Mild Winter,
(Continued from Pago A 22)
If the weeds arc 10- to 12-inches
tall, (the situation calls for) maybe
even starting over again,” be said.
He said that on tilled ground
where the weeds aren't that big,
the herbicide program should
include some things like Accent or
Basis Gold. "They arc going to be
pretty widely used in com this
year, it looks like to me," he said.
The reason for Accent (con
tained in Basis Gold), he said, is
that it is the only herbicide that can
be widely used for grass control on
com, unless, of course, the com is
one of the new genetically
enhanced varieties that are herbi
cide resistant
However the specialty seed
availability is restricted, and
expense is greater.
Curran said he knows that the
situation is presenting some prob
lems for those fanners who had
already prepared to plant with lon
ger maturing varieties with a spe
cific herbicide, but were delayed
because of the rains.
“Now they’re going to have to
get something more appropriate.
It’s a problem for the fanner, and
the commercial dealer,” he said.
Grasses, Curran said, are the
biggest concern. “Once foxtail in
particular gets more than 6 inches
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Wet Spring Challenges Crop Protection Strategies
tall, it becomes very difficult to
kill.
"Another thing that happens
when grass gets that big and hasn’t
been killed. It starts to compete
with the com pretty fiercely and
starts taking up nitrogen, and you
can see nitrogen deficiencies in
small com.”
He said the taletell signs of nit
rogen deficiency arc yellowing
and browning of the lower leaves
on the com.
He said that sidedressing is an
option and one that he’s certain
some will employ, though he said
he’s not sure if the benefit out
weighs starting over in that field or
plot
“A lot of times, I think com can
never really recover from the early
season competition. You set it
back and it seems to never com
pletely pull out, the root system is
not as deep.”
He said on Thursday that at the
Landisville research farm, rain has
not fallen for nine days, and for
those who planted this week, and
for those who applied herbicides,
ironically tain in the near future is
essential.
He said that at the Penn State
research farm at Rockspring
(where the Penn State Ag Progress
Days are held), the staff had just
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finished planting com. He said
they started Saturday and finished
Wednesday.
Likewise he said he knows that
com planting activity has been
high around the state this week.
"A lot of com has gone in, in the
last week, and a lot of preemergent
herbicide sprayed."
Curran said that without some
tain in the next couple of days, the
efficacy of the herbicide may be
broken down too far, or not readi
ed the critical weed seed germina
tion zone in the soil.
The preemergent herbicide is
sprayed after planting com so that
it kills the faster growing and
already germinating weed seeds
and then is out of the way by the
time the com germinates.
“With (preemergent herbicides)
like Prowl, within seven days of no
rain, you are losing some because
of photodegradation, and some
volatizes, and then weeds start to
germinate and there’s no rainfall to
move the herbicide into the weed
germination zone.”
From his Geld observations tins
week, Voight said that the cut
worm may be a serious problem
this year in com Gelds with heavy
infestations of chickweed.
The moth of the cutworm, a
migratory insect, lays eggs in the
; f
* i
duckweed and the larva (the gray
greenish "worm”) feed on the
duckweed.
After the chickwced is
destroyed cither turned under,
sprayed with some product such as
Roundup, or both and the com
is planted and emerges, the cut
worm can destroy acres of com to
the point of requiring a replanting
or change of crop.
There arc several products that
can be used against cutworm,
though Curran said that even
though this is the time of the year
to be hearing of cutworm prob
lems, he hasn’t heard of much cut
worm activity and isn’t sure why.
But all in all, those who employ
the services of crop consultants
and custom operators probably
have received good advice on
changing strategies.
Pennsylvania law requires those
who apply pesticides (other than
for home and garden use) to be cer
tified by the state Department of
Agriculture and to maintain conti
nuing education credits to main
tain certification. Many should
already be aware of some need for
a strategic change.
Winter annuals and perrenials
are the weeds infesting most fields
now, but summer annuals have
started and bienniels, such as
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\ ***
Common Mullein, are growing
well.
In one Geld Voight visited this
week, the acreage was a cornuco
pia of problem weeds for Lebanon
County.
A virtual garden of varieties,
Voight stood among various this
tles, groundcheny, some other
nightshades, staghorn sumac, pep
perweed, chickweed, Jimsonweed,
lambsquarters, pigweed, etc.
He said, “This is a com Geld. It
will be planted this week.”
But it has long been known that
this is the challenge of Pennsylva
nia agriculture.
The temperate climate, the his
toric cveness of temperature and
moisture, and various geological
structures and conditions create a
variety of conditions whereby a
wide variety of plants can grow
and thrive, not to mention agricul
tural crops.
Whereas, the area may be too
humid to achieve one-day dry
down of bay for consistent opti
mum forage quality, it can acco
modate a larger variety of
plants including weeds
than many regions of the world.
But weeds aren’t the only
concern.
Among the insects that plague
those with traditional agricultural
livestock and vegetable row crops,
there are viruses, fungi and bacter
ia to confront
The two weeks of rain and over
cast weather that recently broke to
a high dry pressure system has
allowed the resumption of field
work.
The weekly report on field
activities from the Pennsylvania
Agricultural Statistics Service
relates to farm activity from the
previous week.
This week’s report reflects an
inability to get into fields. Next
week’s report will undoubtedly
contain mention of haying, seed
bed preperation and planting
activities.
In the meantime, those with
questions about their cropping
strategies can contact their local
Penn State Extension agronomy
agent, purchase a current copy of
the Penn State College of Agricul
tural Sciences Agronomy Guide,
or contact a certified crop
consultant.
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