Traill County Ag Alert Newsletter

Traill County Ag Alert Newsletter

May 15, 2008

REPORTS OF EARLY SEASON CUTWORMS
Cutworms have been reported in winter wheat in North Dakota. Most of the cutworm species being reported are Army cutworms and pale western cutworms. Cutworms become active when soil temperatures are above 40F. With the cool soil temperatures in May, cutworms will develop slower and this could result in a prolonged feeding period this year.

Cutworm injure plants by chewing and/or cutting the plant in the early stages of crop development (seedling stage = most susceptible). Generally, cutworms destroy more of the plant then they eat. Their numbers vary greatly from year to year and when numerous cutworms may destroy 50-75% of a crop! Cutworms feed at night and hide in soil during the day. Since there are early and late season cutworms, feeding activity usually extends from May through the end of June.

The key to successful cutworm control is early detection and knowing your plant population. Look for cut or wilted plants, and dig around underneath freshly cut plants to find cutworms in the soil. A flashlight at night can also be used to find the nightfeeding cutworms. If the plant population is below recommended, few or no plants can be lost to cutworm feeding. The greater the plant population the more damage can be tolerated without economic yield loss.

When spraying insecticides for cutworm control, applications should be made in the evening when cutworms are actively feeding. Wet soil conditions will also improve insecticide efficacy, as cutworm feed near the soil surface in these conditions.

Treatment threshold vary depending on the field crop:

Small grains – 4 to 5 cutworms per square foot

Corn – 3 to 6% of the plants cut and small larvae less than 1-inch present

Soybeans/Dry beans – 1 or more larvae per three feet of row or 20% of plants cut

Sunflower – 1 per square foot or 25-30% of plants cut

Please see “2008 North Dakota Field Crop Insect Management Guide” for list of insecticides available on different field crops.

SECTION 24(c) REGISTRATION FOR MUSTANG MAX IN SUGARBEETS
Two different formulations of Mustang Max (FMC Corporation) have been issued a 24(c) registration for control of various insect pests in sugarbeets in North Dakota this year.

1) Mustang Max: The expiration date for SLN ND-030003 (previously issued) has been extended to allow the use of Mustang Max insecticide (EPA Reg. No. 279-3249) until to March 17, 2013. This registration allows use of Mustang Max insecticide on sugarbeets at plant for control of wireworms, white grubs, cutworms, and as a foliar application for control of cutworms, flea beetles and grasshoppers.

2) Mustang Max EC: SLN ND-0800001 was also issued to allow use of the new formulation of Mustang Max EC (EPA Reg. No. 279-3327) on sugarbeets at plant for control of wireworms, white grubs, cutworms, and as a foliar application for control of cutworms, flea beetles and grasshoppers. Expires December 31, 2013.

The pesticide SLN labels are posted on the NDSU Entomology Extension Resources website: http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/entomology/ext.htm

SUNFLOWER ESTABLISHMENT
High sunflower yields require attention to detail. Timeliness is the key to all good crop management. Long term optimum planting dates for sunflower are from May 20 to June 5th although yields are generally higher with mid-May to late-May planting dates compared to June planting dates. The sunflower crop will mature in about 95-110 days after emergence.

Oil sunflower plants per acre should be around 20,000-22,000 plants on heavy soils and 16,000-18,000 plants per acre on lighter soils and low rainfall areas. For confectionary sunflower, recommended populations are lower. For solid seeded oil sunflower the desired population at harvest is around 26,000 plants per acre. To obtain these recommended populations overplant by 15 percent.

Under dry conditions producers may want to reduce the plant populations because if a drought occurs during the growing season, high sunflower populations may exhibit severe signs of moisture stress including small heads.

Plant to a depth of 1.5 to 2 inches deep when moisture is available in the top soil. Seeds can be placed deeper under dry conditions, but not more than three inches. Larger sized seed is best for deep seeding.

FUNGICIDES RECEIVE REGISTRATION FOR WHEAT AND BARLEY
Two fungicides, Folicur (tebuconazole, manufactured by Bayer CropScience) and Caramba (metconazole, manufactured by BASF), have recently received full federal registration from the Environmental Protection Agency for use on small grains.

Folicur previously was available in ND for 11 years through one-year emergency exemptions, but full registration status was finally granted on May 2. The ND Dept. of Agriculture has posted the label through their web site, under their pesticide registration link found at: http://www.kellysolutions.com/nd/pesticideindex.htm The Folicur 3.6F label states that 4 fl oz/acre may be applied to wheat and barley, to control rust diseases and suppress Fusarium head blight. The ND pesticide registration base, as indicated in the link above, also indicates that Orius, MANA’s version of tebuconazole, has received labeling, as well.

With Folicur available, Bayer CropScience has also developed a label for Folicur + Proline (prothioconazole) for use in 11 states, including ND, and MN. This label is for 3 fl oz of Folicur + 3 fl oz of Proline for the suppression of Fusarium head blight and control of leaf diseases, such as leaf rust Septoria, and tan spot. This combination was widely used in ND in 2007, under the emergency exemption for Folicur and the full registration for Proline.

Caramba is a new registration, also just received, and the label may be found at the above web link to the ND Dept. of Ag. pesticide registration information. Caramba is registered for wheat, barley, oats, rye and triticale. The use rate for Caramba is 10 fl oz/acre for leaf diseases and 14-17 fl oz/acre for suppression of Fusarium head blight. For applications of 5 gpa or more, an approved adjuvant is recommended at standard rates is recommended. The pre-harvest interval is 30 days, and no livestock feeding restrictions are indicated.

BASF has another new federal labeled product, called Multiva, a combination of Headline (pyraclostrobin) and Caramba (metconazole). Multiva use will be aimed at leaf diseases of the small grain crops, at a 6-11 fl oz/acre rate, but indications from BASF are that it may not be marketed in this region, at least for 2008.

Complete information on pricing, availability, and strategies for use and specific disease control of these products should be obtained from the company representatives in the area.

CEREAL RUST UPDATE FROM ST. PAUL
Wheat leaf rust: The USDA Cereal Disease Lab’s latest Cereal Rust Bulletin, May 6, indicates that wheat leaf rust is widespread and increasing rapidly throughout the southern U.S. The disease is also visible in Kansas. Repeated rains across the southern plains have favored rust development.

The occurrence of rust indicates a potential threat to our susceptible winter and spring wheat, if sufficient rainfall should occur for infection. It is too soon to know how big the threat is, but the occurrences and spread bear watching. Information on susceptibility of winter wheat cultivars may be found at the web site: http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/plantsci/smgrains/a1196.pdf This is the web access to NDSU Circular A-1196 North Dakota Hard Red Winter Wheat Variety Trial Results for 2007 and Selection Guide. Information on spring wheat variety response to leaf rust may be found at: http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/plantsci/smgrains/a574.pdf. This is the web access to NDSU Circular A-574 North Dakota Hard Red Spring Wheat Variety Trial Results for 2007 and Selection Guide.

Wheat stem rust: Wheat stem rust has been found in Texas, and levels are slightly higher than last year. Rust spores are transported to North Dakota on winds from the south.

NDSU POTATO BLIGHTLINE TO OPERATE IN 2008
The Plant Pathology Department at North Dakota State University will again be providing the potato blightline service at no charge. This will be the fourteenth year that this service has been provided and sponsored by Syngenta Crop Protection. The hotline uses local weather data collected from weather stations throughout our area to forecast the occurrence and spread of late blight. The data is processed by the North Dakota Agricultural Weather Network (NDAWN) and analyzed by a computer program (WISDOM) to forecast when conditions are favorable for late blight to occur.

The forecast information is used by plant pathologists Gary Secor and Neil Gudmestad to make late blight management and fungicide recommendations. The recommendations are made Monday, Wednesday and Friday of each week during the growing season. The first late blight hotline will be Monday June 2nd, and it is anticipated that the hotline will continue through mid September depending on disease pressure. The hotline recommendations can be accessed by phone or website. The toll free phone number is 1-888-482-7286

The NDAWN website for potato disease forecasting contains colored maps of ND to pictorially illustrate the late blight severity values (both two day and seasonal), favorable day values and P-day values for early blight throughout ND. That site is: www.ndawn.ndsu.nodak.edu Go to applications and then click the potatoes drop down box.

Growers and scouts are encouraged to send suspect late blight samples to NDSU for positive identification. Late blight is a community disease and proper identification and prompt notification is important. Leaf samples should be placed in a slightly inflated zip-lock plastic bag without a wet towel and sent to: Gary Secor, Plant Pathology, Walster Hall 306, NDSU, Fargo, ND 58105

APPLICATION OF AMMONIA TO DRY SOILS
However, even dry soils contain a thin water film around soil particles. Dave Franzen, NDSU Extension Soil Scientist gives the following recommendations. “I would still consider application of anhydrous on these soils, however, the ammonia will move more initially in these soils laterally and vertically than normal. Application down to 6 inches would be my best recommendation. Shallow applications (3 inches or more shallow) will lose at least 10% of product soon after application. Application using larger hoses/tubes (½ inch instead of 3/8) may reduce the ammonia expansion initially. Make sure that there is at least 3 inch lateral distance between seed and ammonia application point. If the only ammonia application method alternative is shallow application, considering the lost efficiency, perhaps urea application would be a better choice in these soils if it is applied beneath the soil surface.”

On Monday I was traveling to Fargo and as we went by a field that was having ammonia applied we could smell it and our eyes started to water. They obviously were not getting a good seal and maybe if they would have dropped the digger in another couple of inches that might of helped.

IT IS TIME TO SCOUT FOR WILD OATS.
Wild oats are a cool season grass and as the crops were delayed getting out of the ground I suspect that the wild oats were not delayed as much and will be emerging with or before your crops.

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P.O. Box 730

Hillsboro, ND 58045

701-636-5665 or toll-free1-877-843-6383