Field Crop News, Vol. 11:29, October 4, 2011

October 4, 2011    Vol. 11:29

IN THIS ISSUE:

• Weather Outlook
• Marketing Outlook
• Brown Marmorated Stink Bug and Stay-green in Soybeans
• What to Expect with Disease Issues for this Harvest Season
• New Herbicide Resistance Training Modules Available On-line from the Weed Science Society of America
• Upcoming Events

Weather Outlook — Paul Knight, Pennsylvania State Climatologist

After an extended period of wet weather across the state of Pennsylvania, a much drier pattern will ensue for the remainder of this week into the weekend. In fact, the next risk of rain is at least a week away. On Wednesday and Thursday temperatures will be at seasonal levels with mainly sunny skies and winds becoming calm. A push of slightly cooler, drier air into northeastern counties may allow overnight readings to reach the mid 30’s in some places Thursday. Temperatures will slowly rise toward the end of the week into the weekend, with much of the state having temperatures 5–10 degrees above normal on the weekend. The only fly in the ointment may be dense and persistent valley fog, especially along the major rivers. It is possible that fog may take until late morning to burn off on a couple of days. Sunny skies, above normal temperatures and dry weather will continue into the first half of next week.

Marketing Outlook — John Berry, Agricultural Marketing, Lehigh County

Everyone should be watching the markets for signs on making an appropriate pricing decision — I see corn and soybeans now offer a slight carry. It is not very exciting but we can now lock-in a modest return to storage if we choose to put 2011 gains in the bin with an established price for future delivery. Unfortunately, this modest carry does not cover the cost of any borrowed money we may have in the crop. So, for my uncommitted bushels I am still looking to sell off the combine to meet my credit, cash flow and family needs with a few bushels stored un-priced as being appropriate strategies (for now). At today’s market, it feels a little better that the Revenue Protection crop insurance Projected Price is $6.01 for covered bushels. We’ll see what the RP crop insurance Harvest Price turns out to be. Our next USDA Crop Production report is 8:00AM, October 12^th.

My attention is starting to focus more heavily on what plans might be for 2012 production. The 2012 DEC corn contract has traded in the range of $4.03 to $6.63 and is now at $5.68. The 2012 NOV soybean contract has traded in the range of $9.15 to $13.85 and is now at $11.97. As I try to figure a breakeven point for the next season, understanding a primary cost center — soil fertility — is on my mind. Thinking of fertilizer I found the below from http://www.agjournalonline.com:

“Bob Taylor, an ag economist at Auburn University, said there’s an increasing lack of market competition in the fertilizer segment, due to mergers. Also of concern, the U.S. is increasingly reliant on foreign suppliers, heightening the risk of hostile governments and political instability. Roughly 60 percent of nitrogen is imported from outside the U.S., along with 87 percent of potash, Taylor said. At one time, the price of nitrogen fertilizer was tied to its main feedstock, natural gas. Now Taylor said it is hitched to commodity prices instead, which are at elevated levels.”

“It’s a supply issue, it truly is, especially on the phosphate side of the business,” said Tim Ridnour agronomy division manager, Stratton Equity Cooperative, which operates five locations in central and northeastern Colorado. “We in the U.S. think we’re the kings of agriculture, but we’re third or fourth in the food chain to get products a lot of times. India and China are double our use, and Brazil is coming on more and more.”

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug and Stay-green in Soybeans — John Tooker, Penn State Entomology Specialist

Stink bugs populations in corn and soybean fields are decreasing steadily as temperatures cool. This is good news for growers in southern Pennsylvania who saw large stink bug infestations earlier in the year because it will end the risk of damage from stink bugs. A notable downside to stink bugs leaving fields is that more and more are going to start showing up in homes and outbuildings as they seek a place to spend the winter.

Figure 1. A stay-green condition resulting from stink bugs
on a field edge. Photo by Jeff Graybill.

As stink bugs leave and soybeans continue to dry down, some of the influence of their feeding is becoming evident. Stink bug feeding shrivels seeds and so causes flat pods. A more recognizable symptom of heavy stink bug feeding is a condition often referred to as “stay green” (Fig. 1). This condition occurs when fed-upon plants stay green longer, apparently in an attempt to compensate for the feeding damage they received. This stay-green syndrome can be problematic because different parts of the field may senesce at different rates and the entire field will not be ready for harvest at the same time. It is useful to recognize this condition in fields that had many stink bugs so that other causes are not blamed. Growers will have to use their experience to determine how best to harvest these fields.

For more information on brown marmorated stink bugs see our Department of Entomology factsheet (http://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/brown-marmorated-stink-bug), and consider reporting your stink bugs observations on our reporting tool http://stinkbug-info.org/

What to Expect with Disease Issues for this Harvest Season — Alyssa Collins, Plant Pathology

Late Season Corn Foliar Disease

With September’s unrelenting rain and humidity, foliar diseases on corn have really taken over. The symptoms of Northern Corn Leaf Blight can resemble early senescence or the plant “running out of steam”, but they are really due to the overwhelmingly favorable conditions for leaf disease development. Those growers who sprayed a fungicide usually can only count on about three weeks worth of protection, and for most, we are well beyond that point. Even hybrids with reported resistance to leaf diseases are likely showing some symptoms in this season.

Ear Molds, and How to Handle Them

We are also seeing many fields with significant ear mold problems. See my article in the September 13, 2011 issue of FCN for help in identifying these. Certain ear rots are caused by fungi that can also produce toxins, but the presence of mold does not necessarily indicate the presence of toxins. If 10% or more of the ears in a field have a significant amount of mold (25% or more on the ear), try to get these harvested and dried as soon as possible to stop the growth of the fungi. The combine can remove some of the moldiest kernels. Roasting can also stop mold growth and make the grain more palatable. You may wish to test your moldy corn before feeding to ensure there are not dangerous levels of any of the main mycotoxins.

Safety Concerns During Harvest

Fields that have been flooded, have ear rots or have a great deal of secondary fungal growth on the stalks and leaves can pose a respiratory safety risk to personnel performing the harvest. Dust that is stirred up can be a mix of silt particles, fungal spores and other fines, and may be unsafe and generally unpleasant to breathe. If you do not have a filtered closed cab combine or harvester, consider using a mask that is rated at least at the N95 level to avoid breathing in dust.

Risk for Bean Diseases

Even in beans that have reached maturity, there is a drawback to delayed harvest during a period of slow dry-down. Apart from reduction in overall grain quality, the likelihood of seed infection by the fungus that causes purple seed stain increases. Purple seed stain generally does not cause major feeding problems, but it can result in a somewhat lower oil content and higher protein content. This disease is not associated with any mycotoxins. This is usually only a problem for farmers growing soybeans for seed.

New Herbicide Resistance Training Modules Available On-line from the Weed Science Society of America — Bill Curran, Penn State Weed Specialist

Herbicide resistance education and training are critical for advancing the adoption of diverse weed management programs to delay and mitigate the evolution of herbicide-resistant weeds. A new series of herbicide resistance education and training modules are available from the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA). The society is emphasizing better education as a critical step to managing or preventing herbicide resistance. Five modules or lessons are available that include 1.) Current Status of Herbicide Resistance, 2.) How Herbicides Work, 3.) What is Herbicide Resistance? 4.) Scouting After Herbicide Application and Confirming Herbicide Resistance, and 5.) Principles of Managing Herbicide Resistance. These training lessons were developed by a team of weed scientists in an effort to provide to you, the agronomist, consultant, retailer or distributor, and interested grower, the most current information on herbicide resistance in weeds. If you are involved in winter meetings and looking for current educational materials on this important topic, you can download the modules as either PowerPoint slides or Flash files. The materials are available at the following website. http://www.wssa.net/LessonModules/herbicide-resistant-weeds/index.htm. Development of the program was supported by the National Corn Growers Association, the National Cotton Council, and the American Soybean Association. It was funded by WSSA and by the Herbicide Resistance Action Committee, an industry coalition focused on herbicide stewardship. If you have any questions about the content, contact myself wcurran@psu.edu or Dwight Lingenfelter dwight@psu.edu.

Upcoming Events

Cover Crop Innovations Field Day

October 27, 9:30am to 4:30pm
Penn State Agronomy Research Farm, Pennsylvania Furnace, PA

A full day tour of cover crop innovations at the Penn State Agronomy Research Farm and several collaborating farms in Centre County. Highlights will include the newly developed PSU Cover Crop Interseeder, cover crop cocktails, forage cover crops, and herbicide persistence effects on cover crop establishment. More information is available online at: http://extension.psu.edu/cover-crops/events/oct27-field-day or call Charlie White at 814–863–9922.

Keystone 2011 Crop and Soil Conference

October 25 and 26, 2011
Hershey/Harrisburg Holiday Inn Grantville, PA

This two day conference will provide numerous educational sessions providing up-to-date agronomic information. This year’s seminar will offer Certified Crop Advisers the opportunity to earn up to 14 CCA Continuing Education Units (CEUs). CEUs will be available in the following categories: Nutrient Management (NM); Crop Management (CM); Soil and Water Management(SW), Pest Management (PM) and Professional Development (PD). For more information about registration or the program, please contact Amy Bradford at 717–651–5920 or via email at abradford@pennag.com.

2012 Penn State Crops Conferences

It is time to mark your calendar for this year’s winter crops conferences.

January 16 Central PA Crops Conference Sugar Valley Charter School, Loganton, PA. Contact: Tom Butzler, tmb124@psu.edu; 570–726–0022
January 19 Lancaster Crops Day Farm and Home Center, Lancaster, PA. Contact: Jeff Graybill, jsg18@psu.edu; 717–394–6851
January 19 Appalachian Crops Conference Oakhurst Tea Room, Somerset, PA. Contact: Melanie Barkley, meh7@psu.edu; 814–623–4800
January 24 Southeast PA Crops Conference Rodeway Inn, Allentown, PA. Contact: Bob Leiby, rel5@psu.edu; 610–391–9840
January 25 Southeast PA Crops Conference Franconia Heritage Restaurant and Conference Center, Franconia, PA. Contact: Andrew Frankenfield, adf13@psu.edu; 610–489–4315
January 26 Southeast PA Crops Conference Inn at Reading, Reading, PA. Contact: Mena Hautau, mmh10@psu.edu; 610–378–1327
January 27 Central PA Crops Conference Ramada Inn, Altoona, PA. Contact: Tom Ford, tgf2@psu.edu; 814–472–7986
January 31 Western PA No-Till Conference Radisson West Middlesex, West Middlesex, PA. Contact: Joel Hunter, jmh7@psu.edu; 814–333–7460
February 1 Upper Dauphin Crops School Berrysburg Community Center, Berrysburg, PA. Contact: Paul H. Craig, phc8@psu.edu; 717–921–8803
February 2 South Central PA Crops Conference York County 4-H Center, York, PA. Contact: John Rowehl, jrowehl@psu.edu; 717–840–7408
February 9 Capital Area Crops Conference Lebanon Valley Expo Center and Fairgrounds, Lebanon, PA. Contact: Del Voight, dgv1@psu.edu; 717–270–4391
February 14 Northern Tier Crops Conference Troy Firehall, Troy, PA. Contact: Mark Madden, mxm53@psu.edu; 570–928–8941
February 15 Western PA Crops Conference The Atrium, Prospect, PA. Contact: Ron Hoover, rjh7@psu.edu; 814–865–6672
February 16 Central Region Crops Conference Warriors Mark, PA. Contact: Stan McKee, sam36@psu.edu; 814–643–1660
February 29 Southwest Crops Conference Magerko Auditorium: PSU-Fayette, Uniontown, PA. Contact: Ron Hoover, rjh7@psu.edu; 814–865–6672

Contributors: Extension Educators: Jeff Graybill (Lancaster), Dwane Miller (Schuykill) Mena Hautau (Berks), Paul Craig (Dauphin), Andrew Frankenfield (Montgomery), Greg Hostetter (Juniata), John Rowehl Dept. Crop & Soil Sciences: Doug Beegle, Bill Curran, Dwight Lingenfelter, Sjoerd Duiker & Marvin Hall, Dept. Entomology: John Tooker, Dept Plant Pathology: Alissa Collins

Editor: Tianna DuPont, (Northampton County)

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.

Readers can subscribe electronically to this newsletter at the Field Crop News Web site.

If you have problems subscribing or wish to cancel your subscription, please contact Lisa Crytser by e-mail at lac8@psu.edu or by phone at 814-865-2543.

Information presented above and where trade names are used, are supplied with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by Penn State Extension is implied.

This publication is available in alternative media upon request.

The Pennsylvania State University is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to programs, facilities, admission, and employment without regard to personal characteristics not related to ability, performance, or qualifications as determined by University policy or by state or federal authorities. It is the policy of the University to maintain an academic and work environment free of discrimination, including harassment. The Pennsylvania State University prohibits discrimination and harassment against any person because of age, ancestry, color, disability or handicap, national origin, race, religious creed, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status. Discrimination or harassment against faculty, staff, or students will not be tolerated at The Pennsylvania State University. Direct all inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policy to the Affirmative Action Director, The Pennsylvania State University, 328 Boucke Building, University Park, PA 16802-5901, Tel 814-865-4700/V, 814-863-1150/TTY.