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Between the Rows - July 21, 2010 (Ohio, Indiana, Illlinois)

 

Ohio
Recent rains and stormy weather may spell trouble for Ohio vegetable producers. Late blight and downy mildew - diseases that attack tomatoes, potatoes and vine crops such as cucumbers and squash - have been confirmed in Ohio.

“What’s different this year is that both diseases have appeared in Ohio earlier than we have seen before,” said Sally Miller, a vegetable pathologist with Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC).
If left unmanaged, both downy mildew and late blight - which are transmitted via spores - can result in complete destruction of crops. Recent rainy and stormy weather most likely created favorable conditions for these diseases to show up in Ohio, since their spores are carried by winds and they thrive in wet environments.

“People need to be on the alert for these diseases and prepare for their possible arrival on farms or gardens,” Miller said.

Despite the recent spells of rains and storms, as of July 11, the National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) reported that rainfall for the Buckeye State was slightly below normal and fields are continuing to dry out, providing more time for fieldwork. That was good news for hay producers, who have had favorable conditions for cutting and baling.

NASS reported 172 modified growing degree days, which was 14 days above normal. These extra growing degree days have helped to boost corn tasseling to 44 percent, compared to only 10 percent in 2009 and 12 percent on the five-year average. Additionally, soybean bloom is 20 percent ahead of 2009 numbers and 8 percent ahead of the five-year average.

Winter wheat ripening is also ahead of schedule with 99 percent ripe, compared to 92 percent last year and 95 percent on the five-year average. However, there have been widespread reports of vomitoxin present in the crop.

By Jane Houin
Ohio Correspondent

Indiana
The Fourth of July came and went in a flurry of fireworks and picnics, taking with it the old adage that corn should be knee-high by the Fourth. For the most part, this year’s crop was at least as high as an elephant’s eye by that date and soaring.

According to NASS, 62 percent of the corn has silked compared with 10 percent at this time last year. Likewise, 48 percent of the soybeans are blooming compared with 11 percent last year. Nine percent of the soybeans are setting pods while at this time last year, none of them were. Emergence and growth of late planted soybeans were aided by last week’s sporadic showers.

By this time, 94 percent of the winter wheat has been harvested - up from 79 percent last year but with continued reports of vomitoxin and low test weights in some areas - and 51 percent of the second cutting of alfalfa has been baled, up from 56 percent last year.

Hot, dry conditions are challenging major field crops. Scattered showers at the end of last week alleviated that somewhat, but as temperatures continue in the 90 degree F. or higher range, topsoil continues to dry quickly. Aerial applications of fungicides are being made to corn and in many areas irrigation systems are running full-time. Pasture conditions are rated 70 percent good to excellent, the same as last year. Livestock were under some stress from the heat but remain in mostly good condition - a boon to 4-H club members either busily showing at their county fairs or preparing their animals for show.

NASS reports last week’s major activities included harvesting wheat, baling straw, cutting hay, applying herbicides, certifying crops with FSA, mowing roadsides and ditches and taking care of livestock.
Mark Kepler, Purdue Extension Educator in Fulton County, sounds an alert for additional activity. “Fair week and green June bugs are synonymous for me,” he said. “And it’s also time for the arrival of Japanese beetles.”

While the two insects belong to the same family and tend to look shiny, the June bug is more than twice the size of a Japanese beetle. Commonly found in crops where animal manure was used for fertilizer and also in compost heaps, the June beetle crawls on its back. Its damage pales in comparison with the damage Japanese beetles. Eradication of the latter can be complex. Local extension educators, however, have tips that will facilitate that removal.

By Ann Allen
Indiana Correspondent

Illinois
Although producers were able to spend a good amount of time in the fields last week, with 4.9 days suitable for fieldwork, hot weather could put soybean and corn crops at risk, said AccuWeather.com Ag Meteorologist Dale Mohler.

Soybeans experience their greatest need for moisture in August, when they are in the pod-filing stage, Mohler said.

On July 19, The AccuWeather.com website is showing above normal temperatures and above normal precipitation for the next 6-10 days, with thunderstorms predicted for July 22-23. Mohler said temperatures are predicted for the high 80s this week after mid-90s last week.

The Illinois Field Office of the NASS said temperatures the week of July 5-11 were anywhere from 1-5 degrees above normal. Precipitation ranged from 1-2 inches throughout the state.
The NASS said producers have been busy spraying soybeans and corn, finishing up the wheat harvest and beginning to plant double-cropped soybeans where they could. It appears that even though AccuWeather.com suggests crops may be at risk from the heat, they have not yet been affected. The weekly NASS report states that the highest percentage of corn, soybean, sorghum and alfalfa are in the good range, with single digit percentages in the poor or very poor ranges.

By Deborah Behrends
Illinois Correspondent

7/21/2010