Ag Answers 4/24/08

Ag Answers

Web site: http://www.aganswers.net .

4/24/08

Time to assess rapidly developing wheat

    Spring is here and that means it¹s time for Ohio wheat growers to head

to the fields to assess their crop in order to make timely management

decisions.

    Pierce Paul, an Ohio State University plant pathologist with the Ohio

Agricultural Research and Development Center, said that growers should first

assess the crop¹s growth stage. Growers concerned about the state of their

crop should also conduct a stand count in fields or sections of fields that

may exhibit problems.

    ³Growers want to go out and count the tillers in poor-looking areas of

their field. Fifteen tillers per-foot-of-row is considered minimum for an

economic crop,² Paul said. ³If growers faced issues with standing water in

fields, then a stand count becomes that much more important.²

    The number of tillers on the wheat determines yield potential, and

yields are reduced if tiller numbers fall below 25 per square foot after

green-up.

    ³Growers should then assess the crop¹s growth stage by pulling multiple

tillers in multiple areas in the field, stripping off the lower leaves and

looking for the first node,² Paul said. ³Growers need to identify the growth

stage because most of the critical management decisions with fungicide,

herbicide and insecticide applications all depend on specific growth stages.

    ³In general, herbicide applications should be made before the first node

develops. Remember, short-looking wheat does not mean that the crop is not

developing and advancing through the different growth stages. Growers who

rely on the height of the crop as an indicator of crop development may be

missing a critical growth stage for herbicide application.²

    Paul indicated that the wheat crop is greening-up rapidly throughout the

state.

    ³The crop is developing very fast and it looks great, especially when

compared to last year¹s crop,²  he said.

    According to the Ohio Agricultural Statistics Service, Ohio¹s wheat crop

is 90 percent in fair to excellent condition.

    ³In recent years we¹ve seen a decline in our wheat acreage. However,

increased acreage this year (over 1 million acres) is due largely because of

the high wheat prices,² Paul said. ³But if we get good yields on top of the

good prices, that will be a boon for wheat because it¹s such an important

part of our rotational system.

    ³If we don¹t have major disease concerns and if the grain fill period

isn¹t too warm to where it shortens the grain-fill period, then we should

have a bumper crop.²

    For more information on wheat management in Ohio, log on to the OSU

Extension Agronomy Crop Team Web site at http://agcrops.osu.edu .

    Ohio wheat growers produce some of the highest quality soft red winter

wheat sought after by millers and bakers in the nation. Ohio ranks fifth

overall among all winter wheat-producing states based on total production

and inventory, bringing in over $215 million to the state¹s agricultural

industry, according to the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

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Green menace returns to haunt ash trees in Indiana counties

    They're coming back and they're hungry for ash trees.

    Emerald ash borer, an invasive insect that feeds on North American ash

trees, will begin flying again in the state of Indiana in May. With the

re-emergence of this invasive pest, Purdue University experts are advising

ways people can help slow its spread.

    "One of the biggest issues we've seen with emerald ash borer (EAB) is

campers unsuspectingly spreading the insect by transporting firewood from

place to place," Purdue entomologist Jodie Ellis said. "It is of utmost

importance that firewood is purchased and burned completely at the camper's

destination."

    Beyond avoiding firewood movement, Indiana residents should be sure they

are following township and county wood quarantines.

    "In areas where EAB infestations have been confirmed, no ash products

should be moved out of the infested township," Ellis said. "In addition, no

ash products should leave the county either. These quarantines help slow the

insect from spreading into unaffected areas."

    Indiana currently has 17 counties with confirmed infestations, including

Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Elkhart, Hamilton, Huntington, LaGrange, Marion,

Noble, Porter, Randolph, St. Joseph, Steuben, Wabash, Wells, White and

Whitley. A large portion of Ohio that borders Indiana to the east now has

confirmed infestations as well.

    In some areas where emerald ash borer is confirmed, residents have faced

some additional challenges - including scammers.

    "We want to make sure consumers are educating themselves about their

options if emerald ash borer is found in their areas or on their

properties," Ellis said. "If someone knocks on your door and says you have

an infestation, make sure you do your homework before having the tree

treated or removed.

    "While the tree may appear to be infested with larvae under the bark,

it's important to realize that other non-harmful insect larvae live under

the bark of ash trees. This doesn't necessarily mean an EAB infestation is

present."

    Emerald ash borer is difficult to detect, and only trained professionals

will have that ability, Ellis said.

    "If you're not sure whether your tree is actually infested, call Purdue

Extension or the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and get an

expert's advice on how to proceed," she said. "If an infestation is

confirmed, you have more than one option. Although it might be a good idea,

you are not required to have that tree removed. In some cases an infested

ash tree can be treated and can recover."

    Purdue Extension can be reached by calling (888) EXT-INFO, or Ellis can

be contacted directly at (765) 494-0822, ellisj@purdue.edu. The IDNR has an

exotic species hotline where emerald ash borer information can be obtained

by dialing (866) NO-EXOTIC (663-9684).

    Additionally, Purdue's emerald ash borer Web site with up to date

information can be found at http://www.entm.purdue.edu/eab. The site also

contains a link to the page in Spanish.

    Since its discovery near Detroit in 2002, emerald ash borer has

destroyed millions of ash trees in 7 states, thousands of which have been in

Indiana.

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Researcher deepens understanding of soil science, hydrology

    From India to Indiana and the Mideast to the Midwest, Rabi Mohtar's

water and soil land-use models encourage conservation of natural resources

and allow people to make informed decisions about development.

    According to colleagues, Mohtar, a Purdue University professor of

agricultural and biological engineering, created the first comprehensive

model to link all the components of grazing systems. He also currently leads

an effort to establish an environmental research center in Qatar, has done

extensive work with water conservation in Tunisia and led major water and

natural resources initiatives in India, Jordan, France and the Palestinian

regions of Gaza and the West Bank.

    For his multifaceted research and dedication to the conservation of

environmental and natural resources and sustainability at a global level,

among other contributions, Mohtar will be presented with the 2008

Agricultural Research Award from the Purdue College of Agriculture.

    Mohtar's grazing simulation, called GRASIM (GRAzing SIMulation model),

predicts not only water flow, but also the amount and nutritional quality of

plant matter, effects of different human activities and levels of leached

nutrients. By simplifying the complex, the model helps students and others

gain a better understanding of the pasture system and determine management

strategies that lead to increased productivity, said Don Jones, colleague

and professor of agricultural and biological engineering.

    "As anyone who has written computer programs and models can attest, it

takes almost as much time to make a model accurate as it does to make it

usable to those uninvolved with its development," Jones said. "At present,

GRASIM is used by researchers, farmers, advisers and county educators across

the United States and in several foreign countries."

    Mohtar also developed a model that uses a unique paradigm to better

understand the flow of water, nutrients and contaminants across different

spatial scales. The model, Kamel®, has been adopted by one of the largest

agronomic modeling projects in Europe and is expected to significantly

influence future scientific and agricultural policy, Jones said.

    "I am passionate about models because they are the best way to convey

complex processes," Mohtar said. "They help to teach students but also

assist people - from farmers to policy-makers - in making the best land-use

decisions."

    Mohtar, born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon, learned to love the outdoors

on weekend visits to the family farm in the mountains outside the city. He

won a competitive scholarship to attend the American University of Beirut,

completing a bachelor's and master's degree in agricultural engineering in

1985.

    After a stint managing a large Lebanese farm, he won the Hariri

Fellowship and continued his studies in the United States at Michigan State

University. There, he completed a master's degree in civil and environmental

engineering and a doctorate in agricultural systems management. After two

and a half years as a researcher at Penn State, he came to Purdue.  In 1996

Mohtar became an assistant professor at Purdue.

    The Agricultural Research Award is given annually to a researcher in the

Purdue College of Agriculture who has completed a doctoral degree within the

past 15 years. The recipient is chosen on the basis of research excellence

and contributions made to agriculture, natural resources and the quality of

life for Indiana citizens.

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Purdue and Ohio State agriculture events

April 29:  Fish Cleaning Workshop

Connersville, Ind. (765) 825-8502.

April 30:  Fish Cleaning Workshop

Bloomington, Ind. (812) 349-2575.

May 1:  Indiana Master Naturalist Program

Vincennes, Ind. (812) 882-3509.

May 1:  Fish Cleaning Workshop

Crawfordsville, Ind. (765) 364-6363.

May 3:  2008 Beginning Beekeeping Series: Working With Bees in the Field

Greenfield, Ind. (317) 462-1113.

May 8:  Indiana Master Naturalist Program

Vincennes, Ind. (812) 882-3509.

May 12: Operating an Efficient Farmers¹ Market

Greencastle, Ind. (765) 494-9812.

May 15:  Indiana Farm Sustainability Tour- E-Marketing

Vermillion County, Ind.  (812) 886-9582.

May 15:  Indiana Master Naturalist Program

Vincennes, Ind. (812) 882-3509.

May 16: Operating an Efficient Farmers¹ Market

Bedford, Ind. (765) 494-9812.

May 18-21: DISCOVER Conference on Food Animal Agriculture

Nashville, Ind. (217) 356-5146.

May 19-20: Discovery Park Energy Center Biofuels Symposium 2008

West Lafayette, Ind. (765) 494-2758.

May 22:  Indiana Master Naturalist Program

Vincennes, Ind. (812) 882-3509.

June 14:  2008 Beginning Beekeeping Series: Preparing for the Harvest

Fortville, Ind. (317) 462-1113.