A UVM blog Out Croppings: Important crop news from the field!

Wednesday, July 7, 2010
2:00pm to 4:00pm

48 Sayward Lane, Willsboro, NY
(just past Willsboro Central School on the right)
Google Map
Admission is free and open to the public
Research projects featured: Grass biofuel production, Season extension using high tunnels, Nutrient management, Tillage practices, and soil health, Organic grain production, Double Cropping forages, Heritage wheat trials, Cold hardy wine grape variety trial
For more information call 518-963-7492

Monday, July 19, 2010, 11:00-3:00 pm, The Beidler Family Farm, Randolph Ctr, VT
Unwilling to rest on past successes,Brent and Regina Beidler continually seek innovative ways to address common farming challenges such as limited growing seasons, production of a single commodity, nutrient management and pasture compaction. This field day will highlight some of the farm activities to manage these challenges, including grazing season extension through the use of Japanese millet and brassicas, pasture compost application, growing small grains such as spelt and oats for sale and bedding, and use of a Keyline plow. We’ll also have demonstrations of spelt hulling and a newly-completed solar tractor. After lunch, the group will visit several experiments hosted at VTC including UVM organic corn and pasture species trials, and a UVM graduate student experiment undersowing spring wheat with red clover to address Fusarium head blight.
COST: $10 to attend. Lunch provided by the NOFA pizzamobile. Please register by July 9.
DIRECTIONS: The Beidler Family Farm is located off I-89 Exit 4, travel east 1/2 mile toward
the entrance to VT Technical College. Take a right at the VTC entrance, and then a left onto South Randolph Road, just before VTC’s Red Schoolhouse. The farm is 1 mile on the left, after the VTC orchards. 823 South Randolph Road, Randolph Center, VT. (802) 728-5601.
QUESTIONS? Jenn Colby, (802) 656-0858, www.uvm.edu/pasture

Sponsored by:
The Pasture Program at the UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture, UVM Extension NW Crops & Soils team, Northeast Organic Farming Association of VT, VT Technical College, and the UVM Plant & Soil Science Department

Dr. Heather Darby, UVM Extension

Download a PDF version of this article.

Armyworm damage has been reported in Maine. Please don’t panic, but do go out and scout your corn and grass fields for armyworms. When full grown, the caterpillars can be almost 1.5 inches long. The caterpillars are usually greenish or brownish, but can be almost black. The sides and back of the caterpillar have light colored stripes running along the body. The caterpillars normally feed at night and much damage can occur before they mature. The preferred foods are grasses including corn, grains, and timothy. They will feed on other plants if grasses are unavailable. Feeding will start on the lower leaves and move upwards. A large population can strip an entire field in just a few days. When the field is eaten they “march’ to adjacent fields. Corn fields that are minimum or no-tilled into grass sod or fields infested with grass weeds are most susceptible. For more information on scouting and control options please contact Dr. Heather Darby at the University of Vermont Extension at (802) 524-6501.

Dr. Heather Darby, UVM Extension

Download a PDF version of this article.

Continuous wet weather over the past 3 years presumably has led to a rise in slug populations. Slugs are a problem associated with fields with high amounts of crop residues. They like moist and cool conditions and primarily feed on crops after dusk and through the night. It is rare to see slug damage on hay and corn crops but over the last 2 years we have heard of several cases where field crops have been annihilated. You may not notice the slugs in the field during the day it is “the undercover crop pest”. They hide under residue and soil clods during the day and wait for the coolness of the night and crawl out to eat your crops. They leave a trail of slimy silvery white goo on the plants and the soil. The most typical species causing devastation to field crops is the grey garden slug (Deroceras reticulatum). Other less common species include the dusky slug (Arion subfuscus) and the marsh slug (Deroceras leavae). These slugs are common sights in corn and soybean fields, but not known to cause economic damage to field crops. Their damage looks as is hail has shredded the corn plants and eventually if the populations are high enough they eat entire plants. Generally fields that have high residue such as no-till and heavy weed populations are more likely to become inundated with slugs. Some plants can withstand 10 or more slugs per plant but others are more susceptible. Higher populations may warrant control or you can pray that it dries out. Certain management practices like tillage on a regular basis may help to reduce slug populations. Another management consideration is to alter planting dates prior to when slugs begin their heavy feeding or delay planting to when the soil has warmed and the slug populations have decreased.
Control of slugs with a pesticide is often difficult due to the slug’s ability to shed slime, simultaneously shedding the toxins.
For more information on scouting and control options please contact Dr. Heather Darby at the University of Vermont Extension at (802) 524-6501.

Dr. Heather Darby, UVM Extension

Download a PDF version of this article.

The corn crop is off to a good start this season. Many fields are at the stage of rapid nutrient uptake. A key decision that needs to be made by farmers is whether additional nitrogen should be applied to meet the crop’s need for the remainder of the season. The PSNT is one of the best tools available to gauge if supplemental nitrogen is needed. This test offers a diagnostic method for evaluating the nitrogen supplying capacity of the soil just prior to the plants period of greatest N demand. Corn plants begin their greatest uptake of N around the 5th leaf stage, or when the plants are approximately 12 inches tall at the center of the whorl. In contrast to traditional soil tests, the soil sample is collected from the top 12 inches of soil when corn plants are approximately 12 inches tall or at least one week before planned sidedressing. Growers who apply animal or green manures to their fields are especially likely to benefit from the PSNT. The organic matter in manure contributes nitrogen that is not well accounted for by other soil test methods. For assistance in collecting samples for PSNT testing contact your local extension specialist. Although the PSNT is one of the best tools we have to measure available nitrate it is not without short falls. The reliability of results from this testing procedure is heavily dependent on making sure the samples are collected, handled, and processed correctly. Even if sampling, handling, and processing are done correctly, the reliability of this test when values are low is sometimes questionable. If the values are high–greater than 25 ppm–then the odds are good that no additional N will be needed for the crop.

As Part of the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund’s ongoing Vermont Biofuels Initiative and UVM Extension’s research, a tool was developed intending to help farmers determine their total cost of production for oilseeds and oilseed products (e.g. meal, oil, biodiesel.)  The tool also allows the user to determine a potential profit based on assumed market pricing for these products.  Summary results are provided as reference and are based on either compiled Vermont oilseed grower data or other published data from other parts of the USA.  Whenever possible, the user should carefully review their own specific data to arrive at the entered information.  Click here for more information and to download a copy of the excel workbook.

Thursday, July 8th from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm
Tamerlane Farm, 2586 Pudding Hill Rd Lyndonville, VT

Download a brochure for this workshop (pdf).

Tamerlane Farm is a diverse dairy, livestock, vegetable and grass-fed beef operation in Lyndonville, VT.  Milk is produced for Organic Valley/CROPP Cooperative and they supply beef and vegetables to their family-ownedrestaurant, Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital, St. Johnsbury School and Lyndon Institute. They also run a small composting operation where 5 tons of food waste per week from area schools, stores and restaurants is diverted from landfills, mixed with wood chips and manure and is converted to screened compost.  They worked with NRCS to develop a Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan for the 420 acres they farm, and have been certified organic since 2003.
The Paris’ feed their cows a low-grain diet combined with high quality forages. They practice the hay in a day system and grow high energy grains as a complement to the high-protein pasture. We will tour their double cropping system of barley and turnips for late season grazing, the pastured poultry system as well as their vegetable gardens.
This workshop is Co-sponsored by NOFA-VT, UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture’s Pasture Program, the Vermont Grass Farmers Association and the Organic Valley Farmers Advocating for Organics Program.
Cost: $10
Lunch will be provided by the NOFA pizza oven.

For more information or to register by June 30th,  please contact: Heather Darby or Amanda Gervais

Phone: 802-524-6501

Directions: From Interstate 91 take exit 23 for US-5 toward State Route 114/Lyndonville/Burke.  Turn Right at US-5 N/Memorial Dr.  Continue to follow US-5 N.  Turn left at Center St.  Turn right to stay on Center St.  Take a slight left at VT-122 N/Gilman Rd.  Take the first right onto Pudding Hill Rd.  Farm will be on the right.
*If you require accommodations to participate in this program, please let our office know by June 24th so we may assist  you.
UVM Extension helps individuals and communities put research-based knowledge to work.
Many thanks to our sponsors for their generous support and contributions!

Emergence Problems Plague Vermont Corn Fields
Dr. Heather Darby, UVM Extension

Download a pdf version of this article.
It was a great spring for planting. The conditions were dry and many folks were able to get their corn planted by mid-May. However, dry and cool conditions during planting have resulted in a number of corn fields with less than optimum germination. These stand losses could translate into yield loss at harvest time.
I have been asked by many, what is the penalty for uneven emergence?  Uneven stands will lower yields compared to stands where all the plants look the same. The later emerged corn is at a competitive disadvantage because it must compete with larger plants for moisture, sunlight, and nutrients. The amount of loss from uneven stands or reduced stands is difficult to estimate.  Studies from the Midwest indicate a 6% grain yield loss if a quarter of the plants emerge 1 week later.  A 17% yield loss can be expected if plants emerge 2 weeks later.  If the stands were filled in at this time the yield difference will only be 7%.  A 3 week emergence delay will decrease yields greater than 20%.  In some cases the corn will not emerge at all and yield losses will be higher than from uneven emergence. In fields with losses of ¼, ½, and ¾ of the stand, grain yields will be reduced by 10, 30, and 50% respectively. There have been no studies conducted to measure potential silage loss in uneven or reduced stands.
There are many factors that influenced corn seed germination this spring. Corn needs uniform soil moisture and temperature for rapid, uniform germination and emergence. The most likely culprits of uneven emergence and stand loss were the dry and cool soil! If the soil is too dry at planting, seedlings will emerge at different times.  The emergence times can vary between sections of the field, within rows of the field, and from one plant to the next. The primary factors that influence soil moisture in a field are differences in soil type or topography.  However, I think this year the biggest cause of moisture variation was from secondary tillage passes.  Secondary tillage will impact soil moisture because it will unevenly distribute moist and dry soil particles.  The more tillage trips before planting the more the soil would have dried out.  Many farmers plant corn at a 2 inch depth to ensure seed has adequate moisture to germinate. This year this depth may have been too dry as well. Crops that were seeded shallow would have been a greater risk for poor emergence.
Uneven soil temperature may also contribute to reduced or uneven emergence.  Corn will germinate and emerge slowly and unevenly when soil temperatures are less than 50F. Uneven soil temperatures in the seed zone can also be caused by variable soil type, drainage, seed depth control, and surface residue cover in reduced tillage systems. This year many farmers tried no-till and/or zone-till systems to reduce fuel costs. Uneven residue coverage in these systems causes lower soil temperatures under heavier cover than under barer spots in the field.  It is possible we also experienced uneven seeding depths due to the well worked soil.
Although it maybe too late to replant or fill in the stand, we will hope for an excellent growing season that will bring the existing corn stands to maximum yield potential.

Monday, June 21 from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm
Windfall Acres
Highgate, VT

Download a brochure (pdf)
Interested in integrating reduced tillage into your cropping system? Come and learn from Joel Myers from the Pennsylvania No-Till Alliance about his tried and true strategies for successful reduced tillage. Joel will discuss advantages and disadvantages of no-till, zone till, and strip till. He will also talk about how to integrate cover crops into these systems. Co-sponsored by The Friends of the Northern Lake and USDA NRCS.

Joel  is currently serving as the technical coordinator for the Pennsylvania  No-Till Alliance . He coordinates no-till activities and frequently speaks on various no-till topics and discussions on the transitions necessary to move into continuous no-till systems.

Joel is a well informed speaker.  He has attended the last eleven National No-Till Conferences and the Mid Atlantic CCA conference .  He has also served SCS and NRCS for thirty nine years and was the Pennsylvania State Agronomist for fifteen years.

Brian Jerose will speak for Friends of Northern Lake Champlain about fall and spring  projects on farms in Rock River and St. Albans Bay watersheds.   These projects used state grant funding to improve water quality and soil quality on farms in these watersheds, and to serve as demonstration projects for other farmers.

Lunch will be provided by the NOFA pizza oven.

For more information or to register by June 16th,  please

contact:  Heather Darby or Amanda Gervais

Phone: 802-524-6501

Directions: From Interstate 89 take exit 20 and travel north on VT Route 207 (Highgate Rd) for 7 miles.  Turn right onto VT Route 78.  Travel east on VT-78 for 1.7 miles.  Take a slight left onto Franklin Rd, travel for 2.2 miles.  Continue onto Browns Corner Rd for .7 miles.  Turn right onto Durkee Rd.  Windfall Acres is on the left.

UVM Extension helps individuals and communities put research-based knowledge to work.

Many thanks to our sponsors for their generous support and contributions!

Natural Resources Conservation Service
Friends of Northern Lake Champlain
University of Vermont Extension
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education

Lots of exciting workshops are cropping up this summer.  Our 7th annual NW Crops and Soils Field Day is on August 5th, be sure to mark it on your calendar, there’s something for everyone! Click here to download a detailed list of the workshops and events we have planned for this growing season.