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Midwest news and notes Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Organic matter really does matter
Organic matter really does matter, says Jodi DeJong-Hughes, with the University of Minnesota Extension Service.
Organic matter promotes soil bidding into aggregates, which gives soil its structure. Structure is soil's No. 1 defense against compaction and is instrumental in increasing water infiltration and decreasing crusting, DeJong-Hughes said.
Organic matter maintains nutrients longer in the soil so that they don't leach through the soil profile. One percent of organic matter contains about 900 pounds of nitrogen per acre.
It mineralizes a small percent each year for the plant, especially in the spring. About 10 pounds to 40 pounds per acre per year is mineralized based on temperature, precipitation and percent organic matter, she said.
Yield prospects will dominate market
Although acreage estimates will be important in upcoming USDA reports yield prospects will continue to dominate corn, soybean and wheat prices, says Darrel Good, University of Illinois Extension marketing specialist.
"Continuation of generally dry conditions in eastern and southeastern growing areas is of most concern,'' he said. "Along with actual and forecast weather conditions, the USDA's weekly report of crop conditions will be monitored closely.''
Soybeans suffer from weed pressure
Research suggests soybeans can lose 1 percent of their yield per day after weeds reach the stage where they are competing with the crop, says Tim Jergenson, Barron County (Wis.) ag agent.
Weed density and species also impacts yield loss.
Weeds often begin to compete with soybeans by about the V3 stage or third trifoliate leaf stage. Under dry conditions, the competition can begin earlier, Jergenson said. To avoid yield reduction, monitor weed pressure carefully and start making post-emergence applications on a timely basis.
House ag committee makes few changes
The U.S. House ag committee made few changes to commodity programs in its 2007 farm bill proposal, says Kent Olson, an Extension economist at the University of Minnesota.
The committee proposed minor adjustments to current provisions for direct payments and countercyclical payments. By doing so, Olson said, an interesting debate has been created between the House panel and the Senate Agriculture Committee.
The House draft authorizes direct payments for the 2008-2012 crop years in the same manner as in the 2002 farm bill and maintains the same direct payment rates.
Pest Report finds aphids, leafhoppers
Twenty-four of 203 soybean fields sampled between June 7 and June 20 were found to be infested with soybean aphids, says the Minnesota Department of Agriculture's Pest Report.
The highest average density of aphids in any field was 10 pests per infested plant.
Some high counts of potato leafhopper reported in the report. Of 26 alfalfa fields sampled, three fields were found with more than two leafhoppers per sweep.
Little insect damage has been found on corn so far. Very little cutworm activity has been seen and the highest incidence of armyworm damage has been 3 percent.
Some corn borer activity has been found. |
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