Field Crop News at Penn State

Field Crop News

Website Address: http://fcn.agronomy.psu.edu/

April 2, 2004    Vol. 04:01

IN THIS ISSUE:

Mark Your Calendar

Weather Outlook

Production

Pest Management

WEATHER OUTLOOK

The more spring-like conditions during the end of March, with sunshine and temperatures averaging 10-20 degrees above normal, has ended with no return to sustained warmth expected during the first half of April. Initially (April 3-4), a very cool and dull spell is likely with daytime readings struggling to reach the 50s. There will periods of rain which will be heavy at times in southern and eastern sections. Expect most sections to receive between 0.5 and 1 inch. A drier interlude will follow next week, though it will be quite breezy and cold later Sunday into Tuesday (April 5-6). Snow showers are expected on Monday and Tuesday in the hilly terrain and even some flurries in the lower elevations of the southeast. The wind will abate by mid-week, but a sequence of disturbances will approach the region with a risk of rain or even snow showers between Thursday and Sunday (April 8-11). While precipitation is only likely on one or two of those days, temperatures will continue below seasonal levels. The first chance of above normal temperatures will be April 12-14, but mornings will still be chilly with widespread frost and freezes in the central valleys and northern mountains.

The latter half of April promises considerably warmer conditions with at least one period, lasting 3-5 days, with temperatures averaging 8-15 degrees above normal. Precipitation will be piecemeal with most sections not receiving a normal amount. There are indications that dry and cooler than normal conditions will dominate during May too.

Paul Knight, WeatherWorld@psu.edu
Pennsylvania State Climatologist

PRODUCTION

STARTER FERTILIZER FOR CORN ON HIGH P SOILS

A common question these days, is do we need starter on soils with above optimum soil test P levels? Greg Roth and I recently completed a study on this with over 40 on-farm experiments over 3 years on high P testing soils. Overall we saw a significant yield increase only on about 20% of the fields and the average response to starter on these soils was about 2-3 bu/A. We did see a significant early growth increase on almost 40% of the fields, but there was little connection between this response and final yield. The bottom line is that the probability of getting an economical response to starter fertilizer on high P testing soils is pretty low.

So what are the recommendations? On low or optimum testing soils, use a starter. See Agronomy Facts 51 "Starter Fertilizer" for complete details on starter fertilizer management. On high testing soils you can probably eliminate starter fertilizer or there are a couple of other options you might consider. We also tested ammonium sulfate alone as a starter and found that this material provides as good or better response as regular complete starters on these high testing soils but it does not add additional P. Also, most of the cost of the ammonium sulfate starter can be offset by reducing broadcast or sidedress nitrogen proportionally. So here is an option if you want to cover yourself so you don't miss the occasional starter benefit, but it will not added excess P, and it is economical if you can reduce other N applications accordingly. Also, farmers without manure or forage legumes in their rotation will often find an additional benefit to including a significant amount of N at planting time. One other option that is becoming more popular for farmers who don't want to completely eliminate starter, even on high testing soils, is to use an in-row or "popup" fertilizer. With a popup you can go to very low rates, in fact you need to be careful that you don't put too much in the row or you can cause injury (See Agronomy Facts 51 "Starter Fertilizer" for details), and get similar or sometimes even better response than with much higher rates of traditional starter fertilizer. Popup does require a different set-up on the planter and usually involves going to a liquid fertilizer but it can be a very effective and economical program.

Starter fertilizer is an important practice in corn production, especially for early planting in cold, wet soils and at lower soil fertility levels. However, you may want to reevaluate your starter program on high testing soils and consider some of the alternatives discussed here.

Doug Beegle, dbb@psu.edu
Soil Fertility, Crop and Soil Sciences

TILLAGE IN THE BALANCE

As we enter spring many farmers get ready to till their soils. Tillage does harm as well as good, and if the balance tips towards the negative, you should abstain from it. I will also address some tillage myths.

tillage scale

- Minuses of tillage

  1. Time. Tillage costs time, which has two implications: (1) you will not be able to use that time to do something else, and (2) you will be delaying your planting. By not tilling you cut your labor investment per acre approximately in half.
  2. Fuel. It costs about 3.3 gallons to moldboard and harrow an acre, and about 2.0 gallons to chisel plow and harrow.
  3. Equipment. The equipment you use for tillage needs to be maintained and replaced over time, and your tractor also wears more. For conventional tillage, this costs about $16 per acre, and for reduced tillage about $7.
  4. Rocks. You bring up rocks in tillage. Rock picking can consume as least as much time as tillage if you happen to live in a place like "Rock Springs" or "Rocky Dock".
  5. Soil erosion. Erosion removes the most valuable portion of your soil that contains the organic matter. It is also the number one water polluter in Pennsylvania. USDA estimates Pennsylvania cropland is losing on average 5.1 ton/A/yr of soil. This is more than what can be tolerated from a soil productivity point of view. If you leave more than 30% residue cover after planting, you dramatically reduce erosion.
  6. Organic matter loss. Tillage is like stoking the fire. You get a rapid burning of organic matter. Studies in the MidWest showed they lost 200 lbs/A/yr of organic matter with moldboard plowing, gained 200 lbs/A/yr with chisel plowing, and gained 1050 lbs/A/yr with no-till in corn-soybean rotations.
  7. Soil structure degrades. The stability of soil structure, also called soil tilth, is directly dependent on soil organic matter content, presence of fine roots, fungal hairs and breakdown products of crop residue. Tillage affects all negatively.
  8. Less soil life. Soil biological activity is typically twice as high in a no-till system with high residue cover compared to a clean-tilled soil. You will typically find twice as many earthworms in no-till compared to conventional tilled fields.

+ Plusses of tillage

  1. Soil warming. The soil will warm up quicker if you till resulting in a faster start of the crop. This may result in a yield increase in corn after corn, but not if you have little residue. Row cleaners and zone tillage can be used in reduced tillage systems to overcome this.
  2. Manure incorporation. This is probably one of the most important reasons to till. The incorporation reduces odor and nitrogen losses from surface applied liquid manure. The incorporation should take place within 24-48 hours after application.
  3. Conventional planting. If your planter or drill is not set up for no-till and cannot handle residue or firm soil conditions you will have to till your field.
  4. Slugs. Tillage is the most effective remedy to eliminate slug problems.
  5. Residue related diseases. Some diseases such as grey leafspot survive on crop residue. You will have fewer problems from these if you bury all residue under the soil.
  6. Aleviate compaction. you have rutted up your fields you probably have to smoothen them out with tillage. However, tillage also stimulates the formation of a plow pan just below the depth of plowing.
Myths of tillage

There are some myths of tillage, including the following:

  1. Need to incorporate fertilizer and lime. Research has shown equal yields are obtained by applying fertilizer and lime at the surface of the soil.
  2. Need to plow down alfalfa or green manure. You will get the same nitrogen benefits out of alfalfa or green manure crops whether you plow them under or not.
  3. It is fun. . Plowing is an arduous task that should be avoided. Take a walk through your fields instead and admire the beauty of creation.

As you look at the total picture, the tillage balance seems to tip mostly towards the minuses in our state. As an American farmer you have the freedom to do mostly everything you please on your land. This freedom comes with the responsibility to take care of the land. I always like to say "freedom to do right". Because farmers are the most important environmental stewards in the USA, I hope you seriously consider limiting tillage only to where it is needed. If you need to do some tillage, try to leave more than 30% crop residue after planting.

Sjoerd Duiker, swd10@psu.edu
Soil Management, Crop and Soil Sciences

COPPER SULFATE HOOF BATHS AND COPPER TOXICITY IN SOIL

Copper sulfate hoof baths are used on many dairies in Pennsylvania as part of their overall hoof hygiene program. On most dairies spent hoof baths are dumped into the manure pit or lagoon so the copper ultimately gets spread on production ground with the manure. Recently there have been several reports in the dairy press regarding copper accumulation in soils from this practice. It is possible that after several years copper could accumulate in soil to levels that become toxic to soil microbes and crops. This could slow organic matter decomposition and nutrient cycling in soil (especially conversion of organic nitrogen to plant available nitrogen) and crop production could be reduced because of direct toxic effects of copper on the plants as well as reduced soil fertility. Copper accumulation in soil and forage could become toxic to sheep, whose tolerance for copper is much lower than that of dairy cattle.

The potential for accumulation of toxic levels of copper in soil is a critical issue because there is no practical way to reverse the problem if it occurs. On the other hand it is a problem that will take many, many years to develop and can easily be avoided. Copper is an essential element for all living organisms so plants and microbes need a constant small supply. All soils naturally contain some copper and it is only when the availability of soil copper becomes too large that toxicity could result. Thus two important questions for dairies that use copper sulfate hoof baths are: (1) How much copper can be added to soil before it reaches the toxic threshold, and (2) How long will it take to reach that threshold? Unfortunately there are no simple or clear answers to those questions. In this article we will look at factors that affect copper availability in soil and provide some guidance for dairies on how to deal with this issue.

The toxicity of copper in soil depends more on the available concentration of copper than it does on the total concentration. Available means that the copper is in a form that can be taken up by plants, microbes, or animals. For example, copper pipes are almost pure copper but are not toxic because the copper is not in a form that is available to living organisms. When water flows through the pipes, tiny amounts of copper dissolve in the water and that copper is available. The same holds true for copper in hoof baths, manure pits, and soil. Copper sulfate hoof baths are normally made as a 10% solution so the water contains about 25,000 parts per million (ppm) of copper. All of this dissolved copper is available, and at this high concentration is toxic to fungi and bacteria (intentionally so). As soon as the bath is dumped into the manure pit its toxicity decreases dramatically for two reasons. First, there is a huge dilution as a bath of a few gallons is mixed into thousands of gallons of manure. We have analyzed liquid manure from dairies using copper sulfate and found copper concentrations of 20 - 60 ppm, or about a 1,000-fold dilution. Secondly, copper becomes strongly bound to the organic matter in the manure pit. We have found that in liquid dairy manure about 90 - 95% of the copper is held on organic matter. When copper is bound to organic matter its availability is vastly reduced. Nevertheless, hoof baths do add a lot of copper to the manure - up to 1,000 ppm on a dry weight basis (sewage sludge normally has 300 - 500 ppm copper on a dry weight basis).

Ultimately all the copper ends up in the soil. Surface soils in Pennsylvania normally have total copper concentrations in the range of 15 - 30 ppm (mg/kg), or 30 - 60 lb/acre. When high copper manure is spread on the soil, copper is added to this natural background level. In the soil copper is strongly bound to soil organic matter and to clay particles. A lot of the copper gets bound so tightly that it is not available to microbes or plants and thus has no effect on toxicity. Copper availability is lowest at near neutral soil pH (6.5 - 7.5), but as pH decreases copper availability increases. Thus when high copper manure is added to soil, we would expect a greater increase in copper availability in a light textured soil with low organic matter and somewhat low pH than in a heavier textured soil with moderate organic matter and near neutral pH. In all soils, however, almost all added copper stays right where it is placed. Thus spreading high copper manure in soil year after year will steadily increase the total amount of copper in the topsoil. At one PA dairy that used a lot of copper sulfate we found total copper in the soil was 3 - 5 times higher than the normal range for topsoil in Pennsylvania. But corn growth on that field was excellent and the silage contained normal levels of copper suggesting there had been little increase in copper availability.

Another indicator of copper availability is how much copper is taken up by crop plants. Most agronomic crop tissues (leaves and stems) normally contain copper in the range of 5 - 30 ppm. The average copper content of corn silage in Northeast US is 7 ppm. If crop tissues contain copper at the high end of this range or above, this is evidence of increased copper availability, though not of toxicity. The classic foliar symptom of copper toxicity is interveinal chlorosis (pale green striping in corn leaves). The problem of crop tissue analysis as an indicator of copper toxicity is that copper will also stunt root elongation and development and may never be taken up into the above ground part of the plant. Thus a copper problem in the soil may not be seen above ground.

So we come back now to the question of how much copper can be added to soil before toxicity problems might arise? While almost no research has been conducted with high copper dairy manure, investigations of high copper swine manure and sewage sludge provide some guidance. Based on this research, if copper is added gradually (<10 lb of copper per acre each year) it appears that at least 150 lb of copper per acre could be added to light textured, low organic matter soils without causing crop toxicity. Heavier textured soils with moderate to high organic matter levels could likely receive at least 3 - 5 times as much copper without showing any crop toxicity. However, adverse effects on soil microbes might occur with smaller additions of copper. Unfortunately, no simple soil test has been developed that can reliably predict when copper toxicity might occur to plants or microbes. Thus, dairy farmers using copper sulfate hoof baths should determine how much copper they are adding to their fields each year, and should monitor their soils and crops for evidence of increased copper availability.

There are two ways to calculate how much copper is added to soil each year. One is based on the total pounds of copper sulfate used in a year for hoof baths. This total must be divided by 4 since the copper sulfate is ¼ copper by weight. Now divide that result by the number of acres the manure is spread on to get pounds of copper per acre per year. This calculation will give a good estimate of how much copper is being added to a field. However, since there are other sources of copper in the manure (from feed and water) a more precise method is to have the manure analyzed for copper. Then multiply the concentration of copper in the manure (lbs/ton or lbs/1,000 gal) by the application rate used (tons/acre or 1,000 gal/acre) to get lb of copper added per acre with each manure application. We have done these calculations at 4 PA dairies and found copper additions ranging from 2 up to 11 lbs of copper per acre per year. If the amount of copper added is less than 2 lb per acre, the buildup in soil will be extremely gradual (crop harvest will likely remove about ½ lb of copper per acre) and unlikely to cause a problem. Farms with annual copper addition of more than 5 lbs per acre should analyze soils and crops for copper every 5 years or so to monitor for any increases. Soils should be analyzed for total copper (strong acid digestion). The Agricultural Analytical Lab at Penn State can do these soil and tissue analysis as well as many other service laboratories. Farms where annual copper addition is 10 or more lbs per acre should attempt to reduce the amount of copper being used. This can be done by reducing the frequency of hoof bath use to the minimum needed to control hoof diseases, decreasing the concentration of copper sulfate used in the baths from 10% to 5%, and by placing a water bath ahead of the copper sulfate bath so that the copper sulfate bath will not need be changed as often. Dairies could also investigate alternative treatments to copper sulfate. Zinc sulfate baths are one alternative, but with long-term use zinc could accumulate to toxic levels just like copper.

Rick Stehouwer, rcs15@psu.edu
Environmental Soil Science
Greg Roth, gwr@psu.edu
Corn Management, Crop and Soil Sciences

PEST MANAGEMENT

Glyphosate Stewardship - Wisconsin group calls for glyphosate stewardship- Food for thought

A group of Wisconsin farmers, agribusiness associations, and university scientists have released a white paper that is calling for better stewardship of glyphosate herbicide. Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Roundup, Touchdown, Glyphomax, and a number of other products sold by several different companies. The paper calls for better stewardship in order to prevent or delay resistant weeds and ensure the longevity of glyphosate and glyphosate resistant crops.

The paper outlines the following: Glyphosate and Roundup Ready Crops are valuable tools for Wisconsin farms and the risk of glyphosate-resistant weeds will increase with improper use of glyphosate. Glyphosate-resistant weeds will reduce the value of the herbicide and herbicide resistant crop technology and that new herbicides are not being developed to replace glyphosate. Therefore, Wisconsin farms should be proactive leaders and practice glyphosate stewardship.

To prevent or delay herbicide resistant weeds, the paper recommends that farmers should rotate between Roundup Ready and conventional crops or crops with other types of herbicide resistance. They should use Roundup Ready crops in their rotation where they have the greatest economic and management value. Farmers should rotate glyphosate with other herbicide modes of action and rotate non-glyphosate herbicides over time as well. They should apply glyphosate at labeled rates at the correct stage of growth and if glyphosate is applied as a burndown in no-till followed by a postemergence in-crop application, tank mix the burndown treatment with other effective modes of action. Farmers should use cultivation after in-crop glyphosate or other nonchemical controls when possible. It's important to scout fields regularly and identify weeds and to quickly respond to changes in the weed population.

The paper was endorsed by the Wisconsin Corn Growers Association, Soybean Association, Forage Council, Potato and Vegetable Growers Association, Fertilizer and Chemical Association, Association of Professional Agricultural Consultants, and several University of Wisconsin research and extension teams. The complete document can be viewed on our Weed Science homepage at www.weeds.psu.edu/pdf/glyphosateWI.pdf.

Bill Curran, wcurran@psu.edu
Weed Science, Crop and Soil Sciences

What's New for Agronomic Weed Control - 2004

Labeled Products - CORN

Keystone 5.25SE and Keystone LA 5.5SE (Dow AgroSciences) are newer formulations of acetochlor and atrazine; the same active ingredients in FulTime and Harness Xtra. This formulation allows for easier handling and mixing of the product and slightly different ratios of the two active ingredients. Weed control and use is similar to that of other acetochlor/atrazine mixtures. Penn State research showed that the encapsulated formulation (FulTime or Degree Xtra) was slightly better than Keystone under no-till conditions for grass control. The typical use rate is 2.65 qt/A for Keystone (i.e., 2 lb ai acetochlor and 1.5 lb ai atrazine). Keystone LA is the "less atrazine" formulation that will usually be applied at 2 qt/A (2 lb ai acetochlor and 0.75 lb ai atrazine).

Lumax 4SC and Camix 3.7SC (Syngenta) are premix products that contains mesotrione (Callisto) and s-metolachlor (Dual II Magnum). Lumax is a three-way mixture that includes atrazine. Lumax and Camix are primarily soil-applied (or early post) herbicides that control a number of common broadleaf and grassy weeds including lambsquarters and pigweed (including triazine- and ALS-resistant), velvetleaf, ragweed, smartweed, foxtails, crabgrass, and yellow nutsedge. The addition of atrazine in Lumax improves activity and broadens control spectrum compared to Camix. However, additional atrazine or simazine may be added to Lumax to improve control of cocklebur, annual morningglory, prickly sida, and giant ragweed. Camix provides a non-atrazine alternative, for areas that may have restrictions on triazine use. The typical use rate in soils with less than 3% organic matter and regardless of the tillage system is 2 qt/A Camix and 2.5 qt/A Lumax (This rate would be equivalent to 1.75 pt/A Dual II Magnum and 5.3 fl oz/A Callisto; plus 0.63 lb atrazine in Lumax.) If soils have greater than 3% organic matter, use 2.4 qt/A Camix or 3 qt/A Lumax. Both of these products are very effective on lambsquarters and velvetleaf, so there may be the potential to reduce the application rate for these two weed species. Also, In PSU research, Lumax in combination with glyphosate plus 2,4-D has been effective for dandelion control in no-till corn.

Do not apply these products more than 10 days prior to planting or to field corn higher than 5 inches tall and before grassy weeds emerge. There are no insecticide restrictions when applied preemergence, but be cautious of restrictions with early post-applied Lumax/Camix when OP and carbamate insecticides are used. Corn, soybeans, and sorghum may be planted the year following application of Lumax or Camix. Wheat may be planted 4.5 months after application and alfalfa after 18 months. With respect to Bicep II Magnum, Lumax contains more Dual and less atrazine when comparing at typical medium soil rates.

Option 35WDG and Equip 32WDG (Bayer CropScience) are labeled for use in field corn. They both contain foramsulfuron (a sulfonylurea, ALS-inhibitor), while Equip also contains iodosulfuron. They are postemergence herbicides that have activity on grasses and some annual broadleaves. In general, Equip is weaker on grasses and better on some annual broadleaves than Option. Compared to each other, Option is better on giant foxtail, shattercane, and quackgrass, while Equip is better on pigweed, ragweed, and smartweed. Both will typically be applied broadcast at 1.5 oz/A (plus MSO and UAN or AMS) to corn. Equip can be applied to corn up to 12 inches tall, and Option can be applied up to 16 inch tall corn. Tank-mix options are allowed to improve the weed control spectrum. Option has a rotation restriction of 7 days for corn, 14 days for soybeans, and 60 days for any other crop. Equip has recrop limits of 15 days for corn, 2 month for winter small grains, 9 months for soybean, sorghum, and oats, and 18 months for alfalfa and clover. Option likely is a better fit for our region, but both products will compete with Steadfast, Steadfast ATZ, Basis Gold, and NorthStar for the post market.

Prowl H2O 3.8CS (BASF) is a water-based formulation of pendimethalin that has less staining and odor potential and binds less to crop residue than the original 3.3EC formulation. PSU research showed that Prowl H2O performance was similar in performance to the 3.3EC formulation at normal use rates. The typical use rate is 3 pt/A (4 pt, if >3% soil organic matter). Prowl H2O is labeled for use in field and sweet corn, soybeans, edible beans, potatoes, and tobacco. Prowl 3.3EC will likely be phased out by 2005.

Steadfast ATZ 89.3WDG (DuPont) is a premix of Steadfast plus atrazine. It is similar to Basis Gold but has a 2:1 ratio of nicosulfuron (Accent) to rimsulfuron (Matrix). The use rate is 14 oz/A and can be applied to corn up to 12 inches tall. It has a similar weed control spectrum as Basis Gold and can be tank mixed to broaden the control range. Steadfast ATZ is expected to replace Basis Gold in the future.

Trizmet II 5.5L (Drexel) and Stalwart Extra 5.5L (Sipcam) are generic brands of metolachlor and atrazine. They are similar to the old Bicep II but have different ratios of the active ingredients. The application rate is 1.6 to 2.1 qt/A. When comparing these rates to old Bicep II, there is less metolachlor, which may be inadequate for annual grass and nutsedge control.

Volley, Volley ATZ, and Volley ATZ Lite (Tenkoz) are generic brands of acetochlor (and atrazine). Volley is similar to Surpass, while Volley ATZ and Lite contain the same active ingredients as Keystone. The Volley ATZ rate is 2.4 to 2.8 qt/A.

Labeled Products - FORAGES

Cimarron 60DF and Cimarron Max (DuPont) contain the ALS-inhibitor, metsulfuron methyl, the same active ingredient in Ally. Cimarron can be applied from 0.1 to 1 oz/A (plus adjuvants) to grass pastures, rangelands, and CRP areas to control many types of broadleaf weeds. The Cimarron label allows higher use rates than Ally, so it makes a good control option for multiflora rose and other brush species. There are no grazing or haying restrictions if applied alone. Cimarron Max is a co-pack that contains Cimarron plus 2,4-D and dicamba. Be cautious of these products during forage grass establishment, or injury may occur.

Overdrive 70WDG (BASF) has been recently labeled for use on grass pastures, grass hay, and rangeland. It contains the same active ingredients as Distinct (dicamba and diflufenzopyr) for corn. It controls many annual, biennial, and perennial broadleaf weeds. The use rate is 4 to 8 oz/A, plus the addition of NIS or MSO in the spray mixture. If used alone, there are no grazing/haying restrictions. Do not apply to newly seeded forage grasses.

Other Products

Glyphosate-containing products continue to be produced by many companies. There are over 50 glyphosate-containing products on the market and about 25 are considered generic brands. Some common products include Roundup WeatherMax, Touchdown, Glyphomax Plus, Credit, Buccaneer, ClearOut 41, Gly Star and Extreme. Most companies offer two glyphosate products, one fully loaded with adjuvants and the other that requires some additional surfactants to improve performance. Because there are so many choices, be cautious of different formulations and use restrictions. Monsanto, Syngenta, Dow AgroSciences, Nufarm, Albaugh/AgriStar, Tenkoz, Griffin, CPT, Cheminova, FarmSaver.com, are just some of the companies now labeling glyphosate.

Touchdown Total (4.17 lb ae/gal) and Touchdown HiTech (5.1 lb ae) are Syngenta's new higher load potassium salt formulations of glyphosate to compete directly with Roundup WeatherMax and Original Max. Touchdown Total is more concentrated than Touchdown IQ and is fully loaded with all the necessary adjuvants; the typical use rate will be 24 fl oz/A Touchdown Hitech does not contain adjuvants, so they must be included in the spray mixture; the typical Hitech use rate will be 1.2 pt/A. Touchdown Total and Hitech can be applied to Roundup Ready crops, with many other uses as well. Supplies may be limited for the upcoming season.

Roundup Ready alfalfa and wheat varieties are still under development and will allow over-the-top applications of glyphosate. Don't expect these varieties to hit the market until about 2005. Roundup Ready alfalfa varieties will likely be sold initially in the upper Midwest, while the wheat varieties will be in the western states market. Penn State is currently testing the performance and yield of RR alfalfa, but has not yet investigated RR wheat. There will be a number of performance, cost, and ecological issues to consider before adoption of this technology.

Other Notes

The number of generic brand herbicides continues to increase. The increase is due primarily to patent expirations and licensing agreements. In most cases, generics cost less than name brands, however some may be a good deal while other may not. A few things to consider when deciding between a generic vs. name brand product: 1) product quality - does it have good mixing and spraying characteristics; 2) equivalent amounts of active ingredients - the generic may contain less than the original; and 3) "fly-by-night" companies/offers that promise too much - buy from a reputable source with a sound history. Most generic brands won't include field services or warranties if application fails. Consider all the factors (quality, rebates, warranties), and not just cost, before purchasing a generic brand. Also, when searching for generic alternatives, pay close attention to the chemical names (i.e., glyphosate, metolachlor, dicamba, etc.) and the label instructions.

Dwight Lingenfelter, dxl18@psu.edu
Bill Curran, wcurran@psu.edu
Weed Science, Crop and Soil Sciences

UPDATE ON SLUG MANAGEMENT

The Departments of Crop and Soil Sciences and Entomology recently hosted Ron Hammond, field crop entomologist from Ohio State/OARDC for a visit to University Park. He met with agents from the Capital Region Extension Agronomy Team and other specialists and gave a seminar on "Slug Management in No-Till Crop Production." During his visit Ron highlighted many features of slug identification, life-cycle features, scouting procedures, and management control.

Among the highlights:

Ohio NRCS is sponsoring a slug management program in northeastern Ohio for farmers practicing reduced tillage. We will be learning more about this program as the growing season progresses.

For more information on slug control contact your local cooperative extension office, crop consultant, or NRCS.

Les Lanyon, lel@psu.edu
Soil Management, Crop and Soil Sciences

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Douglas Beegle, editor,
Professor, Agronomy, dbb@psu.edu

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