CROPS
A Periodic Newsletter by George Cummins, ISU Extension Field Agronomist, serving Black Hawk, Bremer, Butler, Cerro Gordo, Floyd, Franklin, Grundy, Hancock, Mitchell, Winnebago and Worth Counties.
Crop Notes - November 13, 2009
Crop Notes - October 29, 2009
Upcoming Ag Events:
November 24 Ag Chemical Dealers Update – Tama Hall, Hawkeye Community College Waterloo. 12:30 PM registration with program from 1 – 5 PM. Topics and presenters will include weed (Bob Hartzler) and insect (George Cummins) management, crop diseases (Daren Mueller), N management ( John Sawyer) and commercial pesticide applicator re-certification topics (George Cummins). This program qualifies for CCA credits and commercial pesticide applicator re-certification. Additional program details and registration information is available at www.aep.iastate.edu/acu. Pre-registration is $60 till midnight November 17th. Registration at the door is $75.
December 2 – 3 ICM Conference – Ames. Program and registration information is now available at www.aep.iastate.edu. Registration fees are $185 before November 20 and $235 after November 20th. In recent years conference registrations have closed because of facilities limitations so early registration is encouraged.
December 8 Ag Chemical Dealers Update – 4-H Center , N. Iowa Fairgrounds, Mason City 9:30 AM registration with program from 10 – 2:30 PM. Topics and presenters will include weed (Mike Owen) and insect (Erin Hodgson) management, crop diseases (Alison Robertson), N management (John Sawyer) and commercial pesticide applicator re-certification topics (George Cummins). Additional program details and registration information is available at www.aep.iastate.edu/acu. Pre-registration is $60 till midnight December 1. Registration at the door is $75.
December 11 Worth/ Cerro Gordo Crop Clinics at Northwood and Clear Lake. Topics and speakers include: Maintaining Crop Profitability (Don Hofstrand); Growing 300 bu/ acre Corn (Roger Elmore); Grain Drying, Handling and Storage Issues (Greg Brenneman); Crop Disease/ Grain Mold Issues (Alison Robertson); Private Pesticide Applicator Required Topics (George Cummins). These clinics qualify for CCA credits and private pesticide applicator re-certification. Contact the respective County Extension Offices for details and registration information.
December 17 Floyd/ Chickasaw County Crop Clinic, Raleigh Hills Country Club, Ionia. Speakers and topics include: Crop Supply and Price Outlook (Chad Hart); Crop Weather and Grain Price Outlook (Elwynn Taylor); Crop Insect and Disease Issues (Brian Lang); and Private Pesticide Applicator Required Topics (Brian Lang). This clinic qualifies for CCA credits and private pesticide applicator re-certification. Contact the respective County Extension Offices for details and registration information.
January 13 Crop Advantage Program – NIACC Campus, Mason City. See www.aep.iastate.edu for details and registration information.
January 27 Crop Advantage Program – Tama Hall, Hawkeye CC Campus, Waterloo. See www.aep.iastate.edu for details and registration information.
Agronomic Information :
1.The ISU Ag Climate website ( http://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/agclimate/index.phtml) documents the 2009 growing season weather conditions and explains many of the harvesting delays/ grain quality issues we’re experiencing this fall. It took us 6 weeks on the calendar to get our planting done. Corn emergence and tasseling were uneven within the row and across the field. Many farmers are reporting up to 5 % points of moisture variation across the field making it very difficult to dry the crop uniformily. From commercial seed catalogues, companies estimate their 100 day RM corns require approximately 2500 GDUs to black layer; their 105 day RM corns require approximately 2600 GDUs; and their 110 day RM corns over 2700 GDUs. The table below shows the GDU accumulation at Calmar, Nashua and Kanawha from (A) April 20 and (B) May 1 till killing frost (October 9). The number in parenthesis is the deviation from normal.
A B
Calmar 2445 (-276) 2368 (-277)
Nashua 2396 (-418) 2324 (-414)
Kanawha 2418 (-377) 2346 (-374)
Across the area, I’ve estimated that 5 – 10 % of the corn acres didn’t mature (black layer) normally before killing frost. In some townships North and East, the immature % is much higher. The immature corn has higher grain moisture %, lower test weights, and a higher incidence of grain molds. Much of the 2009 corn crop will be more difficult to store for a long period of time. It should be frequently monitored and marketed while still in good condition.
2. Only 10 of 31 days in October were described as “suitable” for field work. The killing frost of October 9 effectively ended the growing season. October had above normal rainfall and below normal temps slowing grain dry down and harvest. The Indian summer of November thus far has been dry with above normal temps. It normally takes 15 to 20 GDUs to reduce corn moistures 1 point. The warm, windy conditions have dropped field moistures faster than normal in late October/ early November.The table below shows the GDU accumulation at Calmar, Nashua and Kanawha for (C) October 1 – 31st and (D) November 1 – 11th. The number in parenthesis is the deviation from normal.
C D
Calmar 66 (-115) 52 (+50)
Nashua 60 (-126) 50 (+47)
Kanawha 67 (-123) 51 (+49)
The numbers indicate that we had 1/3rd the GDUs in October for maturity and drying as normal and have had almost twice the GDUs in early November as normal. Grain moistures have dropped up to 10 pts so far in November.
3. Both the website http://extension.agron.iastate.edu/NPKnowledge/ and the Ag Climate website in (1) above have data on 4” soil temperatures. The first lists maximum, minimum and average 4” soil temps on a daily basis. The latter list 4” soil temps for the last 3 days and also has a 6 – 10 day weather forecast. In recent days the minimum/ maximum soil temps have been in the 45 to 55 degree F range with averages around the 50 degree F mark. Normally by this time of year, farmers are done harvesting and soil temps are < 50 degrees and falling so nitrification risk is low and NH3 application is well underway.
4. I continue to be impressed by the patience, persistence, tenacity and adaptability of our farmers and our agri-business professionals during this challenging harvest season. Some examples:
a. High grain moisture levels delayed soybean harvest and/ or required artificial drying for many. Farmers who had finished with soybean harvest helped others trading labor, equipment or field operations to get the soybeans out of the field.
b. Some elevators designated one dryer location/ facility for beans and another for corn.
c. Some elevators are using the newer electronic technologies with phone networks/ websites to announce grain delivery hours/ dryer capacity shut-offs to their customers so they don’t waste time in line/ make an unnecessary trip.
d. Because of the harvest conditions and quality concerns common to the 2009 harvest, some processors and grain buyers are relaxing acceptance standards (moisture %, test weights, etc. ). Their standards and discount schedules are routinely posted on their company websites for comparison.
5. Corn molds, potential mycotoxin formation and sampling procedures for lab analysis have been discussed in previous Crop Notes. The most common mold identified from this part of the state is cladosporium, a black superficial mold that typically rubs off with combining, drying and handling. An excellent photo of this ear rot and a discussion of management and use of infected corn is found in an ICM newsletter article on October 30 “How Delayed Harvest Might Affect Ear Rots and Mycotoxin Contamination”. The ICM Newsletter is accessible at www.extension.iastate.edu/CropNews/. The most common mycotoxin found primarily in hail-damaged corn so far this year is vomitoxin (DON) produced by Fusarium molds. Elevated DON levels in feed rations cause problems for swine but have little effect on cattle or poultry. Pm-1698 “Corn Ear Rots, Storage Molds, Mycotoxins and Animal Health” has excellent color photos of the various ear rots, the mycotoxins each may produce, the symptoms of various mycotoxins in various feed rations, and the maximum acceptable levels by species, size and feeding duration. This publication is available from your County Extension Office or may be ordered from Extension Publications at www.extension.iastate.edu/store/.
6. Crop insurance policies differ in procedures to follow in regard to harvest deadlines, documentation of reduced yields and/or revenue loss due to grain quality issues. An article in the November 6 ICM Newsletter “Late Harvest and Crop Insurance Coverage” (at the website in [5] above) is a good generic beginning on what is typically covered. Check with your own insurance agent for specifics related to your individual policies.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Many materials can be made available in alternative formats for ADA clients. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W