Field Crop News

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

July 28, 2009    Vol. 09:21

IN THIS ISSUE:

• Soybean Nodulation Issues
• What’s New in Nutrient Management
• Testing Seed for Cover Crops
• Long Term Study in Maryland Compares Economic Performance of Organic and Conventional Field Crops
• ACRE Webinar through Kansas State University on August 4
• Upcoming Corn Silage Field Day
• Last Call for Five Acre Corn Club Entries

Soybean Nodulation Issues — Greg Roth, Grain Crop Specialist

We have been receiving reports again from throughout the state on soybeans that did not nodulate or have variable nodulation across the field. Often these are first year soybean fields or fields without a recent history of soybeans. With our diverse cropping systems in Pennsylvania and occasional use of soybeans on some fields, this issue seems to be more prevalent for us than in other states.

Lack of nodulation is due to a lack of viable bacteria in the soil or inoculant or due to environmental conditions that are not conducive to nodulation. Very wet or very dry conditions can inhibit nodulation. High N fertility can also limit nodulation. Sandy or low pH levels in soils can reduce bacteria levels and cause parts of fields to show less than ideal nodulation. Viability of the inoculant bacteria can also be caused by exposing seed or inoculants to high temperatures prior to planting. Inoculants’ viability can also be reduced through extended exposure to the insecticide or fungicide seed treatment. Inoculant manufacturers have guidelines for the interval between treatment and planting.

Lack of nodulation can sometimes be confused with other issues like potassium deficiency. Potassium deficiency is characterized by yellowing on leaf margins.

To confirm a lack of nodulation, carefully dig out a few plants and examine the root system. The tap root should be strong, thick and rather long (12 in.) with a number of large secondary roots. Along the tap root, you should be able to find large numerous nodules that when cut open show a red or pink interior. The color develops from a reaction of oxygen with the compound leghemoglobin found in nodules that helps maintain reducing conditions (low oxygen levels) inside the nodule so the Bradyrhizobia can function. Non-functioning nodules can have white, green, or even black interiors as the nodule decays.

A well nodulated soybean plant should have around 5 to 7 nodules on the primary root. If they do not, and nitrogen deficiency has developed as evidenced by a pale green or yellow color, then up to 70 pounds of N could be applied. Ideally N should have been applied shortly after flowering, but should still be effective through early August.

What’s New in Nutrient Management — Genny Christ, Cumberland County Extension

Last week at the Nutrient Management Annual Conference the following updates were presented along with many other important topics all relating to nutrient management and conservation.

New Nutrient Management Plan Standard Format and Spreadsheet

A new Nutrient Management Plan Standard Format has been released. The new format comes as both an Excel spreadsheet and a Word document. The spreadsheet should help simplify and streamline the writing and reviewing process. All nutrient management planners will need to be using one of the new formats by October 1, 2009. This new format can be found at the Nutrient Management Program Web site.

Conservation Plan or Ag Erosion and Sedimentation Plan Required

Nutrient Management Plan Reviewers now need to verify that a farm has either an Ag E&S plan or a Conservation Plan before a nutrient management plan can be approved by the Conservation District Board. Any nutrient management plan previously approved without a conservation plan has until the three year review for a conservation plan to be developed. The Conservation Districts will be sending out letters with more details in the future.

New Swine Manure Book Values

All nutrient management plans submitted after August 1, 2009 must use the new swine nutrient content numbers. These numbers have been updated and do not match those in the Penn State Agronomy Guide. A study conducted by Dr. Ken Kephart of Penn State showed a decrease in the average nutrient content of swine manure. Therefore new nutrient content numbers were established and new animal type categories were created to reflect the current industry. The new nutrient content chart was published in the July Nutrient Management Newsletter and can be found at the Program Web site.

Vegetated Stream Buffers and Pastures

The State Conservation Commission presented some guidance for the 35 foot Vegetated Buffer. The vegetated buffer should be a permanent strip of perennial vegetation parallel to the contours of, and perpendicular to, the dominant slope in a crop field. When a pasture is being evaluated the following criteria need to be met for the 35 foot vegetated buffer distance factor to be used in pastures adjacent to a body of water or sinkhole.

• Grazing within 35 feet of a body of water or sinkhole needs to be managed so that perennial vegetation and water quality are maintained/improved
• Pastures with poor drainage should have grazing limited in the 35 foot buffer during times of high water tables
• Perennial vegetation should be maintained at 80% ground cover
• All ACA’s in the pasture should be addressed to eliminate direct discharge of runoff into the body of water or sinkhole.
• Livestock access should be limited so that 80% of vegetative cover is maintained at all times
• No manure may be mechanically applied within the 35 foot buffer area.

Testing Seed for Cover Crops — John Rowehl, York County Extension

The EQIP cover crop program guidelines require that cover crop seed conforms with the Pennsylvania seed law. If it is homegrown seed, it must be tested by a recognized laboratory for germination, purity and be free of noxious weeds.

The Department of Agriculture Seed Testing Lab offers seed testing services for this and in general for other farmers that use their own seed and want to know the germination and purity of it before they plant it. The current fee for a combined purity and germination test for barley, wheat or rye is $15.00; oats is $16.00. This also includes the analysis for noxious weeds. A one and a half pound sample is needed. A statement must accompany the seed stating the kind of test desired and should also include your name, address and telephone number. The fee may accompany the sample, or can be billed. Checks should be made payable to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Samples must be enclosed in sturdy containers addressed to:

Seed Laboratory PA Department of Agriculture 2301 North Cameron St. Harrisburg, PA 17110-9408

Turnaround time from when the lab receives the sample is about ten days. Call the seed lab (717-787-4894) for other questions on submitting and testing samples.

Long Term Study in Maryland Compares Economic Performance of Organic and Conventional Field Crops — Tianna Dupont, Northampton County Extension

Researchers at the USDA-ARS Beltsville station, Maryland compared production and economic returns of field crops during a long term cropping systems trial in a recent issue of Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems (March 2009). Two of the cropping systems were conventional systems, one that used chisel tillage (CT) and the other that used no tillage (NT). The other three were organic cropping systems that had different crop rotation lengths and crop diversity: a two-year rotation, a three-year rotation, and a four- to six-year rotation that included hay (Org4+). Organic cropping systems relied primarily on cover crops to fulfill their nitrogen requirements with the addition of poultry litter. For example, the two year rotation included hairy vetch/ corn followed by rye/ soybeans. Economic returns were calculated for rotations from 2000 to 2005.

Their results showed that when organic price premiums were included net returns were at least 2.4 times greater and risk was at least 1.7 times lower for organic systems (except for the short two year rotation). Crop yields were highly variable from year to year, largely due to differences in rainfall. Although other studies have shown comparable yields between organic and conventional systems, yields were generally lower under organic management in the Beltsville study (23% for corn and 19% for soybeans).

Researchers concluded that these reductions were due to inconsistent weed control in organic systems. Many other studies have shown that the cost of production is generally lower in organic than in tilled conventional systems due to the costs of fertilizers and pesticides and their application. However, in this study the no-tillage conventional system had similar production costs to the organic systems. Thus, price premiums for organic (5–32% for corn, 4–24% for soybean, and 45–68% for wheat) accounted for the higher net returns in organic vs. conventional systems.

It is important to note that these results occurred despite greater management challenges in organic systems where wheat was not planted in 3 years (versus 2 in conventional) alfalfa died in the long term rotation, and less than optimal weed control due to wet fall weather. Among the organic systems, the longer 4-6 year rotations had the lowest variability on return and lowest economic risk. However, since soybeans were the most profitable short term rotations that included soybeans more often had the greatest returns.

ACRE Webinar through Kansas State University on August 4 — Craig Williams, Tioga County Extension

A webinar, “ACRE: Awesome or Awful?” will be held on August 4 and registration is still open. For more details contact information is as follows: http://www.agmanager.info/events/webinars/ or contact Rich Llewelyn: 785.532.1504 or rvl@ksu.edu

Upcoming Corn Silage Field Day — Jonathan Rotz, Franklin County Extension

As corn silage harvest approaches are you trying to decide what the best practices would be to get the highest quality feed for the next year?

In conjunction with PDMP corn silage committee Penn State Extension will hold a field day on August 12th from 10:00-noon at Burk-Lea farms in Chambersburg, Pa. The field day is offered at no cost to you and will include information on harvest, storage, and cover crop management along with a crop insurance update and specifics on the variety trials. Specific topics will include particle size, treatment additives, management of bunks, bags and uprights, silage packing, cover crop varieties and establishment, and variety selection. Many of these talks will include demonstrations at the farm.

As you can tell this will be a full two hours packed with information that you can use in the weeks following the meeting. Make sure not to miss this opportunity to learn about management strategies and ask specialists your own questions.

To pre-register please call: 717-263-9226

Directions to Field Day:

Take I-81 to exit 17 turn onto Walker Rd. (Right turn from North, Left from South). Take first right after exit and in approx. ¼ mi. follow road to left onto Kohler Rd. Turn right onto Grand Point Rd. just after Chambersburg Church of God Follow Grand Point to Burk-Lea Farms on Left (approx 1.5 mi. signage at the road)

Last Call for Five Acre Corn Club Entries

A new development this year in the Five Acre Corn Club opened the way for a later entry date, but August 1 is just around the corner. For an entry, go to the Five Acre Corn Club Web site.

Contributors: Educators: Tianna Dupont (Northampton), Joel Hunter (Erie) Jonathan Rotz, (Franklin), John Rowehl (York), Craig Williams (Tioga). Specialists: Greg Roth.

Editor: Mena Hautau, Berks.

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