IPM Network Established

This year I will again be capturing moths to attempt to follow and predict activity. This spring I will be trapping Black Cutworm Moth as well as Armyworm. Many times blanket applications of insecticide are put down to act as an insurance against early season pests such as black cutworm, but is this really needed and thus economical. Last year my site in Franklin County never reached the threshold level of moths to feel that we had enough pressure to worry with cutworms. I also didn't hear of any issues with cutworms locally, but that doesn't mean they didn't happen. The question arose from this study last year, how irregular can these moth patterns be over large areas? In other words, if I scout one area of the county do I really get a full picture of the pressure? Well with the hope to answer this question this year I'll have 8 trapping sites across the county. These sites will be located in State Line, Mercersburg, Mont Alto, Chambersburg, St. Thomas, Shippensburg, Path Valley and Pleasant Hall Areas. Hopefully we will see uniformity in numbers and times of catches with these traps. I will also be updating you on what the pressure is like via this blog. Hopefully we can get great data off of this and start minimizing our reliance on 'insurance sprays.' This will save on our bottom line as well as possibly preserve beneficial insects that can help us control some of our pest populations.

Preparing for Spring…

Even I have to get ready for spring and in all the meetings of the season that can be a little dificult, however you can help by taking an minute and seeing if you would be willing in participating in any of the following research/demonstration plots this next year. If so please get in contact with me.

· Conservation Innovations (10 acres minimum): This grant will work with farmers who want to try manure injection, cover crops, non-traditional cover crops, and the roller crimper. Ten acres will be used with 5 acres being traditional practice and 5 being the innovative practice.
· Corn Grain Hybrid Trial: Penn State is looking for a cooperator for a corn grain hybrid trial. This trial will have both conventional and modified corn so a conventional spray program will need to be used. All grain from the plot is given to the cooperator.
· Compaction Study: Ten farms on Hagerstown soils are needed. Two soybean fields will be needed per farm. Soil compaction will be surveyed prior to planting. Four farms will be used then to determine yield benefits of sub-soiling (dependent on grant approval).
· Soybean Rust/Aphid Monitoring: Small plot needed for scouting rust and aphids (approx 60x100). Full season beans without seed treatment (in plot the rest of the field can have treated seeds) are needed. This is a non-destructive experiment.
· IPM Trapping Network: Cooperators needed (3) in Path Valley, Waynesboro, and Mercersburg areas. Trapping supplies will be supplied and set up. Traps will need to be checked at least weekly, dead moths collected, and numbers phoned or e-mailed to the extension office.
Demonstration Needs:
· Herbicide Plots: Small plots in corn and soybeans with various spray treatments (single and multiple pass). We will spray the plots and hold a field day at the farm. Footpaths will likely be cut into plots for rating plots and field day.
· Cover Crop Plots: Plots will be established in fall 2010 (typically look for silage ground or fallow wheat) and a fall and spring cover crop walk will be held.

Could it be?

As we continue to deal with piles of snow and drifting roadways it seems that spring is far off, however some have already started thinking of it. A report that came out a while ago on AOL news was talking about long range forecasting models and what they are showing for this spring. The long range forecast shows that much of the nation and almost all of Pennsylvania may be looking at below average temperatures with above average rain fall. This could mean another wet spring that is hard to prep our fields as well as plant? Of course I'm not too worried about this at this time. It seems like it is a long stretch for most forecasters to get tomorrow's weather right, let alone a few months out. Never the less it does make us think that we may want to take a little extra time to think out a sound strategy for spring time. Make a game plan that is flexible yet can outline steps needed for each field, such as manure, burn down, tillage, etc. Take some time now to do your maintenance on machinery to make sure it is ready to go as soon as your soil is fit. All of these steps will help you to be ready for warm soils and dry weather and more likely to get timely planted crops.

Now is a great time for planter maintenance

As we start a new year this is an excellent time to pull those planters in the shop and get them ready for the upcoming planting season this spring. Planters that are not operating well can create uneven spacing within the row and/or uneven depth of the seeds. Both of these factors can greatly reduce your yields. Studies have shown that yields can be reduced from 7-15 bushels per acre by poor planting. As you can see this possible reduction in yield potential makes a few parts you may need to increase your planting efficiency very economical. One additional thought. As you check these parts have a grease gun and oil can in hand and make sure all moving parts are well lubricated.

The main areas to check when servicing your planter are bushings, bearings, and openers. Walk around your corn planter and first take a hold of each row unit. Attempt to sway the unit from side to side. If the unit moves side to side your bushings are worn and will need replaced. Additionally, make certain the units do not have a lot of play up and down. This will cause bouncing across the field and thus uneven seed depth.

Next check and make sure all moving parts such as gauge wheels, coulters, and press wheels move freely with no play. If these are not freely moving or they have play in them you may need to replace bearings and or bushings depending on the part.

Lastly on the external check look over your double disc openers. Take two business cards and slide one in between the front side of the discs and one between the back side of the discs. These cards should be 'pinched' with about 2-3" between them (see picture; photo credit John Rowehl). If they pass through or are very close to each other the openers need to be replaced.

Once your ground engaging parts have been checked other areas to pay attention to are seed tubes and your pick-up mechanism on appropriate planters.

First make sure your seed tubes are clear of any obstructions and cleaned so now seed treatment residues exist. Also make certain that the bottom of the tube does not have any wear that would change the path of the seed when being dropped. You will also want to pay attention to where the seed tube is aimed.

Lastly open up your pick up unit (if your planter has one) and check that the motion is smooth and little to no residues are on the plates (this is a good time have someone turn the shaft that powers your chains while you are watching the pick ups).

After all of this is done it is a good time to calibrate you planter to make sure everything is operating properly. A good factsheet is available on line from Perdue that will take you step by step through both the maintenance and calibration of your planter. With a little foresight now you will be ready to go as soon as the soil is warm enough to plant.

Meeting Season is upon us.

As you may have noticed I'm updating my blog a little less frequently lately. If you have received one of my flyers in the mail recently you may know why. We have a lot going on this winter season in Franklin County. We just held the grazing conference this Tuesday and it was a great success. On Monday we have the grain marketing workshop from 9 to 2:30 at the Ag heritage center. Still to come we have Franklin County Crops day, Pesticide updates, and a fumigation meeting. Feel free to call the Franklin County Extension Office if you want more details or want to register. I'm looking forward to seeing you at these meetings and hopefully they get us ready to jump back into spring when the soils finally warm up.

Neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow…

The postal service isn't the only one who keeps going through it all. The local cover crop plot is looking good. The varieties that will winter kill (oats and radish) have for the most part died, however some of the later planting is amazingly still going. I suppose this may have to do with insulation from the snow we have had. Additionally, the radish has be dead for about three weeks now but it seems to be breaking down a lot slower this winter. With a little bit of a break from the cold we will see what comes as far as decomposition. As a reminder there are still signs and information at the plots so feel free to stop by and take a look.

As a side note I have had two in depth conversations with folks not associated with farms while I have been taking pictures and sampling with the plots. This has been a great catalyst for conversations about how farmers are conservation minded and desire to be good stewards.

Grazing Conference is Fast Approaching

As some of you may have heard we are holding a grazing conference this winter in Franklin County. The conference will be on January 12^th, that's next Tuesday! The cost of this conference is 10 dollars (12 dollars after tomorrow) and that fee will include lunch. Topics for this event include basic soils and nutrient cycling, managing your bottom line, orchardgrass diseases, pasture measurement techniques and Perry County grazier Duane Hertzler will be presenting some information about how he views grazing. If you're interested in this event please contact me to sign up or get more information.