Marshall County s Agriculture and Natural Resources Update

Transcription

1 The October 2017 Edition of Nikki s News Marshall County s Agriculture and Natural Resources Update October is here. Can you believe it? When most people think of this time of year, they think of pumpkins and Halloween while I think of crop yields, cover crops, wheat planting, garden cleanup, fertilizing, planting trees, fall calving, and hockey season. I may be admitting to my yankee past with that last one... For my gardener/horticulutre friends, see pages 4-7 where you will find information on planting trees and shrubs, cleaning up the vegetable garden, harvesting apples and how to prevent high tunnel pests. My livestock folks may enjoy pages 8 and 9 where you will find information on stockpiling fescue and utilizing johnsongrass. These articles will compliment the forages lesson if you are in the Master Cattleman program. Also, take a moment to checkout the pesticide mixing information on page 2, it is not just for row croppers. It may save you some dollars in the future. As for my row crop folks, check out the article on cover crops on page 3 and I wanted to share the pictures below where some Kentucky farmers have been having trouble with voles in high residue scenarios. Cooperative Extension Service University of Kentucky Marshall County 1933 Mayfield Highway Benton, KY (270) extension.ca.uky.edu In this Issue: Pesticide P. 2 Cover Crops P. 3 Planting Woody Plants P. 4 and 6 Garden Cleanup P. 5 Apple Picking P. 6 High Tunnel Pests P. 7 Tall Fescue P. 8 Also, UK has released the Best Bean Buyer delivery app which can help with harvest delivery decisions and the 2017 corn hybrid trial results which can help you all make next years seed decisions. The app can be downloaded at: and the yield data can be found at: (If you arent tech savy just drop buy and I will print you a copy.) Johnsongrass P. 9 Recipe of the Month P. 10 Happy October!

2 Pesticides Adjuvants and Surfactants; Some Labels Require Them Ric Bessin, Extension Entomologist I have had several contacts with applicators this summer who stated I used product X according to recommendations and it didn t work at all. After making sure they used the correct rates, had thorough coverage, and used the correct product for the situation, it turns out they failed to use an adjuvants as required on the label. Not all insecticides/miticides require the use of adjuvants, but many will benefit from their use. In situations when an adjuvant is required and none is used, the effectiveness of the spray may be greatly reduced. Figure 1. Many pesticides require the use of specific types of surfactant to be effective and safe (Photo: Ric Bessin, UK). Adjuvants are mixed into pesticide sprays to enhance the effectiveness of the pesticides or change the physical properties of the spray mixture. There are many types of adjuvants, including surfactants, drift control agents, colorants, compatibility agents, buffering agents, and defoamers. Surfactants are used to change the surface tension of the spray to enhance coverage of the plant and/or improve penetration into leaf tissue. But not all surfactants work the same way, and they should not be used interchangeably. There are anionic, non-ionic, and organo-silicone surfactants. Generally, anionic surfactants are used with contact insecticides, which are intended to penetrate into plants. Non-ionic and organo-silicone surfactants act as spreaders and also help products penetrate the cuticle of leaves. Some of the insecticides that are systemic or locally systemic require the use of these penetrating agents to be effective. Using binders or sticking agents can interfere with this penetrating action and must be avoided with some systemic insecticides. Good examples of this include the Agri-Mek SC and Movento labels, which require the use of penetrating surfactants. Adjuvant recommendations/requirements are found in the Direction for Use portion of the label or with the directions for use on specific crops. These labels indicate the specific types of adjuvants needed. Failure to follow these adjuvant requirements may result in ineffective sprays or even illegal pesticide residues on commodities. In fact, if required on the label, not using an appropriate adjuvant is a violation of the label. So as always, read and follow ALL label directions. 2

3 Cover Crops Avoid Making Cover Crops a Pest The use of cover crops in Kentucky is on the rise with more farmers looking to gain an edge wherever they can. Cover crops have many benefits, including keeping soils in place over winter, improving soil quality, and in some cases, suppression of winter annual weeds. Although, as with all agricultural practices, there can be drawbacks if a cover crop is not managed properly. As we quickly approach the time to plant cover crops, let s look at how to gain the benefits of cover crops while avoiding the situation of a cover crop becoming a pest or introducing a pest. Selecting a Cover Crop Usually one of the first considerations when purchasing seed or planning a cover crop is the selection of species. The use of annual ryegrass as a cover crop is highly touted for its underground biomass system, ability to grow in a multitude of growing conditions, and rapid establishment and growth. Farmers should be aware that annual ryegrass can also become a weed, and the attributes that make it a good cover crop also make it an excellent weed. Annual ryegrass can be very difficult to terminate in the spring and a farmer must be knowledgeable of how to properly terminate it. Annual ryegrass should only be grown by experienced cover crop growers and should be avoided by wheat producers as ryegrass is a major pest in wheat. Purchase Weed-free Seed By Travis Legleiter, Extension Weed Scientist Other considerations when planning your cover crop is whether you are going to plant a single species or multiple species, and where you are going to buy the seed. Unlike our major commodity crops that are supplied by a handful of companies with stringent regulations on seed quality, you can buy cover crops from a variety of sources. Cover crop seed can be purchased from a cover crop dealer, your local feed and seed store, or even the internet, if you so choose. With so many choices of cover crop species, seed mixes, and vendors, the assurance of quality of that seed is not guaranteed. The one seed quality that is of particular concern is contamination of weed seed. Purchasing seed that has not been screened or tested for the presence of weed seed can lead to a situation of introducing a new pest to your field and/or neighborhood. For example, the state of Iowa encountered an invasions of Palmer amaranth last year due to conservation reserve program seed mixtures that were contaminated with Palmer amaranth seed. The good intentions of cover crops will be quickly nullified if a new major pest is introduced. To assure that you are not introducing a new weed, buy seed that has been tested for the presence of weed seed and has the documentation to prove it. When purchasing a premix of species, make sure that it is known that all species in the mix have been screened for weed seed. A little bit of homework by the farmer now to assure he/she is purchasing clean seed will help avoid future pest problems, while capturing the benefits of cover crops. Photo Credit: Erin Haramoto, University of Kentucky Weed Science 3

4 Landscaping Fall is For Planting William Bill Fountain, UK Arborist Arbor Day, the celebration of the value of trees in our lives is celebrated in spring. Many municipalities plant trees in public areas as part of their Arbor Day celebration. We also distribute seedlings in schools and to other citizens. With proper care, trees can be planted throughout the Commonwealth at almost any time of the year. However, in Kentucky the VERY BEST time to plant new trees and shrubs is the fall. Late October until about the first of the year is the best time to plant for several reasons. The drought-breaking rains of fall have added moisture back to soils made hard and droughty by summer heat. The act of digging trees and shrubs for transplanting necessitates cutting roots. New roots must be regenerated if they are to become reestablished in the new location. With cooler temperatures and no foliage, the water demands for plants with limited or damaged root systems is significantly less. We think of woody plants as growing in spring and early summer and then going dormant in fall and winter. This is true, at least for the above-ground parts we see. Roots grow most vigorously when the soil is above freezing and below 50 to 60 F. For us, this is most of the fall and winter. By planting in the fall we take advantage of roots being able to regenerate. This allows the plant to efficiently absorb sufficient water in the abundance of new roots when growth begins in spring. These newly transplanted plants can then maintain their water requirements throughout the hot, dry summer. Fall really is for planting but we need to make sure that the plant will thrive in its new home. Watching plants die that are not adapted to a site is frustrating and a waste of money. Take a look at Landscape Site Assessment ( to help determine the cultural characteristics of your landscape. One of the most important and most neglected assessments is determining if the soil will drain properly. Doing a percolation test, perk test for short, is simple and easy and can even be a part of the planting process. Consult Soil Percolation: A Key to Survival of Landscape Plants ( pubs/id/id237/id237.pdf) for more information. Plants that are not adapted to a site are less winter hardy and more prone to disease and insect problems. Approximately 80-90% of the samples that come into the UK Plant Disease Diagnostic Labs can be traced back to improper site adaptability and / or improper installation. If you discover that your site is poorly drained, you can then go to the list of flood tolerant species. One of the secrets of a healthy landscape is species diversity. Neighborhoods planted mainly with ash trees or Bradford pears have experienced the disappointment of having to start over again. For help in selecting underutilized trees, look at After Your Ash Has Died, Making an Informed Decision on What to Replant ( www2.ca.uky.edu/agcomm/pubs/id/id241/id241.pdf). Diversity adds interest throughout the four seasons. It also results in healthier, more attractive landscapes that require fewer pesticides. Installing a new tree or shrub in its new home can be exciting. in a good way. It can also be exciting in a bad way. To keep shocking surprises from happening, always remember to call 811 a week before you dig. It s the law! This free service will prevent you from accidentally hitting buried utilities and perhaps being injured or being billed for the damage you caused....continued on bottom of page 6 4

5 Gardening Fall Gardening Cleanup Controls By John Hartman You can reduce the risk of some common problems next year by getting rid of leftover plant debris in vegetable, flower and fruit gardening areas this fall. Several disease-causing fungi and bacteria spend the winter on plant debris, and can cause diseases the following growing season. Proper garden sanitation can combat such diseases as early blight, mildews, gray mold fungus and various root rot and wilt problems. To combat diseases, remove all plants, except winter vegetables or cover crops, from the garden. It is especially important to completely clean out and destroy all diseased plants in vegetable gardens and fruit plantings. Carefully dig up and remove decomposing roots to keep them from releasing disease-causing microbes into the soil. Also, remove spent blooms and foliage from flower gardens and mummied fruits on or around trees and grapevines. Garden debris is a wonderful addition to a compost pile. A good pile will heat up and completely decompose the remains in a few years. This process will destroy most disease-causing organisms. If heat development is not possible in your composting process, dispose of plants infected with root knot nematode or Fusarium and Verticillium wilt diseases. Be sure to put these infected plants where they cannot be recycled into the garden. Gardeners who decide not to remove old plants should till gardening areas to break dead materials into smaller pieces and then work them into the soil. Plant debris decomposes more rapidly when buried than when left on the soil surface. This reduces populations of disease-causing organisms that could cause problems next year. Planting a cover crop to maintain and rejuvenate the soil is another way to get your vegetable garden off to a good start next year. A cover crop will help prevent erosion of enriched topsoil, keep rains from leaching minerals from the soil, prevent compaction and stop growth of weeds that can serve as overwintering sites for insects and diseases. A cover crop also will add organic matter, both from its roots and when tilled into the garden soil. Successfully growing a cover crop requires proper crop selection, correct timing and good management techniques. You will reap the benefits of cover crops in future vegetable harvests. For more information, consult Home Vegetable Gardening in Kentucky (ID-128) and Home Composting: A Guide to Managing Organic Wastes (HO-75). These publications and other gardening materials are available from your local Cooperative Extension Service. 5

6 Tree News Apple harvest basics John Strang, UK Horticulture Extension Specialist Fall is a busy time for apple growers. Ripening times vary from year to year depending on the weather. If apples have coddling moth damage, they will drop up to two weeks before the crop is ripe. The best and most time-tested method of judging when to pick fruit is the taste method. When enough starch has been converted to sugar and the flavor is developed, the fruit is ready to eat. Fruit continues to ripen in cold storage, so pick fruit before it is ripe if you want to store it. As fruit ripens, it changes color. The base color, or ground color, is the color underneath the red striping or blush of peaches, apples, pears and cherries. In most fruits, the fruit is ripening when the ground color turns green to yellow. The surface color may develop before the fruit is actually mature. If storing fruit, cool it as soon as possible after picking. The sooner you can remove the heat from freshly picked fruit, the longer it will keep. Be gentle when you handle fruit for storage. Bruises and wounds allow pathogens to infect the fruit, and disease will spread to adjacent fruits once it gets established. You ll be able to find many varieties of Kentucky apples at farmers markets or on many Kentucky farms that provide fall agritourism activities From Lodi, Red Delicious, and Winesap to Gala, Jonathan, Honeycrisp, Cortland and more, Kentucky growers offer a wide selection to consumers. For more information about apples, contact the Marshall Extension office. Continued from p.4 Fall is For Planting William Bill Fountain, UK Arborist Guidelines for planting can be found in Planting Balled and Burlapped Trees and Shrubs in Your Landscape ( Planting Container Grown Trees and Shrubs in Your Landscape ( and Planting Bareroot Trees and Shrubs in Your Landscape ( Which is best? All can be great. It depends on the plant, the size, and the site. After your new trees and shrubs have been properly installed you should mulch it. Mulching is either one of the best things we do for a plant or one of the worst things we do to a plant. Mulch Myths ( edu/agcomm/pubs/ho/ho106/ho106.pdf) will tell you how to mulch and what products to use. With the exception of bare root trees, most plants do not need to be staked. Staking can damage trunks and can prevent the tree from reestablishing as rapidly. Proper watering for the first year or two is much more important than adding fertilizer. Selecting the appropriate trees and shrubs and installing them properly can improve the value of your residence, make a park a nicer place to visit, and make our communities a healthier place to live. It is the green infrastructure (trees and shrubs), more than any other single factor that makes Kentucky s suburban and urban areas sustainable and livable places. 6

7 Greenhouse Pests Greenhouse/High Tunnel Pest By Ric Bessin, Extension Entomologist Controlling arthropod pests in greenhouses can be a challenge since these protected environments provide ideal conditions for development of some common plant pests. Additionally, the structure itself excludes natural enemies from attacking these pests, allowing their populations to develop more quickly. With this in mind, there are a few steps we should take to get crops off to a clean start. Eliminate all weeds- Eliminate weeds both inside structures as well as 10 to 20 feet around the outsides. Gravel around the outside of greenhouses can be used to reduce weed growth. These weeds can serve as sources of arthropod pests, as well as harbor inoculum that some insects can vector to plants, resulting in disease. The same is true for pet plants in greenhouses. Exclude pests- Consider using insect screening on ventilation openings. High tunnels with drop walls can be fitted with permanent screening inside drop walls. Separate crops- If possible, keep annual vegetable production separate from ornamental production. This is best done by using separate greenhouses or high tunnels. Pests on ornamental plants can rapidly colonize vegetables and the plant protection chemicals may be very different between these production systems. Reduce clutter and clean the structure- Avoid storage within structures; these areas can provide shelter for some pests. Residues from previous crops must be removed and those areas cleaned thoroughly. Begin monitoring for pests- Use weekly plant inspection and yellow sticky cards. Keep records; write down what you find and where you find it! Generally, in a standard high tunnel, I examine five areas containing three plants that are scattered in the planting and representative of the house. Find a magnifying lens, hand lens, or microscope to identify pests. UK Extension publication, An IPM Scouting Guide for Common Problems of High Tunnel and Greenhouse Vegetable Crops in Kentucky (ID-235), will help you identify common pests and diseases. Get ready to spray- Check the pesticide sprayer to be sure it operates well. The start of the crop is often the time to recalibrate equipment. Make certain that thorough coverage can be obtained with your equipment when plants are large and dense. Inspect your chemicals to make certain they are sufficient and in good condition. Be sure you have the personal protective equipment supplies you will need for the crop cycle. Figure 1. Greenhouse with weedfree zone outside and screened Figure 2. Yellow sticky cards are inexpensive tools to monitor common greenhouse pests (Photo: Ric Bessin, UK). Consider an early-season systemic for recurring pests Pre-harvest intervals often prevent the use of systemic insecticide applications later in the crop cycle. Understand biocontrol options- Common pests in greenhouses can be managed using commercially available natural enemies. Pests that can be controlled this way include spider mites, whiteflies, thrips, aphids, and mealybugs. Many common greenhouse insecticides may not be compatible with these natural enemies of pollinators. 7

8 Forages Stockpiled Tall Fescue: Getting the Most Out of It Dr. Chris Teutsch, Extension Forage Specialist Once pastures have been stockpiled for late fall/winter grazing, how they are utilized can dramatically impact grazing days per acre. Research in Missouri showed that giving cows access to only enough forage for 3-days versus 14-days resulted in a 40% increase in grazing days per acre. In a dry year, this could mean the difference buying hay when prices are high or making it through with what you already have. The following tips will help to get the most of your stockpiled forages. Graze pastures that contain warm-season grasses first. Although we often like to think of pastures as monocultures, they are often complex mixtures of cool- and warm-season grasses, legumes and weedy forbs. If pastures contain warm-season grasses, use these first since their quality will decline rapidly in late fall and early winter. Graze pastures containing clover next. We are always happy to see clover in pastures. However, in a stockpiling scenario it does not hold up to freezing and thawing as well as tall fescue. So mixed pastures before pure stands of tall fescue. Save pastures with primarily tall fescue for later grazing. Tall fescue is the best grass for stockpiling in terms of maintaining its nutritive value as you head into winter. So graze pure stands last. Strip graze tall fescue. As mentioned above, limiting access to stockpiled forage can significantly increase grazing days per acre. Strip grazing usually starts at the water source and then uses a single strand of electrified polywire to allocate only enough forage for the predetermined time period. It could be 1, 2, 3, or more days. The shorter the time period the better utilization you will get. Since pastures are not actively growing during the winter months, no back fencing is needed. Bonus Tip: When strip grazing, never take your forward fence down until the back fence (new one) is up. If you do, the cows will be on the other side of the pasture! To many producers that have not stripped grazed, the idea of moving a temporary fence two of three times a week can seem overwhelming. However, once you are set up it really goes pretty fast and the pay backs are huge a free day of feed every time you move the fence. Is it less work than feeding hay? Probably not less, but just different and the pay back is much better. 8 It s ok to make your cows work! In this photo, strip grazing stockpiled tall fescue drastically improves utilization. Photo: Dr. Chris Teutsch

9 More Forages Don t Overlook JohnsongrasS Chan Glidewell, Noble Research Institute Livestock producers in the southern United States should not overlook johnsongrass in their pastures. For one thing, under certain conditions it can kill your cattle. Another reason not to overlook johnsongrass is that it is excellent forage if you can get over the fact that it can kill your cattle! Positive Aspects of Johnsongrass As far as nutritive value is concerned, johnsongrass is tough to beat. One study conducted at the Noble Research Institute in Oklahoma showed that the quality, expressed as percent crude protein (% CP), and digestibility, expressed as percent total digestible nutrients (% TDN), of johnsongrass is as good as any of the forages tested (Figure 1). In this study, bermudagrass was neck and neck with johnsongrass in terms of % CP and % TDN. The bermudagrass was a managed stand and was fertilized with 50 to 100 pounds per acre of actual nitrogen. The johnsongrass was unfertilized and unmanaged. In another Noble Research Institute study, the palatability of several warm-season grasses was evaluated by yearling steers. In the study, three yearling steers had access to plots containing pure stands of 14 different warm-season perennial grasses (both native and introduced). Johnsongrass came out near the top in this study. Alamo switchgrass was the only other grass in the study that had more bites taken of it than johnsongrass in year one (9,262 versus 6,062, respectively). A testament to the preference for johnsongrass by livestock can be seen while driving down the road; pastures that are continually grazed generally won t have any johnsongrass, but you will see it all along the roadside out of reach of the fenced-in cattle. Negative Aspects of Johnsongrass Johnsongrass is on the noxious weed list in several U.S. states (including Kentucky) and has even made the list of the 10 most noxious weeds in the world. Johnsongrass can accumulate nitrates during the summer if exposed to several dry, cloudy days in a row. It can also produce prussic acid (hydrogen cyanide) after stressful conditions such as drought, freezing weather or exposure to a herbicide that kills grasses. If your johnsongrass is subjected to any of these conditions, keep cattle away for about a week to allow the prussic acid to dissipate. 9

10 Plate It Up Recipe For more information go to or follow us on Marshall County Agriculture and Natural Resources Facebook Page Marshall County Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent