Ag Report: Washington County Ag Report June 17, 2003

Washington County Ag Report
June 17, 2003

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.

"Inspiration …comes into us slowly and quietly and all the time, though we must regularly and every day give it a little chance to start flowing, prime it with a little solitude and idleness." -- Brenda Ueland

Announcements
FIELD CROP SCOUTING, COME EARN A PESTICIDE RECERTIFICATION CREDIT BY SCOUTING WITH ME FOR ONE HOUR:
Tuesday, June 24 at 10 am, Ed Foote farm, Upper Turnpike, Whitehall.
Tuesday, July 1 at 10 am, Jim Stott Farm, Stott Rd., Argyle.

Wednesday, June 25, 9am-5pm NYS Direct Marketing Association summer tour in the lower Hudson Valley. Register by June 20. (315) 475-1101. www.nysfdma.com for more info.
Carpool or van from Cornell Cooperative Extension may be available, if interested contact ASAP 1-800-548-0881.

**Thursday, June 26, 7:30 pm - OUTSOURCING YOUR FEED SUPPLY - at Lyle Purinton farm. First in a series of farm meetings this summer where we will discuss purchasing forages off the farm and hiring custom machinery operators. Also, we will look at Lyle's New Zealand style milking parlor. On Purinton Rd., off rte 32 in Gansvoort.

Thursday, June 26, 4-6 pm Umass Twilight Meeting of 35 yr. diversified Veg. CSA farm integrating animals and renewable energy applications (solar powered electric fencing, livestock feeders and future plans for rooftop PV for barn lighting and refrigeration.) Caretaker Farm, Sam and Elizabeth Smith, 1210 Hancock Rd., Williamstown, MA (413)-458-4309

Monday, July 7 - Cornell Potato Field Day, 9:30 am - 4 pm, Thompson Vegetable Research Farm, Freeville, sponsored by the Empire State Potato Growers Assoc. Learn more about breeding, variety trials, pest management, IPM Elements, and the Northeast Weather Assoc. Contact Don Halseth at 607-255-5460 or deh3@cornell.edu.

Tuesday, July 8 9:30 am - noon - Valatia Research Farm Weed Days -Roundup Rready Corn, Clearfield Corn, Callisto, post-emergent crabgrass control, Pardee Trefoil. Pesticide & CCA credits. On State Farm Rd., off Rte 9 just north of Valatia. AG

Thursday, July 10, 5:30 - 7:30 pm - Season Extension on a Southern Vermont Organic Farm - Clearbrook Farm in Shaftsbury, VT. Andrew Knafel farms 20 acres of vegetables, bedding plants, spring seedlings, and strawberries. Has 9 greenhouses (18,000 ft2), 3 just for tomatoes. His tomato system involves grafting rootstock and buying in bumblebee hives. Call the Regional Farm and Food Project to attend, 518-271-0744.

Wednesday, July 16 - Vegetable Weed Science Field Day, 8 am - 1 pm, Thompson Vegetable Research Farm, Freeville. Call Sue at 607-255-7889 by July 8th to register.

Thursday, July 31, 2003 CCE Annual Dairy Tour - Milk Marketing - Keep watching for more info, registration is $60, call 1-800-548-0881.

This notice from Agricultural Affiliates Re: Agricultural Employee housing: There is a fox making his way around NYS with a sheepskin over him. Every agricultural employer should be aware of an offer that is too good to be true. If you are in the process of thinking about signing up for this offer, here are a few things to consider:
1. Ask the fox if their group is willing to sign on and support the AgJobs program that growers and producers in NY have been working for during the past 6 years.
2. Who controls the housing and the people that stay in the housing? The greatest and quickest way to lose control of your operation is for someone else to have control of your employees. Don't ever give control of your employees to someone else as this is not fair to your employees or your own operation.
3. For more information about this topic, call Ag Affiliates at 1-800-347-5226.

Weather Data - 2003 and average of 1999 - 2002

Soil temperature today in a sandy soil on a sunny afternoon, was 83OF.

Midwest Commodity Prices - from the Wall Street Journal
Corn per bushel $2.38/bu
Cotton Seed Meal per ton $132/ton
Soybean per bushel 6.09/bu
Corn Gluten Feed 62/ton
Hominy Feed per ton 50/ton
Wheat, soft white 3.48/bu
48% Soybean meal per ton 188/ton
Tallow per pound .19/lb
These prices are provided only to show where the general market trends are moving and to help you determine appropriate ration ingredients. Local prices will vary due to shipping, processing, and discounts.

FARM BUSINESS MANAGEMENT: Saratoga County just hosted their 8th Annual Farm Tour event "Sundae on the Farm" in West Charlton. A number of Washington County agri-business people were present giving a hand which was appreciated. But the interesting point is a question I got from several guests "why would a farm open themselves up for a tour? Was there much profit in it?" As I tried to explain the value to a farmer of educating the public and making sure that everyone knows where their food comes from, it was a reminder that many people are hungry for the information that we have. They might not always know it but it is important to find ways to drop interesting facts to get them interested. Of course the people coming to the farm tour want to learn more and they know that they are missing something. But ordinary people in your town might feel the same way.

CROPS
Beneficial Insects: Here is a great insect, a lady beetle (ladybug). Most have seen this one called "C mac" for short. It feeds on aphids, corn borer eggs, and other insect eggs and small insect larvae (worms). Shown here is an adult and a larva or immature ladybug. The immatures are also predators. The adult is ¼" long or so, and the larva is upto about 3/8" long, with black and white or yellow coloration. (Images are from Marlin Rice, ISU, and Mike Hoffman, Cornell.)


Alfalfa: First cutting of haylage is nearing completion. I did find potato leafhoppes (PLH) today. Last weeks "Ag Report" had a picture of an adult and a nymph. The adults come in each spring from the south. They are lime green in color and they do a cute little "side-step" unlike other leafhoppers. Adults are about 3/8" long. New seedings and short alfalfa are most susceptible. PLH populations increase rapidly with hot weather. Alfalfa weevil (AW) are still here and feeding on regrowth. The larvae (worms) range from small to large. If 50% of regrowth stems have feeding damage, then treat with an insecticide. Parasites and predators are killed by insecticides, so only treat if you have scouted and really need to. This picture of AW damage is a severe case. Sometimes there is just a few holes eaten in the leaf or just a portion is "skeletonized". (Picture is from Marlin Rice, Iowa State Entomological Image Gallery.)

Field Corn: Some of the early corn is 9" tall or so. Take pre-sidedress nitrogen tests (PSNT) when corn is 6 - 12" tall. The purpose of this soil test is to see if the nitrate level in the soil will be sufficient to supply the corn crop for the season. If the nitrate level is below 25ppm, then side-dressing nitrogen is recommended. To take a PSNT, sample to a depth of 12" in 15 or so spots in each field. Mix the soil in a bucket and immediately dry it out. Use an oven if necessary (stay below 200OF). Send the sample into Cornell with its special form (available from our office) for a cost of $10. Continue to look for black cutworm - they like late-planted corn.

Grasses: Heads, heads everywhere. You still have an opportunity to get high-quality grass in second and third cutting. Apply nitrogen (50 lbs N per acre) after each cutting. Nitrogen has a funny habit of converting to a gas and being lost to the atmosphere when broadcast on top of soil. It is best to apply nitrogen right before a good rain. About 20 - 40% of the nitrogen can "volatilize and be lost from urea, while up to about 20% can be lost from ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulfate. Check prices and push the pencil. Urea is 46% nitrogen, ammonium sulfate is 23% N, and ammonium nitrate is 34% N.

Pasture: We are approaching the flowering stage for many biennial and perennial weeds. Clip weeds once flowers appear, but before seeds are fully formed. That means you need to pick apart some flower heads and look at the development. This is a good time to fertilize pastures to increase pasture growth and beat the summer slump.

Crucifers: Last week we saw a lot of maggot in the crucifers. This week we are seeing wilting plants in the fields and when checking the roots we are finding hardly any roots. While I thought we would see lots of maggot, we are finding the cause of the wilting more often to be fungal root rot, Rhizoctonia or "wire stem". There is not much we can do about this condition. Until the weather gets dryer, expect to see more root problems in the field. (John Mishanec Pest Status Report)

Cucurbits: Flooding is a serious problem in some vine crop fields. If you have crops in areas of flooding, it is probably better to pull those plants up now and not risk an outbreak of phytophthora blight in the field. Clear a buffer area around wet spots with no plants so the rest of the field will be protected. (John Mishanec Pest Status Report)

Solanaceae: Eggplant transplants are showing a lot of stress. Purple leaves is a sign the plants are not taking up P from the soil. In wet, cool conditions, it is a good idea to increase P in the transplant solution. (Aaron saw potato leafhoppers while scouting this week.) Potato Leafhoppers normally begin to appear in fields around the middle of June. Often leafhoppers cause serious damage before the grower knows they are present. Leaf bronzing or 'hopperburn,' can cause serious reduction in yields. Look for the greenish adults under leaves. Adults quickly fly off when disturbed. Later, the light green or tan nymphs are easier to detect . It is best to use a sweep net to look for leafhoppers. Make 5 sweeps across a row at five locations in the field. Control is suggested on potatoes if there is more than one leafhopper per sweep or 5 nymphs per 50 leaves. If you don't have a sweep net, flop the vines into the row and shake the plant vigorously. Look on the ground for leafhoppers that fall off the plant. Check your Cornell Guidelines for a list of products for control. (John Mishanec Pest Status Report)

Sweet Corn: Consider a PSNT (Pre-Sidedress Nitrate Test). Sidedressing should be performed when the corn is 8-12 inches high.
We caught the first european corn borer (ECB) adults in pheromone traps this week. Populations were low. In western NY, trap catch results varied from large numbers to next to nothing. We have traps out from Orange county up through the Capital District and will chart the flights in Eastern NY. Most corn is not growing the way farmers would like to see. The largest corn is probably 15 inches max while most bare ground corn is still 6-8 inches tall. Plants are yellow because of slow N take up with cold, wet ground. (John Mishanec Pest Status Report)

Insects: Because of the early snow cover, which never went away all winter, the ground was insulated and never froze. Usually a cold winter and a hard ground frost will kill a percentage of insects over-wintering in the ground. Without this hard ground frost, I think we are in for a heavy insect population summer. So far, with all the flea beetle, cucumber beetle and Colorado potato beetle we are seeing in the filed, this is turning out to be a true prediction. (John Mishanec Pest Status Report)

Weeds: This week brings a couple of thoughts regarding weeds. First, if you are planning to make a delayed application of herbicides in sweet corn, consider the following. Atrazine, Dual, and Lasso are all registered for delayed preemergence applications in sweet corn. Many growers use Bicep (a pre mix of atrazine + Dual) or they mix atrazine with either Dual or Lasso. The corn must be no taller than 5 inches for this application. This treatment, applied over the corn and weeds as a broadcast or banded spray will control most emerged broadleaf weeds but
has limited activity on emerged grasses. Because of the cool temperatures so far, grasses have been slow to emerge. For growers with triazine-resistant lambsquarters, this is not a good option. A better option is to use either Prowl or Frontier at planting in combination with 1 lb active ingredient of atrazine. A second option is to follow your normal preemergence treatment with a postemergence application of either 2,4-D or Basagran. See the herbicide labels for additional information. (Rich Bonanno Umass Veg Notes)

Pesticides: Apply Fungicides Before or After a Rain? I discussed with plant pathologist Tom Zitter, Cornell, whether it's better to spray before or after a forecast for rain. The grower argument has sometimes been that the spray will be washed off anyway so you might as well wait to spray. Of course it may be too wet to get in after but then if it's been washed off what's the difference? Plant pathologists often say you need coverage before the rain and then need to re-apply fungicides to ensure coverage after the rain as well. Here's our rationale for spraying before the rain. A fungicide like Bravo WeatherStik should maintain adequate coverage for the first 3/4" or so of rain. Unless the rain comes hard all at once you'll have protection for many hours while this much rain falls. After a significant rain the temperature often falls. This lessens the disease risk for many diseases (though not for downy mildew of onion). Therefore, in general, you've had fungicide coverage during the important warm first several hours of the rain.

Careful of Spray Additive Use in this Weather- M. VanGessel, Univ. of Delaware-Due to overcast skies and ample moisture, plants have very thin cuticles which may result in increased injury with postemergence herbicides. Nitrogen additives are most likely to cause crop injury with this weather. Also, consider using non- ionic surfactant rather than crop oils to reduce the risk of injury. University of Delaware data supports use of non- ionic surfactants over crop oil concentrates because it provides similar levels of weed control as crop oils with less risk of injury. This has been true in weather patterns we are currently experiencing, as well as in dry weather. (Note: When Basagran was applied alone post-emergence to control weeds in beans the addition of a crop oil concentrate improved control though it increased the risk of crop damage in Robin Bellinder's trials. Ed. CRM) (OWYS Vegetable Update)

Ornamentals:
Perennials: Lots of slug damage on plants -everything from hosta to iris. Some growers see good control with iron phosphate, but others rely on Metaldehyde. Mesurol is restricted use only - you must be a certified pesticide applicator to purchase and use this chemical. Iris, along with the leaf spot that I reported on last week are also suffering from iris borer. I found some in a container last week. The larvae are still in the foliage, but will be eating their way to the rhizome by the first week of July. It's too late to spray for them now, but if you have lots of problems you might consider parasitic nematodes (Steinernema carpocapsae) applied around the base of the plant about 1 square foot when the soil temperature is between 50 and 9-0 degrees.
The other pest that I have seen on perennials is aphids on Lupine - what a mess! If you don't want to spray for them, make sure that you cut the foliage way back immediately after bloom and get it out of the area. If you are selling these plants, you will have to take action, because you don't want customers to buy infested plants. An insecticidal soap may work if the population is low.

Greenhouse: Nothing new, just the same problems with Botrytis, fungus gnats, shore flies etc. Maryland is reporting lots of thrips on potted sunflowers, so if you are buying yours in, you might want to look closely when they are delivered.

Turfgrass: Interestingly, we haven't had any turf samples come in with disease problems despite weather that predisposes for fungal infection. The big reminder for commercial turf maintenance is to try and avoid mowing wet turf! It will also take several mowings to get it back in shape. Set the mowing height higher and then re-mow 1-2 days later.

Woody Ornamentals: The most significant pest to report this week is that Viburnum Leaf beetle has been found in the Capital District. This insect has been devastating native viburnums in northern and western NY for several years. The insect has been found in 3 separate locations in the capital district and was found on plants being sold at a local nursery, so I think we will see it in Washington County this season. The Viburnum Leaf beetle can be controlled in small plantings by physical removal of branches with egg masses between October and April. For larger infestations insecticide may be needed.
Other pest problems of trees and shrubs include Azalea leaf gall. The galls, which vary in size and shape, are caused by the fungus Exobasidium. The galls should be picked and destroyed. A black walnut specimen came into the office that has Bacterial blight. This disease has to be controlled by pruning with proper sanitation between each cut. A spray program should be followed next year. There are a number of caterpillar insects devouring tree leaves this year, Eastern Tent caterpillars are waning while Forest Tent caterpillars are very active. Forest tent caterpillars do not form the obvious tents in the trees, but have a more subtle tent on the sides of trees and then tend to mass on the trunks before they head up into the canopy. They have markings very much like the Eastern Tent caterpillar, but are less hairy. There are also loads of gypsy moth caterpillars present and these are also hairy.

Lastly, we've had several calls from homeowners about their fruit trees dropping fruit. This is to be expected - it's a phenomenon called June Drop, a self-thinning mechanism that the tree uses to avoid excessive crop loads. There is no pest involved and in a few weeks you won't even remember it happened.

Sincerely,

Aaron D. Gabriel
Extension Resource Educator
Crops and Soils

OUTSOURCING FEED:
Purchasing Forages and
Hiring Custom Machinery Operators

This is the first in a 2003 series of on-farm discussions in the Capital Region about outsourcing feed and fieldwork.
Many smaller dairy herds are finding success by focussing their efforts on the dairy and leaving the crop work for someone else. Other farmers are finding the extra cash and economies of scale that they need by selling some feed or doing custom fieldwork.
Come join the discussion, share your experience, and learn how you might focus or diversify your operation.
We will also discuss grazing and Lyle's New Zealand-style milking parlor.

WHEN: Thursday, June 26th at 7:30 PM

WHERE: Lyle Purinton's farm, Purinton Rd., Gansvoort
(take Rt. 32 to 80 Purinton Rd. in Gansevoort,coming from Hudson Falls Purinton Road will be on your right, coming from Schuylerville, Purinton Road will be on your left. House will be on your right and barns on your left about 1-2 miles down the road.)