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Ag Report: Ag Report April 15, 2003 Ag Report April 15, 2003 Washington County Ag Report This weekly report is provided to Washington county farmers and agribusinesses. Contributors are Sandy Buxton, Colleen Converse, Aaron Gabriel, Mandy Hulett, and Laura McDermott. If you would like to be removed from the mailing list or know of someone that should receive it, please let us know. Quote Announcements Money on the Stump - Saturday, May 10th at the South Glens Falls High School. 9 am to 4 pm. Learn about how to maximize the profit from your woodlot. Timber harvests can be extremely profitable if well managed - don't make the same mistake that lots of property owners do. A Forest management plan will turn woodlots into an investment rather than a non-paying liability. Farmers Markets Looking For Vendors Ag Report Comments - we appreciate your comments and are continuing the Ag Report only because you have requested it. Some have requested that we tape rather than staple the pages together. Unfortunately, our "system" will not let us do this efficiently. Receive an email reminder that will link you to the "Ag Report" at our website, by sending me an email, adg12@cornell.edu. Weather data and Wall Street Commodity prices will begin in the next issue (April 29). DAIRY NOTES: It has been a LONG and COLD winter! The only good
thing about this winter is that it wipes the slate clean of last years
cropping and harvesting seasons. We now get a chance to make a fresh start
at planting and harvesting once again. Planning ahead of time for high
quality forages will only benefit you down the road. The quality of alfalfa
affects the cost of grain incorporated into the cow's diet. Studies have
shown that the price of grain can increase as much as $.14/cow/day for
alfalfa harvested 14 days past the ideal time to harvest and as much as
$.38/cow/day for waiting 21 days past the ideal time to harvest. FARM BUSINESS NOTES: The current state of the economy is not giving anyone a warm and fuzzy feeling. During the Dairy Farm Business Summary Wrap-up Meeting Tom Kilcer, CCE-Rens. Cty., gave some interesting pointers on costs which are out of line for many farms. Crop costs are one area where most people don't know exactly what they should be when they are comparing notes with their neighbors. Crops are a huge item with tremendous impact - and most people want to err on the side of caution. But when soil tests, crop rotation and understanding your soil resources means that a farm could save some money I think that everyone needs to pay attention. For more info, give us a call or wait for later editions. But start thinking. LIVESTOCK PEST MANAGEMENT: What will you do this year to control face flies and horn flies in pastured cattle? Do not use the same insecticides all year long - resistant pest populations will develop. Read the labels for animal sprays and dust applicators to be sure they are effective for both face flies and horn flies. Feed additives are usually more effective against horn flies than face flies. Feed additives should also be used on a regional basis, since they kill the maggots in manure and not the adults that already exist. Adults can fly from farm to farm. Ear tags and boluses slowly release the active ingredient and less is released as time goes on. So, it is best to use ear tags and boluses in the summer during peak fly activity, rather than early in the spring. MANURE MANAGEMENT: What if you do not want to spread some manure this spring. One way to stockpile it without causing an environmental mess, is to mix it with bedded pack and form it into a windrow about 12 ft wide and 5 ft high. Use a box spreader or side delivery spreader so that the flails break up the clumps. A mixture of about 2 - 3 volumes of bedded pack to one volume of wet manure will probably give the right mix so that no liquids ooze from the bottom of your windrows. Mix some up, take a handful and squeeze firmly. No liquid should dribble out of your hand. Then let the windrows compost for a couple of months. When you are ready to spread it, the clumpy bedded pack will be decomposed and spread nicely over hay fields. Food Safety: Cornell researchers have found that the suggested guideline of 60 days between spreading manure on fruits and vegetable crops and harvest is probably inadequate. They found pathogens surviving in manure-amended soil after 100 days and more. So, be wise and conservative in using raw manure for fruit and vegetable crops. CROPS Beneficial Insects: You may not see many beneficial insects flying around at this time, but ground beetles are becoming active. They are usually black or dark colored and up to an inch long. They eat soft-bodied insects in the soil, like white grubs, wire worm, seed corn maggots, cabbage maggots, and more. Cover Crops: There has been some snow mold on grasses and winter wheat. I have not noticed any on winter rye. The snow cover may have protected some things like annual ryegrass from being completely killed by the winter, and benefited the sensitive winter annuals like hairy vetch. Check cover crops to see if they did or did not make it through the winter as planned. Alfalfa: So far I have seen no winter heaving of alfalfa. It seems that snow mold mostly affects the grasses. However, a blanket of snow now with warm temperatures afterward could do some harm. Seed alfalfa and forages as soon as you can prepare the soil without mashing and compacting it. I was asked the proper ratio of grass and alfalfa for horses. Ask your customers and give the customer what they want. The 2003 Cornell Guide for Integrated Field Crop Management has seeding rates and variety trial results for forages. Potato leaf hopper resistant varieties are high yielding and make good sense because there are few if any decent insecticide products for PLH on mixed stands of alfalfa/grass. If you do not scout your fields (shame on you) then PLH resistant varieties are reasonable insurance. Cornell recommends 12 lbs - 15lbs of alfalfa seed per acre. This is less than what other folks recommend. The lower rates work well if your planting conditions are good and weeds are under control. Raptor is now registered in NY as a postemergent herbicide in newly seeded and established alfalfa - for some annual grass and broadleaf weeds. Save money and time by using only secondary tillage to prepare seedbeds on fields with good soil structure - there may be no need to plow fields for new seedings. Field Corn: Corn is a costly high input crop. So, rotate out of poor and even decent hay fields into corn. Do not use phosphorus (P) in the starter fertilizer if the soil test high in P. The last 3 years of Cornell research have proven this. Do use 30 lbs of nitrogen in the starter fertilizer. I know you do not want to hear this, but you should side-dress any remaining nitrogen rather than putting it on at planting. You are losing at least some and at times most (like last year) of the nitrogen this way. Side-dressing will use the fertilizer more efficiently and provide an opportunity to cultivate weeds that escaped the herbicides. Be sure to plant corn no less than 1 ½ inches deep. See the March/April "Ag Digest" for cost comparisons of various herbicide programs. Plant silage at a rate of 36,500 seed/acre on the most productive soils, down to 30,000 seeds/acre on poor soils. Will your crops be custom harvested? Then talk to your harvester before planting to plan a schedule and select the appropriate hybrid variety. Grasses: Money is short, but nitrogen (N) fertilizer on grasses gives a good return. Apply up to 100 lbs N as the grasses green up, but do not rut your fields. However, for 2-cut (harvests) of orchardgrass and timothy (bunch grasses), apply only 50 lbs N per acre. Too much nitrogen on grasses cut only twice per year, results in a stand of large grass clumps with lots of bare space between the clumps. This is because the excessive growth and few cuttings reduces the light that reaches the crowns. As a result, fewer tillers (grass side shoots) form and you get thin grass fields. Use high nitrogen rates only on fields cut 3 or more times per year. Potassium (K) and P fertilizers can be applied in late spring if soil tests are not on the low side. There has been snow mold on some grasses. This results when there is a snow cover and warm temperatures. Mold just rots the new and old growth under the snow. Pasture: Apply nitrogen fertilizer only if you can effectively harvest the rapid spring growth. P and K can be applied in late May to June. K is more available when soils are moist (spring & fall). Plants will take up any excess K without any accompanying yield increase (called luxury consumption). Begin grazing when the grasses have reached 4 inches tall and rotate the animals frequently from paddock to paddock to keep up with the growth. The new 2003 Cornell Vegetable Recommends is now available from your local Cooperative Extension office. If you want to check it out via the web, the address is http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/recommends/ . The web version is updated continuously with many links to other web sites with useful information on growing vegetables. Also don't forget the Vegetable MD Online by the Plant Pathology Department at Cornell. It has great pictures. You can go through a selected crop and learn about any disease that might affect that crop. http://VegetableMDOnline.ppath.cornell.edu/Home.htm (from The Vegetable IPM News) Cucurbits: SUMMARY OF CUCUMBER BEETLE CONTROL STUDY from Umass
Extension. A 2-year study comparing effectiveness of insecticides on management
of striped cucumber beetles and bacterial wilt in direct seeded (DS) and
transplanted (TP) pumpkin (variety Merlin) indicated the need for long
distance crop rotation in order for insecticides to be most effective.
When rotation was to an adjacent field-different land, but close to last
year's cucurbits-beetle numbers were not reduced and insecticide effectiveness
tended to decline. The conventional foliar material carbaryl (Sevin XLR Plus) provided protection
to DS plants in 2001 but not to TP in 2001 or either TP or DS in 2002.
This may be related to timing: in both years, there was a 2 to 3 day delay
between beetle arrival and the first spray, which allowed some feeding
to occur. Growers who have used this method are aware that timing is important
and because beetle numbers (and leaf damage) increase rapidly in mid-June.
Kaolin clay (Surround WP) provided significant reduction in feeding damage,
less loss to wilt, and higher yield in 2001 - but not in 2002. This product
is recommended for organic farmers in combination with other tactics such
as rotation, row cover, using transplants (so plants are bigger when beetles
arrive), and delaying planting until late June to avoid beetles. Surround
can be applied to transplants prior to setting in the field. Imidicloprid (Admire 2F) was effective applied as furrow drench at 1oz/1000 ft in both years. Given the variable row spacing used in cucurbits, calculating rates in terms of ounces per row 1000 feet gives consistent rates at the root zone, and reduces per acre cost at wide row spacings. Admire was also effective through trickle when the full row was saturated with water, even under high beetle pressure. This can be accomplished by charging the system with water first, then making the injection, then running more water to clear the system and ensure wetting of the entire row. A pre-transplant drench provided suppression and reduced wilt but was not as effective as other methods of application. It is possible that slightly higher rates would be more effective, but growers should use caution because excessive rates cause burning. Solanaceae: Handling Potato Seed by Bill Lamont, Penn State. When it is time to cut seed, warm it up to 55-600 F before handling it (a few degrees per day to prevent condensation on the tuber surface). This minimizes bruising of the seed tubers, which can lead to increased seed rot and stand establishment problems. Quaternary ammonium compounds, sodium hypochlorite (household bleach) and calcium hypochlorite are all effective disinfectants for cutting equpiment. Don't mix seed lots during the cutting and planting process, not only to minimize disease losses, but also to allow you to obtain compensation if there is a problem with a lot. Seed planted into warm, well-drained soil will emerge faster while planting shallow and lightly cultivating to break up compacted soil will also increase the temperature and improve the oxygen levels around the seed piece, decreasing seed decay. Ornamentals White pines are looking really bad. Those trees planted anywhere near
roads have a tremendous amount of salt burn from road salt. White pines
are not salt tolerant and should not be planted anywhere near roads!!!
White pines also look terrible due to breakage from heavy snow loads.
Try to prune out ripped and broken limbs. If you are still facing dormant oil applications, you should try to get
it done soon, but be aware that the temperatures fluctuate drastically
at this time of year. If there is a danger of freezing within 24 - 48
hours of a dormant oil application you could have plant burn. Greenhouse: This winter was devastating to many area greenhouses.
The snow load and extreme cold caused houses to collapse, plastic to shatter
and in general proved to be a real headache to manage. The spike in heating
costs have only added to peoples aggravation. Happily, it seems as though
spring is finally here without any major flooding problems. Sluggish growth results when you have cool temperatures and low light.
Pushing fertilizer under these conditions will not do any good. These
conditions also favor oedema on ivy geraniums. This condition looks like
wet bumps primarily on the lower leaf surface. Sincerely, Aaron Gabriel You Can Help Us! Difficult times are also affecting Cornell Cooperative Extension because of the economy and governmental budgets. If you are not currently subscribed to our CCE newsletters, then you can help us by subscribing. This "Ag Report" in the past has been mailed irrespectively to CCE subscribers and to Washington County farmers who have not subscribed. Now we need you to subscribe! Many of you have received the "Ag News" and "Ag Digest" in the past and simply have not renewed your subscriptions. Our budget is getting squeezed and we now need every $10 subscription. This is a small amount that will help our budget, and also show our county leaders that you support CCE. We get many positive comments about our programs and newsletters. Thank you for your feedback and support. If we have benefited you, then we need a simple show of support through your subscription and a phone call to your town supervisor. If you have received this "Ag Report" and you are not currently subscribed to CCE, then please subscribe today. Please use the attached
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then please call our office. If you would like to be removed from the
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| ©2001-2004 Cornell Cooperative Extension. Updated:
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