Spring 2012

Ag News and Notes

INDSIDE THIS ISSUE
•Tobacco •Cotton •Corn
•Sorghum •Soybeans •Wheat
•Peanuts •Upcoming Events

Spring is here, as we can tell with the trees and grass growing, along with the continual warming temperatures. Many growers were able to make the commodity meetings that were held this winter. For those of you that did happen to miss, here are a few things to keep in mind for the spring management according to each crop.

Tobacco Notes:

“After greenhouse germination, you can drop temps to 55 degrees at night,” says Dr. Loren Fisher. Open curtains to avoid daytime temps exceeding 85-90. It’s more important to see temperature fluctuations around 25 degrees during the day than for temperatures to be on the warm side. Plants that get these fluctuations grow faster and are healthier than plants growing when daytime temperatures exceed 90 degrees inside the greenhouse.

Another tip to consider, from Dr. Mina Mila, is to “use extreme caution when smoking before entering greenhouse,” with tobacco transplants growing, as this can cause the spread of Tobacco Mosaic Virus. It’s a good idea for workers to wash their hands before coming in contact with tobacco transplants to avoid spreading this disease.

Dr. Hannah Barrack recommends using economic thresholds when considering

budworm control. Research indicates that even at 100% budworm infestation, there is no

significant yield loss from budworms. It’s hard to sleep at night knowing you have an

infestation, so scout your fields to determine whether or not thresholds exist to warrant spraying. Specialists suggest spraying at no less than 10-15 percent budworm infestation.

Many of you are scouting your greenhouses often, and it is encouraged to continue to do so. If any of you need to submit greenhouse samples for fertility recommendations, or have disease questions you need an immediate diagnosis on, please don’t hesitate to call us.

Cotton Notes:

Dr. Alan York spoke to growers about the need to have full season weed management, with varying modes of action to control weed populations. “We should assume that all Palmer Amaranth in this area are glyphosate resistant, and manage our weed control accordingly.” With the abundant use in many of our crops over the years, growers are seeing less and less total control from glyphosate. Our strategy now, he says, should be to have full seasonal control to cover all gaps between herbicide applications. If there is even the smallest gap in overlapping these herbicides, a weed species can take over a field in no time.

We were reminded that we do have variety options available that produce good quality fiber at varying soil textures. There are seed treatments available to help with thrips and early season insect control.

Corn:

With the early spring, I’m sure several corn growers have already begun planting corn this year. Last year we had a corn variety demonstration in our county, and we plan to plant this again. Keep looking as more information about the corn variety trial comes to fruition.

Sorghum:

If you’re considering sorghum production this year, as many growers seem to be, there are a few things to keep in mind. Many have asked what would be an ideal row width for sorghum. Data shows that row width doesn’t significantly affect yield. It is important, however, to plant during May 15-July 1. Sorghum planted after July 1 drops significantly in expected yield, as growers run the risk of late season frost injury before harvest date.

Growers must watch for anthracnose and earworm infestations in their sorghum. Also be aware that even if planted on marginal land, sorghum requires moisture at booting stage. If it misses moisture during this critical 2-week period, there could be a significant harvest reduction.

Soybeans:

Dr. Jim Dunphy spoke to growers about planting soybeans. There is such a thing as planting too many seed, as this can cause lodging and spindly plants later in the season. We learned that it is important to consider row width and planting date when determining what population would be best for a given situation. Planting rates in June and July will be higher than those planted in May. Also, the more narrow the row, the less soybean seed growers should plant per row foot. For example, with 7 inch row spacing, growers can plant two seed per row foot. When the row spacing increases to 36 inches, growers should be planting closer to 10 seed per row foot. Soybeans, like many crops, can compensate for the space between each plant; however, it is

important to get a good stand so these plants will not have to compete with weed species as they mature and canopy during the early growing season.

Variety selection is important as growers determine their seasonal management. There are varieties today that perform better on certain soils, and drought tolerant varieties exist for marginal soils. As a grower, know that you have many options when selecting varieties this year.

Wheat:

Wheat will begin to head very soon. There have been reports of hessian fly activity. Fields planted back to back in wheat, or in an adjacent field where wheat was present last year are more susceptible to hessian fly activity. Use insecticidal treatments if your wheat variety is susceptible to hessian fly damage. Armyworm and cereal leaf beetle infestations can happen in late April and into May and will disrupt head development. Scout fields to determine whether these are issues that need control in your fields.

Some diseases in wheat to be aware of include: powdery mildew, which favors cool and wet conditions. Stagonospora Nodorum Blotch, or SNB is another disease of wheat crops, and feature browning leasions on the flag leaf and the seed head. Head Scab is a third disease of wheat to be aware of. This causes aborted seeds and at certain levels the crop cannot be sold for human or livestock consumption.

Peanut Notes:

From Dr. David Jordan

- Order Apogee seed now if you want it.

- Order Valor SX now. Valent will probably run out of product quickly.

- If applying Orthene in the seed furrow, consider applying in 10 or more GPA rather than 5 GPA. If there are issues with the Amvac formulation, which a number of knowledgeable people suspect, a higher volume of water will dilute the insecticide and minimize the amount of insecticide that may move in the seed with imbibition water.

For up to date information on crop management specific to our NC growing conditions throughout the year, please visit:

Insects:

Finally, a general note about insects, from Dr. Mike Waldvogel. This winter was much warmer than average, and yes we can expect insect populations to be more numerous this year. Insect swarms are typical during the spring months. Many of you may see ground bees out foraging, or carpenter bees digging tunnels in the wood of your barn. The best remedy for ground bees is to cover the ground with a soapy water substance, as the soap will act as an insecticide. To minimize the carpenter bees nesting and laying eggs in your barn, cover any exposed wood surface with tarp or wrap in metal. Honeybees will typically swarm this time of year as well. Should you see a bee swarm, please call our extension office and a professional beekeeper will come and remove it. Lastly, fire ant activity will begin very soon, if you haven’t already seen fire ants foraging. Ants prefer the warmer temperatures (70-90 degrees) so they will obviously be closer to the soil surface now. Use a potato chip to see if the ants are foraging for food, and if they are, you can use granular bait poisons.

I’ve seen some mosquitoes already this spring. There’s a mosquito type that will overwinter in NC as an adult, and believe this to be our early season culprit. Unfortunately, this is just the beginning. Mosquitoes will begin to lay eggs in the coming weeks as temperatures continue to warm. Here’s some tips we all can do to minimize mosquitoes this year.

  • get rid of those things that collect water, or fix things that will catch unnecessary water, such as tarps covering cars, boats, and water collection areas where stagnant water may sit for 2 or more days
  • remove old tires to prevent them from collecting water
  • clean out gutters from winter residues
  • try to convince your neighbors to do the same things, as preventing mosquitoes’ takes a community effort

There was certainly a lot that was covered during these meetings, as this only touches on a few tips within each crop. Should you have questions about any of this information or need further details please call our extension office. May your season be profitable!

Upcoming Events

The Greene County Farmers’ Market will be opening its 2ndseason on Saturday, April 14th. Vendors will be selling locally grown produce and hand-made crafts from 8-1:00 p.m. each Saturday in the parking lot of the Greene County Recreation Complex by the picnicshelters.This is the temporary site until the permanent market facility is complete.

Thanks,

Roy Thagard

Extension Agent

Agriculture

JRT/kh

Farmers who wish to make their farm a Volunteer Ag District can now pick up an application at the Greene County Extension Office.

Recommendations for the use of chemicals are included in this publication as a convenience to the reader. The use of brand names and any mention or listing of commercial products or services in this publication does not imply endorsement by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension nor discrimination against similar products or services mentioned. Individuals who use chemicals are responsible for ensuring that the intended use complies with current regulations and conforms to the product label. Be sure to obtain current information about usage and examine a current product label before applying any chemical. For assistance, contact Greene County Cooperative Extension.