Volume 11, Issue 27
October 3, 2003
Volume 11, Issue 27
October 3, 2003
This is the Last Issue of Weekly Crop Update
for the 2003 Season
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2003 has not been an easy year for those of us in
Agriculture. We dealt with more than
adequate rainfall and cool temperatures.
Just as we thought things would dry out, more rain would set in. I hope the information that you received in ‘Weekly
Crop Update’ has been helpful and relevant.
As editor, I would like to express my sincere thanks to all
individuals that contribute to Weekly Crop Update. Thank you to our dedicated office
staff that help pull everything together each week, especially as we rush to
make the
We welcome your comments and suggestions for improvements to
‘Weekly Crop Update.’ Please feel free
to contact me at 302-856-7303, or wootten@udel.edu
As you may have noticed, my title changed in the middle of
the summer. On
I look forward to interacting with many of you during the
winter meetings. Best wishes for a safe and prosperous harvest season.
Kind Regards,
Vegetables
Vegetable Insects
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Cabbage.
Although the rain helped to reduce populations, we can still find DBM and an occasional cabbage looper and imported cabbageworm in fall cabbage fields. The treatment threshold is 5% of the plants infested. Avaunt (3.5 oz/acre), a Bt, Proclaim (3 oz/acre), or Spintor (4-5 oz per acre) will provide control of all 3 species. If cabbage looper and imported cabbage worm are the predominant species, a pyrethroid, Intrepid (8 oz/acre) or Confirm (8 oz/acre) will also provide control.
Spinach.
Before the hurricane, we saw an increase in webworm moth activity and egg laying. Small to moderate size garden and Hawaiian beet webworms can still be found. Although not as high as last season, we can also find beet armyworms in the mix. Fields should still be scouted for webworm and beet armyworm larvae. Controls should be applied when worms are small and before they have moved deep into the hearts of the plants. Also, remember that both insects can produce webbing on the plants. Confirm, Intrepid or Spintor will be needed for beet armyworm control. If webworms are the predominant species, Ambush, Pounce, Confirm (6-8 oz/acre), Intrepid (8-10 oz/acre) or Spintor (4-8 oz/acre) should be used.
Vegetable Crop
Diseases –
Nematodes in Veggies.
Fall is the best time to soil sample for nematode pests such
as root knot, lesion, and other plant parasitic nematodes. After fall harvest,
but before any fall tillage is done, take soil cores six inches deep between
plants in the row. Samples should be taken in the root zone of the old crop. Twenty cores/sample should be taken from random spots in the
field and placed in a plastic bucket gently mixed, and a pint of soil submitted
for analysis. Nematode test bags and instructions are available for purchase
from the
Fall Sanitation.
In vegetable production, it is not a good idea to leave old crop residue in the field any longer than necessary. If the crop is allowed to survive after harvest, fungi that cause many diseases continue to increase on the surviving plants. This allows higher numbers of the fungus to potentially survive until next season. Sanitation (plowing or disking the old crop) will help prevent pathogen carry-over.
Pumpkins.
I have seen several samples this week of fruit rots caused by Fusarium that produces round, rough, sunken spots on the sides and the bottom of the fruit. Fusarium fruit rot is more likely to occur during wet seasons. Little is known about how these Fusarium fungi (11 different Fusaria have been reported to cause fruit rot) infect cucurbit fruit. Fungicides have not provided much control of these because of the difficulty to cover the fruit effectively. Infection is thought to take place in the field and causes decay both in the field and post-harvest as well. Since many of the fruit rot Fusarium occur on corn as well, there maybe some correlation with increased incidence of fruit rot following corn in wet seasons. Phytophthora fruit rot is also beginning to appear following the heavy rains.
The Year in Review
– Vegetable Crops -
2003 has been one heck of a year! It actually started raining in the fall of 2002, and never really stopped. Twenty-five years ago, George Papen of Papen Farms told me he would rather “pump the water on, because he can’t pump it off.” While we all get tired of “blaming the weather,” there is no doubt that the wet and cool conditions experienced this year hurt yields, shortened the season, and created disease and quality problems across all crops. Each crop in each field is a biological system placed in diverse and sometimes harsh environment. That crop, or biological system, is definitely impacted by the conditions that surround it. In 2003, those conditions were adverse to the crop from the beginning. In fact, the determination and tremendous management exhibited by the growers as they coped with this situation was the only reason for any success at all. It was a major achievement to reach profitable production levels under the current cost/price squeeze in the face of further cost increases associated with bad weather.
There are some lessons that we can take from this. First is timeliness. The late Palmer Corey of Bridgeville told me
once that “the difference between a good farmer and a bad farmer is about three
days.” In other words, being ready to go
is the first step towards success. Here
are some observations about some of the vegetable crops grown in
Pickling Cucumbers – In general, yields were down 25-30%. Phytopthora, belly rot, and pythium were seen in fields, especially in or near wet spots. Growers who sprayed routinely experienced less problem with these diseases, although some plantings were sprayed in a timely manner, but four inch rains set the stage for disease development in spite of proper applications. Wet spots in themselves removed some acreage from many, many plantings. Crooks and nubs, which are non-paid culls, were higher because cloudy weather inhibits bee activity, less sunlight reduces good growth, and high soil moisture levels may leach nutrients, especially nitrogen.
Watermelons – The planting season was totally disrupted as transplants experienced the worst conditions in years. The bad start and continuing cool, wet weather put the harvest season back by two weeks, thus compressing the season. Wet and humid conditions created an ideal environment for many foliage and fruit diseases, thus driving spray costs higher. Despite this, yields in many fields were good, perhaps not as high as experienced in the past, but still decent.
Lima beans – Lima
bean harvest is in full-swing at this time.
In general, yields are decent, perhaps not record yields, but still at
profitable levels. Downy mildew has been
identified in some fields, but control measures seem to be effective.
All of the details associated with these crop issues will be
covered at the Delaware Vegetable Growers Meetings in early January, and in my
upcoming columns in ‘The Delmarva Farmer.’
Of course, you can always call your county agent or myself
with specific questions.
Field Crop Insects
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Small
Grains.
Although most folks tend to think about disease management, you should also consider slug management if you plan to plant no-till small grains. Combinations of heavy slug populations this past spring and early summer and wet summer conditions could result in significant damage in no-till small grain fields. In the past, we have seen significant damage when fall weather conditions are cool and wet and small grains are planted in a field with a history of problems and heavy crop residues. Although the growing point of small grains technically stays below the ground until tillering, continuous feeding can reduce plant reserves resulting in a significant reduction in tiller production and in some cases plant death. In the past, we have seen slugs kill the growing point and replanting has been necessary. If you look under corn stubble in recently harvested fields, slugs can be found under the surface trash. The best control option would be tillage. Tillage helps to lower the potential for damage because it removes the residue which provides a favorable slug habitat, and also assists by warming and drying the soil to encourage more rapid plant growth. However, if you are already committed to no-till planting, be sure to watch for feeding soon after plant emergence. Growers achieved the best slug control on corn this spring with the use of Deadline M-Ps broadcast at a rate of 10 lbs per acre with a cyclone spreader. This material is also labeled on cereal grains. It is important to calibrate the spreader so you are getting at least 5 pellets per square foot. In general slugs, stop feeding in 2-3 hours even though it may take them 2-3 days to die. If conditions remain extremely wet, slugs sometimes can absorb enough moisture to compensate for the water lost in mucus production so a second application may be needed. Trails End LG (3.5% metaldehyde) is also labeled on cereal grains.
Field Crop
Diseases –
Small Grains.
Be sure that you plant wheat varieties with high levels of disease resistance. Seed should be treated to protect them from loose smut and common bunt. Varieties that are susceptible to powdery mildew should be treated with Baytan or other seed treatment that will protect them from early infection.
Soybeans.
Do not ignore soybean cyst nematode. It is still present and
in spite of the wet season and good growth of soybeans this season, SCN can be
present in high numbers as well. The wet season has helped plants compensate
for nematode damage, which lulls growers into thinking that everything is fine
because they see no severe stunting. During wet seasons SCN numbers can
increase dramatically on susceptible varieties. Some late season
troubleshooting samples have shown that SCN was responsible for poor growth
(short plants) in some fields. Soil sampling after harvest before any fall
tillage is recommended for fields to be planted next season to soybeans
following this year’s crop. Soil sample bags are available from the
Grain Marketing Highlights -
New
Crop Soybean Prices Headed Higher.
With the weekly export sales report exceeding
trader expectations for
New crop corn futures are currently trading
at $2.21 per bushel and will remain in a sideways trading pattern until the
October 10th crop report is released. Early corn yields reported in the central
Market Strategy.
The old adage "buy the rumor - sell the
fact" applies to the current soybean market. This means that soybean
prices are currently bidding up based on trader expectations for a reduced
production estimate for the
New crop corn basis levels that are currently
(
Mark
Your Calendar.
The Grain Marketing Strategies Conference for
Fall Control of Perennial Weeds -
Fall is the most practical time to treat perennial weeds
because it is the time that plants are best able to move the herbicide to the
roots where it will do the most good and it is easier to get into the
field. When considering fall weed
control, the emphasis should be on what the patch of weeds will look like next
spring or summer not the amount of dead stems this fall. Also, it is important to consider that a fall
application will not eradicate a stand of perennial weeds; the fall application
will reduce the stand size or the stand vigor.
Fall applications of glyphosate is the most
flexible treatment for most perennial weeds such as artichoke, bermudagrass, Canada thistle, common milkweed, common
pokeweed, dock, hemp dogbane, horsenettle and johnsongrass. Rates
of 21 to 42 oz/A of Roundup WeatherMax or 1 to 2 qts/A Touchdown IQ are consistently the most
economical. Banvel
at 2 to 4 pints is also labeled for artichoke, bindweeds, dock, hemp dogbane, horsenettle, milkweeds, pokeweed or Canada thistle. (Planting small grains must be delayed after Banvel application 20 days per pint of Banvel
applied.) Allow 10 days after treatment
before disturbing the treated plants.
Fall herbicide applications should be made to actively growing
plants. Allow plants to recover after
harvest before treating them. Consider
the options of spot treating in a standing crop; keeping the combine header as
high as possible so the weeds are quicker to recover; or combining around the
weed patches and then spraying those patches immediately after harvesting. Weed species differ in their sensitivity to
frost; some are easily killed by frost (i.e. horsenettle)
others can withstand relatively heavy frosts. Check the weeds prior to application to be
sure they are actively growing.
Options for Harvest Aid Treatments in Soybeans
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A harvest-aid may be a consideration to dry down vegetation prior to harvesting to reduce foreign matter in the harvested grain. Gramoxone and glyphosate are labeled. Gramoxone can be applied to determinant type varieties after at least one-half of the soybeans have dropped their leaves; or indeterminant varieties when at least 65% of the pods are mature brown or seed moisture is less than 30%.