Ag Spring 2022 Newsletter
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A MESSAGE FROM CLINT
Production agriculture continued throughout COVID-19. Farmers around the world kept farming and supplying food processors with commodities and animals needed to produce consumer food products. The world beat COVID-19 but the war in Ukraine will prevent us from returning to normal. It will affect agriculture and global food security much more than the effect of the pandemic.
It is upsetting for anyone to witness the unnecessary death and destruction occurring to a robust, free, developed nation. Most are satisfied with higher fuel expenses if the subsequent effect on Russia disrupts their invasion. What most do not realize is the effect this is going to have on world food development, cost, and hunger for years to come. Even some in agriculture who have witnessed the unprecedented increase in commodity prices may not realize the long-term effects the fall of Ukraine and the economic collapse of Russian trade will have on the world food supply.
Recent wars and conflicts were in areas of the world that have little effect on agriculture and food supplies. This war in Eastern Europe is in Ukraine, which was the third-largest exporter of corn and fifth-largest exporter of wheat in the world during the 2020/2021 marketing year! This crisis affects all of us. Although Ukraine is a large country, the invasion is occurring in the part where most of their grain is produced. The growing season in Ukraine is similar to the upper Midwest. They plant wheat in the fall and harvest in July and August. Their corn is planted in the spring and harvested in the fall. Stop and think about what will happen if they are unable to harvest their wheat crop in July and August. They planted 6.5 million hectares (1 hectare = 2.47 acres) of winter wheat last fall. Currently, they only expect 4 million will be harvested because of the invasion. Even if the fighting has ended, much of their commercial storage and transportation infrastructure will be out of service. The futures market is certainly telling us that turmoil in such a major producing country and sanctions on Russia will shrink wheat-ending stocks in the upcoming marketing year. Consider next month when their corn-growing season should begin. Ukraine harvested 5.4 million hectares of corn in 2021 and currently expects only 3.3 million to be planted this year. To put that in perspective, last year Ukraine planted 13.3 million acres of corn while Iowa planted 12.9 million acres of corn. In total, Ukraine planted 15 million hectares of corn, barley, sunflower, soybean, and sugar beet in 2021. They expect less than 7 million hectares will be planted this spring. The pandemic proved to the world that farmers are going to farm no matter how tough the going gets, but planting a corn crop during an invasion of a foreign army might prove impossible this year if the invasion continues at the current level of destruction. We are seeing firsthand what the tornado damage and reconstruction of commercial grain storage with rail access at Mayfield will have on corn production in Graves and Hickman County. Imagine if Ukraine’s Black Sea and Azov Sea ports are taken away. It would be like the Midwest losing grain export and fertilizer import access to the Gulf of Mexico.
To now, I have only addressed the physical infrastructure limitations on the current and next few years in Ukraine. Consider that the primary consumer of Ukraine grain is the European Union, Asia, and Africa. When combined with the continued economic sanctions on Russia, the world may truly find that there is not enough grain in export trade to meet world demand over the next few years. This will increase commodity prices to unimaginable levels but ultimately, there will be increased world food insecurity because of what is happening in Ukraine. I suspect the land in Ukraine will not remain fallow forever but we may not be able to count on commodity exports from there for the next few years. I did not experience the late 70’s, but I know about the high grain prices, a Russian wheat embargo, an OPEC oil embargo, and a Federal interest rate hike to tamp down inflation which resulted in the 80’s farm crisis. There seems to be many similarities between then and now.
TAR SPOT IN CORN
Just a heads up that tar spot of corn was confirmed in Kentucky last September. Tar spot is caused by the fungus Phyllachora maydis. The first signs of infection are small, black, irregular-shaped structures, called stromata, on leaf tissue. The stromata will protrude from the leaf and feel rough or bumpy. This bumpy feel of the fungal stromata also distinguishes tar spot from dark spots caused by saprophytic growth on senesced plant tissue. Tar spot may also appear on the leaf sheaths, husks, and tassels. Unlike dirt or insect excrement, tar spot lesions will not wipe off the leaf.
Tar spot is a foliar disease, originally found in the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico, and South America. It first appeared in the United States in 2015. Since then, it has spread across the Midwest, north into Canada, and as far south as Florida. The fungus that causes the disease can overwinter in the United States.
Yield losses can range from none to more than 50 bushels an acre, depending on hybrid susceptibility, infection timing, and environmental conditions. Research has indicated fungal infection and growth occurs under moderate temperatures (70-79°F) and high humidity.
Keep a close watch for tar spot this year. Suspect samples need to be submitted to the UK Plant Disease Diagnostic Laboratory for diagnosis.
FARMERS' MARKET OPENING
The Owensboro Regional Farmers’ Market officially opens for the season on Saturday, April 16! Their hours are Saturdays, 8:00 a.m. to noon. Make plans to come out. Be sure to stop by the Extension booth to sample Strawberry Green Tea!
ALFALFA WEEVIL AND POTATO LEAFHOPPER
The first cutting of alfalfa is still a few weeks away. Be on the watch for alfalfa weevil and potato leafhopper. Their emergence coincides with warmer temperatures and they require insecticide control if the harvest is delayed due to weather.
Hopperburn, the characteristic symptom, results from the accumulation of photosynthates in leaves. It begins as a V-shaped wedge of yellow extending from about the middle of the leaf to the tip. PLH can reduce yields up to 25%, as well as lower crude protein, vitamin A, carotene, calcium, phosphorus, and digestible dry matter content.
A single, well-timed application of any one of several insecticides will provide excellent leafhopper control. A 35-day harvest schedule generally keeps leafhoppers from building to large numbers. Cutting drives the winged adults out of the field. The wingless nymphs are unable to leave and most starve or die from some other cause before regrowth starts.
CPH60 CATTLE SALE
The next CPH60 cattle sale will be held on Thursday, April 28. Important changes are beginning in April. The 2% scale weight shrink will no longer be deducted. A $1.00/head consignment fee will be withheld by Kentuckiana on behalf of the Green River Area Sale Committee. The Kentuckiana Livestock marketing fees will be a 3% commission of your total sale value. Call Danny Fulkerson at Kentuckiana Livestock Market at 270-785-4121 if you have any questions regarding the sale terms. To provide potential buyers with correct information, call my office at 270-685-8480 to consign calves for the sale and let us know if you have calves withheld from a previous CPH sale that need to be consigned for upcoming sales. Sale information was mailed to producers that have been actively participating in the sales during the past few years. If you did not receive the mailing and would like to participate, call the Daviess County Extension Office.
SLUGS
If you grew soybeans last year, you are aware of slugs and the destruction these pests can cause. Slugs overwinter deep in the ground but there is a chance that the sustained soil freeze in January had a negative effect on the surviving population. Those that did survive will be near or on the soil surface for the next several weeks. Hot, dry conditions are the best remedy for decreasing population. As soil temperatures increase and drying occurs, slugs move deeper into the soil to complete their lifecycle. An infestation will be worse in no-till environments because the previous crop residue provides the perfect habitat to stay hidden during the day and come out in the evening to feed. Insecticide seed or soil treatment has no effect on slugs; they are a mollusk, not an insect. There are soil treatment products such as Deadline or Sluggo available which are very effective in eradicating the pest. Likewise, tillage practices that destroy habitat and promote soil drying are highly effective. The third option is to wait them out if you discover high populations in certain fields. Slugs require soil moisture at the surface to continue feeding. It is difficult to evaluate the population to determine if any action is necessary. Unfortunately, slugs are going to continue to be a challenge we encounter each spring, especially following these high-yield, heavy residue previous corn crop fields.
KADF UPDATE
The Daviess County Agriculture Development Council met March 30 and committed a portion of the 2022 master settlement agreement appropriations for Daviess County. The council committed the following:
· $50,000 for the Green River Beef Improvement Group to administer the County Agriculture Investment Program, eligible for Daviess County farmers and landowners. The signup will begin in August and conclude on November 30.
· $20,000 to the Daviess County Youth Agricultural Cost Share Program, administered by the Daviess County Soil Conservation Service.
· $1,036 to the Daviess County 4-H Council for animal learning labs.
Continuing the recognition of outstanding leadership in Daviess County, sincere appreciation and plaques were presented to outgoing council members whose four years of service will conclude June 30.
PRINCETON RESEARCH CENTER UPDATE
The UK College of Agriculture Research and Education Center at Princeton received a direct hit from the devastating December 10 tornado. All of the buildings that were destroyed have been removed. Good progress is being made on field cleanup through the help of Princeton staff and hundreds of volunteers. More than 1,000 acres of crop and pastureland have been cleared. Fencing repairs and replacement began in March and will continue through the summer. The insurance carrier has provided estimates for values for the first eight buildings to be replaced. A committee has been established to engage with UK’s Capital Project Management Division on the design of the new building and JRA Architects of Lexington has been hired to assist with a whole station planning effort. Meetings are taking place every two weeks to begin planning for new construction. The first priority is a shop and a couple of barns that will be replaced exactly as they were, so the design should move quickly. FEMA was on site last week to discuss what reimbursements might be possible. The research center has a resilient group of employees. Every day, they continue the important work this center has undertaken for nearly 100 years in supporting the agricultural economy of Kentucky.
MEET CHERYL
Cheryl Burks-McCarthy has joined the Daviess County Extension Office as an all-area Program Assistant. She moved to Daviess County three years ago from Lyon County. She enjoys spending time with her husband, Bill, and family and friends. Cheryl is excited to be part of the Extension team!
SEE THE PDF OF THIS NEWSLETTER FOR INFORMATION ON THE FOLLOWING:
Kentucky Goat Producers Field Day
UK Corn, Soybean, & Tobacco Field Day
Daviess County 4-H Camp
2021 Corn & Soybean Estimates
