West Central Ohio Crop & Weather Report

Champaign Report of July 23rd

2008-07-24T16:54:00.000-04:00

I ran through my scouting sites last night and took a quick look. Here are my observations:
1 - Crops are looking better as we have dried out somewhat and soybean roots are getting some air.
2 - Insect levels are low. I saw no aphids in soybeans, did see a few Japanese beetles but they are doing only isolated damage along the grass waterways and field borders. There are some Bean leaf beetles but they are eating little.
3 - We do have some Sudden death syndrome (SDS) showing up in early planted fields. I saw ONE Frogeye leaf spot lesion - very low levels compared to last year. From my perspective we actually have lower levels of Septoria brown spot in fields this year compared to last year - Anne Dorrance OSU Plant Pathologist says "it's too cool for development".
4 -In corn we are at or past pollination in many fields. There is/was little Japanese beetle silk clipping. The only disease I see is a very little bit of rust. I see no GLS or NCLB. If you have susceptible hybrids now is the time to check for movement to and above the ear leaf.
5 - I will be putting out First Year Corn Rootworm traps Friday.

Shelby Crop Report - July 24

2008-07-24T16:51:00.001-04:00

Rain totals of .4 to .6 in of rain were welcomed by most folks this week

Corn: All early planted corn pollinated in near ideal conditions. Relatively cool temperatures and adequate moisture should provide decent pollination opportunities in the near future for later planted corn. During our fair, producers expressed cautious optimism despite significant problem areas within many fields.

Soybeans: Early planted soybeans are well into the R-3 stage. All fields have benefited to recent drying conditions. Poor weed control continues to plague numerous fields.

Wheat: Wheat harvest is done with yields ranging from the upper 60's to one field reported at 105 bushels per acre. Most folks are reporting averages in the upper 70's and lower 80's but a few note averages in the lower 90's. Quality was generally good with test weights in the upper 50's. Some of the later harvested fields this week were lower in grain quality. Straw was abundant in most fields, resulting from the unusual 6-10" growth spurt occurring after heading this year.

Forages: Harvest of 2nd cutting continues with yields and quality excellent. Several third cutting stands are coming on strong.

Integrated Pest Management: Japanese beetle reports are abundant but none have been reported at treatable levels. No treatable levels of silk clipping beetles were heard of and no insect infestations above threshold levels have been noted. Weed control concerns are obvious in many later planted soybean fields.

Crop Report From Logan County, Ohio

2008-07-24T14:07:00.001-04:00

Rainfall: Received 3.0 inches in last week.

Weather Conditions: Temperatures; lows in the low 60’s and highs in the lower 90’s.

Corn: The early planted corn at VT to R1 growth stage and late planted fields are at V14-V18 growth stage. Corn growth has been rapid and crop conditions have improved somewhat; although, the taller crop has hidden the areas that have shorter plants due to wet soil conditions earlier in growing season.

Soybeans: Soybeans are at R1 to R3 growth stage. Weed issues continue to be prevalent in many fields due to wet field conditions and timing of glyphosate applications.

Wheat: Wheat harvest is complete. Reported yields were 50 – 80 bu/Ac.

Forages: Second cutting of legume hay has been completed. There has been significant interest from producers to improve their hay fields next month by inter-seeding or completely re-establishing some forage stands.

IPM: Two traps for the Western Bean Cutworm were established in the county and one moth has been caught to-date. Three soybean fields have first year corn rootworm beetle traps established to monitor the corn rootworm beetle activity. Japanese beetles are very active this summer and there has been significant feeding on soybeans, but no treatments have been required.

Auglaize Crop Report from John Smith, AgNR

2008-07-23T15:59:00.000-04:00

Weather: Weather (high 70s and low 80s) has cooperated with farming the last few days with .2 to .5 inch of rain.

Corn: Fifty percent of the area is tasseling and silking. Many stalks putting on two ears. In both corn and soybean fields there are bare spots or stunted areas where water stood for an extended period.

Soybeans: Most of the soybeans are in the R2 stage.

Wheat: Wheat is harvested and much of the straw that is going to be baled is already baled.

Forages: Second cutting alfalfa is mostly made and third cutting is growing very well.

Soil Moisture: Soil moisture is adequate. We could use a half inch to one inch of rain each week at this point.

Shelby County Crop Report

2008-07-18T09:41:00.003-04:00

Heavy rains last weekend delayed harvest activity early this week which has now resumed in earnest. Great weather this week for baling, wheat harvest wrap up and plant growth.

Corn: Much of the early planted corn is now pollinating. Some of the latest planted corn is less than 12 inches tall. Some shoulder high corn had to be side dressed with a high boy due to earlier wet ground conditions. Although the crop overall looks much better, several producers have reminded us that there are poor areas hidden within taller corn in many fields.

Soybeans: Growing conditions have vastly improved although many fields still suffer from wet soils. Without question, some fields will suffer from poor weed control through harvest.

Wheat: Yields were across the board with reports ranging from the upper 60's to one field reported at 105 bushels per acre. Most folks are reporting averages in the upper 70's and lower 80's but a few note averages in the lower 90's. Quality was generally good with test weights in the upper 50's. Some of the later harvested fields this week were lower in grain quality.

Forages: Harvest of 2nd cutting is well underway and quality is good. Regrowth of fields that were harvested late for first cutting has been rapid.

Integrated Pest Management: Weed control is still playing catch up in all too many soybean fields. Japanese beetle populations are evident but no reports of treatment has been reported.

Miami County Crop/Weather for Week of July 13

2008-07-18T09:29:00.003-04:00

Weather-The week started out wet but has turned hot and dry. Late Saturday night and into Sunday morning areas of the county received up to 5 inches of rain. Once again there was water standing in fields and once again some soybeans got drowned out. It looks like the next chance for rain will come this Saturday or Sunday, until then, hot/humid conditions remain.

Wheat-Harvest is just about finished up and the straw is just about all taken off as well. While it was still too wet Sunday and much of Monday, the combines and balers were out in force the rest of the week.

Corn-A majority of the corn is tasseling or has tasseled and looks great.

Soybeans-In our better drained, higher ground areas, the soybeans look great as well. I believe that our most advanced soybeans are at the R-3 to R-4 stage. On the other end of the spectrum, there are some beans that are still struggling and the showers late last week and early this week didn't help. I have heard some reports of more double crop beans going in but haven't personally witnessed much of this.

Hay-Finally we had a string of good hay-making days. It was a mixed bag of some producers finally getting around to taking off their first cutting and some taking their second cutting off but there was a fair amount of hay baled this week. On an interesting side note, we held a pasture walk on July 17 and Bob Hendershot, state grazing specialist with NRCS, mentioned that he stopped in an equipment dealer in the central part of the state and that particular dealer sold 14 hay balers in one day.

IPM-The recent string of good weather has also allowed our producers to get into fields and spray some herbicides. Most fields are looking much better now, at least as far as weeds are concerned, than they did previously. There isn't much to report in the insect and disease front but Japanese Beetles have emerged and are out in force and could cause some soybean defoliation and may even eat silks on corn. Susan Couser, our ag agent has put out a trap for Western Bean Cutworm and will be doing some root digs in the coming weeks to see if there is much rootworm damage in corn.

Pest Alert! Western Bean Cutworm Caught in Clark County

2008-07-14T16:50:00.006-04:00

First-Year Corn Rootworm (FYCR) Surveillance

July 14, 2008

Today I caught a Western Bean Cutworm (WBCW) moth in my pheromone trap located in East Central Clark County. This is an interesting find due to last year these moths were only caught in Northwest Ohio in very low populations. I did not expect to catch a moth this far south in Ohio, but surprisingly the WBCW moths are moving through Ohio.

The Western Bean Cutworm is native to the western United States, where it was first described as a pest of dry beans and later of corn. Larvae feed on developing corn ears, with damage estimated at 3.7 bu/ acre when a field averages one larva per plant. Because WBC larvae are not cannibalistic, infestations of multiple larvae per ear can occur, increasing damage. Larvae also feed on the ear tip and through husks, creating entry points for plant pathogens and potentially contributing to reduction in grain quality and increasing mycotoxin levels.

Adult WBCWs are about ¾ inches in length, with 1) a distinctive cream-colored stripe along the forewing’s front edge, 2) a lighter colored circular spot just behind and along the stripe, and 3) a boomerang-shaped spot near the end of the stripe. There is one generation in the Midwest, with adults in the western edge of their expansion beginning their flights in late June, and peaking in numbers in mid-to-late July. In order to track the entire moth flight, we will continue monitoring the traps until August 15.

See the WBCW moth in the picture to the right. Note the "eye" spot and "half crescent" located on both wings.

Miami County Crop/Weather for week of July 6

2008-07-10T16:42:00.003-04:00

WEATHER-Except for Tuesday evening the weather has been dry, warm, and somewhat humid. Tuesday evening saw rains dumping an inch or two of water in a matter of a couple of hours. The forecast for the rest of the week looks much the same with a chance of some more showers on Saturday and Sunday.

WHEAT-Wheat harvest started last week and those that didn't start then were out Sunday. The showers on Tuesday were enough to keep combines out of the fields for a couple of days but there were a few out today and I suspect more will continue harvest on Friday.

CORN-Tasseling has started in some of our most advanced fields of corn. These fields are in the minority but I suspect by this time next week, a large portion of fields will be tasseling.

SOYBEANS-Soybeans continue to be all over the board and in all stages of development. There are some double crop beans being planted into fields where the producer was fortunate enough to get the wheat crop harvested early. I suspect more acres of double crop beans will be planted this week and next.

IPM-No real insect pest problems are being reported at this time. Japanese beetles have emerged and are tearing up landscape plantings but these are usually not a serious pest in our agronomic crop fields. There has been a serious commitment to weed control in the last few weeks and taller weeds in some bean fields are starting to die back. With that being said, there are still plenty of weed issues remaining.

Champaign update

2008-07-09T17:14:00.002-04:00

Wheat harvest started Monday, but machines were grunting and groaning due to a wet crop. Yields I heard were 65 to 90 bu/A. With rains last evening, we have halted harvest for a day or two.

Corn has started to tassel on the earliest planted fields. Most of our corn is now at least shoulder high, although there is some later planted corn that is just knee high.

Soybeans continue to suffer with wet feet, every time we get a few days of drier weather they perk up, show some good color - then get smacked again and look poor for a couple of more days. We have started flowering, and the sentinel plot has 8-10 leaves per plant. Many of the 15-inch row beans have yet to canopy over.

Hay - some went down over the weekend. Maybe we finished the first cutting? - but I don't think so.

Reported by John M. Smith, AgNR, Auglaize County

2008-07-09T09:50:00.001-04:00

Week ending July 8, 2008

Corn: Corn is variable. We should have corn tasseling this week. Where it has been damaged by water, it is only 8-10 inches high.

Soybeans: Many fields of soybeans have been hurt by excessive rain. The fields are yellow and weedy. They need some herbicide and warm, dry weather. Soybeans are starting to blossom.

Wheat: Wheat is coming off in the 15-18% moisture range. Wheat harvest is about 25% complete.

Forages: It has been tough making hay between rains.

Soil Moisture: 40% adequate; 60% excess

Crop Report From Logan County, Ohio

2008-07-03T16:32:00.002-04:00

Rainfall: Received 3.3 inches last week. The month of June was above average in rainfall as I collected 7.5 inches.

Weather Conditions: Temperatures; lows in the upper 50’s and highs in the lower 80’s.

Corn: The early planted corn at V12-V18 growth stage and late planted fields are at V6-V10 growth stage. Nitrogen side-dressing is complete. Some fields have weed problems especially where a planned glyphosate application did not occur due to wet field conditions.

Soybeans: Most soybeans have developed a full canopy and closing row middles. Some earlier varieties are beginning to bloom (R1). Weed issues continue to be prevalent in many fields due to wet field conditions and timing of glyphosate applications.

Wheat: Wheat fields are slowly reaching maturity and harvest should begin in approximately 7-10 days. Somewhat cooler temperatures and several cloudy days have delayed wheat maturity. Field evaluations for head scab revealed about 0.5 – 3.0 % infestation. Glume blotch is prevalent in many fields.

Forages: There have been no reports of insects or diseases adversely affecting the crop.
Lower temperatures and cloudy/rainy days have created significant challenges in harvesting grass hay this spring. I visited with a local dairy farmer yesterday and he has 200 acres of 1st cutting grass hay to harvest. Apparently, there is significantly more 1st cutting hay remaining to harvest than I had anticipated. It is in a mature state of growth and quality will be significantly lower. The mature growth must be removed to provide opportunity for a quality second cutting.

Cool conditions slow corn growth

2008-07-03T14:14:00.004-04:00

I checked the Growing Degree Days at the Western Ag Research Station to see why we may have our slow growing corn. Mostly it's due to the cool weather (and clouds too, no doubt). This table shows the GDDs for the past five crop years, showing that only one year had slower accumulation of GDDs than this year. Of course the year most recent in our memory, 2007, was the high for the 5-year period.

Western ARS, GDDs from May 1 to July 1 by year

Year	GDDs
2008_	_934
2007	1155
2006	_884
2005	_979
2004	1097

Champaign Crop Report

2008-07-03T10:55:00.003-04:00

Just got off the phone with a grower who is returning from Illinois - "we have the best looking crops in the eastern cornbelt" according to him. But I am still concerned about crop development. We are behind - I did see one field yesterday that does have the flag leaf out, so it will tassel soon. But there are few other corn acres any where near that. Weed control especially in corn is a problem for many producers, the pre-emergent herbicides didn't work as well this year as usual - added to that we have many acres of RRCorn and a lite rate of their pre-emerge was applied with a plan to make a second application with Roundup - but it didn't happen. So we have lots of lambsquarters, pigweed, and even foxtail in our corn fields. In soybean I see giant rag, of course!

Early planted soybeans have started flowering, the daylength causes that so all will flower soon. But most of our fields have not yet canopied over the row middles. The likelihood is yields will be down. I see few insects but leaf disease is there - Septoria brown spot (always there) is abundant and I had a sample of bacterial pustule brought in recently, and now am seeing similar leaf spots in other fields. Fungicides will have little effect on these two problems.

Wheat last week looked good so I assume if we can get harvested we will have at least an average crop, I still have hopes of an above average yield.

Hay - is suffering. I don't think anyone has a second cutting done yet.

The forecast is for above average rainfall at least through July.

Shelby Crop Report from Roger Bender, AgNR Shelby County

2008-07-03T10:51:00.000-04:00

A few good drying days this week allowed soils to dry for better root growth in corn and soybean crops, hay harvest and wheat drydown. Rain Thursday and Friday halted field operations.

Corn: Tasseling on the earliest planted corn may begin early next week; a limited number of acres were planted in late June for silage harvest. Appearance of stands at various stages of growth has improved in many fields as corn roots begin to access nitrogen from side dressing and weed control is improved.

Soybeans: Most advanced stands are at R-3; some fields just emerged earlier in the week. Many fields show evidence of some replanting. Drier soil conditions encouraged improved root development, helping fields look much better at week's end.

Wheat: Harvest in earliest maturing fields began late Tuesday and continued Wednesday. Moistures were in the upper teens and yields were reported in the upper 70's and lower 80's. Green straw and scattered immature heads should challenge combines less when harvest resumes; probably Sunday. Green weeds are poking above the canopy in many areas and can only become worse.

Forages: Several days of excellent drying weather allowed producers to finalize producers to finalize most of the first cutting hay harvest. Unfortunately, much of the late made hay was not only too mature, some had been well washed by rain after cutting.

Integrated Pest Management: Light populations of Japanese beetle were seen in the soybean sentinel plot. Otherwise, few reports of insect infestations have been received. Many acres of soybeans were replanted due to seed and seedling diseases. Way too many fields exhibit lousy weed control. Windy conditions and wet soils limited herbicide application opportunities.

Miami County Crop/Weather for week of June 29

2008-07-03T09:44:00.002-04:00

WEATHER-The gentle showers just continue to come. The county has been fortunate in avoiding sever weather but not enough time passes between the gentle showers to allow for drying time.

CORN-Most of the corn in the county continues to look great. I have not seen any fields start to tassel yet but in our most advanced stands, tasseling should start in the next week or so. Although it is a majority, not all of the corn in the county is this advanced.

SOYBEANS-Just like corn, beans are in all stages of growth and development. Our most advanced beans are in the early blooming stages. Weed control still remains a big concern as our wet weather has really allowed weeds to get a huge jump on the beans while keeping the sprayers out.

WHEAT-While I haven't personally seen any wheat being harvested, it wouldn't surprise me if a few fields have been. Most producers are ready to go as soon as soil conditions allow them access to their fields. Wheat germinating in the head could become an issue if harvest doesn't start soon.

Week ending July 2, 2008 Reported by John M. Smith, Extension Educator, Auglaize County

2008-07-02T16:41:00.000-04:00

Weather: Good for a few days. Very little rain and in the 70’s.

Corn: Growing quite well where it has not been hurt by excess water.

Soybeans: In the 3 to 5 Trifoliate stage. There are many drowned out spots in the fields and many fields have a lot of weed pressure.

Wheat: Harvest has started in a small way, but weather permitting should go full force in the next 3-4 days.

Forages: Second cutting has been slowed down by rains. It has been growing well. I have not found excessive Potato Leaf Hopper at this time.

Soil Moisture: Very good to excess.

Clark County, Ohio - Agronomic Crop Scouting Report

2008-07-02T14:56:00.009-04:00

June 30th - July 4th, 2008

Weather: Clark County received 1.1 inches of rain over last Saturday and Sunday. Monday was cloudy and cool, but no precipitation has fallen since the weekend.

Corn: Corn looks very promising across the county. A few fields will tassel around July 4^th, but a majority will be around July 10^th. Weed control in some corn fields is still an issue, especially since there is not a lot of weed control options available for corn over 30 inches tall.

Soybeans: Beans still range all over the board in size. Some are as young as V3, where a few fields have soybeans that are in early bloom (R1). Very little disease is evident in the canopy…bean leaf beetle damage is evident in many fields though. Grasses are becoming dominant a weed control issues in many fields. Also, volunteer corn is showing up more

frequently above the soybean canopy (Roundup Ready volunteer corn). Select Max herbicide does a nice job at cleaning up these corn stands.

Wheat: Wheat is drying down nicely (Feekes growth stage 11.2-11.3) across the county, and harvest will begin as soon as soil conditions can support machinery. Wheat straw will be a premium this year as well. Many producers are getting buyers wanting prices of straw out of the combine. For an average 40 pound bale of straw, you are taking $0.40 worth of phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) from the soil. If you get 2.5 tons of straw an acre, that’s about $50.00 worth of P&K removed from the soil profile with today’s fertilizer prices. So straw will be worth $2-3.50 a bale out of the combine the year.

Hardin County Crop Conditions - June 27

2008-06-30T16:01:00.000-04:00

Weather - We have had at least ten rainy days during the month so far, 6.8 inches on my farm for the month to date, and more reported in the northern part of the county. Field work days have been hard to come by and very valuable. There were several reports of hail damage with the severe storms that moved through.

Corn- Most of the corn has been in the ground for more than a month by now, and is starting to look much better. Most of the replanted corn is up and filling in thin areas of fields. Looks like half of our corn may be "knee high by the Fourth of July", but a large acreage will not make it by that date. Side-dressing is well along, but two rainy days this week has stopped all field operations.

Soybeans - There is a wide variety of conditions in soybean fields. The earliest planted beans are beginning to bloom, and look very good. There were not many fields planted in April here. Most fields with early May planted beans have been replanted, in part or in whole. We may have replanted nearly half of the soybean acres in Hardin County due to poor emergence and wet spots. Several reported planting some spots a third time, trying to get an acceptable stand. Possibly 25 % of soybeans are just emerging or have not yet emerged. Growers still have the soybean drill ready in case there is an opportunity to double crop some of the wheat acres.

Wheat - Hardin County wheat has looked quite good, with tiller numbers and head size indicating potential for a good crop. There are some reports of head scab. We have had some growers spraying wheat for armyworms.

Hay - Weather has made it difficult to harvest dry hay. Much of the alfalfa type hay has been over mature when it was harvested. Grass and other mixed hay has also been harvested late, resulting in lower quality forage. Second cutting growth is coming on, and has benefited from a rainy month of June.

Gene McCluer
OSU Extension Educator, Agriculture & Natural Resources
Hardin County, Ohio

Miami County Report for the Week of June 22

2008-06-27T11:59:00.002-04:00

WEATHER-Wet sums it up just about perfectly for this week, or maybe soggy. Fortunately much of the county has avoided the severe weather that some of the surrounding counties received but we still got the showers. Rain has been spotty just about every day this week and there is once again standing water in many low lying areas. The week ahead looks very similar so soils will not have much "drying time".

CORN-In better drained soils and higher ground, the corn crop looks great. Some of the corn that was re-planted because it got drowned out is once again drowned out, however these areas are the minority. A majority of the crop is doing really well.

SOYBEANS--The same can be said for soybeans as was stated for corn. I am sure there will be some re-planting taking place once some of the wetter areas dry out.

WHEAT-Head Scab counts that were taken last week showed minimal amounts of the disease in the fields scouted. There are no reports of wheat harvest yet that I am aware of. Once the weather allows, wheat harvest should begin in earnest.

Shelby Crop Report June 26

2008-06-26T14:46:00.000-04:00

Soggy soil conditions were reinforced by this week's rainfall. Precipitation ranged from over 2 inches down to less than an 1/2 inch. One farmer reported receiving 1 1/2 inches with some hail in less than 15 minutes. Low areas in fields where downpours occurred showed evidence of corn and soybeans being under water.

Corn: Early planted corn is progressing rapidly and well over waist high. Most corn has now been sidedressed. Many fields needing weed control have now been sprayed although some of those fields definitely have been hurt yield wise.

Soybeans: Only a few fields remain unplanted and may remain that way. Poor weed control is evident in many fields. Stands in many fields are excellent however many other fields have poor stands.

Wheat: Wheat maturity ranges from Feekes state 11.2 (Mealy ripe) to 11.3 (kernel hard) and appears to be mostly disease free.

Forages: Frequent showers have prevented harvest in a few first cutting fields. Second cutting looks good.

Integrated Pest Management: Several reports of limited armyworm infestations resulted in insecticide applications. A number of soybean fields show evidence of insufficient glyphosate applications. Leaves of giant ragweeds have been burned back but new leaves are appearing on the larger plants. Without proper management (i.e. higher rates of glyphosate and/or tank mixed with other product(s), surviving plants will produce herbicide resistant seeds.

Champaign Wheat Report

2008-06-26T13:22:00.007-04:00

I visited 5 sites in the county over the past week and made head scab counts.

location__	# heads	% scabby
SE	39	2.3
EC	41	1.5
NE	35	0
NW	38	3.1
WC	64	1.9

So it looks like head scab is fairly low, we had a dry week or so just at the time of flowering and that helped. We collect these head scab counts to add the information to the head scab model that OSU, Penn State and others are working on: http://www.wheatscab.psu.edu/

The other information I picked up from the scouting was the total head count in 1-foot of row. In past counts we typically average 50 heads per foot of row. Only one site was at or above that level. I am concerned that yields may be below expectations due to this lower head count. On the other hand - wheat looks so much better than a year ago! My guess is that we'll start harvest July 4th, and yields will be 70 to 90 bu/A.

Auglaize Report

2008-06-26T12:10:00.000-04:00

Weather: It has been very good growing weather for corn, soybeans and hay. Plenty of moisture, but not flooding and not extremely hot.

Corn: Most of the corn has had the N applied and the weeds sprayed. It is in the fourth to sixth leaf stage.

Soybeans: Soybeans are growing well, but many of the fields need to be sprayed to relieve the weed pressure. Soybeans are in 3-4 trifoliate stage.

Wheat: 100% of the wheat is turning color. Wheat harvest should start the last of June or early July. There is some Head Scab.

Forages: First cutting is essentially complete. Second cutting is growing well and has started where first cut was taken on time. I am not seeing many Potato Leaf Hopper presently.

Soil Moisture: Moisture is very adequate at this time.

Week ending June 25, 2008
Reported by John M. Smith, Extension Educator, Auglaize County

Rainfall and Nitrogen Loss, Should I Be Concerned? - Robert Mullen, Keith Diedrick, and Edwin Lentz

2008-06-23T19:06:00.005-04:00

Some producers applied some nitrogen the past few weeks and are concerned about nitrogen loss; the question is was my nitrogen at risk for loss? This is a complicated issue that we will try to clarify and help you determine your risk of loss (because we cannot tell you exactly how much was lost). The following flowcharts were developed to help you determine your actual risk.

Notice the primary factors being considered are how long the nitrogen was out in the field prior to the rainfall events and how long the soil was saturated. The reason for concern regarding length of time between application and rainfall is how much of the total nitrogen was at actual risk for loss. The only form subject to loss is nitrate (ignoring volatilization losses), so that is the only fraction of concern. The speed of transformation to nitrate is dependent upon the form applied. Anhydrous ammonia converts relatively slowly to nitrate, so it remains in the ammonium form longer (less susceptible to loss). Urea-ammonium nitrate contains 25% nitrate that is capable of being lost immediately so the time factor is shorter. Urea or ammonium sulfate must be converted to nitrate and that takes some time even under warm soil conditions, but the conversion occurs faster than anhydrous ammonia nitrogen. The other factor of interest is the period of water saturation; the longer the soil is saturated, the greater the risk of nitrogen loss.

A minimal risk of nitrogen loss translates into very little risk of loss of a large amount of applied nitrogen. Some may have been lost, but the amount would be considered negligible. Moderate risk means some nitrogen was lost, and the crop should be monitored closely to determine if additional nitrogen supplementation is necessary (i.e. tissue analysis). A substantial risk means that supplemental nitrogen is likely needed to ensure adequate nutrition for the plant, and producers should monitor the crops closely. This does not mean that another large application rate is necessary. Based upon a study conducted in Illinois in the ‘90s, an application of 50 pounds of nitrogen per acre was usually adequate to achieve maximum corn yields in clay soils.

See following flow charts below! Click each thumbnail for full screen view!

Flow Chart 1:

Flow Chart 2:

Flow Chart 3:

Crop Report From Logan County, Ohio

2008-06-23T18:55:00.005-04:00

Rainfall: Received 0.3 inch in last week.

Weather Conditions: Temperatures; lows in the upper 50’s and highs in the lower 80’s.

Corn: The early planted fields are at V10-V11 growth stage and late planted fields are at V3-V6 growth stage. Nitrogen side-dressing is approximately 80-90% completed.

Soybeans: Majority of fields have acceptable stands with most soybeans in the V2-V4 growth stage. Some replanting occurred last week where soils were saturated too long or soils were crusted and prevented emergence from previous planting approximately two- three weeks ago. Significant amount of soybean crop received a post application of herbicides this week.

Wheat: Most wheat fields are beginning to mature and harvest will begin in approximately 10-14 days. Field evaluations for head scab revealed about 0.5 – 3.0 % infestation. Glume blotch is prevalent in many fields.

Forages: There have been no reports of insects or diseases adversely affecting the crop. First cutting of legume hay is complete and significant quantity of grass hay was harvested last week; although, it was very mature. In previous weeks the rainfall events disrupted hay harvest. Second cutting of alfalfa will begin later this week.

IPM: Armyworms have been sporadic and I observed a wheat field where the leaves had been consumed, but no head clipping had occurred.

Wet weather & leaf diseases

2008-06-23T14:41:00.003-04:00

Looks like the soybeans are suffering now from leaf diseases. A sample was brought in this afternoon that appears to be Bacterial pustule. This is a bacterial disease so no fungicides can cure it...however drier weather will help cut down on the movement. If you see some leaf disease - bring a sample into any of the Extension offices.

And for more information on disease of soybeans or corn see the OSU Plant Pathology website: http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/ohiofieldcropdisease/