f
Wet Weather May Spell
Disease Troubles For Wheat
WOOSTER, Ohio Ohio’s
wheat is performing well despite
recent rains, but saturated soils
may have created favorable con
ditions for disease development.
Pat Lipps, an Ohio State Uni
versity plant pathologist with the
Ohio Agricultural Research and
Development Center, said that
diseases like powdery mildew,
Stagonospora leaf blotch and Fu
sarium head scab may become a
problem if moist conditions con
tinue.
“The wheat looks like it’s in
really good condition and I don’t
think that the recent wet weather
has caused any major problems
with growth and development,”
said Lipps, a professor with
OARDC’s Department of Plant
Pathology. “But there are some
side effects from the wet condi
tions that we are concerned
about.”
One concern is the develop
ment of head scab or Fusarium
head scab, a fungal disease that
can have a devastating impact on
wheat production and yields if it
Virginia BCIA Central
Bull Test Station Summary
CULPEPER, Va. For the
45th consecutive year, bulls were
developed, evaluated, and sold
through the Virginia Central Bull
Test Station Program operated
by the Virginia Beef Cattle Im
provement Association.
In the 2002-03 test and sale
year, a total of 402 bulls were
tested at two test stations located
in Culpeper and Wytheville. The
256 bulls which sold represented
the top two-thirds of all bull
tested.
This was the 45th year for the
Culpeper test station, operated
by Glenmary Farm, Tom and
Kim Nixon owners, of Rapidan,
Virginia. In the fall-bom senior
group at Culpeper, 105 bulls were
tested and had a test ADG of
3.37 and an adjusted yearling
weight of 1,116. The 87 spring
bom Culpeper junior bulls re
corded test performance of 3.67
ADG and 1,112 adjusted yearling
weight.
The test station at Wytheville
completed its 24th year, and is
owned and operated by Danny
Umberger. Of the 210 total bulls
tested at Wytheville, 91 were fall
bom senior bulls and 119 spring
born juniors. Senior bulls at Wy
theville had a test ADG of 3.39
and adjusted yearling weight of
1,102, while the junior bulls post
ed a 3.29 ADG and 1,156 adjust
ed yearling weight.
develops during the crop’s flow
ering stage.
Another disease that may de
velop due to wet, cool conditions
is Stagonospora leaf and glume
blotch, a disease that can cause
infections if spores are splashed
onto the plant.
“Stagonospora lives on old res
idues on the lower leaves of
plants. Because of the rain,
spores could have splashed onto
the upper leaves of the wheat
crop and may cause leaf infec
tions,” said Lipps. “Growers
should be scouting their fields
right now for the development of
lesions, a sign that the disease is
present.”
Powdery mildew is currently
showing up on susceptible wheat
varieties, said Lipps. “Anybody
growing susceptible varieties
needs to pay attention to that and
apply fungicides if the upper
leaves are showing disease. They
should be scouting their fields at
heading or before heading oc
curs.”
Across the two stations and
four test groups ranging in length
from 112 to 133 days, the 402
total bulls averaged 3.42 ADG
and 1,124 adjusted yearling
weight. These 402 bulls included
331 Angus, 42 Simmental, 17
Charolais, and 12 Gelbvieh.
In the three sales conducted,
the 256 bulls grossed $397,975 to
average $1,555. The 62 Culpeper
Senior bulls averaged $1,734, S 3
Culpeper Junior bulls $1,517,
and 141 Wytheville Senior and
Junior bulls $1,490.
Across all three sales, 210
Angus averaged $1,573, 27 Sim
mental averaged $1,490, 11 Cha
rolais averaged $1,668, and 8
Gelbvieh averaged $1,631.
Average total test and sale
costs for bulls sold during the
2002-03 season was $665, for an
average return of $B9O to the con
signor per bull sold.
The $1,555 average sale price
per bull for 2002-03 across all
tests and sales compares to aver
ages of $1,723 in 2001-01, $1,931
in 2000-01, $1,530 in 1999-2000,
and $1,697 in 1998-99 for the
Virginia BCIA test station bull
sales.
Annual fluctuations in bull
prices are the result of several
factors. Analysis of BCIA bull
test station data reveals a very
strong association between feeder
calf prices and bull sale prices
Farmers Coping With Late May Com Crops
UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre
Co.) Although Pennsylvania
farmers got a good start on com
planting this spring (more than
40 percent complete by mid-
May), recent rainy weather likely
will cause planting to fall behind
average, says a com management
specialist in Penn State’s College
of Agricultural Sciences.
Gregory Roth, associate pro
fessor of agronomy, advises farm
ers not to panic, but to follow a
few simple tips in approaching
later plantings this year.
“Yield losses are not that great
due to later planting,” Roth says.
“In fact, sometimes when plant
ing has been completed quickly
in recent years, we’ve had low
yields, so farmers should wait
until soil conditions are right.
Weather patterns should grow
more summer-like as the jet
stream begins its retreat during
the next few weeks.
2003 Virginia-North Carolina Wool Pool
CANAL WINCHESTER,
Ohio The Virginia-North Car
olina Wool Pool will be market
ing wool to Mid-States Wool
Growers Cooperative Association
based in Canal Winchester, Ohio.
Each pool will sell wool on ei
ther a cash or grade and yield
basis.
Producers are encouraged to
package, handle and store their
wool in an appropriate manner in
order to maximize the value of
their wool clip. Wool should be
packaged by type/grade (ewe vs.
lamb wool, long staple vs. short
across years. From 1998 to 2001,
feeder calf prices rose steadily as
did prices paid for bulls. Since
2001, bull sale prices have de
clined as have feeder calf prices.
These trends are consistent
across all tests and sales for the
past 10 years. While bull sale
prices have fluctuated in recent
years, average test and sale costs
have remained relatively con
stant.
The average total test and sale
cost of $665 for 2002-03 com
pares favorably to average total
costs of $659 in 2001-01, $7lO in
2000- $645 in 1999-2000, and
$626 in 1998-99. Therefore, net
returns to consignors per bull
sold have primarily been a func
tion of differences in sale price
and not test costs across years.
Average net return per bull
sold over the last five years have
been $B9O in 2002-03, $1,064 in
2001- $1,221 in 2000-01, $BB5
“The state climatologist is pre
dicting chilly conditions for the
second half of May, followed by a
significant warming trend and
ending with another cool spell.
Rainfall will taper off in the com
ing week, with a period of show
ers expected May 21 and 22,
more projected for May 26 and
27 and again at the very end of
the month. .
Rainfall should be above nor
mal in most places, and it’s better
to wait for things to dry out. We
always regret planting in a wet
seedbed.”
When soils finally dry out after
wet-weather planting, Roth says,
furrow sidewall compaction can
hamper com growth. So farmers
shouldn’t panic and begin plant
ing in inappropriate conditions.
Other tips for dealing with the
wet weather include:
• Don’t delay planting due to
tillage or spreading fertilizer.
wools, fine vs. medium wools) in
plastic bags, and be clean, dry,
and have foreign material (straw,
mud, manure) removed prior to
packaging.
Following is a list of local pool
delivery dates, and locations
where wool will be picked up by
Mid-States:
June 17-Augusta Co., Va.
June 18-Orange, Va.
June 19-Farmville, Va.
June 24-Wytheville, Va.
June 2S-Christiansburg, Va.
June 26-Clarke Co., Va.
July 1-Highland Co., Va.
July 10-Lebanon, Va.
in 1999-2000, and $1,071 in
1998-99.
A total of 90 breeders partici
pated in the Central Bull Test
Station program last year. There
were 75 Virginia breeders, and a
total of IS from the surrounding
states of Tennessee (7), West Vir
ginia (3), North Carolina (2),
Maryland (2), and Kentucky (1).
Several breeders participated in
more than one test and sale. Of
the 256 bulls sold, 226 were pur
chased by Virginia buyers and 30
(11.9 percent) sold out of state.
All bulls tested and sold were
consigned by breeders who are
members of the Virginia Beef
Cattle Improvement Association.
For information concerning the
Central Bull Test Station pro
gram for 2003-04 contact the Vir
ginia BCIA office at (540)
231-9163 or visit http://
bcia.apsc.vt.edu.
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 31,2003-A33
Consider no-till planting and
sidedressing of fertilizer.
• Don’t be concerned about
switching to shorter-season hy
brids, at least until the last week
of May unless you had selected
some very full-season hybrids for
your area.
• Consider using Bt hybrids.
Recent research has shown com
planted later in May often en
counters more second-generation
com borer damage and has a
more consistent yield response to
Bt than earlier planted com.
• Reconsider the use of starter
fertilizer on later planted com.
Starter benefits are generally
small on many manured soils and
they decline as planting is de
layed.
• Plant the seed 1.5 to 2 inches
deep. Shallow com planting is
more risky later in the season
when conditions in the seed zone
can quickly change to hot, dry
and cloddy.
July 17-Tazewell, Va.
July 22-Williamston, N.C.
July 23-Sparta, N.C.
July 24-Asheville, N.C.
July 25-Albemarle, N.C.
To confirm the above dates,
and for more information regard
ing specific times and locations,
contact your local Virginia Coop
erative Extension Office.
Va. Ram Lamb
Performance
Test Begins
STEELS TAVERN, Va. A
total of 73 rams from 16 Virginia
consignors were delivered April
29 to the Virginia Sheep Evalua
tion Station located at the Shen
andoah Valley Agricultural Re
search and Extension Center
near Steeles Tavern. Breeds of
rams consigned include: 49 Suf
folk, 14 Dorset (both fall and
winter-born), 7 Hampshire, and 3
Dorper.
After a two-week adjustment
period, performance will be mea
sured over a 63-day gain test. At
the completion of the test, rams
will be evaluated for reproductive
and structural soundness.
The top 60 eligible rams will
sell at the station on Saturday,
August 23. Complete perform
ance information will be available
on all rams, including ultrasonic
estimates of carcass merit. For in
formation please contact Scott
Greiner, phone (540) 231-9159.