Nikki's NEWSLETTER Marshall County s Agriculture and Natural Resources Update

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1 The October/November Edition of: Nikki's NEWSLETTER Marshall County s Agriculture and Natural Resources Update Cooperative Extension Service University of Kentucky Marshall County 1933 Mayfield Highway Benton, KY (270) extension.ca.uky.edu Upcoming event: Winter School 2019 Marshall, Calloway and Graves counties are coming together to present the first annual Winter School. Save these dates: January 8th- Grain Update January 22nd- Tobacco Update January 29th- Cattle Update Look for more information in Nikki's Newsletter December! Composting Large Animals Composting can provide animal producers with a convenient method for disposing of animal mortalities and also provide a valuable soil amendment. West KY Rural Electric is willing to drop wood chips off at Marshall County resident's properties. If you are interested call Johnnie Bowlin at (270) For more info on composting animals: Soil Lab Update- Please read!!! Renovation of the Princeton Soils Lab is scheduled to start this winter. Turnaround time on all soil tests will be affected! My recommendation is to sample your fields before spring. This will ensure that you have your tests in hand when you need them. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. IN THIS ISSUE: CROPS P. 2 Managing Soybeans After Wet Season 4-H P. 3 Livestock Club HORTICULTURE P. 4-5 Practicing Proper Pruning LIVESTOCK P. 6 Applied Master Cattlemans SPRAY APPLICATOR P. 7 Training Dates 2019 FORAGES P. 8-9 Johnsongrass Poisoning WILD GAME P. 9 Food Safety Tips RECIPE OF THE MONTH

2 Managing Soybeans After a Wet Summer and Fall Chad Lee, UK Extension Agronomist Excessive rain in late summer and early fall have been more than many soybean plants can handle. The wet weather occurred as soybean seeds were at or approaching physiological maturity. Entire plants were beginning to shut down as their mission of making seed was complete. The wet weather provided the perfect conditions for various fungi to take advantage of these plants. Also, these conditions favored sprouting while seeds are still in the pods. This wet weather also provided a perfect environment for saprophytic fungi to colonize soybean plants, and for plant pathogenic fungi to colonize stems and pods and infect seeds. Most notable are the pathogens that cause Phomopsis seed decay and purple seed stain. Phomopsis seed decay is especially known for reducing seed germination, and both Phomopsis seed decay and purple seed stain may reduce other quality measures, such as oil and protein concentrations. The primary way producers can manage Phomopsis seed decay and purple seed stain is to harvest soybean fields as soon as possible after they are mature. When significant rainfall occurs after soybeans become mature, the risk of these seed diseases greatly increases. The fungi that cause these diseases overwinter on soybean residue in fields and can be seedborne. Therefore, crop rotation and avoiding planting bin-run seed also may help reduce risk of these diseases in the future. Foliar-applied fungicides may have some effect on these diseases, and protection against these diseases may slightly increase if they are applied at the R5 growth stage (beginning seed stage). However, when high amounts of frequent rainfall occur after fields are mature, the effectiveness of these management practices may be limited. Seed sprouting in the pod is a rare occurrence. First, soybean seeds must dry below about 55 percent moisture at which seeds reach physiological maturity. Then, seeds that were below about 55 percent moisture must imbibe enough water to go back above 55 percent moisture for seeds to sprout. This order of events is rare on upright soybean plants where pods are exposed to air and sunlight as leaves drop. The drying and wetting of soybean pods weakens the pods. As the pods dry down a second or third time, many pods will split and drop seeds on the soil. You can expect lower yields and damaged seed. Grain buyers are likely to pay discounted prices for damaged seed. Farmers who have drying capacity could try to harvest soybean fields as soon as field conditions and machinery allow. For more information about soybeans and other grain crops, contact the Marshall County Cooperative Extension Service 2

3 4-H Livestock Club Nikki Bell, Marshall County Agriculture and Natural Resources For those of you who dont know, I started a 4-H Livestock Club in Marshall County this year. The club participated in multiple livestock judging competitions over the summer. Even though this was the kids first year judging livestock, two of our participants managed to place in the top 10 at the State Livestock Judging Contest. The kids are currently preparing for skillathon, (like a quiz bowl,) judging competition and cannot wait to start showing stock in There is plenty of room for the club to expand so please encourage your friends and family to join. You do not need Livestock experience nor own stock to participate! This is an opportunity for children to build life skills while having fun, getting dirty and learning. Pictures from the the Marshall Co. Livestock Club Field trip on November 6th. 3

4 Practicing Proper Pruning Savannah McGuire, Research and Extension Support Staff, Horticulture Many landscape, nursery, and ornamental plants can benefit from pruning to resist pest pressure from insects and diseases. Certain insect pests like wood borers, beetles, and scale insects may be able to be controlled this way. Pruning for pest control is most effective when infestations are small and when labor is available. Good pruning practices are critical to ensuring that plant health is increased rather than diminished. Many plants will thrive off of being pruned during the fall and winter. Check with your local extension office to determine the best time to prune a particular plant. Techniques and Practices To understand why one pruning technique is preferred over another for a particular plant, and why cuts are made the way they are, it helps to review a basic botanical principle of pruning. The terminal bud (the bud at the end of a branch or twig) produces a hormone called auxin that directs the growth of lateral buds (buds along the side of the branch or twig). As long as the terminal bud is intact, auxin suppresses the growth of lateral buds and shoots below the terminal. When you remove the terminal bud by pruning, lateral buds and shoots below the pruning cut grow vigorously. The most vigorous new growth always occurs within 6 to 8 inches of the pruning cut. A second botanical principle helps explain what happens when you make a pruning cut. When you cut a branch back to the main trunk, to a lateral branch or to a lateral bud, a higher concentration of hormones in these areas causes the wound to heal rapidly. When you leave a stub, the distance from the hormonal source increases and the wound heals slower if it heals at all. Insects and diseases may enter the cut portion of a stub and cause it to die back. Because flowering ornamentals form their flower buds at different times of year, pruning times must be adjusted accordingly. Many spring-flowering plants such as azalea, dogwood, forsythia, redbud and rhododendron set flower buds in the fall, so pruning during the fall or winter months eliminates or decreases their spring flower display. Plants that typically flower during the summer form flower buds on new growth and can be pruned during the winter with no effect on their flowering. Examples of this type of plant are crape myrtle and abelia. As a general rule, plants that flower before May should be pruned after they bloom, while those that flower after May are considered summer-flowering and can be pruned just prior to spring growth. One exception to this rule is the oakleaf hydrangea, a summer-flowering shrub that forms flower buds the previous season. Figure 1. Always cut back to a bud (a), a lateral branch (b) or main trunk (c), and avoid leaving a stub. Therefore, regardless of whether you are pruning a small twig or a large branch, you can avoid leaving a stub by always cutting back to a bud, a lateral branch or the main trunk. Note: Dashed lines on tree branch drawing indicating where cuts should be made. Image: UGA Extension 4

5 Figure 3. Pruning Cuts Image: University of Kentucky Another exception is late-flowering azalea cultivars, which bloom during May, June or even July. Prune both the oakleaf hydrangea and the azalea cultivars after they bloom. Ornamental plants that are not grown for their showy flowers can be pruned during the late winter, spring or summer months. Avoid pruning during the fall or early winter because it may encourage tender new growth that is not sufficiently hardened to resist the winter cold. When to Prune: Research results are somewhat conflicting regarding the best time of year to prune. In general, it is not advisable to prune trees at times of low energy reserves, when a tree is stressed, and when the soil is uncharacteristically dry or flooded. In addition, remember to check for specific insects and diseases that could affect the tree you are about to prune, and ensure that you will not be making the tree more attractive to those pests (e.g., prune elms in winter, when the DED vector beetles are inactive.) The removal of large branches in mature trees may predispose trees to insect and disease problems. We can avoid having to remove large branches, by pruning more often to remove small branches before they grow, and thus guide the tree to its optimal form and condition without having to incur the penalty of losing too many leaves and too much stored energy. In three simple steps: 1. Prune small, prune often! and limit the total amount of branches removed. 2. Prune well! by making correct cuts; with clean tools, timed to avoid insects and diseases; and disposing of pruned material appropriately. 3. Respect the natural form! by remembering that we cannot make a round-headed redwood by pruning or a pole-like coast live oak without severely stressing the tree. Additional Resources: Pruning Ornamental Plants in the Landscape number=b961&title=pruning%20ornamental%20plants%20in%20the%20landscape Pruning and Tree Physiology: The Bad and The Ugly 5

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8 Cyanide Poisoning in Ruminants Michelle Arnold and Cynthia Gaskill, Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, and Ray Smith and Garry Lacefield, Plant and Soil Sciences Prussic acid, cyanide, or hydrocyanic acid are all terms relating to the same toxic substance. Hydrogen cyanide was first isolated from a blue dye (Prussian blue) and because of its acidic nature it became known by the common name prussic acid. Cyanide is one of the most rapidly acting toxins that affect cattle. Cause The primary cause of cyanide poisoning in ruminants is the ingestion of plants containing compounds called cyanogenic glycosides. These cyanogenic glycosides and the enzymes that convert them to free cyanide reside in different locations within the plant cells. When plant cells are crushed, chewed, wilted, frozen, chopped or otherwise ruptured, the cyanogenic glycosides and the enzymes can physically come together and rapidly form free cyanide. As ruminants consume these plant materials, hydrogen cyanide gas is liberated in the rumen and rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream. Ruminants are very susceptible to cyanide poisoning because the rumen microflora contain enzymes that, in the presence of water, are also capable of converting cyanogenic glyocosides in plants to free cyanide gas. Cyanide ultimately prevents hemoglobin in red blood cells from releasing its oxygen to the tissues and the animal subsequently dies from lack of oxygen. The cyanogenic potential of plants is affected by the species and variety of the plant, weather, soil fertility and stage of plant growth. Cyanide poisoning of livestock is commonly associated with johnsongrass, sorghumsudangrass, and other forage sorghums. Choke-cherry or wild cherry, elderberry, and arrow grass are less frequent causes. Young plants, new shoots, and regrowth of plants after cutting often contain the highest levels of cyanogenic glycosides. The risk of poisoning decreases as forages mature. Leaf blades are higher risk than leaf sheaths or stems, upper leaves are higher risk than older leaves, and seed heads are considered low risk. Application of herbicides such as 2,4-D have been shown to increase the cyanogenic potential of plants. Drying plants decreases the cyanogenic potential over time so hay is rarely hazardous if adequately cured. Ensiling plants will significantly reduce the cyanogenic glycoside content. Clinical Signs Cyanide is one of the most potent toxins in nature. If large quantities of cyanide are absorbed rapidly enough, the body s detoxification mechanisms are overwhelmed and the animal soon dies. Affected animals rarely survive more than 1-2 hours after consuming lethal quantities of cyanogenic plants and usually die within 5-15 minutes of developing clinical signs of poisoning. Signs may include rapid labored breathing, irregular pulse, frothing at the mouth, dilated pupils, muscle tremors, and staggering. The mucous membranes are bright red in color due to oxygen saturation of the hemoglobin. Diagnosis and Treatment Cyanide is rapidly lost from animal tissues unless collected within a few hours of death and promptly frozen. Liver, muscle (heart [ventricular myocardium] preferred), whole blood, and rumen contents should be collected and frozen in air-tight containers before shipment to a laboratory capable of performing cyanide analysis. Perhaps most important in the diagnosis of cyanide poisoning is to identify plants in the area accessible to the animals and determine if they are likely to contain cyanogenic glycosides. Cyanide concentration determinations in suspect plants can be performed if samples are frozen immediately or sent on ice overnight to a diagnostic laboratory. Treatment can be attempted if affected animals are discovered 8

9 quickly, but often animals are found dead. Contact a veterinarian immediately if cyanide poisoning is suspected. The intravenous administration of sodium thiosulfate by a veterinarian is an effective treatment for cyanide poisoning. The dose can be repeated after a few minutes if the animal does not respond. Most animals that live after treatment will recover. Prevention The risk from potentially dangerous forages may be reduced by following these management practices: Graze sorghum, sorghum crosses, or johnsongrass plants only when they are at least inches tall. Young rapidly growing plants or regrowth have the highest concentrations of cyanogenic glycosides, especially in the newest leaves and tender tips. Do not graze plants with young tillers. Do not graze plants during drought periods when growth is severely reduced or the plant is wilted or twisted. Drought in- creases the chance for cyanide because slowed growth and the inability of the plant to mature favors the formation of cyanogenic compounds in the leaves. Do not graze sorghums after drought until growth has resumed for 4-5 days after rainfall. Do not graze potentially hazardous forages when frost is likely (including at night). Frost allows conversion to hydrogen cyanide within the plant. Do not graze for two weeks after a non-killing (>28 degrees) frost. It is best not to allow ruminants to graze after a light frost as this is an extremely dangerous time and it may be several weeks before the cyanide potential subsides. Do not graze after a killing frost until plant material is completely dry and brown (the toxin is usually dissipated within 72 hours). Do not allow access to wild cherry leaves. After storms or before turnout to a new pasture, always check for and remove fallen cherry tree limbs. If high cyanide is suspected in forages, do not feed as green chop. If cut for hay, allow to dry completely so the cyanide will volatilize before baling. Allow slow and thorough drying because toxicity can be retained in cool or moist weather. Delay feeding silage 6 to 8 weeks following ensiling. Forage species and varieties may be selected for low cyanide potential. There are wide differences among plant varieties. Some of the sudangrasses, such as piper, are low in cyanide. Test any suspect forages before allowing animal access. A rapid field test is available that can provide on-site results. Contact your county Agricultural Extension agent for further information. Wild Game Whether you enjoy hunting small rabbits or large deer, the safe procedures for dressing animals are similar. For food safety tips and tasty wild game recipes, see: Wild Game- From Field to Table at: 9

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