Blogs

Slugs are beginning to make their presence known in parts of the eastern corn belt. Appearing some 2-3 weeks ahead of normal, these insects overwintered as adults, and with the warmer weather of this spring, have become active earlier than normal. These "snails without a shell" as they are described, have rasping tongues that scrap tissue from the leaf surfaces. Crop injury from slugs is by defoliation of established stands. Freshly damaged plant surfaces will often show a dried slime trail that is deposited as the slug moves across the leaf.

Now that it is May, the story of April, nationally, was heat and planting progress. By month's end, the corn belt had recorded temperatures that were some of the warmest on record. In addition, many states also experienced one of the driest April's ever. Monthly temperatures averaged 5 degrees F above normal in many states, and what precipitation did occur, helped to alleviate the drought stress that was evident going into the planting season. Rains during the last week of the month were especially timely.

Early spring growth has led to alfalfa harvest beginning 2 to 3 weeks earlier than normal this year. Although there is potential for an extra cutting due to the early timing of the first cutting, there are several factors to consider for this year’s crop.

Record planting pace has been reported in some regions of the corn belt. The warmer and drier early spring helped start this record planting, and the mostly drier weather since has helped mainitain the pace in many areas. Recent precipitation has slowed progress slightly, and recent frosts and freezes have some producers checking their crops for damage. Field activities (spraying, fertilizing, tilling, planting) are being accomplished with good timing.

Black cutworms are begining to be of concern in some areas of the Midwest. This is due to several intertwined  events: early planting of corn crops in many regions, intense early flights of black cutworm moths, weedy fields, and lack of mortality on black cutworms due to the recent cold freezing temperatures.

Weather around the central Corn Belt during the past week has seen significantly lower temperatures than in March and early April. The early warm weather had seen a sharp increase in planted acres early in April, and also higher than normal emergence figures for this time of the year in some states. Precipitation moved thru late in the week, bring a slow down to planting progress. In the central corn belt, Illinois (17%), Kentucky (32%), and Missouri (23%) have the most acres of corn in the ground.

Mothers Day falls on Sunday, May 13 this year and what better way to recognize your farm mom than by nominating her for America’s Farmers Mom of the Year?

Growth of vegetation has been fast this spring. A month of higher than average temperatures has producers concerned about the effect of an early frost on alfalfa and other crops. The great weather in March and the early spring could be ruined by a frost. Many crops are three weeks ahead of normal, and could be damaged if a frost or freeze occurs, and temperatures stay below 32 degrees for more than an hour. The warmest March on record has caused alfalfa growth to be way ahead on normal.

Poncho® / VOTiVO® is a new seed treatment with an increased rate of Poncho® systemic insecticide  and VOTiVO®, a new biological seed treatment that protects corn roots from plant pathogenic nematodes. Poncho® / VOTiVO® at the 500 mg/seed rate is showing a benefit of 6 bushels per acre  over Poncho® 250 mg/seed rate with several years of cooperative testing.

My Google news page searches every morning for news about agriculture. 50% of the articles pertain to groups protesting the use of Genetic Modified Organisms and the use of traits in seed.

Many challenges faced on the farm can be traced directly to people making decisions regarding policies and regulations when they don’t have any relevant experience on the farm.  A group called “Green State TV” is working to dispel some of the myths, specifically about biotechnology.