Current Grain Market Information

The following is current grain market information from the University of Illinois.

GOOD DEMAND FOR CORN AND SOYBEANS, BUT IS THERE MORE?

The recent strength in crop prices has been lead by soybeans. The rapid pace of exports and export sales has been the primary factor supporting soybean prices, but a number of factors are influencing both corn and soybean prices.

As of November 26, 2009, the USDA reported that 473 million bushels of soybeans had been inspected for export, 118 million more than the total of a year earlier. As of November 19, 579 million bushels of soybeans had been sold for export, but not yet shipped. Outstanding sales on the same date last year totaled only 328 million bushels. The year-over-year increase in export commitments reflects much larger purchases by China. Total export commitments to China as of November 19 stood at about 614 million bushels, compared to 328 million on the same date last year. A slightly smaller soybean harvest in China this year, a much smaller soybean harvest in South America, and a policy of increasing inventories in China account for much of the year-over-year increase in Chinese demand for U.S. soybeans. The pace of Chinese purchases of U.S. soybeans is expected to remain strong over the next several weeks.

The domestic soybean crush in September 2009 was the smallest for that month since 1997, reflecting the small inventory of old crop soybeans and the late harvest of the 2009 crop. For October 2009, the Census Bureau reported a record large crush for the month, exceeding the previous record of 2006 by about 1.3 million bushels. Cumulative crush for the first two months of the 2009-10 marketing year is estimated at 276.4 million bushels, 600,000 bushels (0.2 percent) above the total of a year ago. The USDA has projected the 2009-10 marketing year crush at 1.695 billion bushels, 33 million (2.0 percent) larger than the crush of last year.
The apparent disappearance of soybean meal (domestic plus exports) during October totaled 3.637 million tons, 182,000 tons more than in October 2008. The larger disappearance this year may reflect some rebuilding of inventories at locations other than processing plants. The November figure will provide a clearer picture of the actual consumption pace. Apparent soybean oil consumption during October 2009 totaled a record 1.854 billion pounds, 44.5 million pounds more than during October 2008.

For corn, the sharp increase in ethanol prices since late September, along with the extremely late harvest, has provided support for prices. The average price of ethanol at Iowa plants, as reported by the USDA Market News, was $2.05 per gallon on November 27, compared to $1.51 on September11, 2009. The higher prices reflect favorable blending economics and have resulted in strong demand for corn by ethanol producers.

The pace of corn export sales and export inspections has generally been disappointing for much of the first quarter of the 2009-10 marketing year. The USDA has lowered the projection of marketing year exports by 100 million bushels since September. New sales need to exceed 32 million bushels per week to reach the current USDA export projection of 2.1 billion bushels. For the seven weeks ended November 12, new sales averaged less than 18 million bushels per week. However, new sales jumped to 48 million bushels during the week ended November 19 on the strength of large sales to Japan and Mexico. Japan is the largest and most consistent importer of U.S. corn, but the pace of sales to Japan has been slow so far this year. As Japan “catches up” on purchases, the U.S. sales pace should continue to improve.

While the late, slow harvest and a solid rate of consumption explain much of the recent strength in corn and soybean prices, those factors do not appear to explain all of the strength. The market is well aware, for example, that the pace of U.S. soybean exports and export sales will slow dramatically by the spring of 2010. The seasonal decline may be much sharper than normal due to prospects for record South American production. The lack of profitability in the domestic production of livestock and livestock products and the sharp increase in availability of distillers grains points to weak feed demand for corn and soybean meal. In addition, corn and soybean acreage in the U.S. will likely increase in 2010 as a result of fewer acres of wheat and expired Conservation Reserve Program contracts. The large carry in the corn futures market (8.5 percent from December 2009 to July 2010) and a positive carry in the soybean market in the face of a record South American crop in 2010, suggest the markets are anticipating a sizeable increase in the rate of inflation in 2010. Historically, the rate of inflation has not provided prolonged support for crop prices. Those prices must eventually reflect production, consumption, and inventories of the individual crops.

Issued by Darrel Good, Agricultural Economist, University of Illinois http://www.farmdoc.illinois.edu/marketing/weekly/html/113009.html

New Generic Soybean Herbicides

The following is information on some new generic soybean herbicides on the market for next season.

Cheminova is marketing “generic equivalents” of several soybean herbicides, including Rhythm (Flexstar), Dawn (Reflex), and Tackle (Extreme). Rhythm and Dawn formulations and labels are essentially identical to Flexstar and Reflex. Tackle contains a different ratio of imazethapyr (Pursuit) to glyphosate, compared with Extreme. The Tackle use rate provides 2 oz Pursuit 2L + 0.75 lb glyphosate acid, and the Extreme use rate provides 4 oz Pursuit 2L + 0.56 lb glyphosate acid. Note: the combination of imazethapyr and glyphosate has been one of the more injurious postemergence mixtures applied to Roundup Ready soybeans.

Nufarm is marketing Cloak EX and DF, which are generic equivalents of Canopy EX and DF. Product labels and rates are similar between Canopy and Cloak products.

Information from "New Herbicide Update for Corn, Soybeans, and Wheat" by Mark Loux in the November 24 edition of the Crop Observation and Recommendation Network newsletter from the Ohio State University http://corn.osu.edu/index.php?setissueID=331

Poultry - Another DPI Electric Buying Group

Below is a notice about another electric buying group being created for poultry growers on Delmarva.

DPI Creates Another Electric Buying Group
November 30, 2009

Thanks to lower energy prices and the success of DPI’s previous electric buying groups that saved more than 200 members hundreds of thousands of dollars, our 4th Electric Buying Group is being formed.

Like the previous groups, this new effort will only benefit Delmarva Power customers in Delaware and Maryland. We are unable to offer savings to DPI members in Virginia. Delmarva Power customers who have contracts with suppliers other than Delmarva Power need to check their contracts to learn what types of penalties there might be if they become part of the 4th DPI Electric Buying Group prior to the end of their present contact with the third-party supplier. Early termination of existing contacts with third-party suppliers likely will offset savings achieved through participation in the new DPI Electric Buying Group.

The 2010 Electric Buying Group for Delmarva Power customers will provide an opportunity for savings for poultry growers, other business members of DPI, and large residential electric buyers. We are planning to execute a one year electricity supply contract at a flat, fixed price that will cover the period of February 2010 through February 2011 We plan to lock-in at a rate below Delmarva Power’s current rates. Once DPI members switch electric suppliers, they are obligated to remain with the new supplier for the length of the contract.

To qualify for the Electric Buying Group, participants must be 2010 DPI members by December 31, 2009. If we are unable to lock-in a favorable rate below $0.11/kwhr, then we will wait to execute until electric rates go lower, hopefully.

Individual DPI members who are growers and businesses will be aggregated into a large buying pool where competitive electric suppliers will compete to offer the entire pool the lowest fixed price rate. By pooling all these loads together, we expect to get the lowest possible market price; a price lower than Delmarva Power’s current tariff prices. All Delaware and Maryland DPI-member businesses and growers that are served by Delmarva Power are eligible to participate if they meet the 2010 DPI membership requirement. DPI members served under Delmarva Power’s residential rate must use an annual average of $400 of electricity or more each month to participate in the aggregated buying pool.

Details about the program are available from DPI's energy consultant Ed Jackson of Affinity Energy Management at 302-218-8920 or edjacksonenergy@aol.com by Friday, December 11.


Bill SatterfieldExecutive Director
Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc.
16686 County Seat Highway
Georgetown, Delaware 19947-4881
302-856-9037
302-856-9799 (fax)
satterfield@dpichicken.com
www.dpichicken.org

Future Harvest Sustainable Agriculture Conference

The following is information on the upcoming Future Harvest sustainable agriculture conference.

Future Harvest-CASA's Sustainable Agriculture Conference:
Nourishing Local Foods & Farmers

Future Harvest – CASA’s 11th Annual Conference
Rebuilding the Real Economy: Nourishing Local Foods and Farmers
January 15 and 16, 2010
National Conservation Training Center, Shepherdstown, WV

Kathy Ozer, executive director of the National Family Farmers Coalition, will present the keynote speech at the 11th Annual Conference of Future Harvest – A Chesapeake Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture (CASA) in mid-January. Ms. Ozer has represented family farm and rural groups on a local, national and international level for the past 20 years. She will discuss the opportunities available to farmers in the Mid-Atlantic region to participate in policy decisions that influence their livelihood. In addition, there will be a special Friday night presentation about the USDA’s “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food” program.

The 2010 conference theme, “Rebuilding the Real Economy: Nourishing Local Foods and Farmers,” emphasizes the potential for local, sustainable agriculture to strengthen communities and the economy. Aspiring, transitioning, and experienced farmers will come together with regional buyers, backyard gardeners, parents, students and other people interested in local foods to share information and learn about sustainable agriculture.

Seminars and panels on Friday will cover cheesemaking, sheep and goat farming, food and farm project financing options, and farm-to-school programs. Saturday’s workshops will cover the nuts and bolts of sustainable agriculture, specialty crops, cultivating new farmers through mentorships, grass based systems, market gardening and farmer/consumer connections. Meals will feature locally-grown food, showcasing the region’s great local food options.

Future Harvest-CASA is an educational non-profit organization dedicated to promoting profitable and environmentally sustainable food and farming systems in the Mid-Atlantic region, including Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Delaware. For more information, visit http://www.futureharvestcasa.org/.

Future Harvest - Chesapeake Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture
P. O. Box 109, Fairplay, Maryland 21733-0109 410-549-7878
website: http://www.futureharvestcasa.org/
Contact: Stephanie Ritchie, 410-549-7878, futureharvestcasa@gmail.com

Growing Blueberries - A Challenge in Delaware: Avoid Mistakes in Establishment

There is increased interest in growing blueberries in Delaware. Most mistakes growers make with blueberries is in the establishment period. Blueberries have specific requirement that are different from any other fruit crop. The following is a good article on the subject from Penn State University.

Many growers would like to grow blueberries, but some of our soils just are not conducive to blueberry growth. Whether you have a soil where blueberries grow easily, or one where growing blueberries may be a struggle, there are some steps you can take to help with establishing the plants and encouraging their growth.

The soils where blueberries grow best are not our typical agricultural soils. Typically, blueberries grow best in soils that are fairly sandy, have a low pH, and have a high organic matter content. In nature, blueberries grow as a forest understory, or in boggy areas with very high organic matter content. Even in these boggy areas the blueberry plant’s root system is above the water, and can obtain oxygen. This is a much different situation than in a waterlogged agricultural soil where plant pathogenic fungi are likely to thrive. Sometimes growers expect that blueberries will do well in wetter areas of their fields, but if these areas don’t drain even for brief periods of time, the blueberry plants can be killed; 48 hours of waterlogging is all it takes to cause blueberry plants to die. Blueberry plants are also susceptible to Phytophthora root rot, as are many other small fruit crops.

Blueberries have extremely fine roots, called hair-roots because they are similar to hair in appearance – many of their roots are only 2/1000s of an inch across. Roots that are this fine are very sensitive to high temperatures and dry conditions, so they can die off quickly during periods of moisture stress. It is strongly recommended that irrigation is available, and this is also part of the basis for our recommendations concerning organic matter use.

Because blueberries have different requirements than most crops, it is strongly recommended that planning begin earlier than usual before planting. Significant adjustments to the soil will probably be needed as blueberries are acid loving plants (different from most other fruit and vegetable crops). Also, blueberry plantings can live for a very long time – 50 years or more, so you’ll have to live with any mistakes for a longer time than usual too. Hence, we recommend that you begin planning at least a year before you plan to plant. When you’re choosing your site, avoid low spots because blueberry plants bloom relatively early, and while not frequently a concern, frost can be an issue in low spots in some years. Also, avoid planting in areas that were planted to other fruit, and if the soil was in sod, make sure it’s been worked over several times to avoid problems with grubs.

Submit a soil sample a year in advance of planting, make sure you specify "blueberries" on the soil test form, and while you’re at it, have the organic matter level tested too.

The soil test results will specify adjustments that will need to be made to get the soil pH into the correct range which is 4.5-5.0 (much lower than other crops - blueberries are acid loving plants). Usually this means adding sulfur, and depending on how much sulfur is required, the results may indicate that you may apply all the sulfur at once, or add only half of it and retest in 6 months. Ground sulfur is recommended to adjust the pH as it will react quite quickly. Pelleted ground sulfur is easier to use than the powder. It’s a good idea to build your soil’s organic matter by growing cover crops for a year (while you’re waiting for the soil pH to drop). Cereal grains, grasses such as annual ryegrass, and buckwheat will tolerate a lower-than-normal pH.
Plants are typically planted in the spring as early as possible. Two-year old dormant plants work really well. There appears to be no advantage to paying more for older plants, or paying extra for plants grown in large pots. Those grown in smaller pots or large cells establish quite well. As with other nursery stock, plants should be planted at the original depth. Soil should be removed from the planting hole, amended with moistened peat moss so that the soil, when returned to the planting hole, is half soil and half peat.

What cultivars might you consider? Standard cultivars that do well are Patriot (early-mid season), Bluecrop (mid-season), and either Elliott or Jersey (late season), though Elliott has a tart flavor and Jersey sometimes has some fruit set problems. Newer cultivars that we are impressed with are Sunrise (early season), Chandler and Aurora (mid-late season), and Liberty (late season). For further information on blueberry production, consult the Mid-Atlantic Berry Guide http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/freepubs/MAberryGuide.htm. In particular, Chandler has a very large berry size and is ideal for picking.

Reprinted with minor edits from "Getting Blueberries off to a Good Start" by K. Demchak & J. Esslinger in the December 2009 edition of the Fruit Times newsletter from Penn State University.

Delaware Agriculture Week Program Information is Available On-Line

Delaware ag week is coming up in January. Information on this years program is now on-line. The following is more information.

Detailed session agendas for the meetings planned for Delaware Ag Week (January 18-23, 2010) are now available online at the Ag Week website http://www.rec.udel.edu/AgWeek/home.htm. The printed program books will be mailed out in early December to those who signed up for the mailing list at last year’s event. Program books will also be available through Delaware Cooperative Extension offices.

Grain Prices Back Up Yesterday

Grain prices were back up across the board yesterday. Cash sales of soybeans are recommended at this time with the excellent prices and contracting a portion of your expected 2010 soybean crop is also recommended.

Chicago Board of Trade Futures Prices

November 25, 2009

Dec. 09 Corn $3.92 up .16
Mar. 10 Corn $4.08 up .16
Dec. 10 Corn $4.41 up .15
Jan. 09 Soyb. $10.54 up .08
Mar. 10 Soyb. $10.60 up .08
Nov. 10 Soyb. $10.49 up .13
Dec. 09 Wheat $5.50 up .17
July. 10 Wheat $5.94 up .18

Current Grain Market Information

The following is current grain marketing information from Carl German, extension marketing specialist, UD.

Pre-Thanksgiving Holiday Grain Marketing Brief

As the commodity markets continue to seek direction they are being helped by outside market forces; strength in the Dow Jones Industrial Average (10,456.99), strength in gold, weakness in the dollar index (74.675) , etc. However, it is the anticipated direction of commodity prices that becomes the driving force in making marketing decisions. With The U.S. corn harvest nearly 70 percent complete and quality problems (vomitoxin and diplodia) not as severe as originally thought, the U.S. corn harvest will be winding down soon. U.S. corn supplies are ample, which is likely to result in the corn market retesting previous lows in the near term. Every day market analysts pound the idea that the carry in the corn market suggests that storing ’09 corn should pay. However, the strong carry and more than adequate supply also indicates that the corn market could now be in for a sharp sell-off. The looming sell-off highly suggests that stored corn needs to be price-risk protected. Price protection can be achieved by selling forward via the cash market, using the options market, or selling a futures contract. The idea is to get the carry the market is offering locked in and protected before it slips away. The important point to remember is that storing long cash corn could turn out to be ill advised.

The lack of carry in the soybean market suggests that near term price strength can be expected, at least until more is known concerning the South American crop. The window of opportunity for selling the 2009 soybean crop would appear to be between now and the end of January . The current spread in soybean futures contracts indicates that once the Southern Hemisphere crop begins harvest one can expect downward pressure on soybean prices. Strong demand for U.S. soybeans has supported this market through harvest up to the present time. However, the magnitude of that strength and the direction of soybean prices could change once the Southern Hemisphere crop begins to materialize. It is likely to be a good idea to get 2009 soybean sales on the books by the first of the year. At the same time, a case can be made for getting 30 to 50 percent of anticipated 2010 soybean production priced, also by the first of the year.

The wheat market is interesting. Domestically, we know that the stocks-to-use ratio for all wheat in the ‘09/’10 marketing year is 42 percent, while world stocks-to-use are currently at 29 percent. U.S. wheat exports are also running behind USDA downward projections of 875 million bushels, suggesting that U.S. wheat is overpriced for the world market. We also know that Dec ’10 (old crop) and July ’10 SRW wheat prices have rallied about $1.00 per bushel since October 5th due to in large part to speculative investment interest. In fact, other than speculative interests, there doesn’t appear to be any bright spots for wheat prices at the present time. The only factor not known at this time is to what extent were farmers not able to get all of the SRW wheat crop planted due to a slow harvest season and wet weather? Undoubtedly, some of the wheat that was planted may not emerge to produce a sufficient stand due to cold, wet soils. Those plantings may become abandoned wheat acres this spring, switching to corn or soybeans. Therefore, booking a 10 percent sale of anticipated production for new crop wheat would seem advisable at this time.

In summary, current market indicators suggest taking price protection on stored corn; selling ’09 harvested soybeans in the cash market and booking sales for 30 to 50 percent of anticipated 2010 soybean production; and booking an initial sale of ’10 new crop wheat. Currently, July ’10 corn futures are trading at $4.19; Dec ’10 corn futures at $4.35; Jan ’10 soybean futures at $10.35; Nov ’10 soybean futures at $10.30; Dec ’09 SRW wheat futures at $5.38; and July ’10 SRW wheat futures at $5.86 per bushel.

For technical assistance on making grain marketing decisions contact:
Carl L. German, Extension Crops Marketing Specialist
Department of Food & Resource Economics
University of Delaware, Newark, DE
Phone: 302-831-1317 Fax: 302-831-6243 Email: clgerman@udel.edu

New Herbicides - Kixor Based Products in Corn and Soybeans

The following is information on new herbicide products for corn and soybeans based on Kixor from BASF.

Kixor Based Products

Kixor is the overall name for saflufenacil-based herbicide technology. BASF has introduced three new products based on the active ingredient, saflufenacil, a broad-spectrum broadleaf weed herbicide. The three new products include: Integrity, a premix of dimethenamid (Outlook) and saflufenacil for field corn and popcorn; Sharpen, which contains just saflufenacil and is labeled for corn, soybeans, and wheat; and Optill, a premix of saflufenacil and imazethapyr (Pursuit) for soybeans. Saflufenacil represents novel herbicide chemistry, but not a new herbicide site of action. It is a PPO inhibitor (group 14), the same site of action as Valor, Authority, Cobra, and Flexstar, among others.

Saflufenacil products are labeled for preplant or preemergence use only, and provide residual control of most annual broadleaf weeds at the rates that can be used in corn. The dimethenamid component of Integrity adds control of annual grasses. We have previously tested Integrity at rates as high as 20 oz/A, which provided residual broadleaf weed control comparable to or better than competitive standards – atrazine premixes, Lexar/Lumax, etc. However, similar to the approach that Dow has taken with SureStart, Integrity is labeled for use only in planned preemergence followed postemergence herbicide programs. Integrity is labeled at use rates of 10 to 16 oz/A for this type of program, and it should provide the initial control needed to make this type of program work. The rates of Sharpen that are labeled for corn, 2 to 3 oz/A, and provide similar rates of saflufenacil in comparison to the use rates of Integrity.

Sharpen is labeled at the rate of only 1 oz/A in soybeans, because soybeans have less tolerance to saflufenacil compared with corn. Use rates of Optill contain a similar amount of saflufenacil. The lower rates for soybeans result in reduced residual broadleaf weed control, to the point that Sharpen should not be expected to provide substantial residual broadleaf weed control unless mixed with another residual herbicide. The Sharpen label prohibits combinations with other PPO-inhibiting herbicides, due to the possible risk of injury from combining two PPO inhibitors. This prohibition includes includes any PRE product containing flumioxazin (Valor, Valor XLT, Envive, Enlite, Gangster), sulfentrazone (Spartan, Authority First, Sonic, Authority MTZ, and Authority Assist), or fomesafen (Prefix). As a result, the most effective herbicides to combine with Sharpen to improve residual control may be Canopy/Cloak DF or EX, metribuzin, or Scepter.

Sharpen has activity on emerged weeds in addition to preemergence activity, and is apparently being promoted as a replacement for 2,4-D ester in preplant burndown treatments. Our research shows that while Sharpen applied alone has some foliar activity, it will not adequately control emerged weeds in no-till fields unless mixed with another herbicide that has effective foliar activity (glyphosate, Ignite), and is likely to contribute more activity on annual weeds than on biennials or perennials. This is fairly typical for herbicides that are not translocated (saflufenacil is a PPO inhibitor with contact activity), such as atrazine, metribuzin, and paraquat. All of these contribute significantly to control of emerged weeds, but effective control of the spectrum of winter weeds commonly found in Ohio no-till fields usually requires the addition of translocated herbicides also (glyphosate, 2,4-D, chlorimuron). It is also possible that two or more herbicides with contact activity can provide adequate burndown – atrazine + Gramoxone, Ignite + metribuzin, or Sharpen + Ignite, for example. In our research, Sharpen and Ignite have actually worked better in mixtures than Sharpen and glyphosate. We have observed inadequate control of purple deadnettle with the latter.

Sharpen does have considerable activity on marestail, and while we need additional data in this area, mixtures of Sharpen with glyphosate or Ignite have effectively controlled marestail. This provides an option for burndown of marestail (and other weeds) in fields where a grower is unable or unwilling to wait 7 days between application and planting. BASF is apparently positioning the combination of Sharpen, glyphosate, and Scepter as a replacement for combinations of glyphosate, 2,4-D ester, and other broadleaf PRE herbicides such as Valor XLT, Sonic, etc. in fields with marestail. The prevalence of ALS-resistant marestail populations will result in inadequate residual control of marestail in some fields where Scepter is used, unless an effective rate of metribuzin is added (0.38 to 0.5 lbs ai/A), and since Scepter is not the most effective residual herbicide on marestail anyway. An alternative and possibly more effective approach would be a combination of glyphosate, Sharpen, Canopy DF, and metribuzin. Keep in mind that early in the spring when it is still possible to use 2,4-D ester, combinations of glyphosate, 2,4-D, and a broad-spectrum PRE herbicide, which contains an effective rate of Valor, sulfentrazone, or metribuzin, are likely to be as or more effective than Sharpen treatments. Any PRE herbicide can be mixed with the glyphosate/2,4-D mixtures, whereas certain products cannot be mixed with Sharpen. Sharpen treatments are also not likely to be as effective on dandelion as mixtures of glyphosate, 2,4-D, and a chlorimuron-containing herbicide.

Information from "New Herbicide Update for Corn, Soybeans, and Wheat" by Mark Loux in the November 24 edition of the Crop Observation and Recommendation Network newsletter from the Ohio State University http://corn.osu.edu/index.php?setissueID=331

New Corn Herbicides - Thiencarbazone-methyl Based Products

The following are some more updates on new herbicide products for corn for the coming year. Information is from the Ohio State University.

Thiencarbazone-methyl Based Products

Thiencarbazone-methyl is an ALS-inhibiting herbicide developed by Bayer that has residual and foliar activity on annual grasses primarily, and it has been effective for preemergence and postemergence control of grasses in OSU research.

Corvus is a premix of isoxaflutole and thiencarbazone-methyl, along with cyprosulfamide, the same safener that is in Balance Flexx. Corvus rates range from 3.33 to 5.6 oz/A, and it can be applied preplant, preemergence, or postemergence up to the V2 stage of field corn and certain corn inbreds. Preplant applications of Corvus in burndown can control weeds up to 6 inches tall, although other herbicides with foliar activity should generally be added to control the spectrum of winter weeds commonly found in Ohio no-till fields. Corvus provides broad-spectrum residual control of grass and broadleaf weeds when applied preemergence, but the addition of atrazine will improve control of large-seeded broadleaf weeds (giant ragweed, cocklebur, morningglory). The addition of atrazine will also improve control of emerged weeds in burndown or postemergence applications. Adjuvants or herbicides other than atrazine should not be included in postemergence Corvus treatments.

Capreno is a premix of tembotrione (Laudis) and thiencarbazone-methyl, a new ALS-inhibiting herbicide that has foliar and residual activity on annual grass weeds. This product can be used on field corn and certain corn inbreds. Capreno can be applied postemergence from the V1 through the V7 stage of corn growth, although it should be applied with drop nozzles after the V6 stage. Capreno is most effective when broadleaf weeds are less than 6 inches tall, and grasses are less than 3 inches tall and not tillering. The addition of atrazine can improve the speed of control, and effectiveness on certain weeds. The label specifies application with crop oil concentrate and either UAN or AMS.

Information from "New Herbicide Update for Corn, Soybeans, and Wheat" by Mark Loux in the November 24 edition of the Crop Observation and Recommendation Network newsletter from the Ohio State University http://corn.osu.edu/index.php?setissueID=331

UD Corn Hybrid Trial Results Now Available

The 2009 University of Delaware corn hybrid performance trials results are now available at:
http://ag.udel.edu/extension/information/varietytrials/index.html

The following is a clip from one of the tables. For the complete report with all sites, all maturities and other ratings such as lodging and rankings go to the link above.

Example from early hybrid test. The LSD value is 30.4 bu/a. That means that statistically, only those hybrids separated by more than 30.4 bu/a are different in yield. In the above table, all the hybrids are within that range. These were the best performers in the early trial.

Excel Spreadsheet Workshops for Farmers

The following is an announcement of an upcoming workshop on using Microsoft Excel Spreadsheets for farm businesses. It is being offered by the University of Maryland.

Excel for Farm Businesses

Spreadsheets are a great tool for farm businesses. They help with recordkeeping, budgeting and organizing data. This workshop will provide hands on applications of Microsoft Excel 2007. Topics will include navigating the software, setting up a spreadsheet and inserting formulas and calculations. Participants will practice with laptops and spreadsheet templates.

Cost: $15 which includes a 2GB flash drive with preloaded budget software, financial forms and more. Reduced rate for couples.

Dates and Registration:

- Thursday, December 10th 9am - 12pm, Chesapeake College, Room EDC-26
To register contact 410-822-1244

- Monday, December 14th 9am – 12pm, Wicomico County Extension Office
To register contact 410-749-6141

Yellowing in Wheat and Barley

You can see many fields of wheat and barley with yellow areas currently. The following are some potential causes of this yellowing.

• Excess water and waterlogged soils with temparily shut down small grain roots and can cause yellowing and stunting. Denitrification in these wet areas may lead to nitrogen deficiency and yellowing.
• pH problems can cause yellowing. Low pH (less than 5.3) will cause poor root growth and potential problems with Magnesium deficiency. High pH (above 6.4) will often lead to a Manganese deficiency in many DE soils.
• Compaction from equipment traffic over wet soils will lead to poor root growth and yellowing and stunting because soil is too dense for roots to penetrate. Secondary effects of compaction will be soils remaining wet longer and increased dentrification again potentially causing yellowing.
• Several diseases can lead to yellowing or browing of small grain seedling including Fusarium seedling blight, Pythium, and other seedling blights.
• Barley yellow dwarf virus can cause yellowing in spot in fields. These are usually circular in appearance.
• Nitrogen deficiency will cause yellowing in small grain seedlings. This is often most noticeable in areas where significant plant residue from the previous crop was incorporated, creating a temporary nitrogen deficiency.
• Herbicide carryover is another possible cause of yellowing in small grains. This is most common on dry years but still can happen in wetter years, especially after later planted vegetables where herbicides have not yet broken down.

Gordon Johnson, Extension Agriculture Agent, UD, Kent County

Tillering in Wheat

Good tillering is essential for high wheat yields. The following is more information on tillering in wheat.

A tiller is a shoot that originates at the coleoptilar node at the crown of the plant (near ground level). Tillers share the same root mass with the main stem. During tillering, the major management consideration is whether stands are adequate to achieve yield goals. Management inputs will not compensate for skimpy or erratic stands cased by insects, seedling diseases, poor seed quality, herbicide injury, etc. You want to encourage fall tillering for highest yields. This is best done by planting as soon after the Hessian fly free date (around October 8) and by having enough nitrogen (N) for the plant. With late planted wheat (November plantings) fall tillering will be minimal. For these late palnted fields, if stands are thin but uniform coming out of winter, a February or early March nitrogen (N) application may enhance the rate of tillering, potentially increasing the number of heads per square foot. Fall N application of 25 to 40 pounds per acre usually increases winter survival, tillering, and yield. Excess N applied at this time leads to a lush, vegetative growth which makes the crop more susceptible to winter-kill and foliar fungal disease. Adequate phosphorus (P) and a soil pH around6.0 are needed for good rooting and tiller development. Winter wheat can continue to tiller for several weeks. Depending upon the planting date and weather conditions, tillering can either be interrupted by or completed prior to the onset of winter dormancy. Most of the tillers that contribute to grain yield potential are produced in fall or late winter/early spring.

Some information taken from an fact sheet from the Ohio State University Extension.