Weather challenges farmers
By
John Grimes-
Farmers continue to experience challenges with the weather as it relates to the harvest season. Continuing wet weather patterns have added further delays to farmers anxious to harvest mature grain fields. We all know that Mother Nature seems to have a sense of humor. Unfortunately, right now it is not a very good one!
Increase Wheat Seeding
Rate If Late Planting
Becomes a Concern
The prospect of a late soybean harvest again this year already has some Ohio wheat growers concerned about having to plant wheat later than recommended (Hessian Fly Safe date; between Sept. 22 for northern counties and Oct. 5 for the southern-most counties). Ideally, all the wheat should be planted by the second week of October in order to ensure adequate tiller development before winter dormancy. Due to late soybean harvest, growers in some areas will more than likely be planting wheat well into October. Wheat planted late is at greater risk for poor stand establishment (fewer tillers per foot of row), increased winter kill, and spring heaving. However, this all depends of the weather conditions during the fall and early winter. In any given year, if warmer-than-usual conditions occur during late fall-early winter (freezing weather delayed until early December), even wheat planted as late as the first week of November may still do fairly well.
If late planting becomes an issue, growers should plant at a higher seeding rate than the regularly recommended rate of 1.2 to 1.6 million seeds per acre for 7.5-inch rows (that is about 18 to 24 seeds per foot of row with normal sized seed) to compensate for fewer tiller development in late-planted wheat (during the third and fourth week after the fly-safe date). Plant at a rate of 1.6 to 2.0 million seed per acre instead of the normal seeding rate. The number of seeds per pound and germination rate are important for determining the correct seeding rate and drill calibration. There are fewer seeds per pound of large seeds than per pound of small seeds. The number of seeds per pound can be found on the seed bag.
Additionally, late planting also means plants will be smaller than normal when entering dormancy, have smaller and more shallow root systems than normal making them more susceptible to heaving next March. The best heaving control is to place the seed between 1.0 and 1.5 inches deep and to plant no-till. These two practices combined will reduce heaving potential by more than 95 percent. Also, do not increase your fall N rate in an attempt to get more tiller development or larger plants. The recommended 20 to 30 pounds of N will be adequate even at the later planting date. Larger N rates will most likely be lost and not benefit the crop.
Worried about
Emerald Ash Borer?
Emerald ash borer (EAB) continues to make headlines because of its voracious appetite for native ash trees. This exotic green beetle has now been found in more than 50 counties throughout Ohio. So chances are you have heard about this pest and are concerned about its potential impact on your property. But what if you are not sure whether or not you have an ash tree on your property? The Ohio State University EAB Outreach Team has created a fact sheet that will help you identify the most common types of native ash trees susceptible to EAB attack.
Ash trees are very common throughout Ohio’s rural and urban landscape, accounting for about one in every 10 trees in the state. They are also one of our most frequently planted ornamental trees. Four species of ash are relatively common in Ohio’s forests: white ash (Fraxinus Americana), green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), black ash (Fraxinus nigra), and blue ash (Fraxinus quadrangulata). Most of the numerous cultivars of ash planted in the urban landscape are derived from these four species.
One of the main characteristics to look for when trying to determine if you have an ash tree is opposite branching (branches grow on the same spot on both sides of the limb, that is, each branch has an opposite mate). Look at a limb on the tree and check the branching pattern. Is the tree oppositely or alternately branched? If it is alternately branched, it is not a true ash tree. Other oppositely branched trees include maple, dogwood and buckeye.
Another clue is in the leaves. Ash trees have a pinnately (feather-like) compound leaf, usually with more than seven leaflets. The only other oppositely branched tree that has a compound leaf is boxelder (Acer negundo), which almost always has three to five leaflets. Ash leaves have either smooth or toothed margins.
An invasive beetle from Asia that hitched a ride to North America in wood packaging materials back in the 1990s, EAB has already killed millions of ash trees in Ohio, 12 other U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. The Asian pest is especially devastating because it kills healthy as well as stressed trees, even threatening the existence of ash trees throughout North America as it continues to spread.
EAB could potentially destroy onr in every 10 trees in Ohio’s forests. Additionally, USDA estimates that if EAB is not contained or eradicated, it has the potential to cost state and local governments $7 billion over the next 25 years to remove and replace dead and dying ash trees that pose a safety hazard in urban and suburban areas.
Fertilizer Nutrient
Value of Corn Stover
Some animal operations are interested in corn stover as a feed leading many crop producers to ask – what is the nutrient value of my corn stover?
From a pure fertilizer value, corn stover contains a little phosphorus (P2O5) and moderate amounts of nitrogen (N) and potassium (K2O). The actual amounts of N, P2O5, and K2O contained in a ton of corn stover are 16, 6, and 25 pounds, respectively. A 160 bushel per acre corn crop will produce 4.5 tons of stover per acre removing 72 pounds of N, 25 pounds of P2O5, and 113 pounds of K2O. Thus stover does have some fertilizer value especially with regard to potassium that may require some additional fertilizer input in subsequent years, but soil testing should be conducted to validate the need for additional nutrients.
Corn stover also contains organic matter that when returned to the soil does have value, but it is difficult to put a dollar value on it. Continued removal of the above ground stover may have negative repercussions in the long-run in the form of decreased soil organic matter, especially if some organic residue is not returned to the soil.[[In-content Ad]]
Increase Wheat Seeding
Rate If Late Planting
Becomes a Concern
The prospect of a late soybean harvest again this year already has some Ohio wheat growers concerned about having to plant wheat later than recommended (Hessian Fly Safe date; between Sept. 22 for northern counties and Oct. 5 for the southern-most counties). Ideally, all the wheat should be planted by the second week of October in order to ensure adequate tiller development before winter dormancy. Due to late soybean harvest, growers in some areas will more than likely be planting wheat well into October. Wheat planted late is at greater risk for poor stand establishment (fewer tillers per foot of row), increased winter kill, and spring heaving. However, this all depends of the weather conditions during the fall and early winter. In any given year, if warmer-than-usual conditions occur during late fall-early winter (freezing weather delayed until early December), even wheat planted as late as the first week of November may still do fairly well.
If late planting becomes an issue, growers should plant at a higher seeding rate than the regularly recommended rate of 1.2 to 1.6 million seeds per acre for 7.5-inch rows (that is about 18 to 24 seeds per foot of row with normal sized seed) to compensate for fewer tiller development in late-planted wheat (during the third and fourth week after the fly-safe date). Plant at a rate of 1.6 to 2.0 million seed per acre instead of the normal seeding rate. The number of seeds per pound and germination rate are important for determining the correct seeding rate and drill calibration. There are fewer seeds per pound of large seeds than per pound of small seeds. The number of seeds per pound can be found on the seed bag.
Additionally, late planting also means plants will be smaller than normal when entering dormancy, have smaller and more shallow root systems than normal making them more susceptible to heaving next March. The best heaving control is to place the seed between 1.0 and 1.5 inches deep and to plant no-till. These two practices combined will reduce heaving potential by more than 95 percent. Also, do not increase your fall N rate in an attempt to get more tiller development or larger plants. The recommended 20 to 30 pounds of N will be adequate even at the later planting date. Larger N rates will most likely be lost and not benefit the crop.
Worried about
Emerald Ash Borer?
Emerald ash borer (EAB) continues to make headlines because of its voracious appetite for native ash trees. This exotic green beetle has now been found in more than 50 counties throughout Ohio. So chances are you have heard about this pest and are concerned about its potential impact on your property. But what if you are not sure whether or not you have an ash tree on your property? The Ohio State University EAB Outreach Team has created a fact sheet that will help you identify the most common types of native ash trees susceptible to EAB attack.
Ash trees are very common throughout Ohio’s rural and urban landscape, accounting for about one in every 10 trees in the state. They are also one of our most frequently planted ornamental trees. Four species of ash are relatively common in Ohio’s forests: white ash (Fraxinus Americana), green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), black ash (Fraxinus nigra), and blue ash (Fraxinus quadrangulata). Most of the numerous cultivars of ash planted in the urban landscape are derived from these four species.
One of the main characteristics to look for when trying to determine if you have an ash tree is opposite branching (branches grow on the same spot on both sides of the limb, that is, each branch has an opposite mate). Look at a limb on the tree and check the branching pattern. Is the tree oppositely or alternately branched? If it is alternately branched, it is not a true ash tree. Other oppositely branched trees include maple, dogwood and buckeye.
Another clue is in the leaves. Ash trees have a pinnately (feather-like) compound leaf, usually with more than seven leaflets. The only other oppositely branched tree that has a compound leaf is boxelder (Acer negundo), which almost always has three to five leaflets. Ash leaves have either smooth or toothed margins.
An invasive beetle from Asia that hitched a ride to North America in wood packaging materials back in the 1990s, EAB has already killed millions of ash trees in Ohio, 12 other U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. The Asian pest is especially devastating because it kills healthy as well as stressed trees, even threatening the existence of ash trees throughout North America as it continues to spread.
EAB could potentially destroy onr in every 10 trees in Ohio’s forests. Additionally, USDA estimates that if EAB is not contained or eradicated, it has the potential to cost state and local governments $7 billion over the next 25 years to remove and replace dead and dying ash trees that pose a safety hazard in urban and suburban areas.
Fertilizer Nutrient
Value of Corn Stover
Some animal operations are interested in corn stover as a feed leading many crop producers to ask – what is the nutrient value of my corn stover?
From a pure fertilizer value, corn stover contains a little phosphorus (P2O5) and moderate amounts of nitrogen (N) and potassium (K2O). The actual amounts of N, P2O5, and K2O contained in a ton of corn stover are 16, 6, and 25 pounds, respectively. A 160 bushel per acre corn crop will produce 4.5 tons of stover per acre removing 72 pounds of N, 25 pounds of P2O5, and 113 pounds of K2O. Thus stover does have some fertilizer value especially with regard to potassium that may require some additional fertilizer input in subsequent years, but soil testing should be conducted to validate the need for additional nutrients.
Corn stover also contains organic matter that when returned to the soil does have value, but it is difficult to put a dollar value on it. Continued removal of the above ground stover may have negative repercussions in the long-run in the form of decreased soil organic matter, especially if some organic residue is not returned to the soil.[[In-content Ad]]