| Soybean rust update |
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| Start clean: Timely burndown applications are critical in protecting soybean yield |
Timely burndown herbicide applications in no-till fields are extremely important in protecting soybean yield. As the temperatures start to take an upward turn, soybean planting will start in full-force. As several no-till drills start planting fields, remember the importance of a timely burndown application. The tendency for a number of growers, particularly those planting Roundup Ready soybean, will be to plant into a weedy mess and not worry about applying their burndown herbicide until later or to wait until most of the summer annual weeds have emerged before making their first postemergence glyphosate application. These delayed burndown applications can reduce soybean yield, by inhibiting soybean emergence and growth. Competition from these early season weeds can reduce soybean yield by as much as 22 percent (6 bu) (Figure 1). Additionally, these carpets of weeds can harbor soybean insects and diseases causing additional problems for the soybean crop. Remember: early control of these weeds is important. If a burndown herbicide application cannot be made prior to planting, it should be made shortly thereafter. Any delays in these applications can reduce soybean yield. A complete listing of burndown herbicides and their effectiveness ratings can be found in Table 2C of the 2005 Weed Control Guide for Field Crops (E-434). Remember treatments that contain 1 pt/A of 2,4-D ester need to be applied a minimum of seven days before soybean planting. |
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| Reflex Section 18 Exemption granted for dry beans
| An article I wrote in the April 21 Field Crop CAT Alert outlined various weed management options for dry beans. Several of these strategies rely on the use of Reflex herbicide for POST broadleaf weed control, conditional of a Section 18 label. On April 15, 2005 the U.S. EPA granted this specific emergency exemption under the provisions of Section 18 for the use of Reflex 2L to control broadleaf weeds in dry beans in Michigan for 2005. The Section 18 is effective until August 15, 2005. All classes of dry beans are included on the label. Only one application of Reflex at 1 pt/A can be applied for weed control in a 2-year period (so if you applied Reflex to a field in 2004, you cannot apply Reflex to that field in 2005). A non-ionic surfactant at 0.25 to 0.5% v/v or a crop oil concentrate at 0.5 to 1.0% v/v must be included with 1 pt/A of Reflex for effective broadleaf weed control. Dry beans should be between the first and fourth trifoliate leaf stages at the time of application. Reflex applications should be targeted to control common ragweed up to four inches in height and nightshade species up to two inches in height (4 leaves). Reflex will also control pigweed up to two inches in height. Reflex will control ALS-resistant biotypes of these weeds. Additional weeds may be controlled by tank-mixing Reflex with other herbicides. Sugar beets, cucumbers and alfalfa cannot be planted for 18 months following a Reflex application. Remember – you must have a copy of the Section 18 Reflex label when purchasing and applying Reflex to dry edible beans. |
| New product registration for Eminent in sugar beet |
The fungicide Eminent (Tetraconazole) was granted a Section 3 registration effective April 22, 2005 for use against Cercospora leaf spot in sugar beet. The product was registered by Sipcam Agro USA, Inc of Roswell, GA. For more information, please contact Sipcam or visit their web site at: http://www.sipcamagrousa.com/mainframe.htm |
| My annual plug for the Chat n’ Chew |
It’s the time of the year again to plug IPM newsletters from around the region. As usual, I recommend one web site to access first in the morning– the Chat n’ Chew Café, maintained by Bob Nielsen at Purdue: http://www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/corn/cafe/ The site has links to agronomic newsletters from around the region: U of Illinois’s Bulletin, Iowa State’s ICM newsletter, Kentucky Pest News, MSU CAT Alert, Missouri’s’ IPM Newsletter, Nebraska Crop Watch, Ohio State’s C.O.R.N, Pioneer Hybrid Growing Point, Purdue Pest & Crop News, etc. The articles generally go back two to three weeks on the main page, although you can always go further back by clicking on the “leftovers” section. A valuable site for busy people! |
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| Transporting agricultural supplies classified as hazardous |
Farmers routinely transport agricultural supplies that are classified as hazardous materials. Depending on quantities transported and trip destinations, they may need to have vehicle placards and a federal hazardous materials transportation security plan. Hazardous materials and threshold quantities that require placards and a transportation security plan are:
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Gasoline, 119 gallons In general, transporting hazardous materials (except anhydrous ammonia and other compress gases) from the farmstead to the field, from field to field, or from field to the farmstead is exempt from the federal hazardous materials transportation requirements. Transporting hazardous materials over the threshold quantities, from the supplier, or to town to pick up supplies or other farm-related functions is not exempt. Under these circumstances, farmers need to placard and have a transportation security plan. Farmers that transport anhydrous ammonia need to comply regardless of the trip destination. Michigan authorities enforce federal hazardous material transportation requirements. The transportation security plan will be added to the emergency planning bulletin E-2575 when it is revised in 2005. In the meantime there is a PowerPoint slide set (w/speaker notes) and handout on this topic at the MGSP internal website: |
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Regional reports 1 – Southeast |
Weather The automated weather station in Monroe County recorded a record low air temperature of 24.9 degrees on May 4. The two-inch soil temperature dropped to 37.7 degrees but should rapidly rise with the expected very nice weather and temperatures. Three previous years of wet months of May had farmers out early in April planting field crops with planting starting April 10 this year. Wet and even snowy conditions of April 22 through 26 have made for some great soil moisture conditions now. The weather this spring has provided an excellent start to the 2005 crop year. So far, dandelion is our problem weed in many crops and fields. Commodity reportsAlfalfa has had a nice month in April with plants about 12 inches tall. No evidence of alfalfa weevil yet, though this should change with the warm temperatures forecast. No evidence of potato leafhoppers either. Stands are not particularly good with early season weeds, and some winter annual weeds from last fall getting a foothold in some fields. Corn planting is ahead of normal with perhaps 75 percent planted already. I have not seen any emerged corn, though emerged sweet corn had some frost injury this past Monday morning. Any frost injury this week will not kill corn but low areas will have significant leaf injury. Oats were planted in late March and fields look good. Soybean planting is ahead of normal with perhaps half the acreage planted. Soil temperatures have not been warm enough for germination to date. With expected 70+ degrees forecast, soil temperatures should rebound into the 50s and soybeans will quickly emerge. Winter wheat is at Feekes’ stage 5 and many fields look very good. All topdressing should be finished and wheat should begin elongation quickly. |
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| 2 – Southwest | Weather Commodity reports
Soybean planting continues. I did not find any fields that had emerged yet, even though some fields have been planted for two or more weeks. With favorable soil conditions and forecast, the majority of planting for both corn and soybeans could be wrapped up in the region by the first of next week. The alfalfa crop is continuing to grow well. Plant heights are around 12 inches. In looking at several fields in St. Joseph County yesterday, there was no sign of alfalfa weevil feeding. I suspect that we will begin to see signs of this pest fairly soon, however. We have noticed an increasing incidence of wild turnip (Brassica rapa), an exotic weed species in alfalfa in Van Buren and Cass counties. The weed is a member of the mustard family and can easily be mistaken for wild mustard or yellow rocket from a distance. These plants tend to be much taller than wild mustard and the plant produces a bulbous (turnip or beet like) root. The weed is behaving as either as an annual or biennial with vigorous growth occurring at this time of the year. The species is very aggressive and is quickly spreading into areas that are not being farmed and roadside edges. The weed has also reportedly been causing problems with mechanical pickle harvest in areas where it has become established. Allegan Field Crops Educator Paul Wylie reports that wheat in his area is in Feekes stage 6. Most fields I have seen could seriously use a good rain. No major pest issues to report. |
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| 3 – West Central | Weather Commodity reports Corn is 40 to 50 percent planted. Very little has emerged. Alfalfa is 7 to 9 inches in height with few problems observed. |
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| 4 – Central | Weather Commodity reports Soybeans are about 30-40 percent planted. No emergence at this time. The wheat crop is variable. Some fields look very good, some very poor. The most mature fields are Feeke’s 5-6 while we see some at Feeke’s 3. There will be several fields that will be torn up. We are seeing some yellow wheat, which is weather related. Many fields have not had the chance to utilize the nitrogen that has been applied. Warm weather and rain will help the wheat crop the most. Alfalfa is 4 to 6 inches tall. Many of the fields have some evidence of winterkill. There are no insect problems at this time. Scout fields for alfalfa weevil. Spring seedings are beginning to emerge. Oats and barley planting is complete. Many fields are emerging and the stands look very good at this time. Sugar beets are beginning to emerge. We will have to wait for several days to evaluate stands. |
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| 5 – Thumb | Weather
Winter-like conditions of low temperatures in the low 20s and significant snowfall has slowed planting progress and limited crop development. Soil moisture is very good in most areas with good emergence conditions. The eastern and northern Thumb are staying a little cooler and wetter due to lake effects. Commodity reports In sugar beets, soil conditions for emergence have remained very good with adequate moisture and almost no crusting. Stands are still developing with later emerging beets from dry soil conditions earlier. A few beets were lost to frost injury. In wheat, the winter injury (dead spots) has not improved but areas of slow growth are now growing nicely. Root growth was dramatically improved with the snowfall and rainfall that helped to add some moisture to the surface soil. Frost seeded clover has been challenged by limited soil moisture after seeding. This has led to poor stands with a lot of the clover seed still on the surface of the soil. Corn is nearly 75 percent planted in this area. Many early-planted fields have germinated but are several days from emergence due to very cold soil temperatures. Like sugar beets, the corn that has been planted is in very good soil conditions with good seed to soil contact, adequate moisture and very little soil crusting. We just need some increased soil temperatures to get this crop off to a very good start. Some soybean planting has resumed with less than 30 percent of this crop planted at this time. Many growers will be finishing corn planting within a couple of days and will be able to plant soybeans at full speed. |
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| 6 – Northern Lower Peninsula | Weather Commodity reports
Alfalfa has just started to grow, but is only a couple inches at this point. Oats are pretty much in and will be finished the next week or so depending on weather. |
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| Weather news | The deep upper air troughing feature across eastern North America that led to cold, cloudy weather for much of the past one to two weeks has shifted eastward out of the region. It will be replaced by upper air ridging and high pressure over the central United States, leading to a gradual warming trend and even some above normal temperatures in Michigan by this weekend. In the short term, high pressure centered over New England Thursday morning (May 5) will move eastward into northern Atlantic by Saturday. By late Thursday, a cool front will approach Michigan from the northwest. This front is expected to move south into the Lower Peninsula by Friday, then either stall or retreat northward on Sunday as a warm front. Scattered showers and thundershowers will be possible in the vicinity of the front through at least late Saturday, especially in northern sections of the state. Due to limited moisture and atmospheric dynamics, however, rainfall areal coverage and amounts will likely be scattered and light, respectively. Dry weather is expected Sunday, with a chance for showers and thunderstorms again Monday or Tuesday of next week. Temperatures during the next several days will warm back to normal or even warmer than normal levels with highs ranging from the upper 50s north to the upper 70s south and lows ranging from the mid-upper 30s far north to the upper 40s south. Somewhat cooler temperatures are likely again by the early to middle of next week, with highs generally ranging from the upper 50s north to mid 60s south and lows from the upper 30s north to mid 40s south. In the medium range time frame, latest forecast guidance suggests that a upper air troughing pattern across the southwestern United States will become the major weather influence for the Upper Midwest for the next one to two weeks. With this feature expected to lead to southwesterly flow over large portions of the central United States, the latest NOAA Climate Prediction Center 6-10 day and 8-14 day outlooks (for May 10-14 and 12-18) both call for above normal temperatures across much of the state and region (the Upper Peninsula is an exception to this with a forecast of near normal temperatures in the 6-10 day period). Precipitation totals during the 6-10 day period are forecast to range from near normal in northeastern sections of the state to above normal elsewhere. Above normal totals are forecast statewide in the 8-14 day time frame. |