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Coldest July on Record Will Not Hurt Corn Yields
This is the last full week of July, and it looks as though it will go down as one of the coldest Julys on record. Ken Scheeringa with the Indiana State Climate office told HAT that, “These records go back to the late 1800’s.” During July, Indiana temperatures averaged 6 degrees below normal. “That is just unheard of,” said Scheeringa. While the late planting date combined with the below normal temperatures have many growers concerned, Scheeringa says the records show a cool summer does not mean low yields, “History tells us that when we have these cool summers we still get good yields.” Scheeringa theorizes that the pollination process works better in corn when the temperatures are cooler.
Meijer to Pump Millions into Local Economies by Sourcing Fruits, Vegetables From Area Farmers
Midwest retailer Meijer is expanding its sourcing of local produce with an increased emphasis on their “Home Grown” initiative which is expected to boost local economies throughout the Midwest by purchasing even more fresh produce from local farmers. The announcement was made today by Hank Meijer, co-chairman and C.E.O. of the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based supercenter chain. “Meijer has always been one of the largest purchasers of locally grown fruits and vegetables during the peak growing seasons,” said Meijer. “This year we plan to expand our Home Grown initiative by working with more than 65 local growers throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky.”
Dispose of Unwanted Pesticides at 4 Indiana Locations
The Indiana Clean Sweep Project, sponsored by the Purdue-based Office of the Indiana State Chemist, allows individuals to get rid of up to 250 pounds of weed killers, insecticides, rodenticides, fungicides and miticides free of charge. “Disposal of these products can be for any number of reasons,” said Kevin Neal, Office of the Indiana State Chemist pesticide investigator and program manager for the project. “Whether the product has been suspended, canceled, banned or is unusable, opened or unwanted, we’ll take them.” Individuals looking to dispose of more than 250 pounds will be permitted to do so, but a fee of $2 per pound will be charged for the additional amount. One gallon is about 8 pounds.
Dow AgroSciences Announces Expansion
Indianapolis-based Dow AgroSciences LLC has signed a 15-year lease for property next to its global headquarters in northwest Indianapolis. The deal with Browning Investments Inc. in Indianapolis calls for an 80,000 square-foot building at the developer’s Northwest Technology campus. Groundbreaking is set for next month. Representatives from both companies will discuss the deal this weekend on Inside INdiana Business Television.
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Wheat Harvest Producing Good Yields: Purdue Agronomist
Indiana wheat yields this summer are running about good to average, with less than one-fourth of the crop left to be harvested, said a Purdue University agronomist. To date, the central and southern regions of the state have 91-95 percent of wheat acres harvested, with the northern region at 61 percent harvested. In central Indiana counties, yields ranged from 80 bushels to 120 bushels per acre with a small amount of head scab present. Shaun Casteel, Purdue Extension small grains specialist, said he did some field scouting and things looked really good.
Farmers Seeking Re-election to Indiana Corn Marketing Council
Voting for the Indiana Corn Marketing Council’s (ICMC) annual election runs August 17-28 at county Purdue Cooperative Extensions Service offices across the state. The ICMC board manages state corn checkoff investments and determines promotional, educational and research activities that can strengthen Indiana’s corn industry. According to the Indiana Corn Market Development Law, those who vote in the election of directors to the Indiana Corn Marketing Council Board must be an Indiana producer which is defined as: “Any person engaged in the business of producing and marketing corn in Indiana under the producer’s own name.”
4-H Flag Heads Into Space
The National 4-H flag was carried into space aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour yesterday as part of the STS-127 mission. The flag, featuring the familiar 4-H clover, was originally scheduled to head into space earlier this year, but was delayed a record five times before finally lifting off this week. ”The inclusion of the 4-H flag on this mission reflects the commitment 4-H has to building young leaders in science, engineering and technology,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “As the global economy expands, these leaders will strengthen the United States‘ global competitiveness and leadership in these fields.” 4-H promotes positive youth development, facilitates learning and engages youth in the work of the land-grant universities and USDA to enhance their quality of life. Nearly 7 million youth, ages 5-19, participate in 4-H youth development experiences in all 50 states, territories and military installations worldwide.
Daniels Supports Call to Use More Ethanol in Gasoline
Ten Midwestern governors recently wrote toEnvironmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson requesting that ethanol blending levels be increased to 15 percent. The letter comes as the EPA considers this change to federal rules. Under current EPA regulations, alcohol-gasoline is limited at 10 percent by volume in unleaded gasoline. Allowing greater blending levels will increase demand for conventional ethanol, an entirely domestic energy source. The 2007 renewable fuel standard (RFS) sets national goals for the amount of biofuels used in the country. These mandated levels in the RFS act as a valuable tool in moving toward advanced biofuels, including cellulosic ethanol. However, without increasing the blending levels, the ability to meet the RFS is exceedingly difficult. “The Midwest has vast natural resources, the scientific know-how, and the skilled workforce necessary to lead the world in the production of climatefriendly biofuels,” said Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, chair of the Midwestern Governors Association (MGA). “We must capitalize on these strengths in order to promote the use of low carbon fuels across the country.”
Filed under: News
Ag Printers has added to its talented team. Jennifer Culy takes on the role of customer service representative beginning July 6. She will assume roles such as maintaining and updating the customer database, posting proofs and obtaining approvals, organizing customer data, proof reading copy and data, and generating production checkpoint lists for accountability purposes. Culy is a December 2006 graduate of Purdue University, with degrees in Agricultural Communication and Agronomy. Prior to joining the Ag Printers team, she was a writer with Adayana Agribusiness Group, formerly ABG, Inc. She also has writing and marketing experiences with Purdue University Agriculture News and Public Affairs, the Indiana Farm Bureau Information and Public Relations Division, and the Indiana Wine Grape Council. ”I’m excited to work with Steve Roswarski and Sara Goodnight. I look forward to applying what I’ve learned from my previous experiences to this new role, and helping Ag Printers grow through excellent customer service,” says Culy. Ag Printers exists to take the stress off of seed company personnel by providing automated solutions for seed catalogs, bag tags, field sign labels, web-based order and fulfillment services and other products needed to meet several compliance-related marketing requirements. Ag Printers systems of organization and automation allow seed companies to spend more time with the grower and less time in the office.
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Herbicide Diversity Needed to keep Roundup Effective
Using a diverse herbicide application strategy may increase production costs, but a five-year Purdue University study shows the practice will drastically reduce weeds and seeds that are resistant to a popular herbicide. Excess usage of glyphosate-resistant crops has led to weeds, such as marestail, that also are resistant to glyphosate, the herbicide used in Roundup. Bill Johnson, a Purdue associate professor of weed science, said changing management practices can almost eliminate resistant marestail and its viable seeds in the soil. “Another herbicide application is expensive, and it means more trips across the field,” Johnson said. “But we can reduce the population and density of resistant weeds, which increases the crop yield potential.”
New Livestock Indemnity Program Announced by FSA
Eligible ranchers and livestock producers can begin applying for benefits through the Livestock Indemnity Program provided in the 2008 Farm Bill on July 13. “This program will provide livestock producers with a vital safety net to help them overcome the damaging financial impact of natural disasters,” said Don Hunton, Indiana Acting State Executive Director for USDA Farm Service Agency. The Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) provides assistance to producers for livestock deaths that result from disaster. LIP compensates livestock owners and contract growers for livestock death losses in excess of normal mortality due to adverse weather, including losses due to hurricanes, floods, blizzards, disease, wildfires, extreme heat and extreme cold. Eligible losses must have occurred on or after Jan. 1, 2008, and before Oct. 1, 2011.
Timely Rain Improves Indiana Crops
For Indiana farmers, getting rain at the right time can make all the difference. As the crops move into the critical pollination period, timely rains can make the difference between an average crop and a bumper crop. Joe Caffee, from Adams County, said one of those rains fell this past weekend, “We got 8/10 of an inch on Saturday and it really made a difference.” He told HAT corn fields have started to tassel and soybeans increased in height significantly. “The nice rains here in central Indiana are helping the crop,” writes Bob Utterback on Ag Web. Not only has the rain improved crop conditions, but Caffee says grower attitudes have improved as well, “Folks I talk with are a lot more optimistic than they were a month ago.” Another factor helping grower attitudes is a very successful wheat harvest. “Farmers around Berne in Adams County were getting from 70 to 90 bushels per acre,” Caffee noted. Utterback is forecasting very good corn yields, “I believe we are on track for a crop yield in corn around 156 bu per acre or higher.” He believes the odds are still better than 70/30 we will meet or exceed current USDA projections.
LibertyLink Soybeans Offering New Mode of Weed Control in Indiana
LibertyLink soybeans are in Indiana fields this year and last week HAT From the Fields farmer Matt Hayden in the northwest corner of the state said his new Bayer CropScience product is performing well. LibertyLink represents the only new active ingredient for weed control in soybeans the last ten years. Jon Fischer is with Bayer CropScience. He explained, “Really what LibertyLink offers growers is an option, and in soybeans for weed control in the last ten years there has been one option that has been favored above everything else. That’s the Roundup Ready technology. That’s a good system, but it needs to have some variety to mix up with it in order to prevent weeds from developing resistance from using the same product year, after year, after year. So what LibertyLink offers growers is a completely different mode of action brand new to the soybean industry. It’s not just a re-formulated old product.”
Filed under: News
Indiana Crop Recovering Quickly
Indiana corn and soybeans got off to a rough start this year with corn going in late and with cool and wet weather hampering early development. But, things are improving. Corn and soybeans across most of northern Indiana are recovering remarkably well, according to Brian Early, an Agronomist with Pioneer, “With the heat that we have had, 0the crops have shaped up their appearance, “We have a lot of green looking corn.” He noted that even the late planted corn is catching up nicely and corn that was planted in April is taseling well. He says the yellow corn we saw in early June is no longer a problem, “We had some root issues and, with the cold weather, we had some nutrient issues; but with the warm temperatures the roots have developed and most of the yellowing is gone.” He added that everything looks to be reverting back to normal.
Lt. Governor Appoints New ISDA Assistant Director for Economic Development
Lt. Governor Becky Skillman, Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development, announced the appointment of Gina Sheets as Assistant Director for Economic Development for the Indiana State Department of Agriculture. Sheets will help define and nurture economic opportunity in all areas of Indiana agriculture. A native of Clinton County, Sheets currently serves as CEO and Director of Economic Development for the Clinton County Chamber of Commerce. “Gina has a long and distinguished track record in economic development. We could not be more thrilled that she is joining our team,” Lt. Governor Skillman said. “This position is a new step forward for the Department, and Gina will help us implement our updated strategic plan and increase agriculture’s impact on the Hoosier economy.”
Western Bean Cutworm Season Beginning in Indiana
Crop producers should start scouting for signs of western bean cutworms in about a week, according to a Purdue University Extension specialist, after the first signs of the corn pest recently were found in northwestern Indiana. “Typically at the end of June we start catching our first moths, and that’s what’s happened this year,” said John Obermeyer, Purdue Extension integrated pest management specialist. Western bean cutworm is a pest that can cause damage to ears of corn. A cluster of about 50 to 100 small, white, pearl-like eggs are laid on the upper surfaces of the top leaves of a plant. They will turn a deep purple just before hatching, Obermeyer said.
New Website has Information for Crop Applicators
Driftwatch, a new Web site designed to make applicators aware of what’s around them when they are making pesticide applications and help reduce drift incidents, is now live on the internet. “Drift is something that occurs every year,” said Fred Whitford, director of Purdue Pesticide Programs. “When considering that every crop acre is sprayed with either a herbicide, insecticide or fungicide at least once – and more than likely, multiple times, including organic acres – growers are really doing a good job about not drifting. “However, every drift incident is serious. A single drift can be devastating, whether it’s on a cantaloupe farm, a tomato farm, a beekeeper’s farm or a flower grower’s farm. It impacts their livelihood and their lives.”
