Farm Bill 2014 Update

With regards to the Farm Bill of 2014 some very important dates are approaching.  The first is December 12th 2014.  This is when economists from UGA, the Farm Service Agency, and USDA Risk Management Agency will be conducting a meeting to explain the changes to the new Farm Bill.
The meeting will be from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the CW Pettigrew Center at Fort Valley State University.

This is a very important meeting,  Under the new farm bill producers will be able to update/reallocate crop base and to update their yields.  They will also discuss the new farm programs and what they will mean for different commodities.

The next important date is February 27th, 2015.  This is the final day to update your base and yields with FSA.  This should be done for each farm serial number that you currently farm and it is up to the owner to do this.  Owners can give producers power of attorney to complete this action.

Next is March 31st, 2015.  This is the final date to decide between either Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC).  All producers on the farm must agree on the same coverage. You can select different coverage for different commodities, but the decision is final for the life of the farm bill.

With good yields in recent years it is critical that we update yields on farms if nothing else.  This will determine the yield that you will be protected against under either of the new coverage plans.

There are two decision aids available to help producers with reallocation and coverage choices.
Texas A& M's Decision Aid or the  University of Illinois's Decision Aid.

Pumpkins

One of the surest signs that fall is upon us is the appearance of pumpkins for sale along the roadside. Generally speaking if pumpkins are ready for harvest, frost can’t be far behind. The search for the perfect pumpkin has become almost as important as finding the perfect Christmas tree.

The name pumpkin originated from “pepon” the Greek work for “Large Melon”. Native Americans used pumpkin seeds for food and medicine. American Colonists sliced off pumpkin tips removed the seeds and filled the inside with milk, spices and honey. This was baked in hot ashes and is the origin for our pumpkin pie.

Pumpkins come in many shapes and sizes. Over the last couple of years, miniature pumpkins have become very popular. Many pumpkins will be carved into Jack-O-Lanterns. Finding just the right pumpkin for carving is a personal choice. Select a pumpkin that is visually appealing, usually a deep orange. The shape is just whatever appeals to you. If it has a flat spot or blemish, just turn that side to the back and carve the front or use it as part of the design.

So how do you preserve your carved pumpkin to make it last longer. Did you carve a great pumpkin masterpiece last year only to have it rot days before Halloween? Here is something you can try to help preserve the pumpkin a little longer. The intact skin of a pumpkin protects it until you carve it. But then various organisms can get inside and start to break it down. Simple dehydration will begin the moment the pumpkin is carved. Make a bleach solution of 1 tablespoon of bleach per quart of water and put it in a spray bottle. Spray the pumpkin inside and all cut areas of the pumpkin with the solution. This will kill the bacteria and mold that cause rotting. Let it penetrate and dry for about 20 minutes. Keep your pumpkin out of direct sunlight and try to keep it as cool as possible, and you should get at least a week or two of enjoyment out of it!

The tradition of hollowed out pumpkins originated in Ireland and Scotland where they hollowed out turnips and placed embers or candles inside. Irish families who immigrated to America brought the tradition with them, but they replaced the turnips with pumpkins which were native to the New World. I am glad pumpkins were native to America, how would you like to carve a turnip?

Have you ever wondered why carved pumpkins are called Jack-O-Lanterns? If you really want to know you can give me a call.

Defoliation Options

We got extremely hot and dry the last few weeks of the growing season which pretty much shut down our dryland cotton production.  The conditions caused much of the top crop to be stunted and very poorly developed.  It also shut down terminal growth which would have been good for defoliation and boll opening.

However, we were not that lucky.  A few recent rains and slightly milder temperatures caused most of our cotton to resume growth.  Now we have fields across the region that look like the picture below.

Not only do we have to try and open bolls and defoliate the crop, but now we have to control the young tender shoots that are present.  Every field will be a little different than the next but most of the ones that I have been in would benefit from a 3-way mixture.  Something for boll opening plus defoliation and regrowth control.

We don't want to spend any more money than we have to but we also don't want to make a mess and have to put the sprayer back into the field a second time.  let's say that the 3-way mixture of thidiazuron + diuron + ethephon costs you $12.00 per acre.  What would happen if you wanted to save $2 -3 dollars by leaving out the thidiazuron?  Most likely the young tender regrowth in the field would not be removed and you would need to retreat.  Instead of saving $3 you end up spending more than $5, plus the time to spray and the delay in harvest.

Like I said in the beginning every field and every situation is different but in most cases I feel that the 3 way mixture of boll opener + defoliant + regrowth control is going to be needed this year.

Early September is Critical for Pecans

This information was taken from Dr. Lenny Wells' Pecan Blog

The nut sizing period normally occurs from May 1 through August 15. Although not a critical water use stage for pecan, serious drought conditions during this period can affect yield. The most common visible effects of an extended drought during this period are excessive nut drop and “shell hardening” on small nuts. Lack of sufficient water during the nut sizing period causes small nuts and may lead to water stage fruit split, resulting from a sudden influx of water during the nut filling stage in some varieties.

The nut filling stage occurs from about August 15 to the first week of October, depending on variety. The most critical period for water use is during the first two weeks of September. Lack of sufficient water during the nut filling stage will lead to poorly filled nuts, which will result in poor nut quality.

Reports from other areas of the country indicate that as much as 350 gallons of water per day can be required by each tree during the nut filling stage. Based on this recommendation, if a mature orchard has a plant density of 12 trees per acre (60' x 60' spacing), then 4,200 gallons per acre per day may be needed. For a density of 20 trees per acre (46.5' x 46.5'), 7,000 gallons per acre per day may be needed.

Pecans can have high water requirements, using as much as 60 inches of total water (including rainfall) during the growing season. Drip and micro-irrigation system design capacity for a mature pecan orchard should be 3,600-6,000 gallons of water per acre per day.

New Sorghum Pest

The sugarcane aphid has been around for a while.  It was first observed in Florida on sugarcane in 1977.  Then in 1999 it was discovered in Louisiana on sugarcane.  It was not until 2013 that it was found in Texas and this time it was found on sorghum. 

Since this discovery it has been found as far east as Alabama and it now looks like it has made it into western Georgia.  Roger Sinyard and Bill Starr responded to a call from a local grower who was seeing something weird in his field.  It is somewhat ironic that we visited a field day in Plains GA, earlier in the week and learned about this new and emerging pest of sorghum. 

When David Buntin (UGA Entomologist) spoke about it I remember thinking that we should have a couple of years before we see it here.  Well, I was wrong.  This aphid can be seriously damaging in more ways than one.  Early infestations can kill or stunt small sorghum.  Late infestations can result in large amounts of honeydew.  This excessive stickiness can interfere with harvesting.

It is unofficial until our entomologist examine the samples sent last week, but we are pretty sure that we are seeing the sugarcane aphid in our area.  to learn more you can visit this site
http://www.amsac.org.mx/docs/PUB0272_SugarcaneAphidPublication.pdf