C.O.R.N. Newsletter: 2016-09
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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
March and April will go down as about 2-5 degrees above normal and rainfall will go down as 0 to 2 inches above normal as a whole though most places have seen a drier April after wetter March.
The last week of April looks 1-3 degrees above normal for temperatures with no risk of a hard freeze. Precipitation will be normal to slightly above normal with generally 0.5 to 1.5 inches of rainfall.
The outlook for May is for temperatures to be 1-2 degrees above normal and precipitation 0-1 inches below normal.
The likely impact of all of the April and May weather is a green light from any freeze risk to plant and a green light from temperatures. From rainfall, a yellow or red light will likely occur this week after a green to yellow light as the clay soils will wet up this week. We do expect to go back to green to yellow lights in a week or week and a half again.
The summer outlook calls for warmer and slightly drier than normal conditions but with big swings.
The early fall outlook calls for conditions to turn wet during harvest season.
You can monitor all this at the NOAA/NWS/OHRFC link at http://w2.weather.gov/ohrfc/DroughtBriefing and http://w2.weather.gov/ohrfc/SeasonalBriefing
The total two week rainfall can be seen here:
April 26 - May 1 Outlook Traffic Light
Temperatures +1 to +3F GREEN
Hard Freeze None GREEN
Wind > 30 mph Little or None GREEN
Rainfall 0.5-1.5 inches YELLOW-RED
May Outlook Traffic Light
Temperatures +1 to +2F GREENHard Freeze None GREEN
Wind > 30 mph Little or None GREEN
Rainfall 2-3 inches GREEN-YELLOW
Summer Outlook Traffic Light
Temperatures Above GREEN-YELLOW
Rainfall Normal to Below YELLOW
Fall Outlook Traffic Light
Temperatures Near Normal GREEN
Rainfall Above YELLOW
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Soybean Sites Needed for Pollinator Sampling
An array of bee and fly pollinator species are found in soybean, and can enhance yield even though soybeans are self-pollinating. I will be conducting a study this summer to identify pollinator insects in Ohio soybean and I’m looking for cooperators with appropriate field sites for insect sampling. Fields can be conventional or organic, but cannot be planted with an insecticidal seed treatment (fungicide is okay). The minimum field size is 500 x 500 m (about 62 acres) to be able to sample far enough away from field edges. The sampling device is a metal stake with a “bee bowl” mounted on it, posted at various intervals up to 250 m into the field. These stakes can be removed when equipment needs to go through. We will sample from R1 through R4. Either my program or ACRE interns will check traps twice-weekly to collect trapped pollinators.
If you are interested in this project and can help identify cooperators, or have questions, please contact me at 330-202-3529 or Tilmon.1@osu.edu. Thanks!
“Bee bowl” pollinator sampling device in soybean.
Kelley Tilmon is the new field crop extension entomologist at OSU/OARDC. For the past 10 years she served at the soybean entomologist at South Dakota State University before joining the faculty at Ohio State in January 2016. In her new position she will conduct extension and research on soybean, corn, wheat, alfalfa, and other field crops.
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The Big Data Confusion: Part 6 – Transparency and Consistency
“Transparency and Consistency” is this weeks principle covered for the installment of “The Big Data Confusion.” The Privacy and Security Principles for Farm Data states that:
“ATPs shall notify farmers about the purposes for which they collect and use farm data. They should provide information about how farmers can contact the ATP with any inquiries or complaints, the types of third parties to which they disclose the data and the choices the ATP offers for limiting its use and disclosure. An ATP’s principles, policies and practices should be transparent and fully consistent with the terms and conditions in their legal contracts. An ATP will not change the customer’s contract without his or her agreement.”
Simply, the terms and conditions of the contract or agreement between and Ag Technology Provider (ATP) and a farmer should be clear, concise, and consistent. Within the contract, farmers share with an ATP, there should be an explicit statement that tells the farmer exactly why and what data is being collected. For example, is only agronomic data being collected or is other types of data such as machine and production data being collected at the same time. Contracts and agreements should even specify if data is shared with a third party and clearly outline the benefits of this sharing so farmers understand who else accessed their farm data. Company contact information should be provided in the event of questions or concerns.
As review, farmers must be contacted of changes in ant data agreement and that the farmers must agree to the change(s) while access or sharing data should be clearly outlined with any third parties. The primary point of this principle is that data agreements and contracts should be clear, consistent and transparent.
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Last Call- Participate in Soybean Yield-Limiting Research This Week
This is our last week to collect data for our soybean yield-limiting project. The online survey can be found here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ohiosoybean All data will be treated as confidential. If you provide your name and email, you will receive a state and regional summary of the results.
Detailed project description: 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.”
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.
Crop Observation and Recommendation Network
C.O.R.N. Newsletter is a summary of crop observations, related information, and appropriate recommendations for Ohio crop producers and industry. C.O.R.N. Newsletter is produced by the Ohio State University Extension Agronomy Team, state specialists at The Ohio State University and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC). C.O.R.N. Newsletter questions are directed to Extension and OARDC state specialists and associates at Ohio State.
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Disclaimer
The information presented here, along with any trade names used, is supplied with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement is made by Ohio State University Extension is implied. Although every attempt is made to produce information that is complete, timely, and accurate, the pesticide user bears responsibility of consulting the pesticide label and adhering to those directions.
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