AgAlerts 2008 From Griggs County
By John Swenson, Griggs County Extension Agent

Issue # 1, April 23, 2008

Crop Storage Management During Spring and Summer

    This is a reminder to continue to monitor your stored crops so that they will not go out of condition during the spring and summer months.  Summer temperatures are ideal for growing insects and molds.  Therefore, grain must be even drier for storage during spring and summer than for storage during the colder winter months.  The grain moisture content should be checked to make sure it is dry enough for summer storage.  Recommended moisture contents for some crops are:  Soybeans - 11%, Corn - 13.5%, Small Grains - 13%, Flax - 7% and Sunflower - 8%.
    Start warming as soon as the average temperature is 10 F warmer than the crop.  Larger temperature differences between the air and crop will increase the the quantity of condensation.  Do not warm the grain to temperatures above 50 F.  Continue to aerate until all the grain has been warmed.  
    It does not matter whether which direction (push or pull) the air as long as all the grain has been warmed.  Pushing the air through the grain is easier to monitor since any condensation will be observable on the top of the grain.  
    Once the proper storage temperature is reached cover the aeration ducts.  Excessive warming of the grain will occur if the duct is uncovered.  Also, an uncovered duct is an open hole into the grain bin for rodents, insects and water.  Be sure to check grain storage every two weeks and check the temperature of the stored commodity in several places in the bin.  Good management is the key to keeping commodities in top quality shape.  For more information use the following link.   Crop Storage Management, AE - 971

Minimum Soil Temperatures For Germination

Crop                Temp.                Crop                Temp.
Wheat                40                    Durum                 40
Barley                40                    Oats                    40
Canola               40                    Sunflower            45
Flax                   48                    Corn                    50
Soybeans           50                    Dry Beans            52

Weeds
Early Emerging (35-40 degrees)
Kochia        Milkweed        Wild Mustard        Cocklebur        Wild Oats        Wild Buckwheat        Frenchweed
Russian Thistle        Canada Thistle        Tansy Mustard        Shepherdspurse        Absinth Wormwood
Common Lambsquarter    Quackgrass

Late Emerging (50 degrees or higher)
Redroot Pigweed        Wild Sunflower        Volunteer Sunflower        Field Bindweed        Nightshades    
Lanceleaf Sage        Foxtails (pigeongrass)        Ragweeds

Wood Ticks

    This is the time of the year that wood ticks start looking for a warm blooded host for a meal.  There are several species of wood ticks but the two that are cause the most concern are the American dog Tick which can transmit spotted rocky mountain fever and the blacklegged tick that can transmit (deer tick) that can transmit Lyme disease.  The most common tick in North Dakota is the American dog tick but entomologists are on the look out for a possible increase in blacklegged tick populations since Minnesota has known Lyme disease cases.  The nymph stage of the American dog tick can be confused with the adult blacklegged tick since the adults are about the same size but the nymph of the blacklegged tick is very small, about the size of a flake of pepper.  If you are unsure of what tick species of wood tick you have found, collect it and bring it into any Cooperative Extension county office for identification.
    The decrease your exposure to wood ticks when you are in the woods or in your yard is to wear long sleeve shirts and long pants with the cuffs tucked into your socks to prevent wood tick access to your skin.  An repellents with the active ingredient DEET will also help limit exposure.  This product can be applied to exposed skin or clothing.  
    Pets are a good source for wood ticks especially if they are outside and brought indoors.  There are several good products on the market to control or repel ticks.  Consult your veterinarian for what product would be best for your.
    The following link is to an article that discusses controlling ticks in your yard or farmstead.  Wood Ticks

Mosquito Management

    Although we are very dry, it is the time to start mosquito management procedures to keep populations low during the summer months.  There are various larvicides that can be used in breeding areas such as water holes, sloughs and drainage ditches.  An assessment of your yard or farm stead can be a valuable tool that can reduce mosquito populations.  Ideal sites for mosquitoes to breed are places or containers that hold stagnant water.  Water in old tires are an excellent breeding site.  Check them often and dump out any stagnant water or treat with a larvicide.  The following link is a table of available larvicides.  Larvicide Table.  The following link is the NDSU Extension Publication (E - 472)  Mosquito Management and is an excellent source for mosquito questions.

Please Contact Our Office For Additional Information
E-mail: john.swenson@ndsu.edu
Go to the 2008 AgAlert Index Page