Field Crop News at Penn State

Field Crop News

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

July 9, 2004    Vol. 04:07

IN THIS ISSUE:

Mark Your Calendar

Weather Outlook

Production

Agents Corner

Mark Your Calendar

PENN STATE AGRONOMIC FIELD DIAGNOSTIC CLINIC 2004 - JULY 21 AND 22

The dates and topics for our annual Diagnostic Clinic have been set. As in the past, the Clinic is a one-day event from 8:45 am to 4:30 pm. Unlike past years, this year's event will be conducted at the Penn State Ag Progress Days site near Rock Springs, PA. The Clinic will be held on Wednesday, July 21 and then repeated on Thursday, July 22, 2004. The topics include:

(CCA, pesticide applicator, and nutrient management credits will be offered.)

Registration forms are being mailed (and emailed), so look for yours soon to register and to get additional information on each of the topics. The cost of this year's Clinic is $45/person ($65 after July 13). If you do not receive a registration form within a couple of weeks and would like to attend, contact Lisa Crytser at (814) 865-2543 or email- LAC8@psu.edu. Or visit our website at http://cropsoil.psu.edu/extension/clinic.htm

For additional information or comments about the Diagnostic Clinic contact Dwight Lingenfelter at (814) 865-2242 or by email, DXL18@psu.edu.

JOIN US ON A TOUR OF LOCAL AGRICULTURE - AUGUST 5, 2004
Tour Agenda and Directions:

9:30 AM - We will meet at Dan and Penny Ulmer's Farm on Blanchard Street between Bellefonte and the Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science & Technology in Pleasant Gap. The farm is located on the left and will have a Penn State Cooperative Extension Demonstration Sign marking the driveway.

Topics Include: Potato Leaf Hopper Resistant Alfalfa Research, TARA Soybean Demonstration, and discussion of our Chlorophyll Meter used to predict nitrogen in corn.

10:45 AM - We will meet at Jim Walizer's Farm. Directions from Ulmer's are: Take Route 550 to the Y at Zion. Then turn left onto Route 64 North and go about 3.5 miles. Turn left onto Walizer Road, across from Mingoville turnoff. Signs will be posted. From there we will proceed to the Walizer Tree Farm just north on Route 64 to Hublersburg.

Topics Include: Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program Practices, Discuss the Local Pasture Network and Workshop Series(Allen Hollenbach & Beth Hirt), and a look at warm season grass management.

12:30 PM - We will meet at Joel Myers Pavillion for lunch. A picnic lunch and drink will be provided for a donation of $5.00. Directions: Take Blue Ball Road from Route 64 at Mingoville 5.8 miles to Route 192. Take a right on Route 192 and go .6 miles to Ridge Road. Take a left on Ridge Road and go 3.7 miles to Spring Mills. Turn right on Route 45 west < .1 mile. Turn left into spring mills on Fire Hall Road. < .1 mile. Turn right onto School House Road < .1 mile. Do not cross the bridge. Turn right onto Sinking Creek Road < .1 mile. Follow Sinking Creek Road 1.1 miles. Turn left on private road across Sinking Creek (Joels Woods). Go up the hill - pavilion is on the left. After lunch we will move to the Myer's Farmstead.

Topics Include: Methane Digesters on Farms, EQIP Program, Nutrient Management, Soil Quality, Weed Control, and Residue Management in No-Till.

2:30 PM - Have a Safe Trip Home.

Certified Crop Advisor Credits and 1 Nutrient Management Continuing Education Credit will be offered.

If you plan to have the picnic lunch please contact our office at 814-355-4897.

SPONSORED BY: PENN STATE COOPERATIVE EXTENSION, USDA, NATURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION SERVICE, USDA, FARM SERVICE AGENCY, CENTRE COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT, and CLINTON COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT

WEATHER OUTLOOK

Except for the odd severe thunderstorm (Lebanon-Lancaster region on July 1), the weather pattern turned more tranquil during the final week of June and the first week of July. Temperatures have risen about 1-3 degrees above the long-term mean, but precipitation has become less frequent, such that some parts of the state, especially the eastern third and northwest quarter are showing deficits (on the order of 50%) for the last two weeks. An active breeze has been countered by partly to mostly cloudy skies so that drying conditions have been less than ideal.

For the next week (July 10-16), the state will be on the edge of a very sultry air mass. Temperatures will average between 3 and 6 degrees above normal, mainly because of very mild nights (some readings staying above 70F). A few of the days will have enough sunshine to boost afternoon readings into the low and mid 90's in the southeast quarter of the state.

Clusters of thunderstorms will develop in the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley and migrate through the state. Expect most sections to receive above normal rainfall (more than an inch in the week) and some places, especially in western Pennsylvania may be very wet. A few spots in the southeast counties will miss most of the storms. The week of July 17-24 will bring a spell of noticeably less humid and somewhat cooler air, though the relief may only last for three or four days.

The outlook for August shows above normal temperatures and below normal rainfall with the warmest weather expected at the beginning and end of the month and a significant cool spell is possible in the middle of August.

Paul Knight, WeatherWorld@psu.edu
Pennsylvania State Climatologist

PRODUCTION

ASSESSING DAMAGE FROM HAIL ON CORN AND SOYBEANS

Image 1

Summer storms can bring hail damage to our crops and be a source of real disappointment to crop producers. A recent storm passed through parts of Lebanon and Lancaster County last week causing substantial damage to corn and soybean crops. Some corn in the tassel stage was nearly completely defoliated, but most experienced less defoliation and was at an earlier stage of growth. Yield losses due to hail are a function of the stage of growth, severity of defoliation and the stand loss or stalk breakage. Hail damage guidelines indicate you could expect an 83% grain yield loss with 90% defoliation at tassel emergence. For the more common 50% defoliation of 15-leaf corn, though, estimated yield loss drops to 15%. In most cases, the best management is to do nothing and monitor the crop until harvest. Yield losses occur because the plant cannot sustain the grain development due to a lack of photosynthesis. The stalk bruising that occurs could predispose the crop to stalk rots, so harvesting hail damaged fields for silage might be desirable. Soybeans are generally more tolerant of hail damage, since they have the ability to rapidly develop more leaf area. Complete defoliation at R1 would result in an estimated 23% yield loss. For more details on assessing hail damage to corn and soybeans, visit the Penn State Corn and Soybean management webpage at http://cornandsoybeans.psu.edu/.

Greg Roth, gwr@psu.edu
Grains Management, Crop and Soil Sciences

FERTILITY MANAGEMENT IN THE SUMMER

Once the corn is sidedressed and the hay fields are topdressed after first cutting, most people think that fertility management for the growing season is pretty much done. But summer does present a few opportunities that you might want to consider. First, don't forget grass fertilization. Our cool season grasses are not very productive in the heat of the summer, but they will be growing into the fall. Applying nitrogen to support this fall growth is usually a very profitable practice. Apply 50 lbs of N/A per ton of expected yield for the fall growth. If farmers need to get some manure spread in the summer, these grass hay fields are a good place to go. The grass will make good use of the manure nutrients.

In small grain fields, consider taking soil samples after harvest. This can be an excellent time to apply limestone if it is needed. Generally, the soils are dryer so compaction from lime trucks is less of a problem and it gives the limestone plenty of time to react and correct pH before the next crop. Also if late summer forage seedings are planned in these fields, be sure to get a soil test and apply any recommended lime and fertilizer before seeding.

If you have questions about whether corn plants are getting all of the nutrients that the soil test shows or that was applied in fertilizer or if they are getting adequate secondary and micronutrients consider taking some leaf samples for plant analysis. Sometimes plants can be suffering from hidden hunger where they do not show any clear deficiency symptoms but they are still short on a nutrient. Plant analysis can help spot this problem. For corn, the recommended sampling procedure is to collect the ear leaf at silking time. Collect a representative sample of leaves (10-20 leaves) and send this to the lab for analysis. You don't need to sample all fields to get useful information. Selecting a few fields that represent different nutrient management situations on the farm should be adequate. For example, maybe sample a field that gets lots of manure and another field that maybe does not get as much. Also, often the home farm and rented ground are managed differently.

Soil and plant analysis kits for the Penn State Ag Analytical Services Laboratory are available from local Penn State Cooperative Extension offices.

Douglas Beegle, dbb@psu.edu
Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management, Crop and Soil Sciences

Agents Corner

CAPITAL

Wheat harvest got an early start this year. Initial reports of some earliest harvested fields reflect high levels of diseases particularly head scab. Yields in the mid thirties to low forty bushels/acre and low test weights, 50 - 54 are common. High levels of vomitoxin were also reported in many loads. Producers have increased their fan speeds on combines to remove smallest grains. This has increased bushel weights.

Corn began tasseling by June 30 in some fields, with many other fields soon to follow. High temperatures and wide spread rain events have resulted in curling of many fields during the afternoon in many areas. Lebanon and parts of Lancaster County received significant hail damage on July 1. Of course the best looking crops, corn, beans and alfalfa were the worst affected.

Forage harvest is progressing with many first cuttings being made around the fourth of July. Others have started harvesting 3rd cutting of alfalfa. Potato leafhoppers are easy to find but not everywhere, showing the advantage of scouting prior to control applications. It looks like a great opportunity for marketing high quality dairy hay this year. On the other side there should be plenty of low quality hay crops that will drive the price down significantly for this commodity.

Paul H. Craig, phc8@psu.edu
Dauphin County

SOUTHWEST

The end of June into July finally brought some nice weather for farmers to get some field work done. First cutting has been finished and second started with a few producers nearly finished with their second cutting. Potato leaf hopper pressure continues to be heavy with many acres being sprayed.

This year’s corn crop is quite variable, some looks excellent and is beginning to shoot tassel. Other fields, well’ don’t look so good. The wet spots of fields are very easy to spot this year. I noticed more than one field that was planted over the 4th of July weekend. Soybeans have really begun to green up and grow rapidly. Early planted beans have all but canopied over.

Barley harvest is mostly complete, there were even a few acres of double crop beans planted. Wheat harvest is under way, yields look to be pretty good. Oats are beginning to turn and harvest shouldn’t be too far away.

Overall the past two weeks have provided excellent weather for field work to get done. However the showers that arrived during the holiday and again on the 7th were a welcome sight to many farmers. Hope these periodic showers continue through the summer.

Kevin Fry, ksf107@psu.edu
Armstrong County


Beegle signature

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

Copyright Information
This publication is available in alternative media on request.

Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity,
and the diversity of its workforce