ISU Extension
Agronomy- Extension
IA State Univ.
IA Dept. of Ag
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Northwest Area Extension

January 2005

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In this issue
Cow-Calf Producer Meetings
Sheep News
Iowa Pork Congress
Asian Soybean Rust – What Do We Need to Do Now?
Confinement Site Manure Applicator Meetings

Cow-Calf Producer Meetings
by Dennis DeWitt and Beth Ellen Doran  ISU Extension Beef Field Specialists

Iowa Bull Clinics: Selection Decisions 2005
The commercial bull selection process continues to be one of the most important decisions made in a beef operation.  However, you can be overwhelmed with the abundance of expected progeny differences (EPD's) and gene markers as you try to find the right bull to fit your herd and meet new market demands.  The Iowa Beef Center at ISU is hosting Bull Clinics:

January 18, 1-4 p.m., Cronk's Restaurant, Denison,
January 19, 12:45-3:45 p.m., Clay County Regional Events Center (Fairgrounds), Spencer

The meetings will address three questions: What kind of cattle should be produced in the next 3 to 5 years?  How and when should DNA and gene markers be used?  How do you target the right EPD's for bull selection?

With more and more EPD's, producers are struggling with selecting the EPD's most important in their breeding programs.  A new computer sire sort program will be demonstrated.  This program can help producers develop breeding program goals and selection decisions for their own herds.

Fee ($15/person at Denison and $20 /person at Spencer) to be paid at the door. For a brochure, contact Dennis (712-336-3488), Beth (712-472-2576), the Crawford Co Extension Office (712-263-4697) or the Clay Co Extension Office (712-262-2264). 

Estrus Synchronization
Fixed-timed estrus synchronization systems are one of the hottest topics today with progressive cow-calf producers.  These systems allow a producer to breed cows on an appointment basis.  The Iowa Beef Center (IBC) is offering a webcast program to discuss fixed-time estrus synchronization on January 27, 7-9 p.m.  The program can be viewed at the following NW Iowa sites:

Emmet Co Extension Office, 26 S 17th St., Estherville

Humboldt, Co Extension Office, 727 Sumner Ave
Ida Co Extension Office, 207 Main St., Ida Grove
O'Brien Co Extension Office, 340 2nd St. SE, Primghar

The program will also cover new methods of estrus control, a hands-on demonstration of IBC's new "Estrus Synchronization Planner" software, and breeding female evaluation for synch systems.  The software (available for purchase) offers 22 estrus synchronization systems, recommendations of various systems for cows and heifers, a daily calendar of activity and a budgeted cost analysis of the various synchronization systems.  Registration fee for the webcast is $15 per person.  For more information, contact Dennis, Beth or a county hosting the program.

Sheep News
by Dennis DeWitt, ISUE Livestock Field Specialist

Annual meeting
The Northwest Iowa Sheep Producers annual meeting will be held January 3 at Pete's Steak House, Hartley.  Special speaker will be Dr. John Thomson, DVM, newly appointed Dean of the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine.  Registration begins at 6 p.m., leg of lamb dinner at 6:30 p.m.  Price of meal is $5/person with reservations due to Arlene Meerdink at 712-728-2059.

Selecting Breeding Stock
For over 35 years, sheep genetic research at MARC has emphasized the evaluation and use of breed resources.  A total of 19 breeds and 3 composite flocks provide an extensive range of performance for economically important traits such as survival, longevity, seasonality, puberty, conception, prolificacy, growth, carcass merit and meat quality.

Commercial sheep production profitability and efficiency could be improved markedly by greater industry use of EPDs from NSIP genetic evaluations.  Dr. Kreg Leymaster, Research Geneticist; Roman L. Hruska, U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, Clay Center, Nebraska; Dr. Dan Morrical ISU Extension Sheep Specialist; Mr. Jerry Sorensen, West Cyclone Farms; Harlan and Dennis DeWitt, ISU Extension Livestock Field Specialist, Spirit Lake will be providing information for producers to "Select Breeding Stock for Economically Important Traits."  The program will be on Thursday, January 20 at Pete's of Hartley, Iowa.  Pre-registration of $20 is due by January 17.  E-mail dewitt@iastate.edu or call 712-336-3488.  Registration at the door is $25.

Lambing Time Workshop
Tuesday, January 25 will be the Lambing Time Workshop in the Lambing barn of Mark and Lori Loutsch, LeMars.  There will be two sessions, one beginning at 1:00 p.m. and the second at 6:00 p.m.  For sheep flock biosecurity, reservations are required by contacting the Plymouth County Extension Office 712-546-7835.  Cost is only $15/person with balance being subsidized by the Iowa Lamb and Wool Promotion Board, your check-off dollars at work.

 

Iowa Pork Congress
by Jerry Weiss - ISU Extension Swine Field Specialist

The Iowa Pork Congress will have a new look this year as well as a lot of good information relating to the pork industry.  The Congress will be held January 26 - 27, 2005 at the Iowa Events Center, a newly constructed facility that is connected to Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines.  Show hours will be Wednesday, January 26, 9:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m. and Thursday, January 27, 9:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.  The trade show will consist of over 300 companies in nearly 500 booth spaces located in the new exhibit hall.

Seminars will begin both days at 10 a.m. Topics are: Environmental Issues, Swine Health, Meat Quality, Employee Management, Sow Productivity, Market Information, Feed Mill Management, Managing Finishing Pigs, and Weaning Age. There will also be other company sponsored seminars.

Many of your ISU Extension State and Field specialists will be there to visit with you and answer any questions you may have.  See you there.

Asian Soybean Rust -  What Do We Need To Do Now?
by Paul Kassel, ISUE Crops Field Specialist

1.  Consider available fungicides. Fungicides that we need to use are classified as preventative or curative. 

- Preventative fungicides are applied to the foliage of the soybean plant before the spores of Asian rust germinate.  This would be somewhat analogous to applying a pre-emergence herbicide to the soil to prevent weeds from germinating. The preventative fungicides include Headline and Quadris in the class of fungicides called strobilurins. The strobilurins inhibit spore germination and need to be applied prior to infection.  They are not systemic (do not move within the plant).  Headline and Quadris have a full federal label.

- Curative fungicides are applied to the foliage of the soybean plant and actually kill the ’body’ of the Asian soybean rust fungus. This would be somewhat analogous to applying a post-emergence herbicide to kill emerged weeds in a crop. Curative fungicides include Folicur, Laredo, and propiconazole (propiconazole is Tilt, Bumper, PropiMax and others).  Folicur, Laredo and Tilt are in a class of fungicides which are called triazoles.  The triazoles kill the vegetative part of the fungus, but have no effect on spore germination. They are systemic products, to a certain extent.  Folicur, Laredo and Tilt have section 18 emergency labels.

- Combination products include Stratego and Pristine.  Stratego is expected to receive a section 18 label before the 2005 season.  Stratego contains a triazole and a strobilurin, therefore it offers the advantage of preventative and curative mode of actions.

2. Consider your spray application equipment.

Fungicide application requires relearning of the application of contact products.  The strobilurins have limited systemic activity and therefore good coverage of all soybean foliage is essential for the chemical to be effective.  The triazoles are more systemic, but still require good spray coverage.

Application of a fungicide requires spray pressures and nozzles that provide a lot of very small droplets.  Most of the fungicide labels suggest 10 to 20 gallon per acre carrier volume and spray pressure “for adequate coverage and canopy penetration.”  Other labels are less specific, suggesting only to use sufficient water and pressure to ensure adequate coverage.

This means that most farmers will want to apply 15 to 20 gallons per acre of spray mix at 30 to 40 PSI pressure.  Twin-jet nozzles are preferred, but flat fan nozzles can also be used to ensure adequate coverage of the soybean plant.  Nozzles and pressures that have been used for glyphosate (Roundup) herbicide applications will not provide adequate spray coverage.

It is difficult to predict when fungicide applications will be needed.  It is possible that a first application may be needed in the first part of July and then possibly again in August.  The July application will likely be easily accomplished with the sprayer that most farmers already own.  The August application will likely require more crop clearance.   High clearance tractor tires, and/or sprayer tires may be needed to avoid damage to the soybean crop.  Otherwise the second application may need to be custom applied.

Aerial application will be an option also.  Labels for the above mentioned fungicides describe aerial applications.  Aerial applications of fungicides, at first, may seem to be inadequate in terms of spray coverage, but experience with aerial applications with other contact products have proven very satisfactory.

3.  Consider the following decision timeline.

The potential severity of Asian soybean rust will not be known until next spring.  By March of 2005, we should have a pretty good idea of how well the Asian soybean rust over-wintered in the southern United States.  That will give us an idea of the potential amount of the spores that may be available to be delivered to the upper Midwest.

By April and May we will have information on the incidence of Asian soybean rust in the soybean crop in the southern US.  There also will be some predictions on the likelihood of weather conditions that would bring the rust problem to the upper Midwest. 

Therefore, by soybean planting time in northwest Iowa, we will have some idea of the potential for Asian soybean rust.  While these may be largely predictions based on weather conditions, it should allow us time to react to a problem that requires fungicide applications in early July.

Confinement Site Manure Applicators Meetings
by Kris Kohl, ISUE Ag Engineer

Livestock producers who apply manure from units that can hold more than 500 animal units (i.e. 1250-head finishing hogs) are required to be certified to handle and apply manure.

This year’s topics include:

Ø      New record keeping requirements

Ø      New phosphorus index manure management plans

Ø      Hydrogen sulfide concerns during agitation and pumping

The meetings are scheduled for 2 hours and producers may attend any meeting that meets your needs.  All meetings are open to the public and can be attended at no cost.

Northwest Iowa Workshop dates:

                    Date         Time Location                                      

Lyon          1/13/05    1:30 PM,       Forster Comm. Bldg., Rock Rapids

Sioux          1/14/05    9:30 AM,     TePaske Theater, Sioux Center HS

Clay           1/18/05     7:00 PM       Comm. Bldg., Dickens

Osceola      1/19/05    1:30 PM        Comm. Center, Melvin

Pocahontas 1/21/05    1:30 PM       Comm. Center, Rolfe

Buena Vista 1/28/05    9:30 AM      AEA Bldg., Storm Lake                       

Plymouth    2/3/05   1:30 PM         Prime Bank, LeMars                            

O’Brien       2/7/05    7:00 PM        NWICC, Bldg C, Sheldon                    

Clay             2/9/05    9:30 AM       Extension Office, Spencer

Calhoun      2/11/05  9:30 AM        Extension Office, Rockwell City         

Sac                2/15/05    7:00 PM     Sac City State Bank                              

Carroll         2/18/05    1:30 PM     Carrollton Inn, Carroll                          

Ida/Woodbury 2/22/05    9:30 AM     Correctionville Comm Center             

Cherokee     2/23/05     9:30 AM    Western Iowa Tech Comm. College    

Emmet         2/24/05      1:30 PM    Estherville Public Library 

Kossuth       2/24/05      9:30 AM   Extension Office, Algona

Crawford/Monona  2/25/05      1:30 PM    Research Farm, Castana                        

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