Crop Insurance, Rain, and Drought -Ed Kee, Extension Vegetable Crops Specialist; kee@udel.edu

 

Rain on Wednesday, July 24 and Thursday, July 25 has helped soybeans, lima beans, other vegetables and maybe even some late field corn.  However, seven weeks of no rain in much of southern Delaware has drastically hurt much of the corn.  It is questionable whether some fields of corn will even be harvested.

 

Jackie King, of The King Crop Insurance Agency writes, “Farmers that carry crop insurance must contact their crop insurance agent in the event of damage or loss to the insured crop as soon as they are aware of such damage.  For the 2002 drought situation, farmers must contact the agent for appraisals prior to the crop being destroyed, put to another use (for example: chopped for silage) or abandoned by the farmer.  Notice of loss for harvested acres must be given to the crop insurance agent when harvest begins per insured crop and completion of harvest per insured crop.  The best policy to follow is to stay in contact with your crop insurance agent concerning your farming operation.  With this type of year, communication is very important between the agents and the insured farmers.

 

 

Vegetables

 

Lima Bean Update -Ed Kee, Extension Vegetable Crops Specialist; kee@udel.edu

 

Dry weather has hurt stands on lima beans planted in late June and July.  Some fields have skips where dry conditions prohibited germination to the extent of causing as much as 1/3 reduction in total stand.  Early planted beans coming into blossom have also been hurt by dry weather and the heat.  Irrigated fields have fared better through this stress.

 

Broadleaf weed breakthroughs are evident in some fields.  Basagran at 2 pints will control emerged cocklebur, mustards, jimsonweed, common lambsquarter, and common ragweed.  They will suppress some morninglory species if they are small (less than ½ inch).  Basagran can be used with oil concentrate, but if temperatures are high, a nonionic surfactant should be used.  It is recommended not to spray when temperatures are over 90 degrees.  Lima beans can be sprayed when they have a fully expanded first trifoliate leaf and older.  It is important to scout the fields before the rows close for serious weed outbreaks when the weeds are small.  Basagran applications when the weeds are small will enhance control.   

 

 

 Vegetable Diseases -  Kate Everts, Extension Vegetable Pathologist, University of Delaware and University of Maryland;  everts@udel.edu

 

MELCAST for Watermelons.

From the University of Maryland and University of Delaware

Latest EFI values from local weather stations

Any questions please call (410) 742-8788

 

EFI Values (Environmental Favorability Index)

Do not use MELCAST if there is a disease outbreak in your field, it is a preventative program. 

Location               07/24/02     07/23/02     07/22/02     07/21/02     07/20/02     07/19/02     07/18/02     07/17/02

  Bridgeville, DE                2               0               4               4               2               0               0

  Charles Co.                    1               0               0               1               0               2               0

  Collins Farms                 3               1               3               4               2               2               0

  Galestown, MD              3               1               3               3               3               1               0

  Georgetown, DE             1               0               3               4               2               3               1               1

  Glenville, MD                  3               0               1               1               6               1               0

  Hebron                          3               3               6               4               3               2               1

  Hog Creek Rd.               2               0               2               3               0               0               0

  Salisbury, MD                3               0               3               4               1               3               1

  Vincent Farms               3               1               4               4               4               4               1

  Westminster                  3               0               0               0               3               2               0

  White Marsh                  3               0               1               1               7               1               0

  The first fungicide spray should be applied when the watermelon vines meet within the row.  Additional sprays

  should be applied using MELCAST.  Accumulate EFI (environmental favorability index) values beginning the

  day after your first fungicide spray.  Apply a fungicide spray when 30 EFI values have accumulated by the

  weather station nearest your fields.  Add 2 points for every overhead irrigation.  After a fungicide spray, reset

  your counter to 0 and start over.  If a spray  has not been applied in 14 days, apply a fungicide and reset the

  counter to 0 and start over.  The first and last day listed above can be partial days so use the larger EFI value

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