Field Crop News, Vol. 11:32, December 6, 2011

December 6, 2011    Vol. 11:32

IN THIS ISSUE:

• Weather Outlook
• Silage Hybrid Data and Special BMR Study Posted
• Soybean Yield Performance Data Available
• Weed Trials Report Available On-Line
• Nobody Can Predict the Future of the Grain Market
• Managing Stored Grain on The Farm
• Watch Out for Volunteer Corn in 2012
• Manure Management Workshop
• Upcoming Events

Weather Outlook — Paul Knight, Pennsylvania State Climatologist

After a period of mild weather over the state, a complex storm will form in the southeastern United States Wednesday afternoon and progress northeastward overnight. This storm will bring a 6–12 hour period of moderate to heavy rainfall to southeastern Pennsylvania Wednesday evening into Thursday morning, with amounts ranging from 1–2” in this region. The back edge of the precipitation will be over central Pennsylvania resulting in a sharp gradient in precipitation totals over this area. As cold air enters the state from the northwest, the higher elevations of the Laurel Highlands, the Pocono mountains, and portions of central Pennsylvania will see a brief period of rain initially quickly change over to snow, with light to moderate accumulations (2–5”) possible by Thursday morning. Behind the storm, temperatures will drop to seasonal levels for the end of the week into the weekend. A disturbance will approach the northern and western part of the state on Friday, which will result in snow showers for this region Friday into Saturday. The remainder of the state will stay dry for the later part of the week and the weekend as high pressure builds into the region. Settled weather will likely continue into much of next week, with a return to colder than normal conditions for the weekend of Dec 17–19.

Silage Hybrid Data and Special BMR Study Posted — Greg Roth, Grain Crop Management

The 2011 Penn State/PDMP Silage Hybrid Evaluation Program is complete and the results have been posted on our website. The year was a difficult one for hybrid evaluation in Pennsylvania and we had many trials lost due to the wet spring, drought, wind and flood damage. Nevertheless we able to obtain data from the Very Early and Early maturity test at Rock Springs, the Early Medium Tests in Centre and Blair Counties and the Early Medium Maturity test in Lancaster County. Unfortunately, all of our full season tests in Perry, Franklin and Lancaster had to be abandoned.

This year, based on input from the PDMP hybrid testing advisory committee, we conducted a separate study to evaluate BMR, Nutridense and non-BMR hybrids using wet chemistry methods for NDFD at Cumberland Valley Ag Services. Other analyses were performed using NIR. Several seed companies participated in this special test, which was conducted at three central Pennsylvania locations. Results of the test are reported on these spreadsheets in a similar format to other PDMP testing programs, except that a summary of some of the research questions is provided on a separated tab on the worksheet.

Some key results from the study showed that the non-BMR hybrids averaged 9.2 percentage units lower than the BMR hybrids and there was a range in yield among the BMR hybrids with the BMR hybrids ranging from 59 to 94% of the non-BMR hybrids. The Nutridense hybrids varied in yield with one lower than the non BMR hybrids, had higher fat content than most other hybrids and tended to have high NEL levels. For more details on both of these studies, visit our hybrid evaluation webpage at http://cornandsoybeans.psu.edu/hybrideval.cfm

Soybean Yield Performance Data Available — Greg Roth, Grain Crop Management

The 2011 Penn State Soybean Performance test data for yield, height, maturity and lodging has been posted for all of our tests http://cornandsoybeans.psu.edu/soyvarietytests.cfm. It was generally a very good year for testing soybeans. All of the tests were harvested and the yields were generally good and the test had relatively low coefficients of variation. This year the tests were split into two maturity groups at teach site for the Roundup Ready variety comparisons. At our Centre County site, the late test was comprised of soybeans that were Maturity Group (MG) 3.1 or later. In the early test, soybeans were MG 3.0 and earlier. In Lancaster, the late group was comprised of soybeans that were MG 3.4 or later and the early test soybeans were MG 3.3 and earlier. We also included tests of Non Roundup Ready Soybeans again this year that included both non-Roundup Ready and Liberty Link lines as well as a Roundup Ready check line. Finally, we conducted a double crop soybean trial that averaged over 56 bu/acre this year, compared to 37.6 bu/acre last year. More data on seed quality and seed size will be added to the files as it becomes available in the next month.

2011 Penn State Agronomy Weed Trials Report Available On—Line — Bill Curran and Dwight Lingenfelter, Weed Science

The results for the 2011 Agronomy Weed Trials will be available on-line later this week at http://extension.psu.edu/weeds/documents/2011-field-trial-report.pdf. This year’s report includes a number of herbicide trials conducted at both Rock Springs and Landisville in corn, soybean, alfalfa, grass pasture, barley, sweet corn, and snap bean. Trials included the examination of a number of new products including Anthem, Fierce, Kixor Technology, Realm Q, Warrant, Zidua, and competitive products comparisons in corn. Soybean trials included Ignite and Liberty Link, Kixor Technology, Warrant, and competitive products comparisons. Other trials included examining ALS-resistant chickweed in barley (on-farm trial), nonatrazine and Liberty Link herbicide programs for sweet corn, evaluating rotational snap bean sensitivity to Impact herbicide and looking at velvetleaf and lambsquarters control in snap bean.

Nobody Can Predict the Future of the Grain Market — John Berry, Lehigh County

What is a common cure for high prices? “High prices!” is often the response you get to this question from some commodity market enthusiasts. To me, this statement reflects a notion of high commodity prices attracting additional production from as many sources as feasible. The following news release from farmpolicy@list.farmpolicy.com is a description of one of these sources of increased farm commodity productive capacity.

Gannett writer Philip Brasher reported on Sunday that, “Soaring crop prices are coaxing landowners across the Midwest and Great Plains to put Conservation Reserve Program acreage back under the plow, and Congress is considering reducing the program even further.” A farm bill that leaders of the Congressional agriculture committees drafted this fall would cap the $2 billion-a-year Conservation Reserve Program at 25 million acres nationwide, down from the current limit of 32 million acres. “When the program was created in 1985, the government was allowed to enroll as many as 45 million acres.”

Mr. Brasher explained that, “The program has lost acreage as 10-year contracts have expired and crop prices reached historic highs. About 29.6 million acres are enrolled after landowners pulled 2 million acres out of the program as contracts expired Sept. 30 at the end of the 2011 budget year. Contracts for another 6.5 million acres nationwide expire at the end of fiscal 2012 and an additional 3.3 million acres expire in 2013.” “Some of that land could be re-enrolled, but landowners are likely to put much of the acreage under cultivation because of the returns they can get from corn’ said Chad Hart, an economist at Iowa State University.”

Additionally, we see efforts to boost production in several South American production areas, and the Former Soviet Union.

Farm commodities are somewhat unique in their ability to ramp up production. Darrel Good, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois writes “Harvested acreage of U.S. crops in 2012 could exceed that of 2011 by several million acres. The increase would come from fewer prevented plantings, less abandonment, and a decline in CRP enrollment. A return to trend yields in 2012 in combination with more acreage would result in much larger crops. At this juncture, the largest year-over-year increase in production might be expected for corn.”

I have basically made all my 2011 crop marketing decisions. It’s all gone except for a little bit of un-priced corn I’m gambling with. I believe it is now time to look 100% towards what we intend to do with our anticipated 2012 production. It may be worth your time to keep an eye out for grain marketing educational opportunities that will be available over this coming meeting season.

Managing Stored Grain on The Farm — Joel Hunter, Crawford County

See: Managing Stored Grain on the Farm (Penn State Extension Entomological Notes) http://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/pdf/manageStoredGrain.pdf

It’s been estimated that Pennsylvania farmers may lose as much as 10 percent of the grain crop from the time of harvest until the grain is processed or fed. Based on 1986 figures, the potential savings possible by practicing good stored grain management techniques was approximately three times the combined value for managing both the corn rootworm and potato leafhopper, two of the most important field and forage pests in Pennsylvania. Yet since that time, a whole lot of money/effort has been spent on control options for those two pests, but I would submit that comparatively very little effort/progress has been made on our management of stored grain.

Managing stored grains begins with proper sanitation, preventative measures, and proper grain condition. It continues year-round with inspection and environmental management that will hopefully preclude the need for additional chemical management of insect pests. Ideally, stored grain is put up at the appropriate moisture and temperature is maintained as close to 50°F as possible throughout the year. If not, moisture migration can occur due to flow patterns caused by temperature differences between the internal grain mass and the outside temperature. Warm grain and cool outside temperatures can lead to moisture accumulation at the top. When moisture content is increased, bacteria and fungi begin to decompose the grain and their respiration raises the temperature enough for optimal growth of the bacteria and fungi as well as any grain insect pests present. Temperature in the grain can be as high as 100°F even in the winter! Besides the obvious damage and losses, caking of the grain can cause further management problems. Stored grain should be monitored once per month in winter and twice per month when warmer. Sanitation, proper use of preventative insecticides, and proper monitoring and environmental management preserve grain quality and help prevent insect infestations. However, if insect infestations do occur, management options may become limited to a few costly and potentially more dangerous fumigation procedures. In addition to the above reference, three other excellent publications with additional information that should be useful and helpful are:

Principal Stored Grain Insects of Indiana (Purdue Extension) http://extension.entm.purdue.edu/publications/E-80.pdf Includes images and specifics about the 10 principal stored grain insect pests.

Stored Grain Insect Pest Management - Stored Products Pests (Purdue Extension) http://extension.entm.purdue.edu/publications/E-66.pdf. Includes ten-step preventative measures before binning grain, as well as preventative measures during and after binning, and control measures after binning. Offers comprehensive but concise, practical specifics and recommendations.

Managing Your Grain for Year-Round Storage (Purdue Extension) http://www.ces.purdue.edu/extmedia/AE/AE-90.html Detailed specifics about aeration of grain.

Natural Air Corn Drying in the Upper Midwest (Minnesota Extension) http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/cropsystems/dc6577.html. Natural Air Drying

Don’t let the fruits of your labors - your valuable stored grain - go to waste in the bin. Protect it with comprehensive grain management best practices discussed in the references above.

Watch Out for Volunteer Corn in 2012 — Dwight Lingenfelter, Weed Science

Over the past couple weeks we have received calls about the concern over volunteer corn in next season’s crops and what are some possible control options to consider. The concerns are coming from growers in areas that were impacted by flooding, have a lot of downed corn, or are still trying to harvest the crop. One of the most important factors to consider is what kind of corn was grown this past season? Was it a conventional hybrid? Did it have a single or multiple genetically-modified (GM) herbicide trait(s)? Also, what crop do you plan to plant this coming spring? In general, if you plan to rotate to a soybean crop [conventional, Roundup Ready (RR or glyphosate-resistant), LibertyLink (LL or glufosinate-resistant), or STS] then the simplest option would be to include a post-grass herbicide (e.g., Select Max, Assure II, Targa) in with the post herbicide program. However, other herbicide options could be used, depending on the type of soybean variety planted.

If you plan to rotate the field back into a corn crop (corn on corn) then the options can get murky. If the volunteer corn has only the glyphosate (RR) trait, then a hybrid that is LL or Clearfield (IMI) resistant will provide the best option for managing volunteer RR-corn. Most likely, the volunteer corn problem will be a stacked RR plus LL hybrid, and in this case, the best bet would be to plant a Clearfield hybrid and spray with Pursuit or Lightning to help control or suppress the volunteer RR/LL-corn. Another possible consideration would be to plant the problem field(s) last and allow the volunteer corn in the fallow field to germinate then spray with Select Max or possibly paraquat (Gramoxone) prior to planting the crop. Keep in mind, Select Max requires a 6-day wait before the corn crop can be planted and paraquat can be inconsistent and requires good spray coverage to be effective. If you can till, then aggressive moldboard tillage can bury the seed or in-crop cultivation can provide some control of the volunteer corn between the rows.

This will only get more complicated once Enlist corn (Dow AgroSciences) and Optimum GAT corn (DuPont/Pioneer) come to the marketplace. These hybrids will likely have resistant trait combinations that could be tricky to manage as well. As you prepare to purchase corn hybrids for next season, remember to keep some of these factors in mind.

I realize the above management options are very general and as volunteer GM-corn becomes more of an issue, I am sure there will be some creative approaches to this problem. Feel free to contact us if you have some unique ideas to manage this dilemma. We will discuss this issues more in future newsletter articles.

Soil Management Update Workshop—Making Your Manure Inputs Work Their Best for Your Farm

Tuesday, January 10^th Lebanon County Extension Office
Thursday, January 12^th Franklin County Ag Heritage Center
9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Even if you know all there is to know about managing your soil and manure, there are new updates to manure management that you may not be familiar with. Do not miss this opportunity to get an overview of everything you could and should know. In addition, you will also learn how to fully utilize your soil test, even if it comes from a “non” Penn State lab or if you need to change the crop or yield from the original information sent in to the lab.

The topics to be covered will include: soil testing, nutrient behaviors and management strategies, pH and lime, overview of the updated Manure Management Manual, crop nutrient requirements, manure allocation considerations, determining planned manure rates and determining nutrient rates and balances. The Penn State Extension speakers for the day will be Dr. Douglas Beegle, Delbert Voight and Jennifer Bratthauar.

The registration fee is $10 and the registration deadline is one week prior to each event. For more information or to obtain a registration form, visit the Franklin County website at http://extension.psu.edu/franklin and select the “Events” tab located on the top left side.

Upcoming Events

Soybean Production Workshops

A series of soybean production workshops are scheduled for the week of December 11. Each workshop will feature Penn State researchers, experienced soybean growers, and county Extension personnel presenting information covering all aspects of soybean production from planting to harvest. Topics include how to get started in soybean production, soybean growth and development, weed and insect pest diagnostics, and best practices for harvest and storage. CCA and pesticide credits are available at each location.

December 13 (Tuesday) Franklin Ag Center in Chambersburg
December 14 (Wednesday) Chester Romano 4-H Center in Honey Brook
December 15 (Thursday) Columbia Co. Extension Office in Bloomsburg
December 16 (Friday) Giannilli’s II in Greensburg

The Soybean Production Workshops run from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at each location. There is a $10.00 fee to attend, which includes lunch. Pre-registration is required one week prior to the workshop. Information on agendas, speakers and pre-registration is available on the Penn State Extension website by selecting the “Events” tab at http://extension.psu.edu/lebanon or by contacting the Lebanon County Extension office at 717–270–4391.

Support for the workshops is provided in part by the Pennsylvania Soybean Board through the soybean check-off.

No-till Roundtable Discussions December 13

Joel Myers, retired NRCS agronomist attending at both locations. Aspiring and veteran no-tillers welcome

• Noon to 1:30, Janelle’s Restaurant and Catering 260 Fleetwood Rd, Bowers, PA Lunch is “Dutch Treat”. No pre-registration necessary at this location
• 6:00 PM, Jack’s Spot, 1071 Vista Rd (Rt. 125), Pitman, PA 17964 Please register for this meeting as space is limited. Contact Dwane Miller 570–622–4225

Southeastern PA Organic Crop Producers Network-December 15

10:00a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Berks County Agricultural Center Auditorium
1238 County Welfare Road, Leesport, PA 19533–9709

Opportunity for discussion between Extension Educators and local organic crop growers interested in organic and/or biological farming. Focus on organic production of agronomic crops. No fee and open to all interested persons. Lunch provided.

Topic this month:

• Top 5 problem weeds and how to manage them.
• Weed management in corn.

RSVP before Monday, Dec 12 to Tianna DuPont or 610–746–1970.

No-till Tune-up

Sponsored by: Penn State Extension & PA No-Till Alliance

9:00AM – Noon, Dec 22nd, 2011
Farm & Home Center, Lancaster PA 17601

All are welcome to this workshop on successful No-tilling. You will hear from experienced No-till Farmers, Extension and Industry Professionals

8:30 Doughnuts and Coffee, Registration not necessary
9:00 Welcome
9:10 Building an Ideal Crop Production System: Continuous No-till, Manure Injection and Cover Crops on Three local farms: Jeff Graybill, CCA, PSU Educator, Lancaster Co.
9:45 Nuts and Bolts: What’s new in planter features and attachments? Dave Dum, Product Specialist, Binkley and Hurst, LP.
10:30 Coffee Refuel
10:45 Round Table discussion with experienced No-till farmers from the PA No-Till Alliance, Industry and Extension Staff

Sessions will last 20 minutes and be repeated three times. (Choose 3)

1. Managing Nitrogen in No-till Corn: PA No-Till Alliance
2. Selecting Planter attachments for my needs: Dave Dum, Binkley & Hurst LP.
3. Effective Weed Control in No-till Corn and Soybean: Del Voight or John Bray
4. Transitioning to No-till: PA No-Till Alliance
5. Fall Establishment and Spring Management of Cover Crops: PA No-Till Alliance
6. Manure Management in No-till: Jeff Graybill, Penn State Extension, Lancaster
7. Managing Wet Soils and Compaction: PA No-Till Alliance

11:45 Wrap-up and Group Discussion

The Farm & Home Center is located at 1383 Arcadia Rd., Lancaster, PA. There is no charge for this event. Walk-ins are welcome. Questions? Call the Lancaster Extension Office at: 717-394-6851.

Refreshments kindly provided by the PA No-Till Alliance.

Social Media and Mobile Technology for Ag Businesses-January 11

First of eight part webinar series and occurs every other Wednesday at 10:00 am EST.
Registration is $10 per person, includes all eight webinar sessions.
Contact: Sarah A. Cornelisse, Sr. Extension Associate, Ag Entrepreneurship PSU 814-863-8645, SarahC@psu.edu

Manure Management Workshop-January 10 or 12 (see details above)

January 10^th Lebanon County Extension Office
January 12^th Franklin County Ag Heritage Center
9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

County Pesticide Update Meetings for January-March

http://extension.psu.edu/cmeg/documents/2012-pesticide-update-trainings.pdf

Professional Crop Producer Conference-February 22–23

Plans are coming together for this year’s 2012 Professional Crop Producer Conference at the Lancaster Host and Conference Center. The conference is sponsored by several of our key crop commodity groups: The Pennsylvania No-Till Alliance, The Pennsylvania Forage and Grassland Council, The Pennsylvania Corn Growers Association, and the Mid Atlantic Soybean Association in conjunction with Penn State Extension. This year the conference has a number of new features, including a preconference symposium, a spouse’s tour, an evening market simulation program, and a special Advanced Equipment Technology Program where industry leaders explain equipment innovations with some hands on demonstrations.

The conference will build on the success of last year’s conference and will feature some top speakers and the popular farmer roundtables. This will be a great opportunity to network with other crop producers and consultants on the latest strategies for producing top yields in our state.

This year the registration has been reduced to $75 for this two day information packed conference. For more information on registering, exhibiting or being a sponsor of the conference, check out the conference website: http://www.professionalcropproducersconference.org or call (717) 635–2320 for more information.

Contributors: County Educators: Paul Craig (Dauphin), Mike Fournier (Bucks), Andrew Frankenfield (Montgomery), Mena Hautau (Berks), Greg Hostetter (Mifflin), Joel Hunter (Crawford) Dwane Miller (Schuylkill) Del Voight (Lebanon) Department of Crop and Soil Sciences: Bill Curran and Dwight Lingenfelter (Weed Management) Greg Roth (Grain Crop Management)

Editor: John Rowehl (York)

Real time pest and heat unit activity: http://agsci.psu.edu/news/spotlight/pa-pipe

Calendar of Events: http://extension.psu.edu/cmeg/events

If you have any questions or would like to suggest a topic, please contact your local Extension Educator.

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