January of 2018 is here, and with it some of the wickedest temperatures we have seen in the last decade. Luckily we have not had much snow accompanying it, so we have not had to expend much energy shoving or pushing the dreaded white stuff out of the way. Typically the latter part of this month is the coldest of the winter, so we have to see how things develop. We will just go about our business is stoic fashion, dressing warm, keeping the vehicles plugged in so they can be convinced to start on the coldest mornings, and hoping that the longer days turn into warmer ones. In looking at the calendar the first days of spring is now about ten weeks away.
Last week I mentioned the challenge I was having with different vehicles and keeping the batteries in condition. It appears that many others were having similar challenges. At midweek three different retailers, a local Ford Dealership, a local JD dealership and a major Ag supply store had been cleaned out of the most popular sizes of auto type batteries. Apparently the entire Midwest and even southern states were all seeing a dramatic increase is batteries not keeping up with the cold conditions and giving up the ghost. So far no one has been commenting about freezing buried water pipes. Is that in our future or can we avoid problems?
Iowa State Extension Meetings
Beginning around Jan 1st are the usual ISU extension Update meetings. Look for the announcement for ones in your area. Hearing the latest on herbicides, insecticides or the latest fertility findings can be important if you are at the beginning of your crop planning.
From what I am hearing the recommendations from that group is to tread very lightly on using highly volatile herbicides in 2018. With so much vagueness in the labeling and lack of sufficient hours to adhere to the specific rules, it may be better for people who are dependent on custom applicators to use an alternative product. Anyone who was involved in production Ag has to remember back a decade when Banvel plus 2,4-D was a common mix used to control broadleaf weeds in corn, but it was applied early and when soybeans were typically emerging after that mix was applied. No such time difference occurs now. A person who has their own application equipment and is cognizant and adheres to the rules, plus uses a specified drift retardant product, is more likely to avoid drift problems. The inversion problem could still be an issue.
I still have not heard as to any resolution to the Bader Fruit Farms lawsuit where a large fruit grower was suing an herbicide firm for a major amount of cash. He had huge and long term losses and has not yet been able to collect any damages.
Many crop advisors are still seeing that a decent % of the growers who apply their own pesticides are still using the air assist nozzles to apply one of the contact herbicides. FMC, which used to supply the paper that was laid down at aerial shows that would show the dispersed spray droplets resulting from a specific set of nozzles, was doing such work last summer. That work demonstrated that nozzle patterns varied tremendously between the different nozzle types. With contact products the twin directed and hollow cones worked best where good contact was critical. Be sure to check the type you are using and update if needed.
New Insect on the Horizon
A few years ago we began to hear about a new stem boring insect called the Dectes stem borer. It is a beetle found in central and northern KS that lays eggs in the stem of soybean plants. As the eggs hatch and the larvae begin to feed their tunneling causes the stems and side branches to collapse. Entomologists did their work and found the beetles may lay their eggs for as long as 8 to 10 weeks. This then suggested that multiple applications may need to be made to control the insects, sparking the search for a labeled product that would last much longer to control the various stages of the pest. I current know of only one insecticide that carries a 21day residual that is currently used in the Midwest.
At a meeting in Indy last week I was told that they have found this insect as far east as Illinois and Indiana. It has also been found in Nebraska and said to be spreading in all directions. Are they going to appear in Iowa and at populations capable of doing economically important damage?
The New Sprayers
In a recent column I mentioned the newer sprayers designed by Silicon Valley computer geeks that have optics and can differentiate between a crop and weedy plant. I finally found out which company that was considered in the lead and was purchased by a company that paints their equipment green. With such use the obvious question would be used and put in the spray tank. Might it be a pyridine chemical tough on broadleaves that also happen to possess resistance to our commonly used herbicides, or might they opt for a non selective contact product? The options are open and would vary depending on crop and usage of the end product.
I talked to a friend who has attended the AgroTechnica Show in Hannover and where such sprayers are commonly shown. If certain weeds become more problematic in Iowa such application equipment may be important here. Then what product will be the one of choice?
Food Needs
Making a profit sooner rather than later is what is on every Midwestern farmer’s mind. There are not many profits in commodity crops, yet good money in food. So how do we eliminate the divide? How would a grower develop the savvy and information to produce nutrient dense food for a profitable food company? Once you visit with producers or buyers for the food companies who intend to capture some of that market, you find they are often trying to line up producers with the ability to produce food quality grain or produce. They are not so much entrenched with the ‘organic label’ since that might be viewed as bad or good. After a bit of teaching then the terms or food density and residue free get mentioned.
Expect to hear more on this, and if you have been experimenting with such products, keep your name on different lists as this campaign is growing in number of companies and market size. They are looking for the conscientious growers who can think critically and follow a detailed plan.
I was out at the BioNutrient Food Association in western Mass in early December and the attendees and speakers came from both coasts and in-between as well as Australia and Europe. They grow for the fresh market as well as the food producing companies. One attendee is working with a large food dehydrator that dries fresh veggies down to 0% moisture while enhancing the flavors. The buyers are lining up for his finished flaked items. The berry flakes he was handing out exploded with flavor. When he enters a new growing area he typically requires 2 to 5 million pounds of product to keep a dryer busy.
Bob Streit is an independent crop consultant and columnist for Farm News. He can be reached at (515) 709-0143 or www.CentralIowaAg.com.