As I'm sure you're aware, 2012 is shaping up as another year where we may encounter grain quality issues with corn. This is always a risk with severe drought stress, particularly if that stress took place during pollination. While Clinton County isn't in as bad shape as many other places, with the recent wetter weather just as harvest is starting up, I'm sure we'll run into it. Every grain buyer in the area, so far as I know, is testing for Aflatoxin, an indication that they've found it in some loads.
Purdue has a web page on this topic with a great deal of information: Managing Moldy Corn
Here are a few of the key concepts as you go into harvest. Keep in mind most of these these (there are a couple of exceptions) won't help with Aflatoxin already present; they help get rid of the Aspergillus fungus which produces Aflatoxin.
One key is minimizing damaged kernels. This corn crop is drying down fast as it's maturing at such an early date. If you think you're at risk for Aflatoxin, make sure you get in the field early enough to keep from having too many damaged kernels and keep fines down to a minimum.
Dry corn a bit more than usual if you plan to store it. If you usually store at 15.5%, think about storing at 14 or 14.5. Also, cool your grain as quickly as possible (an obvious problem in mid-September) without creating moisture issues from condensation. Aspergillus growth is greatly reduced at temperatures below 55 degrees.
Broken kernels and fines generally contain promote fungal activity. If possible, screen your grain before putting it in the bin (or, if you think there's an issue, before taking grain to the elevator). If you can't do this, "core" your bin once it's in storage.
Aflatoxin can cause Human health issues so be careful about breathing in dust. Consider wearing a mask or respirator and change your clothes after handling grain.
USDA's Risk Management Agency has put together a list of Eastern Corn Belt labs which will test for Aflatoxin. You can find that in this publication. Purdue's Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab will also test for it. I don't know why, but they aren't on the list of certified labs in the USDA publication so check with your insurance agent if you're testing for insurance purposes.
If you think you have Aflatoxin, contact your crop insurance agent before you harvest.
Friday, September 14, 2012
Friday, August 10, 2012
August 29 Pesticide Applicator Training
The Clinton County Extension Service will be hosting a Private Pesticide Applicator Recertification Program (PARP) on Wednesday, August 29 from 1-3:30 p.m. at the Clinton County Fairgrounds, 1701 South Jackson Street in Frankfort. In addition, CCH's have been approved for Commercial Applicators.
Fred Whitford from Purdue Pesticide Programs will be giving two presentations, “Make Liquids and Dry Products Measure Up” and “Watch for Setbacks for Fertilizers.”
This program will directly follow the Farmland Rental Program that morning. The cost for the Pesticide program will be $10 for Private Applicators. There is no cost for Commercial Applicators. You should remember to bring your license with you for registration purposes.
As we're not feeding you, I don't need pre-registration if you're attending just the Pesticide program that afternoon (I do need you to register for the morning program if you're attending it). If you have any questions, please contact the Extension Office at 765-659-6380 or 296-3511. You may also e-mail me.
Fred Whitford from Purdue Pesticide Programs will be giving two presentations, “Make Liquids and Dry Products Measure Up” and “Watch for Setbacks for Fertilizers.”
This program will directly follow the Farmland Rental Program that morning. The cost for the Pesticide program will be $10 for Private Applicators. There is no cost for Commercial Applicators. You should remember to bring your license with you for registration purposes.
As we're not feeding you, I don't need pre-registration if you're attending just the Pesticide program that afternoon (I do need you to register for the morning program if you're attending it). If you have any questions, please contact the Extension Office at 765-659-6380 or 296-3511. You may also e-mail me.
August 29 Farmland Rental Program
The Clinton County Extension Service will be hosting a Farmland Rental Program on Wednesday, August 29 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. at the Clinton County Fairgrounds, 1701 South Jackson Street in Frankfort.
Purdue Ag Economist Craig Dobbins will be on hand to discuss the recently released 2012 Indiana Land Values and Cash Rent Survey Results. He will consider the results of this survey, implications for rental rates in 2013 and discuss various aspects of rents such as negotiating contracts and flexible cash rents.
This looks to be a very good, useful program, particularly considering how this abnormal crop year may influence land decisions, particularly rental contracts.
A lunch, sponsored by The Farmers Bank, will be provided. Pre-registration is required if you intend to eat with us. Please register by August 22 by calling the Clinton County Extension Office at 765-659-6380 or 296-3511 or you may e-mail me at cemanuel@purdue.edu. If you don't pre-register you may still attend but lunch is not guaranteed.
For additional information and a registration form you may download the program flyer from the link below:
Farmland Rental Program Flyer.
Purdue Ag Economist Craig Dobbins will be on hand to discuss the recently released 2012 Indiana Land Values and Cash Rent Survey Results. He will consider the results of this survey, implications for rental rates in 2013 and discuss various aspects of rents such as negotiating contracts and flexible cash rents.
This looks to be a very good, useful program, particularly considering how this abnormal crop year may influence land decisions, particularly rental contracts.
A lunch, sponsored by The Farmers Bank, will be provided. Pre-registration is required if you intend to eat with us. Please register by August 22 by calling the Clinton County Extension Office at 765-659-6380 or 296-3511 or you may e-mail me at cemanuel@purdue.edu. If you don't pre-register you may still attend but lunch is not guaranteed.
For additional information and a registration form you may download the program flyer from the link below:
Farmland Rental Program Flyer.
August 23 Pond Management Workshop
On Thursday, August 23 the Clinton County Extension Service and the Clinton County SWCD will be hosting a Pond Management Workshop. The program will be held at Dorsey Farms, 1880 West CR 400 N, Frankfort.
Topics and speakers will include:
We would appreciate pre-registration so we have an idea how many are coming. To register please contact me at cemanuel@purdue.edu or Leah Harden from the SWCD at leah.harden@in.nacdnet.net. For additional information you may download the program flyer by clicking on the following link:
Pond Management Flyer
Topics and speakers will include:
- Fish Management - Rod Edgell, IDNR Aquatic Biologist
- Wildlife Management - Rick Pearcy, Wildlife Biologist
- Aquatic Plant Management - Patrick Whitson, Bilogist from Aquatic Control
We would appreciate pre-registration so we have an idea how many are coming. To register please contact me at cemanuel@purdue.edu or Leah Harden from the SWCD at leah.harden@in.nacdnet.net. For additional information you may download the program flyer by clicking on the following link:
Pond Management Flyer
Friday, July 27, 2012
Kudzu Bug
Last week I was in Charleston, South Carolina at the National Association of County Agricultural Agents (NACAA) Annual Meeting. Like most conferences there was a social aspect to it but there was a fair amount of educational content too.
One of the most interesting training opportunities I participated in was a tour of South Carolina's Coastal Plains Agriculture. I expected it to be interesting. What I didn't expect was to find it highly relevant to Indiana.
One of the research trials, being conducted by Dr. Jeremy Greene of Clemson University at their Edisto Research Farm, was on the kudzu bug, Megacopta cribraria. I had heard of this insect, vaguely, but hadn't paid much attention to it. I was much more alert after seeing it in action.
Kudzu bug first appeared in the US in 2009 in 9 counties in northern Georgia. Over the next three years it spread to South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, and Mississippi. The kudzu bug is a voracious feeder on kudzu and can reduce its growth by as much as a third, which is good. However it also feeds on soybeans and can reduce yields by up to 80% if left untreated.
This is an unwanted invader and every time researchers find out more about it, it gets a little worse for the midwest. Initially they believed it required kudzu as a host to complete its life cycle. It does not. It gets along just fine living off soybeans and overwintering. The second discovery is that while Dr. Greene believes there probably is a place where it's too cold for this pest to overwinter, he doesn't think this is Indiana. The kudzu bug overwinters as an adult and hides under tree bark, soil residue, grass and hay. In the spring the female emerges, lays her eggs on the underside of leaves and the nymphs hatch and begin to feed.
The kudzu bug nymph is not a pod feeder or defoliator but a stem feeder. It latches onto the stem and starts sucking the juice out of it. At the Edisto Farm test plot, the nymphs were absolutely double parked on the stems.
Kudzu Bug Nymphs on Soybeans. Thanks to Laura Watts of Penn State for sending me some photos (I forgot to bring my camera).
There are effective treatments for this pest and hopefully these can be mixed with herbicide applications. Kudzu bug certainly won't have any impact on us for this year and it would have to move a long way to be a problem in 2013. However it appears to be coming and from the research findings so far, Indiana winters won't be a problem for it.
You can find additional information at the Kudzu Bug page. Doug Johnson from the University of Kentucky also recently posted about it.
One of the most interesting training opportunities I participated in was a tour of South Carolina's Coastal Plains Agriculture. I expected it to be interesting. What I didn't expect was to find it highly relevant to Indiana.
One of the research trials, being conducted by Dr. Jeremy Greene of Clemson University at their Edisto Research Farm, was on the kudzu bug, Megacopta cribraria. I had heard of this insect, vaguely, but hadn't paid much attention to it. I was much more alert after seeing it in action.
Kudzu bug first appeared in the US in 2009 in 9 counties in northern Georgia. Over the next three years it spread to South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, and Mississippi. The kudzu bug is a voracious feeder on kudzu and can reduce its growth by as much as a third, which is good. However it also feeds on soybeans and can reduce yields by up to 80% if left untreated.
This is an unwanted invader and every time researchers find out more about it, it gets a little worse for the midwest. Initially they believed it required kudzu as a host to complete its life cycle. It does not. It gets along just fine living off soybeans and overwintering. The second discovery is that while Dr. Greene believes there probably is a place where it's too cold for this pest to overwinter, he doesn't think this is Indiana. The kudzu bug overwinters as an adult and hides under tree bark, soil residue, grass and hay. In the spring the female emerges, lays her eggs on the underside of leaves and the nymphs hatch and begin to feed.
The kudzu bug nymph is not a pod feeder or defoliator but a stem feeder. It latches onto the stem and starts sucking the juice out of it. At the Edisto Farm test plot, the nymphs were absolutely double parked on the stems.
There are effective treatments for this pest and hopefully these can be mixed with herbicide applications. Kudzu bug certainly won't have any impact on us for this year and it would have to move a long way to be a problem in 2013. However it appears to be coming and from the research findings so far, Indiana winters won't be a problem for it.
You can find additional information at the Kudzu Bug page. Doug Johnson from the University of Kentucky also recently posted about it.
Clinton County Extension Ag Newsletter Up
For those of you not on our mailing list, a new Clinton County Extension Ag Newsletter is up. You can view the pdf at: http://www3.ag.purdue.edu/counties/clinton/Newsletters/Summer%202012%20Ag%20Newsletter.pdf
It's short a flyer for the August 29 Land Values and Cash Rent Program but other than that it's the same as was mailed out.
It's short a flyer for the August 29 Land Values and Cash Rent Program but other than that it's the same as was mailed out.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Clinton County Now an Ag Disaster County
As of this morning, Clinton County has been identified as being in D3, Exceptional Drought by the US Drought Monitor. My understanding is this automatically makes us an Ag Disaster County and eligible for various forms of emergency and disaster relief from USDA. Again, contact the Clinton County Farm Service Agency for more details.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Review of July 13 Drought Program
I'm currently in South Carolina at the National Association of County Agricultural Agents Annual Meeting but I would like to get out a summary of the Drought Program, "Making Decisions in a Difficult Crop Year," held last Friday at the Clinton County Fair before too much time passes by.
Purdue Ag Economist Chris Hurt discussed economics and I don't think he had any big surprises - as yield projections drop, prices will be rising. He showed a chart demonstrating that in many poor crop years producers more than make up the revenue lost by reduced production through higher prices. I'm looking at the December futures which stands at $7.84 compared with it being just a tick above $5.00 in May. That's already an increase of over 50% and Chris believes that $10 corn and $20 beans are both possible this year - his exact words were, "It's not crazy to talk about these prices." For Clinton County, even now it looks like we'll have some sort of crop so we should be able to capture the price change (if you haven't sold it yet). That's better than a lot of fields in southern Indiana and Illinois.
One of the differences from past short crop years is how tight stocks are. In the past there was often an early, rapid increase in price followed by a leveling off or even a decline shortly afterwards.. Chris doesn't think this is very likely given the scarcity of corn in storage.
Brittany Shepherd from the Clinton County Farm Service Agency talked about forms of assistance available from USDA. It's important to note that as I type this, Clinton County is not yet a declared disaster area. If we reach D3 on the US Drought Monitor we will automatically become an Ag Disaster County (I think there's a very good chance we get there tomorrow). We are contiguous to Howard County which makes us eligible for some forms of relief. Clinton County farmers are eligible to apply for emergency loans whaich have an interest rate of 2.25%. You cannot hay or graze CRP acres at this time though this may change soon. However even if CRP is released, certain kinds of ground will not be eligible for haying/grazing and you would need to wait until after August 1.
The key in this is that before you do anything with CRP, contact the Farm Service Agency and make sure it's OK.
Matt Weaver from Crop Insurance Specialists discussed some insurance aspects. There are two key points I want to repeat. First, before doing anything beyond normal farming practices with insured acres, contact your insurance agent. Second, all valid crop insurance claims will be paid. Crop insurance is a federally backed program. This doesn't mean they pay for all losses - those are the responsibbility of the insurance company. However if an insurance company can't make the payments, then the federal government steps in. In 2008 a large insurance company went under and the government made sure payments were made.
Rod Miller from Crop Fertility Specialists talked about conditions he's been seeing and implications for future inputs. Spider mites are becoming a serious issue and it's important for farmers to be scouting their bean fields. In this kind of year, spider mites can devastate a crop. Fungicide applications are less certain. As dry as it is, there really isn't much disease out there. There have been applications made to both corn and soybeans to improve overall crop performance, plant health, photosynthesis, etc. I'll offer my obligatory note that Purdue has not found a consistent enough yield response to recommend this practice.
Setting that aside, right now you have beans that are almost in a holding pattern biologically and corn which has its leaves tightly rolled by noon many days. In each of these cases, the plant will not be absorbing the applications very well, or utilizing it in the plant. In particular, if someone sprays when corn leaves are rolled up, the spray doesn't get onto the surface of the leaf. Rod said you absolutely shouldn't be spraying on corn which is rolling like this so any applications that are made should be done in the morning.
I offered just a couple of notes which I'll repeat here. Purdue Soybean Specialist Shaun Casteel compared a couple of previous drought years and came up with an interesting finding. In 1988 corn yields were down over 40% from trend yields and beans were down about 30% in Indiana. In 1991 corn was down 29% but beans were only down 2%. Shaun looked at the weather for those two years and found it was very similar with one exception. In 1988 early August had temperatures from 100-105 degrees and no rain. In 1991 temperatures were in the lower 90's and there was some water. There is still time for soybeans to respond significantly to some rains. Unlike corn where rain will mainly keep things from getting worse, beans can still improve their yield potential.
While we don't have many livestock producers in Clinton County who feed forage we do have some. In southern Indiana some farmers have started to abandon corn and are mowing it either for silage or hay. There is an issue with nitrate levels, particularly in the lower section of the corn stalks. Before purchasing silage or hay from corn, make sure you have it nitrate tested. Also, keep in mind that when we're talking about silage from a failed corn crop, you have corn with no ears. It will not have the same feed value as corn silage normally would. This is important both from a pricing perspective and in calculating rations. The "book values" for corn silage in rations won't work so again, make sure you have it tested so you know what you're feeding.
I haven't yet seen a field in Clinton County which I think, as of now, won't make some sort of crop, however if we do get to that point and you decide to chop/mow your corn for forage, the same holds true for you as a forage producer; test your corn, both for nitrate levels and for its nutritional value.
Purdue Ag Economist Chris Hurt discussed economics and I don't think he had any big surprises - as yield projections drop, prices will be rising. He showed a chart demonstrating that in many poor crop years producers more than make up the revenue lost by reduced production through higher prices. I'm looking at the December futures which stands at $7.84 compared with it being just a tick above $5.00 in May. That's already an increase of over 50% and Chris believes that $10 corn and $20 beans are both possible this year - his exact words were, "It's not crazy to talk about these prices." For Clinton County, even now it looks like we'll have some sort of crop so we should be able to capture the price change (if you haven't sold it yet). That's better than a lot of fields in southern Indiana and Illinois.
One of the differences from past short crop years is how tight stocks are. In the past there was often an early, rapid increase in price followed by a leveling off or even a decline shortly afterwards.. Chris doesn't think this is very likely given the scarcity of corn in storage.
Brittany Shepherd from the Clinton County Farm Service Agency talked about forms of assistance available from USDA. It's important to note that as I type this, Clinton County is not yet a declared disaster area. If we reach D3 on the US Drought Monitor we will automatically become an Ag Disaster County (I think there's a very good chance we get there tomorrow). We are contiguous to Howard County which makes us eligible for some forms of relief. Clinton County farmers are eligible to apply for emergency loans whaich have an interest rate of 2.25%. You cannot hay or graze CRP acres at this time though this may change soon. However even if CRP is released, certain kinds of ground will not be eligible for haying/grazing and you would need to wait until after August 1.
The key in this is that before you do anything with CRP, contact the Farm Service Agency and make sure it's OK.
Matt Weaver from Crop Insurance Specialists discussed some insurance aspects. There are two key points I want to repeat. First, before doing anything beyond normal farming practices with insured acres, contact your insurance agent. Second, all valid crop insurance claims will be paid. Crop insurance is a federally backed program. This doesn't mean they pay for all losses - those are the responsibbility of the insurance company. However if an insurance company can't make the payments, then the federal government steps in. In 2008 a large insurance company went under and the government made sure payments were made.
Rod Miller from Crop Fertility Specialists talked about conditions he's been seeing and implications for future inputs. Spider mites are becoming a serious issue and it's important for farmers to be scouting their bean fields. In this kind of year, spider mites can devastate a crop. Fungicide applications are less certain. As dry as it is, there really isn't much disease out there. There have been applications made to both corn and soybeans to improve overall crop performance, plant health, photosynthesis, etc. I'll offer my obligatory note that Purdue has not found a consistent enough yield response to recommend this practice.
Setting that aside, right now you have beans that are almost in a holding pattern biologically and corn which has its leaves tightly rolled by noon many days. In each of these cases, the plant will not be absorbing the applications very well, or utilizing it in the plant. In particular, if someone sprays when corn leaves are rolled up, the spray doesn't get onto the surface of the leaf. Rod said you absolutely shouldn't be spraying on corn which is rolling like this so any applications that are made should be done in the morning.
I offered just a couple of notes which I'll repeat here. Purdue Soybean Specialist Shaun Casteel compared a couple of previous drought years and came up with an interesting finding. In 1988 corn yields were down over 40% from trend yields and beans were down about 30% in Indiana. In 1991 corn was down 29% but beans were only down 2%. Shaun looked at the weather for those two years and found it was very similar with one exception. In 1988 early August had temperatures from 100-105 degrees and no rain. In 1991 temperatures were in the lower 90's and there was some water. There is still time for soybeans to respond significantly to some rains. Unlike corn where rain will mainly keep things from getting worse, beans can still improve their yield potential.
While we don't have many livestock producers in Clinton County who feed forage we do have some. In southern Indiana some farmers have started to abandon corn and are mowing it either for silage or hay. There is an issue with nitrate levels, particularly in the lower section of the corn stalks. Before purchasing silage or hay from corn, make sure you have it nitrate tested. Also, keep in mind that when we're talking about silage from a failed corn crop, you have corn with no ears. It will not have the same feed value as corn silage normally would. This is important both from a pricing perspective and in calculating rations. The "book values" for corn silage in rations won't work so again, make sure you have it tested so you know what you're feeding.
I haven't yet seen a field in Clinton County which I think, as of now, won't make some sort of crop, however if we do get to that point and you decide to chop/mow your corn for forage, the same holds true for you as a forage producer; test your corn, both for nitrate levels and for its nutritional value.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Incorrect CRP Info
I received information this morning that a local television station broadcast that all CRP ground in Indiana had been released for haying/grazing.
This report is incorrect. To date, Clinton County has not been released. Even if it had been released you couldn't do anything until after August 1 when the nesting season is over. And even then, certain types of CRP will not be eligible.
The most important lesson in all this is: Before doing anything with CRP, CALL YOUR LOCAL USDA FARM SERVICE AGENCY OFFICE FIRST!.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Ag Drought Program July 13
I've set up an Ag Drought program for Friday, July 13 from 2-4 p.m. This program will be held at the Clinton County Fair in the entertainment tent at the fairgrounds. The entertainment tent is located between Clinton Hall and the 4-H Building.
The program is titled, "Making Decisions in a Difficult Crop Year." The focus is not on what's going on in your fields (most farmers have a pretty good handle on that) but how to make decisions going forward in what's looking to be a short crop. I don't have precise titles for each of the speakers (quotes means I do), however here's the planned schedule.
The program could last a bit longer if necessary though the chairs we'll be sitting in will be used at the 4-H Auction which begins at 6 that evening so we can't stay there forever.
The fair doesn't begin charging for parking until 3 p.m. so there should be no problem with anyone getting onto the grounds. The carnival doesn't usually start until around 5 so we shouldn't have a lot of casual fairgoers trying to see what's going on. It will likely be warm in the tent but we'll have some fans. I'm at a conference the week after the fair so I didn't want to hold off any longer to have a program.
If you have any questions your best bet is to e-mail me for additional information. With the fair coming up it's doubtful anyone will be here to answer the phone much of the time. Don't expect quick answers by e-mail but I will be checking it as I have time.
I also want to share the Purdue Drought Page with everyone. This has links to information about field crops, livestock and horticulture issues.
Purdue Drought Page
The program is titled, "Making Decisions in a Difficult Crop Year." The focus is not on what's going on in your fields (most farmers have a pretty good handle on that) but how to make decisions going forward in what's looking to be a short crop. I don't have precise titles for each of the speakers (quotes means I do), however here's the planned schedule.
- 2:00-2:45 p.m. - Purdue Ag Economist Chris Hurt will discuss marketing and economics
- 2:45-3:00 p.m. - Brittany Shepherd, Clinton County FSA Director, "Drought Assistance Through USDA”
- 3:00-3:15 p.m. - Gary Gray from Crop Insurance Specialists discussing Crop Insurance
- 3:15-3:30 p.m. - Rod Miller, CCA from Crop Fertility Specialists, “Crop Input Decisions in Historical Hot and Dry Conditions”
- 3:30-3:45 p.m. - Curt Emanuel, Final Thoughts - I intend to talk to some Purdue Specialists a day or two ahead and I'll share anything they think is important
- 3:45-4:00 p.m. - Questions
The program could last a bit longer if necessary though the chairs we'll be sitting in will be used at the 4-H Auction which begins at 6 that evening so we can't stay there forever.
The fair doesn't begin charging for parking until 3 p.m. so there should be no problem with anyone getting onto the grounds. The carnival doesn't usually start until around 5 so we shouldn't have a lot of casual fairgoers trying to see what's going on. It will likely be warm in the tent but we'll have some fans. I'm at a conference the week after the fair so I didn't want to hold off any longer to have a program.
If you have any questions your best bet is to e-mail me for additional information. With the fair coming up it's doubtful anyone will be here to answer the phone much of the time. Don't expect quick answers by e-mail but I will be checking it as I have time.
I also want to share the Purdue Drought Page with everyone. This has links to information about field crops, livestock and horticulture issues.
Purdue Drought Page
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Chris Hurt Drought and Contracts Article
When I talked to Chris Hurt yesterday he told me he'd be coming out with an article on contract strategies during a short crop year. I had no idea it would be this fast or I might have held off on the post I put up yesterday. The link to his article is below.
Chris Hurt Drought & Contracts Article
Chris Hurt Drought & Contracts Article
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Drought, Weather and Contracts
A couple of issues have started being talked about related to the drought which I want to mention. First is crop prices, particularly corn. While prices have rallied a bit over the past few days, the problem is that in this week's crop progress report, Iowa's corn crop is still rated 68% good to excellent, Minnesota's is 83% good to excellent and Nebraska's is 60% good to excellent. While Indiana and Illinois are reporting much worse conditions, you can see that across a good chunk of the corn belt things still look pretty good. I was going to wait until after Friday's grain stocks report to say anything because that could have a substantial impact but based purely on the crop conditions report a radical price increase in corn looks unlikely in the short term.
And those three states I mentioned have been getting rain. Below is a screenshot of today's (June 27, 2012) 7-day precipitation analysis from the National Weather service. You can see where the greens and yellows are.
Another issue that is starting to be talked about is filling contracts if there's a radical yield reduction, which is looking more likely every day. I am not a marketing guru so I'll refer you to this 2010 publication from the University of Maryland. An article on grain contracts starts on page 11.
Link to 2010 University of Maryland Drought Handbook for Grain/Crop Producers
I don't have a lot to add to this publication. Chris Hurt from Purdue is working on developing some articles on this and other drought-related issues and I'll get that information out once it's available. There are two things I want to emphasize from this publication. First is that the most important thing is to talk your buyer about what options are available. Second, the stronger your position, the less expensive it will probably be for you to make changes or buy out of your contract. The article illustrates this fairly well with the tables on pages 12 and 13. While it may be a bit early to start changing contracts, I don't think it's too early to start thinking about your options if this becomes necessary.
And those three states I mentioned have been getting rain. Below is a screenshot of today's (June 27, 2012) 7-day precipitation analysis from the National Weather service. You can see where the greens and yellows are.
Another issue that is starting to be talked about is filling contracts if there's a radical yield reduction, which is looking more likely every day. I am not a marketing guru so I'll refer you to this 2010 publication from the University of Maryland. An article on grain contracts starts on page 11.
Link to 2010 University of Maryland Drought Handbook for Grain/Crop Producers
I don't have a lot to add to this publication. Chris Hurt from Purdue is working on developing some articles on this and other drought-related issues and I'll get that information out once it's available. There are two things I want to emphasize from this publication. First is that the most important thing is to talk your buyer about what options are available. Second, the stronger your position, the less expensive it will probably be for you to make changes or buy out of your contract. The article illustrates this fairly well with the tables on pages 12 and 13. While it may be a bit early to start changing contracts, I don't think it's too early to start thinking about your options if this becomes necessary.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Drought Update 2
This isn't so much an update as a suggestion that folks take a look at a recent article by Bob Nielsen regarding current crop conditions. With temperatures forecast for over a hundred degrees on Thursday, I think we all know that the impact on corn that's received almost no rain and has just started tasselling could be devastating. At least the markets are starting to respond.
There was a second drought conference call this morning I wasn't able to participate in. If I hear anything new from this I'll make another post.
Bob Nielsen article.
There was a second drought conference call this morning I wasn't able to participate in. If I hear anything new from this I'll make another post.
Bob Nielsen article.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Purdue Agronomy Drought Information Page
Bob Nielsen has recently updated a page which has links to drought-related information. The initial page looks pretty plain but once, for example, you click on the "Drought & row crops" link you'll find a lot of information.
Purdue Drought Information Page
Indiana Pesticide Clean Sweep Project
I just received notification of the dates and locations for the 2012 Indiana State Chemist's Clean Sweep Project. These are as follows:
Times for all locations will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Clean Sweep Project is designed for public and private schools, golf courses, nurseries, farmers, ag dealers, municipalities and county government. Private individuals should work with their local Solid Waste District to dispose of unwanted pesticides.
Each participant may dispose of up to 250 lbs of pesticides free of charge. Amounts in excess of this will be charged a $2.00/lb fee. All participants should complete a Pesticide Clean Sweep Planning Form to the best of their ability and send it to Kevin Neal at the Indiana State Chemist's Office by July 30, 2012.
I'll leave Kevin's contact information out of this blog post as it is on the form. For the form and additional information you can go to the following link: Indiana Clean Sweep Project.
This is an excellent opportunity to dispose of excess, unwanted pesticides. If you can't access the planning form online, stop by the Extension Office for a copy.
- August 7: Vigo County Fairgrounds, Terre Haute, IN
- August 9, 2012: Dubois County Fairgrounds, Huntingburg, IN
- August 14: White County Fairgrounds, Reynolds, IN
- August 16: Henry County Fairgrounds, New Castle, IN
Times for all locations will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Clean Sweep Project is designed for public and private schools, golf courses, nurseries, farmers, ag dealers, municipalities and county government. Private individuals should work with their local Solid Waste District to dispose of unwanted pesticides.
Each participant may dispose of up to 250 lbs of pesticides free of charge. Amounts in excess of this will be charged a $2.00/lb fee. All participants should complete a Pesticide Clean Sweep Planning Form to the best of their ability and send it to Kevin Neal at the Indiana State Chemist's Office by July 30, 2012.
I'll leave Kevin's contact information out of this blog post as it is on the form. For the form and additional information you can go to the following link: Indiana Clean Sweep Project.
This is an excellent opportunity to dispose of excess, unwanted pesticides. If you can't access the planning form online, stop by the Extension Office for a copy.
Friday, June 15, 2012
Drought Update 1
I just finished listening in on a Purdue conference call addressing the dry conditions we've been having over the last month. To offer a summary:
Corn: According to Bob Nielsen while corn has been hurt some, this isn't critical in most fields yet. He believes that with good rains beginning in the next few days and continuing through the growing season we could still achieve trend yields. As a general statement covering the whole state he thinks the critical period this year will be during pollination from late June through the third week in July, a week or so earlier than usual. In Clinton County I think we're looking at the first two weeks in July. The afternoon leaf rolling we're seeing right now, while a symptom of stress, doesn't indicate a critical yield loss at this time.
Soybeans: Soybean specialist Shaun Casteel says that beans are mostly in a holding pattern right now but should be able to compensate if rains come. We all know that beans can recover fairly well from drought stress, so long as it rains at some point. If plants are severely stressed they may even begin to flower very early but even with flowering beans, if rain comes they will drop those flowers and resumed vegetative growth. Obviously, if they get all the way to setting pods due to this things change. For double crop beans Shaun recommends holding off seeding after wheat in hopes of receiving some moisture but if for some reason you absolutely have to get in the field and it's still dry, you should look at raising your seeding rate to account for some emergence problems which are likely to occur.
Pests: Christian Krupke from the Purdue Entomology Department discussed spider mites in soybeans. Spider mites are a pest we usually don't worry much about as a healthy plant outgrows damage but they can devastate plants which are basically holding as they are now. So far there haven't been many reports of this (I haven't heard of any here) but if the dry weather continues it's hard to believe this won't be a problem before long. Look for bronzing of leaves, beginning at field borders and think about doing some scouting. He has posted a Youtube video which shows how to scout for mites.
Also, if you have Soybean Cyst Nematode issues, this sort of year really brings these out. There's nothing to be done about it for this growing season but if you identify areas where you may have a problem, you can make some decisions about addressing it for next year. Look for plants that aren't growing well (nothing's growing well right now but these would be even worse) and are turning yellow. Damaged areas in a field are typically oval or circular in shape.
Corn: According to Bob Nielsen while corn has been hurt some, this isn't critical in most fields yet. He believes that with good rains beginning in the next few days and continuing through the growing season we could still achieve trend yields. As a general statement covering the whole state he thinks the critical period this year will be during pollination from late June through the third week in July, a week or so earlier than usual. In Clinton County I think we're looking at the first two weeks in July. The afternoon leaf rolling we're seeing right now, while a symptom of stress, doesn't indicate a critical yield loss at this time.
Soybeans: Soybean specialist Shaun Casteel says that beans are mostly in a holding pattern right now but should be able to compensate if rains come. We all know that beans can recover fairly well from drought stress, so long as it rains at some point. If plants are severely stressed they may even begin to flower very early but even with flowering beans, if rain comes they will drop those flowers and resumed vegetative growth. Obviously, if they get all the way to setting pods due to this things change. For double crop beans Shaun recommends holding off seeding after wheat in hopes of receiving some moisture but if for some reason you absolutely have to get in the field and it's still dry, you should look at raising your seeding rate to account for some emergence problems which are likely to occur.
Pests: Christian Krupke from the Purdue Entomology Department discussed spider mites in soybeans. Spider mites are a pest we usually don't worry much about as a healthy plant outgrows damage but they can devastate plants which are basically holding as they are now. So far there haven't been many reports of this (I haven't heard of any here) but if the dry weather continues it's hard to believe this won't be a problem before long. Look for bronzing of leaves, beginning at field borders and think about doing some scouting. He has posted a Youtube video which shows how to scout for mites.
Also, if you have Soybean Cyst Nematode issues, this sort of year really brings these out. There's nothing to be done about it for this growing season but if you identify areas where you may have a problem, you can make some decisions about addressing it for next year. Look for plants that aren't growing well (nothing's growing well right now but these would be even worse) and are turning yellow. Damaged areas in a field are typically oval or circular in shape.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Meeting on Changes to IDEM Confined Feeding Rules
Indiana Farm Bureau, Indiana Ag Commodity groups and Purdue Extension are organizing a series of meetings to update producers on the changes to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management's (IDEM) Confined Feeding Rule. The programs will be held on June 19 in Decatur County, June 26 in Wells County and June 28 at the Southern Indiana Purdue Ag Center (SIPAC) in Dubois County.
I will be hosting a live videoconference of the Tuesday, June 26 meeting from 1-4 p.m. at the Clinton County Extension Office, 1111 South Jackson Street in Frankfort. I don't have a lot of details at this time however I'm sure I'll have copies of program materials to hand out so I'd appreciate you letting me know if you're planning to attend. You can call our office at 765-659-6380 or 765-296-3511 or you can e-mail me.
The complete program agenda is listed below:
Welcome – Greg Slipher
I will be hosting a live videoconference of the Tuesday, June 26 meeting from 1-4 p.m. at the Clinton County Extension Office, 1111 South Jackson Street in Frankfort. I don't have a lot of details at this time however I'm sure I'll have copies of program materials to hand out so I'd appreciate you letting me know if you're planning to attend. You can call our office at 765-659-6380 or 765-296-3511 or you can e-mail me.
The complete program agenda is listed below:
CFO and CAFO NPDES Compliance
Education Meetings
Fact sheets
& Comparison document
Rule Development Process – Andy Tauer
·
Timeline
·
Ag
workgroup, member input, submission of comments
·
Negotiated
compromise where possible but some issues unable to change
o
Groundwater
monitoring requirements
o
Phosphorus
soil test limits
o
Restrictions
on application to frozen or snow covered ground
CAFO NPDES Rule Requirements – Josh Trenary
·
Only
actual discharges require an NPDES permit
o
Ongoing
discharges, such as non-contact cooling water from dairies
o
Operations
with a history of accidental discharges may also be required to maintain their
NPDES permit if they can’t show that the cause of the discharge has been
remedied
·
Transition
to CFO
·
General
permits going away
·
Nutrient
Management Plans requirements
o
Public
notice and comment
o
Substantial
changes
·
No
application to frozen or snow covered ground unless allowed under permit
·
Steps
must be taken to prevent contamination to stormwater
·
Digesters,
etc
CFO Rule Requirements – Justin Schneider
·
Alternative
design or compliance approach
·
Manure
application will be based upon both phosphorus and nitrogen limits
o
Applications
to fields over 200 ppm of P is prohibited for most large CAFOs and all newly
constructed operations
o
Existing
CFOs and large CAFOs constructed prior to February 13, 2003 have seven years to
phase-in application restrictions to 200 ppm of P
o
Some
allowances made for nitrogen loss estimates
·
Application
to frozen or snow covered ground is restricted
o
Large
CAFOs may not apply to frozen or snow covered ground
o
Emergency
applications with prior approval allowed for CFOs
o
CFOs
with one-hundred twenty days or less approved storage can seek approval to
apply
·
Ground
water monitoring may be required
·
Storm
water management must be implemented – Josh
Trenary
·
A
professional engineer must certify the construction of all liquid manure
storage structures – Mike Dunn
·
Construction
standards and technical resources – Mike
Dunn
·
How
to use forms – Record keeping – Tamilee
Nennich/Mike Dunn
Lawsuit Related Issues – Justin
Schneider
·
Permit
appeals
·
Nuisance
suits
Outreach prior to decision to
construct or expand – Greg Slipher
Q & A - Presenters
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
2012 Purdue Custom Rates Publication
Over the winter Purdue did a survey of Custom Farm Rates. That survey has been compiled and is available as a PDF at the link below.
2012 Indiana Custom Rates
2012 Indiana Custom Rates
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Additional Dry Weather in Corn Information
Bob Nielsen put together an article yesterday on his Chat 'n Chew Cafe website with a bit more information on the impact of hot and dry weather on early corn. This adds a bit to my earlier post on dry weather and corn which looked at dryness in and of itself without considering heat impacts.
In essence, Bob is concerned about the impact of the dry weather and in particular some of the heat we've had on the root development of young corn. Not sure there's a lot that can be done unless you have irrigation.
One article I haven't seen is on the accumulative stress of quickly transitioning from periods with nights in the 40's to ones with days in the 90's. If I come across something on this I'll post it.
In essence, Bob is concerned about the impact of the dry weather and in particular some of the heat we've had on the root development of young corn. Not sure there's a lot that can be done unless you have irrigation.
One article I haven't seen is on the accumulative stress of quickly transitioning from periods with nights in the 40's to ones with days in the 90's. If I come across something on this I'll post it.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
August Dates to Save
I have a couple of programs I've scheduled for August so I'll throw these in here as a "save the date" message. More details will follow as we get closer.
On Tuesday, August 14 I'll have a Pork Quality Assurance (PQA) Plus and Site Self-Assessment Training program. This will be held at the Clinton County Extension Office, 1111 South Jackson Street in Frankfort from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The first hour will cover PQA Plus, the second hour will be for the site self-assessment training and test. Keep in mind if you know of someone who will be going to college to work in a swine unit or if you have a youth member age 14 or older who markets 10 or more pigs, they will probably need PQA Plus certification.
I've scheduled two programs for Wednesday, August 29 at the Clinton County Fairgrounds. In the morning from 10:30 to Noon, Craig Dobbins from the Purdue Ag Economics Department will be on hand to discuss Indiana Land Values and Cash Rents, including information based on the 2012 Indiana Land Values and Cash Rents Survey results, which should be available by this meeting. From 1-3 p.m. we'll have a Private Applicator Recertification Program (PARP). I don't know the precise topic for this but Fred Whitford from Purdue Pesticide Programs will be the main presenter so I'm sure it will be good.I'm working on finding a lunch sponsor for this day so hopefully we'll have a meal for attendees. EDIT: Just received a call from The Farmers Bank and they will be sponsoring lunch for the day.
On Tuesday, August 14 I'll have a Pork Quality Assurance (PQA) Plus and Site Self-Assessment Training program. This will be held at the Clinton County Extension Office, 1111 South Jackson Street in Frankfort from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The first hour will cover PQA Plus, the second hour will be for the site self-assessment training and test. Keep in mind if you know of someone who will be going to college to work in a swine unit or if you have a youth member age 14 or older who markets 10 or more pigs, they will probably need PQA Plus certification.
I've scheduled two programs for Wednesday, August 29 at the Clinton County Fairgrounds. In the morning from 10:30 to Noon, Craig Dobbins from the Purdue Ag Economics Department will be on hand to discuss Indiana Land Values and Cash Rents, including information based on the 2012 Indiana Land Values and Cash Rents Survey results, which should be available by this meeting. From 1-3 p.m. we'll have a Private Applicator Recertification Program (PARP). I don't know the precise topic for this but Fred Whitford from Purdue Pesticide Programs will be the main presenter so I'm sure it will be good.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Impact of Dry Weather on Early Corn
Since the rain last night missed us for the most part, I think it's worth taking a look at how early season dryness impacts corn development. Some years ago (unfortunately this now translates to a few decades ago) when I worked in Nebraska folks didn't worry much about the early season dryness and there was plenty of 7-ft corn which made pretty good yields (this being relative as 150 bu was pretty good). In any case, they generally didn't turn the irrigation on until June, whatever the weather.
Chad Lee and John Grove from the University of Kentucky posted an interesting article a couple of weeks ago on this. In essence, until V6, so long as the plants don't actually burn up, there's little impact from early season dryness. From that point on it starts to become a problem.
Aspects not covered in this article include things like outgrowing potential cutworm damage. Fortunately, while it seems like it would be an ideal year for cutworm damage, I haven't heard of any problems in Clinton County.
Chad Lee and John Grove from the University of Kentucky posted an interesting article a couple of weeks ago on this. In essence, until V6, so long as the plants don't actually burn up, there's little impact from early season dryness. From that point on it starts to become a problem.
Aspects not covered in this article include things like outgrowing potential cutworm damage. Fortunately, while it seems like it would be an ideal year for cutworm damage, I haven't heard of any problems in Clinton County.
Purdue Farm Management Tour
The 2012 Purdue Farm Management Tour will be held on June 20-21 in Marshall County. This is fairly close to us this year and I'd encourage you to think about going if you can work it out. I've been a couple of times (I'm teaching GIS at a summer youth camp then and can't go this year) and it's a great way to find out what other people are doing and do some brain-picking.
You can find additional information at the Purdue Farm Management Tour page. Right now you'll mainly find the program flyer there but a detailed agenda, farm descriptions, etc., will be available soon.
You can find additional information at the Purdue Farm Management Tour page. Right now you'll mainly find the program flyer there but a detailed agenda, farm descriptions, etc., will be available soon.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
IDEM CAFO/CFO Rule Open Houses
Listed below is the text of a message I received this morning announcing Open Houses to discuss the revised CFO/CAFO Rules which go into effect on July 1 of this year:
Indiana Department of Environmental Management E-News Media Advisory
For immediate release
April 5, 2012
IDEM holding open house meetings to assist farmers with the new confined feeding rule requirements
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) is holding a series of open –house style meetings across the state to make staff available to meet with farmers operating confined feeding operations (CFOs) and concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs).
Rule revisions affecting confined feeding operations (CFOs) were adopted by the Water Pollution Control Board in November 2011, and go into effect July 1, 2012. The rule changes eliminate the “General Permit” category for farms regulated by federal farm rules. Farms with a general permit must determine if they need to be covered by Indiana’s CFO permit or a federal “Individual Permit.”
In addition, the rule changes place restrictions on land application of manure based on phosphorus limits and land application to frozen or snow covered ground. IDEM staff will be available at the open houses to answer questions and assist farmers and operators in transitioning their permit to make sure they maintain appropriate permit coverage under the new rules.
The Open Houses will be held on the following dates and locations:
Monday, April 9, 2012
2 – 8 p.m.
Carroll County 4-H Building
102 Fourth, Flora, IN 46929
(East side of Flora on SR 18)
Thursday, April 12, 2012
2 – 8 p.m.
Huntington County Courthouse
D.A.R. Room, 2nd Floor
Use Jefferson Street Entrance
201 North Jefferson Street
Huntington, IN 46750
Monday, April 16, 2012
2 – 8 p.m.
Decatur County Extension Office
545 S 200 W
Greensburg, IN 47240
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
2 – 8 p.m.
Dubois County Fairgrounds
Clover Pavilion
4157 S SR 162
Huntingburg, IN 47542
Indiana Department of Environmental Management E-News Media Advisory
For immediate release
April 5, 2012
IDEM holding open house meetings to assist farmers with the new confined feeding rule requirements
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) is holding a series of open –house style meetings across the state to make staff available to meet with farmers operating confined feeding operations (CFOs) and concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs).
Rule revisions affecting confined feeding operations (CFOs) were adopted by the Water Pollution Control Board in November 2011, and go into effect July 1, 2012. The rule changes eliminate the “General Permit” category for farms regulated by federal farm rules. Farms with a general permit must determine if they need to be covered by Indiana’s CFO permit or a federal “Individual Permit.”
In addition, the rule changes place restrictions on land application of manure based on phosphorus limits and land application to frozen or snow covered ground. IDEM staff will be available at the open houses to answer questions and assist farmers and operators in transitioning their permit to make sure they maintain appropriate permit coverage under the new rules.
The Open Houses will be held on the following dates and locations:
Monday, April 9, 2012
2 – 8 p.m.
Carroll County 4-H Building
102 Fourth, Flora, IN 46929
(East side of Flora on SR 18)
Thursday, April 12, 2012
2 – 8 p.m.
Huntington County Courthouse
D.A.R. Room, 2nd Floor
Use Jefferson Street Entrance
201 North Jefferson Street
Huntington, IN 46750
Monday, April 16, 2012
2 – 8 p.m.
Decatur County Extension Office
545 S 200 W
Greensburg, IN 47240
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
2 – 8 p.m.
Dubois County Fairgrounds
Clover Pavilion
4157 S SR 162
Huntingburg, IN 47542
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Thoughts on the 2011-12 Unwinter
I've wanted to post on the strange weather we saw this winter but haven't had a lot to add to what everyone else has been saying. In particular there's been a lot of discussion on possible insect impacts.
My personal feeling is that it will be hard to predict if we'll see increased insect pressure this year. Most of the overwintering insects have adapted to survive here so the sheer numbers may not be too different (and they may encounter disease and predation which they aren't adapted to) though emergence date will obviously change. I haven't heard of any insects which don't usually overwinter here surviving however there may be some early arrivals. What I think is more likely is that there may be additional generations and that the standard timing for insect impacts will be very different from usual. Again, nothing revolutionary or which you can't find in a lot of other places from people who know more than I. I think the key will be that this year will place an additional premium on keeping informed and up to date on what's going on. Purdue's Pest and Crop Newsletter is one good resource. Another is Bob Nielsen's site where he summarizes crop information from various sources - including for crops other than corn.
There isn't a lot of this grown in Clinton County but one thing I've been struck by is how quickly alfalfa is coming along. Growing Degree Day(GDD) accumulation is one way of determining when to make your first cutting and we're already close to 300 in Central Indiana. Craig Thomas from Michigan State University recently posted an article discussing the use of GDD's to determine when to harvest. There's a good chance this will be a four-cutting year if we get rain, as long as you make your first cutting in a timely manner.
In order to track Growing Degree Day accumulation a good resource is the GDD Tracker.
My personal feeling is that it will be hard to predict if we'll see increased insect pressure this year. Most of the overwintering insects have adapted to survive here so the sheer numbers may not be too different (and they may encounter disease and predation which they aren't adapted to) though emergence date will obviously change. I haven't heard of any insects which don't usually overwinter here surviving however there may be some early arrivals. What I think is more likely is that there may be additional generations and that the standard timing for insect impacts will be very different from usual. Again, nothing revolutionary or which you can't find in a lot of other places from people who know more than I. I think the key will be that this year will place an additional premium on keeping informed and up to date on what's going on. Purdue's Pest and Crop Newsletter is one good resource. Another is Bob Nielsen's site where he summarizes crop information from various sources - including for crops other than corn.
There isn't a lot of this grown in Clinton County but one thing I've been struck by is how quickly alfalfa is coming along. Growing Degree Day(GDD) accumulation is one way of determining when to make your first cutting and we're already close to 300 in Central Indiana. Craig Thomas from Michigan State University recently posted an article discussing the use of GDD's to determine when to harvest. There's a good chance this will be a four-cutting year if we get rain, as long as you make your first cutting in a timely manner.
In order to track Growing Degree Day accumulation a good resource is the GDD Tracker.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Interesting Article on Corn Seeding Rates
Purdue Extension Agronomist and Corn Specialist Bob Nielsen has posted an interesting article on corn seeding rates on his Chat 'n Chew Cafe. I encourage you to take a look at it, particularly if you're thinking about substantially changing your rates in the coming year.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Soil Health Workshop
The Greater Wabash River RC&D will be sponsoring a Soil Health Workshop on Thursday, March 1. The workshop will be held at the Beck Center at the Purdue Agronomy Center for Research and Education on US 52 in West Lafayette. The two main areas of focus for the day will be on cover crops and drainage, including field tile.
This Workshop is being held immediately following a meeting of the Midwest Cover Crops Council on February 28 and 29. For a detailed agenda and registration information, go to the MWCC web page. A brochure and registration form is on that page. There is also a detailed agenda. You can register for the entire three days or plan on just attending for one. The registration deadline is February 14.
This Workshop is being held immediately following a meeting of the Midwest Cover Crops Council on February 28 and 29. For a detailed agenda and registration information, go to the MWCC web page. A brochure and registration form is on that page. There is also a detailed agenda. You can register for the entire three days or plan on just attending for one. The registration deadline is February 14.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Category 14 Ag Fertilizer Online Training Available
If you did not make one of the training sessions last year for the Category 14 Ag Fertilizer Training, an online module has been developed by the Indiana Corn Marketing Council, the Indiana Soybean Alliance, Indiana Farm Bureau, Indiana Pork and the Purdue Extension Service. You may find the tutorial at the link below.
Keep in mind that this module is for training only. In order to be certified you will need to attend one of the State Chemist Exam Sessions. You can find information on the exams on the State Chemist's website here.
Category 14 Online Training Module
Keep in mind that this module is for training only. In order to be certified you will need to attend one of the State Chemist Exam Sessions. You can find information on the exams on the State Chemist's website here.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Purdue Corn and Soybean Trials Results Available
The results from the 2011 Purdue Corn and Soybean Performance Trials are available at the link below. We no longer receive a hard copy to distribute so people are asked to access the information online. It is a fairly large file.
2011 Purdue Corn and Soybean Performance Trials
2011 Purdue Corn and Soybean Performance Trials
Central Indiana Pork Conference Details
The final details for the 2012 Central Indiana Pork Conference have been set:
Wednesday, February 8
Rossville High School
9:00 a.m. - 3:15 p.m.
Cost: $20 which includes lunch and all materials
This looks like another good program with programs on PRRS filtration, Circovirus vaccination, and a report on the results of the EPA Animal Agriculture Air Quality study. We will also have reports from industry representatives and commodity groups.
The registration deadline is Wednesday, February 1. We'll accept late registrations but we won't guarantee lunch if you sign up after February 1st.
For additional information, go to the Central Indiana Pork Conference Web Page. A schedule for the day and a brochure and registration form can be found on that page. Both are in pdf form.
Rossville High School
9:00 a.m. - 3:15 p.m.
Cost: $20 which includes lunch and all materials
This looks like another good program with programs on PRRS filtration, Circovirus vaccination, and a report on the results of the EPA Animal Agriculture Air Quality study. We will also have reports from industry representatives and commodity groups.
The registration deadline is Wednesday, February 1. We'll accept late registrations but we won't guarantee lunch if you sign up after February 1st.
For additional information, go to the Central Indiana Pork Conference Web Page. A schedule for the day and a brochure and registration form can be found on that page. Both are in pdf form.
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