Farm Facts for Fairfield County

for September 28, 2001; also seen on Fridays in the Lancaster Eagle Gazette

As it is each year, the Hessian Fly Free date is September 30 for Fairfield County. For optimum yields, planting within the first 10 days after this date ensures the proper planting time to avoid serious insect and disease problems including Hessian Fly, Barley yellow dwarf virus and several foliar diseases. Early planting has reduced yield by 7.5 to 20% in research trials due to increase disease levels as compared to those planted after the Hessian Fly Safe Date.

Also, the results of several research projects indicate that the application of 25 pounds of nitrogen at planting will increase fall growth, tillering, winter hardiness and grain yield. Most forms of nitrogen are satisfactory and incorporation into the soil is not necessary.

Wheat requires at least 45ppm of available phosphorus per acre in the soil to produce really good grain yields. If a soil test indicates less than 40 ppm, then apply 80-100 pounds P2O5 at planting and incorporate to a shallow depth.

Soil potassium should be maintained at levels of 135, 165, and 185 ppm for soils with cation exchange capacities of 10, 20 or 30, respectively. If potassium levels are low, apply 60-100 pounds of K2O and incorporate to a shallow depth.

In Ohio, limed soils usually have adequate calcium, magnesium and sulfur for wheat. Soil pH should be between 6.5 and 7.0. Soil pH values lower than 6.0 are usually detrimental to grain yield.

Optimum seeding rates for Ohio are between 1.2 and 1.6 million seeds per acre. For drills with 7 inch spacing between rows plant 16 to 21 seed per foot of row. In seeding rate studies conducted over the past four years, seeding rate had little effect on final yield. High seeding rates (above 30 seed/foot of row) increased lodging potential. There is no evidence that more seed is better, it only costs you more money.

Planting depth is critical to winter survival and tiller development. Plant seed 1 to 1.5 inches deep and make sure the seeding depth is uniform across the field. Rough ground or heavy crop residues greatly affect planting depth even with the newer no-till drills. Remember shallow planting is the main cause of winter heaving and freezing injury to wheat causing thin stands in early spring. Additionally, you can not compensate for a poor planting job by planting more seed, it just costs you more money.

Farm Security Is Important

In the weeks following September 11, agriculture aerial applications were grounded after the FBI discovered that terrorists involved in the hijacking had also visited small, rural airfields to obtain information on crop dusting airplanes and equipment. Security experts were concerned the equipment could be misused for releasing biological or chemical agents, according to news reports.

Taking measures to keep pesticides secure to avoid misuse or vandalism takes on new meaning in light of these events. OSU Extension specialists Joanne Kick-Raack and Cindy Folck suggest the following security measures should be taken with pesticides at all times:

- Pesticides should be stored in a locked building or cabinet that can't be accessed by children or people not associated with the farm. This also extends to commercial agriculture businesses.

- Vehicles used to transport or apply pesticides should be kept locked.

- Sprayer tanks should be empty when left unattended in a field or barnyard area. In previous years, vandals have targeted pesticides left in sprayer tanks overnight in parking lots and open areas.

Spraying of pesticides according to the label is not the security issue. Only the licensed applicator or supervised employees and family members should use pesticides. The concern is theft or vandalism of pesticides and applicator equipment. Keeping pesticides secured is important on the farm or in the commercial agriculture business.

Preg Check Your Brood Cows!

It's always a good idea to palpate your cows for pregnancy status to avoid surprises in the Spring. However, this year, especially, seems like it may be a good one to do so. We're beginning to hear from guys that it's either "feast or famine" as they are beginning to palpate cows and heifers. We've heard from two cattlemen recently who only had a 50% conception rate on the heifers they bred this past spring/summer. Others are telling me about young cows that continue to show signs of cycling as cooler weather has come on. Yet, others who have already palpated are talking about nearly 100% conception rates.

With the spotty drought conditions we experienced and a number of sudden "hot snaps" throughout the summer, some of this could have been caused by short term infertility in the bulls. Some of the erratic weather apparently may have also caused more early embryo deaths than normal.

Regardless the reason, with the prospect of high valued feeder calves continuing for the next few years, this is not the time to be boarding open cows. Especially if they could be culled now and replaced with some of the high quality bred heifers that I've seen advertised in upcoming sales throughout the mid west.

The cost of having cows checked for pregnancy will vary but is in the range of a few dollars per cow. Many veterinarians perform preg checks on a fee-for-time basis. Thus if a facility functions well enough to allow checking 30 cows per hour the cost per cow is much less than if only 15 cows can be examined per hour.

And remember, having cows preg checked and then making no change in management only satisfies one's curiosity - it will not result in an economic return. In addition to culling the open ones, knowing their pregnancy status will allow for managing cows at different stages of pregnancy in different ways. For example, cows that are going to calve later in the season may be culled, sold to another producer who may plan to calve later than you, or managed differently in terms of nutrition.

For a listing of upcoming programs, meetings and events, visit the AG CALENDAR

Previous Issues of Farm Facts

updated on September 26, 2001 by Stan Smith

Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Keith L. Smith, Director, Ohio State University Extension.
TDD # 1 (800) 589-8292 (Ohio only) or (614) 292-1868