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Vol. 18, No. 11, June 26, 2003 In
this Issue |
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Cyst nematodes |
White females of both the soybean cyst nematode (SCN) and sugar beet cyst nematode (SBCN) were readily visible on Tuesday, June 24, 2003, on the roots of early-planted soybeans and sugar beets, respectively, near Bay City, Michigan. No shoot system symptoms (stunting, wilting or yellowing) were observed. Sugar beet taproot deformation, however, was present. White females of SCN and SBCN and their associated plant symptoms should be visible on mid- to late planted Michigan soybeans and beets by Monday, July 7. |
Weed control in no-till soybeans |
Weed control in no-till soybeans can be more challenging than weed control in conventional till soybeans because controlling weeds prior to planting is critical for optimum soybean yield. This past fall/spring we initiated research plots evaluating white cockle control, dandelion control and overall weed control following late fall (November) or early spring (April) herbicide applications. Here are the results to date: White cockle controlWhite cockle is a biennial or short-lived perennial weed. It reproduces by seed. It has soft, hairy leaves and hairy stems. Night-flowering catchfly is a winter/summer annual weed that emerges in the late fall or early spring. It has sticky stems and leaves. Both of these weeds are flowering right now along roadsides, in alfalfa fields that haven't been cut and in no-till soybeans.
* AMS at 17 lb/100 gal; NIS at 1/8% v/v; COC at 1% v/v 2,4-D ester did not control white cockle.
Glyphosate applied in late fall or mid-April provided excellent
control. Delaying a glyphosate application until mid-May will result
in only fair control (personal observation). Canopy XL + Express
+ 2,4-D ester resulted in good control for late fall and excellent
control for mid-April applications. Therefore white cockle can
be controlled with late fall or early spring applications of glyphosate
OR Canopy XL plus Express. Do not wait until May to apply
your burndown herbicide program and expect white cockle control.
Dandelion control
*AMS at 17 lb/100; NIS at 1/8% v/v; COC at 1% **Fall treatments with less than 40 percent dandelion control were retreated in mid-May. Spring treatment results are the second number in the control column. Late fall (November) applications of Canopy XL + Express + 2,4-D ester at 1 pt/A provided excellent dandelion control. Late fall applications of 2,4-D ester at 2 pt/A provided excellent dandelion control in early May but by mid-June control was 70 percent. When 2,4-D ester was tank-mixed with Sencor + Crop oil Concentrate OR Valor + Crop oil Concentrate control was very poor when applied in the fall but excellent when applied in mid-May. Dandelion control in early May with Extreme was 85 percent when applied alone or with 2,4-D ester but by mid-June control was only fair. Dandelion control with glyphosate alone in the fall was poor but spring applications provided 98 percent control. Therefore, in this research the best late fall treatment for dandelion control included Canopy XL + Express. Spring applications of many of the treatments provided excellent burndown of dandelion. Late fall versus early spring
burndown applications Late fall (mid-November) applications No fall applied treatment controlled 100 percent of the summer annual weeds by June 24. Canopy XL at 1.33 oz/A controlled common lambsquarters, smartweed and wild buckwheat but did not control annual grasses, common ragweed or eastern black nightshade. Canopy XL at 3.5 or 4.5 oz/A provided 80 percent or greater control of all of these weeds except eastern black nightshade. Canopy at 3.2 oz/A provided 90 percent or greater control of all summer annual weeds except eastern black nightshade. Valor at 2 oz/A OR Python at 1 oz/A OR Extreme at 3 pt/A did not control common lambsquarters, common ragweed, smartweed or buckwheat but did control eastern black nightshade. Backdraft, Sencor, Domain, and Boundary did not control summer annual weeds when applied in mid-November. Early spring (mid-April)
applications Early spring (mid-April) treatments that provided 100 percent control of chickweed, henbit, and shepherdspurse and 100 percent control of summer annual weeds including wild buckwheat, common lambsquarters and foxtails on June 24 include: § Canopy XL at 1.33, 2, 2.5, 3 OR 3.5 oz/A + 16 oz/A of Roundup WeatherMax + 1 pt/A of 2,4-D ester § Gangster at 1.8, 2.4 OR 3.1 oz/A + Prowl + Roundup WeatherMax at 16 oz/A § Command Extra at 0.9 lb/A + 2,4-D ester at 1 pt/A + Crop oil Concentrate § Gauntlet at 0.28 lb/A + Roundup WeatherMax at 22 oz/A § Python at 1 oz/A + Sencor at 4 oz/A + 2,4-D ester at 1 pt/A § Python at 1 oz/A + 2,4-D ester at 1 pt/A + Glyphomax Plus at 32 oz/A § Pursuit Plus at 2.5 pt/A + Roundup WeatherMax at 22 oz/A + 2,4-D ester at 1 pt/A § Extreme at 3 pt/A + 2,4-D ester at 1 pt/A § Backdraft at 3 pt/A + 2,4-D ester at 1 pt/A Valor at 1.5 or 2 oz/A, Domain at 12 oz/A, Boundary at 1.5 pt/A, and Sencor at 12 oz/A had only good control of common lambsquarters (80-90%). We can conclude that late fall applications of Canopy XL at 3.5 or 4.5 oz/A or Canopy at 3.2 oz/A will control most summer annual weeds except eastern black nightshade and annual grasses. These weeds, particularly eastern black nightshade, must be controlled in soybeans to avoid harvesting and seed quality issues. Early spring (mid-April) applications of many herbicide programs will provide good summer annual weed control. Remember to always read and follow the directions on the pesticide label. |
Postemergence weed control in dry beans - 2003 |
In early May Michigan was granted a Section 18 specific exemption for the use of Reflex to control broadleaf weeds in dry beans in the Lower Peninsula. Therefore growers have the option of using Basagran, Reflex (Lower Peninsula only), Raptor, or Pursuit for postemergence broadleaf weed control in dry beans. Assure II, Select, and Poast are registered for postemergence annual grass control in dry beans. The accompanying table provides guidelines for using these herbicides in 2003. Other important guidelines: 1. The use rate for Raptor in edible legumes is 4 oz/A. The use rate for Reflex is 1 pt/A (common ragweed 4 leaf or less will be controlled by ½ pt/A). 2. Raptor rotation restrictions include 18 months for sugar beets (extend to 26 months if soil pH is below 6.2) and canola. Reflex rotation restrictions include 18 months for alfalfa, sugar beets, potatoes, canola, cucumbers and tomatoes. 3. Raptor alone provides fair control of foxtails. Foxtail control is good when Raptor is tank-mixed with Basagran at 8 oz/A + 28%N (or AMS - ammonium sulfate) + NIS. Barnyardgrass and crabgrass control is only fair. 4. Assure II, Select, or Poast can be tank-mixed with Basagran, Reflex, or Basagran + Reflex. Do NOT tank mix Assure II, Select or Poast with Raptor or Pursuit (grass antagonism). 5. When tank-mixing Raptor + Basagran + 28%N (or AMS), adjust the Basagran rate and the adjuvant depending on what you want this tank mix to accomplish. The 28%N rate is 2.5 gal/100 gal of spray solution. The AMS rate is 12-15 lb/100 gal of spray solution. Use COC (crop oil concentrate) at 1 quart/Acre and increase the Basagran rate to 16 oz/A if you want the tank mix to control cocklebur and jimsonweed or provide good control of common lambsquarters. Use NIS (nonionic surfactant) at 1/4% v/v and only 8 oz/A of Basagran if you want to add 28% N to increase Raptor's weed control spectrum and need the Basagran to 'safen' the Raptor application. 6. Do NOT add 28%N when tank-mixing Raptor + Reflex. Only add NIS. 7. Apply Raptor, Reflex, and Basagran when dry beans have one fully expanded trifoliate (don't apply to unifoliate dry beans). Do NOT apply these herbicides once dry beans begin to bloom. 8. The rainfree period (time from postemergence herbicide application until it rains) should be 1 hour for Assure II, Select, Poast, Pursuit, Raptor, and Reflex. The Basagran label does not list a rainfree period (in the earlier labels it was listed as 8 hours). |
Foliar fertilization of corn and soybeans |
There is increased interest in foliar fertilization of corn and soybeans in Michigan. The idea behind this type of foliar fertilization is to apply extra nutrients to boost yields, not necessarily to correct micronutrient deficiencies. Last week the Minnesota Crop News ran an article titled Foliar Fertilization of Corn and Soybeans written by Dr. George Rehm, Extension Soil Fertility Specialist. I thought the article would be of interest to Michigan growers. The full text of article follows with Dr. Rehm's permission. Minnesota crop producers working for the extra yield have frequently considered the use of foliar application of fertilizer for both crops. Is this practice important? Does it pay? These are two of the frequently asked questions. The concept of foliar fertilization has been researched for several years. Several projects focused on this management practice during the mid-1970's. More recently, there has been an intensive evaluation of in-season application of fertilizer - N for soybean production. Results of some of the research trials conducted in Minnesota are summarized in the tables that follow. Application of fluid fertilizer containing N, P2O5, K2O and S was evaluated for corn production at the Southern Research and Outreach Center at Waseca. This mixture was applied 1, 2 or 3 times from mid-August through early September. Nutrients applied with each time of application were 25.3, 12.5, 6.3, and 1.0 lb of N, P2O5, K2O and S respectively. The results are listed in Table 1. All treatments received full N at 150 lb./acre as 82-0-0. In addition, there was a broadcast application of 60 lb. P2O5 and 100 lb. K2O per acre. Table
1. Corn yield as affected by foliar application of N, P2O5,
K2O and S
The application times were selected so that the fluid fertilizer would be applied during grain fill. The results of this study showed that foliar application of fertilizer had no positive effect on corn yield. Following a report of a positive response of foliar
application for a soybean crop, trials were conducted at three locations
to evaluate the potential use of this management practice for soybean
production in Minnesota. The fertilizer was applied during pod fill.
The results are summarized in Table 2. There were two varieties
at each location. Results were consistent with both varieties. Values
in Table 2 are averages for the two varieties. Table 2. Influence of foliar application of fertilizer on soybean yield
These results show that foliar fertilization is not a management practice that will increase soybean yield. Other universities throughout the Corn Belt conducted similar studies. The results were similar. Foliar fertilization had no effect on soybean yield. There is a risk to foliar fertilization. The N
could cause burning of the foliage and reduce yield. The yields
summarized in Table 3 illustrate this risk. The N was applied as
liquid urea to supply 75 lb. N per acre. Table 3. The effect of application of fertilizer N (urea) on soybean yield
In this study, the yield reduction from the late application of urea was caused by foliage burn. Studies with in-season application of fertilizer N have been more extensive. In these trials conducted throughout Minnesota at 15 sites, there was a positive response to N at one site. While the foliar application of fertilizer may seem like a logical management practice, this method of fertilizer application has not increased yield of corn and soybean in Minnesota. This practice is not recommended. |
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Japanese beetle survey: Help us help you |
As many growers, gardeners and homeowners in the Lower Peninsula know, Michigan faces a prolific pest in the Japanese beetle. This iridescent beetle has moved from the eastern coast of the United States, where it was introduced, and is now a significant pest of turfgrass, small fruit and some field crops. In 2002, the National Agricultural Pest Information System (NAPIS) reported Japanese beetles within the southern most counties of the Lower Peninsula (Figure 1). However, we anticipate its spread to continue to the north and west across Michigan. Effective management of this pest requires a proactive approach. To better inform the public and assist researchers and state extension agents, our colleagues at the University of Illinois have designed a website to help us track this pests' spread across Michigan: http://www.pmcenters.org/northcentral/jbeetle/ At this website, you can click on the reporting beetles link, and follow the subsequent instructions to report the location and level of Japanese beetle infestation. We invite all who have encountered this beetle in their home or commercial fields to report them to this website. This information will be reported back on the website as regional maps, illustrating the current range of Japanese beetle. Reporting Japanese beetle infestations will help us better understand the landscape and climate factors that may impact this invasive species' ability to spread across the US. In return, there are several pages describing the biology of the beetle and management options for the adults and grubs. By helping us to identify the current range and population level, we can better help you to manage this destructive pest. Figure 1. 2002 reported range of Japanese Beetle (JB) in US. Data from National Agricultural Pest Information System. Figure from National Agricultural Pest Information System web site: |
Regional reports |
1 - Southeast |
Weather Alfalfa is re-growing nicely after a real struggle to get the first cutting off and baled. Potato leafhopper populations are high and increasing. Farmers should be checking carefully and spray for this pest if necessary. Corn is showing heat stress and corn borer damage. ECB second instar larvae found on Tuesday (June 24). Trap counts in Monroe County this week were 46, 110 and 480 and in Wayne County were 18, 3 and 6. Nitrogen sidedressing is finishing up. Corn heights are variable with advanced fields at V8 but many fields at V6. Soybeans are finally turning more green than yellow-green. Post spraying is beginning. Bean leaf beetle populations seem to be diminishing. Most fields are at the second trifoliate. Perennial weeds, such as thistle, are tall and stick out like sore thumbs. Wheat is turning. Some head scab is evident, but generally heads appear normal for most wheat. The MSU Wheat Variety Trial in southeast Michigan is at the Dave and Jason Woods' farm and is located on Bucholtz Highway north of Deerfield, Michigan. The demonstration replication will be signed by July 1 for interested farmers to evaluate varieties. Be careful about parking, as there is no off- road parking at this location. Miscellaneous |
2 - Southwest |
Weather Commodity reports Early-planted soybeans have reached the V4 growth stage. Lack of soil moisture has caused severe moisture stress in areas of some fields in Van Buren County. Wheat fields continue to look good and are filling kernels. Most fields have not begun to turn yellow. In alfalfa, the regrowth needs a good rain to get it started. Monitor second cutting for potato leafhoppers. These critters are more damaging under dry conditions. |
3 - West Central |
Weather Commodity reports Early-planted oats have headed out. Grain fill is under way and nearly complete in many fields of rye. Some fields have started to turn. Wheat for the most part is in fair to good condition Flowering is now complete in most fields. No evidence of head scab has been found as of yet. Corn growth stages vary from V1 to V7. This crop continues to improve in condition over all. European corn borer numbers caught in pheromone traps continue to edge upwards. This week's averages were 4 per trap at Stanton and 15 per trap at Trufant. I have not yet observed any significant egg laying in corn. Soybean planting is complete. Soybean growth stages vary from VE to V3. Dry bean planting is virtually completed. Lack of soil moisture is slowing emergence at many locations. Where soil moisture was adequate dry beans emerged rapidly and are in the unifoliate stage. |
4 - Central |
Weather Commodity reports The soybean crop is doing very well. Herbicide applications are being made. No reported pest problems at this time. The wheat is done flowering in most fields. Some of the later fields should be done flowering at the end of the week. There is powdery mildew and Septoria in most fields but remains in the lower part of the plant in most cases. Some fields have barley yellow dwarf virus that is turning some of the flag leaves yellow. There is nothing you can do to control it at this time. First cutting alfalfa harvest is wrapping up and some second cutting will be cut next week. This is the first year in several that farmers have been able to get all their first cutting made with no rain. Fields should be scouted for leafhoppers and alfalfa weevil, as populations are very high. This year we have both pests sharing the same fields. In some cases the weevil has been over threshold for second cutting. Contact the Extension office if you need information about managing these pests. The dry beans are emerging nicely. Fields should be monitored for leafhoppers, as populations are high. |
5 - Thumb |
Weather Commodity reports Most sugar beets are taking full advantage of the good growing conditions with a few fields getting close to closing the rows. Weed control appears to be very good, or the few weeds haven't yet grown above the crop canopy. The corn crop seems to have benefited the greatest from the sunshine and warm weather. Early planted corn is now 24 inches tall while later planted corn is catching up quickly. Most wheat fields are beyond flowering now. Rainfall has been limited during most of the flowering period so we are hoping for low vomitoxin levels at harvest. Foliar diseases remain in the lower canopy where it should do no harm to crop yield or quality. A few soybean fields have just been planted in the eastern Thumb area due to extended wet conditions. Most of this crop is developing well with the exception of some sandy areas that were replanted due to poor emergence. The 2003 dry bean crop is mostly planted. Very good planting conditions late last week and early this week have led to quick and consistent emergence. |
6 - Northern Lower Peninsula |
Weather Commodity reports Soybeans have 2 trifoliates out and are doing OK, but they need a rain badly. Corn is looking OK for the dry weather. Most fields have 6 leaves out, with some having 8 and others 2 or 3. Nutrient deficiencies are common with a lot of yellow striping in young plants. First cutting of alfalfa is about done with great weather for harvest. In fact, most fields had to be chopped within a day of cutting to avoid drying too much. Most fields are very grass and weedy this year with the exception of new seedings from last year. No reported problems with leafhoppers or weevils. Dry beans are all planted finally; the last ones went in last week. Earlier planted fields have emerged nicely and are doing well; later planted fields are spotty and need a rain to jump-start them again. Miscellaneous |