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In This Issue:
A) GMO Crop Production-Is There a Future?
B) 1999 First Year Corn Rootworm Survey Results and Observations
C) New Specialty Corn Web Site - the High Oil Corn (Hoc) Production &
Marketing Guide
D) Weather and Production Topics on Tap During Agronomy Meetings
E) Phosphorus and Potash Recommendations for Corn and Soybeans
Will a market exist for GMO crops? Do I need to segregate grain? What is my liability if a mistake occurs? Should I buy GMO seed for 2000? Farmers wanting answers to these important questions on the future of the GMO crops on their farm will want to attend an upcoming videoconference that can be seen at two Ohio locations. On November 23 from 10-1 a live broadcast with national experts can be seen at The Ohio State University's Marion and Lima Branch Campuses.
The video conference originating from Iowa will feature six experts answering the questions related to the market conditions, liability and how to approach next year's seed selection from the standpoint of GMO crops.
David Green, Greenhouse Communications will discuss the worldwide GMO situation and demand. Will full scale detection and segregation be common in the future will be discussed by Ron Moeller, from the National Oilseed Processors Association. Dr Neal Harl, Agricultural Law Expert from Iowa State University will discuss liability issue farmers need to be aware of. A panel of seed industry experts will discuss strategies to buying seed in 2000.
The program is being sponsored in Ohio by the Ohio Soybean Council and Ohio State University Extension. Reservation are needed and limited to the first 30 individual's at each site. Call the Fulton County Extension Office at 419-337-9210 or 1-800-686-9211 for reservations and room details for the two sites.
Visual observations and trap collections of both Western and Northern corn rootworm adults indicate an increase in adult corn rootworm activity compared to that of 1998. Rootworm activity declined in 1998, but field observations during the 1999 growing season indicate a revival of rootworm activity. Due to relatively low levels of adult rootworm activity in 1998, rootworm injury to corn caused by larvae feeding was often low this year.
A major corn pest problem spreading across Ohio is the first year corn rootworm (FYCRW), which is the new biotype of the Western corn rootworm that deposits eggs in soybean fields which subsequently impact first year corn. To address this problem, OSU Extension personnel cooperating with consultants and agri-business representatives have implemented annual statewide survey programs to evaluate the activity of adult rootworms in Ohio soybeans. In the program, Pherocon AM yellow sticky traps are deployed in soybean fields (at least 4 traps per site) on a biweekly schedule from mid-July through late August to monitor adult rootworm activity. The number of sites monitored in 1999 totaled 395 soybean fields.
Collection of an average of two or more WCR beetles per trap per day on a Pherocon AM trap in a soybean field is regarded as an indicator of potential economic injury by FYCRW on first year corn planted in the forthcoming season. Such levels of WCR activity are rarely observed in Ohio, but collections ranging from 0.5 to 2.0 beetles per trap per day indicate a presence of FYCRW activity that may warrant future attention.
Status of First Year Corn Rootworm Activity in Ohio
A summary of average catches of WCR adults per trap per day for the 1999 growing season is available at http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~ipm/fycr/fycr.htm and a comparison between 1998/1999 data is at http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~ipm/fycr/fycr6.htm. The catch for a given field site represents the average catch of adult WCR in four traps over a six week time period. The average catch for a county represents the total number of sites monitored in a given county.
It is important to note the range in WCR adult catches. Areas lacking FYCRW activity generally exhibit very low averages (less than 0.10). As FYCRW moves into a county, the average WCR catch begins to exceed 0.20, or one or more sites exhibit an average catch exceeding 0.50 WCR per trap per day.
Currently the range of FYCRW activity is assumed to range from Williams County down to Darke County along the Indiana border, and the eastern edge of activity may be drawn from Fulton County to the western side of Champaign County.
Soybean fields in thirty-nine additional counties were monitored during the 1999 field season. Two-thirds of the sites monitored had an average catch of less than 0.20 WCR per trap per day which is less than 10% of the threshold level of 2.0 WCR per trap per day which is regarded as an indicator of potential economic rootworm injury in first year corn following soybeans. Only one site in Henry County exhibited an average catch exceeding the level of 2.0.
A total of 395 sites were surveyed with the cooperation of Pioneer (113 sites), Ohio Agricultural Independent Crop Consultants (95 sites), Cyanamid (77 sites), OSU Extension (111 sites), and financial support from Dow AgroSciences.
High oil corn has received considerable attention years as an alternative to No. yellow dent commodity corn. High oil corn (HOC) acreage in the U.S. has increased from less than 50,000 acres in 1992 to over one million acres in 1999. High oil corn (HOC) contains 11/2 to 2 times more oil as well as higher quality proteins than normal yellow dent corn. It is attractive as a livestock feed because it has greater energy value than normal yellow dent corn and can replace more expensive dietary sources of fats and proteins.
Contract production of high oil grain may offer corn growers higher profits through premiums. Presently, the TopCross grain production system licensed by Optimum Quality Grains, L.L.C. is the most widely used method for producing HOC. Several companies are also marketing and developing nutritionally dense corns which contain higher oil levels along with higher protein and/or altered amino or fatty acid profiles. These nutritionally dense corns include the Supercede brand from Dow AgroSciences, and the NutriDense brand from Exceed.
If you are interested in learning more about high oil corn and nutritionally dense corn check out the web based OSU High Oil Corn (HOC) Production & Marketing Guide at http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~hocorn/
The purpose of this guide is to provide a comprehensive source of knowledge on the production, nutritional value, utilization, and marketing of high oil corn. This page includes links to current web-based information from agricultural universities, corn grower organizations, and agricultural industry. The guide can help growers answer questions concerning potential benefits and risks associated with HOC production, as well as provide end-users with information on the grain quality attributes and nutritional value of HOC.
Ohio farmers better keep their irrigation equipment handy. Drought-like conditions could continue through next summer's growing season, said Jim Newman, a consulting climatologist and Purdue University professor emeritus. Cool La Nina tropical water conditions in the eastern Pacific Ocean, believed to be related to this summer's drought in the eastern United States, are forecasted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to strengthen this winter and persist through the spring and early summer of 2000, Newman said.
Newman will discuss El Nino-La Nina episodes and other global climate factors affecting next year's weather during seven Regional Agronomy Meetings held throughout Ohio in December and January. The meetings are being presented by Ohio State University Extension, agriculture industry sponsors, the Ohio Soybean Council and the Ohio Corn Growers Association.
A westward and northern movement in drought conditions is expected through next summer, Newman said. Ohio was on the northwest edge of this summer's drought zone so would likely still be affected by the drought despite the zone's migration. Warm El Nino waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean tend to impact weather conditions in tropical latitudes of the Pacific Ocean and continental coasts and islands in the area. As the warm phase intensifies, its impact becomes more global, reaching higher latitudes in the subtropics and mid-latitudes. But, the cooler La Nina conditions that follow reach into higher latitudes. As a result, La Nina events are related to higher drought risks across the continental United States and Canada, Newman said. "Drought is easily the No. 1 natural disaster in terms of its potential impact on food production and supply," he said. A better understanding of how ocean surface temperatures influence global weather has allowed some modest success in predicting irregular weather events and seasonal weather trends, such as drought, Newman said. These advances have the potential to influence farm management decisions. "El Nino-La Nina conditions reoccur periodically on an average of every four to seven years," he said.
Herbicide carryover and other consequences of this summer's drought also will be discussed at the Regional Agronomy Meetings in areas of the state where concerns exist, said Greg LaBarge, agriculture and natural resources and community development agent at the Fulton County office of Ohio State University Extension.
"Through the meetings, we will provide a high-quality update of current research projects and issues facing the agronomic community in Ohio, both from a producer and commercial agricultural industry representative standpoint," LaBarge said. "We'll look at the potential for some new practices and overall try to help producers maintain a productive field crop enterprise."
Other topics that will be presented at all of the meetings are maximizing fertilizer dollars, herbicide resistance to acetolactate synthase (ALS) herbicides and timing post emergence applications, politics of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and adding value to grain through contracting.
Most of the meetings will discuss establishing management zones to better use inputs, soybean cyst nematode (SCN) management, phytophthora management, making the most of soybean inputs and control strategies for corn insects. Other local topics will be discussed on a site-by-site basis. People interested in attending should call the meeting host sites for a complete agenda, LaBarge said.
Preregistration for the meetings -- ending one week prior to the meeting dates -- is $15 per person and includes lunch, the program proceedings, and 1999 Corn and Soybean Trial information (if available). Registration at the door is $20, space permitting.
Meetings will run from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Private and Commercial Pesticide Applicator credits and Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) credits will be available, LaBarge said. The number of credits offered will vary by site.
Date, location and contact information for the seven Regional Agronomy Meetings are:
-- Dec. 8, Lima, Ohio State University Lima Branch, Reed Hall Auditorium; contact Dave
Jones, Allen County Extension, (419) 222-9946.
-- Dec. 9, Dayton, Arbor Hall; contact Steve Bartels, Butler County Extension, (513)
887-3722.
-- Dec. 10, Urbana, Champaign County Community Center; contact Barry Ward and Larry
Brockett, Champaign County Extension, (937) 652-2204.
-- Jan. 17, Newark, Licking County Joint Vocational School; contact Howard Siegrist,
Licking County Extension, (740) 349-6900.
-- Jan. 18, Wilmington, Clinton County Fairgrounds, Expo Center; contact Tony Nye, Clinton
County Extension, (937) 382-0901.
-- Jan. 19, Tiffin, Camden Falls Conference Center; contact Clark Hutson, Seneca County
Extension, (419) 447-9722.
-- Jan. 19, Mansfield, Richland County Fairgrounds; John Hartz, Activity Building and
Youth Hall, contact Maurus Brown, Richland County Extension, (419) 747-8755.
Most of us have already applied our fall fertilizer but we still receive questions about rates of phosphorus and potash fertilizers. One thing unique about these nutrients is that they are relatively immobile in the soil, and what a crop has not removed will accumulate (build-up) for future crops. Producers that have followed a good nutrient program may already have adequate P and K soil levels for year 2000’s crop. A soil test is the best way to estimate if P and K levels are in excess, adequate or deficient.
Soil P levels above 40 ppm (80 lb) would not need additional amounts for corn or soybeans. Phosphorus applications should match crop removal if soil levels are 15 – 30 ppm (30 – 60 lb). For corn, crop removal equals the yield goal multiplied by 0.35; for soybeans, crop removal equals the yield goal multiplied by 0.83. Between 30 – 40 ppm, amounts less than crop removal would be recommended depending on yield goals.
Potash (K) recommendations follow the same philosophy as P except consideration is given for soil cation exchange capacity (CEC). Since applied potash may be held more tightly by soils with high CEC, potash rates increase as the soil CEC increases. Regardless of CEC and yield goals, corn and soybean yields would not respond to additional K at soil K levels above 200 ppm (400 lb). Corn and soybeans grown on soils that have a CEC < 10 would not respond to additional K when the soil test level > 150 ppm (300 lb). The Tri-State Fertilizer Recommendations for Corn, Soybeans, Wheat & Alfalfa guide http://ohioline.ag.ohio-state.edu/e2567/index.html provides potash rates for corn and soybeans for various yield goals and soil CEC. Many private soil test labs have the capability to make recommendations from this guide upon request. If you are not sure whether a private lab follows these recommendations, a computer program using the tri-state recommendations may be downloaded at http://ohioline.ag.ohio-state.edu/software.
In summary, by understanding your soil tests, P and K rates may be reduced without lowering corn and soybean yields. This may be one way to lower input costs when prospects for corn and soybean prices are low.
Readers can subscribe electronically to this newsletter by sending an e-mail message
to: corn-out-on@postoffice.ag.ohio-state.edu.
A successful subscription message will receive by an automatic reply from the listserv.
Contact your local Ohio State University Extension Office or e-mail
Past versions of C.O.R.N. can be found on the World Wide Web at: http:/www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~corn/archive/
C.O.R.N. is a summary of crop observations, related information, and appropriate recommendations for Ohio Crop Producers and Industry. C.O.R.N. is produced by the Ohio State University Extension Agronomy Team, State Specialists at The Ohio State University and Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. C.O.R.N. Questions are directed to State Specialists, Extension Associates, and Agents associated with Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center at The Ohio State University.
Contributors to C.O.R.N. this week include: State Specialists: Anne Dorrance and Pat Lipps (Plant Pathology), Mark Loux (Weed Science) and Peter Thomison (Corn Production); District Specialist: Ed Lentz (Agronomy); Extension Agents: Barry Ward (Champaign), Steve Prochaska (Crawford), Larry Lotz (Fayette), Greg La Barge (Fulton), Gary Wilson (Hancock), Ray Wells (Ross), Clark Hutson (Seneca), Roger Bender (Shelby), and OSU Communications and Technology: Kyle Sharp.
Editor: Greg LaBarge Web Editor: Nathan Watermeier
Information presented above and where trade names are used, they are supplied with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by Ohio State University Extension is implied. Although every attempt is made to produce information that is complete, timely, and accurate, the pesticide user bears responsibility of consulting the pesticide label and adhering to those directions.
All educational programs conducted by Ohio State University Extension are available to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, gender, age, disability or Vietnam-era veteran status.
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Keith L. Smith, Director, Ohio State University Extension.
TDD # 1 (800) 589-8292 (Ohio only) or (614) 292-1868
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