Corn Fungicide Application Considerations at Tasseling.

The continuing dry weather has many growers asking questions about foliar applications of a fungicide on tasseling corn.  Most labels dictate that applications be made between VT and R1 stages.  The

labels I reviewed also require

that adjuvants NOT be used after corn has reached the V8 stage. However some offer this option on fully tasseled corn.   Recent Agronomy Journal Publications have shown the formation of beer can ears as a result of adjuvants applied near VT. 

 

The dry weather has caused extremely ununiform emergence of tassels. The  emergence of silk and tassel applications between VT and R2(blister) are the key times to apply the fungicides. It is wise to default to until the youngest of the plants are at or beyond this stage to avoid damage.  Below are some considerations to better make a decision to treat or not.  Many growers may be tempted to add additional products to the tank while going over the field.  Most labels allow for the inclusion of insecticides but caution that growers only apply approved tank mixes and observe the most restrictive labeling.

Finally on some products there is a 30 day harvest restriction for forage and grain so bare this in mind early forage harvest might need to be delayed should an application be made. This is not a straight forward recommendation on corn and growers should look at each field and best determine its needs. We have a bumper crop in the making right now and this application on many fields would really make the most difference in preserving potential yield!!

Fungicide Selection– There are numerous options to select to manage foliar diseases. In 2014(figure 1), Dr Collins and I conducted a test of 5 different fungicides on corn and applied product at the V6 and Tassel stage as well as two applications one at V5 and followed by a R2 stage  of  various fungicides. In 6 out of the 10 treatments, there was a significant response exceeding 11bu/acre overall to the application of a fungicide. In all cases there was a response but not all due to the treatment. The decision is not as much which product to use but rather whether the hybrid will respond to an application. The hybrid in our trial last year was susceptible to leaf diseases.  This data supports some Mid Western data showing the response of hybrids over several fields.  This link will take the reader to an article and chart for the various options and what disease different products control and their PHI. I recommend one print this off as a reference.  Fungicide Efficacy Comparisons

Figure 1 Penn State SEAREC- 2014 Corn Response to Fungicide Applications- D.G. Voight and A. Collins

 

 

Questions to ask?

 

Ask some simple questions to determine the benefit that might come through a foliar application of a fungicide to VT-R1 Corn. We cannot make a decision for you but if you ask some simple questions of yourself to address your fields and also to address your seed representative and seed guides to determine the benefit of an application.

  1. Disease history: Low lying fields with a history of disease are more likely to respond to a fungicide.
  2. No
  3. Yes
  1. High yield history:  High yield fields are more likely to show an economic response.
  2. Poor
  3. Average
  4. High yielding
  1. Hybrid resistance: The lower the genetic resistance to gray leaf spot, northern corn leaf blight and anthracnose, the more potential for an economic response.
  2. Highly resistant
  3. Average
  4. Poor resistance
  1. Crop rotation: Corn following corn tends to harbor more disease inoculum.
  2. Following other crops
  3. Following corn
  1. IPM: Corn diseases are just starting to appear, especially in no-till corn on corn fields. The more presence of disease on the leaf the higher the risk of further development.
  2. Less than 5% visible disease
  3. 5-10% visible disease
  4. 10% or greater disease
  1. Fertility: Low K levels and compacted soils could exacerbate disease effects on lodging and yield.    If the field has poor fertility the likelyhood of increased disease invasion is higher.
  2. High fertility
  3. Average
  4. Poor fertility

If you go through these simple questions and more than one meets lends the field to infection spraying might be a profitable venture.

Early Season Drought

Del Voight – Senior Extension Educator
                The recent drought has caused much concern for producers and urban dwellers as well.  This article will discuss some basic information related to the drought.  First of all the meaning of drought has two definitions.  A hydrological drought is one by which potable water is depleted to the point that the local governments or state declare an official drought using different indexes.  This differs to an agricultural drought in that an agricultural drought is one which the crops are the indicator of the stress. 
                Signs of  drought stress are poor growth, wilting during the day or complete desiccation of tissue.  The severity of the drought depends on the plant and its rooting depth and growth habit.  In addition, the soil type will determine the severity of the drought.  The water holding capacity of the soil (organic matter, clay content) and soil depth to bedrock will also determine the availability of water in the soil.  In Lebanon, soils located in the northern part of the county are prone to drought due to the soil limitations.  Even in a ideal soil types other factors such a soil fertility, tillage method, and compaction may limit root growth and therefore cause drought effects.  This drought is spotty as some areas received rain while others were completely missed and that is why the drought map is not reporting as much deviation in some areas. For instance in my plots we only have a 2 inch deficit in one area while another plot 10 miles south is 6 inches behind in rainfall this season.
                Crops prone to drought are the shallow rooted crops such as a pastures which different species of grasses that make up the pasture differ in rooting depth.  For instance a highly drought tolerant pasture grass is reed canary due to its 18 inch rooting depth.  In contrast, Kentucky bluegrass is poor in drought due to its 4 inch root system.  Many perennial grasses have the ability to go dormant in times of complete water stress and will turn brown.  This is a critical stage to manage the pasture by removing animals and supplemental feed to prevent permanent injury to the dormant plant. 
                Annual crops such as corn and soybeans also depend on the depth of rooting.  Corn roots will like any other root follow moisture in the soil.  This is to say that when the water recedes the roots grow with the water unless the water recedes more quickly than the roots can grow which is the case with much of the late planted corn and corn after Barley.  Soybeans are more tolerant to drought because of its rapid root growth and tap root system than can penetrate compaction zones to get to water rich areas.  Corn however has a fibrous root system and many times cannot reach all available water.  Corn sends roots down 5- 6 feet (IF THERE IS NO COMPACTION) with most of the roots in the upper 18 inches of the soil.  There is not much a producer can do right now to counter act the affects of drought.  But, by leaving crop residue on the surface of the soil, above all avoiding soil compaction, maintaining optimum fertility in the soil and planting early much of the drought affect next year may be reduced due to increased root growth and mass.  In 1970 Agronomy Journal a research thesis indicated that corn in vegetative stages is less prone to drought than during anthesis( Table 1).
Table 1. Effect of drought on corn yield

 


Stage of development
Percent yield reduction
(from 4 consecutive days of visible wilting)
Early vegetative
5-10
Tassel emergence
10-25
Silk emergence, pollen shedding
40-50
Blister
30-40
Dough
20-30
Classen, M.M., and R.H. Shaw. 1970. Water deficit effects on corn. II. Grain components. Agron. J. 62:652

 

   We are far from chopping at this point however producers should not consider chopping corn for silage until the plant has failed to unroll its leaves at night.  This indicates that the plant is dead and is losing moisture.  Once this occurs chopping should start quickly to ensure proper moisture for ensiling.         Avoid green chopping drought stricken plants due to the concern for nitrate toxicity in the silage or plan to have the silage tested for nitrates before feeding.  Properly fermented drought silage will be safe to feed and it is critical to take the silage at the right moisture.  Chop and test for the correct moisture level.   In either case producers are urged to keep checking fields so that the crop does not get to dry to ensile and silo fires will be avoided which occurred on several farms two years ago.
                Another concern with corn is during the pollen silking interval.  Before the tassel emerges corn that visibly wilts will lose @ 2-3% of the total grain yield per day.  Once the tassel emerges  the loss can be @10-25% per day for grain yield.  Most of the corn in the county has not started to silk.  Once the silks emerge a loss of 40 -50% of the grain yield may take place due to the possibility of barren ears.  This happens because the pollen grains fail to travel through the silks to the kernel and the kernel remains inactive and does not fill.  Corn should be checked for pollination by stripping the husk back and looking for small blisters to determine the need for harvest or to let the stand mature for grain.  Additional information related to handling drought concerns is available in the Extension Office. 
                Alfalfa is very drought tolerant partly due to its origination in the Iran/Iraq area which is droughty by climate.  Reduced growth has pushed producers to wonder whether or not to cut the alfalfa.  Penn State recommends that producers let the alfalfa go to 30% bloom and then cut.  If there is not enough forage there to bale or chop then simply clip the crop to allow the plant to go into a vegetative state and with more rainfall may mean a better fourth cutting. One thing to watch out for is in dry conditions many times insects can reproduce exponentially with increased heat. So for insects like potato leafhoppers and grasshoppers growers will need to scout to ensure no other additional stress is added to the crop.
                Drought affects many aspects of our lives but causes much financial stress for producers.  Recent rainfall has not brought about desirable results around the county.  Certainly some crops will respond, but some are already lost.  Many others are also affected by an agricultural drought such a golf courses, vegetable producers and even certain wildlife species that survive in areas near rivers etc. like the woodcock which depends on moist soils to probe for earthworms with its long bill.  Fish kills in small streams that dry up and loss of aquatic life all are affected by dry conditions.  In addition many insects such as spider mites, grasshoppers and many other insects are prolific during a drought and may need to be managed which is a whole other area of interest for a future column.  A weekly observation of droughted fields may turn up insect pest spikes and it is critical that the insects be monitored. Forecasted rains will certainly be welcome sooner than later.

2023 Corn Crop Maturity Estimate

Determining when this 2023 corn crop will mature will be a challenge. This spring most areas received little moisture after planting and soil variability and lack of rain has resulted in high variations in germination and subsequent corn height and growth stage within the rows of corn. When drenching rains returned the corn crop responded and the variation is more prominent. This is most evident in the non uniform tassel emergence that we are experiencing in early July. For this article we will use the tassel/silk emergence timing to predict when black layer/ physiological maturity(PM) will take place. PM is the time the kernal is filled and all flow or fill of the kernal is complete kernal moisture is about 32% moisture well past silage harvest parameters. The plant is beginning to dry down rapidly at PM most of the green tissue is now brown and the ears are drying down rapidly for dry grain harvest and or high moisture corn.

There are two methods to arrive at a PM timetable. One is simplified days to PM from tassel emergence. If a field is observed to tassel/silk @ July 4 then in 55-65 days(accounting for hybrid and heat accumulation differentials)  most hybrids will be mature. For this season that would place PM at between August 31 to Sept 12 or thereabouts.  Silage harvest is typically between 42 and 47 days from Tassel/silk. This would be day estimate to half milk line which might be dry for a bunker and wet for a oxygen tight structure. This would place silage harvest from between August 15 to August 20, 2023. The practical implication is that if a field is typically harvested around labor day for silage and that is applied this year just going by a calendar date the result might be a dryer or wetter harvest for the structure it is intended to be placed into for ensiling. There is no substitute for checking the crop ear for relative maturity as it develops to better time the harvest to maximize forage quality and ensure proper ensiling for the silage whichever structure it is to be placed for winter feed out.

The second method is to use growing degree days(GDD). GDD are calculated daily and represents the average heat units the crop receives from sunlight and therefore offers a more accurate measure of when to harvest a crop. Simply put it takes the average heat by taking the high temperature and the lower temperature and average the temperature for the day. This then is subtracted from the minimum growth of the crop(base). The base for corn would be 50 degrees. So on a normal day high of 80 low of 60 would equate to an average (80 +60)/2 = 70 degrees. Then by taking the average minus 50(base temp) the crop would receive (70-50) or 20 growing degree days for that day. One would then do this everyday until the GDD to silage or PM achieved, and this will vary by hybrid. This explains why there could two week differences in calculated and realized maturities that we see from year to year. Many times I will follow a selected field in my area that I know the date and the hybrid, I then check to see when it produces a silk and tassel. From there I use the Bushels App to then adjust my PM estimates of black layer based on the hybrids predicted GDD requirements. As that date nears I begin taking whole plants and using a chipper process the whole plant and run a Koster test to determine moisture. Its pretty accurate. I can then check each 7 days and determine the dry down rate and better predict optimal harvest timing for silage.     If we understand this relationship with GDD and crop growth we can then look to technology to better time harvests. Computer and Phone applications such as Bushels, Climate view, and many others will allow growers to map a field or fields and then check daily for comparisons of this years GDD compared to either 10 or 15 year averages and better adjust estimated harvest timing. Penn State employs these technologies to predict harvests as well as pest activity.

By beginning to keep tabs on the 2023 corn crop better silage harvest timing may result and ensure high yield and quality this coming year. With cloudy overcast days and an estimate of cooler than normal conditions it is highly recommended to keep scouting fields until ideal timing is noted by field observation.

Double Crop Sunflower Production In Pennsylvania

Del Voight and Greg Roth  – Penn State Extension

Introduction: During the last few years, there has been an increasing interest in growing sunflowers in Pennsylvania.  There are significant markets for sunflower seed and sunflower products, like oil,  in the state but traditionally these have been imported from other states or overseas.  Recent disruptions in world grain trade and higher transportation costs have caused higher prices for sunflower products like birdseed and sunflower cooking oil.  This has created some interest in increasing local production and or processing in the state. Sunflowers are also increasingly used as part of an agritainment enterprise on some farms where sunflower festivals, photo opportunities, and cut flower sales can generate significant income.  Sunflowers can provide a nice link between the farm community and the general public.  

Sunflowers have also been used as part of cover crop mixes in the state.  Sunflowers have a deep taproot system and can help alleviate compacted soils.  Sunflowers also serve to provide some diversity to cover crop mixes and provide pollinator services to honeybees and Monarch butterflies.  Sunflowers also provide feed for wildlife and birds.

Because of the growing interest in sunflowers, we have reviewed production practices being used by producers in the state and other states to develop some sunflower production recommendations for Pennsylvania.  

Crop Rotations:  Sunflowers can be grown as both a full season crop and as a double crop following barley or wheat.  In general, the most profitable opportunity appears to be as a double crop.  In this scenario, sunflowers would compete with double crop soybeans.  Sunflowers are a bit more drought tolerant, more frost tolerant, and have a lower seed cost.  In some environments these advantages can lead to a potentially more profitable double crop than soybeans.  Because of their frost tolerance, sunflowers can likely be planted later than double crop soybeans.

Varieties:  Sunflowers are generally produced as either black oil seed or striped seed varieties.  Generally, the black oil seed varieties are used for oil and birdseed.  The striped varieties are also used for birdseed but are mostly used as snackfood.  Within the oilseed types there is variation in the oil content and composition.   Generally high oleic type sunflowers are of best use for oil and should be the variety to be used for oil. However if bird seed is the end market then low linoleic or high oleic may be planted for this market. As with many crops,  there are maturity ranges for sunflowers from 70 to 100-day  or more maturities. For double crop production  after small grains varieties in the 70-80 day maturity range seem to be most adapted. For the agritainment sector there are alot of interesting sunflower varieties available now in garden seed catalogs that can add diversity to a sunflower planting.   These can have different colors, with various shades of yellow or even orange, red or white flowered varieties.  For our test plots we planted 2 varieties one is a 100 day clearfield variety that has resistance to ther herbicide Beyond which helps to manage weeds. The other variety is a 70 day and it is resistant to ALS chemistry. We are conducting a study to compare populations from 25,000 to 45,000 ppa. 

There were 841 acres of sunflowers grown for grain reported in the 2017 Pennsylvania Census of Agriculture. That acreage reported a yield of over 971000 lbs of sunflowers.  We feel that sunflower acreage has likely doubled since then due to increased farmer interest and profitability.

Planting Date:  Sunflowers are similar to soybeans in that they can be planted from late April until mid to late July in some areas.  For May plantings, sunflowers would compete with high yielding full season crops of corn or soybeans and that may be a challenge economically.  Sunflowers are better able to compete with soybeans under double crop conditions, especially under lower yielding double crop soybean conditions. 

Variety selection:  There are different types of sunflowers and the oil yield can vary. Generally high oleic type sunflowers are of best use for oil and should be the variety to be used for oil. However if bird seed is the end market then low linoleic or high oleic may be planted for this market.  Always check with your market to see if they have special requirements for varieties.  As with many crops there are maturity ranges for sunflowers from 70 to 100-day  or more maturities. For double cropping varieties in the 70-80 day maturity ranges would be of best utility to have a timely fall harvest. 

Row Width and  Plant Populations:  Like soybeans, sunflowers can be planted in 30 or 15 inch rows or with a grain drill.  For best yields, getting good emergence and uniform stands is critical.  Most reports from growers in Pa have settled on 30 inch row placement with 1 inch deep settings. There are also reports that planting north to south is best with the heads facing either east or west into the rows so birds cannot perch on adjacent heads to feed.  This can also assist in the flow of heads into the combine head. Plant populations can vary depending on planting date. Generally a final stand between 25 to 30,000 ppa should be the goal.  Plant populations should be adjusted to accommodate varying soil and seed conditions.  On droughty soils populations of 20-24000 plants per acre may be justified.

Fertility:   Fertilizer requirements for sunflowers are modest.  Penn State recommendations call for 70 pounds of N per acre for a 2000 lb yield goal and a crop removal of 40 pounds of P2O5 and 30 pounds of K2O.  On many of our soils with a history of manure, phosphorus and potassium can be eliminated and N recommendations can be reduced. Locally growers are achieving 2200lb double crop yields with 40 lb of applied N.  Excessive N applications could result in more lodging and should be avoided.

Weed Control:   There are numerous products labeled for control of weeds in sunflowers commonly available at local dealers.  Double crop sunflowers have few weeds to manage. A few examples of potential sunflower herbicides include but are not limited to residual products containing metolachlor(Dual), sulfentrazone( Authority)and Pendimethalin(Prowl)as well as post products containing quizafop ( Assure), sethoxydim (Poast)or clethodim(Select). The key is to control broadleaves with residuals as in crop solutions for broadleaves are limited for this crop.

Insects and Disease:   There have been few insect problems reported in Pennsylvania production fields so generally there is not a need to spray insecticides.  There are also some diseases that may impact the crop. Seedling disease could be an issue in some environments since sunflowers lack the vigor of soybeans.  Benefits to seed treatments with  fungicides have been reported in some areas to improve  stands and rooting at seedling stages. Potential other sunflower diseases that might be a problem in our area include Sclerotinia (white mold), and leaf diseases like Alternaria Leaf Blight, Septoria Leaf Blight , and Leaf Rust.   These might be a particular problem under the high humidity in late season double crop production in Pennsylvania. Growers have done some trials with an early heading application of a fungicide with positive results.  However more research in this area is required and response can vary from  farm to farm. 

Wildlife  Birds, deer and groundhogs can all be pests of sunflowers.  For deer and groundhogs, management tactics would be similar to those used for soybeans.  For birds, as mentioned previously, planting in north south rows helps to avoid feeding damage.  It may be necessary to avoid planting near wetlands or other areas with high densities of birds.  Larger fields also help to limit damage compared to small isolated fields.  Applications of fungicides at heading may be warranted if diseases are present on leaves below the seed head. Scouting is important. In our plots near Lebanon Pa  last season we saw a 400lb per acre increase on fields with visible disease and no response where diseases did not exist.

Harvesting:   Sunflowers are generally ready for combine harvest when the back of the flowers turn brown.  Sunflowers may be harvested with numerous types of combine heads. However the harvest loss may be extreme with many heads.  Local farmers have modified heads to reduce harvest loss.  One example is this row crop head modified with a simple pan that funnels shattered seed back on the platform.  Be sure to carefully investigate combine headers before harvesting on a large scale.

Yield Performance:  There is not a lot of yield performance data available in Pennsylvania and most of that is available is double crop.  Farmers report yields of 1500 to 2200 pounds per acre following wheat in South Central PA.  The good double crop yield potential here could be due to late August and September rainfall we often get in our region.  These yields  compares favorably with results from states with similar growing seasons like Kansas or Missouri.  The potential yield of full season sunflowers has not been documented well, but we would estimate it in the 2500 to 3000 pound range under good conditions.  In many areas, such as the Dakotas, full season yields are comparable to our double crop yield potential.  

When harvesting sunflowers, be aware that they can produce a lot of dust.  Sunflowers can require one or two cleanings to get the chaff out of the grain.  Sunflowers also have a test weight of 30 pounds, so this requires more trucking for a given weight of sunflowers.  

Sunflower prices fluctuate as other commodity prices do.  Prices in sunflower producing areas in the Dakotas have ranged from 10 to nearly 30 cents/pound over the last 20 years.  There is an additional cost to transport sunflowers to our markets for processing.  Assuming a local price of 30 cents/pound, a 2000 pound per acre sunflower crop would generate more revenue than a 35 bushel per acre soybean crop at 13.50 with less drought and frost risk.   

Potential of Sunflowers as a Crop in Pennsylvania  Sunflowers have some potential to increase in acreage in our state.  We have a large demand for sunflowers as birdseed, our snack food industry uses a substantial amount of sunflower oil, we have markets for the sunflower meal as a livestock feed and we have shown there is a good potential for the agritainment aspect of our sunflower fields as well.  In addition, our producers have shown that good yields of sunflowers are possible under double crop conditions and they seem to be potentially profitable under current prices.  Sunflowers would also add some diversity to our grain crop rotations and provide benefits to pollinators and wildlife as well.

Field Ready – What a field looks like ready to harvest

Video: Combine harvesting sunflowers Werner Acres LLC.

Combining Sunflowers

Certifying yield and a look at the combine head ideal for sunflowers

Picture of a combine head for use in sunflowers.

 

Picture of uncleaned sunflowers directly from combine.

Minimize Soybean Harvesting Loss and Maximize cost per bushel.

Del Voight – Penn State Extension Crop Management Team

Some variability in dry down of soybeans. Notice wet spots that have delayed senescence. This field will be getting close to harvest moistures within the next couple of weeks.

Over the last several years of working with what I consider the top soybean producers in Lebanon County I have learned the importance of timely harvest of soybeans. This week  I noticed late group 2  beans were approaching harvest moisture.  It has been my experience that once 95% of the pods turn brown about a week later its time to combine. Some recent work at Iowa State showed a 3.2% loss of moisture per day  more than 5 times that of corn. So dry down is quick.  The data also suggested about 12 days after pod maturation 13% moisture was noted over the study period. For more information visit https://crops.extension.iastate.edu/cropnews/2017/09/how-fast-do-soybeans-dry-down-field

Once moistures dip below 13%  a grower grower is essentially giving the mill soybean dry matter since they will correct the moisture to 13%.    I still remember John Yocum referring to the fact that after it the plants first reach harvestable moistures dry matter losses occur simply by the alternating day night and heavy dew.  Here is a picture of our crop teams’ soybean planting date study.  Same variety, same seeding rate, same pest management program, the only variable was the date of planting in these plots from March 28th to May 28.  It is important to consider the variety since some varieties will have slight differences in the pod integrity and not tend to split as the heavy dew at night can speed up this process. There are also impacts of erect varieties that might tend to dry quickly and delays in harvest may impact those versus varieties that that  tend to lay over and nestle protecting large fluctuations in dry down. This picture was taken from our Landisville Research Station where I had planted the same variety on 5 different planting dates when the early planting was ready to combine the soybeans on the left (planted two weeks earlier than the beans on the right) could be harvested two weeks before later plantings.  If I were to wait as little as two weeks to harvest the plots until the rest of the planting dates matured I would lose a significant amount of soybeans from shatter losses.


Numerous tests of soybean combine losses show that up to 12 percent of the soybean crop is lost during harvest. Harvesting losses cannot be reduced to zero, but they can be reduced to about 5 percent. Combines can be operated to reduce losses without affecting the harvesting rate. This guide describes the major sources of loss. Consider shatter losses of 2 percent acceptable. Average losses are 5 percent or more.

If you assess the discount for bringing soybeans in a little wetter than normal there will be realized return in both less shatter loss and more income. In the following table you will note the relative cost per bushel of soybeans to be around 30 cents. This is a cost that is easily overcome by the reduced harvest loss in the field at current market prices.  It appears that soybean dryer than 13% return about the same to management but this does not take into account the penalty of shatter loss in the field. You can check your own mills by changing the discounts and market price here. Simply download from this location. soybean discount table

Discount of $.12 Per Bushel Per Point of Moisture (2% Per Point of Moisture) Discount of $.20 Per Bushel Per Point of Moisture (3.3% Per Point of Moisture)
Soybean Harvest Moisture, %, Wet Basis Weight of Water Loss (+) or Gain (-), Lbs/Bu to Convert Soybeans to 13.5% Moisture $.12 Discount Per Bushel, $ Price Per Bushel, $ Value Per Bushel, $, Adjusted for Moisture $.20 Discount Per Bushel, $ Price Per Bushel, $ Value Per Bushel, $, Adjusted for Moisture
19 6 0.72 $11.28 $11.64 $1.20 $10.80 $11.28
18 5 0.6 $11.40 $11.75 $1.00 $11.00 $11.40
17 4 0.48 $11.52 $11.84 $0.80 $11.20 $11.52
16 3 0.36 $11.64 $11.91 $0.60 $11.40 $11.64
15 2 0.24 $11.76 $11.95 $0.40 $11.60 $11.76
14 1 0.12 $11.88 $11.99 $0.20 $11.80 $11.88
13.5 0.5 0.06 $11.94 $12.00 $0.10 $11.90 $11.94
13 0 0 $12.00 $12.00 $0.00 $12.00 $12.00
12 1 0 $12.00  $   11.92 0 $12.00 $11.92
11 2 0 $12.00  $   11.83 0 $12.00 $11.83
10 3 0 $12.00  $   11.75 0 $12.00 $11.75
9 4 0 $12.00  $  11.66 0 $12.00 $11.66
8 5 0 $12.00  $   11.58 0 $12.00 $11.58

Tips for keeping combine losses low

There are combine heads that force air back into the platform to assist in reducing harvest as well as other types of heads. However there are some simple rules to follow.  I found the following excerpts from a Missouri article useful during harvest to capture the losses that may occur during harvest.   (Missouri Department of Agricultural Engineering)

Your best guide for correct combine adjustment is your operator’s manual.
Remember that more than 80 percent of the machine loss usually occurs at the gathering unit. The height of the cutter bar directly impacts what beans get into the bin.  If I were to harvest pods by hand versus as little as a 3.5 inch height of cut that would equate to a 5% loss just from the cutter bar height go to 5 inch height of cut and that jumps to 10% loss.  The following suggestions will help keep these losses to a minimum.

  • Make sure that knife sections, guards, wear plates and hold-down clips are in good condition and properly adjusted.
  • Use a ground speed of 2.8 to 3.0 miles per hour. To determine ground speed, count the number of 3-foot steps taken in 20 seconds while walking beside the combine. Divide this number by 10 to get the ground speed in miles per hour.
  • Use a reel speed about 25 percent faster than ground speed. For 42-inch-diameter reels, use a reel speed of 11 revolutions per minute for each 1-mile-per-hour ground speed.
  • Reel axle should be 6 to 12 inches ahead of the cutter bar. Reel bats should leave beans just as they are cut. Reel depth should be just enough to control the beans.
  • A six-bat reel will give more uniform feeding than a four-bat reel.
  • Complete the harvest as quickly as possible after beans reach 15 percent moisture content.
  • A pick-up type reel with pick-up guards on the cutter bar is recommended when beans are lodged and tangled
Finally, If you would like more reading on this I would direct you to navigate to the Agronomy Journal Publication D. B. Philbrook 1983 that address this issue in more detail.
B.D. Philbrook and E.S. Oplinger Harvest Loss in Soybeans

 

Winter annuals ahead for Spring 2021

Del Voight – Senior Extension Educator – Penn State Extension

In the last few winter gatherings of growers I have been approached with questions on dealing with how to manage winter annuals in grass hay, pastures, small grain and alfalfa.  We have missed some ideal weather conditions to apply appropriate pesticides for each crop this fall and mid winter. There might be other openings if the weather cooperates to manage some of these issues. For this article I will try to relate some management options. First of all is proper weed I.D for this I would recommend using the Early Spring Weeds of No till Guide. One can obtain one online at http://weeds.cropsci.illinois.edu/extension/Other/NCR614.pdf

 

Small Grains(Wheat, Barley)

In our wheat trials at the Southeast Ag Center we are seeing emergence and in some areas of the field they are at the same height as the wheat and can cause issues competing for light and nutrients.

To manage winter annuals in small grains there is a timing balance. Typically growers would wait until we get some thistles growing (March or later) before applying a herbicide. This season the winter annuals(chickweed, dead nettle, shepherds purse and marestail are growing aggressively and may need to be dealt with sooner than later if they begin to smother out the small grain. Another issue is with resistant bio types of chickweed that is ALS resistant this also lessens the options to manage the weed.  For those without the resistant bio types Harmony Extra(group 2) continues to dominate the herbicide selection coupled with metribuzin (group 5) can be  a plan to offer two modes of action and manage not gaining resistance in the field. The agronomy guide details the specific application instructions for use but it is important to ensure that the proper adjuvants if required are utilized to ensure uptake into the plants. Starane Ultra (group 4) is an option for those with known resistance to ALS  group 2 herbicides. The key is for growers to get out and scout and see if the population of winter annuals will need to be managed earlier than later.

Grass Pasture and Hay Fields

Star of Bethlehem control
It is important to I.D the weeds to manage. In this picture this is Star of Bethlehem and requires a different tactic to manage than winter annuals.

Another area where winter annuals are cropping up is in grass hay and pastures. What I have observed is mostly chickweed weed however I.D is important. The picture is Star of Bethlehem and it is not a winter annual rather a bulb type perennial. If one misses the I.D and uses the incorrect herbicide  it will cause a failure.  Having so many calls on chickweed I confirmed it in a few local pastures and it seems to be growing well where the yellow foxtail  was growing last season. There are effective materials for the winter annuals. Products such as Sharpen, Aim, Crossbow, Metsulfuron 60DF and Overdrive are options for management and they all have varying scope of weeds they control.  Again as in the case of Small Grains  if it is ALS resistant then the Metsulfuron might not provide control and other herbicides might be the best option. Also with Metsulfuron  the reseeding is as long as 6 months so if one plans to overseed later this year they might find the seed will not come up.  There are application specifications in the Agronomy Guide and should be consulted to ensure proper rate and adjuvant use.  With the recent yellow foxtail (summer annual grass) outbreak many are planning to utilize Prowl H2O(only use the water based formulation) and that treatment needs to be applied in March and again after first cutting for annual grass control in pastures. To manage both the chickweed and the Foxtail perhaps two products need to be applied to manage both. In a conversation with a large grower who would like to also overseed perennial grass into the pasture it can be done but it will take scouting and management. The label for Prowl H2O stipulates the grass needs to be established at the time of application. In reading the label it recommends after a cutting is considered established so keep that in mind as well. In this growers case he can overseed his pasture and once established which might be mid May  then apply the Prowl and other broadleaf herbicide to manage weeds. Also the harvest restrictions for all products must be followed according to the label. It can be done but it will take additional scouting and grass I.D to make it work.

Alfalfa  Winter Annuals

Alfalfa is having similar issues to the other crops pertaining to the winter annuals that are growing and will continue to compete going into spring.  There are some options within the dormant treatments that might prove effective this spring. In pure stands of alfalfa there numerous options to treat and again if ALS resistant chickweed exists there are numerous options to manage with other group herbicides. Gramoxone is an option might set back the alfalfa a bit but works well in cooler but sunny conditions. Metribuzin, Pursuit, Raptor and Chateau are also available.  Prowl H2O also is available to manage potential grass outbreaks such as crabgrass and the foxtails. In the end many options available and growers are encouraged to get out and check for which weeds are rapidly covering over and might compete this spring. In my travels it appears the new seeding started this fall are tending have the most competitive populations of winter annuals.

 

Now is the time to get out and see what might be an issue this spring. If growers identify an issue now there may be application windows open up so preparation is the key to responding to the openings presented in coming weeks.

 

Weed of the week – Sweet Vernal

Melanie Barkley and Andrew Frankenfield have had some hay and pasture growings finding a different weed in the area. Dwight Lingenfelter identified the weed as Sweet Vernal grass.

https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/93023

“A perennial grass that does not have much forage value. I am not aware of any toxic issues with livestock. It usually has a sweet fragrance as it sets it head.”

Dwight Lingenfelter

Senior Extension Associate – Weed Science

Penn State Extension

 




If it is in the pasture and its a perennial grass in a perennial grass it will be extremely difficult to manage. Selected glyphosate applications and then a reseeding with a desirable grass is an option and or a rotation to an annual crop then back to perennial grass.

Risk of Freeze Damage to Winter Grains

Del Voight – Penn State Extension

Winter small grains are at risk of damage by low temperatures. We experienced two rather short duration cold temperature events last week. In as little as 2 hours of a freeze below 30 the result could  impact the crop yield of this 2020 crop depending on the stage of growth, soil type and residue cover. As it begins to form the head at jointing  stage it must be protected from weather, pests and nutrient deficiencies. Below is a  photo I took about a week after a 19 degree overnight temperature of some tip burn from some wheat in the jointing stage. This has little impact on yield.   It takes time to really assess these fields perhaps  even as long as 10 days after a cold temperature event to assess damage. Time will tell how deep the freeze occurred and the impact on the head.


 The above photos are from Dr Heidi Reed and illustrates  prominent tip damage.At this point the fields that I have reports from do not have any discolorations in the seed head. Here is a picture of what the plant is doing right now at jointing with the hollow stem and the small seed head forming above that point. Some fields are much more advanced and the head is pushing final leaves out before heading. The seed head can be assessed to determine if has discolored and is affected by low temperatures. Depending on the stage and duration of low temperatures that will determine final impact. Just above the knife point one can find the small seed head and it appears unaffected by low temperatures.

 

 

 I was involved in some cases where liquid nitrogen applications  burned the wheat below the head and this resulted in a complete loss in the fields that were burned by the liquid N. This would be similar to this situation if the freeze reaches and destroys the tender seed head inside. Dr Paul Esker had assessed damage at our Southeast Research Station and did not find significant damage in both Barley or Wheat. If the seed head is unaffected the stem below also can freeze and split so watch for that as well. Brittany Clark in Franklin reported growers had received significant damage to Barley that were in the GS Stage 10.1 or head emergence.  They estimated that more than 30% of the fields with heads erect are now desiccated and will be lost.  The key point is to get out and scout the wheat and barley to inspect later this week and make an assessment as to the overall impact. If perhaps only low lying areas are affected this might not require a rotation to a different crop and or harvest as forage but rather a loss in those areas. Also there may be growth affects as the heads emerge.  This image is the failure of the head to fully emerge due to low temperatures earlier in the spring.

Another issue that may get many agronomists confused is if the stem or head inside the stem is damaged a purple coloring of the remaining leaves can mislead a diagnosis to phosphorus deficiency.  Check the stem and head to ensure no damage is evident. Dr Chad Lee in Kentucky has a informative fact sheet detailing wheat and freeze damage.  The table below is an excerpt from his writings and it provides the temperature and hours to become an issue.  Freeze damage affect on Wheat.(Kentucky Extension)

Table 3-3. Freeze injury in wheat.*

Growth stage

Feekes

Zadoks

Approximate injurious temp. (2 hrs)

Primary symptoms

Yield effect

Tillering**

1-5

20-29

12°F

Leaf chlorosis; burning of leaf tips; silage odor; blue cast to fields

Slight to moderate

Jointing

(6-7)

31-32

24°F

Death of growing point; leaf yellowing or burning; lesions, splitting, or bending of lower stem; odor

Moderate to severe

Boot

10

41-49

28°F

Floret sterility; spike trapped in boot; damage to lower stem; leaf discoloration; odor

Moderate to severe

Heading

10.1-.5

50-58

30°F

Floret sterility; white awns or white spikes; damage to lower stem; leaf discoloration

Severe

Flowering

10.51-.54

60-71

30°F

Floret sterility; white awns or white spikes; damage to lower stem; leaf discoloration

Severe

Milk

11.1

75

28°F

White awns or white spikes; damage to lower stems; leaf discoloration; shrunken roughened or discolored kernels

Moderate to severe

Dough (11.2)

11.2

85

28°F

Shriveled discolored kernels; poor germination

Slight to moderate

*Information in this table assumes timely rainfall events occurring after the freeze event.

Frost can also impact other crops as well.  The tips of alfalfa might get frosted off but the most severe impact will be  to small grains that are now for the large part in the jointing stage or in some early planted wheat at boot stage.
So the action is to wait and see what the plant tells you in the next week to determine if the freeze impacted the head development. Here is another informative factsheet that might prove useful as we begin to assess fields.  Cultural Impacts in wheat

In the end, time will tell how much these cool conditions has affected the small grain crop. As always reach out to an agronomist if you have any questions on how to assess your field situations.

Wheat Disease and Head Scab

Del Voight – Penn State Extension

There seems to be reports of Powdery Mildew on wheat that is susceptible all the resistance varieties seem to have little to no levels of Powdery Mildew. I have yet to view a field that I would spray. Now we need to time and watch the scab forecast. Here it is keep checking it to manage scab risk.

National Scab Forecast Tool

Also Miravis, Prosaro – 8.2 ounce/acre or Caramba at 9 ounces/acre would be the two products of choice as heads emerge.

Cereal Leaf Beetle activity

Del Voight- Penn State Extension

Checking on the PAPIPE interactive website.  I noticed that cereal leaf beetle activity is occuring with the hatch being slightly earlier than previous years.

This is a typical impact of feeding I run into frequently in some areas of Pa. The adults are out right now with reports to our south of activity. These adults will lay eggs and the picture below shows what I expect in the next couple of weeks.  Check fields weekly for the sign of the pest if noted at thresholds consider managing the pest.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Here is the link to the management of this pest. As always please manage through the thresholds to ensure proper use of a pesticide.

https://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/cereal-leaf-beetle