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Midwest news and notes Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Corn stocks may hit low level
Any combination of reduced corn acres planted and reduced yield because of late planting takes 2009-2010 marketing year corn stocks to levels low enough to trigger supply rationing price increases, says Mike Woolverton, Kansas State University Extension grain economist.
For example, 1 million less acres with just a one bushel decrease in national average yield would reduce 2009-2010 carryover stocks to about 8 percent of usage, Woolverton said. For the last 10 years, carryover supply as a percentage of usage has been between 10 percent and 12 percent.
Two million acres less corn, a likely outcome, combined with a three-bushel per acre decrease in yield, would leave the United States with a carryover of only 5 percent of usage. The last time carryover stocks was that low was in 1995.
Make ration adjustments now
It's important to make ration adjustments based on the quality of the new forage crop to make the most economical use of the feed, says Dan Martens, Extension educator based in Foley, Minn.
The new crop might be better or poorer in quality. Testing the new forage and watching animal response are keys to these decisions.
It's also important to scout alfalfa fields. Check for the presence of potato leafhoppers and plant bugs within a week or so after harvest. An insect net works well. Check for alfalfa weevil larva and clover leaf weevil larva.
Carefully consider pesticide applications
Farmers frequently consider tank mixes of insecticides with other pesticides without first considering the level of pests in the fields, says Gary Hall, Extension education director in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa. The logic is that with higher commodity values it takes fewer bushels saved by a pesticide application to breakeven or make a profit from its use.
The approach has several flaws, Hall said. Using insecticides when low-pest levels are present isn't likely to increase yield and may actually reduce profits.
Second, consider the longer-term impact of insecticide use. Current insecticides typically used for soybean aphid control also kill many beneficial predatory and parasitic insects. This leads to increased survival of aphids or spider mitets later in the season.
Berseem clover may be an option
Farmers are reporting winter-damaged alfalfa fields, says Jim Stordahl, Extension educator in Minnesota. Interseeding alfalfa back to alfalfa is risky due to several factors including auto-toxicity. The level of auto-toxicity is greater in stands that are three years old or older.
If the alfalfa field is going to be rotated to another crop this fall, berseem clover may be an option for damaged areas if the forage can be harvested as haylage, baleage or by animals. Red clover makes superior feed, Stordahl said, but may create management frustrations if the goal is dry hay because of its slower drying rate.
Volunteer corn can be yield-robber
Significant populations of volunteer corn have been reported in some fields this year, says Extension specialists Lizabeth Stahl and Jeff Gunsolus. If volunteer corn is present, be sure weed management strategies address this potential yield robber.
Research conducted at South Dakota State University in 2007 found that volunteer corn densities ranging from 800 to 1,400 plants per acre reduced soybean yield up to 54 percent and corn yield up to 13 percent, they said.
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