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Selecting soybean seed for disease management | |
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Winter meeting aid with new strategies | |
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Early planted soybean yields | |
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Meeting to explore Risk Protection Act | |
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Distance education courses on entomology, pest management | |
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Maintain irrigation systems to avoid breakdowns | |
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Meetings target irrigation issues | |
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Prospectus can help when renting farmland | |
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Crop rental agreement meetings address current trends | |
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E-Commerce in ag conference | |
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Ag technology conference | |
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Corn/Soybean Expos | |
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Protect hay from winter weather | |
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Wheat production | |
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Crop updates | |
Now that harvest is ending, it's time to start thinking about your seed order for next year. While the dry conditions of the 2000 production season did not contribute to an extremely active year for soybean diseases, don't forget the disease history of your fields and the potential for problems. Many of the diseases which you have had problems with in the past are most likely still waiting for optimal environmental conditions to develop.
Disease resistant or tolerant varieties are available from most companies for Phytophthora, brown stem rot, soybean cyst nematode, and sclerotinia stem rot. True resistance — the ability of the plant to exclude or overcome the effect of the pathogen — is not available for all of these diseases; however, resistance has been identified and marketed for Phytophthora and soybean cyst nematode. When comparing ratings from different seed companies, make sure you are interpreting the seed catalog rating system correctly. Different companies may use what appears to be the same scale, when actually the scales may vary or even be reversed.
What steps can you take when ordering seed for next year?
When considering variety selection in a field with a history of Phytophthora, consider the diversity of races or subgroups of this disease (currently 39). Researchers have identified eight genes that can affect different races. The most common resistant gene marketed in Nebraska varieties is Rps1k, which is effective against all races except 12, 16, 19, 20, 25, and 27-35. Without knowing the race of Phytophthora in your field, you could be buying resistance that is not effective against your race of Phytophthora. If you have to guess, the most common race found in a survey conducted in 1980 and 1981 was race 1.
Consider using varieties resistant to soybean cyst nematodes in fields with a history of this pest. Unfortunately, most varieties in Nebraska have the same sources of resistance. This makes it difficult to rotate sources of resistance, which is one recommendation for overall management of soybean cyst nematode. If you cannot find a different source of resistance, consider rotating one of three soybean years in a six-year corn/soybean rotation to a susceptible variety. This is done to manage resistance development in the soybean cyst nematode population in the field.
For fields with a history of brown stem rot or Sclerotinia stem rot, soybean variety selection is based on tolerance ratings since none of the varieties marketed in Nebraska have a true resistance to these two diseases. Brown stem rot resistance has been reported, but I am not aware that it's been incorporated into varieties sold in Nebraska. Sclerotinia resistance has not been identified to date. Tolerance is the ability of a plant to sustain the effects of a disease without dying or suffering serious crop loss. This means that the plants will get the disease, but yields will not be greatly affected. Both of these diseases, and especially Sclerotinia, can be present in a field for many years.
Seedling diseases including damping off and seed rot are the most common soybean disease problems in Nebraska. This is especially true when cool, wet weather early in the growing season creates favorable conditions for infection by certain soilborne pathogens that attack developing soybean plants. If conditions turn wet in May to early June when most of the soybeans are planted, the fungal pathogens causing damping off will surely be active. The most common fungi involved in seedling diseases in Nebraska are species of Fusarium, Phytophthora, Pythium, and Rhizoctonia. Seed treatment fungicides are available in a variety of formulations. The best treatment method is a commercial treatment, which results in uniform seed coverage. Buy treated seed if you have fields with a history of seedling disease problems or are considering early planting when soil temperatures are cool. For a list of the many seed-applied fungicides, active ingredients, and the fungi they are effective against see the Cooperative Extension publication, Seed Treatments Fungicides for Soybeans, NF00-411.
If you don't know which fungi are causing problems in your fields, consider using a combination product with broad-spectrum activity. Remember that some seed treatment fungicides are not compatible with Rhizobium inoculants. Always check the label for compatibility. Unless otherwise labeled, if seed is treated with a fungicide, apply inoculants in-furrow rather than on the seed. Many products require that seed be planted within four hours of inoculation with liquid-based Rhizobium inoculants.
Loren J. Giesler
Extension Plant Pathologist
The University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension offers a variety of winter meetings to help producers fine tune their production and management strategies based on new research and changing conditions. From risk management, marketing and E-Commerce to pest control, pesticide applicator licensing, irrigation and production issues, Extension specialists and educators will be presenting programs for Nebraska's farmers and agribusiness sector.
This and the Nov. 17 issue of Crop Watch will feature information about many of these upcoming meetings. Be sure to contact the individuals listed for further details and add these dates to your calendar.
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Research was conducted again in 2000 at the Rogers Memorial Farm, 10 miles east of Lincoln, to evaluate the potential for early planting soybeans. A planter was used to no-till soybeans into soybean residue at about a 2-inch planting depth. Two varieties, a 2.4 maturity and a 3.2 maturity, with fungicide treated seed were used. Unlike in 1999, the 2000 soybeans from the early planting dates had to be sprayed for bean leaf beetle. The yields from the six planting dates, shown in the table, showed a yield penalty for later planting in 2000, especially for the earlier maturity soybeans, similar to the 1999 results.
While the results from March planting dates looked good in 1999 and 2000, producers should not plant their soybeans too early. Early planted soybeans still have risks involved with late spring frosts and replanting may be necessary. In addition, the potential for bean leaf beetle feeding must be considered as later planting dates are a cultural practice to avoid seedling damage. For machinery management purposes, planting some soybeans a week or two before corn makes sense for the producer who typically finishes planting soybeans in June or for those who want to spread their workload and risks.
Paul Jasa
Extension Engineer
Agricultural professionals and growers can learn about risk management and crop insurance options at an upcoming workshop, "Managing Risk Under the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000." It will be held Tuesday, Nov. 28, at the Kearney Holiday Inn.
The conference is entitled: Managing Risk Under the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000: Helping You Help Your Farm Customers Through Challenging Times. Designed for crop insurance agents, lenders, commodity brokers, farm managers, crop consultants, financial advisors and growers, the meeting is designed to help professionals provide better risk management information and advice to their clients. After completing the workshop, participants will be able to:
| 7-8:30 a.m. | Registration and coffee |
| 8:30-9:15 a.m. | Understanding Farmer Risk Management Decision Making, Alan Baquet, district director of the NU South Central Research and Extension Center and joint author of USDA's "Introduction to Risk Management." |
| 9:15-10 a.m. | Implementation of New Crop Insurance Legislation, Ryan Weston, staff director of the Senate Sub Committee on Risk Management, Research and Specialty Crops. |
| 10:15-11:15 a.m. | Working with the Next Generation of Farmers, Dave Goeller, coordinator of the Beginning Farmer Program at the University of Nebraska |
| 11:15 a.m.-12:00 p.m. | Financial Analysis of Nebraska Farm Businesses, Terry Prokop, a consultant with the Nebraska Farm Business Association. |
| Lunch. | |
| 1:00-1:45 p.m. | Combining Crop Insurance and Pricing Tools, Art Barnaby Jr., professor of agricultural economics at Kansas State University |
| 1:45-2:45 p.m. | Serving the Risk Management Needs of Growers, a grower, crop consultant and financial consultant |
| 3:00-4:30 p.m. | Future E-Commerce Competitors for the Hometown Insurance Agency, Deenagh Steele, a principle with Altus Consulting, Anoka, MN, who specializes in Business Process Reengineering. |
The meeting is sponsored by the University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension in cooperation with National Crop Insurance Services. The registration fee is $65 by Nov. 17 and $90 after that date, including walk-ins. The fee includes handouts and lunch. To register, call (402) 472-1742 or write: Insurance and Marketing Update, Agricultural Economics Dept., Room 303 Filley Hall, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583-0922.
Faculty in the UNL Department of Entomology will be offering two distance education courses this winter which may be of interest to Crop Watch subscribers. The Good, the Bad and the Bugly: Entomology and Pest Management will be taught by Dr. Leon Higley, and Host Plant Resistance will be taught by Dr. John Foster. Both will begin in January.
The Good, The Bad and The Bugly is an eight-week course that presents the basics of entomology and pest management. It covers specifics of insect biology and identification, particularly as they pertain to practical questions. The pest management portion addresses the theory and practice of pest management, including issues such as management tactics, sampling, thresholds, pesticide properties, biological control, and environmental risk.
Who's it for?
This course would be helpful to farmers, pesticide applicators, crop consultants, co-ops, Extension educators, vocational agricultural instructors, science teachers, and college students. The course focuses on practical information for people with interests in agriculture and pest management who want to learn at home. You can enroll for three hours of college credit, or you can take it noncredit (Certified Crop Adviser [CCA] continuing education credits pending).
What you'll learn
When you finish these eight weeks, you'll be able to:
For more information visit the course web site or call IANR Communications and Information Technology toll-free at 1-800-755-7765.
Who's it for?
This course is for students of agronomy, biology, entomology, crop production, horticulture, plant pathology, weed science, and environmental studies. Science, biology, and agriculture teachers also will benefit, as will crop consultants, Extension educators, seedsmen, field and production agronomists and biotechnology specialists. Any one who wishes to learn more about the techniques, screening, development, and deployment of plants with genes for resistance to insects, plant pathogens, and herbicide tolerance can benefit.
What you'll learn
When you complete this eight-week course, you will have learned:
For more information visit the course web site or call IANR Communications and Information Technology toll-free at 1-800-755-7765.
Bob Wright
Extension Entomologist, South Central REC
While recent rains have been refreshing, soil moisture is nonexistent to quite limited in much of the state. All of Nebraska is still considered to be in a drought, ranging from first stage to extreme. To follow changes in the situation, check out the web site for the National Drought Mitigation Center, headquartered at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Irrigation resourcesA number of Cooperative Extension publications dealing with irrigation and water resource management are available from your local NU Cooperative Extension Office. Publications are divided into three categories: irrigation systems and development, irrigation operations and management, and irrigation wells and pumping plants. |
Irrigation pumps and motors
Wear and tear on irrigation pumps and motors can contribute to a gradual decline in water application efficiency that may not always be easily identifiable. Regularly recording the static and pumping water levels, output pressure, flow rate and energy use provides an excellent reference for evaluating pump performance. Without records, you may not be aware of how system performance has changed over time.
Each irrigation system should be equipped with a recently calibrated water meter, pressure gauge, and a means of monitoring the water level in the well (air line or a hole for an electric resistance probe). Gauges to monitor such variables as motor water temperature, oil pressure, revolutions per minute, and hours of operation should be maintained to provide a means for monitoring the system as well as shutting it down if it is not working at the appropriate level.
Other motor records should include hours of operation, oil and fuel use rates and engine operating temperature. Engine overhauls and part replacements are easier to plan for if hours of operation are recorded.
In the fall and in again in the spring, check control boxes, pipelines, the engine compartments, and exterior oil cooling coils for rodents. Also check all wire coverings which rodents may have damaged, creating the potential for electrical shorts. Corrosion also can contribute to wiring problems. A pre-startup check of all electrical connections will reduce the chance of electrical failure or personal injury.
Before the first irrigation next spring, check your owners manual and perform routine maintenance, including:
Some pump installations may not require all of these maintenance checks or they may require different or additional repairs. Check your owner's manual for what best suits your system.
Water distribution systems
The water distribution system, especially the drive tower tires, gear boxes and alignment panels, also need routine maintenance. Oil lubrication of the gear boxes is essential; bearings and seals should be checked regularly. Lubricating oil containing water, or steel filings can drastically increase the wear and tear. Drain any water out of the bottom of the gear box prior to each irrigation season. Refill gear box oil annually and replaced it after the first irrigation season and every 3000-4000 hours of operation thereafter.
With hydraulically driven systems, check for oil leaks. Oil distribution hoses degrade over time and should be closely inspected for severely worn or degraded areas. Ruptured hoses are costly in terms of oil spillage and present a safety hazard to operators. Rather than chance a breakdown, replace hoses that appear to be a hazard.
Most self-propelled systems have numerous moving parts that require lubrication. Begin each season with every grease receptacle and oil reservoir filled to the recommended level. All electric components should be sealed to prevent bugs, dust or rodents from damaging components, which could lead to system failure or personal injury.
Irrigation systems are equipped with safety switches designed to shut the system down under specific conditions. These switches normally include a low pressure shutoff, system alignment and over-watering safety, end gun control and automatic shutoff at the end of a revolution. Your system may include other switches. Test your system by running it and creating situations which should prompt the safety switches to shut the system down. For example, to test alignment control, start and stop the system several times while moving both forward and in reverse to determine if the system realigns itself. If not, determine why not.
Finally, many systems utilize on/off control of the end gun. This feature is used to accommodate roadways, farmsteads or other areas where irrigation is unwanted. The switch activates a solenoid valve to cutoff flow to the end gun. Pressurize the system and determine if the switch is functioning properly and check for a leaky solenoid valve.
Sprinkler nozzle wear depends on the quality of the water and the system operating pressure. Sprinklers will need to be replaced more often on systems operating at high pressure than those operating at low pressure. A walk by inspection of the system can identify sprinklers that are plugged, badly worn or not operating properly. Generally, plan to replace sprinklers after about eight to 10 years of use. Systems with extremely low water will experience problems sooner.
Walk-by inspections can indicate sprinkler maintenance needs, such as pressure regulator failure or non-operational sprinklers. Often these problems can go unnoticed during the irrigation season. Some problems can be seen from a distance while others will require more scrutiny to identify. For water to be applied uniformly, all nozzles or sprinklers must be functioning properly.
Bill Kranz
Extension Irrigation Specialist, Northeast REC
For more information on any of these meetings, contact Gary Hall, Extension educator in Phelps and Gosper counties, at (308) 995-4222.
Innovative Farms, Inc.Marty and Mary Manager, owners Innovative Farms, Inc. is a family owned and operated business. In 1994, we bought the farm from Marty's father, I.M. Manager. Currently, the farming operation consists of 480 acres. Our goal is to increase the size of our farming operation to 1,000 acres by 2005 in order to provide for the future needs of our family.
From the introduction to the sample business prospectus |
Previously neighbors told neighbors when producers were looking for land to rent and landlord/tenant relationships evolved. Today, however, with the increase in absentee landlords and increased farm sizes, producers may have to take a more aggressive approach in marketing themselves and their skills to landowners and potential landlords who may not know them well.
Developing a business prospectus for your farming operation is one of the best first steps to take. The business prospectus is a printed document (or perhaps, even a web site) that develops interest in you and your business abilities. It tells the story of your current situation, farming philosophy and goals for expanding your operation. With word processing and design programs available on many home computers, these documents may be designed to present an image of your unique operation. The prospectus can include photos of you, your family, and typical fields or equipment. (Such a prospectus may also be helpful in telling your story to your banker and farm consultants.)
In some instances, your prospectus may be the first impression your intended audience has of you. It should be visually appealing and professional looking.
The following information is excerpted from an NU Cooperative Extension publication, Preparing a Tenant Business Prospectus, EC 827. The publication also provides a sample business prospectus to give you a head start.
A mission statement is a brief statement about your beliefs and philosophies on farming and the basis for them. Goals and objectives tell what you and your family want to accomplish and how you plan to do it. This section could include your production, economic and environmental plans. Include the amount and type of land you wish to rent as well as a description of the rental arrangement you prefer. By explaining your mission and goals, you are explicitly sharing your motivations and values, and showing how they will influence how you would manage their property.
Provide a clear, concise picture of your operation. How much land are you currently farming? Renting? Discuss the crops you produce; provide yield histories to show both accomplishments and improvements; describe tillage practices, equipment and the benefits to the farm and/or environment. Explain how farming additional land will benefit your operation as well as the landlord.
Include information on any extra services you can provide such as marketing crops, mowing ditches and waterways, monitoring fields, etc.
Clearly describe your management strategies and philosophies. This helps potential landlords know that you've put some thought into your plan and how additional land would fit into it. Include information on your use of crop/production consultants and marketing the crop. A major part of your management strategy should be how and how often you plan to communicate with the landlord and what means you expect to use. This can help create a sense of trust in that they won't be left wondering about how the season is progressing.
List at least three references, their addresses, phone numbers, and their title or how you worked with them. Be sure to cite other landlords you've worked with. Also consider including your banker, crop consultants, or local agribusiness representatives.
Doug Jose
Extension Farm Management Specialist
In some parts of Nebraska, more than 60% of the cropland is rented. Share leasing is still the predominant arrangement in many areas; however, various forms of cash leasing are becoming more popular and now represent about 40% of the crop leases in the state.
When developing a lease a number of factors should be considered, including: land ownership costs, production costs, federal farm program benefits, the market value of crops and relative risk factors. These half-day crop rental agreement meetings will address current trends in rental agreements and the essential elements to consider when developing a fair and equitable agreement. Specific examples will be calculated for local conditions.
Speakers will include NU Extension farm management specialists: Doug Jose and Roger Selley.
Topics to be covered include:
This year some farmers will be ordering their seed on the internet while others are researching potential buyers for their niche products. Electronic commerce, also called E-commerce, is revolutionizing how producers and agribusiness enterprises market their products and research new opportunities. Learn more about it at Nebraska's first "E-Commerce in Agriculture" conference this January.
The conference will be held at the Holiday Lodge in Fremont Jan. 16 from 8:30 a.m to 4 p.m. Participants will be able to interact with local and regional agribusiness officials who are actively pursuing or currently involved in business ventures using electronic commerce. The conference will address the broad issues associated with E-commerce in agriculture as well as specific examples of how it will shape the future of agriculture. Several agribusinesses will be exhibiting at the conference.
For more information, contact Dave Varner, Extension educator in Dodge County, at 402-727-2775.
Nebraska's newest farmer driven organization, the Nebraska Agricultural Technologies Association (NEATA), will be sponsoring its first conference Feb. 7 at the Kearney Holiday Inn. The meeting will be from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
NEATA's goal is to facilitate development of a precision agriculture technologies support group throughout Nebraska. NEATA membership is open to farmers, agribusiness representatives and educators interested in learning about precision agriculture technologies and sharing their experiences with others.
For more information about joining NEATA or the upcoming conference, contact Extension Educator Dave Varner at 402-727-2775; Clay Center area farmer Lyle VonSpreckelsen, NEATA president; or Nickerson area farmer and crop consultant Jerry Mulliken, NEATA vice-president. To join the NEATA e-mail listserv and/or be added to their statewide precision agriculture mailing list, send your e-mail address and/or mailing address to dvarner1@unl.edu or Biological Systems Engineering, 202 L.W. Chase Hall, Lincoln, NE 68583-0726.
Corn/Soybean Expo: |
This year's series of Corn/Soybean Expos is adding a new twist to its program and getting participants involved with problem-solving situations. Like last year, the meetings will be set up with two targeted topic areas — production and marketing — hosted on two days a week apart at each of the program sites.
The production portion has been substantially changed this year and will include workshops on four main topic areas:
In each area, NU Extension speakers will present information and then participants will break into small groups to work on problems. Groups will then join to discuss and evaluate the solutions suggested. This format will allow presenters and participants to delve into the targeted areas in more detail. Extension presenters will include Alex Martin, Fred Roeth, and Gail Wicks, weeds specialists, Bob Klein, cropping systems specialist, Roger Elmore, crops specialist, and Lenis Nelson, crop variety specialist. Also speaking will be Dale Flowerday, crop consultant.
In the marketing portion of the program, NU Extension farm management specialists Doug Jose and Roger Selley will address seasonal price patterns, cash flow and risk management needs; crop insurance and grain forward pricing strategies, and post- harvest marketing decisions and basis patterns. Featured speaker will be Roy Smith, Nebraska farmer and marketing consultant, who will be discussing seasonal price variations and forward pricing strategies.
The focus of the program will be participating in a grain market simulation game. Using actual yields and prices and a case farm, participants will work through a production season where they are allowed to sell grain every two weeks. The program also will include Extension educators Keith Glewen and Dave Varner discussing the potential for on-farm research and how to get reliable and meaningful results.
Representatives of the Nebraska Corn and Soybean Boards also will make presentations. Notebooks with materials from each of the presenters as well as bonus articles on disease, insect and irrigation management will be included.
The Corn/Soybean Expos are conducted by NU Cooperative Extension and sponsored by the Nebraska Corn Board, Nebraska Corn Growers Association, the Nebraska Soybean Board, the Nebraska Soybean Growers Association, and Farm Credit Services of America.
CCA credits will be available.
Total U.S. wheat production is estimated at 2,239 million bushels in 2000, down 63 million from the previous forecast. Weather conditions were generally favorable as the crop matured during the summer. U.S. wheat yield is forecast at 42.1 bushels per acre, 0.6 bushel below last year and 1.1 bushels below the record established in 1998. Imports are forecast at 100 million bushels, compared with 95 million in 1999/2000. The U.S. wheat supply in 2000/01 is forecast at 3,289 million bushels, 50 million below last year.
USDA Economic Research Service
Hay stored outside will be damaged by rain, snow, wind and ice this fall and winter. The average round bale loses about one fourth of its original nutrients during storage, but these losses can be reduced to only 10% or 15%.
Do you usually line up bales so the twine sides touch each other or stack your bales? If so, extra spoilage will occur where these bales touch because rain, snow, and ice will gather in these spots instead of running off. Round bales butted end-to-end, cigar-like, usually have less spoilage.
Does snow drift around your bales? Round bales in east-west rows often have drifts on the south side. Hay next to fencelines or trees can get extra snow. And as snow melts it soaks into the bales or makes the ground muddy. Plus, the north side never gets any sun so it's slow to dry.
This year, line bales up north-and-south to get fewer drifts and to dry more quickly as sunlight and our prevailing winds hit both sides of the row.
Most important is the bottom of your bales. Always put bales on higher, well-drained ground so water drains from them. If necessary, use crushed rock, railroad ties, or even pallets to keep the bottoms dry. This also will reduce problems getting to your hay or getting it moved due to snow drifts or mud.
Bruce Anderson
Extension Forage Specialist
Yields were reported across the board. Dryland yields were a disaster — about 50% of what they should be. Irrigated fields produced a good crop and in some cases a great yield for both soybeans (60-75 bu/ac) and corn (200-220 bu/ac). The bottom line won't indicate the good crop when the fuel and irrigation costs are considered.
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