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View from the Field
Ken Wise
NYS IPM Program
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This issue will be the last report for the 2009 growing season.
We have enjoyed creating this weekly publication and hope you have
found it informative, useful and timely. Thanks to the many Extension
Educators, field scouts, and industry personnel who shared their
field observations and other information this season. The importance
of these inputs cannot be over estimated for their enhancements
to the timely value of the report.
We will soon be sending our subscribers a survey via email to
solicit feedback regarding perspectives on the usefulness of this
publication to your efforts and suggestions for how to improve the
report next season. We hope you will take time to complete and return
the survey. We take your comments and suggestions seriously and
have incorporated many of your suggestions to improve the publication
over the years. Thank you for your interest. See you next year!
Many Extension Educators are reporting that much of the corn
being harvested show signs of moderate to severe disease pressure.
Many of the diseases identified are northern corn leaf blight, eyespot,
anthracnose stalk rot, and anthracnose leaf blight. For more information
on late season diseases of corn view the following 2 articles: Check
for Stalk Rots and Stop, Check for Ear Rots.
If you notice you have disease issues on any of your field crops
make sure to keep records on the problem. Identification, field
/ crop observed, etc. This can help you better select disease resistant
cultivars and employ effective cultural or other management tactics
in future seasons. For more information see the recordskeeping article
that follows later in this issue.
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Weather outlook - September 24, 2009
Jessica Rennells
NOAA NE Climate Center, Cornell University
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Temperatures were around normal this past week, varying from
3 degrees below to 3 degrees above normal. Most of the state had
less than half an inch of precipitation. The St. Lawrence Valley
region received between half and one inch.
The Base 50 Growing Degree Days ranged from less than 25 to 75.
The entire state is behind last year and most of the state is behind
by more than 2 weeks. Compared to normal most of the state is behind,
but an area in the Catskills and mid Hudson Valley is ahead by 0
to 14 days. Central and Western NY are 3 to 14 days behind normal.
The Northern Plateau, Mohawk Valley, and western St. Lawrence Valley
are more than 14 days behind normal. Eastern St. Lawrence Valley
and Champlain Valley are 3 to 10 days behind normal.
This week we’ll have seasonal temperatures and rain is likely.
Today’s highs will range from the 60’s to mid 70’s. The overnight
lows will be in the 40’s. Friday will be cooler with temperature’s
ranging from the mid 50’s to upper 60’s but it will be sunny. Friday
night will bring a chance of frost with temperatures in the 30’s
and low 40’s. Saturday will have highs in the 60’s with a chance
of scattered showers in western NY and lows in the upper 30’s to
upper 40’s. Sunday showers are likely for the whole state with temperatures
in the upper 60’s and low 70’s during the day and in the low 50’s
at night. Monday scattered showers are likely, highs in the upper
60’s and low 70’s and lows in the low to mid 50’s. Tuesday a few
scattered showers are still possible. Temperatures will be in the
upper 50’s and low 60’s during the day and upper 40’s to low 50’s
at night. Wednesday’s highs will be in the low 60’s with a chance
of scattered showers and lows in the 40’s. The 5 day precipitation
amounts will range from half to 1.5 inches. The 8-14 day outlook
is showing temperatures above normal and precipitation below normal.
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Fall IPM Alfalfa Assessment
Ken Wise
NYS IPM
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Fall stand counts are an indication of the health of your alfalfa
crop. There are a number of pests and crop management issues that
can reduce a stand count in alfalfa. The following are guidelines
for stand counts in NYS:
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Crowns per square foot
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Harvest Year
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Optimum Stand
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Adequate Stand
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New Spring Seeding
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25-40
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12-20
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1st hay year
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12-20
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6-10
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2nd hay year
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8-12
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4-6
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3rd and older
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4-8
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2-5
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Fall scouting before the first hard frost can also reveal pest
problems. If you find yellow to brown plants it may indicate several
different disease problems. These could range from a wide variety
of disease problems including, verticillum wilt, leaf spots, fusarium
wilt, anthracnose and more. An inspection of the root system can
also indicated disease problems. Yellow, reddish-brown to black
discolored or damaged roots may indicate disease problems such as
phytopthora root rot or verticillium wilt. In northern NY counties
where alfalfa snout beetles (ASB) have been a problem prematurely
senescing, stunted or yellow alfalfa fields may indicate an ASB
infestation. Fields should be evaluated for presence of the root
feeding larval stage. For more information see the September 3,
2009 issue of the Weekly Pest Report.
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Clipboard Checklist
Keith Waldron
NYS IPM
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General:
* Emergency contact information ("911", local hospital, Chem. Spill
emergency contact, other?) posted in central posting area
* Update crop records by field, including variety, planting date,
pesticides used, nutrient inputs including manure, yields, etc.
* Watch for weed escapes, any patches of herbicide resistant weeds?
* Evaluate effectiveness of crop management decisions through yield
monitoring, weed escapes, etc. as fields are harvested.
* Take soil samples as needed
Field Corn:
* Note crop growth stage and condition
* Check for European corn borer, foliar and stalk rot diseases and
ear molds, vertebrate injury (birds / deer), weed escapes, nutritional
deficiencies, western bean cutworm, etc.
* Check corn for potential lodging, kernel maturity, timing of silage/grain
harvest
* Monitor weed populations noting presence of "who", "how many"
and "where"
Alfalfa & Hay:
* Monitor alfalfa seedings for weeds, for potato leafhopper
& diseases.
* Check established alfalfa stands for potato leafhopper, weed and
disease problems.
* Storage areas cleaned and ready to accept next harvest?
Soybeans:
* Check soybeans for condition, maturity and timing of
harvest
* Evaluate stand for soybean aphid, spider mites, deer, weeds, foliar
diseases and white mold incidence
* Note presence of herbicide resistant corn
Wheat:
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Plant winter wheat after Hessian
Fly-free date
Dairy Cattle Livestock Barn Fly Management:
* Monitor animals and facilities for house fly and stable
fly populations
Note: expect barn fly numbers to increase as outside flies seek
warmer conditions during cooler weather.
* Check facilities for favorable fly breeding conditions: (organic
matter + moisture): leaks in watering systems, roof gutters for
leaks and potential overspill, drainage,
* Sanitation, sanitation, sanitation - clean animal resting areas,
feed troughs, minimize source of moist organic matter i.e. fly breeding
areas in barn and in adjacent animal loafing yard
* Continue fly monitoring: install "3X5" index card fly speck
monitoring cards through out barn
* Use, replenish, replace fly management materials: sticky fly tapes/ribbons,
insecticide baits, natural enemies (parasitoids), fly population
monitoring (3 x 5) spot cards
Dairy Cattle: Pasture Fly Management:
* Monitor animals for presence of face flies, horn flies
and stable flies. Action guidelines: face flies (average 10 per
animal face), horn flies (average 50 / dairy, 200 / beef cattle
per animal side), stable flies average 10 per animal (all four legs)
Note: pasture fly numbers will decrease with each successive frost
* Check feed bunk / water source locations for signs of stable
fly breeding (moist undisturbed organic matter spilled feed, round
bales, etc.), minimize source of moist organic matter i.e. fly breeding
areas in barn and in adjacent animal loafing yard
* Check paddocks for forage quality / quantity, rotate as appropriate
* Check paddocks for vegetation poisonous to livestock
* Consider use of fly traps to help reduce deer, horse and stable
fly populations
Storage:
* Pre-clean in and around grain storage bins in anticipation
of soybean and grain corn harvests.
* Keep areas around storage bins and silos clean and mowed
* Check temperature, moisture, and pest status of previously
filled grain bins (wheat, etc.). Aerate or otherwise treat as needed.
Equipment:
* Note any repairs needed for recently used equipment:
tractors, tillage implements, harvesting and planting equipment,
etc. as they are cleaned and serviced.
* Calibrate manure spreaders - maintain records on amount spread
per field
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