38
33
Regardless of the lodging type, ears will become closer to the soil surface and canopies may become more restrictive to airflow leading to lower grain quality and greater ear diseases. If a fungicide application occurred this year around flowering, the issues with ear disease formation may be reduced. Susceptibility to root lodging increases with increasing seeding rate due to more plant competition present (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Root lodging incidence (A) and greensnap incidence (B) as influenced by seeding rate. Graphic by Alex Lindsey, PhD, The Ohio State University. Image from AC-1054.
Green snap (stalk breakage) typically occurs in later vegetative stages but is also possible during reproductive stages (breakage above the ear or below the ear, prior to harvest) and can result in major yield losses. Seeding rate changes had limited influence on green snap occurrence (Figure 1B), suggesting damage corresponds more to genetic susceptibility or crop stage (susceptibility) when storms occur. Reports of yield losses as a result of greensnap suggested a more detrimental impact at seeding rates between 24,000 and 36,000 seeds/acre (Figure 2).
Figure 2. Corn grain yield as influenced by greensnap incidence across Ohio sites and years at (A) 18,000 seeds/A (seeds per acre); (B) 24,000–26,000 seeds/A; (C) 30,000–36,000 seeds/A; and (D) 42,000 seeds/A. The solid line in each panel depicts the linear relationship of yield and greensnap for each seeding rate range (the equations are described in the figure panels). Graphics by Alex Lindsey, PhD, The Ohio State University. Image from AC-1054.
If flooding or waterlogging conditions occurred with storms, corn becomes less susceptible to flooding damage as it progresses through the reproductive stages. It is unlikely that much yield damage will be experienced due to standing water associated with recent storm events when corn was already at reproductive stages.
To read more about these and other issues associated with strong storms, consult our recent OSU Factsheets AC-1054 (https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/ac-1054) and ANR-0151 (https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/anr-0151). More information on this topic can also be found in the full review article published in Crop Science - https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/csc2.21212
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Spring 2024 Weather & Soil Conditions: Update 6
Soil Temperatures and Moisture
A warm stretch of weather, with temperatures over the last 30 days averaging 3-6°F above normal, have resulted in daily average near surface soil temperatures in the mid to upper 60s for the bulk of Ohio (Figure 1). Forecast trends should help maintain mild soil temperatures throughout the week, with a slight drop over the weekend as cooler air moves in for Mother’s Day.
Precipitation totals between 0.5” and 1” were common last week, with pockets of much heavier rain across western and southern counties (Figure 2). With slightly below average precpitation over the last 30 days, eastern and southern counties show soil conditions that are a bit on the dry side, but conditions are in generally in good shape across much of Ohio.
For more complete weather records for CFAES research stations, including temperature, precipitation, growing degree days, and other useful weather observations, please visit https://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weather1/.
Weather Forecast
A frontal boundary south of the Ohio River on Monday, will lift north across the region on Tuesday brining multple rounds of showers and storms. Additional rounds are likely Wednesday afternoon and evening. Some of the storms may be severe on Tuesday and Wednesday with highs generally in the mid 70s to mid 80s. Another cold front will move in for Thursday and Friday brining additional rounds of showers and storms. Cooler air will filter in as well, with highs on Thursday in the 70s, dropping into the 60s for Friday through the weekend. Scattered showers and overall damp conditions may linger through Sunday as well. The Weather Prediction Center is currently forecasting 0.75-2.00” of precipitation over the next 7 days, with the heavier amounts close to the Ohio River (Figure 3).
The 6-10 day outlook from the Climate Prediction Center and the 16-Day Rainfall Outlook from NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center show near normal temperatures and precipitation (Figure 4). Climate averages include a high-temperature range of 70-75°F, a low-temperature range of 48-53°F, and weekly total precipitation of 0.90-1.20”.
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Alfalfa Weevil is Active Across Ohio
Despite the cold temperatures experienced across the state this past week, alfalfa weevil larvae have hit peak feeding activity in nearly every part of the state. Alfalfa weevil feeding activity is driven by the accumulation of growing degree days (GDD) peaking when GDD is between 325 and 575 (accumulation from a base of 48°F starting January 1st). As of writing this (Jan. 1 – April 28), heat units range from 587 in southwest Ohio to 294 in northeast Ohio.
Figure 1. Map of accumulated growing degree days (base 48°F sine calculation method) for January 1 – April 28, 2024 at CFAES Ag Weather stations across the state (https://weather.cfaes.osu.edu//) and additional NOAA stations around Ohio (Midwestern Regional Climate Center (https://www.mrcc.purdue.edu))
With much of the state at its peak activity, it is important to scout alfalfa fields diligently, until first cutting or just after to make timely decisions and to maintain a quality alfalfa crop. Scouting for alfalfa weevil is a simple process that only requires a bucket and tape measure. Full details on scouting can be found here: Scouting Early Alfalfa Weevil, as well as in the video resource here: https://forages.osu.edu/video.
Alfalfa weevil larvae can be identified by their wrinkled green body, black head capsule, and the presence of a white strip that runs lengthwise along their back. They are approximately ¼ inch long or smaller (Figure 2).
Figure 2. Alfalfa leaf with pinhole feeding damage, green alfalfa weevil larvae in different development stages (instars), and brown adults. Photo Credit – Julie Peterson, University of Nebraska
Control thresholds are determined by a combination of larvae per stem and the stand height of the alfalfa, as outlined in the table below. As the alfalfa matures, harvesting early becomes the recommended economic control. If early harvest is utilized, be sure to scout for larval activity on the regrowth one week after cutting. Heavy infestations of alfalfa weevil can persist past the first cutting and can stunt regrowth, so a second control treatment could be necessary.
Stand Height
(Inches)
Indication of Problem
(% Tip Feeding)
Problem Confirmation
(Larvae per Stem)
Recommended Action
6
25
1
Recheck in a week
9
50
>1
Spray
12
75
>2
Spray
16
100
>4
Harvest early
For more information on control methods consult the OSU and MSU “Field Crops Insect Pest Management Guide” (https://aginsects.osu.edu/extension-publications/msuosu-ipm-guide)
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Battle for the Belt: Season 2 Episode 5- Freeze Injury to Corn and Soybean
Ohio experienced overnight cold temperatures between April 21st and April 22nd . Early planted corn and soybeans were subjected to frost damage with air temperatures lingering under 30ºF for about five hours, with the low reaching 28ºF.
Freeze damage on corn
Corn at the Western Agricultural Research Station was at V1 when temperatures dropped to freezing. At the V1 growth stage, the growing point is about ¾-inch below the soil surface. The growing point is above ground at the V6 growth stage. Damage to the above-ground leaf tissue (Figure 1) is not detrimental to the crop and leaves can grow back as long as the damage did not affect the mesocotyl and crown, below the soil surface. The mesocotyl and crown should be white when healthy and brown when killed by the frost (Figure 2). Air temperatures between 28ºF and 32ºF can result in tissue damage, but soil temperatures of 28ºF can result in plant death. To assess frost damage, evaluate the crop at least 3 to 5 days after the cold temperatures to see if there is regrowth or death of the growing point.
Figure 1. March 25th planted corn, 24 hours after frost at the Western Agricultural Research Station
Figure 2. Uprooted corn, showing a healthy mesocotyl and crown at the Western Agricultural Research Station.
Freeze damage on soybean
Soybeans are in danger of frost damage with the same temperatures as corn, between 28ºF and 32ºF. However, the soybean growing point is above ground at emergence, and the apical meristem is at the cotyledons. If there is damage above the cotyledons, the crop can put on new growth and survive, but if the damage is below the cotyledons, at the hypocotyl or the crook of the soybean that emerges from the ground first, then the plant cannot recover (Figure 3). To assess damage, look at the hypocotyl to see if there is discoloration. If the soybeans have not yet emerged, then there should be limited damage.
What’s happening in the field?
As seen above, corn and soybean plants had visual injury from recent freeze events. However, the corn had healthy growing points and will likely grow out of the damage and only a few soybeans sustained lethal damage. Other soybean studies planted the same day (March 25th) at the same location sustained much more frost damage, we think because of the difference in soil type and tillage practices.
The Wooster campus was able to plant the first planting date of corn and soybeans on April 22nd after weeks of saturated soils (Table 1). Table 2 presents the weekly (April 22 to April 28) weather conditions for planting dates one and two at the Western location and planting date one at the Wooster campus. The first planting date at the Northwest research site is forthcoming.
Location
Planting date
2-inch soil temperature
(at planting)Air Temperature
(at planting)
Wooster, Wayne County
April 22
52°F
45°F
Table 1. The planting date conditions for planting date one at the Wooster Campus, 2024.
Table 2. Weekly weather conditions for planting dates one and two at the Western location and planting date one at the Wooster campus, with day of planting, soil, air temperature averages, and Growing Degree Days (GDDS) from April 22 to April 28. Information from CFAES Weather System (https://weather.cfaes.osu.edu/).
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Spring 2024 Weather & Soil Conditions: Update 4
Soil Temperatures and Moisture
Figure 1: Daily average air temperature (dashed red), two-inch (green) and four-inch (blue) soil temperatures for spring 2024. Soil type and location of measurements (under sod or bare soil) are provided in the lower right corner of each panel. A map of all locations is in the bottom right. Data provided by the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) Agricultural Research Stations located throughout the state.
Though daily average soil temperatures continued to climb most of last week, a late week cold front dropped two-inch and four-inch soil temperatures back down into the upper 40s to upper 50s (Figure 1).
It was yet another active week for severe weather, with five additional confirmed tornadoes (Champaign, Crawford, Delaware, Portage, and Trumbull Counties). This brings the state’s total to 35 in 2024, with peak season just beginning. Ohio normally sees about 20 tornadoes per year.
Figure 2: (Top) Precipitation (inches) for the 7-day period ending April 22, 2024 courtesy of the Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service. (Bottom) Soil moisture percentile for 0-40cm depth as of Calculated soil moisture percentiles as of April 22, 2024, according to the NASA SPoRT-LIS product.
Rainfall was plentiful once again (Figure 2). Most of the state rceived 0.5-1.5”, with pockets over 2” in southern Hocking and northern Vinton Counties. Small creeks and streams flooded again, with high flows on all the major rivers. Soils remain saturated compared to late winter conditions (Figure 2). Cool conditions will continue early this week, but a warming trend over the weekend should bump soil temperatures up into the 50s to low 60s by early next week.
For more complete weather records for CFAES research stations, including temperature, precipitation, growing degree days, and other useful weather observations, please visit https://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weather1/.
Weather Forecast
We started Monday morning off chilly, with widespread frost across the state. A beautiful day on Monday has given way to more clouds and an increasing chance of rainshowers on Tuesday with cooler than average highs in the upper 50s to mid 60s. Showers should exit the state on Wednesday, with high pressure settling in and cooler highs in the upper 40s to low 60s (north to south). This will lead to another cold night Wednesday night into Thursday morning. Depending on clouds and location, frost is likely Thursday morning and some areas may fall off into the upper 20s to low 30s. We will see a warming trend beginning on Thursday, with 70s returning for Friday and Saturday. Southern Ohio may see highs in the low 80s by Sunday and Monday. However, scattered showers and storms will be possible Friday through Sunday. Overall, the Weather Prediction Center is currently forecasting 0.55-1.50” of precipitation over the next 7 days, with the heavier amounts across northwest Ohio (Figure 3).
Figure 3). Precipitation forecast from the Weather Prediction Center for 8pm Monday April 22 – 8pm Monday April 29, 2024.
The 6-10 day outlook from the Climate Prediction Center and the 16-Day Rainfall Outlook from NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center show strong likelihood for above average temperatures with near to above average precipitation (Figure 4). Climate averages include a high-temperature range of 65-70°F, a low-temperature range of 43-48°F, and weekly total precipitation of 0.90-1.15”.
Figure 4) Climate Prediction Center 6-10 Day Outlook valid for April 28 - May 2, 2024, for left) temperatures and right) precipitation. Colors represent the probability of below, normal, or above normal conditions.
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Alfalfa Weevil Activity is Beginning to Peak
Alfalfa weevil larval activity is beginning its peak activity in southern Ohio and the rest of the state isn’t far behind. Alfalfa weevil feeding activity is driven by the accumulation of growing degree days (GDD) and reaches their peak feeding and damage when heat units for the area are between 325 and 575 (accumulation from a base of 48°F starting January 1st). The warm temperatures over the past week have contributed to a significant jump in GDD and ramped up alfalfa weevil larval feeding. As of writing this (Jan. 1 – April 14 ), heat units range from 399 in southwest Ohio to 190 in northeast Ohio.
Figure 1. Map of accumulated growing degree days (base 48°F sine calculation method) for January 1 – April 14, 2024 at CFAES Ag Weather stations across the state (https://weather.cfaes.osu.edu//) and additional NOAA stations around Ohio (Midwestern Regional Climate Center (https://www.mrcc.purdue.edu))
Now is a key time to scout fields to be able to control alfalfa weevil in a timely manner. If you are in the northern part of the state, it is still important to scout. Alfalfa weevil is active, despite not yet reaching the 325 heat unit threshold, and if spring continues to be wet, the window to get into the field to control pests may be short. Alfalfa weevil larvae can be identified by their wrinkled green body, black head capsule, and the presence of a white strip that runs lengthwise along their back. They are approximately ¼ inch long or smaller (Figure 2).
Figure 2. Alfalfa leaf with pinhole feeding damage, green alfalfa weevil larvae in different development stages (instars), and brown adults. Photo Credit – Julie Peterson, University of Nebraska
An article was written earlier this year outlining how to scout for alfalfa weevil and can be found here: https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2024-08/scouting-early-alfalfa-weevil-activity. There is also a great video resource outlining the process here: https://forages.osu.edu/video. Once fields are scouted and you have a count of the alfalfa weevil larvae, the following table can be referenced to determine if the pest pressure meets the threshold for control.
Stand Height
(Inches)
Indication of Problem
(% Tip Feeding)
Problem Confirmation
(Larvae per Stem)
Recommended Action
6
25
1
Recheck in a week
9
50
>1
Spray
12
75
>2
Spray
16
100
>4
Harvest early
If alfalfa weevil pressure is high in a stand that is still short a pesticide treatment may be warranted. Consult the OSU and MSU “Field Crops Insect Pest Management Guide” (https://aginsects.osu.edu/extension-publications/msuosu-ipm-guide) and the product label to make the most effective application.
As alfalfa gets closer to the first cutting, higher larvae counts and levels of feeding pressure can be tolerated. If there is alfalfa weevil pressure at first cutting or an early harvest is utilized to limit feeding damage, be sure to scout for larval activity on the regrowth one week after cutting. Heavy infestations of alfalfa weevil can persist past the first cutting and can stunt regrowth, so a second control treatment could be necessary.
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Look Out for Nitrogen Loss Due to Heavy Rains
The recent heavy rainfall events have implications on the fate of applied nitrogen (N). In the past two weeks, Ohio has received rainfall ranging from about 1.5 inches in the northwest to 6 inches in the central-eastern counties. Year to date, we are experiencing 2 to 8% higher rainfall than normal. Nitrogen loss is exacerbated under such excessive rainfall scenarios via three pathways: runoff, leaching, and denitrification.
RUNOFF
The amount and intensity of rain received in the past week may have caused substantial soil erosion. Fields with no cover or residue are more susceptible to N runoff. If N fertilizer was applied recently in such fields, especially without incorporation into the soil, there is high likelihood of N fertilizer being eroded out of the field.
LEACHING
The nitrate form of nitrogen is liable to leach down the soil profile. Leaching is more prevalent in coarse textured soils than fine textured soils. In addition to the amount of rain, the amount of N loss via leaching will depend on:
Type of fertilizer used: Leaching loss of N depends on the amount of nitrate present in the soil. Fertilizers that contain N in the nitrate form such as UAN increase the chance of leaching loss because a large portion of UAN exists as nitrate form. According to Havlin et al. (1999), most of the anhydrous ammonia gets converted to nitrate in about 3 to 8 weeks whereas 25% of UAN is in nitrate form on day 1 of application and 100% of it is converted to nitrate within 1.25 to 2.5 weeks. Enhanced efficiency fertilizers that either include nitrification inhibitors or protective covering reduce the leaching potential by slowing the conversion of the source to the nitrate form.
Crop stage: If the field was bare, nitrate leaching potential could have been substantial. The presence of a cover crop or wheat during this time of the year can reduce nitrate leaching. The N uptake of wheat during the dormancy or early green up stage is minimal, thus making nitrate liable to leach down. If wheat was in stem elongation phase, nitrate leaching is less likely due to increased N uptake and prolific rooting system of wheat at this stage.
DENITRIFICATION
When soil is saturated with water during or after the rain event, N can be lost to atmosphere via denitrification process. The denitrification process refers to the conversion of nitrate form into gaseous forms (NOx or N2). The amount of N loss depends on how long soil stays saturated and soil temperatures during waterlogging, with warmer temperatures accelerating denitrification losses. Table 1 shows the potential loss of N due to denitrification under saturated soil conditions for different periods in days and soil temperatures.
Table 1. Potential loss of nitrogen due to denitrification based on days of saturated soil conditions and soil temperature. (https://extensionpubs.unl.edu/publication/ec155/pdf/view/ec155-2014.pdf).
Time (days)
Soil Temperature (degree F)
N loss (percent)
5
55-60
10
10
55-60
25
3
75-80
60
STRATEGIC PLAN FOR N MANAGEMENT AFTER HEAVY RAINS
If any of the above N loss mechanisms occurred in your field, especially after an N fertilizer application was made, it is important to supplement N to growing/upcoming crop to avoid yield losses. You can follow below given strategies:
Estimate the N loss: The amount of N loss can be estimated based on the fertilizer type, time of application, crop growth stage, and soil water content. Lentz and Culman (2015) outlined a procedure in this article: Concerns for N Loss in Corn from Recent Storms
Determine N in the soil: Pre-Sidedress Nitrogen test (PSNT) can be done to quantify the status of nitrogen in the soil. LaBarge (2022) outlined the procedure to decide if additional N would be needed in this article: Estimated and Soil Test Methods to Determine Supplemental N need after Flooding
Look out for plant N deficiency symptoms: Yellowing of lower leaves or inverted yellow V pattern on leaves could be a sign of N deficiency in crops. If such symptoms persist after soils are no longer waterlogged and temperatures are not on cooler end, it might be worthwhile to consider side-dressing N. You could also utilize sensors to determine NDVI to calculate N fertilizer requirement. The description of some Apps is outline by Logan et al. (2018) in this article: Crop Nutrition Apps
References:
Havlin, J.L., J.D. Beaton, S.L. Tisdale, and W.L. Nelson. 1999. Soil Fertility and Fertilizers. An Introduction to Nutrient Management. 6th ed. Prentice Hall. Upper Saddle River, NJ.
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Spring 2024 Weather & Soil Conditions: Update 1
Soil Temperatures and Moisture
Figure 1: Daily average air temperature (dashed red), two-inch (green) and four-inch (blue) soil temperatures for spring 2024. Soil type and location of measurements (under sod or bare soil) are provided in the lower right corner of each panel. A map of all locations is in the bottom right. Data provided by the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) Agricultural Research Stations located throughout the state.
Following yet another warm winter (now the second warmest on record 1895-2024) and temperatures 2-6°F above average for the month of March, April soil temperatures are starting off on the warm side. Two-inch and four-inch soil temperatures across northern Ohio are in the low to mid 40s, while stations across the south are reporting low to mid 50s for daily averages (Figure 1). Soil temperatures should remain steady early this week, with a slight drop off this weekend possible as cooler air filters into the region.
Figure 2: (Top-Left) Precipitation (inches) for March 2024. (Top-Right) Precipitation as a percent of normal (1991-2020) for March 2024. Figures provided by the Midwestern Regional Climate Center. (Bottom) Calculated soil moisture percentiles as of 31 March 2024 according to the Climate Prediction Center.
After Ohio experienced its 13th driest fall on record to end 2023, this past winter’s precipitation was close to normal. During March, much of the state experienced less than normal precipitation. Much of the southern counties only picked up 50% of normal precipitation during the month, while localized amounts of 3-4” were less common. This has soil moisture running in the 20-30th percentile across the southwest quadrant of Ohio (Figure 2). Expected precipitation this week will help alleviate some of the long-term dryness. For more complete weather records for CFAES research stations, including temperature, precipitation, growing degree days, and other useful weather observations, please visit https://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weather1/.
Weather Forecast
We began the week with a frontal boundary spralled out across the state, which is providing a focal point for showers and storms. Areas from Delaware to Guernsey County picked up 3-5” of rain Sunday night into Monday morning. This boundary will shift to northern Ohio during the day Tuesday, creating a recipe for strong to severe storms for much of Ohio including a moderate chance of tornadoes across the state. Temperatures will range from the low 60s across the north to low to mid 70s across the south. A cold front will pass through the region on Wednesday, dropping temperatures back into the 30s and 40s, with rain and/or snow showers scattered across the region. Thursday and Friday could remain a bit unsettled before conditions dry out for the weekend. Overnight lows this week could drop well below freezing if clear skies occur, something to keep in mind as we are 20-30 days ahead of the growing season schedule. As of this writing, at least some of the area is expecting cloudy conditions during the eclipse on Monday April 8th but the forecast is likely to change numerous times over the course of the week. The Weather Prediction Center currently forecasting 1.50-2.50” of additional precipitation over the next 7 days, with isolated heavier amounts (Figure 3).
Figure 3). Precipitation forecast from the Weather Prediction Center for 8pm Monday April 1 – 8pm Monday April 8, 2024.
The 6-10 day outlook from the Climate Prediction Center and the 16-Day Rainfall Outlook from NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center show above average temperatures are likely with near to above average precipitation (Figure 4). Climate averages include a high-temperature range of 55-61°F, a low-temperature range of 33-39°F, and weekly total precipitation of 0.65-1”.
Figure 4) Climate Prediction Center 6-10 Day Outlook valid for April 7 - 11, 2024, for left) temperatures and right) precipitation. Colors represent the probability of below, normal, or above normal conditions.
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Economics of Conservation Webinar Coming on January 31st
Have you ever considered implementing conservation practices on your operation, but wanted to learn more about the economic side of doing so? Join OSU Extension on January 31st from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for the first Water Quality Wednesday Webinar of 2024: The Economics of Conservation.
Three speakers will provide an insight into the economic benefits of utilizing different conservation practices, including cover crops and the use of manure as a nutrient source. Katie Wilts Johnson, Extension Economist, Center for Farm Financial Management at the University of Minnesota, will use FINBIN data to discuss short and long-term cash flow positions and how this relates to utilizing cover crops. OSU Extension’s Farm Business Analysis Program Manager Clint Schroeder will discuss how OSU can help you figure out exactly how different management practices can benefit your farm economics. Glen Arnold, Field Specialist, Manure Nutrient Management at The Ohio State University will wrap up the session by discussing the yield and financial benefits of utilizing manure in-season as a nutrient source.
Certified Crop Adviser CEUs will be available during the live session. Register to receive the connection link at go.osu.edu/WQW24. Can’t join live? The recording of this webinar will be posted to the OSU Agronomy YouTube Channel’s Water Quality Playlist following the event. Questions can be directed to Rachel Cochran, cochran.474@osu.edu or (567) 344-5016.
Water Quality Wednesday Webinar Series Flyer
January 2024 Water Quality Wednesday: The Economics of Conservation
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Corn Yield Forecasts as of August 23, 2023
Most of the corn acreage in Ohio is now at grain filling stages. On the last USDA crop progress report (week Ending 08/27/23), it was estimated that corn dough (R4) progress was 79 percent complete, and corn dented (R5) progress was 30 percent complete (a few average points behind schedule but almost on track with last year and the 5-year average).
A new simulation of 2023 end-of-season corn yield potential and crop staging was performed on August 23, using the UNL Hybrid-Maize crop model in collaboration with faculty and extension educators from 10 universities. Forecasts help researchers, growers, and industry stakeholders to make management, logistics, and marketing decisions during the crop season. Forecasts cover 40 locations across the Corn Belt, including South Charleston (Western Ohio), Custar (Northwest Ohio), and Wooster (Northeast Ohio). Table 1 and Figure 1 summarize the results for the state of Ohio as of August 23, 2023.
Figure 1. On the left figure, simulated developmental stage for rainfed corn at each location (left figure). R1: silking; R2: blister; R3: milk; R4: dough; R5: dent; R6: physiological maturity.
On the right figure, probability of the 2023 yield potential to be below, near, and above the long-term (2005-2022) average yield potential at each location. Larger color sections within the pie chart indicate higher probability that end-of-season corn yield will be in that category. Source: Grassini et al., 2023.Summary
As of August 23, 2023, the projected results for Ohio have improved. Despite a rough growing season with development variability and dry periods, the chances of below-average yield potential are low (3% for Custar, 3% for South Charleston, and 16% for Wooster). Current projections show 45% to 66% probability of near-average yield potential for Ohio. The Custar and South Charleston sites show 53% and 42% probability of being above the long-term average yield potential, respectively. Wooster’s conditions are not as optimistic as the other two locations, only 18% chances of above long-term average yield potential.
Adequate solar radiation, temperatures, and precipitation during the rest of the grain fill period will determine the final outputs. Regionally projections show that yield potential is highly variable, but most sites in the eastern part of the Corn Belt have increased chances for near or above-average yields, compared to earlier forecasts this season. On the other hand, places in the western/central Corn Belt show high chances of below-average yields (northern MO, eastern IA, south-central NE, and north-central KS).
The forecasts do not consider other yield-limiting factors such as crop stand issues, storm damage, replanting, disease, or nutrient losses. Likewise, results can deviate with varying planting dates or hybrid maturities. Yield forecasts are not field specific and represent an average yield estimate for a given location and surrounding area. As more corn yield and phenology forecasts become available this crop season, short briefs will be released via the OSU C.O.R.N. Newsletter.
Reference
Grassini, P., Andrade, J., Rizzo, G., Yang, H., Rees, J., Coulter, J., Licht, M., Archontoulis, S., Ciampitti, I., Singh, M., & Ortez, O. (2023). Corn Yield Forecasts as of Aug. 23. UNL Nebraska CropWatch. Available from: https://cropwatch.unl.edu/2023/2023-corn-yield-forecasts-aug-23
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Weed Management in Dry Conditions
This article is written with the hopes that relaying some information about management in a dry pattern will bring on some rain. If that doesn’t work, below are some reminders and considerations for weed control in dry conditions.
- To wait or not to wait – one consideration is whether it’s better to apply POST herbicides when weeds are small or to hold out for some rain. Weeds are most effectively controlled when actively growing and drought stress can impede control to some degree. However, large weeds are more difficult to control especially if the stress-inducing conditions persist. For this reason, and the fact that herbicides generally work across a range of conditions, it might be best to go ahead and spray when weeds are small unless there is some definite rain in the forecast.
- Weed emergence – dry conditions can delay the later emergence of weeds, especially those that are in the upper portion of the soil and have small seeds. The emergence of large-seeded species and those at lower depths will be less affected. Weed emergence flushes can occur periodically following rainfall events.
- Residuals – residual herbicides will not be properly incorporated, and thus not available for uptake by weeds, to help control those that do emerge before we receive a decent rain. Mark Loux talked about this and the use of a rotary hoe in an article a couple of weeks ago, which can be read here. A layered residual strategy for control of waterhemp is still recommended, especially where crops were planted early. Rain will still be needed to incorporate later-applied residual herbicides into the soil profile.
- POST applications – plants respond to drought stress in part by increasing cuticle thickness to preserve water. This can decrease herbicide absorption, and translocation within the plant is also affected. Optimizing the use of adjuvants can help to increase absorption by improving coverage and uptake. Follow the label and herbicide/adjuvant manufacturer recommendations to determine the best type and rate. Also, be aware that an increase in activity can lead to crop injury in some instances, and that applications early or late in the day may reduce the risk of injury.
- Antagonism – dry conditions can exacerbate antagonism issues, especially when using POST grass and broadleaf herbicides together. Control can be reduced especially for larger grasses with substandard root systems (hanging on by a few roots). Sequential applications can help overcome this antagonism. Wait seven days between applications when the broadleaf herbicide is applied first, and about one day when the grass herbicide is applied first.
For more information on weed control in a variety of conditions, check out the Weed Control Guide for OH, IN, IL, and MO available for purchase here.
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Done with Planting? Collect Soil Sample for SCN Test and Learn How Your Samples Are Processed in the Lab!
The soybean cyst nematode (SCN) remains the most devastating and yield-limiting soybean pathogen in Ohio and North America. SCN can cause over 30% yield reduction with no visible symptoms, therefore, early detection of this pathogen relies on testing your fields to know your SCN numbers!
Spring is a good time to sample for SCN. A soil test in spring will reveal if SCN is present and if so, at what levels. If you are planning to participate in an on-farm trial that requires soil sampling, a subsample can be used for SCN testing. Additionally, if you planted corn, a soil sample from that field will reveal if you have SCN but most importantly, how much SCN. Knowing your SCN numbers will help you determine the best management strategy.
With funding from the Ohio Soybean Council and promoting the mission of The SCN Coalition, we will process up to TWO soil samples, per grower, to be tested for SCN, free of charge.
Download and complete this Soil Sample Submission Form and mail your samples to:
OSU Soybean Pathology and Nematology Lab
Attn: Horacio Lopez-Nicora, Ph.D.
110 Kottman Hall
2021 Coffey Rd.
Columbus, Ohio 43210
CURIOUS TO KNOW HOW WE PROCESS SAMPLES FOR SCN?
We invite you to WATCH THIS VIDEO and learn how we process soil samples to collect and quantify SCN. Active management of SCN begins with a soil sample to detect its presence, know your SCN numbers, and adopt an integrated management approach.
* A big thanks to Dusty Sonnenberg and Joel Penhorwood from Ohio Field Leader, Ohio Ag Net & Ohio’s Country Journal for their assistance!
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Spring Weather & Soil Conditions: Update 2
Soil Temperatures and Moisture
With temperatures running 4-18°F (south to north) above average last week, daily average soil temperatures warmed considerably (Figure 1). Most locations around Ohio are reporting daily average two- and four-inch soil temperatures in the upper 50s to low 60s, about 10 degrees warmer than the beginning of last week. With the cooldown to start this week, soils are cooling off a touch but warmer weather mid to late week should prevent them from falling too much.
Overall, it was a dry week this past week. Locations across western Ohio received less than 0.1” while portions of eastern Ohio experienced 0.5-0.75” of rain (Figure 2-left). A CoCoRaHS observed southeast of Stow in Summit County observed 1.42” this week. Soils continue to dry out from surplus March precipitation as are mostly in the 30-70th percentile (Figure 2-right). Reports indicate a dry surface with surplus sub-surface moisture still present. For more complete weather records for CFAES research stations, including temperature, precipitation, growing degree days, and other useful weather observations, please visit https://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weather1/.
Weather Forecast
We are starting the week off on the cool side, with light rain and/or snow showers falling across the state. While conditons improve on Tuesday for the sothwest half of the state, clouds and light precipitation will continue in the northeast. After a frosty start to the day on Wednesday, Wednesday afternoon and Thursday will feature a decent push of warmer air that will bring springlike conditions back to Ohio ahead of another strong cold front that will surge eastward on Friday and Saturday. This front will be accompnied by periods of showers and storms that will last into the upcoming weekend. Cool weather will also return this weekend with highs back below average in the 40s and 50s. The Weather Prediction Center is currently forecasting 0.5-1.25” of precipitation this week, heaviest in western Ohio (Figure 3).
The 6-10 day outlook from the Climate Prediction Center and the 16-Day Rainfall Outlook from NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center show below average temperatures are likely with precipitation learning toward below average as well (Figure 4). Climate averages include a high-temperature range of 62-67°F, a low-temperature range of 42-45°F, and weekly total precipitation of about 1 inch.
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Warmer Weather Ahead
APRIL
April is forecast to be warmer than normal with some typical swings. Those swings will still bring periods of windy weather for the first half of April. Normal high temperatures are now 55 northeast Ohio to 60 southwest Ohio. Expect above normal temperatures this week with the first half of the week in the 60s and 70s for highs followed by a cool down later in the week with highs in 50s to near 60.
There will be another sharp cool down the first half of next week but then there is expected to be a big surge of warmer weather starting about next Thursday for a solid week which could push high temperatures into the 60s and 70s north to 70s to near 80 south. This should allow some field work to begin in full swing for mid-month. By the end of the month temperatures will settle back to about normal.
As for rainfall, after another strong weather system the middle of this week with rain, weather systems are forecast to weaken for much of the middle of the month. This will reduce the wet pattern we saw in March into early April to more normal rainfall patterns.
Though mid-April, rainfall will average 1-2 inches across Ohio (see image). This is actually about normal to slightly below normal.
With La Nina gone, near normal last freeze dates are projected this spring with most freezes occuring by the end of April or very early May.
GROWING SEASON - May to early September
A warmer than normal late spring through summer and early fall is forecast. However, there is no indication of any significant number of maximum temperatures above 95 which is good news. Rainfall is officially forecast near or slightly above normal. However, with the rapid transition toward an El Nino that could cause a quick switch to drier than normal conditions in the eastern corn and soybean belt from June or July and on. We need to monitor this risk. If we remain in neutral conditions then any dry pattern would be off the table due to adequate soil moisture conditions. But if El Nino develops, things could change this summer quickly.
This link shows historical rainfall patterns from July to September if an El Nino forms.
https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/precip/CWlink/ENSO/composites/elnino.jas.precip.gif
You will see a wetter western corn and soybean belt and drier in the east can form.
We will keep you posted on where we go.
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Battle for the Belt: Which crop should be planted first, corn or soybean?
- Which crop has the smallest yield penalty for delayed planting?
- Can we adjust management practices to mitigate losses due to late planting?
- How are insects, diseases, weeds, and other factors affected by planting date?
We will address these questions (and more!) weekly during the growing season with a series of short videos. Watch Episode 1 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0U2vPdtEVc
To stay up-to-date on this project, make sure to subscribe to the CORN newsletter (https://lists.osu.edu/mailman/listinfo/corn-out), subscribe to our YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@OSUAgronomicCrops), or follow us on Twitter (@stepupsoy, @OrtezCornCrops).
For both soybean and corn, earlier planting is promoted to maximize yield. However, Ohio has a trend toward a lower number of suitable fieldwork days. With non-favorable weather, the planting date window is often short and disconnected. Farmers often ‘debate’ which crop should be planted first- corn or soybean. The ‘Battle for the Belt’ project is a field research and extension effort to help address the question, what crop should be planted first- corn or soybean?This research project will include field experiments at three locations in 2023: Clark County, Wood County, and Wayne County and five planting date windows, 1) Ultra early = late March to early April; 2) Early = mid to late April; 3) Normal = early to mid-May; 4) Late = late May-first week of June; and 5) Very late = mid to late June. Additionally, management decisions will be adjusted to mitigate potential losses due to delayed planting. For soybean, varying seeding rates between 100,000 seeds/Ac and 210,000 seeds/Ac. For corn, varying hybrid relative maturities between 100-day to 115-day RM.
Stay tuned for videos, updates, and results during 2023 and 2024!
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Please Participate! Using Data-Driven Knowledge For Profitable Soybean Management Systems
Help us help you grow more profitable soybeans through the power of data science. Soybean agronomists are developing an app to help you make decisions in real time. The more data we collect, the more accurate the tool will be. (And…the more data we have from Ohio, the more applicable the tool will be to our state!) The app will allow growers to drop a pin in a field, enter input variables, and receive crop management decision help directly and through online scouting tools such as Sporecaster and Tarspotter.
This is what we are asking from you:
- Provide field management and yield information from two or more of your soybean fields from 2022 via online survey: link here
- A paper copy of the survey is here: https://stepupsoy.osu.edu/sites/hcs-soy/files/2023_NCSRP_Survey.pdf Feel free to use the paper copy and email to lindsey.233@osu.edu or send in the mail (Laura Lindsey, 2021 Coffey Rd., Columbus, OH 43210).
This project is funded by the North Central Soybean Research Program and led by Dr. Shawn Conley at University of Wisconsin- Madison and Dr. Paul Esker at Penn State University. All data we receive will be treated with confidentiality.
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Drones for Spraying Pesticides
Traditionally, aerial spraying of pesticides has been done using conventional fixed-wing aircraft or helicopters with a pilot onboard. However, this is changing. Small, remotely piloted aircraft are being used to apply pesticides around the world, especially in Southeast Asia. For example, about 30% of all agricultural spraying in South Korea, and about 40% of Japan’s rice crop, is sprayed using drones. In contrast, drone spraying is in its infancy in the United States, but interest in this technology from pesticide applicators is steadily increasing.
A variety of names and the acronyms are associated with remotely piloted aircraft. Most used ones are: Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and Unmanned Aerial System (UAS). However, the name used most commonly by the general public is “drone”. Drones entered the agriculture scene initially for non-spraying applications, such as crop and field-condition data collection to increase profitability in crop production. Drones successfully and effectively monitor plant growth by collecting and delivering real-time data from the moment of plant emergence to harvest. With the help of fast and accurate GPS or GNNS technology, a high-resolution camera, and variable flying speeds and altitudes, drones can provide a wealth of information on the condition of every half square inch of crop or soil.
Using drones for spraying pesticides is becoming attractive mainly for four reasons: 1) The topography or soil conditions do not allow the use of traditional ground sprayers or conventional agricultural aircraft, 2) when airplanes and helicopters are not available or are too expensive to use, 3) drones more efficiently spray small, irregular-shaped fields, 4) drones significantly reduce the risk of applicators being contaminated by the pesticides. There are also emerging problems, such as tar spot on corn, which may increase the need for aerial pesticide application by drones.
Although they are small, drone sprayers have all the components of large ground sprayers and conventional aerial sprayers. In addition, all drone sprayers are also equipped with a GPS or GNNS receiver and multiple sensors for collision avoidance. All drones also have wireless remote control for manual operation. Some drones can be operated on autopilot.
Types of spray drones
Spraying with a drone is not new. First used in Japan in 1997, the Yamaha RMax drone looks like a small helicopter (shown below).
Source: yamahaprecisionagriculture.com
It has a single rotor with a diameter of about 10 feet, weighs 220 pounds, and has over 4 gallons of spray tank capacity. It is gasoline powered, can run for 1 hour before refueling, can be retrofitted with three or four nozzles, and was FAA-approved for use in California in 2015. The manufacturer does not sell the aircraft, rather they service it and provide a trained team (usually two to three people) to operate the aircraft.
A rapid proliferation of lighter, easy-to-operate drones for spraying pesticides is currently underway. They are lightweight but powerful enough to lift a 10–15-gallon tank. Most commercial spray drones today are the multi-rotor type shown below:
Photo: E. Ozkan, The Ohio State University
The drones’ propellers create turbulence in the canopy, which significantly improves droplet penetration into lower parts of the canopy compared to traditional ground sprayers that are not air-assisted. Multi-rotor drones have similar components but can differ in many ways: number of rotors, rotor positions, nozzle locations and configurations, type and number of nozzles, distance between nozzles, vertical distance between the rotors and the nozzles under them. For example, most drones have nozzles located on the end of hoses descending a few inches below the rotors (shown above). A smaller percentage of drones have nozzles mounted on a boom (shown below). Drones with a boom, and especially those with booms extending beyond the rotors (photo below on the right) usually are not preferred. These drones are likely to become obsolete because of relatively poor spray coverage compared to the boomless spray drones. They also have a higher drift potential influenced by vortices that may appear near both ends of the boom. Having a larger number of nozzles on the boom, and having a boom that does not extend too far outside the rotors may help avoid this problem, resulting in much better penetration of spray droplets into the target plant canopy and a better coverage of the target surface with droplets.
One recent drone type has four rotor arms with two rotors on each arm powering a pair of relatively larger impellers that are stacked one on top of the other (shown below). This dual rotor configuration provides a more powerful lifting capacity and better flight dynamics. Another unique aspect of this drone is how the spray is discharged from the drone. It uses rotary atomizers positioned under the propellers. The spray droplets are produced by the rotational speed of a cup, which allows the spray mixture to be emitted using very low pressure. This design produces relatively uniform droplets as opposed to the wide range of droplet sizes produced by conventional flat-fan nozzles.
Source: DJI.com
Operating Characteristics of Multi-rotor Spray Drones
The application rate of spray drones in row crops is usually 1.5 to 2 gallons per acre. The rate depends on many factors, but is mainly a function of the spray tank capacity, flying speed, spray swath width, number of nozzles or rotary atomizers on the drone, and the flow rate (volume sprayed per minute). For example, a 5-gallon tank may take 2–3 minutes to empty. Some drones have a tank sensor to indicate the liquid level. This sensor can also be programmed to pause spraying and return the drone to home base when the tank needs a refill. Once replenished, the drone flies back to continue spraying where it stopped. The maximum flying speed of multi-rotor drones varies between 10–30 miles per hour. They are usually flown 7–12 feet above the ground or crop canopy. Forestry applications may require the drone to fly at least 30 feet above the ground to avoid obstacles. All current models of drones have a terrain sensor that maintains the optimum flight height to spray uneven and hilly terrain and automatically navigate hills and slopes. Most spray drone models are compatible with Real Time Kinematics (RTK), which provides centimeter-level, locational precision during flight.
This article covered only the types of drones used for spraying pesticides. Additional information on this topic and other topics such as drone sprayer performance, best spraying practices using drones, limitations of spray drones and obstacles for their adoption, regulations related to using drones to spray pesticides, and resources for obtaining certificates to apply pesticides using drones, and future of spray drones are discussed in a new Ohio State University Extension Publication FABE-540 entitled “Drones for Spraying Pesticides— Opportunities and Challenges. The links to access this publication is: https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/fabe-540. The PDF version of the publication is also available at: https://pested.osu.edu/sites/pested/files/imce/FABE-540.pdf
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‘Warm’ Winter Days…What This Means for Wheat
Across Ohio, the average air temperature was 8-10°F warmer in January and February (so far) (Table 1). Due to these warmer winter temperatures, wheat may appear greener than usual and also raises the question, “Will the vernalization requirement be met?”
Table 1. Average air temperature in Wood County, Wayne County, Clark County, and Pike County, Ohio in 2023 compared to the normal. (Data from the CFAES Weather System)
Location
Jan 1-Feb 12, 2023
Ave Temp
Jan 1-Feb 12
Normal Ave Temp
Wood County
34°F
24°F
Wayne County
35°F
27°F
Clark County
36°F
27°F
Pike County
39°F
30°F
Winter wheat has molecular regulation preventing the transition to reproductive growth until a certain threshold of cold days has been reached. This regulation is called “vernalization.” In winter wheat, the vernalization period protects plants from breaking dormancy too early. The vernalization requirement varies among wheat cultivars and is temperature and day length dependent. In a study conducted on one winter wheat cultivar, it took 40 days for plants to achieve vernalization at 52°F while it took 70 days for plants to achieve vernalization at 34°F (see Figure 1). Temperatures above 64°F were ineffective for vernalization. Although winter wheat is green and the winter temperatures have been above average, the vernalization requirement will be met.
Once the vernalization requirement has been met, growth is driven by growing degree units. At this point, exposure to freezing temperatures can be a concern. However, in our research, even at Feekes 6 growth stage (first node visible & above the soil surface; usually mid to late April), winter wheat yield was not reduced until temperatures reached 14°F for 15 minutes. As the winter continues into spring, we will address this issue in future newsletter articles as needed.
Figure 1. Number of days to meet vernalization requirement of winter wheat. (Figure adapted from Brooking, 1996)
References:
Alt, D.S., Lindsey, A.J., Sulc, R.M., & Lindsey, L.E. (2020). Effect of temperature on survival and yield components of field-acclimated soft red winter wheat. Crop Science, doi: 10.1002/csc2.20087
Brooking, I.R. (1996). Temperature response of vernalization in wheat: a developmental analysis. Annals of Botany, 78, 507-512.
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Last Call for Soybean School Registration
Registration closes February 17 for the Madison/Champaign Soybean School. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with some of our soybean specialists to learn about weed control, ultra-early planting, pesticide applications and more. CCA and Commercial Pesticide Applicator credits will be offered.
This event will be held at Beck’s Hybrids, 720 US Hwy 40, London, Ohio on February 24th. Cost to attend is $40 and includes lunch and one publication (chosen during registration). Please RSVP by 2/17 at go.osu.edu/SoybeanSchool.
Thanks to the Ohio Soybean Council for sponsoring this event.
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Sampling Corn Grain for Vomitoxin
Moldy grain and vomitoxin levels vary considerably within the grain lot. This is largely because the number of ears infected with Gibberella zeae, the fungus that causes Gibberella ear rot and produces vomitoxin in the grain, and number of infected kernels on a given ear within a field are highly variable. In addition, ears, and kernels with a similar appearance in terms of surface moldiness may have vastly different levels of internal fungal colonization, and consequently, different levels of vomitoxin contamination. In addition, pockets of warm, humid area in the grain lot coupled with moldy grain may lead to vomitoxin “hot spots” that can affect vomitoxin test results if sampling is inadequate. This may lead to price discounts or rejection of grain lots that are less contaminated than test results suggest, or conversely, acceptance of lots that are more contaminated than indicated by the results. For instance, if a single sample is drawn and the location from which it is drawn happens to be a hot-spot, then the overall level of contamination of the lot will be overestimated. Conversely, if the sample misses the hot spots completely, vomitoxin contamination may be underestimated. A single sample is never sufficient when testing grain for vomitoxin or other mycotoxins.
Accurate testing depends on thorough and appropriate sampling and sample processing. Guidelines for grain sampling, based on research with scabby wheat and barley, are available from the United States Dept. of Agriculture Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA). To collect a representative grain sample, 5-10 samples should be randomly collected from multiple locations in the bin or truckload. Samples taken only from the bottom, central or outer portions of the load or from the beginning and end of the grain stream will not provide an accurate estimate of toxin contamination of the lot. This is largely because lightweight, heavily contaminated kernels often end at the top of the pile/load and contaminated fines and dust settle at the bottom during transport and other forms of grain movement. For end-gate sampling, samples should be drawn from the entire width and depth of the grain stream. For sampling with hand or mechanical probes, multiple samples should be drawn from throughout the bin or truck, along an “X”-shaped pattern, for example. Once samples are obtained, bulked, and cleaned, the grain must be thoroughly mixed and ground uniformly, in a clean grinder, to resemble flour. Finer particle size increases surface area of the grain and enables efficient extraction of vomitoxin.
Source: modified from the following factsheet: https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/plpath-cer-04.
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Join Us for the 3rd Annual Virtual Corn College and Soybean School
Due to popular demand, the AgCrops Team will host the 3rd annual virtual Corn College and Soybean School on February 10, 2023 from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM featuring your OSU Extension state specialists and soil fertility guest speaker, Dr. Kurt Steinke, from Michigan State University. CCA CEUs will be available during the live presentations.
To register, please go to: go.osu.edu/cornsoy. Please register by February 9 at noon. There is a $10 registration fee for this event, which goes directly to support OSU AgCrops Team activities.
Presentations will be recorded and uploaded to the AgCrops Team YouTube channel after the event (https://www.youtube.com/c/OSUAgronomicCrops). However, CCA CEUs will not be available for the recorded presentations.
MORNING SESSION 9:00-noon
9:00-9:40 Osler Ortez Corn Management for 2023
9:50-10:30 Laura Lindsey Soybean Management for 2023
10:40-11:20 Kurt Steinke (MSU) Soil Fertility
11:20-noon Alyssa Essman Weed Management
AFTERNOON SESSION 1:00-4:00
1:00-1:40 Kelley Tilmon Soybean Insect Management
1:50-2:30 Andy Michel Corn Insect Management
2:40-3:20 Pierce Paul Corn Disease Management
3:20-4:00 Horacio Lopez-Nicora Soybean Disease Management
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Madison and Champaign Counties offer Soybean School
If you want to up your soybean game, Madison and Champaign Counties are offering an in-person Soybean School where you can gain useful insight from university soybean specialists. They will share the latest research and provide a hands-on look at what may be impacting soybean yield.
Topics and speakers include:
Weed control and cover crops- Dr. Alyssa Essman
Ultra Early Soybean Planting- Dr. Laura Lindsey
Fungicide and Insecticide Application Timing- Dr. Laura Lindsey and Dr. Horacio Lopez-Nicora
Sulfur on Soybeans- Amanda Douridas
SCN and other Soilborne Pathogens- Dr. Horacio Lopez-Nicora
Seeding Rates and Replant – How Low is Too Low- Grant Davis
Certified Crop Advisers and Commercial and Private Pesticide Applicators can receive continuing education credits.
This event will be held at Beck’s Hybrids, 720 US Hwy 40, London, Ohio, on February 24th. Cost to attend is $40 and includes lunch and one publication (chosen during registration). Please RSVP by 2/17 at go.osu.edu/SoybeanSchool.
Thanks to the Ohio Soybean Council for sponsoring this event.
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Join Us for the 2023 Precision U Webinars
A different approach to farming is on the horizon as automated technologies are becoming available. The 2023 Precision U event will focus on “Automating Agriculture: The Future of Farming.” The event will be online with three Zoom webinars. Topics include regulation of autonomous equipment in Ohio, adoption on the farm, and the Ohio Rural Broadband Initiative. CEUs for Certified Crop Advisors will be offered. For more information, visit go.osu.edu/PrecisionU. Please plan to join us for one or all of these events!
January 10th, 9AM – Ag Automation in Ohio, Free
January 17th, 9AM – Automation on the Farm, Free
January 24th, 9AM – Ohio Rural Broadband Initiative, Free
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Cover Crops Roundtables Hosted in Paulding County
Paulding County Extension is re-starting its Cover Crops Roundtable Series after a three-year hiatus. This series was created as a platform for farmer-to-farmer interaction, with OSU Extension serving as the discussion moderator. The goal of the series is to allow peer learning through networking, problem-solving, and idea sharing regarding the benefits and challenges of growing cover crops on the farm. The Roundtables will be held the first Tuesday of the month from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM at the Paulding County Extension Office, 503 Fairground Drive, Paulding, OH 45879. This series offers three standalone topics, so producers can choose to attend one, two, or all three of the events. Topics will be chosen prior to each roundtable to allow for selection of timely topics. The series is open to producers in Paulding County and beyond.
Dates: February 7th, March 7th, and April 4th, 2023
Time: 6:30PM – 8:00PM
Cost: Free
Location: Paulding County Extension Office; 503 Fairground Dr. Paulding OH, 45879
To register, call the Paulding County Extension Office at (419) 399-8225 or email Rachel Cochran at cochran.474@osu.edu. To register online, visit go.osu.edu/Roundtable23.
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Active Soybean Cyst Nematode Management: SCN Root Check
Soybean cyst nematode is silently gaining territory in Ohio and SCN numbers are rising. While soybean fields infested with SCN may not show above ground symptoms or look sick, the presence of SCN females attached to soybean roots can be detected six to eight weeks after planting. We encourage Ohio soybean growers to actively manage SCN by checking roots for the presence of SCN. If you do not know if you have SCN in your field, you can dig out roots (walk your fields with a shovel and dig out plants every 30 to 50 paces), gently remove the soil without breaking the roots (a bucket with water may help separate soil from roots), and check for the presence of SCN females on the roots (Fig.1). The SCN females attached to roots are initially white to cream, turning yellow and eventually brown in color. SCN females are significantly smaller than nitrogen-fixing nodule (Fig. 1). The SCN females will eventually fill up with over 200 eggs and become the cyst that will protect and allow the eggs to survive for several years in infested fields. We encourage growers, agronomists, and crop consultants to check soybean roots for SCN throughout August and September.
Figure 1. Soybean roots infested with SCN. Note the significantly smaller lemon-shape SCN female (red circle) attached to roots compared to larger nitrogen-fixing nodules (yellow circle).Actively managing SCN begins by knowing if you have the problem. Watch this video to learn how to check roots for the presence of SCN females. If you find out that you have SCN in your field, a soil sample in the fall will help to know your SCN numbers and define the most adequate SCN management strategies. If you already have SCN in your field and you are planting SCN resistant varieties, checking root systems for SCN can be a way to assess the performance of this management or to identify whether the SCN population in your field is adapting and reproducing on a specific source of SCN resistance (shift in virulence).
Keeping SCN levels low is easier than bringing high numbers below damage threshold. With support from the Ohio Soybean Council and The SCN Coalition we will continue to process up to TWO soil samples, per grower, to be tested for SCN, free of charge. Don’t forget to share pictures of your #SCNRootCheck on social media by tagging @TheSCNCoalition on Twitter and Facebook and @Ohiosoycouncil on Twitter and @ohiosoybeancouncil on Facebook.
A big thanks to Jason Hazel and Mike Polk for the video production!
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Time to Start Scouting for Potato Leafhoppers in Alfalfa
We are receiving reports of near or at-threshold levels of potato leafhopper in alfalfa. As second-cut alfalfa grows, farmers should scout for resurging numbers in their fields. Younger alfalfa is more susceptible to damage at lower leafhopper numbers. If alfalfa is more than 7 days from a cut and plants are under normal stress, a good rule of thumb for a treatment threshold is: when the number of leafhoppers in a 10-sweep set is equal to or greater than the height of the alfalfa. For example, if the alfalfa is 8 inches tall and the average number of leafhoppers per sample is 8 or higher, treatment is warranted. If the average is 7 or lower, the grower should come back within a few days to see if the population is higher or lower. Vigorous alfalfa can tolerate higher numbers, and stressed alfalfa can tolerate fewer. Special attention should also be paid to alfalfa fields that were damaged by fall armyworms last year.
For a video on scouting techniques
For a video with detail on damage, ID, and control options
Our extension factsheet on potato leafhopper in alfalfa is at https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/ENT-33
A great resource for other forage-related questions is the Forage Page at https://forages.osu.edu/home
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Ohio Growers, We Invite You to Get Involved in Research
Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is silently gaining territory in Ohio as SCN numbers are rising. One of the main reasons this nematode remains the most economically important pathogen of soybean is that it can cause yield reduction between 15 to 30% with absolutely no visible symptoms! Resistance to SCN remains the most effective management strategy when rotating to a non-host crop is not an option. Unfortunately, the use of the same source of resistance exerted selection pressure on SCN populations resulting in a shift in virulence to adapt and parasitize soybean cultivars with SCN-resistance. In other words, nematodes are becoming resistant to the resistance.
FIGURE. The Soybean Cyst Nematode (SCN) overwinters as eggs enclosed in a cyst (A); nematodes will hatch (B) and penetrate soybean roots; they will feed, reduce yield, and reproduce (C); females will lay hundreds of eggs (D) eventually filling its body (cyst) with eggs that will survive and infect soybean the next season.
With funding from the Ohio Soybean Council and United Soybean Board through The SCN Coalition, we invite growers, researchers, and extension educators to help us better understand the relationship between SCN reproduction, soil texture, and soil health measurements. It does not matter if you are growing soybean or corn, if you are a grower in Ohio, you can still participate in this research. A soil sample in spring and another one in fall is all we need. We invite you to get involved!
Contact your Extension educator or email me at lopez-nicora.1@osu.edu to sign up.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY HERE AND HERE.
A big thanks to the Knowledge Exchange for their assistance!
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Cooler (not cold) and Active Weather Week Ahead
Summary
Climatologically, the monthly average temperature for April 2022 in Ohio was near the long-term mean, ranked as the 51st coolest April on record (1895-2022) and 42nd driest.
More recently, temperatures through the first half of May are running 1-5°F above the long-term mean (Fig. 1). This is largely the result of the 5- to 6-days last week spent in the low to mid 80s for highs. Overall, precipitation has been running greater than normal, except for a few counties near the Ohio River and in the far northeast. In fact, CoCoRaHS observations in Fayette County indicate that more than 9 inches of rain has fallen near Washington Court House over the last 30 days. For the latest up-to-date conditions, seasonal outlooks, and monthly climate summaries, please visit the State Climate Office of Ohio
Figure 1). Differences from average temperature for May 1-16, 2022. Figure courtesy of the Midwestern Regional Climate Center (https://mrcc.purdue.edu/).
Forecast
After a cool start on Tuesday morning, abundant sunshine should lift highs into the mid-60s across the Lake Erie shore to the upper 70s across southern counties. The next system moves in for Wednesday and Thursday, bringing scattered showers and storms and highs in the 70s. Strong southerly flow on Friday will bump temperatures well into the 80s, before a cold front moves through Ohio over the weekend enhancing the threat of showers and storms. The Weather Prediction Center is forecasting less than 0.50” across northeast Ohio to as much as 1.25” across the southwest over the next 7 days (Fig. 2).
Figure 2). Precipitation forecast from the Weather Prediction Center for 8pm Monday May 16 – 8pm Monday May 24.
The Climate Prediction Center’s 6–10-day outlook for the period of May 26 – 28, 2022 and the 16-Day Rainfall Outlook from NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center lean toward below average temperatures and above average precipitation (Fig. 3). Climate averages for this period include a high temperature range of 72-76°F, a low temperature range of 50-55°F, and average weekly total precipitation of 0.85-1.15 inches.
Figure 3) Climate Prediction Center 6-10 Day Outlook valid for May 22-26, 2022, for left) temperatures and right) precipitation. Colors represent the probability of below, normal, or above normal conditions.
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Chilly Damp April Expected
It looks like planting season will be a bit more challenging this spring than 2021 was. There is no sign of La Nina leaving us anytime soon which tends to stress crop yields in Ohio from research between NOAA and OSU.
Another overall chilly week is in store for Ohio with periods of light precipitation. The good news is the week of April 10th we will experience warmer weather but rain chances will continue. The bad news is below normal temperatures will return again the week of April 17th.
Overall, April will experience normal to below normal temperatures with rainfall likely above normal. This will mean field work will continue to be delayed at times. This will be a common theme across the eastern corn and soybean belts.
The outlook for May calls for slightly above normal temperatures to arrive but with it will come above normal rainfall.
The early summer outlook for growing season indicated above normal temperatures from June through August with a trend from wetter start to a drier finish.
With the chilly April weather expected, there is a risk of the last freeze for 2022 planting/growing season being later than normal. We will also run the risk of a few mixed rain/snow events still especially for northern Ohio.
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Water Quality Wednesday Webinar
Join the Ohio State University Water Quality Extension Associates for the next installment of the Water Quality Wednesday Webinar Series on February 16th. This webinar will focus on Nitrogen’s behavior and movement in soil, in-season Nitrogen recommendations, as well as utilizing the Maximum Return to Nitrogen (MRTN) tool. Speakers featured are OSU’s own Dr. John Fulton, professor and extension specialist in the Department of Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering, Dr. Steve Culman, professor in the School of Environment and Natural Resources and Extension State Specialist for Soil Fertility, and Greg LaBarge, extension specialist for agronomic systems. CCA continuing education credits and Certified Livestock Manager (CLM) credits will be offered during the live session, and a recording of the session will be posted on YouTube for later viewing. Register at go.osu.edu/WQW. Contact Jordan Beck, beck.320@osu.edu, (419) 590-6038 with questions.
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Don’t Miss Ray Archuleta
The registration deadline for the Soil Health and Regenerative Ag event featuring Ray Archuleta in West Liberty, Ohio is quickly approaching.
The February 24th event will kick off at 5:30 pm with dinner. The presentation will begin at 6:30 pm. Archuleta will discuss soil health and regenerative ag practices at the West Liberty Salem High School near West Liberty, Ohio. This is possible through the generous support of the Logan County Land Trust by the Lewis and Dorothy Tamplin Trust.
Pre-registration is required as space is limited. Register at http://go.osu.edu/archuleta. Cost to attend is $20 and includes dinner. Thank you to the West Liberty Salem FFA for their volunteer hours to make this event possible. CCA credits offered: 1 SW, 0.5 Sustainability.
Ray Archuleta has spent his career researching and teaching soil health. He is a Certified Professional Soil Scientist who has over 30 years of experience as a soil conservationist, water quality specialist and conservation agronomist with the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). Since retiring, he founded Understanding Ag, LLC and the Soil Health Academy, LLC. Through these organizations, he teaches biomimicry strategies and agroecology principles to improve soil function. He also operates a 150-acre farm with his family in Missouri.
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A Little Celebration for National Popcorn Day
January 19, 2022, is National Popcorn Day. While I doubt Hallmark makes a card for that, popcorn has played a significant role in the history of Ohio agriculture. Until recently, Ohio was third in popcorn production nationally behind Nebraska and Indiana, but in the last few years, Ohio’s popcorn production has dropped significantly and that has meant significant production changes on many Ohio farms.
What has changed?
The most impactful change came several years ago when one of the popcorn industry giants sold its popcorn processing facility in central Ohio and severed its relationship with growers in the Buckeye state. Most of these production acres moved to Nebraska. Some local growers continued to raise popcorn, but after just a few years, production contracts became very scarce. Historically, most popcorn production in Ohio has been under contract, so with an abundance of potential acres and few companies writing contracts, prices for popcorn stagnated. The premiums that producers had come to expect from this value-added specialty crop had all but diminished.
Like most specialty crops, popcorn production looks less appealing (at least relatively) when commodity prices are high. In 2021, historically high corn yields that were realized in many parts of the state combined with strong commodity prices has removed the luster of popcorn production even further. This has forced some long-time popcorn producers to re-evaluate their production plans because the profitability of the crop is no longer better than field corn or soybeans as it has been historically.
For many farms that have produced popcorn in the past, the crop has intrinsic value that is hard to walk away from. Perhaps it stems from the idea that popcorn is something different than the norm or a nice alternative crop that requires no additional equipment to manage. As a former popcorn grower myself, I miss the aspect of producing a high quality product that requires very little processing to become a desirable snack food.
While it’s unlikely that popcorn acres in Ohio will increase dramatically in the short term, never say “never again”. Nebraska, which is now the largest producer of popcorn, grows most of its crop on irrigated fields in areas that have ever increasing concerns about the availability of water. Ohio remains a player in the popcorn production game, and we stand poised to increase production if the opportunity presents itself. Ohio has the soils and the climate to raise excellent popcorn and we can usually produce the crop without adding water.
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Take the Test to Beat the Pest
One of the main reasons soybean cyst nematode (SCN) remains the most economically important pathogen of soybean is that it can cause yield loss between 15 and 30% with absolutely no visible symptoms. Resistance to SCN remains the most effective management strategy when rotating to a non-host crop is not an option. The predominant source of resistance in most commercially available soybean cultivars comes from Plant Introduction (PI) 88788, which confers resistance to SCN Type 0 (formerly race 3). Soybean varieties labeled ‘SCN-resistant’ most likely have resistance from PI 88788. The use of the same source of resistance over the past 20 years has placed selection pressure on
SCN populations resulting in a shift in virulence, leading to adaption to now infect PI 88788-derived resistant soybean cultivars. In other words, nematodes reproduce at higher levels than before on soybeans developed with PI 88788 resistance.‘What’s your number,’ Ohio? Since 2018, with funding from the soybean check-off through the Ohio Soybean Council and The SCN Coalition, and in collaboration with OSU Extension Educators and growers, we extensively sampled soybean fields in Ohio. To date, a total of 741 soil samples from 57 counties in Ohio were submitted for SCN testing (Fig.1). For most samples, SCN was either not detected (38% of samples) or present in very low numbers (23% of samples with less than 200 eggs/100 cc soil), however, 38% had SCN above 200 eggs/100 cc soil. Some fields (8%) had levels above 5,000 eggs/100 cc soil, which we know can significantly reduce soybean yield (Fig. 2). The number of SCN found in the soil sample will determine the best management plan for that field (Table 1).
Can SCN populations reproduce on the most commonly used sources of resistance (i.e., Peking [PI 548402], PI 88788, and Hartwig [PI 437654])? Samples with high SCN numbers were used to determine which source of resistance was still effective in limiting SCN reproduction in a greenhouse assay (i.e., SCN Type test). A resistant cultivar will allow less than 10% SCN reproduction compared to a susceptible cultivar. A total of 61 SCN Type tests have been completed so far, each from an SCN population from a single field. Only 10% of these samples were SCN Type 0, for which soybean cultivars with any source of resistance will be effective. More than 85% of these SCN populations in Ohio can reproduce on PI 88788 (SCN Type 2) at levels from 30 to 60% of a susceptible soybean. There are few SCN populations that can reproduce on Peking (SCN Type 1) at very low levels (10 to 30% of susceptible). Hartwig remains highly resistance to our SCN populations, but it is not easy to find soybean cultivars with this source of resistance. And now what? Soybean cyst nematode is silently gaining territory in Ohio as SCN numbers are rising. The ability to reproduce on soybean cultivars with ‘SCN-resistance’ will lead to an imminent loss in our battle to protect Ohio soybean production. To take action, we need to know our numbers. Managing SCN begins with an adequate and correct soil sample. The SCN Coalition has launched its next phase of raising awareness of SCN distribution and its virulence profile in the U.S. We are excited to continue sampling soybean fields in Ohio to test for SCN with funding from the Ohio Soybean Council and The SCN Coalition. Our goal is to sample more soybean fields, targeting those that have consistently been yielding low, under continuous soybean or double crop, and with weed issues. Fall is a great time to sample for SCN and we are excited to help with this task by processing up to TWO soil samples, per grower, to be tested for SCN, free of charge. For more information on how to sample for SCN and where to send these samples, please visit our sampling article in this issue ‘Collect Fall Soil Samples for SCN.’
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Minimizing Corn Harvest Losses At The Combine
Corn harvest is getting an early start this year with excellent September Corn prices it may make economic sense for your operation to start corn harvest at higher moistures than normal. A few producers have also noted poor stack quality which may also be a reason to begin harvest sooner if your operation has this issue. High moisture corn may require us to look harder at combine settings to minimize harvest loss. Initial settings for different combines can be found in the operator’s manual but here are a few adjustments that can be used to help set all machines.
Corn Head
Setting the combine starts at the header with an average of 66% of all machine harvest loss in corn occurring here. Wetter corn often has stronger ear shanks making it harder to snap at the head. When fodder is wet, it is tough and does not flow as well through the head. The major adjustments on the header are deck plate width and gathering chain speed.
Deck plate settings
Setting deck plates in variable field conditions caused by poor stands in some areas can be challenging, hydraulic adjust deck plates help a lot but if they are not automatic adjust you will have to adjust them as conditions change throughout the field. Under normal conditions deck plates should be set to 1 ¼ inches in the front and 1/8 inch wider at the back, 1 3/8 inches. While this is a starting point, a better method is to use actual stalks of corn and set the deck plates 1/16 of an inch wider at the front than the third node width of a corn stalk. If you check the best and the worst corn in the field you should be able to get an idea of how to vary deck plates on the go, possibly make marks on the indicator gauge to know where you want to be in each area. The basic goal is to keep deck plates narrow enough that we avoid butt shelling and ears slipping between the plates into the stalk roll but still manage to be wide enough that most of the stalk and leaves get pulled though. When stalks are damp and tough, opening deck plates wider allows the stalk and husk to flow through better. If stalk lodging is present, increasing the deck plate taper (more open at the top) will decrease the fodder entering the combine but may increase butt shelling.
Stalk roll and gathering chain speed
The other major setting is matching gathering chain and stalk roll speed to combine ground speed, which can be a challenge if you cannot vary header speed from the combine cab. Since the threshing system works best when full, we often increase ground speed in lower yielding areas. However, if the gathering chains/stalk rolls speeds aren’t adjusted to match the change in ground speed, our header loss will increase. The rule of thumb is when ground speed is 4 mph gathering chains should be running at 55 rpm, with the ratio staying constant across all ground speeds. Headers should be ran slower in wet, green corn since the leaves do not strip off and provide cushion to the ear impacting the deck plates. Running heads slightly faster in dry corn allows more plant material to move down through the rolls and cushion the ears as leaves strip off. Chain lugs should be opposite each other. With variable field conditions, making sure your rubber ear savers are present and flexible will prevent whole ears from being lost. In high moisture corn around 30%, grain damage can be caused by the header auger running to much clearance to the auger trough or too tight. The initial setting for most headers is 1-1 ¾ inches between the auger and the trough at the tightest point.
Threshing
Increased fodder making it past the header leads to higher threshing loss. If fodder is present, double check the header settings.
Cob investigation to set rotor and concave
The first consideration in threshing settings is cob integrity, which is often compromised in stressed and high moisture corn. When setting concaves the goal is to not break cobs into more than 2 pieces crosswise and not break them length wise at all. The initial concave clearance on most machines is 3mm over cob diameter. Setting the concave clearance and rotor/cylinder speed is the first steep to a clean sample and maximum machine capacity. Cobs should be coming out the back of the machine intact but when you break them in half, there should be signs of compression. Rotor or cylinder speed should be set using your book and only increased if concave clearance is set properly and ears are still not threshed. Increasing rotor speed can increase threshing quality without breaking cobs better than tightening concave settings. In wet corn, damaged grain is more often caused by high rotor speed than narrow concave settings, often rotors need slowed down compared to book values.
Concave selection
When harvesting high moisture corn, technically anything over 22% according to most manufacturers, different concaves can help with threshing. Changing the large wire concaves to round bar, either straight or fish bone helps maintain cob integrity and grain quality in wet corn. Extremely wet corn, over 30% moisture, will need round bar concaves to maintain threshing grain quality. Damp fodder also does not get stuck on the round bar concaves as badly as large wire, reducing rotor loss. Another option if you are having issues with fodder plugging concaves is to remove every other wire, creating skip wire concaves. If using skip wire, usually keep large wire in position one. Moving rotor vanes to the slowest position possible will help decrease rotor loss. Wet corn can be damaged much more easily during threshing.
Cleaning shoe
The last settings are in the cleaning shoe: fan speed and sieve opening. In corn, especially wet corn, most if not all of the separation and cleaning should take place on the top sieve.
Sieve setting
For dry corn, the lower sieve should be closed a little tighter than the top sieve. In wet corn, many manufacturers recommend opening the bottom sieve all the way so that corn easily moves into the clean grain elevator and does not overload the tailings auger. A common starting opening is 5/8 inch, then open until the first cob appears in the grain tank and shut one notch.
Cleaning fan
Fan speed should be increased until all red chaff is gone from the grain tank then slowed down 30-50 rpms to keep grain from being blown out the back. Often fan speed settings are opposite of logic, increasing fan speed often decreases losses because chaff floats more allowing grain to fall through the sieves better.
Checking harvest loss and combine settings
When assessing combine settings there are four areas of loss to consider. The first is preharvest loss. Each dropped ear per 1/100th of an acre equals about 1 bushel per acre (1/100th of an acre equals 29 feet for 6 row headers or 21.8 feet for 8 row headers). The next source of loss is header loss, then threshing and sieve loss. When counting individual kernels, 2 kernels per square foot equally distributed equals 1 bushel per acre.
To determine which part of the combine to adjust, you need to calculate loss from each area.
Header loss
- Stop the combine and back up the length of your combine
- Count the number of kernels in front of the combine from center of row to center of row (for 30 in. rows count for 4 feet of row length, 10 square feet)
- Each row of your header should be checked and recorded separately, since only one may be out of adjustment
- Also check for additional ears that may have been lost by the header and not pre harvest, remember one ear per 1/100th of an acre equals a bushel.
- Divide by 20 to get bushels per acre
Separator loss
- Count the number of kernels behind the combine from center of row to center of row (for 30 in. rows count for 4 feet of row length, 10 square feet)
- Each row of your header should be checked and recorded separately, since only one may be out of adjustment
- Divide by 20 to get bushels per acre
- Subtract each row individually from header loss to calculate separation loss
Threshing loss
- Count the number of kernels on partially threshed cobs behind the combine from center of row to center of row (for 30 in. rows count for 4 feet of row length, 10 square feet)
- Each row of your header should be checked and recorded separately, since only one may be out of adjustment
- Divide by 20 to get bushels per acre
- Subtract each row individually from header loss and separation loss to calculate threshing loss
A study conducted in Iowa found the best set combines have a total loss, pre and post-harvest loss, of 1.5 bushel per acre. Use the table below to calculate losses, remember kernels per 10 sq ft divided buy 20 equal bushels per acre.
Row number
Corn head and Separation loss
(Total loss)
Threshing loss
(kernels still on cob)
Corn Head Kernel Loss
Separation Loss
no/10 sq ft
Bu/A
no/10
sq ft
Bu/A
no/10
Sq ft
Bu/A
no/10
Sq ft
Bu/A
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Total (sum of Column)
B/20=C D/20=E F/20=G H/20=I
C-E-G=I or B-D-F=H
Setting Harvest Loss/Tattletale Monitors
Once your machine is set to expected harvest losses, adjust your loss monitors. Harvest lost monitors work by sensing grain impact on the sensors, grain size and sensitivity can be adjusted to calibrate these loss monitors. Larger grain hits more area on the sensor, increasing loss values. Larger, harder grain also hits with more force. Usually you adjust grain size and then sensitivity.
Taking the time to properly set your combine can help minimize harvest losses. With the challenging conditions so far this fall, this extra time may really pay off. Good luck with harvest!
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Corn Rootworms and Fireflies
Most of us remember a connection between fireflies and corn rootworm hatch. This connection may not be absolute and could have changed since we’re now using different production practices than in the past.
We also know a lot more about corn rootworm biology. In Ohio, western corn rootworms are by far the most common (although you may see some northern corn rootworms). Adult rootworms lay eggs in the late summer and these eggs typically hatch the following June. We also know that peak egg hatch (i.e., 50% of the total hatch) occurs between 684 to 767 accumulated growing degree days (base 52oF). Our map below shows that much of Ohio has reached or exceed these GDD. If rootworms are in your field, chances are they have hatched and begun their feeding.
Over the next few weeks, corn should be inspected for damage. Prioritize your scouting in non-rotated corn (i.e. 2nd, 3rd-year corn, or more), and corn without below-ground Bt traits or insecticidal seed treatments. However, some rootworm populations have also adapted to infest 1st-year corn, as well as to overcome virtually all Bt traits (important note—we have NOT detected any Bt-resistant rootworms in Ohio yet). See our corn rootworm fact sheet (https://aginsects.osu.edu/sites/aginsects/files/imce/ENT_16_14%20CRW.pdf) for more information on inspecting corn roots for damage. If any damage is detected on Bt roots, please contact us or your local extension educator, because it might be an early indication of resistance in Ohio.
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CFAES Ag Weather System 2021 Near-Surface Air and Soil Temperatures/Moisture
A cold, wet pattern put a damper on warming soils this week. In fact, all stations are reporting daily average soil temperatures cooler than one week ago (Fig. 1). Northern sites (e.g., Ashtabula and Northwest) have fallen into the 40s, with 50s being reported elsewhere. Warming will be slow again this week, with overnight lows in the 30s expected for several days. However, as air temperatures reach climatological average (highs in the mid-60s to low 70s) by the weekend, soil temperature should recover.
The active weather pattern continued this week, with widespread heavy rainfall (even some snow across the northeast). Most of the state picked up 2-3” of precipitation, with a large area of west- and north-central Ohio receiving 3-5” of rain this week (Fig. 2-left). Figure 2 (right) shows the 1-month change in total column soil moisture. Statewide improvements are depicted, with 4-8% more soil moisture over much of the state, and some areas of northwest and northeast Ohio depicting an 8-12% change over the last four weeks. This wetter pattern brought a reduction in last week’s U.S. Drought Monitor, which currently depicts 59% of the state with abnormally dry to moderate drought conditions. This latest round of precipitation will certainly lead to continued improvements on this week’s report.
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Extended Drydown in Corn
As fall is progressing, crop harvest is also occurring throughout the state. However, many producers are seeing slower than usual drydown in their corn fields this October. This may be in part due to how the weather conditions impacted corn growth and development this year.
In many parts of Ohio in 2020, temperatures were near the long-term average this season. One marked difference though was that precipitation was below normal for much of the season around the state. In the table below, I have shown 2020 weather progression compared to that of 2018 at the Western Agricultural Research Station, specifically highlighting average temperature and accumulated precipitation.
In 2018 and 2020, temperatures were very similar to one another in each month, with the exception of May being slightly cooler and September being slightly warmer in 2020. The only month in which 2020 received more precipitation than in 2018 was May. Cool wet conditions resulted in planting dates that extended into the latter part of May for the state (USDA reported 57% corn acres planted on May 17 2020), but also may have contributed to delayed emergence due to slow heat unit accumulation (only 11% of the corn was emerged on May 17). Wet conditions following planting may have also contributed to poorer root development in 2020. Poor root development may have impacted corn’s ability to access soil nitrogen and soil moisture once precipitation levels dropped as well.
In 2020, rainfall in June-September was substantially less than in 2018. As a result, the corn crop may have experienced a sort of “delayed development” this year. Temperatures were below the long-term average, which may have contributed to the crop not exhibiting strong stress symptomology as one might expect when moisture levels are low. Rather, the crop may have been able to extend its growth phase to utilize the precipitation that did occur in August and September this year. For example, at the Western Agricultural Research Station in 2020 only 8 days in July registered precipitation greater than 0.05”, with four of those experiencing at least 0.25”. In August, 10 days were recorded with precipitation greater than 0.05”, but only two of these exceeded 0.25”.
As long as leaves and stalks above the ear remained intact, the crop may have been able to extend the grainfill period beyond what was expected based on growing degree day accumulation. Corn ears achieve approximately 50% of their grain yield prior to entering the R5 or dent growth stage. An additional 40% of yield is gained during the first half of the R5 growth stage. Given the later rain events paired with moderate temperatures, plants may have extended the R5 phase beyond what occurs in a normal year. Application of a strobilurin fungicide has been shown in past work to delay senescence in some environments, which could also delay corn drydown if conditions were favorable for this to occur.
A similar phenomenon related to an extended corn drydown phase was also observed in 2019 in Indiana (Nielsen, 2019) and in Michigan (M. Singh, personal communication) where corn drydown was progressing slower than expected given the GDD accumulation. In the case of 2019, this was suspected to be in part to delayed planting. By May 31, 80% of corn acres in Ohio had been planted in 2020 with 55% of the acres emerged. Given later planting progress in Ohio, this may also hold true for 2020 in that black layer was achieved later than usual in the state given the crop was utilizing late-season precipitation to complete the grain fill process.
Once the corn crop reaches physiological maturity (or kernel black layer), grain moisture content is approximately 35%. Under favorable conditions (warm, sunny, and breezy), grain moisture content can decrease by 0.75-1.0 percentage point per day. Recent work from Iowa State suggests grain drydown is approximately 0.7% per day in the first 20 days after physiological maturity, but drops to 0.44% per day after that point. In general, accumulation of 20 to 29 GDDs is required for grain moisture to lower 1%. However, as the weather turns cooler and potentially cloudier, the grain moisture content reductions will likely be lower, ranging from 0.0-0.5% per day. If temperatures remain warm in October, it is possible more grain drydown will occur as well. Agronomists recommend starting harvest when grain moisture content drops below 25%, and producers may need to plan on moisture levels being a little higher this year to accommodate a timely crop harvest.
References:
R. Martinez-Feria, M. Licht, and S. Archontoulis. 2017. Corn grain dry down in field from maturity to harvest. https://crops.extension.iastate.edu/cropnews/2017/09/corn-grain-dry-down-field-maturity-harvest
R.L. Nielsen. 2019. Late Planted Corn Not Maturing as Expected. https://www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/corn/news/articles_19/LatePlantedCornMaturity_1012.html
M. Singh and K. Cassida. 2019. Management guidelines for immature and frosted corn silage. https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/management-guidelines-for-immature-and-frosted-corn-silage
P. Thomison. 2019. Drydown in Corn: What to Expect? https://u.osu.edu/henryag/2019/10/01/drydown-in-corn-what-to-expect/
USDA-NASS. 2020. Crop Progress. https://usda.library.cornell.edu/concern/publications/8336h188j?locale=en#release-items
K. Wise and D. Mueller. 2011. Are fungicides no longer just for fungi? An analysis of foliar fungicide use in corn. https://www.apsnet.org/edcenter/apsnetfeatures/Pages/fungicide.aspx
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Ten Counties on WBC Scout List as Statewide Numbers Begin to Decrease
Western bean cutworm (WBC) trap counts for the week of July 27 – August 2 show a downward trend in the majority of monitoring counties. Despite the overall decrease in WBC numbers, ten counties are currently at the threshold (an average of 7 or more) indicating to scout for egg masses including, Ashtabula, Fulton, Geauga, Henry, Huron, Lucas, Sandusky, Wayne, Williams and Wood. A total of 27 counties monitored 87 traps, resulting in 418 WBC adults (a statewide average of 4.8 moths per trap) (Figure 1). Monitoring for WBC moths will continue in many counties until the end of August.
Figure 1. Average Western bean cutworm adult per trap followed by total number of traps in the county in parentheses for week ending August 2, 2020.
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Distribution of waterhemp and Palmer amaranth in Ohio
The maps that accompany this article show our current knowledge of waterhemp and Palmer amaranth distribution in Ohio. These are based on information from a survey of OSU Extension County Educators, along with information we had from samples submitted, direct contacts, etc. We still consider any new introductions of Palmer amaranth to be from an external source (brought in from outside Ohio) – hay or feed, infested equipment, CRP/cover/wildlife seedings. Palmer is not really spreading around the state, and as the map shows, we have had a number of introductions that were immediately remediated. The number of counties where an infestation(s) is being managed is still low, and within those counties, the outbreak occurs in only a few fields still. Waterhemp is much more widespread in Ohio and is spreading rapidly within the state from existing infestations to new areas via equipment, water, animals, etc. We do not have Ag Educators in all counties, and even where we do, infestations can occur without us knowing about them. Feel free to contact us with new information to update the maps.
Among the weed photos sent to the Agronomy Team members for identification, a fair number lately has been for the purposes of “pigweed” identification. “Pigweed” as used here can refer to waterhemp, Palmer amaranth, spiny amaranth, Powell amaranth, and redroot/smooth pigweed (these two are mostly the same for ID/control purposes). It’s almost impossible to tell these apart when they are very small, but this gets easier by the time they are 4 inches tall. Waterhemp and Smooth/redroot pigweed are still the most common. Waterhemp is smooth all over with a somewhat elongated leaf with smooth edges, and leaves sometimes can be a darker and glossier green than pigweed. Smooth/redroot pigweed will have a hairy/rough stem (more defined as it gets larger), with relatively nonglossy leaves that are widest in the middle with “rougher” edges. Various resources are available to help with identification, including our pigweed ID fact sheet and Youtube video. Identification of pigweeds is not necessarily straight forward, so feel free to contact your local extension educator or OSU weed scientists (loux.1@osu.edu or ackley.19@osu.edu) for help with identification. -
Changes in status of dicamba product labels for Xtend soybeans – a recap
On June 3, the US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision in a case concerning the use of dicamba on Xtend soybeans. This decision voided the labels for XtendiMax, Engenia, and FeXapan that allows use on Xtend soybeans. Tavium was not included in this decision, because it was not approved for use when the case was initially filed. Several excellent articles covering this decision can be found here on the OSU Ag Law blog (https://farmoffice.osu.edu/blog). EPA stated on June 8, providing further guidance about what this decision means for the use of dicamba for the rest of this season. The gist of this decision was the following:
“EPA’s order addresses sale, distribution, and use of existing stocks of the three affected dicamba products – XtendiMax with vapor grip technology, Engenia, and FeXapan.
- Distribution or sale by any person is generally prohibited except for ensuring proper disposal or return to the registrant.
- Growers and commercial applicators may use existing stocks that were in their possession on June 3, 2020, the effective date of the Court decision. Such use must be consistent with the product’s previously-approved label, and may not continue after July 31, 2020.”
ODA subsequently issued a statement regarding the registration and use of these products in Ohio, stating that any application must happen before July 1, 2020. Partial text from this statement:
“The registration of these products (XtendiMax, FeXapan, and Engenia) in Ohio expires on June 30, 2020. After careful evaluation of the court’s ruling, US EPA’s Final Cancellation Order, and the Ohio Revised Code and Administrative Code, as of July 1, 2020, these products will no longer be registered or available for use in Ohio unless otherwise ordered by the courts.
While the use of the already purchased product is permitted in Ohio until June 30, 2020, the Court’s decision and US EPA’s order make further distribution or sale illegal, except for ensuring proper disposal or return to the registrant. Application of existing stocks inconsistent with the previously approved labeling accompanying the product is prohibited. If you have questions about returning unused products, please reach out to your pesticide dealer’s representative.”
So what is the impact of all of this, and how do we adjust herbicide programs to deal with it? Some things to consider:
- The majority of the POST applications on Xtend soybeans occur prior to the end of June anyway, although some certainly do occur in July. And while XtendiMax, FeXapan, or Engenia cannot be applied after June 30, the previous label restrictions are also still in place – POST application must occur before the R1 stage or no later than 45 days after soybean planting, whichever occurs first. So if the soybeans were planted by May 15, products would have to be applied prior to June 30 anyway, and if planted later, they would have to be applied before R1 or before June 30, whichever occurs first.
- It’s important to keep in mind that the emergence of most summer annual weeds peaks in early to mid-June and then starts to decline, although there can be later flushes of weeds with rainfall events especially. So except where soybeans are planted late and are still small, applying POST herbicides in mid to late June catches most of the weeds and provides effective control. We expect the soybean canopy to have developed adequately to suppress weeds emerging after the POST application. Based on our research, this can work even in later-planted soybeans just due to the fact that weed emergence slows down towards the end of June.
- Given how difficult it can be to find suitable weather to apply the dicamba products, we suggest looking for a window to apply and doing so. We have 15 days left in June to apply legally, and probably more like seven days factoring in weather and application stewardship requirements. Waiting until the end of next week is possibly not a great plan.
- Registration of Tavium, the premix of s-metolachlor and dicamba with VaporGrip, was not affected by this decision and remains a legal option even after June 30. Tavium can be applied through the V4 soybean stage, or through 45 days after planting, whichever occurs first.
- Without the availability of dicamba to use POST, the Xtend soybean becomes an old school Roundup Ready soybean. THE primary POST option would be a mix of glyphosate with an ALS inhibitor (Classic, FirstRate, etc.) or PPO inhibitor (Flexstar and generics, Cobra/Phoenix, Ultra Blazer). These would also be the options where a second POST application is necessary after June 30. Not all of these may be viable in July due to soybean growth stage, PHI, or crop rotation restrictions- Weeds of greatest concern here are marestail, waterhemp, Palmer amaranth, giant ragweed, and also common ragweed in NW Ohio. These five weeds are mostly glyphosate and ALS resistant in Ohio, and PPO resistance is fairly common in waterhemp and also occurs in some common ragweed and Palmer amaranth populations. None of these mixtures will be effective for POST marestail control. Effectiveness on the other weeds will be variable among and within fields across Ohio. Some giant ragweed populations are still partially controlled by glyphosate, so plant size and glyphosate rate and the number of applications make a difference. We would expect a complete lack of waterhemp control in some fields.
- Another option would be to replant Xtend soybean fields with another type of soybean that provides for the POST options of 2,4-D choline and/or glufosinate – Enlist, LibertyLink, or LLGT27 – should seed still be available. This strategy should be used for double-crop soybeans also unless weeds can be handled well enough with the mixtures mentioned above.
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Farm Office Live Webinar Slated for Thursday, June 11 at 9:00 a.m.
OSU Extension is pleased to be offering the a “Farm Office Live” session on Thursday morning, June 11 from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. Farmers, educators, and ag industry professionals are invited to log-on for the latest updates on the issues impact our farm economy.
The session will begin with the Farm Office Team answering questions asked over the two weeks. Topics to be highlighted include:
- Updates on the CARES Act Payroll Protection Program
- Prevent Plant Update
- Business & Industry CARES Act Program
- EIDL Update
- CFAP- update on beef classifications and commodity contract eligibility
- Dicamba Court Decision Update
- Other legal and economic issues
Plenty of time has been allotted for questions and answers from attendees. Each office session is limited to 500 people and if you miss the on-line office hours, the session recording can be accessed at farmoffice.osu.edu the following day. Participants can pre-register or join in on Thursday morning at https://go.osu.edu/farmofficelive
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Much Like April, Cool Weather Lingers during the First Week of May
Temperatures in April were about 2-5°F below the long-term mean (1981-2010; Figure 1-Left) and included three major freeze events that brought some horticultural damage across southern counties and scattered minor reports of burned tips on alfalfa and wheat.
Precipitation varied significantly across the state. Unlike much of the spring of 2019, lighter amounts fell across northwest Ohio compared to southeast Ohio. Only about 1 inch of rain fell in southern Fulton/northwest Henry Counties for the month, with more than six inches in parts of Adams, Monroe, and Belmont Counties. These totals are about 1-2 inches below the long-term mean in the northwest, with most counties southeast of I-71 showing surpluses of 1 to 4 inches for the month (Figure 1 – right). For more information on recent climate conditions, check out the weekly Hydro-Climate Assessment from the State Climate Office of Ohio.
Figure 1: Left) Average temperature differences for April 2020 compared to long-term normal April conditions. Right) April 2020 precipitation differences compared to the long-term April mean. All differences are calculated with respect to the 1981-2010 period
This past weekend, many areas throughout Ohio hit 80°F for the first time this season, but those conditions are gone and not likely to return for a while. In fact, temperatures are expected to be more April-like over the next couple of weeks. Highs will generally be in the upper-40s to upper-50s (north to south) and overnight lows in the 30s, with a few passing disturbances that may bring some light rain during the week. A few spots, mainly across northern Ohio and low-lying areas elsewhere may be dealing with some frost/light freeze conditions throughout the week and even some conversational snowflakes by the weekend as well. Be sure to monitor changes from your National Weather Service offices and local media.
The latest NOAA/NWS/Climate Prediction Center outlook for the 6-10 day period (May 10-14) shows a strong probability for below average temperatures with slightly elevated probability for below average precipitation (Figure 2). Highs during the period should be in the upper-60s to mid-70s (north to south) with overnight lows in the mid-40s to low-50s and about 0.9-1.10” of precipitation per week. The 16-Day Rainfall Outlook from NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center reflects near to slightly below average precipitation over the next couple of weeks as well.
Figure 2: Climate Prediction Center 6-10 Day Outlook valid for May 10-14, 2020 for top) temperatures and bottom) precipitation. Colors represent the probability of below, normal, or above normal conditions.
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Cold this week then warmer for later April
A switch to a colder pattern for at least a week before milder air returns later April into May. Widespread freeze conditions are expected this week. Rainfall will generally remain at or above above into May but there will be opportunities for plant this late April and May unlike last year.
Temperatures will average up to 10 degrees below normal for the week of April 13-20. Expect highs in the 40s and 50s and lows in the 20s and 30s this week which is well below the normals by about 10 degrees on average. Temperatures will return to near average the week of April 21-28 then above normal the the end of April and start of May.
Excessive rain is not expected the next 2+ weeks but frequent lighter rain is. Rainfall systems will continue in the light to sometimes moderate category for the rest of April. They will be frequent enough to amount to 1.5 to 3 inches for the rest of April. Normal is 1.75 to 2 inches in most areas. This means generally near normal to a little above normal rain is in tap. Some wet snow will likely get mixed in with the rain this week from time to time but amounts will be mostly light if any accumulation occurs and northern areas are favored. Please monitor later forecasts as the week progresses.
As discussed last week, we are expected widespread frost and freeze conditions this week over much of Ohio. A few mornings of hard freeze of 28 or less is expected this week. It appears conditions will relax after this week but some frosts are still likely but hard freeze probabilities will be dropping starting this weekend.
Soil temperatures have been mainly bouncing in the 40s north to 50s south the last week or so. Temperatures with the milder weekend rose but with the cold week ahead, soil temperatures will likely be below 50 across much of the state for parts of this week.
The latest NOAA climate information can be found at:
The lastest river and soil information can be found at:
https://www.weather.gov/ohrfc/
The latest Water Resources Outlooks can be found at:
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Big Temperature Swings Next Two Weeks
April Temperatures
Temperatures will be on a big roller coaster the next two weeks with highs ranging from the 40s to 70s and lows for the mid 20s to 50s. The tendency will be to switch from above normal the first half of this week to slightly below normal later this week and on.
April Precipitation
A progressive pattern is expected the next 2-3 weeks with a series of generally weak to moderate systems. The below normal rainfall pattern did occur to start April and that helped dry things out some. It does looks like we will see a gradual increase in rainfall chances the next few weeks. However, since systems will generally be weak to moderate rainfall will average 1-3 inches the next two weeks. Normal is 2 inches. The overall pattern will be switching to a bit more cool and damp as we go into mid to late April.
May Outlook
The May outlook still calls for warmer than normal and a little wetter than normal but not as wet as last year.
Soil Temperatures
Soil temperatures have reached into the 50s south of I-70 and mainly 40s to the north. Soil temperatures will rise a bit more this week but will slow by late week into mid April as cooler weather moves in.
Freeze and Frost Outlook
The normal time for the last hard freeze typically ranges from about April 10-20 from south to north. Frost is not uncommon into very early May.
All indications remain that a fairly normal last hard freeze is on tap. We do expect several chances for frost and freeze in the next 1-2 weeks which is still not uncommon. Some morning lows in the mid 20s to mid 30s are likely the next 1-2 weeks.
Summary
Expect big temperature swings the next several weeks. Some freeze conditions are still expected. Rainfall will not be far from average the next few weeks but still leans slightly wetter than average especially 1-3 weeks out in time. Therefore, there will be some opportunities to get in the fields but conditions will still not be ideal especially the northern half of the state.
The latest NOAA climate information can be found at:
The lastest river and soil information can be found at:
https://www.weather.gov/ohrfc/
The latest Water Resources Outlooks can be found at:
https://www.weather.gov/ohrfc/WRO
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Northwest Ohio Corn & Soybean Day
The annual Northwest Ohio Corn & Soybean Day is scheduled for Friday, January 17 in Founders Hall at Sauder Village in Archbold from 8:00 am to 2:30 pm. The program has a variety of speakers, farmer/retailer re-certification credits and 30 exhibitors sharing information on management practices for the 2019 crop production season.
Topics and speakers for the day include:
Drainage for Crop Production and Soil Health
Eileen Kladivko, Professor, Purdue University
Biology and Management of Pigweeds
Jeff Stachler, OSU Extension, Auglaize County
Farmer Attitudes and Behaviors in WLEB
Robyn Wilson, Professor, OSU School of Natural Resources
Corn Nematodes
Abasola Simon, PhD Candidate, OSU Plant Pathology
CORE Pesticide Update
Stephanie Karhoff, OSU Extension, Williams County
Farm Bill Decision 2019-2020
Eric Richer, OSU Extension, Fulton County
Fumigation: Caring for your stored grain
Curtis Young, OSU Extension, Van Wert County
The following continuing education credits for pesticide and fertilizer applicators are offered throughout the day:
- Private Pesticide Applicator Re-certification: 3hrs in categories Core, 1, 2, and 6.
- Commercial Pesticide Applicator Re-certification: 2.5hrs in categories Core, 2C, 2D, 10C
- Fertilizer Applicator Re-certification (Private & Commercial): 1hr category 15p/15c
- Michigan: 3 hours
- Certified Crop Advisors: 4.5 hours IPM, PD, and SW
Pre-registration is $35 and should be postmarked by January 8. Later registrations and at the door registrations are $50, space permitting. Registration includes coffee/rolls, lunch, and speaker materials. A more detailed agenda, list of sponsors and registration information can be found at http://fulton.osu.edu. Contact Eric Richer, Extension Educator, Agriculture & Natural Resources, 419-337-9210 or richer.5@osu.edu for more information.
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October 2019 - Weather Prediction
After another hot week (until late this week), a cool down to normal temperatures is expected starting either Oct. 3 or 4 that will last through Oct. 15. Temperatures are expected to return to above normal (but no where near current levels) from Oct. 15-31.
Rainfall will be above normal in northern Ohio this week. The week of Oct. 7 will be normal or below normal but confidence is next week's rainfall pattern is low to moderate. Above normal rainfall is in the outlook for the second half of October which could slow harvest after Oct. 15.
The hot and drier pattern for a good part of September was caused in part by tropical activity. The remnants of Dorian created a big low pressure system not far from Greenland while a typhoon called Lingling in the western Pacific created a big low pressure near Alaska. This resulted in a hot and dry dome of high pressure over the Southeast U.S. and wet weather in the western corn and soybean belt.
This pattern appears ready to breakdown later this week.
We are moving into frost and freeze season and overall it still looks like a delayed frost and freeze season. Most see their first freeze by Oct. 10-20. Currently, it still looks like a normal to later than normal first freeze.
The November outlook still indicates a warmer than normal month with precipitation not far from normal (but with a lot of uncertainty). We will keep you posted on this.
Finally, the two week rainfall outlook from OHRFC can be found here:
https://www.weather.gov/images/ohrfc/dynamic/NAEFS16.apcp.mean.total.png .
It shows the wettest areas being the western two-thirds of the corn and soybean belt. Rainfall for the next two weeks in Ohio will be 1-2+ inches in northern Ohio but generally 0.10-0.50 inches in southern Ohio. Normal is about 1.5 inches for two weeks.
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Considerations for Using Soybeans as a Cover Crop
From the USDA RMA website (https://www.rma.usda.gov/News-Room/Frequently-Asked-Questions/Prevented-Planting-Flooding):
“Q. Can I plant a cover crop of the same crop I was prevented from planting? Or in other words, can I use the seed I have on hand (corn, soybeans, wheat) to plant a cover crop as long as it's at a lower seeded rate that qualifies for cover crop?
A. Yes. An acceptable cover crop must be generally recognized by agricultural experts as agronomically sound for the area for erosion control or other purposes related to conservation or soil improvement is planted at the recommended seeding rate, etc. The cover crop may be the same crop prevented from planting and may still retain eligibility for a prevented planting payment. The cover crop planted cannot be used for harvest as seed or grain.”
Soybean is an acceptable cover crop as it is agronomically sound for the area for erosion control or other purposes related to conservation or soil improvement.
To optimize the use of soybean as a cover crop, consider the following:
- Planting dates. USDA NRCS cover crop practice guidelines state that soybean should be planted between June 15 and August 15 in northern Ohio and June 1 and August 30 in southern Ohio.
- Plant in narrow rows. The USDA NRCS cover crop practice guidelines do not specify a row width for a soybean cover crop, but planting in less than 30-inch rows will maximize ground cover and improve weed suppression. DO NOT BROADCAST TREATED SEED. We want to minimize the risk of seed treatment exposure to non-target organisms.
- Seeding rate. USDA NRCS cover crop guidelines indicate that soybean should be seeded at 54 lb/acre if to be planted as a pure stand (100% soybean) cover crop. At a seed size of 2,800 seeds/lb, this would be a seeding rate of ~151,000 seeds/acre. Higher rates may be used; however, seed treatment labels may limit the amount of active ingredient per acre which can impact upper seeding rate limits.
- Check your license agreement and talk with your seed dealer. Most trait licenses have a clause stating that the crop can be used for “one commercial crop.” You will want to verify with your seed dealer that the cover crop represents a commercial crop prior to planting.
If you are interested in soybean as forage, please see last week’s article here for agronomic practices: https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/201919/2019-challenge-forage-production-options-ohio
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Forages for the Future Regional Program
Many alfalfa and forage stands across the state took a beating this winter and the wet spring has added insult to injury. Forage stands were damaged this past winter, and the wet spring has further deteriorated stands that appeared they might recover. So what are the options to assuring a forage supply for the future?
A Forages for the Future Program will be held on July 25, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the St. Henry H.S. Commons located at 391 E. Columbus St. in St. Henry, Ohio. During this program discussions will be held addressing the current forage situation and look at best practices for forages. Discussions will include alfalfa variety selection and establishment, forage options other than alfalfa, weed control in alfalfa and other forages, forage harvesting best practices, and feeding considerations with a varied forage inventory. Presenters include Dr. Mark Sulc, OSU Extension Forage Specialist, Dr. Jeff Stachler, OSU Extension Educator from Auglaize County, and Dr. Maurice Eastridge, OSU Department and Animal Sciences. The program is free to attend but registration is requested by July 22 by contacting Denny Riethman at Riethman.24@osu.edu or calling the Mercer County OSU Extension Office at 419-586-2179. Thank you to St. Henry FFA, Mercer Landmark, and Dairy Farmers of America as sponsoring supporters of this program. Find flyer found here.
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Don’t leave your fields naked if taking the prevent plant option on corn and soybean ground – Farms underwater won’t have a choice but farmers still have options.
It’s been a rough spring for much of Ohio and the counties that have received the most rainfall typically have less than 20% of the county planted. Many unplanted acres remain across the Corn Belt and in Ohio. The decision to plant or not to plant still lingers in a farmer’s mind. Farmers truly want to plant but with the June 20 deadline for planting soybeans or declaring prevent plant, many farmers will be taking the prevent plant option. Additionally, on the acres not planted, weed pressure is becoming more and more of a problem.
Prevent Planted fields should not be left bare/naked. Without competition for sunlight, weeds will continue to germinate and grow to create a weed seed back for many years to come. Soil erosion on bare soil can occur even on flat fields. Therefore, make a plan to prevent planted fields: control weeds first to prevent seed set, if the soil surface is uneven, then tillage should only be done when soil is dry to avoid compaction. Cover crops can then be sown which will protect the soil until 2020 crop planting.
Prevented planting rules and guidelines should be reviewed and can be found in the Risk Management Agency (RMS) website document, Prevented Planting Insurance Provisions https://www.rma.usda.gov/en/Fact-Sheets/National-Fact-Sheets/Prevented-Planting-Insurance-Provisions-Flood. Consult your Farm Service Agency (FSA) and crop insurance agent when considering options for prevented planting acres.
Cover crops can be a good way to take advantage of an otherwise unfortunate situation. A full season cover crop is a great opportunity to improve soil health and function. Cover crops can help to reduce soil erosion and compaction, capture nutrients, fix nitrogen, suppress weeds, moderate soil moisture, and build soil health. Benefits accomplished with these cover crops will put farmers at an advantage for the following cash crop and for years to come. A full season legume cover crop can provide considerable nitrogen for next season’s corn crop. This is also a good opportunity to capitalize on the benefits of a diverse cover crop mix. Mixing species is a good way to compound the benefits from multiple species. Many of these benefits will lead to increased soil resiliency (the ability for soil to adjust to climatic or practice changes) in the coming years.
As with typical crop planting, make sure to plant when field conditions are fit. Fieldwork under wet soil conditions can impact soil function for years to come. The growing window for cover crops is an opportunity in 2019.
Selection
When looking at the selection of cover crops, there are 3 main categories/options of species to select from.
- Grasses (oats, annual ryegrass, winter cereals, and summer grasses) build soil organic matter quickly while generating the most above and below ground biomass. Oats can be planted at any time outside the winter months and is the least cost option. Be aware that the heat of summer is not ideal for oats, but they can still be successfully utilized. Oats can be drilled at 30-60 lbs. per acre and at a depth of ½ to 1 ½ inches. If you are looking for weed control, summer grasses like sorghum-sudangrass is a good option. Sorghum-sudangrass can be planted early summer. Summer grasses will winter-kill, but their residues will continue to provide some protection through the winter and next spring. Winter cereals and annual ryegrass are another option but realize when you planted them early they may not perform the same as when they are planted later in the season. Winter cereals and annual ryegrass can be planted mid-to-late summer and are winter hardy requiring termination next spring.
- Legumes fix atmospheric nitrogen providing a source for next year’s crop. Red clover or berseem clover can be planted early summer, while for late summer planting consider crimson clover, sweet clover, hairy vetch or winter peas.
- Non-Legumes Broadleaves (Brassicas), such as radishes, mustards, and rapeseed, have taproots to break up compaction and improve permeability plus are also excellent nitrogen scavengers. Brassicas can be planted late summer. Planting radish before August can result in bolting and going to seed, limiting the size of the taproot. Mowing can be used to help prevent bolting in some cases.
Summer annual cover crop species are ideal to prevent plant situations, but each come with their own concerns. Cool season cereals such as rye, wheat, and barley planted in the heat of the summer will not produce as much biomass, may not overwinter successfully, and will be at increased disease risk.
There are reasons to look beyond these species to meet your cover crop needs. A few of these considerations are listed below.
- Cover crop seed availability is limited for many species. Contact your seed dealer to find out what species are available and affordable to you.
- Teff is small seeded and does well when planted with a Brillion seeder or cultipacker.
- Sunn Hemp thrives in warm climates and will have more nitrogen benefit in southern regions of the Midwest.
- Sunflowers are susceptible to white mold.
- Buckwheat is successful in a short timeframe but goes to seed quickly.
Specific questions can be directed to those who specialize in cover crops such as Extension Educators, Cover Crop Seed persons and even your experienced neighbors who have been using cover crops for years.
Management
Do your homework when selecting a cover crop. Look at what you are trying to do in your field while selecting the cover crops and how cover crops might help you this year. Be aware that planting some species out of season is not ideal. Some cover crops are sensitive to some residual herbicides. If you have already applied residual herbicides, consult herbicide labels for plant back restrictions (see Resources). While the resources below have general guidelines, note that farming practices vary from farm to farm. - Managing Weed Pressure – If you are planning to use cover crops in fields with heavy broadleaf weed pressure (i.e. marestail, waterhemp, etc.), consider using a grass species as a cover crop so that broadleaf herbicides can be utilized to manage weed populations over the summer.
- Seed Availability – If summer annual cover crop (listed above) seed availability is low, you might consider controlling weeds until August and then planting a cool season species or mix.
- Grazing/Forage Harvest – Discuss insurance details and payments with your agent. Cover crops may be harvested/grazed after November 1, or harvested/grazed before November 1 for partial payment on prevented plant acres.
- Residual Herbicides – Consider herbicides that may have already been applied in anticipation of cash crops. Refer to herbicide labels for details. Brassica and legume cover crops can be especially sensitive to residual herbicides.
- Preparing for Wheat – If you plan to plant wheat this fall, a cover crop that fits in a short window and produces nitrogen is ideal. Cowpea and Mung Bean are legumes that are appropriate for a short window in the summer months. Wheat contaminated with buckwheat seed can affect export to Japan. Other cereal crops such as rye can also be a problematic contaminate in wheat.
Using Cover Crops as a Forage
Additionally, when looking at a cover crop for forage for livestock, definitely look to the clovers as an option for forage. Sorghum-sudangrass and some summer grasses are other good options. The use of cover crops as a forage opens a different set of species can be used that are not typically considered for cover crops. These species are cover crops such as Teff or the millets. The caution is if you are looking for cover crops as a forage and you are taking a prevent plant insurance option first consult with your crop insurance agent for restrictions. Many of the plant species that can be used could also be used for grazing and harvested for feed. RMA has strict rules regarding grazing and haying specifically:
- Plant a cover crop during or after the late planting period and do not hay or graze this cover crop before November 1 to receive a full prevented planting payment.
- Plant a cover crop during or after the late planting period and do hay or graze this cover crop before November 1 and receive no prevented planting payment.
- Plant a cover crop after the late planting period and do hay or graze this cover crop before November 1 and receive 35 percent of a prevented planting payment for your first crop.
References and Additional Resources
Cover Crop Considerations for Prevent Planting, http://mccc.msu.edu/cover-crop-considerations-prevented-planting/
Managing Cover Crops Profitability, 3rd Edition, https://www.sare.org/Learning-Center/Books/Managing-Cover-Crops-Profitably-3rd-Edition
Midwest Cover Crops Field Guide, second edition, https://ag.purdue.edu/agry/dtc/Pages/CCFG.aspx
Midwest Cover Crops Council, http://mccc.msu.edu
Midwest Cover Crops Council Selector Tool, http://mccc.msu.edu/selector-tool/
Prevented Planting Standards Handbook, 2019 and Succeeding Crop Years; USDA, https://www.rma.usda.gov/-/media/RMAweb/Handbooks/Loss-Adjustment-Standards—25000/Prevented-Planting/2019-25370-Prevented-Planting-Standards.ashx?la=en
Corn Herbicide Carryover Table; Penn State University Extension, https://extension.psu.edu/corn-herbicides-and-rotation-to-cover-crops
Soybean Herbicide Carryover Table; Penn State University Extension, https://extension.psu.edu/soybean-herbicides-and-rotation-to-cover-crops
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More Wet Weather Ahead
After the wet spring which was forecast, we expected a transition in early/mid-June from the spring pattern to summer pattern with a relaxation of rainfall for a brief period. This appears to be happening. However, it won't last too long as we expect above normal rainfall to return for the second half of the month.
Over the last week, rainfall has been all over the place. Northern Ohio and far southern Ohio saw above normal rainfall above 1 inch. Central sections and far northwest Ohio saw below normal rainfall below an inch.
For the remainder of June, expect temperatures to be near normal. However, there will be a lot of swings in those temperatures. For the week of June 11-16, temperatures will be slightly below normal. For the week of June 17-23, temperatures will remain slightly below normal. For the last week in June temperatures will likely swing to above normal. With those average temperatures, expect below normal maximum temperatures the next two weeks with above normal minimum temperatures. For the last week of June, both maximum and minimum temperatures will be above normal but plenty of moisture will keep maximum temperatures generally at or below 90.
Rainfall for the week of June 11-16 will average 0.50 to 1.5 inches which are actually close to normal. For the rest of June rainfall will go above normal after this week. For the next 16 days, rainfall will average 2-5 inches which are above the normal of too far from 2 inches. However, confidence is low in rainfall after this week. Weather models are all over the place with the transition to summer. There is the risk of some heavy rain events in late June of 5+ inches. The greatest risk is in northern Ohio for these heavy rain events.
The outlook for June is near or slightly above normal temperatures and above normal rainfall and humidity.
The latest observed 7-day 4-km hi-resolution rainfall estimates can be found here: https://www.weather.gov/images/ohrfc/dynamic/latest7day.jpeg
The latest 16-day rainfall outlook can be found at https://www.weather.gov/images/ohrfc/dynamic/NAEFS16.apcp.mean.total.png
The latest NWS Ohio River Forecast Center river conditions can be found at https://www.weather.gov/ohrfc/
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Forages Continue to Mature
Forage stands that have survived this year continue to advance in maturity. Some producers in northeast Ohio were able to harvest last week, and many wet-wrapped the forage. Unfortunately, in other parts of Ohio, the rains have continued, and the forecast is not good for drying conditions this week. Although forages are ready for harvesting (see table below), keep in mind that harvesting when the soil is too wet and soft will do non-reversible compaction damage to the stand and will lower the productivity the rest of this year and into future years.
Below is the update on the neutral detergent fiber (NDF) levels of alfalfa standing in the field. A short video describing the method we used to estimate NDF in the field can be found at the following website: https://forages.osu.edu/video. Look for the title “Estimating Alfalfa Quality in the Field”. Keep in mind that this method is for pure alfalfa stands.
Grasses will raise the NDF content. In central Ohio, grasses were fully headed this week. Pure grass stands and grass-alfalfa mixtures should be harvested first when the opportunity presents itself.
The following shows our NDF estimates in alfalfa fields from several counties in the past two days:
County
Date
Minimum %NDF
Maximum %NDF
Average %NDF
Auglaize
27-May
38.0
42.8
40.9
Clark
28-May
39.7
46.8
44.8
Wayne
28-May
41.4
44.9
42.9
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Will Planting Delays Require Switching Corn Hybrid Maturities?
According to the USDA/NASS, for the week ending May 5, only 2% of Ohio’s projected corn acreage was planted - compared to 20% last year and 27% for the five-year average. Persistent rains and saturated soil conditions have delayed corn planting. The weather forecast this week indicates the likelihood of more rain so it is probable that many soggy fields may not be drying out soon.
Given this outlook, is there a need to switch from full season to shorter season hybrids? Probably not. In most situations, full season hybrids will perform satisfactorily (i.e. will achieve physiological maturity or "black layer" before a killing frost) even when planted as late as May 25, if not later, in some regions of the state.
Results of studies evaluating hybrid response to delayed planting dates indicate that hybrids of varying maturity can "adjust" their growth and development in response to a shortened growing season. A hybrid planted in late May will mature at a faster thermal rate (i.e. require fewer heat units) than the same hybrid planted in late April or early May).
In Ohio State and Purdue University studies, we have observed decreases in required heat units from planting to kernel black layer that average about 6.8 growing degree days (GDDs) per day of delayed planting. Therefore, a hybrid rated at 2800 GDDs with normal planting dates (i.e. late April or early May) may require slightly less than 2600 GDDs when planted in late May or early June, i.e. a 30-day delay in planting may result in a hybrid maturing in 204 fewer GDDs (30 days multiplied by 6.8 GDDs per day).
There are other factors concerning hybrid maturity, however, that need to be considered. Although a full season hybrid may still have a yield advantage over shorter season hybrids planted in late May, it could have significantly higher grain moisture at maturity than earlier maturing hybrids if it dries down slowly. Moreover, there are many short-to mid-season hybrids with excellent yield potential. Therefore, if you think you may end up planting in late May or early June, consider the dry down characteristics of your various hybrids. In recent years, we’ve seen a range of drying conditions. In years with hot, dry conditions in September, some mid- to- full season hybrids had grain moisture levels at harvest similar to those of short season hybrids because of rapid dry down rates. However, in other years, cool, wet conditions after maturity slowed dry down and major differences in grain moisture at harvest were evident between early and full season hybrids.
Late planting dates (roughly after May 25) increase the possibility of damage from European corn borer (ECB) and western bean cutworm and warrant selection of Bt hybrids (if suitable maturities are available) that effectively target these insects. In past OSU studies, Bt hybrids planted after the first week of June consistently outyielded non-Bt counterparts even at low to moderate levels of ECB.
For more information on selecting hybrid maturities for late planting, consult Nielsen, R.L. 2019. Hybrid Maturity Decisions for Delayed Planting. Corny News Network, Purdue Univ. http://www.kingcorn.org/news/timeless/HybridMaturityDelayedPlant.html [URL accessed May 2019]
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Certified Livestock Manager Training February 6th & 7th
The 2019 Certified Livestock Manager (CLM) training will be on Wednesday February 6th and Thursday February 7th at the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s (ODA) Reynoldsburg campus.
A Certified Livestock Manager (CLM) certification is required for any of the following:
- For a Major Concentrated Animal Feeding Facility (MCAFF) with 10,000 or more cattle; 7,000 or more mature dairy cattle; 10,000 or more veal calves; 25,000 swine over 55 lbs. or 100,000 swine under 55 lbs.; 550,000 or more turkeys, or 820,000 laying hens with other than a liquid manure system. Other requirements for a CLM are in Section 903.07 of the Oho Revised Code (ORC) and Rule 901:10-1-06 of the Ohio Administrative Code (OAC).
- For a person who is a livestock manure broker that buys, sells or land applies more than 4,500 dry tons per year or 25 million gallons of liquid manure, or its equivalent.
- For any person who is livestock manure applicator who land applies and transports more than 4,500 dry tons per year, or 25 million gallons of liquid manure, or its equivalent.
Registration for the 2019 ODA Certified Livestock Manager training is now open. You can find the registration form and training details on the ODA website by clicking this link. Deadline for registering is Friday, February 1st.
In order to obtain or maintain the CLM certification, an individual is required to have at least 10 hours of training every three years. These training hours are called continuing education units (CEUs).
The Midwest Professional Nutrient Applicators Association (MPNAA), the association that represents the interests of Ohio manure applicators, will be having a meeting on Wednesday February 6th at the end of ODA program. The group will then have their annual dinner at City BBQ immediately afterwards. They are always open to new members.
For any questions related to registration, please contact Nancy Cunningham at 614-728-6356 or nancy.cunningham@agri.ohio.gov.
- For a Major Concentrated Animal Feeding Facility (MCAFF) with 10,000 or more cattle; 7,000 or more mature dairy cattle; 10,000 or more veal calves; 25,000 swine over 55 lbs. or 100,000 swine under 55 lbs.; 550,000 or more turkeys, or 820,000 laying hens with other than a liquid manure system. Other requirements for a CLM are in Section 903.07 of the Oho Revised Code (ORC) and Rule 901:10-1-06 of the Ohio Administrative Code (OAC).
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2018 Ohio Soybean Performance Trials - Marion County and South Region Results Available
Results from Marion County have been added to the 2018 Ohio Soybean Performance Trials pdf: https://stepupsoy.osu.edu/soybean-production/variety-selection/ohio-soybean-performance-trial
In Marion County, the early soybean trial (2.5-3.3 RM) yielded 37.3-68.1 bu/acre (average of 57.2 bu/acre). The late soybean trial (3.4-4.1 RM) yielded 41.4-66.7 bu/acre (average of 56.1 bu/acre).
Results will be available for the north region and Mercer County as the trials are harvested and data are analyzed.
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Premature Sprouting of Corn Kernels
We have received several reports of premature corn kernel sprouting across Ohio. The ear in the picture exhibiting premature sprouting was sampled from one of the Ohio Corn Performance Test plots at the NW Research Station and was associated Trichoderma ear rot. In this particular case, the fungus that causes the ear rot produces compounds that stimulates early germination. However, not all ear rots are commonly associated with premature sprouting. In fact, under the right set of conditions, this phenomenon may occur in perfectly healthy ears, without visual disease symptoms. In addition to ear rots, a combination of other factors, including erect ears, bird damage, and wet weather, may contribute to premature sprouting.
Premature sprouting is most likely to occur when reasonably dry kernels (less than about 20 percent grain moisture content) are re-wetted, especially when temperatures are warm and ear dry-down in an upright position. Rainfall collected by husk leaves on upright ears often leads to kernel sprouting near the butt of the ear. Premature sprouting also occurs when ears are lying on or near the soil surface due to severe stalk breakage or lodging. In such situations, the proximity of ears to moist soil allows a similar re-wetting of the kernels and extensive germination on the cob. The problem is usually limited within fields but if it’s evident across a field it has the potential to cause drying and storage problems.
Ears with sprouted kernels are usually lighter than healthy ears. In some cases, this “lightness” can reduce grain yield and test weight. Sprouted kernels are also more likely to develop molds that are associated with mycotoxins. This could result in price discounts if the problem is extensive. Often, during the harvesting and drying processes, sprouts will disappear, and grain will appear normal. Fields showing widespread sprouting should be prioritized for early harvest. Dry grain at to prevent further growth of the young seedlings and screen the grain prior to storage to reduce the amount of damaged grain and seedling tissue.
For more details on premature kernel sprouting, check out the following articles from Ohio State, Purdue, and Missouri.
https://u.osu.edu/mastercorn/premature-sprouting-of-corn-kernels/
Nielsen, Bob. 2012. Premature Corn Kernel Sprouting (aka Vivipary). Corny News Network, Purdue Extension. [online] Available at URL: http://www.kingcorn.org/news/timeless/Vivipary.html
Wiebold, Bill. 2009. Wet Weather Can Cause Seeds to Sprout before Harvest. Integrated Pest & Crop Management Newsletter, Univ of Missouri. http://ipm.missouri.edu/IPCM/2009/11/Wet-Weather-Can-Cause-Seeds-to-Sprout-before-Harvest.
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Check Beans for Stink Bug Damage and Plan for Next Year
As farmers progress with soybean harvest we encourage you to take a quick look at your grain quality, especially
at field edges. We have been receiving reports of the deformed and discolored beans typical of stink bug damage. If your beans show signs of stink bug damage (or even if they don’t!) consider incorporating stink bug scouting into your management next year, beginning around pod set or early fill. Stink bugs are scoutable and treatable before damage occurs, and we will provide timely information next season in the CORN newsletter on when and how to monitor for this insect in soybeans. A quick guide to Ohio stink bugs and their management can be found here. -
Wetter Than Normal Pattern into October
There is no change from last week as an overall wetter than normal pattern will persist into the October harvest season.
The one thing that has changed is that temperatures after last week's hot weather do not look as warm into October. Temperatures are now more likely to be normal or maybe a degree above normal.
It still looks like the first freeze is on track with a near normal arrival. Most places tend to be in the October 10-20 range in Ohio from northwest to south.
Looking further ahead in November, indications are for a warmer and not as wet period. Rainfall will likely be normal or possibly slightly below normal.
Rainfall over the next two weeks will average 2-5 inches. Normal is about 1.5 inches.
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Plan Your Visit to Farm Science Review
If you will be joining us at Farm Science Review this week, tune into Episode 10 of the Agronomy and Farm Management Podcast. We talked to different members of the Extension Farm Science Review planning committee about what is going on this year. Nick Zachrich addresses the expansion of the exhibit area, some new features and exhibits and even some tricks on how to make the commute a little easier. Nate Douridas talks about the crops and field demonstrations. Trey Colley goes into a little more detail on one field demonstration specifically, the Ag Innovations Demonstration which focuses on precision agriculture technology. Mary Griffith shares what attendees can see and learn at the Gwynne Conservation Area, and Harold Watters discusses what is featured in the Agronomic Crops Demonstration Plots area.
We also discuss a few more educational exhibits, demonstrations and talks where a wealth of information related to all aspects of farming and farm life can be gained. Farm Science Review is unique in the farm show circuit because it is part of a University and able to provide an abundance of educational opportunities for visitors. Listen and subscribe at: go.osu.edu/iTunesAFM or go.osu.edu/StitcherAFM.
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Northwest Ohio Field-Scale Barley Yield Results
Many growers have heard the discussions of growing winter barley. Small plot data is available from Ohio Agriculture Research and Development Stations (Western, Wooster, Northwest), but little field-scale data has been published. While growing a newly re-introduced crop could be a consideration on your farm, it may not be for everyone. This article is not intended to endorse growing barley or review best management practices for growing winter barley. The intent here is to simply present the one-year, simple averages of several test fields in the upper Northwest region of the state. For information on management, visit https://stepupsoy.osu.edu/winter-malting-barley and search for the Extension publication Management of Ohio Winter Malting Barley.
Throughout the 2018 growing season, we had the opportunity to work with eight growers across nine field-scale, test sites for growing winter malting barley in Northwest Ohio. Growers were from Defiance, Fulton, Hancock, Henry, and Paulding Counties. Each planted small fields of barley that averaged 23 acres in size (range 7 to 63 acres). The variety Puffin was planted on all sites, and two of the sites included the variety Scala in the discussion. These two varieties are both over wintering, two-row malt quality barleys. These growers agreed to share their yield and quality results while participating in simple field-scale research project with these objectives:
1) Determine the field-scale, simple averages for yield (grain & straw), harvest date and quality characteristics for barley grown in Northwest Ohio.
2) Compare the yield and plant/harvest dates for the same variety soybean as a i) first crop system, ii) double crop after barley system and iii) double crop after wheat system.
Barley Yield
Based on discussions with Extension state specialists and other regional agronomists, the growing conditions in 2018 were regarded as average or slightly above average for growing winter malting barley. The average dry grain yield (adjusted to 13.5% moisture) across the nine Northwest Ohio sites was 86.5 bushels per acre with a range of 57.9 to 105.6 bushels per acre for Puffin. The average delivered moisture was 13.4% (range of 12.9 to 14.7%). The average harvest date for barley on these sites was June 26th (range of June 25-June 29).
Two of the cooperators also had Scala two-row barley planted in adjacent fields. The average dry grain yield for Scala was 90.5 bushels per acre (range of 86 to 95 bushels per acre). For the purposes of clear discussion and analysis, the remainder of the data was taken on Puffin barley sites only.
Additionally, at six of the nine sites, the cooperators baled the barley straw. A representative sample was weighed at each site, and the calculated average yield of the straw was 1.01 ton/acre (range of 0.64 to 1.36 ton/acre). As a management note, all cooperators felt strongly that in 2018 removal of the straw made for more effective double crop soybean planting.
Quality Data
Samples of barley from each site were graded on protein, test weight, plumpness, germination, deoxynivalenal (a.k.a. vomitoxin or DON) and other quality metrics. Table 1 (below) includes the means and quality metrics from the nine test sites.
Table 1. 2018 Barley (Puffin) Quality Test Data for 9 sites in Northwest Ohio
Quality Metric
Mean
Range
Protein (%) – 9.5-12.5% preferred
11.6
10.0-12.5
Test Weight (lbs) – 48 lb/bu standard
45.3
41.4-48.1
Plumpness (%, over a 6/64" screen) – greater than 90% preferred
87.7
58.7-96.7
Thin (%, through a 5/64" screen) – less than 3% preferred
1.62
0.5-6.7
Germination (%) – greater than 95% preferred
98.5
97-100
RVA (malt quality indicator, greater than 120 preferred)
108
50-145
DON (ppm) – less than 1 ppm required
0.451
0.1-1.2
All quality tests conducted at Hartwick College Center for Craft Food and Beverage in Oneonta, NY.
Seven out of nine sites met malt quality. Of the two sites that did not produce malt quality barley, one site had high DON (1.2 ppm) and another site had low plumpness (58.7%) and high thin (6.7%) results. All sites produced barley in the acceptable protein levels for malting (9.5-12.5%).
Wheat Yield Comparison
Four cooperators (subset of the original nine sites) in the study had adjacent fields of soft red winter wheat within ½ mile of the barley test site. The comparison of barley and wheat yields at these four sites is worth reviewing, as there was no statistical yield difference. Table 2 summarizes the yield and harvest date of these four sites. In 2018 at these sites, barley harvest occurred six days earlier on average than wheat harvest.
Table 2. 2018 Barley and Wheat Yield Comparison on 4 Sites in NW Ohio
Mean
Range
Barley Harvest Date
June 27
June 26-28
Barley Yield (bu/ac)
89.7
72.9-105.6
Wheat Harvest Date
July 3
June 30-July 6
Wheat Yield (bu/ac)
87.1
80-92
No significant difference in yield; LSD 11.7 bu/ac at p value <0.05
Additionally, three of these cooperators harvested wheat straw. At these three sites, the barley straw yielded 1.01 ton/acre and the wheat straw yielded 1.28 ton/acre. There was not a statistical difference in straw yield (LSD .27 ton/acre at p value < 0.05).
Soybean Planting Dates
One of the notable considerations for planting barley—especially for Northern Ohio—is the possibly of planting double crop soybeans 6-10 days earlier than one would normally plant after wheat. Seven cooperators participated in this portion of the research by planting the same brand and variety (avg. 3.1 maturity) of soybean as a first crop (adjacent or same field) and double crop after barley. Four cooperators also planted the same soybean after wheat. In 2018, for these sites, double crop soybeans were planted six days earlier on average behind barley than behind wheat. Table 3 summarizes the average plant date and rate for soybeans in each of the systems as reported by cooperators.
Table 3. 2018 Average Soybean Plant Date and Rate
System
No. Sites
Rate
Plant Date
First Crop Soybeans
7
173,000
May 21
Double Crop after Barley
7
190,000
July 1
Double Crop after Wheat
4
197,000
July 7
Summary and More to Come
In summary, much is yet to be learned on barley production in Northwest Ohio. While this article contains just one year of data from nine field-scale sites, it will start to answer the question of whether winter barley is a viable option for farmers in Northwest Ohio. This year showed no statistical difference in grain or straw yield for barley versus wheat. A future CORN article will capture the soybean yield and economic data averaged from these sites. The authors wish to thank the cooperators from Defiance, Fulton, Hancock, Henry, and Paulding Counties who participated in this research study. Send questions related to this data set to richer.5@osu.edu.
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Wheat Management for Fall 2018
Wheat helps reduce problems associated with the continuous planting of soybean and corn and provides an ideal time to apply fertilizer in July/August after harvest. With soybean harvest around the corner, we would like to remind farmers of a few management decisions that are important for a successful crop. For additional information on winter wheat management, download a free pdf of the Ohio Agronomy Guide available here: https://stepupsoy.osu.edu/wheat-production/ohio-agronomy-guide-15th-edition
1.) Select high-yielding varieties with high test weight, good straw strength, and adequate disease resistance. Do not jeopardize your investment by planting anything but the best yielding varieties that also have resistance to the important diseases in your area. Depending on your area of the state, you may need good resistance to powdery mildew, Stagonospora leaf blotch, and/or leaf rust. Avoid varieties with susceptibility to Fusarium head scab. Plant seed that has been properly cleaned to remove shriveled kernels and treated with a fungicide seed treatment to control seed-borne diseases. The 2018 Ohio Wheat Performance Test results can be found at: http://oardc.osu.edu/wheattrials/
2.) Optimum seeding rates are between 1.2 and 1.6 million seeds per acre. For drills with 7.5-inch row spacing this is about 18 to 24 seeds per foot of row. When wheat is planted on time, actual seeding rate has little effect on yield, but high seeding rates (above 30 seeds per foot of row) increase lodging and the risk of severe powdery mildew development next spring.
3.) Plant after the Hessian Fly Safe Date for your county. This date varies between September 22 for northern counties and October 5 for southern-most counties. Planting before the Fly Safe Date increases the risk of insect and disease problems including Hessian Fly and aphids carrying Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus. The best time to plant is within 10 days after the Fly Safe Date (click here for fly safe map). Fall wheat growth is reduced when planting is delayed resulting in reduced winter hardiness. If planting is delayed until the third or fourth week after the fly-safe date, plant 1.6 to 2.0 million seeds per acre (24 to 30 seeds per foot of row).
4.) Planting depth is critical for tiller development and winter survival. Plant seed 1.5 inches deep and make sure planting depth is uniform across the field. No-till wheat seeded into soybean stubble is ideal, but make sure the soybean residue is uniformly spread over the surface of the ground. Shallow planting is the main cause of low tiller numbers and poor over-winter survival due to heaving and freezing injury. Remember, you cannot compensate for a poor planting job by planting more seeds; it just costs more money.
5.) Apply 20 to 30 lb of actual nitrogen per acre at planting to promote fall tiller development. A soil test should be completed to determine phosphorus and potassium needs. Wheat requires more phosphorus than corn or soybean, and soil test levels should be maintained between 25-40 ppm for optimum production. If the soil test indicates less than 25 ppm, then apply 80 to 100 pounds of P2O5 at planting, depending on yield potential. Do not add any phosphorus if soil test levels are higher than 50 ppm. Soil potassium should be maintained at levels of 100, 120, and 140 ppm for soils with cation exchange capacities of 10, 20, or 30 meq, respectively. If potassium levels are low, apply 100-200 pounds of K2O at planting, depending on soil CEC and yield potential. Soil pH should be between 6.3 and 7.0. In Ohio, limed soils usually have adequate calcium and magnesium. Sulfur should be added in the spring to sandy soils and soils with low organic matter. Ohio research from the past four years has not shown a yield response to supplemental sulfur on medium to fine-textured soils that have adequate organic matter. The key to a successful wheat crop is adequate and timely management.
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Weed of the Week: Cressleaf Groundsel
Many questions come into the County Extension Office daily. Many times those include a question about a weed identification. During the month of June 2018, OSU Extension will be featuring a weed identification of the week. This week's weed is cressleaf groundsel, Senecio glabellus.
Cressleaf groundsel is a member of the Aster/Composite family. Cressleaf groundsel can go by many other common names like butterweed, yellowtop, golden ragwort, and yellow ragwort. It can be identified by its small yellow daisy like flowers or its purplish hollow stem and leaves. This plant is commonly found in no-till fields or low till fields. Cressleaf groundsel is highly toxic to livestock and humans. For any additional questions, you may contact your county extension office or go to you your county’s website at your county name.osu.edu for more information.
Source: https://cpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/u.osu.edu/dist/7/3461/files/2014/04/Cressleaf_groundsel_article_-_p-zna9t9.pdf, https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2018-14/cressleaf-groundsel-wheat-and-hay
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Risk for Head Scab - May 30
More rain is in the forecast for later this week as wheat fields in the northern half of the state go through the flowering growth stage. Fields flowering today (May 30) are at low risk for scab in the northwestern corner of the state, but the risk will increase progressively later in the week as tropical storm Alberto comes through (see maps for May 30 through June 1 below). Fields in the southern third of the state are now at much less susceptible growth stages for infection by the scab fungus.
Treating fields with an effective triazole fungicide (also called DMI) such as Caramba or Prosaro at flowering will reduce scab and vomitoxin by about 50%. On the other hand, treating fields with a strobilurin fungicide (also called QoIs) such as pyraclostrobin, azoxystrobin, fluoxastrobin, of trifloxystrobin when conditions are favorable for head scab will increase vomitoxin in the grain. On average, strobilurin fungicides increase vomitoxin by about 15% when applied at boot and about 17% when applied at heading.
Premixes of strobilurin and triazole fungicides (QoI+DMI) such as pyraclostrobin + metconazole, azoxystrobin + propiconazole and trifloxystrobin + prothioconazole are much less effective than Caramba or Prosaro against scab, and some combination products may even increase vomitoxin contamination of the grain by as much as 15%.
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Diseases of Wheat and Barley and Their Management with Fungicides
It is wet and rainy outside and the forecast calls for more rain throughout this the second week of May (May 14–19). Therefore, growers’ concerns about diseases and the need for fungicides are understandable. However, although most of our common diseases of small grain crops are favored by wet, humid conditions, it does not automatically mean that you have to apply a fungicide this week. The timing has to be correct to get the best results with the fungicide you apply, to protect the crop when it is most susceptible to the disease in question, and to attack the fungus when it is most vulnerable. Unfortunately, there is no single timing that works best for every single disease, as the growth stage at which the crop is most susceptible and the conditions under which the greatest damage occurs vary with the disease. Here are a few guidelines:
Head Scab on Wheat and Barley: It is still too early to apply a fungicide to manage head scab in the northern half of the state. Although the crop is now flowering in southern counties, the scab forecasting system (http://www.wheatscab.psu.edu/) indicates that the risk of head scab is low (the map is green), suggesting that conditions have not been favorable for the scab fungus to infect. However, if you still plan to spray for head scab, Prosaro or Caramba should be your fungicides of choice. The new fungicide, Miravis Ace, which seems to be just as effective as Prosaro and Caramba, based on a limited number of trials, is probably not yet available. STAY AWAY from the strobilurins when it comes to head scab management. These fungicides tend to increase rather than reduce vomitoxin contamination.
In the north, this year’s crop is about a week or so behind – we are currently between jointing and boot. I know that the idea of “protecting the crop” with a “preventative treatment” seems to suggest that the fungicide has to be applied before the crop reaches the critical growth state – flowering in the case of wheat and heading in the case of barley. But results from more than 20 year of scab research (mainly on wheat) show that you are better off applying a few days “late” rather than a few days “early”. Remember, with head scab you are also trying to reduce grain contamination with vomitoxin, and fungicides are certainly more effective against this toxin when applied at or 4 to 6 days after flowering for wheat and at or 4 to 6 days after heading for barley.
Continue to monitor the crop and the weather. Barley will begin heading-out later this week and into next week, while wheat is still about a week away from heading in the south and about two to three weeks away from flowering in most areas of the state. There is still ample time to apply a fungicide for head scab and vomitoxin control, if conditions become favorable during the next few weeks. Prosaro or Caramba should be your fungicides of choice for head scab management. The new fungicide, Miravis Ace, which seems to be just as effective as Prosaro and Caramba, based on a limited number of trials, is probably not yet available. STAY AWAY from the strobilurins when it comes to head scab management. These fungicides tend to increase rather than reduce vomitoxin contamination.
Septoria and Powdery Mildew: Septoria develops best under cool, wet conditions with frequent rainfall, whereas powdery mildew likes cool, humid conditions. However, so far this season, there have been no reports of Septoria or powdery mildew in our wheat fields. This suggests that conditions have not been favorable for either disease to become established. But this week’s rain could certainly change that, favoring both diseases and making a fungicide application warranted if your variety is susceptible.
Scout for powdery mildew and Septoria on the lower leaves. Unlike head scab, fungicide applications for these and other foliar disease do not have to be made at one specific growth stage. Instead, applications are based on disease thresholds, weather conditions, and variety susceptibility. For instance, if it stays cool and wet and a few lesions are observed on the leave below the flag leaf, a fungicide should be applied to protect the flag leaf if the variety is susceptible. On the other hand, if it stops raining and warms up, you may want to save your fungicide application for head scab and late-season diseases like Stagonospora and rust, as warm weather usually prevents both powdery mildew and Septoria from spreading up the plant.
However, if you still plan to apply a fungicide to control early-season diseases, choose one like Propiconazole or Tebuconazole that are cheap, but effective. Rarely are two fungicide applications necessary or economically beneficial in Ohio, but, if an inexpensive fungicide is applied early in the season, then it may be feasible to make a second application at flowering to manage scab and late-season diseases.
Stagonospora and Rusts: Stagonospora is very similar to Septoria in that it develops best under wet, rainy conditions, but unlike Septoria, it likes warm instead of cool weather condition. So, although Stagonospora can affect the crop at any growth stage, it tends to be most severe late in the growing season. In fact, conditions that are favorable for head scab are also favorable for Stagonospora leaf and glume blotch. It therefore means that a single application at flowering is often effective against both head scab and Stagonospora.
This is also true for the rust diseases. Since the rust fungi cannot overwinter in Ohio, spores have to be blown up from the south, and this usually occurs during the latter half of the season. In most years, the first symptoms of rust are observed between the boot and flowering growth stages, making a fungicide application at flowering also effective against these diseases. However, it is not uncommon for rust to develop early in the season, particularly in the southern half of the state. This was certainly the case in 2014 and 2015 when stripe rust was reported in more than 20 counties. This particular rust disease likes cool, wet conditions similar to those favorable for Septoria and powdery mildew.
Now is the time to scout fields for rust, and if you have to make an early application, choose a cheap and effective fungicide like tebuconazole. This would allow you to save your more expensive fungicide in case you need it to manage head scab and vomitoxin.
Foliar Diseases of Barley: Based on what I have seen over the last few years, scald, net blotch, and spot blotch will likely be the leaf diseases of greatest concern in Ohio this season. However, barley also has its own Septoria, Stagonospora, powdery mildew, and rusts, and strategies for managing these diseases are very similar to those described above for wheat. In addition to Septoria and powdery mildew, be on the lookout for scald as it also develops best under cool, wet conditions. As the season progress, net and spot blotch will likely increase in severity as they are favored by warm, wet conditions. In the case net blotch, excessive nitrogen fertilizer also favors disease development.
Results from studies conducted in North Dakota show that fungicides are most effective against foliar diseases of barley when applied between boot and heading. Therefore, you should be able to effectively control most leaf diseases as well as head scab with a single application at heading or shortly after. However, you should still scout to see if an earlier application is needed and use a cheap and effective fungicide if you have to make such an application.
See the attached fungicide efficacy chart HERE for more details. Always read product labels before making an application.
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What a difference a month makes!
After a cold and wet April, May is shaping to have temperatures normal or slightly warmer than normal with rainfall near normal.
Except for rainfall later this week (with best chances north of I-70) rainfall will be at or below normal for the first half of May. The exception will be the northern tier of counties in Ohio which should at least get normal rainfall maybe a bit above.
It does appear the second half of May will turn somewhat wetter which should cause May to average out the drier and wetter patterns to near normal rainfall.
With more drying and warmer temperatures, that is some good news in Ohio for getting crops going in a big way.
The NOAA/NWS/OHRFC 16-day rainfall maps shows the highest risk area for 2-4 inches of rain the next few weeks from extreme northern Ohio into northern Indiana back into Illinois and Iowa.
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Spring Warm-Up: How does 2018 Soil Temperature Compare?
The calendar says it’s time for spring field activity in Ohio and farmers are eager to prep fields and plant this year’s crops. However, average temperatures across Ohio have remained cooler than usual with the previous 30-day period (March 16 - April 15, 2018) running 2 to 6 degrees Fahrenheit below normal (based on 1981-2010). Combined with precipitation up to twice the normal amount in some areas, the weather is certainly not cooperating with ideas of an early jump on planting.
Late last week, Ohio experienced a strong warm up in air temperatures, which definitely warmed the first few inches of the soil surface (see “OARDC Branch Station Two Inch Soil Temperatures by Greg LaBarge). But how do the present conditions compare with the long-term mean? Figure 1 shows two-inch soil temperatures (Fahrenheit) for selected OARDC Weather System (http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weather1/) stations from around Ohio. These soil temperatures are based on the weekly average for April 9-15, 2018. In addition, a long-term mean for the same 7-day period for 2000-2017 was calculated, and the differences between 2018 and the long-term mean are also displayed for each station.
Figure 1 is predictably showing the coolest soil temperatures across northern Ohio with the warmest soil temperatures just above 50 degrees Fahrenheit for the southern stations at Piketon and Jackson. Of course, soil temperatures can vary considerably based on soil type (e.g., sandy vs. clay) and other factors. Compared to the long-term mean (2000-2017), both two-inch and four-inch (not included in Fig. 1) soil temperatures are running 2-7 degrees colder than the long-term mean. In fact, for all stations analyzed, 2018 ranks within the top 5 coldest average 2” soil temperatures for this same period in April. This is consistent with the cooler-than-normal air temperatures that have recently impacted Ohio.
Making the decision to plant into cold soils can increase the risk of slow emergence and uneven stands, since both corn and soybean seeds germinate more slowly in cooler soils. Corn seedling injury due to imbibitional chilling may occur when soil temperatures fall below 50 degrees F. For this reason, it is important to look at the next 24-36 hours to determine the risk of soil temperatures dropping below that threshold. Soybean seeds absorb water more quickly than corn and as a result the risk of injury is greatest close to planting. Because of this, the 24 hours following planting are critical.
Soil temperatures are an important variable that you should consider to when making the decision to head to the field. With all the pressure to get started planting, it is important to take the time to be sure you are setting your 2018 crop up for success.
Figure 1. Average soil temperatures at 2” for April 9-15, 2018 and differences compared to a long-term (2000-2017) mean for selected OARDC Weather System stations. Each station’s 2018 ranking compared to the full period is included inside the star location icon.
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New Ohio Recommended Corn Nitrogen Fertilizer Rates Now Available
Ohio State University corn nitrogen rate recommendations follow a unified framework used throughout the Corn Belt. Together with six other states (Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin), the Ohio recommended nitrogen rates are not based on yield goals, but on economic returns. Corn yield responses along with corn and nitrogen prices are used to calculate the point at which the last unit of added nitrogen returns a yield increase large enough to pay for the added nitrogen cost. This approach, called the maximum return to nitrogen (MRTN), is favored because of the economic volatility in both corn grain and nitrogen fertilizer prices. The past 10 years provides ample evidence of these fluctuations.
The MRTN interface requires 3 inputs: i) the previous crop grown (corn or soybean), ii) price of nitrogen fertilizer, and iii) price received per bushel of corn. When corn prices are low, nitrogen rates will be reduced; when corn prices rise, recommended nitrogen rates will increase. Similarly, the model responds to nitrogen prices, recommending high nitrogen rates when nitrogen costs are low, and reduces rates when costs are high. The model is housed on an Iowa State University website coordinated by Dr. John Sawyer, but each state provides their own yield response data and some support for website maintenance and updates. When a user selects Ohio as a state, they will only find data collected from trials in Ohio. The tool can be found here: http://cnrc.agron.iastate.edu
Previously there were 116 trials from Ohio (80 trials with corn after soybean, and 36 trials with corn following corn). After this major update, there are now 281 trials in the database (228 trials after soybean, 53 after corn). This database update is part of the comprehensive revision of the Tri-State Fertilizer Recommendations, with major support from the Ohio Corn and Wheat and the Ohio Soybean Council. With help from farmers, Ohio State University extension county educators and numerous private crop consultants, we conducted 56 nitrogen rate trials over 20 counties across the state from 2015-2017. Additional trial data came from OSU extension and from the Adapt Network project, coordinated and supported by the Environmental Defense Fund. These data trials were all independently analyzed and vetted before inclusion into the database. This represents a tremendous collective effort and countless hours of work by many committed professionals working toward a common goal. The recommended nitrogen rates can be found in the table below.
Recommended nitrogen rates (lb nitrogen/acre) for corn following soybean, based on price of corn grain and nitrogen fertilizer.
Additional analyses are now being conducted to look at trends with soil type and regions in the state. We’ll see if it is justified to split the state up into separate regions.
Selecting rates to maximize profitability and not yield can be a difficult mindset for the farming community to break. Farmers love reporting big yields from their fields. However, we need to understand that maximizing yields usually translates into reduced profits and greater nutrient losses from the field. Now more than ever, we as a farmer community need to continue to proactively address water quality issues in the state. We trust that farmers and retailers can use this information to look past maximum yield and a reduced bottom line, and instead choose profitability and sound nutrient management when selecting how much nitrogen to apply to their corn crop this season.
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Northern Ohio Crops Day
The annual Northern Ohio Crops Day, held annually in February at Ole Zim’s Wagon Shed near Gibsonburg, Ohio in Sandusky County is returning to its roots in 2018 with an in-depth agronomy program.
Progressive producers will want to mark February 8, 2018 at 8:30 a.m. on their calendar for a program packed full of speakers and topics on the latest issues in agronomy, including a budgeting and cropland values update by Barry Ward, pigweed ID and control strategies by Dr. Mark Loux, and a discussion on weather trends and their impact by OSU Extension climatologist Aaron Wilson.
Additional topics will include soybean disease management by Anne Dorrance, soil fertility, nitrogen use in on-farm research trials, and getting the most out of Precision Ag technology. For complete agenda and details visit www.sandusky.osu.edu
There is a $20 registration fee for the program, and pre-registration is required by calling the Sandusky County Extension office at 419-334-6340 or by emailing Allen Gahler at gahler.2@osu.edu. CCA credits will be available, but there will be no pesticide or fertilizer certification credits offered this year. Registration is open at 8:00 a.m. with morning refreshments and time to visit with local sponsors, and the program beginning at 8:30. Lunch will be served by the Ole Zims staff. Sponsors include several local ag businesses, and plenty of time will be available for participants to visit their display tables.
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Northern Ohio Crops Day
The annual Northern Ohio Crops Day, held annually in February at Ole Zim’s Wagon Shed near Gibsonburg, Ohio in Sandusky County is returning to its roots in 2018 with an in-depth agronomy program.
Progressive producers will want to mark February 8, 2018 at 8:30 a.m. on their calendar for a program packed full of speakers and topics on the latest issues in agronomy, including a budgeting and cropland values update by Barry Ward, pigweed ID and control strategies by Dr. Mark Loux, and a discussion on weather trends and their impact by OSU Extension climatologist Aaron Wilson.
Additional topics will include soybean disease management by Anne Dorrance, soil fertility, nitrogen use in on-farm research trials, and getting the most out of Precision Ag technology. For complete agenda and details visit www.sandusky.osu.edu
There is a $20 registration fee for the program, and pre-registration is required by calling the Sandusky County Extension office at 419-334-6340 or by emailing Allen Gahler at gahler.2@osu.edu. CCA credits will be available, but there will be no pesticide or fertilizer certification credits offered this year. Registration is open at 8:00 a.m. with morning refreshments and time to visit with local sponsors, and the program beginning at 8:30. Lunch will be served by the Ole Zims staff. Sponsors include several local ag businesses, and plenty of time will be available for participants to visit their display tables.
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Marestail Control in Wheat and Some Other Weed Stuff
Marestail control in wheat and some other weed stuff
There are several methods for management of marestail in wheat, and following any of these will take care of most winter annual weeds as well. Keep in mind that where wheat will be planted following soybeans, the large marestail that may be present in soybeans are not a concern since they are finshing their life cycle anyway. The plants of concern are the seedlings that emerge in late summer into fall, which can overwinter. A few options to consider follow. This is not an all-inclusive list of herbicide options, but some that make the most sense to us. It’s possible that some of the newer broadleaf products for wheat also have a fit, although none have residual activity.
- Tillage. Does not guarantee the complete absence of marestail but usually takes care of the problem for the season. Tillage should thoroughly and uniformly mix the upper few inches of soil to uproot existing plants and bury any new seed. Scout in spring to make sure control is adequate.
- Preemergence burndown + residual. The combination of glyphosate + Sharpen + MSO will control existing marestail and also provide residual control into fall. We suggest Sharpen rates of 1.5 to 2 oz/A. Spray volume of 15 to 20 gpa is required.
- Late fall POST. We have generally applied these in early November, and wheat should have 1 to 2 leaves depending upon the product. Options include Huskie, and combinations of dicamba (4 oz) with tribenuron (Express) or similar product. Do not apply products or mixes containing 2,4-D POST to wheat in fall.
- Spring POST. In our research, spring herbicide plus the competition from an adequate wheat stand has been effective, even though 2,4-D can be weak on overwintered marestail plants. Options include Huskie, 2,4-D, 2,4-D + dicamba, or combinations of 2,4-D with an ALS-inhibiting products, such as thifensulfuron/tribenuron (Harmony Xtra etc). The rate of dicamba that can be used in spring is too low to control marestail on its own. Most marestail populations are ALS-resistant, so in the ALS mixtures indicated above, the partner herbicide is carrying the load for marestail control.
Fall is also a good time to work on poison hemlock infestations. Hemlock is a biennial (2-year life cycle). The large plants that become evident in spring were actually present in a low-growing form the previous fall, when they are in their first year of growth. Control of this weed is often ignored until late spring when it is large and fairly difficult to control, but it is much more easily controlled in late fall. In areas, fencelines, etc where poison hemlock is known to occur annually, consider a late fall application of 2,4-D + dicamba, glyphosate + 2,4-D, etc.
Finally, some reminders on burcucumber control as herbicide programs for next year get planned this fall and winter. Palmer amaranth notwithstanding, burcucumber remains among the most difficult weeds to control. A number of preemergence and postemergence herbicides have substantial activity on it, but its ability to emerge in great numbers in mid-season allows it to escape even effective programs. It’s worth reviewing the burcucumber information in the “Problem Weeds” section of the “Weed Control Guide for Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois”. We have historically had more questions about control in corn, possibly because it can emerge in tall corn that is difficult to get through with a sprayer. A combination of preemergence and postemergence applications is certainly necessary in both corn and soybeans. POST options in soybeans include Classic, glyphosate, and glufosinate – multiple POST applications are most effective. We conducted a two-year study on control in corn, and found that inclusion of mesotrione (Callisto etc) in the POST application offered the most hope for limiting late-season emergence, although we still observed emergence in July where this was used. Mesotrione has both foliar and residual activity on burcucumber, whereas all other POST herbicides lack residual activity. Most effective residual control following planting occurs with products that contain isoxaflutole (Balance, Corvus) or mesotrione (Lexar, Acuron, Resicore, etc), which should be supplemented by the addition of atrazine.
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Harvest Weather Outlook
After a first half of September which was 5-10 degrees below average, the second half of September will average 5-10 degrees above average making September in the end a near average month but marked by significant differences in the month. Temperatures the week of September 19-25 will run 10-15 degrees above average with no risk of frost.
Rainfall will remain limited in most areas for the rest of September as well. Some rainfall will occur Tuesday September 19 through Wednesday September 20. Rainfall will average less than a tenth of an inch in the southeast half of the state to 0.10 to 0.50 inches in the northwest half with isolated higher totals. After September 20, the next chance for rain does not come up until around Sept. 26 or 27.
October Outlook
Temperatures are likely to relax closer to normal in October after the warm late September. Rainfall is also expected to increase some especially in the second half of October. We expected October rainfall to be near or slightly below average which is close to 2 inches for the month on average.
Tropical Outlook
Tropical activity looks to stay east of Ohio in the coming weeks. In fact, with storms well east it is enhancing high pressure and drier conditions over the region locally. Historically, storms tend to shift into the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico once we get to October and November. We will have to wait and see if some of that moisture would make its way back into our region.
Frost/Freeze Outlook
There is really no risk of frost and freeze conditions for the rest of September. At times we do see historically late September frosts in Ohio but none are expected this year.
We have been talking in recent months that data suggest a normal to later than normal frost/freeze in Ohio and that looks still to be the case. Sometime in October we will likely see our first widespread frost and possible freeze and typically that arrives the first 2-3 weeks of October but chances are growing it will be in the middle to end of the month of October.
La Nina Watch issued by NOAA Climate Prediction Center
Confidence is still low to moderate but the NOAA Climate Prediction Center has issued a La Nina watch for cooler equatorial Pacific Ocean water this winter.
This could lead to a winter and early next spring that is wetter than normal with temperatures starting winter warmer than normal and turning normal to colder than normal. It is too early to tell, but those are some of the early indications.
Two week rainfall outlook
The outlook for the next two weeks is normal to below normal rainfall for early harvest in the eastern corn, soybean and wheat areas with much above normal rainfall in western areas as the NOAA/NWS/OHRFC graphic shows.
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Ag Crops Team at FSR
The Farm Science Review will be held again this year at the London, Ohio location. Dates are September 19, 20 and 21. See http://fsr.osu.edu for more information. Harvest has not quite stared yet so you should have the time to check in.
The Agronomic Crops Team (http://agcrops.osu.edu) will once again be welcoming visitors on the east side of the grounds between the parking lot and the exhibit area.
- Many farmers arrive early at Farm Science Review to beat the traffic. This year we will reward those early risers at 7:30 and 8 a.m. with coffee, a donut and pesticide credits at the Agronomy tent.
- Other talks we will have at 9 a.m. and at 1 p.m. include Managing Manure for Crop Use, Soil Quality and Soil Health, Adaptive Nutrient Management and talks on Corn and Soybean management.
- Sign in for the C.O.R.N. newsletter with your county, email and a text number so we can let you know to pick up your prize:
- OSU Agronomy publications – the new Ohio Agronomy Guide or a Weed Control Guide
- Or an AgCrops logoed seed corn digging tool
- Or an AgCrops logoed Yeti products
The Agronomic Crops Team also supports Certified Crop Advisers in the state. So, with many farmers and their advisers coming to Farm Science Review we will have several places across the grounds for CCA continuing education credits – all for the price of the FSR admission.
- Areas to look for CEUs are in:
- Agronomy plots at the east end of the exhibit area, at the
- Small Farms Centers in the northwest corner of the grounds and up the road toward the grain bins is the
- Gwynne Conservation area. The Gwynne has really increased their activities and the number of CCA CEUs there shows this.
- Check the FSR program guide for CEU opportunities.
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Western Bean Cutworm 2017 Trapping and Monitoring Summary
Participators: Mark Badertscher, Lee Beers, Amanda Bennett, JD Bethel, Bruce Clevenger, Sam Custer, Thomas Dehaas, Allen Gahler, Mike Gastier, Jason Hartschuh, Ed Lentz, Rory Lewandowski, Cecelia Lokai-Minnich, David Marrison, Sarah Noggle, Les Ober, Adrian Pekarcik, Eric Richer, Garth Ruff, John Schoenhals, Jeff Stachler, Alan Sundermeier, Curtis Young, Chris Zoller
We had a successful year trapping and monitoring the western bean cutworm (WBC) in Ohio. We want to thank the extension educators for their time monitoring the traps, as well as the land owners for allowing us to place traps on their property. Overall, 24 counties in Ohio were monitored in 2017; an increase from 15 counties in 2016 (Figure 1). A total of 84 traps were monitored weekly from June 23 through August 25, 2017. A total of 15,117 WBC were trapped over the duration of the monitoring period, with a grand average of 21 moths/trap (up from 16 moths/trap in 2016). The peak week for WBC was July 8th through 14th (Figure 2) with a state average of 69 WBC/trap. Peak weak did vary based off of county; for county specific peak week dates see Table 1 below.
If you are interested in joining our trapping network for the 2018 season, please contact Amy Raudenbush (Raudenbush.3@osu.edu) for more details.
Figure 1. Map of Ohio counties participating in WBC trapping. Counties highlighted in yellow participated in WBC trapping and monitoring in 2016 and 2017. Counties highlighted in green began monitoring in 2017. Counties in blue monitored in 2016 only. Number within the county represents the average WBC trapped throughout the duration of the season. Click here for map.
Figure 2. Average number of WBC adults recorded in traps in 2016 (blue) and 2017 (red). Click here for chart.
Table 1. County, peak week and average number of WBC/trap during the peak week in 2017. Click here for table.
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"Last Chance" Fertilizer Applicator Certification Programs
It doesn’t seem very long ago that we were first getting information about SB 150, and what it might mean to our farming operation. At that time there was no urgency because we didn’t have to have this until September of 2017.
There have been many opportunities to get certified since then. In fact, there have been over 17,250 people certified in Ohio in the past 3 years by OSU Extension. There are still a few opportunities to become certified through a 3-hour training class before the September 30 deadline, however they are becoming fewer. There is no an age limit.
The question occasionally still comes up, who needs the training? From the OSU Extension web site (http://pested.osu.edu), here is the answer. Fertilizer certification is required if you apply fertilizer (other than manure) to more than 50 acres used for agricultural production grown primarily for sale. If you have the co-op or other custom applicator make your fertilizer applications, you do not need the certification. You can always check out the site for more information, or call (614) 292-4070. More details, including registration are available online.
Here is a list of the remaining opportunities prior to the September 30 deadline:
September 7, 2017 9 am-12 pm OSU Extension, Jackson County 740-702-3200
September 7, 2017 6-9 pm Elizabeth Township Community Center in Troy, OH 937-403-3945
September 12, 2017 1-4 pm OSU Extension Athens County 740-593-8555
September 13, 2017 4-7:30 pm Classic 57 Restaurant Comm. Room in Minerva 330-832-9856 ext. 3476
September 14, 2017 9-noon Hancock Agriculture Service Center in Findlay 419-422-3851
September 14, 2017 1-4 pm Geauga County Extension 440-834-4656
September 14, 2017 5:30-8:30 pm North Adams H. S. Seaman, OH 937-544-2339.
September 26, 2017 6-9 pm OSU Extension Defiance County 419-782-4771
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Septoria Brown Spot and Bacterial Blight
As folks can get in through the muddy fields a couple of foliar diseases are beginning to be spotted.
Septoria brown Spot: This fungus survives on old soybean residue and is splashed onto lower leaves.The first, Septoria brown spot, is a normal disease found throughout Ohio on the very lower canopy. On unadapted germplasm or old, old varieties this leaf spot would move up through canopy and reach the top leaves and contribute to yield loss. In today’s modern germplasm, this disease is kept in check and is kept in the lower 1/3 of the plant. We completed a study over 3 years and at two locations on four different soybean varieties. We used a special fungicide program to grow soybeans that had healthy leaves with no brown spot and could only measure a 2.9 to 4.3 bushel yield difference. In addition, with fungicide applications at R3 or R4, across studies that I have done but also in collaboration with Laura Lindsey’s lab, we have managed the disease to some extent (average of 1.2% reduction of Septoria in bottom canopy across 12 site-years), but the yields from treated and nontreated plots were similar (average yield increase of 3.7 bu/acre across 12 site-years). So this disease is really not one to worry about as these yield increases do not pay for the cost of application.
Bacterial leaf spot – Note the darker color and limited lesion development.Bacterial blight is also present in a number of fields this year. This is a bacterium, so a fungicide will not have any effect. The lesions are darker, and a little bit bigger than brown spot lesions. The Bacterial leaf spot is also surrounded by a yellow (chlorotic) border. When several lesions grow together, the leaf will tear and has a shredded appearance. This is a rare disease, but we have picking it up in fields following periods of heavy rains and winds. If it is very severe, that variety needs to be dropped from that company’s line up.
Bacterial leaf spot (left) vs Septoria brown spotThe only reason for a fungicide spray this year in soybeans at that R3/R4 is for Frogeye leaf spot. And that will only be necessary for two reasons, the variety is moderately to highly susceptible AND you can easily find frogeye in the field. In 2015 and 2016, the Lindsey Lab conducted R3 foliar fungicide trials across the state. In 2015, soybean yield increased with fungicide application at three out of six locations by 7.9, 6.3, and 4.4 bu/acre in Clinton County, Marion County, and Preble County, respectively. In 2016, soybean yield increased with fungicide application in Mercer County only by 7.1 bu/acre. (Note: 2015 was a wetter year compared to 2016 creating a favorable environment for frogeye leaf spot.) Soybean yield response was related to a reduction in leaf area affected by frogeye leaf spot. In our research, when there was no frogeye leaf spot (0% leaf area affected) prior to the R3 fungicide application, there was no yield increase after the foliar fungicide application.
We’ve taken a yield hit already with the excessive moisture that has fallen across Ohio so far this season. Unfortunately, the price of soybean is not where we would like to cover all of the inputs we have put in to date. We also have compaction issues – where another trip across fields that are not drying out is going to have some long-term damage. It is always good to know how the varieties are responding to all of the different pathogens out there for future variety selection decisions. But it is also very hard to not do something and save the money.
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Crops Under Water – Crop Stage is Critical for Recovery
Large rain events seem to be trending this year in many parts of Ohio. These storms tend to last for a very short amount of time, but leave behind a large amount of water (2” or greater in many cases). This can lead to standing water (flood) conditions or waterlogged soils. In some localized areas, this may have resulted in partial and complete immersion of corn plants, especially in low spots and in river bottoms and along streams. Many crops are sensitive to excess water, but the amount of damage is typically driven by growth stage.
Waterlogged conditions from V4-V16 in corn can limit yield potential by reducing ear size, kernel rows per ear, and also potential kernels per row (Stevens et al., 1986). Silk development may also be negatively impacted, which could lead to poor pollination (Cárcova et al., 2003). Bacteria deposited in leaf whorls by flooding can also result in disease and kill plants. Additionally, nitrogen stress at the time of flooding can result in greater yield loss compared to fields with adequate nitrogen (Kaur et al. 2017; Ritter and Beer, 1969; Torbert et al., 1993). While some yield loss (<10%) may be experienced from 1 to 2 days of flooding (Kaur et al., 2017), durations longer than 2 days can result in yield losses that can range from 10-50% when occurring during vegetative growth stages (Kaur et al., 2017; Lizaso and Ritchie, 1997; Torbert et al., 1993). However, corn seems to become more tolerant to saturated soil conditions during the reproductive stages (Ritter and Beer, 1969). Disease problems that become greater risks due to ponding include corn smut, and crazy top. If plants are covered with mud due to the excess water, photosynthesis may be limited but it’s unlikely that the photosynthetic capacity of leaves has been completely destroyed. Rain this week will wash silt off leaves allowing for resumption of photosynthesis. It will also help wash mud out of leaf whorls allowing new leaves to emerge. Wet soil conditions may also increase susceptibility to root lodging (see https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2017-21/wind-damage-c...).
Alternatively, soybeans tend to be more sensitive to flooding stress during the reproductive stages rather than during vegetative stages. Flooding up to 4 days may not impact seed yield if it occurs during the vegetative (V4-5) stages (Rhine et al., 2010; Scott et al., 1989). A flood duration of 7 days or more can decrease yield by 17 to 63% in soybeans if it occurs during the vegetative stages (Oosterhuis et al., 1990; Scott et al., 1989). However, a flood duration of 4 days or greater during reproductive stages (R2-R5) can result in significant yield loss (25-85%). Additionally, there is a wide range in varietal tolerance to flooding for soybeans (Oosterhuis et al., 1990; Scott et al., 1989; VanToai et al., 1994) so every variety may not be impacted the same.
Forages can also be impacted by heavy rainfall events and the degree of injury is dependent on species, environmental factors, and when the crop was last harvested. Alfalfa is particularly sensitive to waterlogging injury, especially under high light conditions (Barta and Sulc, 2002). Waterlogging reduces root growth and has many negative effects on the physiology of alfalfa. Additionally, damage from flooding can be most severe if it occurs shortly after cutting (Barta, 1988; Barta and Sulc, 2002). Harvesting alfalfa 2 and 12 days prior to soil flooding reduced regrowth yield 56 and 33%, respectively. Unharvested plants were not injured with flooding duration up to 14 days. Be aware of these interactions and allow extra recovery time if alfalfa was waterlogged soon after cutting. Fields that were waterlogged should also be protected from potato leafhopper injury, to prevent insult to injury. Also, be sure to delay forage harvesting operations until soils are firm enough to avoid permanent crown damage and stand loss that will plague you for the remaining life of the stand.
While management options to address the flooding in the short term are limited, an understanding of the potential yield impacts can help producers prepare for the rest of the season.
Literature Cited:
Barta, A. L. 1988. Response of field grown alfalfa to root waterlogging and shoot removal. I. Plant injury and carbohydrate and mineral content of roots. Agron. J. 80:889-892.
Barta, A.L. and R.M. Sulc. 2002. Interaction between waterlogging injury and irradiance level in alfalfa. Crop Sci. 42:1529-1534.
Cárcova, J., B. Andrieu, and M.E. Otegui. 2003. Silk elongation in maize: relationship with flower development and pollination. Crop Sci. 43:914-920.
Kaur, G., B.A. Zurweller, K.A. Nelson, P.P. Motavalli, and C.J. Dudenhoeffer. 2017. Soil waterlogging and nitrogen fertilizer management effects on corn and soybean yields. Agron. J. 109:1-10.
Lizaso, J.I., and J.T. Ritchie. 1997. Maize shoot and root response to root zone saturation during vegetative growth. Agron. J. 89:125-134.
Oosterhuis, D.M., H.D. Scott, R.E. Hampton, and S.D. Wullschleger. 1990. Physiological responses of two soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr] cultivars to short-term flooding. Environ. Exp. Bot. 30:85-92.
Rhine, M., G. Stevens, G. Shannon, A. Wrather, and D. Sleper. 2010. Yield and nutritional responses to waterlogging of soybean cultivars. Irrig. Sci. 28:135–142.
Ritter, W.F. and C.E. Beer. 1969. Yield reduction by controlled flooding of corn. Transactions of the ASAE 68-239. Logan, UT.
Scott, H.D., J. DeAngulo, M.B. Daniels, and L.S. Wood. 1989. Flood duration effects on soybean growth and yield. Agron J. 81:631-636.
Stevens, S.J., E.J. Stevens, K.W. Lee, A.D. Flowerday, and C.O. Gardner. 1986. Organogenesis of the staminate and pistillate inflorescences of pop and dent corns: relationship to leaf stages. Crop Sci. 26:712-718.
Torbert, H.A., R.G. Hoeft, R.M. Vanden Heuval, R.L. Mulvaney, and S.E. Hollinger. 1993. Short-term excess water impact on corn yield and nitrogen recovery. J. Prod. Agric. 6:337-344.
VanToai, T.T., J.E. Beurlein, A.F. Schmitthenner, and S.K. St. Martin. 1994. Genetic variability for flooding tolerance in soybeans. Crop Sci. 34:1112-1115.
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Manure Science Review on Wednesday, August 2
The 2017 Ohio State University Manure Science Review is scheduled for Wednesday, August 2nd at the Stoller Brothers & Sons farm west of Paulding, Ohio. The review will begin at 8:45 a.m. at the home farm located at 9257 Rd. 144, Paulding. Coffee and donuts will be offered in the morning before the field day kicks off with the afternoon activities ending by 3:30 p.m.The morning educational sessions in the farm shop will focus on effectively capturing manure nutrients, an update on the manure application regulations, what the Edge of Field studies are revealing about preventing the movement of manure nutrients, a panel discussion with local farmers on using cover crops, best management practices for handling poultry litter, and how to stay safe around manure structures.
Afternoon field demonstrations will include sidedressing emerged corn with both a manure tanker and a soft drag hose, solid manure calibration, smoking subsurface drainage tile to reveal preferential flow, viewing of cover crop plots, poultry litter application demonstrations, and the use of frac tanks for hauling manure greater distances.
Continuing education units (CEU’s) are available for Certified Crop Advisors (CCA), ODA Certified Livestock Manager (CLM), Professional Engineer (PE), and Indiana State Chemist (Cat 14 and RT).
Registration is $25 per person if completed before July 24 and $30 per person if completed after July 24. Breakfast (coffee and donuts) and lunch is included with the registration fee. The online form with additional information can be found here: ocamm.osu.edu or
https://ocamm.osu.edu/sites/ocamm/files/imce/Events/MSR_2017_FLYER.pdf
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Interested in becoming a Certified Crop Adviser?
CCA Exam Registration Closes This Friday – for specialty exams and the basics
This is the last few days to register for the August Certified Crop Adviser exams. The exams include International, Local Board (Ohio, Indiana and Illinois for us), Manure Management, 4R NMS, Sustainability Specialty, and Resistance Management Specialty. Resistance Management and Sustainability exams will be held at all locations listed in August. Performance Objectives, study materials, and other registration information are listed on the exam pages: https://www.certifiedcropadviser.org/exams.
5 Year Exam Limit – This is a change
The ICCA Program has added a new requirement to their exam process, which was decided at the last North American Board meeting in September 2016. Starting this year in 2017, a candidate will have up to five years to pass both the International and Local Board CCA exams as part of the certification requirements to become a CCA. The five year timeline begins with the first passing exam score being reported. All exam websites and policy manuals have been updated with this verbiage.
The Ohio State University Agronomic Crops Team will not offer the exam preparation class this summer, but will provide the program next January on the 10th and 11th for the February exam. Watch the C.O.R.N. newsletter for more details this fall. Many of our summer field day programs offer continuing education credits to current CCAs – watch our calendar: https://agcrops.osu.edu/events/calendar/.
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Recommendations for Late Planted Soybeans
Persistent wet weather prevented soybean planting in many areas of the state. Late planting reduces the cultural practice options for row spacing, seeding rate, and relative maturity.
Row spacing. The row spacing for June planting should be no greater than 7.5-inch if possible. Row width should be narrow enough for the soybean canopy to completely cover the interrow space by the time the soybeans begin to flower. The later in the growing season soybeans are planted, the greater the yield increase due to narrow rows.Seeding rate. Higher seeding rates are recommended for June plantings. Data from previously conducted seeding rate trials, suggest seeding rates between 200,000-225,000 seeds/acre when planting the first half of June.
Relative maturity. For June planting dates, plant the latest maturing variety that will reach physiological maturity before the first killing frost. This is to allow the plants to grow vegetatively as long as possible to produce nodes where pods can form before vegetative growth is slowed due to flowering and pod formation. The recommended relative maturity ranges are shown in the table below.
Planting Date
Suitable Relative Maturity
Northern Ohio
June 1-15
3.2-3.8
June 15-30
3.1-3.5
July 1-10
3.0-3.3
Central Ohio
June 1-15
3.4-4.0
June 15-30
3.3-3.7
July 1-10
3.2-3.5
Southern Ohio
June 1-15
3.6-4.2
June 15-30
3.5-3.9
July 1-10
3.4-3.7
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Slugs can’t spring, but late spring is the time to watch for them
As planting wraps up, a reminder is in order about possible slug problems in no-till crops, especially in fields with a history of slug damage. Although we do not know how numerous slugs are in fields, we do know that most crops are being planted later than normal. If you have read our recommendations for slug management, you know that one way a grower can get a head start is to plant early, and get their crop out of the soil and growing before slugs begin their heaviest feeding. However, with the weather conditions over the past month, many fields are just now being planted. Slugs have been hatching and beginning to grow; this will result in many fields just germinating or emerging when slugs start to feed. This combination of feeding slugs and small plants can result in much more plant injury that normal. Slugs can also damage un-germinated seed. Thus, growers with a history of slug problems who are just now planting into those fields should watch their crops closely over the next few weeks. Although all fields should be scouted, focus on those with a history of these pests, where weed control was less than effective, or with a lot of residue left on the field.
Slugs are nocturnal so you may not catch them in the act of feeding unless you inspect plants after dusk. If you see feeding damage on plants, sift through residue and look under stones in the field. An asphalt shingle laid out on the ground, painted white to keep it cooler, is also a good sampling device. Slugs will collect under it during the day. We do not have research-based thresholds for slugs in field crops. However, if the level of damage concerns you, a rescue treatment may be in order. There are few products available, but three of them are Deadline MP, Iron Fist, and Ferrox, which are all baited pellets which must be broadcast and ingested by the slugs.
For more information on slug management, our field crop slug factsheet is located at
http://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/ENT-20
Also see these two videos from the Plant Management Network developed by our recently retired Extension Entomologist, Dr. Ron Hammond:
https://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/soybean/SlugManagementSoybean/
http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/corn/slugmanagementcorn/
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Wheat Heading, Flowering, and Head Scab Risk
HEADING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6Da1HRlmV8
After being slowed down by cold temperatures over the last 7-10 days, the wheat crop is now heading-out or flowering in some parts of the state – do not be deceived by the fact that plants still look short in some fields. Heading and flowering will continue over the next few weeks. These are very important growth stages from the standpoint of disease management, since it is critical to maintain the health of the heads and the leaves during grain fill to enhance yield.
- Examine primary tillers at multiple locations in the field – remove them if it makes it easier for you to examine;
- Identify the flag leaf, which is the uppermost (last) leaf, and look at the position of the head in the leaf sheath of the flag leaf;
- If the flag leaf is fully emerged and the head is still encased and swollen in the leaf sheath, then you are still at Feekes 10, the boot stage;
- If the first few spikelets are out of the leaf sheath then you are at Feekes 10.1;
- If about 25% of the head is out of the leaf sheath then you are at Feekes 10.2;
- If about 50% of the head is out of the leaf sheath then you are at Feekes 10.3;
- If about 75% of the head is out of the leaf sheath then you are at Feekes 10.4; and
- If the head is fully emerged (the entire head is out of the leaf sheath) then you are at Feekes 10.5;
- Once the heads are completely out, it may take another 3-5 days, and sometimes longer if it’s cool, for it begin to flower.
FLOWERING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybZVW_YbhxY
This stage is marked by the extrusion of anthers from the spikelets; the reason for which this process is also referred to as anthesis. The identification of this growth stage is very important for the management of Fusarium head blight (head scab) with fungicides.
- Closely examine the heads (also called the spike) of primary tillers at multiple locations in the field for the presence of anthers – often seen as a yellowish (or other color) part of the flower hanging from the spikelet;
- If no anthers are seen, then your wheat may still be at the heading growth stage, Feekes10.5;
- If the first few anthers are seen hanging from florets/spikelets in the central portion of the spike, your wheat is at Feekes 10.5.1 - early flowering or early anthesis;
- If anthers are seen hanging from florets/spikelets in the central and top portions of the spike, your wheat is at Feekes 10.5.2 - mid-flowering or mid-anthesis;
- If anthers are seen hanging from florets/spikelets along the entire length of the spike, your wheat is at Feekes 10.5.3 - late-flowering or late-anthesis;
Note: When trying to identify flowering growth stages, based your assessment on the presence of fresh (brightly colored) anthers, since dried, discolored, and spent anthers may remain hanging from the spikes well after Feekes 10.5.3. This can be misleading. Fungicides are most effective against head scab and vomitoxin when applied during Flowering.
HEAD SCAB RISK: http://www.wheatscab.psu.edu
Head scab and vomitoxin become our biggest concerns at this time of the wheat season. For wheat flowering today, May 8, the risk of scab is low across most of the state (the map is green), but moderate in parts of the west (yellow areas close to the Indiana border). The risk is also moderate-high in the northeast corner if the state, but the wheat in that region is not yet flowering. Several fields across Southern and Central Ohio will reach anthesis during this week. The risk will likely remain low if it stays cold, in spite of the rains, but continue to keep your eyes on the weather and the scab forecasting and alert systems over the next few weeks, and be prepared to apply a fungicide (Prosaro or Caramba at full label-recommended rates) at flowering if the risk increases.
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Establishing New Forage Stands
This month provides one of the two preferred times to seed perennial cool-season forages. The other preferred timing for cool-season grasses and legumes is in late summer, primarily the month of August here in Ohio. The relative success of spring vs. summer seeding of forages is greatly affected by the prevailing weather conditions, and so growers have success and failures with each option.
Probably the two primary difficulties with spring plantings are finding a good window of opportunity when soils are dry enough before it gets too late, and managing weed infestations that are usually more difficult with spring plantings. The following steps will help improve your chances for successful forage establishment in the spring.
- Make sure soil pH and fertility are in the recommended ranges. Follow the Tri-state Soil Fertility Recommendations (https://forages.osu.edu/forage-management/soil-fertility-forages) . Forages are more productive where soil pH is above 6.0, but for alfalfa it should be 6.5 – 6.8. Soil phosphorus should be at least 15 ppm for grasses and 25 ppm for legumes, while minimum soil potassium in ppm should be 75 plus 2.5 x soil CEC. If seedings are to include alfalfa, and soil pH is not at least 6.5, it would be best to apply lime now and delay establishing alfalfa until late summer (plant an annual grass forage in the interim).
- Plant high quality seed of known varietal source adapted to our region. Planting “common” seed (variety not stated) usually proves to be a very poor investment, yielding less even in the first or second year and having shorter stand life.
- Plant as soon as it is possible to prepare a good seedbed in April. Try to finish seeding by late April in southern Ohio and by the first of May in northern Ohio. Timely April planting gives forage seedlings the best opportunity to get a jump on weeds and to be established before summer stress sets in. Weed pressure will be greater with later plantings, and they will not have as strong a root system developed by early summer when conditions often turn dry and hot.
- Plant into a good seedbed. The ideal seedbed for conventional seedings is smooth, firm, and weed-free. Don’t overwork the soil. Too much tillage depletes moisture and increases the risk of surface crusting. Firm the seedbed before seeding to ensure good seed-soil contact and reduce the rate of drying in the seed zone. Cultipackers and cultimulchers are excellent implements for firming the soil. If residue cover is more than 35% use a no-till drill. No-till seeding is an excellent choice where soil erosion is a hazard. No-till forage seedings are most successful on silt loam soils with good drainage and are more difficult on clay soils or poorly drained soils.
- Plant seed shallow (¼ to ½ inch deep) in good contact with the soil. Stop and check the actual depth of the seed in the field when you first start planting. This is especially important with no-till drills. In my experience, seeding some seed on the surface indicates most of the seed is about at the right depth.
- When seeding into a tilled seedbed, drills with press wheels are the best choice. When seeding without press wheels or when broadcasting seed, cultipack before and after dropping the seed, preferably in the same direction the seeder was driven.
- In fields with little erosion hazard, direct seedings without a companion crop in the spring allows harvesting two or three crops of high-quality forage in the seeding year, particularly when seeding alfalfa and red clover.
- For conventional seedings on erosion prone fields, a small grain companion crop can reduce the erosion hazard and will also help compete with weeds. Companion crops usually increase total forage tonnage in the seeding year, but forage quality will be lower than direct seeded legumes. Take the following precautions to avoid excessive competition of the companion crop with forage seedlings: (i) use early-maturing, short, and stiff-strawed small grain varieties, (ii) plant companion small grains at 1.5-2.0 bu/A, (iii) remove companion crop as early pasture or silage, and (iv) do not apply additional nitrogen to the companion crop.
- During the first 6 to 8 weeks after seeding, scout new seedings weekly for any developing weed or insect problems. Weed competition during the first six weeks is most damaging to stand establishment. Potato leafhopper damage on legumes in particular can be a concern beginning in late May to early June.
- The first harvest of the new seeding should generally be delayed until early flowering of legumes, unless weeds were not controlled adequately and are threatening to smother the stand. For pure grass seedings, generally harvest after 70 days from planting, unless weeds are encroaching in which case the stand should be clipped earlier to avoid weed seed production.
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March Weather Update
It was one of the warmest February's one record. Here is a great summary by the National Weather Service in Wilmington, OH.
https://www.weather.gov/media/iln/climate_summary/ClimateReport_February2017.pdfFurther, for the period of January and February combined, many reporting stations in Ohio had the most number of 60+ days ever recorded.
Columbus 60+ degree days Jan/Feb (rank, year, #60+degree days, missing days)1
2017-02-28
16
0
2
1890-02-28
11
0
3
1932-02-29
10
0
-
1880-02-29
10
0
Cincinnati 60+ degree days Jan/Feb (rank, year, #60+degree days, missing days)
1
2017-02-28
19
0
2
1890-02-28
17
0
3
1880-02-29
15
0
Dayton 60+ degree days Jan/Feb (rank, year, #60+degree days, missing days)
1 2017-02-28 13 0
2 1930-02-28 9 0
3 1976-02-29 8 0
- 1950-02-28 8 0
- 1932-02-29 8 0
- 1916-02-29 8 0The warm-up has led to green-up conditions running about 3 weeks ahead of schedule in Ohio.
This is the current look at USGS green-up conditions...
https://www.usanpn.org/data/springThe outlook for March calls for near to slightly warmer than normal temperatures. We will not see the record warmth in March we saw in February. Precipitation will be near or slightly above normal.
The outlook for April and May calls for a turn fr4om near normal temperatures in April to warmer and slightly drier than normal conditions by late April into May.
The summer outlook continues to call for a warmer than normal period with rainfall at or below normal.
The freeze outlook continues to suggest a near normal or slightly later than normal last freeze based on current climate trends. Normal last freeze is generally between April 10 to 20 for much of the state. However, with early green-up and budding there is an elevated risk to fruit trees and other sensitive crops this spring as even a normal last freeze means things will be exposed.
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Estimating Yield Losses in Drought Damaged Corn Fields
Rainfall over the past weekend helped some drought stressed corn fields, especially late plantings, but it may have been too late for others. Prior to this rainfall, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, 46 percent of Ohio was rated as in “moderate drought” (https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Ohio/Publications/Crop_Progress_&_Condition/index.php). That area covered most of northern Ohio. Another 15 percent was rated in “severe drought”. That area spread from west central Ohio to northeast Ohio.
Corn growers with drought damaged fields may want to estimate grain yields prior to harvest in order to help with marketing and harvest plans. Two procedures that are widely used for estimating corn grain yields prior to harvest are the YIELD COMPONENT METHOD (also referred to as the "slide rule" or corn yield calculator) and the EAR WEIGHT METHOD. Each method will often produce yield estimates that are within 20 bu/ac of actual yield. Such estimates can be helpful for general planning purposes.
THE YIELD COMPONENT METHOD was developed by the Agricultural Engineering Department at the University of Illinois. The principle advantage to this method is that it can be used as early as the milk stage of kernel development, a stage many Ohio corn fields have probably achieved. The yield component method involves use of a numerical constant for kernel weight which is figured into an equation in order to calculate grain yield. This numerical constant is sometimes referred to as a "fudge‑factor" since it is based on a predetermined average kernel weight. Since weight per kernel will vary depending on hybrid and environment, the yield component method should be used only to estimate relative grain yields, i.e. "ballpark" grain yields. When below normal rainfall occurs during grain fill (resulting in low kernel weights), the yield component method will OVERESTIMATE yields. In a year with good grain fill conditions (resulting in high kernel weights) the method will underestimate grain yields.
In the past, the YIELD COMPONENT METHOD equation used a "fudge factor" of 90 (as the average value for kernel weight, expressed as 90,000 kernels per 56 lb bushel), but kernel size has increased as hybrids have improved over the years. Dr. Bob Nielsen at Purdue University suggests that a "fudge factor" of 80 to 85 (85,000 kernels per 56 lb bushel) is a more realistic value to use in the yield estimation equation today. http://www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/corn/news/timeless/YldEstMethod.html
According to Dr. Emerson Nafziger at the University of Illinois under current drought stress “…. If there's a fair amount of green leaf area and kernels have already reached dough stage, using 90 [as the “fudge-factor “] might be reasonable. It typically doesn't help much to try to estimate depth of kernels at dough stage, when kernel depth is typically rather shallow anyway, especially if there are 16 or more kernel rows on the ear. If green leaf area is mostly gone, however, and kernels look like they may be starting to shrink a little, kernels may end up very light, and using 120 or even 140 [as the “fudge-factor”] might be more accurate”. http://bulletin.ipm.illinois.edu/article.php?id=1695.
Calculate estimated grain yield as follows:
Step 1. Count the number of harvestable ears in a length of row equivalent to 1/1000th acre. For 30‑inch rows, this would be 17 ft. 5 in.
Step 2. On every fifth ear, count the number of kernel rows per ear and determine the average.
Step 3. On each of these ears count the number of kernels per row and determine the average. (Do not count kernels on either the butt or tip of the ear that are less than half the size of normal size kernels.)
Step 4. Yield (bushels per acre) equals (ear #) x (avg. row #) x (avg. kernel #) divided by 90.
Step 5. Repeat the procedure for at least four additional sites across the field. Given the highly variable conditions present in many stressed fields, repeat the procedure throughout field as many times as you think appropriate, then calculate the average yield for all the sites to make a yield assessment of the entire field.
Example: You are evaluating a field with 30‑inch rows. You counted 24 ears (per 17' 5" = row section). Sampling every fifth ear resulted in an average row number of 16 and an average number of kernels per row of 30. The estimated yield for that site in the field would be (24 x 16 x 30) divided by 90, which equals 128 bu/acre.
NOTE: If there is extensive leaf firing and senescence and little green tissue evident, and kernels appear to be shrinking, using 120 or even 140 as the “fudge-factor” might be more appropriate. Making some assessments using both 90 and 120 can provide an idea of the range in yield possible.
THE EAR WEIGHT METHOD can only be used after the grain is physiologically mature (black layer), which occurs at about 30‑35% grain moisture. Since this method is based on actual ear weight, it should be somewhat more accurate than the yield component method above. However, there still is a fudge factor in the formula to account for average shellout percentage.
Sample several sites in the field. At each site, measure off a length of row equal to 1/1000th acre. Count the number of harvestable ears in the 1/1000th acre. Weigh every fifth ear and calculate the average ear weight (pounds) for the site. Hand shell the same ears, mix the grain well, and determine an average percent grain moisture with a portable moisture tester.
Calculate estimated grain yield as follows:
Step A) Multiply ear number by average ear weight.
Step B) Multiply average grain moisture by 1.411.
Step C) Add 46.2 to the result from step B.
Step D) Divide the result from step A by the result from step C.
Step E) Multiply the result from step D by 1,000.
Example: You are evaluating a field with 30‑inch rows. You counted 24 ears (per 17 ft. 5 in. section). Sampling every fifth ear resulted in an average ear weight of 1/2 pound. The average grain moisture was 30 percent. Estimated yield would be [(24 x 0.5) / ((1.411 x 30) + 46.2)] x 1,000, which equals 135 bu/acre.
Because it can be used at a relatively early stage of kernel development, the Yield Component Method may be of greater assistance to farmers trying to make a decision about whether to harvest their corn for grain or silage. Since drought stress conditions in some fields may result in poorly filled small ears, there may be mechanical difficulties with combine harvest efficiency that need to be considered. When droughts occur, it’s often cheaper to buy corn for grain than to buy hay for roughage (because of likely forage deficits). Therefore, there may be greater benefit in harvesting fields with marginal corn grain yield potential for silage.
References
Nafziger, E. 2012. Estimating Yields of Stressed Corn. The Bulletin, Univ of Illinois. http://bulletin.ipm.illinois.edu/article.php?id=1695 [URL checked Aug. 2016].
Nielsen, RL. 2016. Estimating Corn Grain Yield Prior to Harvest. Corny News Network, Purdue University. https://www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/corn/news/timeless/YldEstMethod.html. (URL checked Aug. 2016). Note: In this article, Dr. Nielsen also describes the yield estimation method used by the Pro Farmer Midwest Crop Tour which differs from the methods described above.
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Warmer and Drier will be the trend for the rest of the growing season
The overall trend, as we discussed earlier this year, was expected to be toward warmer and drier weather and this has been occurring.
Spring is in the books and it went down as warmer temperatures and near normal rainfall for Ohio as seen in the attached graphics. The exception was north-central Ohio which was wetter than normal
What is in store for the rest of June and July you ask?
The trend is your friend. We expect warmer and drier to be the rule from late June through July.
The good news...even though we are expecting above normal temperatures through July, it does not appear to be extreme heat. This may not be far from ideal conditions for extra growing degree days.
The bad news...crops may feel the stress in July as rainfall will be hit and miss.
Rest of June Outlook...
Temperatures will average 4-8F above normal. However, most maximum temperatures will stay below 92F and most minimum temperatures will stay above 60F. Therefore, the temperatures may be a benefit to growing degree days without the high heat stress.Rainfall will be wildly dependent in individual thunderstorms ranging from 0.25 to 2.00 inches for the rest of the month. Normal is about 1.50 inches so most places will be at or below normal. Most of this rainfall will occur with a series of storms through this Thursday then again Sunday June 26 and Monday June 27. After June 27 it looks fairly dry into the 4th of July.
July Outlook...
Temperatures will continue above normal likely 2-5F. Rainfall will likely be 25-75% of normal. Normal is 3-4 inches.Drought Outlook...
I am expecting areas of minor drought to be expanding across Ohio through July. Some pockets of moderate drought can not be ruled out. However, we do not see any extreme type drought situation at this time, just on the drier side of things overall. This will not be as dry as 2012 by any means or as hot! This will be in association with the developing La Nina condition in the Pacific Ocean. It is not uncommon for some drought to challenge crops in Ohio during those events. All indications are the dryness could last until December in Ohio when wetter conditions often start during La Nina events.You can keep up on the latest NOAA/NWS/OHRFC Drought Briefing using our drought briefing page at: http://w2.weather.gov/ohrfc/DroughtBriefing
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Lots of Fungicides to Choose From, but Choose Wisely
After more than 12 years of running my own wheat foliar fungicide efficacy trials here in Ohio, and analyzing data collected by my colleagues across the country, I have come to the conclusion that there is rarely ever a benefit to making more than one foliar fungicide applications to wheat in Ohio. In fact, even a single application may not be beneficial if the cultivar is resistant to the prevalent disease in your area or conditions are not favorable for disease development. So, if you have to make a single application, go with the one that is most likely to provide the greatest benefit in terms of disease control and return on your investment. Here are a few tips to help you make that choice, but you’ll have to scout fields to see what’s there, especially if you do not know the susceptibility of your cultivar, and pay careful attention to product labels:
- For early-season diseases such as Septoria and powdery mildew, if your cultivar is susceptible, you are better off applying a fungicide at Feekes 8 (flag leaf emergence) or at Feekes 10 (boot) than at jointing (Feekes 6), for this when we see the greatest benefit in terms of protection of the flag leaf and yield return. For mildew and Septoria, the residual effect of an early application is often not sufficient to protect the flag leaf, the most important source of sugars for grain development.
- For mid- and late-season diseases such as rusts and Stagonospora leaf and glume blotch, the target growth stages should be between boot and heading (Feekes 10.5), unless you see Stagonospora lesions or rust pustules very early in the seasons (at or before jointing). For rust in particular, if the fungus survived in Ohio due to a mild winter, a flag leaf application may be needed to keep the disease in check, as this disease can spread rapidly and damage the upper leaves before grain fill is complete if not controlled early.
- Split half-rate fungicide applications (half at jointing and the other half at Feekes 8 or Feekes 10) are no better than a single application at Feekes 8 or Feekes 10. Plus this type of program only increases the risk of fungicide resistance and may damage the crop by adding multiple sets of wheel tracks.
- Make sure you still have the option of using your best fungicides later in the season, just in case head scab and vomitoxin become a problem at flowering time. You should avoid applying the same active ingredient multiple times during the growing season to the same wheat field. Since Prosaro (prothioconazole + tebuconazole) and Caramba (metconazole) are your best fungicides for managing scab and vomitoxin, make sure you have the option of using one or the other at flowering. There are lots of other effective (and sometimes cheaper) fungicides to choose from for earlier applications.
- If the risk for head scab is high (wet, humid conditions during the days leading up to heading and flowering), do not apply a strobilurin fungicide after Feekes 10, as this may result in higher levels of vomitoxin contamination of the grain. You would be better off using your strobilurin or strobilurin+triazole combination products early in the season (between Feekes 8 and 10) to minimize potential problems with vomitoxin and free-up Prosaro or Caramba for application at flowering.
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Weather outlook
After a very warm March with temperatures 5-10 degrees above normal, April got off to a cold start with temperatures running 5-10 degrees below normal.
After early week rain and some mid-week temperatures near or just below freezing, a warmer and drier period is in store through about April 19. The week break with lots of sunshine, warmer temperatures and drier conditions should allow for some needed drying.
The next rain chance will come either on April 19 or 20. Rainfall for the remainder of April looks to be mainly under 2 inches which is near normal.
April does not appear as warm as earlier thought. It looks like April will go down with slightly below normal temperatures and near normal precipitation.
The risk for last spring freezes appears on track to be about normal which means the last hard freeze occurs in mid April in southern Ohio and closer to late April in northern Ohio. It is not uncommon to see frost in low lying areas into early May.
Risk Outlook April May June
Temperatures Slighty Below Slightly Above Above
Rainfall Normal Slightly Below Slightly Below
Freeze Normal
4 inch soil Normal Slightly Above Above
Evapotranspiration Slightly Below Normal Above
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How Low Can You Go? Cold Weather and Wheat Injury
Cool weekend temperatures have prompted some concern about possible injury to the wheat crop.
The effect of cold weather depends on the wheat growth stage. Maximum resistance to cold weather occurs in December-February. As wheat greens-up, the plant becomes less tolerant of freezing temperatures. At Feekes 6 growth stage aka “jointing” temperatures of ≤24°F for at least two hours may be injurious. Currently, in Ohio, most wheat is at Feekes 5 (green-up), so injury should be minimal.
Currently, we are in the process of evaluating freeze tolerance of winter wheat grown in Ohio. We collected wheat samples from Pickaway County on March 30 when plants were at Feekes 5 growth stage. Plants were put into a freeze chamber and temperature lowered to 27°, 21°, 14°, and 5°F. Very little injury has been observed between 14-27°F. At 5°F, wheat leaves wilted and had a dark purple-green water-soaked look 24 hours later (see picture). We plan on re-running this study at Feekes 6 growth stage.
Reference. Shroyer, J.P., M.E. Mikesell, and G.M. Paulsen. 1995. Spring Freeze Injury to Kansas Wheat. Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service. Available at: http://www.ksre.k-state.edu/bookstore/pubs/C646.PDF
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Corn Hybrid Selection – 2015
Hybrid selection is one of the most important management decisions a corn grower makes each year. It’s a decision that warrants a careful comparison of performance data. It should not be made in haste or based on limited data. Planting a marginal hybrid, or one not suitable for a particular production environment, imposes a ceiling on the yield potential of a field before it has been planted. In the Ohio Corn Performance Test (OCPT) (http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/corntrials/) it is not unusual for hybrid entries of similar maturity to differ in yield by 80 bu/A, or more, depending on test site. Another consideration in hybrid selection that has received more attention recently as commodity prices have dropped is seed cost. Of all non-land costs for corn, seed costs on a per acre basis increased the most between 2006 and 2014, increasing by 164% percent (http://www.farms.com/expertscommentary/corn-seed-costs-from-1995-to-2014...).
Growers should choose hybrids best suited to their farm operation. Corn acreage, previous crop, soil type, tillage practices, desired harvest moisture, and pest problems determine the relative importance of such traits as drydown, insect and disease resistance, herbicide resistance, early plant vigor, etc. End uses of corn should also be considered - is corn to be used for grain or silage? Is it to be sold directly to the elevator as shelled grain or used on the farm? Are there premiums available at nearby elevators, or from end users, for identity-preserved (IP) specialty corn such as food grade or non-GMO corn? Capacity to harvest, dry and store grain also needs consideration. The following are some tips to consider in choosing hybrids that are best suited to various production systems.
1. Select hybrids with maturity ratings appropriate for your geographic area or circumstances. Corn for grain should reach physiological maturity or "black layer" (maximum kernel dry weight) one to two weeks before the first killing frost in the fall. Grain drying can be a major cost in corn production. Use days-to-maturity, growing degree day (GDD) ratings, and harvest grain moisture data from performance trials to determine differences in hybrid maturity and drydown. One of the most effective strategies for spreading risk, and widening the harvest interval is planting multiple hybrids of varying maturity.
2. Choose hybrids that have produced consistently high yields across a number of locations. Choosing a hybrid simply because it contains the most stacked transgenic traits, or possesses appealing cosmetic traits, like “flex” ears, will not ensure high yields; instead, look for yield consistency across environments. Hybrids will perform differently based on region, soils and environmental conditions. Growers should not rely solely on one hybrid characteristic, or transgenic traits, to make their product selection. Most of the hybrids available to Ohio growers contain transgenic insect and herbicide resistance. In the 2015 OCPT over 90% of the hybrids tested contained transgenic traits. However, recent OCPTs reveal that there are some non-transgenic hybrids suitable for non-GMO grain production with yield potential comparable to the highest yielding stacked trait entries. Nevertheless, when planting fields where corn rootworm (RW) and European corn borer (ECB) are likely to be problems (in the case of RW - continuous corn and in the case of ECB - very late plantings), Bt traits offer outstanding protection and may mitigate the impact of other stress conditions. For more on Bt traits currently available, check out the “Handy Bt Trait Table” (http://www.msuent.com/assets/pdf/28BtTraitTable2015.pdf) from Michigan State University.
3. Plant hybrids with good standability to minimize stalk lodging (stalk breakage below the ear). This is particularly important in areas where stalk rots are perennial problems, or where field drying is anticipated. If a grower has his own drying facilities and is prepared to harvest at relatively high moisture levels (>25%), then standability and fast drydown rates may be somewhat less critical as selection criteria. There are some hybrids that have outstanding yield potential, but may be more susceptible to lodging problems under certain environmental conditions after they reach harvest maturity. Corn growers should consult with their seed dealer on hybrid sensitivity to root lodging and greensnap (pre-tassel stalk brakeage caused by wind). Greensnap is relatively rare in Ohio. However, in recent years, especially 2012, greensnap caused major yield losses in some hybrids as the result of strong windstorms in late June and July.
4. Select hybrids with resistance and/or tolerance to stalk rots, foliar diseases, and ear rots. Consult the Ohio Field Crops Diseases web page online at http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/ohiofieldcropdisease/ for the most common disease problems of corn in Ohio. In recent years, several diseases have adversely affected the corn crop - including northern corn leaf blight, gray leaf spot, Stewart’s bacterial leaf blight, and Gibberella and Diplodia ear rots. Corn growers should obtain information from their seed dealer on hybrid reactions to specific diseases that have caused problems or that have occurred locally.
5. Never purchase a hybrid without consulting performance data. Results of university/extension, company, and county replicated hybrid performance trials should be reviewed before purchasing hybrids. Because weather conditions are unpredictable, the most reliable way to select superior hybrids is to consider performance during the last year and the previous year over as wide a range of locations and climatic conditions as possible. Hybrids that consistently perform well across a range of environmental conditions, including different soil and weather conditions, have a much greater likelihood of performing well the next year, compared to hybrids that have exhibited more variable performance. I place the greatest confidence in hybrids that have performed well across multiple locations and years. To assess a hybrid’s yield averaged across multiple Ohio test sites and years consult the sortable “Combined Regional Summary of Hybrid Performance” tables available online at http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/corntrials/regions.asp?year=2015®ion=... -
Weather Outlook
For the last week of October into November, temperatures overall will remain above normal. It does appear the dry pattern will relax some with rain chances increasing after this week and going into November back closer to normal rainfall. However, confidence on this is still low to moderate.The next main weather system will be this weekend with some rain Saturday into early Sunday.The overall warmer and drier than normal trend will continue this week. After our first widespread freeze of the season, temperatures will rebound this week with highs mostly in the 60s and even some 70s west and south. Overnight lows will resume above freezing levels.Outside of a few spotty sprinkles or light showers, the week is expected to be mainly dry.
You can see the next 16-day rainfall outlook from the NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast center by clicking this link. The main wetness still appears to stay over areas to the west and south of Ohio though.
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/ohrfc/HAS/images/NAEFS16day.pdf -
Pattern change is coming!
Temperature RISK:
Temperatures will continue to be several degrees above normal into much of November. However, the real change comes with a wetter pattern as has been discussed for several weeks now. The drier pattern of the last few months is about to end for a while.
Storm RISK:
The first storm Oct. 27/28 will bring widespread 1 inch rain to Ohio with isolated totals of 2 inches. The next storm will arrive about Nov. 1 with another near 1 inch event possible. Another storm will arrive later in the first week or November.
Rain RISK:
Expect the wetter than normal pattern to last until at least mid-November before some drying returns. Rainfall through mid-November will average 2-4+ inches with normal being 1.25-1.75 inches. On average we should expect about twice the normal rainfall.
Snow RISK:
With the warmer than normal temperatures, little if any snow is expected the next several weeks.
Freeze RISK:
The risk for freezes remains at or below normal the next several weeks. We will see a few freezes but they will be limited in nature.
Wind RISK:
The risk for autumn wind storms which has been limited to this point will increase the next 1-2 weeks with plenty of energy coming from the Pacific Ocean.
Winter Outlook:
All indications are for a warmer than normal winter with precipitation near or slightly below normal.
El Nino RISK:
A major El Nino will continue into winter and linger into spring. Early indications are for normal or drier than normal spring.
You can get the latest 16-day rainfall outlook from the NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center at: http://www.erh.noaa.gov/ohrfc/HAS/images/NAEFS16day.pdf
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Battle for the Belt: Season 3, Episode 11: June Weather Update
Season 3, Episode 11 of Battle for the Belt is now available
In Episode 11 of Battle for the Belt, we get a June weather update from Dr. Aaron Wilson, OSU Extension Ag Weather & Climate Field Specialist and State Climatologist of Ohio.
Ohio has experienced highly variable weather leading into June. Southern and southeastern regions of the state have seen well over three inches in some areas over the past month. Areas of northwest Ohio have remained much drier. Cooler-than-average temperatures have been prevalent (1-3°F below normal). These cooler temperatures have slowed crop development and have even put growing degree days (GDDs) 30-90 units behind schedule. Frequent rain days have further delayed spring fieldwork (up to 21 in May), especially in areas of the state with saturated soils.
Looking ahead, there is expected to be a brief stretch of drier weather midweek, paired with mild temperatures. Rain will reappear in the forecast on Friday through the weekend. The 8–14-day outlook calls for continued near-average temperatures and wetter-than-average conditions. The summer overall is expected to be slightly warmer, mainly when considering overnight low temperatures. Normal precipitation is expected, ultimately reducing drought risks in the short term. However, there will likely be some dry spells allowing farmers to wrap up planting activities.
What’s happening in the field?
Last week, Wooster successfully planted an additional planting date thanks to favorable soil conditions. Planting date four is now complete at both the Northwest and Wooster locations (Table 1). Western is expected to plant the fourth planting date this week, weather permitting.
Table 1. Soil and air temperature for the fourth day of planting at the Northwest Agricultural Research Station in Wood County and the Wooster Campus in Wayne County, as well as the third day of planting at the Western Agricultural Research Station in Clark County. The soil and air temperature data were retrieved from https://weather.cfaes.osu.edu/; reported as average temperatures. Location
Soil Temp
Air Temp
Date
Northwest Agricultural Research Station, Wood County
61°F
61°F
5/29
Western Agricultural Research Station, Clark County
62°F
58°F
5/27
Wooster Campus, Wayne County
61°F
57°F
6/2
At the Northwest location, soybeans from planting dates one and two have reached the V2 growth stage, while those from planting date three are at VC. At VC, the unifoliate leaves have fully emerged at the second node of the plant and begin to create energy through photosynthesis. Corn from planting dates one and two are at the V5 stage, and planting date three is at V2. At V2, leaf initiation continues to occur, while nodal root formation is initiated. The growing point of the plant will remain below the soil surface until after the V5 stage, as this protects the plant in its early developmental stages.
An issue observed at the Northwest site is soybean cotyledon loss due to soil crusting. Soil crusting if the formation of a shallow hard layer on the soil surface, formed from rapid drying. As soybeans attempt to emerge from the soil in these conditions, the hypocotyl may break when trying to push through the crust (Figure 1). If this occurs, the cotyledons will no longer be able to reach the soil surface, and the plant will die.
Western and Wooster crops are progressing similarly to Northwest with growth stages being noted in Table 2. As of this time, planting date four at Northwest and Wooster, and planting date three at Western have not yet emerged.
Table 2. Precipitation, soil temperature, average air temperature, and cumulative GDDs at the Western Agricultural Research Station, the Northwest Agricultural Research Station, and Wooster Campus. Weather data retrieved from: https://weather.cfaes.osu.edu/. Location
Precipitation
(Inches)
(June 2 - June 8)
2-inch soil Temperature
(June 2 - June 8)Air Temperature
(June 2 - June 8)
Planting dates
GDDs
(Cumulative)
Corn
Growth
StageSoybean Growth
StageWestern,
Clark County
2.85
Min: 64°F
Max: 77°F
Mean: 72°F
Min: 65°F
Max: 74°F
Mean: 70°F
April 18
May 12
642
383
V5
V3
V3
VC
Wooster,
Wayne County
1.27
Min: 57°F
Max: 74°F
Mean: 67°F
Min: 61°F
Max: 70°F
Mean: 67°F
March 27
April 18
May 12
546
486
291
V5
V5
V2
V2
V2
VC
Northwest,
Wood County1.21
Min: 64°F
Max: 79°F
Mean: 69°F
Min: 61°F
Max: 69°F
Mean: 65°F
March 27
Apr. 16/17
May 12
617
569
350
V5
V5
V2
V2
V2
VC
As a recap, this research project includes five planting date windows, 1) Ultra early = late March to early April; 2) Early = mid to late April; 3) Normal = early to mid-May; 4) Late = late May-first week of June; and 5) Very late = mid to late June.
Keep following the ‘Battle for the Belt’ this growing season to learn more and get further updates! You can find the full video playlist of Battle for the Belt on the Ohio State Agronomy YouTube channel.
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Lep Monitoring Network Update #7 – Corn earworm and Western Bean Cutworm
It is our 7th week of monitoring moth pests in Ohio, and this week we will no longer be reporting on BCW and AMW because we are switching gears to start monitoring for the corn earworm (CEW) and Western bean cutworm (WBC). To monitor these pests, we will be using green bucket traps (similar to the traps we used for BCW and AMW). These pests are monitored starting the week of June 1st and will continue through the week of August 4th for WBC and August 18th for CEW. For our first report, we saw low numbers of CEW and no WBC. Read below for more specific county information.
Corn Earworm
The corn earworm (CEW) is a crop pest native to Ohio whose larvae feed on corn. This not only directly damages the kernels; it also can cause pollination problems from silk damage, increase the risk of mold, and open the ear to other infestations. The adults are yellowish brown and have a wingspan of 32-45mm. Monitoring for larvae is difficult, so we will be monitoring for adults using bucket traps. Each trap has a lure that mimics the pheromones from the female moths. Traps will be checked weekly, and the numbers will be reported for each participating county.
This week, we monitored corn earworm in 13 counties, with a total of 27 traps. CEW is starting to emerge across Ohio, but is present in only small numbers. There seems to be more moths in the western half of the state at the moment, but with a state average of only 0.7 moths, it is hard to draw any meaningful conclusions. No counties have enough moths to cause any concern.
More information on CEW can be found here https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2019-27/corn-earworm-field-corn-watch-molds
Corn Earworm Moth Map
Week 1
June 2nd to June 8th, 2025
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Statewide Slug Monitoring Project – Update # 4
Our fourth slug report covers monitoring from June 2nd to June 8th. During this time, we had 18 counties monitoring a total of 143 shingle traps. Because of the rain and cold temperatures, many fields have not been planted, and our slug numbers are low compared to last year. Our highest slug average over the past week was 5.8, which was an outlier from the statewide average of 0.8 slugs per trap. We will continue to update slug numbers as the season continues, so stay tuned for slug updates over the next few weeks! Slug shingle monitoring in Ohio is funded by the United Soybean Board.
Slugs in Ohio
Week 4
June 2nd – June 8th, 2025
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June Considerations When Using the Prevented Planting Option
Note: This is a revised, re-post of an article originally written for www.ohioagmanager.osu.edu on May 29, 2025.
According to the June 9th Crop Progress Report by the USDA National Ag Statistics Service, Ohio had 89% of corn planted, somewhat behind the 5-year average of 94% planted. In 2024, 94% was planted by this report date. While much of Ohio had a productive planting week, several areas of the state- Southwest and Northeast- remain behind in their planting progress due to wet weather.
The lag in corn planting progress this year has prompted increasing interest in evaluating the Prevented Planting option available through multi-peril crop insurance. The purpose of this article is to walk through the options, mechanics, and economics of electing prevented planting for your corn crop utilizing 2025 values.
We are not crop insurance agents, so our most important message is that for those thinking about prevented planting, talk sooner rather than later with your insurance agent.
In Ohio, June 5 is the date at which prevented planting becomes an electable option. For soybeans, the date is June 20.
As of June 5, a farmer who has individual farm yield (YP) and revenue (RP and RP-HPE) insurance for corn has 3 basic options:
Option 1: Plant corn. Until June 5, you are eligible for your full guarantee at the coverage level you elected. Using the 20-year USDA-NASS Trendline Ohio corn yield of 190 bu/acre as the Actual Production History (APH) insurance yield and the $4.70/bu 2025 projected insurance price for corn, the full guarantee at 80% coverage is $714/acre (190 x $4.70 x 80%). If you elect to plant corn after June 5, your guarantee declines 1% per day through June 25. For example, if you plant corn on June 8, the guarantee formula (190 APH, 80% coverage) would be: 80% x 190 bu/ac x $4.70 x 97% = $693/acre. If you plant after June 25, you can choose not to insure your corn crop, or you can insure at the policy’s prevented planting revenue level. Planting dates need to be recorded, as rules apply on a field-by-field and acre-by-acre basis.
Option 2: Switch from corn to another crop, most likely soybeans. You are charged the soybean insurance premium, not the corn premium. A key agronomy question: Did you apply a chemistry that prevents you from planting soybeans? June weather (local and regional), supply/demand economics, geo-political issues, trade policy, and input options increase the complexity of this decision.
Option 3: File for prevented planting, assuming corn is not planted by June 5. The mechanics of prevented planting are important. To qualify for prevented planting, a crop must have been planted, harvested, and insured on the acres in question in one of the last four years. Prevented planting acres must total at least 20 acres or 20% of the insured land unit (lesser of the two). Consult your crop insurance agent to determine your total eligible acres, as this is a key question. Also, prevented planting claims can be denied if prevented planting is not common in your area.
A corn policy has a standard 55% prevented planting guarantee (buy-up available to 60%). To be very clear, the Harvest Price Option does not apply. Prevented planting indemnity payments are not re-adjusted to a higher harvest price. Prevented planting does not affect your yield history as long as you do not plant a second crop.
To continue our example from above, the indemnity payment for prevented planting corn would be: 190 bu/ac x $4.70 x 80% coverage x 55% prevented planting rate = $393/acre. Please remember that this calculation can vary widely based on coverage level elected (50-85%), prevented planting buy up (55% to 60%), and the insured APH yield for the claimed acres. In our example, this $393/acre would also be the amount at which you could choose to insure a corn crop planted after June 25 (versus no insurance at all).
In comparing and evaluating the three options, questions to ask include:
- What inputs (fertilizer, chemicals, etc.) have already been applied?
- Will you need to pay ‘restocking fees’ for returned seed or other inputs?
- Does my applied chemistry limit my options?
- What are the year-long weed control costs?
- If utilizing cover crops, what will their cost be?
- Is the land owned, or cash or share rented?
- Will the prevented planting indemnity cover costs already incurred and the fixed costs of Land, Labor, and Management?
- What do I save on machinery wear and tear by not planting and harvesting?
- What are the potential additional drying costs due to late harvesting?
- What is my expected price at harvest?
- Are there missed opportunity costs (marketing) because of taking prevented planting?
- What effect does your crop insurance unit structure have on your decision?
- What are livestock feed needs?
- Are there costs associated with not fulfilling forward-contracted corn?
- Do I want to tile the field?
This article does not address these questions, but you should as a part of this decision.
Prevented planting insurance payments can qualify for a 1-year deferral for inclusion in income tax. If this is a consideration for you, please talk to your insurance agent, as specific conditions must be met
A summary comparison is the net return to the prevented planting option vs. the net return to planting a crop. This comparison involves a number of assumptions about price, yield, and cost. This is decision-making under uncertainty. Your assumptions may or may not turn out to be accurate. Prevented planting may or may not be the best choice for your farm at this moment.
Reporting prevented planting acres, should you elect that option, is quite simple. To report prevented planting acres, you first need to turn in a notice (starting June 6) to your insurance agent. Then report prevented planting to the USDA Farm Service Agency to get it on your acreage report. Then, work with your adjuster to finalize the claim, which will generally be paid within 30 days. NOTE: The total acres of prevented planting corn that you can file in 2025 cannot exceed the greatest number of acres of corn you reported in any of the previous four years (2021-2024).
Every farmer’s situation has unique considerations. We encourage you to run the numbers for yourself and make an informed farm management decision with the tools you have available and in consultation with your crop insurance agent.
References:
Richer. E., Bruynis, C. (2019). Prevent plant…What’s That Again? OSU’s Ohio Ag Manager Blog. https://u.osu.edu/ohioagmanager/2019/05/23/prevent-plantwhats-that-again/
Richer. E., Bruynis, C. (2022). Evaluating the Prevent Plant Option. OSU’s Ohio Ag Manager Blog. https://u.osu.edu/ohioagmanager/2022/06/09/evaluating-the-prevent-plant-option/
USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (2025). Crop Progress-May 27, 2025.https://downloads.usda.library.cornell.edu/usda-esmis/files/8336h188j/8049j4596/gx41pg805/prog2125.pdf
USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (2019). Crop Progress-May 28, 2019. https://downloads.usda.library.cornell.edu/usda-esmis/files/8336h188j/4b29bg92m/8910k3910/prog2219.pdf
USDA Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (2024). Prevented Planting Standards Handbook. November 11, 2024. https://www.rma.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2024-11/2025-25370-Prevented-Planting-Standards-Handbook.pdf
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Lep Monitoring Network – Black Cutworm and True Armyworm # 6
We are in our sixth week of monitoring for black cutworm (BCW) and true armyworm (AMW) across Ohio. Despite our cold, rainy weather last week, both BCW and AMW numbers remained high in some counties. This is our final week of monitoring BCW and AMW, and at the end of this week, we will switch our traps over to corn earworm (CEW) and Western bean cutworm (WBC) for early June. Read below for more specific county information.
Black cutworm
Black cutworm numbers have mostly reduced statewide, with only Muskingum and Morgan counties reporting high trap numbers. Over the past week, our team has monitored 47 traps in 18 counties. Our overall statewide average was down this past week to 4.3 (from 7.5 last week). We recommend monitoring fields until plants reach the V6 growth stage, especially in counties that have had averages of 7 moths or more per week. This week, those counties are Muskingum and Morgan (Figure 1).
For more information on how to scout BCW, please visit: https://aginsects.osu.edu/sites/aginsects/files/imce/ENT_35_14 BCW.pdf
Black Cutworm Moth Map
Week 6
May 26th – June 1st, 2025
True Armyworm
We also monitored 47 traps in 18 counties for AMW moths (Figure 2). We are still seeing AMW, but in fewer counties across Ohio compared to BCW. However, our overall statewide average did increase this week to 4.3 moths (from last week’s average of 3.0). Similar to last week, only 3 counties reported an average of 7 or more moths: Muskingum, Van Wert, and Wood (different counties than last week).
True Armyworm Moth Map
Week 6
May 26th – June 1st, 2025
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Battle for the Belt: Season 3, Episode 10: Adjustments for Late-Planted Soybean
Season 3, Episode 10 of Battle for the Belt is now available:
In Episode 10, we are with Dr. Laura Lindsey, the Ohio State Extension Soybean Specialist, discussing recommendations for late-planted soybeans.
Planting season has been difficult across Ohio due to frequent rainfall, leading to delayed planting for both corn and soybean. As of May 25th, 52% of the state’s soybeans were planted; many producers throughout the state are now put into the position of planting outside the optimal timeframe.
When soybean planting is delayed, there are a few agronomic practices that should be changed to help mitigate yield losses. Planting date is the management factor that most strongly influences yield, but that cannot always be controlled. However, there are management factors that a producer can adjust to optimize yield in a late planting situation.
The management practices that can be altered with delayed plantings are:
- Row width
- Seeding rate
- Relative maturity
The row width for soybeans planted in June should be no more than 15 inches, if possible. (There may be equipment limitations.) Figure 1 demonstrates that with May planting dates, 7.5- and 15-inch rows have statistically similar yields, but 30-inch rows have significantly lower yields. As soybeans are planted later, narrow row width becomes more important.
If you are planting soybeans in the first half of June, appropriate seeding rates would be between 150,000 and 175,000 seeds per acre. With a goal of a final stand between 130,000 and 150,000 plants per acre. In the last half of June seeding rates should be adjusted even higher to between 200,000 to 250,000 seeds per acre. As planting is delayed seeding rates should be increased to compensate, at least partially, for the shorter season.
Lastly, relative maturity should be adjusted with late plantings. The maturity group that should be chosen in a late planting situation is the longest relative maturity possible that will not be killed by frost in the fall. Choosing a later maturing variety allows the plant to maximize biomass accumulation, increasing the number of nodes where pods can form, before vegetative growth slows down after reproduction begins. Consult Table 1 to choose the most productive maturity group for your region and planting date window.
Field Crop Progress Updates
Last week, two locations were able to add another planting date! At the beginning of the week, the Western location was able to plant before more rain came in, while Northwest Ohio did not receive rain and could plant later in the week (Table 2). Soil conditions were favorable for planting.
Table 2. Planting date, soil, and air temperature conditions for the fourth day of planting at the Northwest Agricultural Research Station in Wood County, and the third day of planting at the Western Agricultural Research Station in Clark County. The soil and air temperature data were retrieved from https://weather.cfaes.osu.edu/; reported as average temperatures. Location
2-inch soil temperature
Air Temp
Date
Northwest Agricultural Research Station, Wood County
61°F
61°F
5/29
Western Agricultural Research Station, Clark County
62°F
58°F
5/27
The Western location has been progressing quickly over the last two weeks. This location has accumulated the most growing degree days since planting and has now surpassed our Northwest and Wooster locations in heat units (Table 3). The first planting date of corn is at V5 (4/18), and the second planting at V1 (5/12). Sidedress applications to planting date one will be applied soon, as this is the time when plant nitrogen uptake ramps up (V6 stage). The first planting date (4/18) of soybean is at V2, with the second (5/12) at VC.
At the Wooster location, the first planting date (3/27) is at V4 and has had nitrogen applied to the first planting date. Planting dates two (4/18) and three (5/12) were at V3 and V1. For soybean, the growth stages for the first, second, and third planting dates are as follows: V2, V1, VE.
The Northwest location is the furthest behind in the growth stage, while this location has a little more GGDs than the Wooster location, the fields at Northwest are no-till, which takes more time to warm up. Therefore, growth at this location is stagnant with marginal change from last week. Planting date one for corn (3/27) is at V4, with planting date two (4/16) and three (5/12) at V3 and V1. The soybeans are still overall at V1 for the first two planting dates and VE for planting date three (Figure 2).
Table 3. Precipitation, soil temperature, average air temperature, cumulative growing degree days (GDDs), and stage at the Western Agricultural Research Station, the Northwest Agricultural Research Station, and Wooster Campus. Weather data retrieved from: https://weather.cfaes.osu.edu/. Location
Precipitation
(Inches)
(May 27 - June 1)
2-inch soil temperature
(May 27 - June 1)Air Temperature
(May 27 - June 1)
Planting dates
GDDs
(Cumulative)
Corn
Growth
StageSoybean Growth
StageWestern,
Clark County
0.54
Min: 56°F
Max: 72°F
Mean: 63°F
Min: 42°F
Max: 79°F
Mean: 60°F
April 18
May 12
537
253
V5
V1
V2
VC
Wooster,
Wayne County
0.21
Min: 57°F
Max: 65°F
Mean: 61°F
Min: 39°F
Max: 73°F
Mean: 56°F
March 27
April 18
May 12
429
369
174
V4
V3
V1
V2
V1
VE
Northwest,
Wood County0
Min: 56°F
Max: 68°F
Mean: 60°F
Min: 51°F
Max: 77°F
Mean: 61°F
March 27
Apr. 16/17
May 12
477
429
210
V4
V3
V1
V1
V1
VE
If you would like to learn more, check out our research updates through C.O.R.N. article updates and YouTube Videos this growing season! You can find the full video playlist of Battle for the Belt on the Ohio State Agronomy YouTube channel.
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The North American Manure Expo comes to Wauseon, Ohio
The North American Manure Expo is coming to Ohio this summer on July 30th and 31st at the Fulton County Fairgrounds. Starting in 2001, this event was created to showcase research, innovation, and solutions found within manure management. The event brings manure haulers, applicators, brokers, nutrient management specialists, researchers, producers, manufacturers, custom operators, and extension personnel together for two days of learning, networking, and evaluation of new technology, research, equipment, and opportunities. Over the two days, we have an industry trade show, live demonstrations, and educational sessions.
The first morning of the Expo is dedicated to tours that showcase innovative manure solutions. Attendees can purchase tickets online for one of the four tours:
- Tour #1: Andre Farms & Stuckey Farms – visit one of Ohio’s largest Class II EPA composting facilities, followed by a beef and grain operation that will showcase how they have gotten more out of compost through a variety of projects.
- Tour #2: Bridgewater Dairy – see how this farm is leading the way in manure management and renewable energy. Tour guests will see their new methane digester, manure irrigation system, and a manure pipeline, followed by hearing about their long-term approach to sustainability.
- Tour #3: Precision manure irrigation – See the Rain360 irrigation system in action. Farmers and experts will cover the system's real-world performance, economic benefits, and environmental advantages.
- Tour #4: Seiler Farms – This tour will showcase innovative water management practices, including a two-stage ditch, a proven method for improving drainage, reducing nutrient runoff, and enhancing water quality. See how they protect water resources while maintaining crop production.
Day one also includes manure pond agitation demonstrations with boats and sticks at a nearby dairy farm, manure separation demos, rapid manure transfer from tankers to frac tanks demonstrations, confined space safety training, and the always popular pressurized hose release safety demonstration.
Day two of the Expo kicks off with 16 educational sessions in the morning. These are followed by both solid and liquid manure tanker and drag hose application demonstrations and a manure spill containment and stream water restoration demonstration.
Exhibitors will have booths in the trade show both days featuring new and manure innovative technology so you can visit and learn from these equipment makers. Puck will once again have their always-well-attended pump school.
Attendees can register online to join a tour or access the expo grounds for both days. For the full schedule, information on the educational sessions, registration information, and to purchase tour tickets, visit ManureExpo.com.
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Statewide Slug Monitoring Project – Update # 3
This is our second year of our multi-state project to monitor slugs funded by the United Soybean Board. The goal of this research is to have a better understanding of slugs in soybean in states across our region. This year, we have 23 counties participating in shingle monitoring for slugs.
Our third report covers monitoring from May 26th to June 1st. During this time, we had 14 counties monitoring a total of 113 shingle traps. Because of the rain and cold temperatures, many fields have not been planted, and our slug numbers are low compared to last year. Our highest slug average over the past week was 9, which was an outlier from the statewide average of 1.1 slugs per trap. We will continue to update slug numbers as the season continues, so stay tuned for slug updates over the next few weeks!
Slugs in Ohio
Week 3
May 26th – June 1st, 2025
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Battle for the Belt: Season 3, Episode 9
Season 3, Episode 9 of Battle for the Belt is now available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N595T0wzKA4
In episode 9, we discuss relative maturity adjustments for late-planted corn. Due to cold temperatures and wet conditions in April and May, planting delays are affecting different regions in the state. Planting date and hybrid selection have direct implications for corn yields.
Corn relative maturity is influenced by planting date. Selecting corn hybrids and adequate relative maturity is important and dependent on the target planting window. However, if the target planting window differs from the feasible date, adjustments can be considered. In our battle of the belt trial, we are studying five planting windows and four different relative maturities across three sites: 100-day, 107-day, 111-day, and 115-day (Figure 1). Adjustments in the hybrid’s relative maturity can influence yield potential. Usually, longer relative maturities are expected to yield better than their shorter counterparts. Planting a long relative maturity in the wrong environment can lead to frost damage in the fall, affecting yields.
Figure 1. ‘Battle for the Belt’ sites, planting date windows, and corn relative maturities.
For Western Ohio, 2024, yields were maximized with the second and third planting dates (April 16 and May 6). In both plantings, best yields were achieved with the 115-day hybrid (Figure 2). When planting was delayed to June 17, yields were drastically decreased and the short maturity hybrid yielded best (100-day), followed by hybrid maturities 111 and 107.
Figure 2. “Battle for the belt” – Western Ohio, corn results, 2024For Northwest Ohio, 2024, the first planting date was delayed to the middle of May due to non-favorable weather conditions in April and early May. The best-yielding results were obtained with the second planting date, May 23 (Figure 3). For that planting date, relative maturities 100, 107, and 115 had comparable yields, with hybrid 111 yielding less. When the planting was delayed to June 23 at this site, yields decreased and hybrids 100, 115, and 111 yielded best.
Figure 3. “Battle for the belt” – Northwest Ohio, corn results, 2024.For Northeast Ohio, 2024, the best yields were achieved with the second (May 3) and third (May 21) planting dates (Figure 4). On May 3, the best-yielding hybrid was the 115-day. For the May 21 planting, the best-yielding hybrid was the 100-day.
Figure 4. “Battle for the belt” – Northwest Ohio, corn results, 2024.From our results in the past two years, planting date trends have been less consistent for corn, relative to soybean (not discussed in this article – to be discussed next). In general, across research sites, planting corn between mid-April and mid-May has been optimal. In all cases, interactions between planting dates and relative maturities have been documented – suggesting that hybrid maturity selection should be based on planting dates. Longer relative maturities have resulted in higher yields for early plantings. On the other hand, delayed plantings have often benefitted from shorter maturities (in late May or June). Early planting does not always result in higher yields; when planting conditions are not fit, delayed plantings can result in higher yields.
Figure 5. Yellow corn at the Northwest location (5/20/25).
Field & Crop Progress Updates
Corn at the Northwest and Western locations have not fully recovered from the rain and cool temperatures, continuing to have yellow coloration. Northwest Ohio has these symptoms exacerbated by having some of the coldest conditions in the state (Figure 5). As we drive across Ohio, this condition can be seen throughout the state.
Soybean stages from the first two planting dates range from VE to V2 across locations, with Western being slightly ahead (V2), despite being planted three weeks later than the other sites (Table 1, Figure 6). Corn stages range from V1 in planting date two to V4 in planting date one, with Western being slightly ahead of the other locations also (Table 1, Figure 7). Western is located in the southern part of the state, allowing for more growing degree day (GDD) accumulation, from which producers can maximize yield by planting longer maturity hybrids in early plantings, as discussed in Figure 2.
Figure 6. Soybean planting date one (March 27th) and two (April 17th) at the Northwest Station (Top) and planting date one (April 18th) at the Western Station (Bottom). Pictured on 5/20/25 and 5/21/25, respectively.
Figure 7. Corn planting date one (March 27th) and two (April 16th) at the Northwest Station (Top) and planting date one (April 18th) at the Western Station (Bottom). Pictured on 5/20/25 and 5/21/25, respectively..
Table 1. Precipitation, soil temperature, average air temperature, cumulative GDDs, and stage at the Western Agricultural Research Station, the Northwest Agricultural Research Station, and Wooster Campus. Weather data retrieved from: https://weather.cfaes.osu.edu/. 
Location
Precipitation
(Inches)
(May 19 - May 26)
2-inch soil Temperature
(May 19 - May 26)Air Temperature
(May 19 - May 26)
Planting date
GDDs
(Cumulative)
Corn
Growth
StageSoybean Growth
StageWestern,
Clark County
0.59
Min: 55°F
Max: 75°F
Mean: 62°F
Min: 39°F
Max: 75°F
Mean: 57°F
April 18
May 12
435
177
V4
V1
V2
VE
Wooster,
Wayne County
1.02
Min: 56°F
Max: 67°F
Mean: 61°F
Min: 37°F
Max: 69°F
Mean: 53°F
March 27
April 18
May 12
392
333
137
V4
V3
VE
V1
V1
VC
Northwest,
Wood County1.1
Min: 49°F
Max: 69°F
Mean: 57°F
Min: 42°F
Max: 70°F
Mean: 54°F
March 27
Apr. 16/17
May 12
417
369
150
V3
V3
-
V1
V1
-
If you would like to learn more, check out our research updates through C.O.R.N. article updates and YouTube Videos this growing season! You can find the full video playlist of Battle for the Belt on the Ohio State Agronomy YouTube channel
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Lep Monitoring Network – Black Cutworm and True Armyworm # 5
We are in our fifth week of monitoring for black cutworm (BCW) and true armyworm (AMW) across Ohio. Despite our cold, rainy week last week, BCW numbers are still high in some counties, whereas AMW has slightly decreased throughout the state. We are planning to monitor for BCW and AMW for one more week and then switch our traps over to corn earworm (CEW) and Western bean cutworm (WBC). Read below for more specific county information.
Black cutworm
A number of counties are still reporting high trap numbers for BCW. Over the past week our team has monitored 51 traps in 20 counties. Our overall statewide average was down slightly this past week to 7.5 (from 7.9 last week). We recommend monitoring fields until plants reach the v6 growth stage, especially in counties that have had averages of 7 moths or more per week. This week those counties include Hardin, Heron, Henry, Lucas, Mahoning, Muskingum, Putnam, and Trumbull. (Figure 1).
For more information on how to scout BCW please visit: https://aginsects.osu.edu/sites/aginsects/files/imce/ENT_35_14 BCW.pdf
Black Cutworm Moth Map
Week 5
May 19th to May 25th, 2025
Figure 1. Average black cutworm (BCW) moths captured from May 19th to May 25th. The bold number on the left indicates the average moth count for the week, followed by the standard number which indicates the total traps set up in that county.
True Armyworm
We also monitored 49 traps in 20 counties for AMW moths (Figure 2). We are still seeing AMW, but it seems to be in fewer counties across Ohio compared to BCW. Our overall statewide slightly decreased this week at 3.0 moths (from last week’s average of 3.8). Similar to last week, only 4 counties reported an average of 7 or more moths and those counties include Henry, Putnam, Muskingum, and Wood (different counties than last week).
True Armyworm Moth Map
Week 5
May 19th to May 25th, 2025
Figure 2. Average true armyworm (AMW) moths captured from May 19th to May 25th. The bold number indicates the average moth count for the week, followed by the standard number which indicates the total traps set up in that county.
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Statewide Slug Monitoring Project – Update # 2
This is our second year of our multi-state project to monitor slugs funded by the United Soybean Board. The goal of this research is to have a better understanding of slugs in soybean in states across our region. This year, we have 23 counties participating in shingle monitoring for slugs.
Figure 1. Slug feeding on soybean cotyledon in the field.
Our second report covers monitoring from May 19th to May 25th. During this time we had 15 counties monitoring a total of 125 shingle traps. Because of the rain and cold temperatures, many fields have not been planted, and our slug numbers are low compared to last year. Our highest slug average over the past week was 12.2, which was an outlier from the statewide average of 1 slug per trap. We will continue to update slug numbers as the season continues, so stay tuned for slug updates over the next few weeks!
Slugs in Ohio
May 19th – May 25th
Figure 2. Average slugs captured from May 19th to May 25th. The bold number on the left indicates the average slug count for the week, followed by the standard number on the right which indicates the total traps set up in that county.
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Using Manure with Corn
The 2025 planting season has been almost six weeks in length and many farmers are still not done. With some dry weather in the forecast, the opportunity to use manure as a side-dress nitrogen source for corn has arrived. The application of manure to corn can make excellent use of the available manure nutrients. Liquid manure has ammonium nitrogen which the corn crop can immediately utilize.
Incorporating manure into growing corn can boost crop yields, reduce nutrient losses, and give livestock producers or commercial manure applicators another window of time to apply manure to farm fields. Not everyone has access to manure incorporation equipment to side-dress corn. Spreading manure on the surface of corn fields can also capture most of the liquid manure nitrogen.
Surface applying liquid manure to corn fields with a drag hose can occur any time after the corn is planted until the corn is in the V4 (four true leaves with collars) stage. The manure will not harm the emerging corn when applied after planting. Most commercial manure applicators simply drive across the field at an angle to the planted rows. The more advanced the corn field, the more damage is likely to occur from the applicator tracks.
To use a drag hose, the field must be firm enough to support the manure hose. Spring tilled fields that were worked deeply are generally too soft to support the hose unless they were compacted by heavy rainfall. No-till and cover crop systems, where the field was not deeply tilled in the spring, generally work well.
Five years of university research has shown that surface applying manure can produce corn yields about 20 bushels per acre less than incorporated 28% Urea Ammonium Nitrate (UAN). When incorporated at application time, the manure produced yields about 15 bushels per acre higher than the UAN. University research has also shown that corn yields are reduced by about 50 bushels per acre when flattened with a drag hose at the V5 stage of growth.
It is important to know the nutrient content of manure if a livestock producer is counting on using the nutrients to replace commercial fertilizer. Various swine integrators use different feeding rations, so a recent manure analysis is important.
Numerous livestock producers have adapted manure tankers for side-dressing manure into emerged corn by modifying rims and wheels for traveling down corn rows. Even with the soil compaction concern, corn yields from side-dressing with manure are similar to side-dressing with commercial fertilizer. Using a manure tanker also allows the corn to be taller, providing a wider window for manure application.
A YouTube video created from the 2021 Conservation Tillage and Technology virtual Conference on side-dressing corn with liquid manure can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0nhw3GG6Q8&t=14s
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Help Shape the Future of Agricultural Information
Are Extension websites, blogs, and social media delivering the information you need to make decisions on your farm or in your business?
Researchers at the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences at The Ohio State University want to hear from you. As part of a national study on digital communication in agriculture, they’re inviting producers and agribusiness professionals to share their experiences with Ohio State University Extension’s online platforms.
Your input will help ensure that digital content is easy to find, useful, and relevant to today’s farming realities. Whether you read Extension newsletters, browse the website, or follow along on social media, your feedback will help improve how agricultural knowledge is shared statewide.
Take the 15–20 minute confidential survey by June 6:
osu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_89bqXTpeh5q8ayiIf you have questions about the survey or the research project, please contact:
Manita Thapa at thapa.52@osu.eduThank you for helping us strengthen the link between research and the people who put it into practice.
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Head Scab Risk Update
Thanks to recent rainfall, head scab risk remains moderate-to-high in central and southern Ohio, for wheat flowering today and later this week, while the remainder of the state is at medium-risk for infection (Figure 1). These risk estimates were generated by The Fusarium Risk Tool available at https://www.wheatscab.psu.edu/. This tool uses temperature, rainfall, and relative humidity to estimate the risk of infection by Fusarium graminearum that causes Fusarium head blight or head scab in wheat. The fungus also produces the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) or vomitoxin. Keep in mind, the estimate shown in the map is applicable to fields flowering today if a susceptible variety is planted. You should check the tool periodically as more fields begin to flower to see if the risk changes.
Figure 1. Fusarium Risk Assessment Tool Ohio map generated on May 19, 2025. Red = high risk, Orange = medium risk, and Yellow = low risk for Fusarium head blight.
Fungicide applications to reduce head scab development and DON contamination should be made at early flowering (Feekes 10.5.1) when yellow anthers are seen at the center of the wheat spike (Figure 2). (Wheat flowering stage video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEJrX6UqF_E&list=PLYlh_BdeqniJ8oD8TnyGhQHRd96ptV0Yt&index=5) However, applications delayed 4 days after initial flowering can still suppress head scab and DON. Be sure to select a triazole-based fungicide and follow all product label instructions.
Figure 2. Wheat head flowering.
Fungicides with a ‘good’ efficacy rating based on multi-state fungicide trials, include Proline 480 SC, Prosaro 421 SC, Sphaerex, Miravis Ace SE, and Prosaro Pro SC. Access the complete wheat fungicide efficacy chart provided by the Crop Protection Network at https://cropprotectionnetwork.org/publications/fungicide-efficacy-for-control-of-wheat-diseases.
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Scouting for Soybean Seedling Diseases in Ohio
Persistent cool and wet weather across Ohio has created ideal conditions for soybean seedling diseases. As we move through the early stages of the growing season, it’s critical to scout fields for symptoms and signs of seedling blights and root rots that can compromise stand establishment and yield potential.
What to Look For
Soybean seedling diseases are often difficult to diagnose in the field because symptoms can overlap with abiotic stress or insect injury. However, early identification is key to managing these issues effectively. Here are some common culprits to watch for:
- Pythium seedling blight: Look for water-soaked, mushy seedlings with poorly developed roots. This disease thrives in cool, saturated soils.
- Phytophthora root rot: Symptoms include mushy stems and stunted or wilted seedlings. Unlike Pythium, Phytophthora prefers warmer soils but still benefits from wet conditions.
- Fusarium root rot: Characterized by light to dark brown lesions on roots and a reduced root system.
- Rhizoctonia seedling blight: Look for dry, sunken, reddish-brown lesions on the hypocotyl.
For accurate diagnosis, collect about 10 symptomatic seedlings from different areas of the field, keeping the roots intact. Gently remove excess soil, wrap roots in damp paper towels, place in a sealed plastic bag, and ship promptly to a diagnostic lab. For guidance on where to send samples, see our previous article on diagnostic submission here.
Seed Treatments: Not a Silver Bullet
Even with seed treatments, seedling diseases can still occur. The Crop Protection Network (CPN) publication Seed Treatments: Questions that Emerge When Plants Don’t outlines several reasons why treatments may fail:
- The wrong active ingredient for the pathogen present.
- Suboptimal application rates.
- Environmental conditions overwhelming the protection.
- Misdiagnosis of the actual cause of poor emergence.
Choosing the right fungicide seed treatment is essential. For example, metalaxyl and mefenoxam are effective against Pythium and Phytophthora, but not against Fusarium or Rhizoctonia. Refer to the updated 2025 Fungicide Efficacy Table for guidance on active ingredient performance.
Scouting Resources
The Crop Protection Network offers excellent resources to support your scouting efforts:
- Scouting for Soybean Seedling Diseases
- Overview of Soybean Seedling Diseases
- Fungicide Efficacy for Control of Soybean Seedling Diseases (2025)
Help Us Improve Disease Management – Take the Survey
We’re collaborating with the Crop Protection Network (CPN) to better understand how seedling diseases are impacting soybean production across the region. Our goal is to support professionals in making informed decisions on soybean disease management.
To help us improve the effectiveness and value of the information we provide, we invite you to participate in the 2025 Soybean Seedling and Stem Disease Survey. Your input is very valuable to us.
- Participation is voluntary.
- You may skip any question or exit the survey at any time.
- The survey is anonymous—no names, IP addresses, email addresses, or any other identifiable information will be collected.
- You must be 18 years of age or older to participate.
Please take a few minutes to complete this short survey:
Take the CPN Soybean Seedling Disease Survey
Your input will help shape future research and extension efforts.
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2024 On-Farm Research Reports are Now Available
You can now find our most recent on-farm research reports at https://agcrops.osu.edu/on-farm-research. Explore new and past studies using our search tool or filter reports by county with the clickable map of Ohio.
Reports provide in-depth summaries of projects conducted on farms and research branch stations by Ohio State University Extension professionals. All studies are replicated, randomized trials and reports are peer-reviewed by two specialists.
In the past review cycle, there were 6 total reports published from studies conducted in Defiance, Fulton, Putnam, Seneca, Trumbull, and Van Wert Counties. See below for a summary of reports and direct link to their respective PDF:
County
Crop Year
Title
Defiance
2024
Fulton
2024
Effect of Starter Phosphorus Fertilizer in Soybean (2024), following P Applications to Corn (2023)
Putnam
2022
Effect of Xyway LFR Fungicide on Corn Yield and Disease Severity
Seneca
2024
Effect of Bioreactor Extract on Corn Yield and Soil Properties
Trumbull
2024
Evaluating the Effect of Land Rolling Soybean Plants to Improve Yield and Harvest Efficiency
Van Wert
2024
If you are interested in conducting on-farm research, the OSU eFields program provides an opportunity to work and learn together with OSU Extension professionals. Reach out to your local OSU Extension office or the eFields team at digitalag@osu.edu to learn how to get involved. -
Battle for the Belt: Season 3, Episode 7: Soybean Seedling Disease
Season 3, Episode 7 of Battle for the Belt is now available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5k8Y9eiXt0
In Episode 7, Dr. Horacio Lopez-Nicora, the Ohio State Soybean Pathologist and Nematologist, discusses soybean seedling diseases.
Figure 1. Disease triangle. Roth et al. 2020. Journal of Integrated Pest Management, 11(1): 17; 1–28.
For a disease to develop and be present in a field, there needs to be a susceptible host, the presence of a pathogen, and favorable environmental conditions (Figure 1). If these three requirements are not met, then the disease will not occur. Cool, wet weather often creates favorable conditions for many seedling diseases in soybean. However, certain soilborne pathogens can thrive and also cause severe seedling diseases in warmer soil temperatures.
This spring, the persistent wet weather across most of the state over the past few weeks has created ideal conditions for the onset of early-season soybean seedling diseases. In Ohio, we struggle with many soybean diseases that cause damping-off. Damping-off is the wilting of the seedling before emergence, called pre-emergence damping-off or the death of the seedling just after emergence, also called post-emergence damping-off.
Phytophthora and Pythium (Figure 2) are common water mold pathogens that cause damping-off. While it is common to expect disease establishment early in the spring, Phytophthora Sonae can infect plants later in the season, resulting in root and stem rots. The ideal environment for a water mold is saturated soils, wet conditions, and soil compaction. Both Phytophthora and Pythium have a different need when it comes to temperature, though, with Phytophthora requiring temperatures >60/70°F, while Pythium needs 50-60°F or 85-95°F. In this range of suitable temperatures, if your field has a history of these seedling pathogens and soils are saturated, the development of disease will be very likely, requiring integrated pest management techniques including seed treatments and choosing resistant soybean varieties.
Figure 2. Phytophthora Root and Stem Rot (left) and Pythium Seedling Blight and Root Rot (right).
While water molds are fungus-like organisms, our fields in Ohio also deal with true fungi such as Fusarium species, which cause Fusarium Root Rot, and Rhizoctonia solani, the causal agent of Rhizoctonia Seedling Blight (Figure 3). Early-season symptoms of water mold and fungal infections in soybean can appear similar, but distinguishing between them is crucial for selecting appropriate seed treatments. The active ingredients effective against water molds differ from those that protect against fungi, making accurate disease identification essential for effective management. Figure 4 illustrates this importance: soybean plants inoculated with Fusarium and treated with fungicides show effective control when using products specifically designed for true fungi, such as CAPTAN 400 or MAXIM 45. In contrast, APRON Max, designed for water molds, provides no control. Since both types of pathogens can coexist in the field, using a mixture of active ingredients can effectively manage each pathogen.
Final Considerations for Stand Reductions
Is disease causing poor stand establishment?
Many abiotic and biotic conditions can cause stand losses. Therefore, an accurate diagnosis of disease is necessary to determine the cause of stand loss.
Could the fungicide rate be the issue?
The fungicide rate could be a problem, so verifying that the seed treatment was applied appropriately is important.
Can the environment reduce treatment success?
Yes, if the seed has been sitting in cool wet soil for a long period of time, the efficacy can be reduced.
What else can help?
If there are multiple diseases and abiotic factors influencing stand, an integrated management approach is recommended. Well drained soil, resistant varieties, and a seed treatment labelled for the disease are the top management practices for limiting the severity of these diseases.
For more information on soybean seedling diseases please visit:
- An Overview of Soybean Seedling Diseases [https://cropprotectionnetwork.org/publications/an-overview-of-soybean-seedling-diseases]
- Seed Treatments: Questions that Emerge When Plants Don’t [https://cropprotectionnetwork.org/publications/seed-treatments-questions-that-emerge-when-plants-dont]
- Fungicide Efficacy for Control of Soybean Seedling Diseases [https://cropprotectionnetwork.org/publications/fungicide-efficacy-for-control-of-soybean-seedling-diseases]
If you have any questions or issues in the field, please contact Dr. Horacio Lopez-Nicora with the information below.
If you notice any disease issues, please get in touch and send samples to the lab for analysis
Attn: Horacio Lopez-Nicora, Ph.D. (lopez-nicora.1@osu.edu)
Department of Plant Pathology – The Ohio State University
110 Kottman Hall – Soybean Pathology and Nematology
2021 Coffey Rd., Columbus, Ohio 43210Crop Progress Updates from the Field
Due to rainfall, most of Ohio soils were saturated last week, impeding much of the state from planting, including our three research stations. Therefore, planting progress has been slow as of recently. We are looking forward to warmer weather and hopefully drier fields to have the opportunity to plant again this week.
Across all locations and planting dates, the corn is at the same stage, V2. Impressively, planting dates ranging between March 27th and April 18th, northern and southern Ohio, are similar in stage. Like corn, all the soybeans are at a similar stage, VC. However, soybean growth/emergence is less even while corn stands are more uniform, though, corn is still showing yellow coloration due to wet-cold conditions. Table 1 and Figure 5 show more crop progress details across sites, corn and soybean.
Table 1. Precipitation, soil temperature, average air temperature, cumulative GDDs, and stage at the Western Agricultural Research Station, the Northwest Agricultural Research Station, and Wooster Campus. Weather data retrieved from: https://weather.cfaes.osu.edu/.
Precipitation
(Inches)
(May 5 - May 11)
2-inch soil temperature
(May 5 - May 11)Air Temperature
(May 5 - May 11)
Planting date
GDDs
(Cumulative)
Corn
Growth
StageSoybean Growth
StageWestern,
Clark County
0.68
Min: 55°F
Max: 72°F
Mean: 55°F
Min: 39°F
Max: 79°F
Mean: 58°F
April 18
259
V2
VC
Wooster,
Wayne County
1.07
Min: 55°F
Max: 67°F
Mean: 60°F
Min: 55°F
Max: 74°F
Mean: 34°F
March 27
April 18
255
195
V2
V2
VC
VC
Northwest,
Wood County1.63
Min: 48°F
Max: 67°F
Mean: 57°F
Min: 56°F
Max: 79°F
Mean: 35°F
March 27
April 16/17
260
212
V2
V2
VC
VC
Corn pictured on the top and soybean on the bottom. Photos taken on May 9th.
If you would like to learn more, check out our research updates through C.O.R.N. article updates and YouTube Videos this growing season! You can find the full video playlist of Battle for the Belt on the Ohio State Agronomy YouTube channel.
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Lep Monitoring Network – Black Cutworm and True Armyworm Update # 3
We just finished monitoring week 3 of black cutworm (BCW) and true armyworm (AMW) across Ohio. This past week was rainy, but temperatures were warm which resulted in an increased BCW average but a decrease in our average AMW counts. Read below for more specific information.
Black cutworm
Over the past week BCW trap numbers remained high for many counties in Ohio. A total of 50 traps in 19 counties participated in the monitoring. Our overall statewide average was up a bit at 11.0 moths compared to last week which was 9.3. Also, 9 counties out of 19 saw an increase in BCW numbers over the past week. This means the moths are still active and in flight across the state. We recommend keeping a close eye on fields in counties with averages of 7 moths or more per week. This week those counties include Allen, Auglaize, Defiance, Hardin, Henry, Lucas, Muskingum, and Van Wert (Figure 1).
For more information on how to scout BCW please visit: https://aginsects.osu.edu/sites/aginsects/files/imce/ENT_35_14 BCW.pdf
Black cutworm moth map
Week 3: May 5th to May 11th, 2025
Figure 1. Average black cutworm (BCW) moths captured from May 5th to May 11th. The bold number on the left indicates the average moth count for the week, followed by the standard number on the right which indicates the total traps set up in that county.
True Armyworm
Over the past week the Lep Network also monitored 46 traps in 18 counties for true armyworm (Figure 2). Our overall statewide average from last week continued on the downward trend of only 3.2 moth (down from 4.7 previously). Only 3 moths reported an average of 7 moths, those counties include Henry, Van Wert and Wood.
True Armyworm moth map
Week 3: May 5th to May 11th, 2025
Figure 2. Average true armyworm (AMW) moths captured from May 5th to May 11th. The bold number indicates the average moth count for the week, and the standard number in parentheses is the total number of traps set in that county.
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Alfalfa Weevil and Alfalfa Quality
Alfalfa weevils have been in the growing degree days (GDD) window for peak feeding for at least a week and a week or two longer for some regions across the state. The peak alfalfa weevil feeding and damage window of 325 to 575 GGDs (accumulation from a base of 48°F starting January 1st). As of writing this (Jan. 1 – May 12), heat units range from 698 in southcentral Ohio to 388 in northeast Ohio.
Figure 1. Map of accumulated growing degree days (base 48°F sine calculation method) for January 1 – May 12, 2025 at CFAES Ag Weather stations across the state (https://weather.cfaes.osu.edu//) and additional NOAA stations around Ohio (Midwestern Regional Climate Center (https://www.mrcc.purdue.edu))
As part of our state-wide scouting effort, many county educators are seeing alfalfa weevil larvae pressure rise in the fields that have yet to be treated. The following table shows the average state of alfalfa fields scouted in each county. Some counties have zero alfalfa weevil larvae or lower numbers than the previous week due to the scouted field being treated. Be sure to scout your field to gauge your situation specifically.
Table 1: County alfalfa weevil scouting reports for May 6 – May 12
County
Alfalfa Height (inches)
Larvae Count per Stem
Allen
12-22
1.2
Crawford
14-23
0.7
Defiance
15-25
2
Fulton
12-24
0
Mercer
16-31
1
Putnam
16-28
1.8
Perry
16-24
1.9
Ross
12-24
0.6
Wood
16-24
1.8
For a lot of the fields that are right around the treatment threshold, the decision this time of the season is whether to treat with an insecticide or harvest early. Many fields have reached the height at which it is generally recommended that an early harvest be made, as shown in Table 2. The goal for Dairy quality alfalfa hay is below 42% NDF; however, feed value declines quickly between 35-42% NDF. The goal of harvesting at an NDF of 35% in the spring can quickly lead to 42% NDF with one rain. Over the past week, alfalfa grew 2-4 inches across the state. The tallest reported alfalfa was 25 inches. Using the Alfalfa Predictive Equations for Alfalfa Quality (PEAQ) it would have an NDF of 34.7 in the vegetative stage or 35.9 in the bud stage. If this alfalfa only grew four more inches next week, it would have an NDF of 37.5 in the vegetative stage or 38.7 in the bud stage. Warmer weather this week should lead to faster growth than last week. Alfalfa under 16 inches should still be dairy quality, even if a treatment of alfalfa weevil is needed, as long as an insecticide with a short PHI is chosen, allowing you to still maximize tonnage and quality. If you use harvest to control alfalfa weevil, be sure to scout for alfalfa weevil the week following harvest to ensure the population doesn’t persist and impact the second cutting.
If utilizing an insecticide as a treatment, be sure to follow the label and take into account the harvest restriction that may impact the forage quality as a stand continues to mature during the waiting period.
Table 2. Alfalfa stand height and larvae pressure treatment recommendations
Stand Height
(Inches)
Indication of Problem
(% Tip Feeding)
Problem Confirmation
(Larvae per Stem)
Recommended Action
6
25
1
Recheck in a week
9
50
>1
Spray
12
75
>2
Spray
16
100
>4
Harvest early
For more information on scouting practices, resources can be found here: Alfalfa Weevil Scouting and GDD and Alfalfa Weevil Scouting Video.
For more information on control methods, consult the OSU and MSU “Field Crops Insect Pest Management Guide” (https://aginsects.osu.edu/extension-publications/msuosu-ipm-guide)
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Statewide Slug Monitoring Project – Update # 1
This is our second year of our multi-state project to monitor slugs funded by the United Soybean Board. The goal of this research is to have a better understand of slugs in soybean in states across our region. This year, we have 23 counties participating in the shingle monitoring.
Slugs continue to be a concern for growers in Ohio because growers, especially those with no-till fields where cover crops are grown, are seeing increasing evidence of plant damage resulting from slugs. Slugs may not be noticeable at first because they are a nocturnal pest, meaning they feed at night the majority of time. We also tend to find slugs feeding on cloudy or rainy days. Both of these situations are not ideal for scouting, so slugs are often missed until the damage is noticeable. The slugs feed directly on soybeans causing both seed and foliar damage that can result in complete loss of the plant (Figure 1).
In order to monitor, each field will be using shingle traps for 9 weeks (3 weeks before plant, and 6 weeks after plant). Shingle traps consist of a 1-sq.ft. white roofing shingle secured to the ground with tent stakes and are known to provide a refuge for slugs to hide under during daylight. Each week, traps are checked in the morning by lifting the shingle and counting the number of adult and juvenile slugs underneath each trap. The data collected from this study will allow us to have a better understanding of the slug variations in Ohio and across the region.
Figure 1. Slug feeding on soybean cotyledon in the field.
For our first report covers monitoring from May 5th to May 11th. During this time, we had 17 counties monitoring a total of 149 shingle traps. Because of the rain many fields have not been planted, and our slug numbers are low. Our highest slug average over the past week was 2.0. We will continue to update slug numbers as the season continues, so stay tuned for slug updates over the next few weeks!
Slugs in Ohio
May 5th – May 11th
Figure 2. Average slugs captured from May 5th to May 11th. The bold number on the left indicates the average slug count for the week, followed by the standard number on the right which indicates the total traps set up in that county.
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Peak Alfalfa Weevil Activity
We took another jump in growing degree days (GDD) this week and are seeing the response from alfalfa and alfalfa weevils. The entirety of the state is within or just past the peak alfalfa weevil feeding and damage window of 325 to 575 GGDs (accumulation from a base of 48°F starting January 1st). As of writing this (Jan. 1 – May 5), heat units range from 618 in southcentral Ohio to 337 in northeast Ohio.
Figure 1. Map of accumulated growing degree days (base 48°F sine calculation method) for January 1 – May 5, 2025 at CFAES Ag Weather stations across the state (https://weather.cfaes.osu.edu//) and additional NOAA stations around Ohio (Midwestern Regional Climate Center (https://www.mrcc.purdue.edu))
Scouting is still important at this stage, as alfalfa weevil population numbers vary from field to field. We are also getting to the point in the season where the more economic method of control may be harvesting early, based on the maturity of the stand. If a field with a heavy alfalfa weevil population is harvested early, be sure to scout the regrowth one week after harvest to ensure the alfalfa weevil larvae don’t persist and impact the second cutting. Two scouting resources can be found here: Alfalfa Weevil Scouting and GDD and Alfalfa Weevil Scouting Video.
County educators from across the state continue to scout fields in their respective counties, as shown in Table 1.
Table 1: County alfalfa weevil scouting reports for April 29- May 5
County
Alfalfa Height (inches)
Larvae Count per Stem
Allen
8-16
1.2
Crawford
17-18
1.2
Defiance
11-18
1.9
Fulton
14-18
0.6
Mercer
14-25
0.6
Perry
9-14
1.5
Putnam
12-18
0.8
Ross
8-20
1
Wood
10-16
0.5
For more information on control methods, consult the OSU and MSU “Field Crops Insect Pest Management Guide” (https://aginsects.osu.edu/extension-publications/msuosu-ipm-guide)
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Lep Monitoring Network – Black Cutworm and True Armyworm Update # 2
It is week 2 of monitoring Lepidopteran pests in ag crops across Ohio, and despite all of the rain over the past week the temperatures continue to increase and we are continues to see counties with high numbers of black cutworm (BCW) and true armyworm (AMW) moths. Read below for more information.
Black cutworm
Over the past week BCW moth trap numbers remained high across Ohio with many monitoring counties reporting moths in their traps. Overall, we monitored a total of 49 traps in 17 counties. Our statewide average was lower (9.3) compared to last week’s average of 20.1 moths. We recommend keeping a close eye on fields in counties with averages of 7 moths or more per week. This week those counties include Auglaize, Defiance, Hardin, Henry, Huron, Lorain, Lucas, Van Wert and Wood (Figure 1).
A reminder from last week: Black cutworm moths are specifically attracted to fields with broadleaf weeds, such as chickweed (Figure 2) and purple dead nettle (Figure 3). The moths fly into these area and lay eggs, which then hatch in 5 – 10 days, and larvae go through 6 instar stages over the next 28 – 35 days. Counties with high trap numbers should plan to scout for BCW larvae after corn is planted until V6 stage, especially in fields with a lot of broadleaf weeds (such as chickweed and purple dead nettle). For more information on how to scout BCW please visit: https://aginsects.osu.edu/sites/aginsects/files/imce/ENT_35_14 BCW.pdf
Black cutworm moth map
Week 2
April 28th to May 4th, 2025
Figure 1. Average black cutworm (BCW) moths captured from April 28th to May 4th. The bold number on the left indicates the average moth count for the week, followed by the standard number on the right which indicates the total traps set up in that county.
Figure 2. Common chickweed. Photo credit: Curtis Young.
Figure 3. Purple dead nettle. Photo credit: Amy Raudenbush.
True Armyworm
Over the past week the Lep Network also monitored 47 traps in 17 counties for true armyworm (Figure 4). Our statewide average from last week was also lower for AMW (4.7) compared to the previous week with 15.3 moths. Counties with a weekly average of 7 moths or more included: Auglaize, Henry, Van Wert and Wood.
A reminder from last week about AMW: Adults lay eggs in grasses and rye cover crops. The eggs hatch and feed on young corn plants. Counties with high trap numbers should monitor for AMW larvae after corn is planted, especially in areas of grassy no-till fields or fields that had rye cover crop.
True Armyworm moth map
Week 2
April 28th to May 4th, 2025
Figure 4. Average true armyworm (AMW) moths captured from April 28th to May 4th. The bold number indicates the average moth count for the week, and the standard number in parentheses is the total number of traps set in that county.
Lastly, an update from Curtis Young (Van Wert County) who has been monitoring variegated cutworm activity beside a clover cover crop field. The egg masses he noticed last week have successfully hatched into first instars as of this week (Figure 5). The damage young larvae cause is usually not noticeable – but as the larvae grow, they eat more and feeding becomes more apparent. That is why it’s important to continue to scout your field corn until V6.
Figure 5. Variegated cutworm first instars hatching from eggs, early May 2025. Photograph taken by Curtis Young.
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Battle for the Belt: Season 3, Episode 6: What is Battle for the Belt 2.0?
Season 3, Episode 6 of Battle for the Belt is now available:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9lhEypIBHwWe are in the final year of Battle of the Belt – Which Crop to Plant First? However, the story does not end there. In 2025, we are launching Battle for the Belt 2.0! From 2023 until the present day, we have covered field scouting updates throughout the growing season and have presented preliminary results on corn and soybean planting date priority, as well as soybean seeding rate and corn relative maturity recommendations based on planting date. Planting date continues to be an important factor to evaluate because of the current weather dynamics, like the trend for earlier last freeze dates in the spring (Figure 1). In addition to weather, other factors like crop stress due to abiotic and biotic factors can influence the effect of planting date (Figure 2). Weather stress, pests, and disease can affect stand establishment, plant population, and crop yield.
Figure 1. Earlier last freeze dates in the spring. In most US Midwest States, a trend in earlier last freeze dates is observed, allowing earlier plantings (Midwestern Regional Climate Center, 2023)
Figure 2. Corn and soybean plant population density can be reduced by several abiotic and biotic factors. Pictures from Ohio’s staple agronomic crops struggling to establish adequate plant populations.
When low plant populations exist, a common question is whether to replant fields or not. To address that question, in 2025, we are starting a new project on replant decisions for corn and soybean. The project is funded by USDA NIFA AFRI under the Critical Agriculture Research and Extension (CARE) program. The project involves five seeding rates and five planting dates for each crop (Table 1).
Table 1. Distribution of the treatments through the different planting dates and seeding rates for the replanting trial, 2025, and 2026 crop seasons. Typical corn and soybean seeding rates are shown in bold. The list includes low seeding rates to purposely achieve low plant populations.
Target Planting Dates
(2-week intervals)Corn Seeding Rates
Soybean Seeding Rates
--------------------seeds per acre--------------------
Late March to early April
(Ultra Early)16K, 22K, 28K, 34K, 40K
40K, 80K, 120K, 160K, 200K
Mid to late April
(Early)16K, 22K, 28K, 34K, 40K
40K, 80K, 120K, 160K, 200K
Early to mid-May
(Normal)16K, 22K, 28K, 34K, 40K
40K, 80K, 120K, 160K, 200K
Late May to early June
(Late)16K, 22K, 28K, 34K, 40K
40K, 80K, 120K, 160K, 200K
Mid to late June
(Very late)16K, 22K, 28K, 34K, 40K
40K, 80K, 120K, 160K, 200K
Like Battle for the Belt, the replanting trial will be conducted at the Western Research Station (Clark County), the Northwest Research Station (Wood County), and in Northeast Ohio (Wooster Campus, Wayne County) (Figure 3). The objectives of this project are:
- Identify soybean and corn replant thresholds based on plant populations and planting dates.
- Develop a decision support tool to compare the profitability of replant scenarios.
- Implement extension programming with frequent updates during the crop season.
Figure 3. Study locations for the replanting study, 2025 and 2026 crop seasons: Western, Northwest, and Northeast Ohio.
Crop Progress Updates from the Field
The warm weather of the previous two weeks finally got our crops out of the ground!
The Western location has one planting date completed (April 18), and we are waiting for the soil to dry to be able to plant the second date. The first planting date is at emergence in soybean and V1 in corn (Table 2). Corn showed symptoms of cold temperatures with yellow banding (Figure 4). This occurs when the crop experiences temperatures between 38℉ and 47℉; the damage is only cosmetic and should not affect yield. To see the symptoms in the field, access this short video.
Figure 4. Yellow banding on corn leaf from cold temperatures. Photo credit: Laura Lindsey.
The Wooster location has planting date one (March 27) at V1(first leaf) for corn and VE for planting date two (April 18), with soybean, planting dates one and two have been lingering at VE (emergence) (Table 2). Even though planting date one was in the ground for a month before emerging, there are no visual signs of disease.
At the Northwest location, planting dates one (March 27) and two (April 16-17) are out of the ground for both crops. Corn is currently at growth stage V1 while soybeans are still emerging (Figure 5).
Table 2. Precipitation, soil temperature, average air temperature, cumulative GDDs, and stage at the Western Agricultural Research Station, the Northwest Agricultural Research Station, and Wooster Campus. Weather data retrieved from: https://weather.cfaes.osu.edu/.
Precipitation
(inches)
(April 28 - May 4)
2-inch Soil Temperature
(April 28 - May 4)Air Temperature
(April 28 - May 4)
Planting Dates
GDDs
(Cumul.)
Corn
Growth
StageSoybean Growth
StageWestern,
Clark County
1.93
Min: 56°F
Max: 69°F
Mean: 62°F
Min: 46°F
Max: 80°F
Mean: 61°F
April 18
207
V1
VE
Wooster,
Wayne County
1.95
Min: 53°F
Max: 64°F
Mean: 60°F
Min: 32°F
Max: 80°F
Mean: 59°F
March 27
April 18
221
161
V1
VE
VE
VE
Northwest,
Wood County0.46
Min: 49°F
Max: 68°F
Mean: 59°F
Min: 41°F
Max: 81°F
Mean: 63°F
March 27
April 16/17
217
169
V1
V1
VE
VE
If you would like to learn more, check out our research updates through C.O.R.N. article updates and YouTube Videos this growing season! You can find the full video playlist of Battle for the Belt on the Ohio State Agronomy YouTube channel.
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Glufosinate Use and Label Guidelines for 2025
Without the option of dicamba, more growers will be relying on 2,4-D and glufosinate for POST herbicide applications in the respective traited soybean systems. A previous C.O.R.N. article, “Considerations for Soybean Trait Programs in 2025” covers reminders for use of these products in 2025, and especially for the Enlist system.
There are further considerations for the use of glufosinate this growing season in terms of product options and label requirements. The registration for a new BASF product, a reformulation of Liberty (glufosinate) called Liberty Ultra, was approved last October. Standard glufosinate products are a blend of the inactive D-isomer molecules and active L-isomer molecules. This means a portion of the product is in an inactive form. Liberty Ultra is a reformulated product wherein the D-isomer has been transformed to L-isomer. This means a greater portion of the product is in an active form, allowing for lower use rates of Liberty Ultra than other glufosinate products. It is expected that these reformulations will replace the standard glufosinate products over time.
Liberty Ultra is also the first herbicide label registered under the new guidelines from the EPA to improve compliance with the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Following these guidelines, including diligent record keeping, ensure that growers are better protected in the event of off-target movement.
These label guidelines include:
- Label Section 12. Endangered and Threatened Species Protection Requirements: instructions to download Endangered Species Protection Bulletins from Bulletins Live! Two (https://www.epa.gov/pesticides/bulletins) six months prior to or on the day of application
- Shows application requirements that are location specific and not listed on the herbicide label
- Application requirements listed on the label that are to be followed anywhere Liberty Ultra is used (Label sections 9, 10 and 11):
- Wind speed and direction must be measured on location
- Sustained wind speed must be between 3 and 15 MPH, measured at the release height or higher, in an area free from obstructions
- Mandatory 10 ft downwind spray buffer for ground application, reduced to 0 ft if:
- Using a drift reducing adjuvant
- Using a hooded sprayer
- A windbreak or shelterbelt is present
- Three runoff mitigation points required
- Check the mitigation options at https://www.epa.gov/pesticides/mitigation-menu
- Across Ohio, most counties already have 2-3 mitigation points based on runoff vulnerability https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2024-10/county-mitigation-relief-points-runoff-vulnerability.pdf
- Many farms across the state already implement some of the other mitigation options in their operation, including conservation tillage (qualifies for 3 points) or cover cropping (qualifies for 1-3 points)
- Check the mitigation options at https://www.epa.gov/pesticides/mitigation-menu
Another important application consideration that relates to the use of Liberty Ultra is the adjuvant requirements per the approved Enlist tank-mix list. According to this list, when Enlist One is applied with Liberty Ultra, this combination requires an additional MSO, HSMSO (High Surfactant MSO) or HSCOC (High Surfactant COC) tank-mix partner (https://www.enlist.com/en/herbicides/approved-tank-mix/enlist-one-tank-mix-products.html).
Last week’s episode of the War Against Weeds podcast featured guests Liam Vincent (BASF) and Lynn Justenseen (UPL) and covered this topic, including information on reformulated glufosinate products, the ESA compliant labels and associated use requirements. Listen to the episode here https://waragainstweeds.libsyn.com/s9-e14-liberty-ultra-label-esa or anywhere podcasts are available. Resources with more information about the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the EPA’s Herbicide Strategy and links to associated webpages can be found here: https://u.osu.edu/osuweeds/multimedia/endangered-species-act/.
- Label Section 12. Endangered and Threatened Species Protection Requirements: instructions to download Endangered Species Protection Bulletins from Bulletins Live! Two (https://www.epa.gov/pesticides/bulletins) six months prior to or on the day of application
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Battle for the Belt: Season 3, Episode 5: Weather and Planting Update
Season 3, Episode 5 of Battle for the Belt is now available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVYGuSdz2Vw&list=PLYlh_BdeqniI74ycivSl_yVOjWJjdjg2X&index=7
When will we be able to plant? That’s the question on many farmers’ minds as we head into late April and early May. In Episode 5 of Battle for the Belt, we get an update on weather conditions from Dr. Aaron Wilson, OSU Extension Ag Weather & Climate Field Specialist and State Climatologist of Ohio.
Planting has picked up across Ohio under mild, favorable conditions. Soil temperatures are mostly in the mid-50s to 60°F, aiding progress despite a wetter-than-average month. Strong winds have helped dry soils, and most areas are in good shape. This week brings several rain chances, possible severe weather, and cooler conditions with a frost risk. A drier, warmer window from May 5–11 should offer a good planting opportunity.
For more information, please read Aaron’s C.O.R.N. article from this week “Favorable Planting Weather.”
What’s happening in the field?
Progress continues across all Battle for the Belt locations! As a reminder, the second planting date was successfully completed at both the Northwest and Wooster sites between April 16th and 18th (Table 1). Looking ahead, plans are in place to move forward with the third planting date, roughly three weeks after the second. These plans are subject to change pending weather and field conditions. Planting date 1 (March 27), corn and soybean, at Northwest and Wooster locations, are showing promising signs, with emergence out of the ground visible (Figure 1). These early-planted crops benefited from a recent warmup that contributed to additional growing degree days (GDDs) accumulation (Table 1).
The Western Agricultural Research Station was also able to get in on the action, completing planting date one on April 18th. These crops have germinated and are now beginning to emerge (Figure 2). Within the next ten days, the second planting date at Western will be planted, if soil conditions allow. This location is scheduled to be planted every two weeks.
Table 1. Precipitation, soil temperature, average air temperature, and cumulative GDDs at the Western Agricultural Research Station, the Northwest Agricultural Research Station, and Wooster Campus. Weather data retrieved from: https://weather.cfaes.osu.edu/.
As a recap, this research project includes five planting date windows, 1) Ultra early = late March to early April; 2) Early = mid to late April; 3) Normal = early to mid-May; 4) Late = late May-first week of June; and 5) Very late = mid to late June.
Keep following the ‘Battle for the Belt’ this growing season to learn more and get further updates! You can find the full video playlist of Battle for the Belt on the Ohio State Agronomy YouTube channel.
Authors: Maria Kessler, Laura Lindsey, Osler Ortez, Aaron Wilson, Taylor Dill, Diego Miranda, Lynn Ault
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Recent Rain Patterns: Implications on Nitrogen Management for Wheat Production
Since the past week, many wheat fields in Ohio are battling with excessive soil water or even ponding water conditions (Fig 1). Ohio has received rainfall ranging from about 1.5 inches in the north to more than 4.0 inches in some south-western counties (Fig. 2a). Total precipitation amount in the past 30-days has been substantial with certain portions recording near 15 inches (Fig. 2b). Such rainfall patterns can have implications on wheat production, especially due to nitrogen (N) management concerns.
Recommended N application timing: Ohio State University recommends applying nitrogen between spring green-up and Feekes Growth Stage 6 (first node visible): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_f3VrqzV5c&list=PLYlh_BdeqniJKls4wRr4V_JNRA6ufv3Ne&index=11&t=4s). Ohio research has shown no yield benefit of N application prior to green-up, with major N loss and yield reductions observed with such approach in certain years. On the flip side, waiting until Feekes Growth Stage 9 can also result in yield declines (Lentz and Lindsey, 2016).
Current wet soil conditions are posing two major concerns for wheat N management:
- Waiting to apply N: Is it too late to apply N now? There is still time to apply N to meet wheat N demand without seeing a yield penalty. In most areas of Ohio, wheat enters Feekes Growth Stage 6 around mid- to late-April. If weather clears up and soil dries up enough to allow machinery into the field, growers should apply N.
- Already applied N: What is the fate of applied N? Excessively wet soil conditions trigger N loss via two pathways: leaching and denitrification. As water coming from rain moves down the soil profile, it carries negatively charged nitrate ions with it via leaching process. It is hard to predict the exact amount of N leached, but one can expect more N losses in coarse textured soils compared to fine textured soils. Additionally, the N loss via leaching depends upon the type of N fertilizer applied. Ammonium-N fertilizers, such as urea and ammonium sulfate should still be in the ammonium-N form and not vulnerable to loss (positive ionic charge of the N form held by the negative charged soil particles). However, N fertilizers with a nitrate component (negative ionic charge; repelled by the soil) such as urea-ammonium nitrate (UAN, 28-0-0) has the potential to lose the nitrate portion after the intense and heavy rainfall events. Roughly speaking, UAN is 50% urea and 50% ammonium nitrate resulting in about 75% ammonium-N and 25% nitrate-N for the crop soon after application. During the early season’s excessive rain events, 25% nitrate-N from UAN is generally vulnerable to be lost as moving water could carry it down the tile system or as run-off since the wheat crop utilizes very little N until Feekes Growth Stage 6. Thus, if a producer applied 100 lbs of N from UAN, 25 lbs would be vulnerable to loss from a heavy rain event that occurs before Feekes Growth Stage 6. After Feekes Growth Stage 6, much of the nitrate-N will be used by the wheat crop reducing the loss potential. The longer the time between fertilizer application and Feekes Growth Stage 6, the greater potential for this nitrate component to be lost from excessive rainfall. The Ohio State University research has not shown yield increases from very early nitrogen applications on wheat, thus, to minimize the N loss potential, OSU recommends applying N after full green-up.
Soil texture and temperature will also affect the potential of N loss. If soils are fine textured (high in clay content), water ponding may be more prominent which can trigger N losses via denitrification. Denitrification mainly occurs when soil temperatures are above 55 oF and water is standing for extended time in the fields. Fortunately, soil temperatures have been relatively low in the past rainy week, averaging <50 degrees in the northern portion of the state and mid to low 50s in the southern part of the state. Therefore, denitrification loss is expected to be minimal.
In summary, recent rainfall events have raised concerns about N management for wheat production. Growers are still in the window to apply N to meet the crop needs; it is not too late yet. However, if a grower has already applied N fertilizer, some fraction of applied N may have been lost after excessive rain events, especially if fertilizer contained N in the nitrate form and soils were relatively coarse textured.
References/Resources:
Lentz, E. and Lindsey, L. 2016. When is the Best Time to Apply N to Wheat. C.O.R.N newsletter. https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2016-05/when-best-time-apply-n-wheat
Lentz, E. Paul, P. and Lindsey. L. 2016. What is the Meaning of Feekes Growth Stages in Wheat? https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/what-meaning-feekes-g...
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Thought It Would Never Stop Raining
Climate Summary
As forecasted, a complex weather pattern brought significant rainfall to the entire state between Wednesday night and Sunday. Precipitation over the last 7 days ranges from about 2 inches in northeast Ohio to 5-7 inches across southwest and south central Ohio (Figure 1). This brings the precipitation total for much of southwest Ohio to 8-12 inches over the last 30 days. The length of last week’s event allowed for a significant improvement to soil moisture profiles with standing water noted in many counties. Stream flows are normal to well above normal, with reports of farm ponds finally returning to close to normal levels across the driest areas of southeast Ohio. Still, longer-term (180-365 day) precipitation deficits remain and conditions will need to be monitored closely throughout the growing season. Overall, the latest US Drought Monitor shows about 34% of the state is abnormally dry but with the saturated conditions, improvements are likely in the update on Thursday morning.
With much above normal air temperatures in March, early spring soil temperatures have been mild. Even with the weekend cool down, daily-average soil temperatures as of April 6 range from the mid to upper 40s across northern Ohio to the low to mid 50s across the south. For more complete weather records for CFAES research stations, including temperature, precipitation, growing degree days, and other useful weather observations, please visit https://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weather1/. For the latest up-to-date conditions, seasonal outlooks, and monthly climate summaries, please visit the State Climate Office of Ohio.
Weather Forecast
The big weather story this week is the Arctic chill that is settling into the region. Overnight lows on Tuesday morning (April 8) will be in the low to mid 20s across the entire state. Many locations will spend 10-12 hours below freezing overnight, with potential damage to sensitive vegetation. Freeze Warnings are in effect across central and southern Ohio. Another cold night is likely Tuesday night into Wednesday morning with lows in the mid to upper 20s. Temperatures will modify late in the week, but freezing temperature are possible again over the weekend. A system moving down from the northern Great Plains will bring rain and/or snow to the state on Wednesday and Thursday. Lingering showers on Friday should give way to drier weather for the weekend. The National Weather Service is currently forecasting 0.5-1 inch of precipitation for Ohio over the next 7 days (Figure 2).
The 6-10 day outlook from the Climate Prediction Center and the 16-Day Rainfall Outlook from NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center show near normal temperatures and precipitation (Figure 3). Climate averages include a high-temperature range of 58-63°F, a low-temperature range of 37-42°F, and weekly total precipitation of 0.80-1.00 inch.
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Dryness Persisted But Soakers on the Way
Climate Summary
Despite improving drought conditions throughout the winter, longer-term dry signals persisted in northwest and southeast Ohio. Precipitation over the last 30 days has ranged from 1.5 inches in parts of northwest and eastern Ohio, to more than 5 inches in southwest Ohio. This represents less than 75% of normal precipitation for March in these drier spots, while the bulk of the I-71 corridor has averaged above normal. Overall, the latest US Drought Monitor shows about 38% of the state is depicting abnormally dry conditions. As far as temperatures are concerned, after a cold January and February, conditions were much warmer in March. Temperatures averaged 3-8°F above the long-term average (1991-2020). This has led to warmer soil temperatures as well. Daily average 2-inch and 4-inches temperatures are running in the low to mid 40s across northern Ohio, mid to upper 40s across central counties, and in the low 50s in the south (e.g., Piketon). For more complete weather records for CFAES research stations, including temperature, precipitation, growing degree days, and other useful weather observations, please visit https://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weather1/. For the latest up-to-date conditions, seasonal outlooks, and monthly climate summaries, please visit the State Climate Office of Ohio.
Weather Forecast A significant and potentially dangerous weather situation is setting up this week. First, cool temperatures will persist on Tuesday, before a warm up into the 70s and 80s occurs on Wednesday. This will lead to strong to severe storms for mid-week as well. The front will stall across the Ohio Valley, providing an axis of moisture for Thursday through Sunday. Mutiple rounds of showers and storms are likely. Heavy rain is possible, especially across southwest Ohio. The National Weather Service is currently forecasting 3-4 inches of rain for northern and eastern Ohio, with a broad area of 4-8 inches in central and southern Ohio (Figure 2). If materialized, this will lead to widespread areas of flash and areal flooding with major rises on rivers throughout the state. The Ohio River Forecast Center predicts a 30% chance of moderate to major flooding for Ohio.
The 6-10 day outlook from the Climate Prediction Center and the 16-Day Rainfall Outlook from NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center show strong probability of cooler than average temperatures with precipitation leaning toward drier than normal (Figure 3). Climate averages include a high-temperature range of 55-60°F, a low-temperature range of 35-40°F, and weekly total precipitation of 0.80-1.00 inch.
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Spring Nitrogen Fertilization for Winter Annual Cereal Grain Forages
Nitrogen fertilization of cereal grains for forage is important for both yield and quality. Using an application method split between the spring and fall is important and can increase yield and tillering, can help spread the risk of nitrogen loss and improve the nitrogen use efficiency. Knowing what your target yield is will help you determine how much the split application will be.
When fertilizing in the spring it’s important to have the correct timing and apply the nitrogen as the crop breaks dormancy. This allows there to be less of a chance for runoff and leaching and the ground is not frozen allowing the nitrogen to move into the soil to be utilized by the crop. Dormancy will break at different times in the spring depending upon the species grown. Cereal rye and triticale will green up first, while wheat and barley will be much slower. Nitrogen applied in the fall or split between the fall and spring will result in more constant forage production throughout the season compared to one spring application, though, spring applied nitrogen was found to increase yields up to 200lbs/ac compared to other methods based on work done in Oklahoma.
In recent research studies we have found that in order to optimize yield you need to add at least 30lbs of nitrogen in the fall. To help determine a realistic yield potential, look at the yield from the past five years, take out the highest and lowest yield and average the remaining three yields. This will should reflect a realistic yield potential to help determine the optimum nitrogen rate. We have found that crude protein in cereal rye was significantly increased by a 25lbs increase in spring nitrogen application regardless of the fall nitrogen rate. The dry matter yield can be increased by using the fall and spring split application method. Our studies have found that 20lbs of fall nitrogen had a significant increase in cereal rye yield of at least 1 ton of dry matter. The addition of 20 more pounds of spring nitrogen to the current recommendation of 50lbs can significantly increase the dry matter yield by half to 1 ton.
The crude protein levels can also be improved through split nitrogen applications. The spring nitrogen application is the primary driver of crude protein, one of our studies showed that an application of 70lbs of nitrogen has been found to increase crude protein. Though, one of our studies shows that 90lbs of fall applied nitrogen can statistically increase the crude protein. Other quality factors such as total digestible nutrients (TDN) can also be affected by nitrogen fertilization. In our research, TDN in cereal rye was found to be negatively affected by higher nitrogen rates but was not influenced by fall nitrogen treatments. Applying nitrogen in the fall has also been seen to increase neutral detergent fiber (NDF) compared to trials where no nitrogen has been applied. This may be due to slightly more advanced growth stages at harvest when the fall nitrogen was applied compared to only spring nitrogen.
Another thing to be mindful of when applying nitrogen fertilizer is your soil type. Sandier soil may require higher nitrogen rates compared to loamy or clayey soil due to lower water holding capacity and organic matter levels. Drainage within your field is also important, soils that are waterlogged in the spring during critical periods of growth and development can reduce the yield and maturity, and there could be a significant portion of applied nitrogen lost due to denitrification
To help make management decisions a few tools can be used to measure canopy cover. Two examples of tools to use are Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Canopeo. NDVI is a sensor that is used in a non-destructive way to estimate the biomass’s nitrogen content in our studies and others, NDVI has been found to be equal or superior to other indices in predicting percent ground cover. Canopeo is an automatic color threshold image analysis tool to determine ground coverage. One known limitation of Canopeo is the need to keep the camera at an adequate height above the canopy. A forage analysis should also be used to determine the nutritional value of the forage for livestock performance. Utilizing the crude protein content of your forage test, if you know your yield per acre can allow you to calculate if you removed all the nitrogen you applied to your forage. Knowing the nutritional levels of a feed will help you make better decisions of what to feed and if you need any supplements.
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Check Your Soybean Seed Tags Before Planting!
By law, seed sold in Ohio must include the percentage of germination on the seed tag along with the date tested (Figure 1). In most years, soybean seed germination is at least 90%.However, given the challenging weather conditions at harvest last year, we are anticipating some seed sources to have a lower-than-normal germination percentage.
Before planting, make sure you check your seed tags for germination percentage. To calculate your seeding rate, divide your desired plant population per acre by the germination percentage (converted to decimal form). For example, if your desired plant population is 120,000 plants per acre and the germination percentage on the seed tag is 85%, divide 120,000 by 0.85. To achieve a plant population of 120,000 plants per acre, you would need to seed at least 141,000 seeds per acre. (Keep in mind, not all ‘live’ seeds will survive and produce a plant due to abiotic and biotic stressors at planting, so further seeding rate adjustments may be needed depending on your specific field conditions and environment.) Table 1 gives soybean seeding rates to achieve the desired soybean plant population based on the germination percentage.
Table 1. Soybean seeding rate needed to achieve desired plant population for several germination percentages.
Desired Soybean Plant Population (plants/acre)
% Germination
100,000
120,000
140,000
160,000
180,000
Seeding Rate (seeds/acre)
70
143,000
171,000
200,000
229,000
257,000
75
133,000
160,000
187,000
213,000
240,000
80
125,000
150,000
175,000
200,000
225,000
85
118,000
141,000
165,000
188,000
212,000
90
111,000
133,000
155,000
178,000
200,000
95
105,000
126,000
147,000
168,000
189,000
In addition to adjusting your seeding rates, consider the use of fungicide seed treatments to prevent pathogen infection from seeds to seedlings. Implement crop rotation with non-host plants to reduce soil-borne pathogen levels and lower future outbreak risks. Use integrated pest management (IPM) strategies to control pests like bean leaf beetles and aphids, which can introduce viruses and facilitate fungal infections. These measures, collectively, will strengthen soybean crop health and unpredictability.
In Ohio, at least 100,000 plants per acre is recommended for April and May planting dates. However, lower plant populations may achieve near 100% yield potential, especially for earlier planting dates. Soybean plants are incredibly flexible at adjusting to a wide range of plant populations. Soybean plants in low populations will produce more branches, more pods, and more seeds per plant. For more information on soybean plant population density, see this Science For Success FactSheet: https://bugwoodcloud.org/resource/files/30379.pdf
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Battle for the Belt: Season 3, Episode 1- 2024 Results
Season 3 Episode 1 of Battle for the Belt is now available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y96zw0R8D0o
In Episode 1, we summarize results of each location for the 2024 crop season.
Project Overview
Battle for the Belt aims to answer four questions:
- Which crop should we plant first - corn or soybean?
- Which crop has the smallest yield penalty for delayed planting?
- Can we adjust management practices to mitigate losses due to late planting?
- How are insects, diseases, weeds, and other factors affected by planting date?
The project had three locations in 2024 (Figure 1): The Northwest Agricultural Research Station, Wooster Campus, and Western Agricultural Research Station. The 2024 growing season was the second year of this project. There were five target planting date timeframes Ultra early: late March to early April, Early: mid to late April, Normal: early to mid-May, Late: late May or early June, Very late: mid to late June. For corn, we also evaluated four relative maturities: 100- day. 107-day, 111-day, and 115-day at each planting date. For soybean, we evaluated four seeding rates: 100k seeds/acre, 140k seeds/acre, 180k seeds/acre, 210k seeds/acre.
2024 Weather Recap
Every season comes with its own unique struggles and varies with each planting date. Early spring brought flooding and freeze damage, affecting ultra early planted crops at the Western location. In Northwest Ohio, the rain did not cease for most of the spring, so we achieved our earliest planting date on May 16th, as it was far too wet to plant early. This rain continued through June. Later, for most of the state, drought conditions affected most regions by August (Figure 2). These dry conditions lasted well into September, the peak of the drought period. Crop yields in 2024 were generally lower than 2023.
Corn vs. Soy: Western
At the Western location, we accomplished the earliest planting date for soybean research we have had in Ohio, March 25. This early planting date faced flooding and freeze damage that caused stand loss in soybean and loss of vegetative growth in corn. Soybean yield was statistically the same between March 25th and May 24th. For corn, the first three planting dates yielded statistically the same.
Corn vs. Soy: Northwest
The Northwest location was very wet in the spring and continued to be wet through June. We began planting on May 16th, and the final planting date was June 24th. Both crops had the greatest yield when planted in May and quickly declined with June planting dates.
Corn vs Soy: Wooster
The Wooster location results showed that both corn and soybean benefitted from the first planting date (April 22nd) to the third planting date (May 21st), though soybeans yielded slightly lower in planting date 2, relative to first planting. Corn and soybean yield rapidly declined with June planting dates.
Overall Summary
Considering all locations over the 2024 growing seasons, soybean yield was the most predictable and consistent. Yields tended to decrease as planting was delayed, regardless of seeding rate. Planting dates should be as soon as possible after your regions crop insurance early plant date (Figure 6.), with adequate soil conditions. Regarding seeding rate, over 100,000 seeds/acre should be planted but higher seeding rates are needed if there is expected low population like in adverse weather conditions.
Corn yields were less consistent and tended to be more site-specific. However, mid-April through mid-May was generally optimal. At every location, relative maturity, had a significant effect on yield. Longer relative maturity was optimal across early planting dates, with a shorter relative maturity yielding better at late planting dates.
From our preliminary results, prioritizing soybean with earliest OR latest planting date is optimal in most situations due to the plant’s plasticity (capacity to compensate and fill in gaps resulting from stand losses under sub-optimal conditions). We look forward to the third and final field season of Battle for the Belt to solidify a winner at each location.
Keep following the ‘Battle for the Belt’ this growing season to learn more and get further updates! You can find the full video playlist of Battle for the Belt on the Ohio State Agronomy YouTube channel.
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Corn Seeding Rates – Adjusting for Germination Values
Ensuring adequate plant stands to enable optimum yields is key in corn cropping systems, and it begins with optimizing seeding rates. Plant stands to optimize yield depending on hybrid and location can range from 24,000-34,000 per acre. Lower-yielding fields likely optimize yield with final stands ranging from 24-26,000 plants/acre, but a value of over 34,000 plants/acre may be needed in high-yielding environments. In most environments, based on OSU research, a plant population of 31-32,000 plants/acre at the end of the season should optimize yield in most environments.
Adjusting seeding rates to ensure the final stands are achieved can be done by using the seed tag information related to germination. By law, results of the standard warm germination test need to be printed on these labels. This value is a measure of seed lot germination under optimal conditions and is often below 100% indicating that every seed in the bag is not expected to germinate, a common germination rate for corn is 95% (Figure 1).
With the addition of Refuge in a Bag (RIB) of seed, each hybrid contained in the bag will have had a separate germination test conducted on it, with each lot reporting its own germination test values (Figure 2). In the example seed tags, there are two germination totals shown, one for the main hybrid, and a second for the refuge component. Figure 2A has a split of 89% for one hybrid and 10% refuge, whereas Figure 2B shows 95% for one hybrid and 5% for the refuge component.
A)
B)Figure 2. Blended corn hybrid product where germination percentages are identical for both seed sources in the bag, 95% (A). Blended hybrid product with differing hybrid germination values, 92% and 95% (B).
To calculate your planting or seeding rate, consider the following equation:
Planting Rate=Desired Population per AcreGermination Rate (%)
As is shown in the case of Figure 1 as well as both hybrids in Figure 2A, germination percentages are all 95% for each seed lot in these products. In this case, the target plant stand population should be divided by the germination percentage to increase the seeding rate accordingly. Assuming that a target stand of 32,000 plants/acre was desired, 32,000 / 0.95 = 33,684 seeds/acre should be planted. A table showing various germination percentages and target plant stands has been developed to aid in this process (Table 1).
Table 1. Calculated seeding rates needed to achieve target final stands based on germination percentages reported on seed tags.
Germination Percent
Target Final Stand (plants/acre)
24,000
26,000
28,000
30,000
32,000
34,000
36,000
Seeding Rate Needed (seeds/acre)
90%
26,667
28,889
31,111
33,333
35,556
37,778
40,000
92%
26,087
28,261
30,435
32,609
34,783
36,957
39,130
95%
25,263
27,368
29,474
31,579
33,684
35,789
37,895
In the event you are planting refuge in a bag seed that has two differing germination percentages (Figure 2B), you should consider calculating a composite “product” germination value. You can do this by multiplying each component’s germination percentage value by its percentage total of the bag as a decimal and adding the values together. Using our example tag from Figure 2B:
(92% * 0.95) + (95% * 0.05) = 87.4% + 4.75% = 92.15% product germination total (use this value).
In addition to germination totals, further adjustments due to expected losses from biotic or abiotic factors (e.g., cold soils, wet soils, insects, diseases, crusting, compaction) may need to be considered and factored in your seeding rate estimates to ensure that an adequate number of seeds is being planted as a function of seed tag germination rates and expected seed/plant survival conditions.
Some recommendations to consider include, planting into good conditions (45-50% plant available water content) with adequate soil temperatures (above 50ºF) and avoiding planting ahead of a strong weather front likely to cause large temperature decreases or bring with it cold precipitation are ways to help minimize seed/plant losses. Utilizing practices that minimize surface crusting can also help improve emergence and ensure that a uniform stand is established. In conventional systems, the use of seed treatments for insect/disease management is a recommended practice as well. More can be considered when it comes to establishing an adequate crop stand, such as selecting hybrids best suited to specific growing environments.
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Spring Nitrogen Recommendations for Winter Wheat
Winter wheat is beginning to show signs of green-up (Figure 1). Nitrogen fertilizer should be applied to winter wheat between green-up and Feekes growth stage 6. (If you need a reminder on how to assess if wheat is at Feekes GS 6, see this video:
