CMEG Crop Management Extension Group

Field Crop News

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

June 19, 2007    Vol. 07:16

IN THIS ISSUE:

Weather Outlook — Paul Knight, Pennsylvania State Climatologist

Generally dry and on—average warmer than normal conditions will dominate the period. After some much needed rain on Tuesday evening and night, there may not be another well organized rainfall statewide for another week or even longer. The slowly mounting precipitation deficits are most concentrated in north—central sections of the state. There are pockets of average rainfall for June in parts of the southeast and scattered in a few counties in the western half, virtually no place is wetter than normal.

Week One (June 20–27): Noticeably less humid and more seasonable temperatures are expected on Wednesday in the wake of the cold front. Two more surges of ‘seasonable’ air will be preceded by isolated showers on Thursday and more widespread thundershowers on Saturday. Neither rainfall will be statewide nor will amounts reach half of an inch. Hot and humid weather will return early next week with readings near or above 90 degrees in many sections.

Week Two (June 27–July 4): A cold front should cross the region either Tuesday or Wednesday of next week and produce thundershowers in many places. A trend to seasonable or slightly below seasonal temperatures is likely on June 28–29 and perhaps 30. A resurgence of hot and humid weather is expected during the first few days of July.

Check out the predicted Growing Degree Days (base 55) for Pennsylvania for the next two weeks at: http://climate.met.psu.edu/data/regional_gdd.php

Postemergence Herbicide Injury to Crops — Dwight Lingenfelter, PSU Weed Science

Herbicide injury to crops is always a possibility as various post herbicides are being applied. Since the weather has been hot and dry, added stress is being put on crop plants and thicker cuticles are developing on weeds. This provides a good setup for crop injury and poor weed control. Since the crop is stressed it has a difficult time metabolizing the herbicide thus injury can occur. The most common injury to corn will likely come from ALS—inhibitor herbicides (Accent, Option, Steadfast, Permit, Resolve, etc.), plant growth regulators (2,4–D, dicamba, etc.), and HPPD—inhibitors (Callisto, Impact). Typical injury symptoms from the ALS herbicides include chlorosis (yellowing) between the veins in the corn whorl, some leaf puckering in the same area, and overall plant stunting. Plant growth regulator injury will cause corn to twist, lean, onion—leaf, and corn stalks to become brittle and brace roots to fuse. HPPD herbicides cause yellow/greenish white blotches in the whorl area or on the top of the leaves. Adjuvants also play a role in crop injury. While it is beneficial to use “hotter” additives (e.g., COC, MSO, organosilicone, N—solutions) to improve herbicide penetration into the drought—stressed weeds, the potential to injury crops also increases with the use of these products. Adjuvants can enhance herbicide injury symptoms or cause additional leaf yellowing or burning. The following website contains some images that show what typical herbicide injury symptoms can look like, http://www.btny.purdue.edu/weedscience/inj/MOAinjury.html

Markets? — John Berry, Lehigh County Extension Educator

What typically happens during the summer? It gets hot and dry. With little new fundamental news for the grain markets to obsess over we are in for at least a couple months of predictions and forecasts based on weather. A broker once told me to only pay attention to the weather in Chicago. Whatever is happening outside office windows in Chicago will drive the daily grain markets.

Acres are committed at this point. Price mostly comes down to heat and moisture from here to harvest for corn and soybeans. Current outlook is based on a yield expectation and when this is challenged it can get exciting in the grain pits. There are any number of opportunities for wide price swings, especially during pollination periods. Let’s be prepared to take advantage of local chances to lock in some profit for the upcoming harvest — if they occur.

The 2007 season took field crop acres away from some crops and gave them to growing corn — what happened to forage acres? From looking out my car window as I travel and talking with producers it seems some hay and pasture acres are now devoted to growing corn for grain (I’ve even seen an orchard that got pushed over and is now corn). We typically see historically high grain prices cause livestock feeders to explore how to alter their rations as they try for cost control. With reduced pasture and hay acres and grain prices where they are — What are the possibilities for returns to our forage enterprises? Should we price our surplus forages at this time? or Should we wait to see where demand might push prices? Even without a weather problem this summer — we are on the way to a year of short forage supplies. Livestock feeders may want to give some consideration as to how they will meet their forage needs.

Last Week’s Price Report

Central Pennsylvania
Grain Range Avg
Corn No. 2 4.25-4.64 4.37
Wheat No. 2 4.50-5.57 5.04
Barley No. 3 2.70-2.80 2.78
Oats No. 2 2.25-2.50 2.34
Soybeans No. 2 7.80-8.07 7.94
Ear Corn 120.00-135.00 121.89
Western Pennsylvania
Grain Range Avg
Corn No. 2 3.75-4.16 3.85
Wheat No. 2 4.95-5.12 5.01
Barley No. 3 2.25 2.25
Oats No. 2 2.00-2.25 2.18
Soybeans No. 2 7.75-7.77 7.76
Ear Corn 105.00-111.00 108.67
Southeastern Pennsylvania
Grain Range Avg Contract for Harvest
Corn No. 2 4.50-4.80 4.63 4.16-4.25
Wheat No. 2 5.25-6.06 5.75 5.57-5.95
Barley No. 3 2.75-2.80 2.78 ---
Oats No. 2 2.20-2.40 2.28 2.20
Soybeans No. 2 8.00-8.30 8.13 8.21-8.07
Ear Corn 120.00-135.00 128.67 ---

New Forage Insurance Programs Expected Statewide for 2008

Beginning In 2007, USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) offered two pilot perennial forage crop insurance programs to Pennsylvania producers in 26 counties (below normal precipitation in 17 Southwestern and below normal vegetation greenness in 9 Northeastern counties). Preliminary steps have been taken by RMA to make the below average vegetation greenness available in the remaining 40 PA counties for 2008. The insurance provides protection for established perennial pasture or hayland forage acreage.

The programs are structured as Group Risk Protection plans based on normal precipitation or normal vegetative greenness during a 2 or 3 month time period during the year. The program determinations are based on existing federal government record keeping systems (NOAA and USGS). Basing the programs on small geographical areas rather than individual farm data provides streamlines the paperwork and provides flexibility for producers. The historical information allows producers to determine how the insurance program would have performed during previous years.

Producers can choose to insure all part of their acreage at values ranging from about $40 to $400 per acre for either selects 2 or 3—month periods or the entire year. Loss claims are calculated separately for each 2 or 3 month period. Premium costs are reduced by both federal and state subsidy. Actuarial premium rates are projected, over—time to result in producer benefit cost ratios of about $2 in loss payments for each $1 of producer paid premium. This provides an incentive to participate in the program.

Additional information, including individual farm performance estimates are available from crop insurance agents, the RMA/USDA Web at: http://www.rma.usda.gov/policies/pasturerangeforage/ or Eugene Gantz, Educator, RMA/USDA at e—mail: gene.gantz@rma.usda.gov or by phone at 717–497–6398. 2008 enrollment must be done with a crop insurance agent before November 30, 2007.

Planning for Farm Emergencies — Ag Safety & Health News

Imagine how you would react if you found a family member trapped under a tractor or the barn fully involved with fire. No one wants to have to be involved with any emergency situation. Many people get stuck just thinking about it, figuratively staring at the fire, unsure what to do next. We may balk at planning for something that may never happen. However, planning for farm emergencies is a form of insurance; you hope you will never need it but if you do, you are glad you have it. Finally, the process involved in planning for potential emergencies can be beneficial in two important ways. First, by identifying potential hazards, it provides the opportunity to remove or reduce those hazards. Second, by knowing how to respond to an actual emergency, lives can be saved.

Read the complete article with planning details at: http://www.agsafety.psu.edu/newsletters/JanFeb07.pdf

Additional safety information is available through the following website: http://www.agsafety.psu.edu/

Register Now for the Rock Springs Weed Control Tour, July 10, 2007 — Bill Curran, PSU Weed Specialist

Attend the Annual Weed Control Research Tour at Penn State — July 10, 2007 at the PSU Agronomy Research Farm, Rock Springs, PA (Meet at the Agronomy Farm, Rock Springs, Rt. 45 west of State College). A number of experiments will be showcased and available for viewing including weed control in corn, soybean, oats, sweet corn, and snap bean plus the latest information on herbicide resistance, and cover cropping and weed management. This field day will focus on the latest herbicide technology. Pest Management CCA CEU's will be available.

Agenda:
9:00 am – Registration
9:15 am –12:00 noon – Tour
12:00 noon – 1:00 pm – Catered lunch

Registration for this event will be $15.00 and includes lunch and a tour book. You must pre register with Lisa Crytser at Penn State to ensure you have a spot at lunch and on the wagons. Registration Deadline — July 6, 2007 by phone (814–865–2543) or email (lac8@psu.edu).

Upcoming Events:

Combined Agronomy Industry / Manure, Crops, Pests & No—till Field Day
Penn State Landisville Research Farm
Friday July 6th, 9:00 AM–3:30 PM
Topics will include: Weed Management in No—till; Composting: Mortality and Nutrient Recycling; Nutrient Balance Sheet and Act 38; Farm Bill and Bio—Fuels Updates;
Herbicide Trials and Chemical Industry Updates; and Cover Crop Management. Featured equipment: No—till equipment of all types: Planters, Drills, Residue Managers.
Manure handling and spreading equipment with demonstrations (water only.)
Registrations: Lancaster Extension, 717–394–6851 $3.00 in advance, $5.00 at the door
Questions? Jeff Graybill 717–394–6851. Landisville Research Farm, Dr. Dave Johnson 653-4728

2007 Penn State Agronomic Field Diagnostic Clinic — July 24 and 25
July 24 and 25
Penn State Rock Springs Agronomy Farm, Centre Co.

The dates and topics for our annual Diagnostic Clinic have been set. As in the past, the Clinic is a one—day event conducted at the Penn State Agronomy Research Farm near Rock Springs, PA. This year’s Clinic will be held on Tuesday, July 24 and then repeated on Wednesday, July 25, 2007. The topics include cover crop selection and management, no—till planter adjustments and attachments for use in cover crops, an overview of biomass crops for alternative energy use, nitrogen management issues, and pest management topics. As always, various credits will be offered.

Registration forms will be mailed and posted on our CMEG website (http://cmeg.psu.edu/) as time gets closer, so you can register and get additional information on each of the topics.

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

Ag Progress Days — August 14–16

Contributors: Dept. Crop & Soil Sciences: Marvin Hall, Dwight Lingenfelter, Ron Hoover, Doug Beegle; County Extension: Paul Craig (Dauphin), Andrew Frankenfield (Montgomery), Joel Hunter (Crawford), Kevin Fry (Armstrong), Susan Alexander (Jefferson), Mark Madden (Sullivan/Bradford), Jeff Graybill (Lancaster)

Editor:Susan Alexander, Jefferson County Cooperative Extension

Upcoming Events

Real time pest and heat unit activity: http://psu.zedxinc.com/cgi-bin/site.cgi?location=2&user=psu#

Calendar of Events: http://www.events.psu.edu/cgi-bin/cal/webevent.cgi?cmd=opencal&cal=cal209&

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