ANR Newsletter

Cooperative Extension Service Carlisle County 65 John Roberts Road Bardwell, KY 42023-0518 (270) 628-5458 Fax: (270) 628-3722 extension.ca.uky.edu

Carlisle County ANR Newsletter June, 2018 Dates to Remember: WAVE Ag Day -July 19-Carlisle County Fairgrounds

UK Corn, Soybean and Tobacco Day-July 24- Princeton

Milan No-Till Day-July 26-Milan, TN

WAVE AG Day Nominations due-July 1-forms are online

To make an online nomination for Young Farmer, https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/waveyoungfarmer.

Online nomination for Farmer of the Year, https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FarmeroftheYear.

Online nomination for Ag Business of the Year, https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WAVEAGBUS2018.

Online nomination for Friend of Agriculture, https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FRIENDofAG2018.

Rinse and Return- August 22-with lunch at the extension office

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ANR Newsletter

WAVE River Counties AG Day-July 19, 2018

“Let’s Grow With It”

A group of farmers, business people, educational institutions and elected officials in the counties of Ballard, Carlisle, Fulton and Hickman have organized the WAVE River Counties’ Agriculture and Commerce Day on July 19 in Bardwell, and we’d like you to have the opportunity to be part of this exciting event.

We will kick off the day with a farmer appreciation breakfast from 7:30 a.m. until 9:00 a.m.at the fairgrounds in Bardwell. Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles is scheduled to speak at the breakfast along with Brian Lacefield, executive director of the Kentucky Farm Service Agency. The Farmer of the Year, Ag Business of the Year, Special Friend of Agriculture, and this year the Young Farmer of the Year will be recognized at the breakfast. Nominations are being taken from throughout the four counties.

We plan to host exhibitors, vendors and educational entities at the fairgrounds that will highlight the rich resources and hidden beauties of all four river counties, from agriculture to natural resources to commercial opportunities – some of which are only found in this unique region of Kentucky. The exhibitor fair will begin at 10:00 a.m. and conclude at 2:00 p.m.

Our theme for the day once again is “Let’s Grow With It,” our nod to the idea that all of our strengths – our agricultural heritage, our great people, and our natural resources – are economic engines that can enrich our communities for years to come. We want to let people know that we are open for business in the River Counties, and that we are moving forward together.

If your asking why should I attend? Our goal and vision is a willingness to work together to achieve new opportunities for all the counties involved.

What a great chance to promote agriculture in Ballard, Carlisle, Fulton, and Hickman County along with all of our other assets. This will be an annual event that rotates from each county year to year.

Come enjoy the day with us or just a portion of it!!!

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Anthracnose Diseases on Shade Trees Posted on May 22, 2018

The term anthracnose refers to the dark blotching (necrotic) symptom common to these diseases. When expanding leaves are affected, leaf distortion frequently results (Figure 1). Defoliation (leaf drop) often occurs during severe infections. The disease is generally not fatal, and a new flush of foliar growth soon follows defoliation on some tree species. Causal fungi may also infect twigs and branches resulting in cankers that girdle stems (Figure 2).

Figure 1: Symptoms of anthracnose on shade trees include dark blotches and leaf distortion. (Photo: Nicole Ward Gauthier, UK)

Figure 2: The fungal pathogens that cause anthracnose may also infect twigs and branches. Resulting cankers girdle affected branches. (Photo: John Hartman, UK)

Symptoms

The fungal pathogens that cause anthracnose diseases are quite host-specific, meaning that the anthracnose pathogen on oak will not infect ash, etc. Symptom appearance and severity differ with each host and with climatic conditions.

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Ash anthracnose: Common symptoms include brown blotches along leaf edges. Leaf drop often results, and then new leaves soon emerge. Causal fungus: Discula umbrinella.

Maple anthracnose: Symptoms begin as leaf spots and may progress into shoot blight and shoot cankers. Leaf spots with brown, somewhat angular symptoms may be confused with tar spot (spots are round and black). Symptom development and susceptibility vary with tree species, but lesions often follow veins. Causal fungi: Discula sp. and Kabatiella apocrypta

Oak anthracnose: Not commonly observed in Kentucky. Irregular brown spots develop on leaf tips and along veins. Causal fungus: Apiognomonia quercina.

Sycamore anthracnose: Young, expanding leaves develop irregular dark, necrotic blotching centered along leaf veins or edges. These dark blotches may turn tan-colored as diseased areas of leaves dry out. Blighting of twigs or shoots may follow. Trees produce new foliage rather quickly, but affected branches may remain crooked (lateral shoots become dominant when terminals are killed). Also affects London plane tree. Causal fungus: Apiognomonia veneta.

Managing Shade Tree Anthracnose

For most trees, anthracnose disease is not lethal. However, repeated defoliation can be stressful to trees. Additionally, persistent rains and disease spread can lead to infection of twigs and branches. Good cultural practices are important to reduce disease:

• Select a planting site with a sunny eastern exposure to promote rapid drying of foliage early in theday.

• Rake and destroy fallen leaves, as they can be a source of inoculum (fungal spores). Do not compost.• Remove dead twigs and branches, as fungi can overwinter in diseased wood.• Reduce plant stress when possible.• Avoid wounding, such as bumping with mowing equipment or making jagged pruning cuts.• Maintain mulch 2 to 3 inches thick over the root zone and beyond the drip line (not against the

trunk) to help maintain soil moisture and to protect trees from lawnmower injury.• Protect trees from drought. Water at least once a week during hot, dry months using soakers or drip

irrigation. Avoid overhead sprinklers; wet foliage favors sporulation and infection.• Diagnose and treat insect and disease problems as soon as possible.• Fungicides are often not recommended. They can be costly and it is difficult to effectively cover

large trees. Commercial nurseries, on the other hand, should protect trees with fungicides.

Resources

• Considerations for Diagnosis of Ornamentals in the Landscape (PPFS-GEN-15)• Landscape Sanitation (PPFS-GEN-04)• Shade Tree Anthracnose (PPFS-OR-W-23)• Woody Plant Disease Management Guide for Nurseries and Landscapes (ID-88)

By Nicole Ward Gauthier, Extension Plant Pathologist and Kim Leonberger, Extension

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Tick Season Is Underway Posted on May 22, 2018

Tick season is underway, so it is important to take precautions to protect yourself from bites.

Check yourself every 2 hours while in areas were ticks are known or likely to be present and very thoroughly after returning home from work or other outdoor activities. Common places to find ticks are behind the knees, around the waist, under arms, and on neck and head.

Several effective precautions will reduce exposure. • Wear a repellent; products containing DEET are particularly effective.• A spray-on clothing treatment containing permethrin is good to use when in places where ticks are likelyto be abundant. • Avoid walking through tall grass and brushy areas along fence lines or adjacent to woods.• Wear light-colored clothing so ticks are easy to spot.• Check pets when they come in from outdoors.

Figure 1. A Female American dog tick (left) can be recognized by her short mouthparts and the mottled white markings on her back. The female lone star tick (right) has long mouthparts (Photo: Lee Townsend, UK)

Ticks and Disease

The lone star tick and the American dog tick are the most common species found in the state. Their bites usually are just an itchy nuisance, but these ticks can also carry diseases. Fortunately, only a very small percentage of these ticks are infected.

The adult female lone star tick has a white spot on its back and can carry erlichiosis. Its saliva, injected during feeding, may cause some people to develop a “red meat allergy,” a condition diagnosed more often as its awareness increases. American dog ticks (reddish-brown with mottled white markings on their backs)

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ANR Newsletter have the potential to carry spotted fever. In addition, the blacklegged tick, which is becoming more common in the state, is the vector of Lyme disease.

Figure 2. Unfed lone star tick nymph is about 1/16 inch long (Photo: Lee Townsend, UK)

Figure 3. Engorged lone star tick nymph is about 1/8 inch long. This stage feeds for 3 to 8 days before dropping to the ground to digest its blood meal and molt to the adult stage, a process that takes 5 to 6 weeks.

(Photo: Lee Townsend, UK)

Prevention and Removal

Prevention is the key to reducing the chance of being bitten by a tick. Even then, it is almost inevitable that some will get past protective efforts. Then, prompt removal of attached ticks reduces the chance of infection if the tick is carrying a disease. • Use fine-tipped tweezers to remove an attached tick.• Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible• Remove it with a gentle, steady pull.• Wash the bite area and your hands.• Apply an antiseptic to the bite site to protect the wound from infection.

By Lee Townsend, Extension Entomologist

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Know What Kind of Snake You Are Looking At

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Harvest Aid in Wheat Chad Lee, Travis Legleiter and Carrie Knott, University of Kentucky

The cool temperatures during late-winter and early-spring delayed wheat development across much of Kentucky earlier this year. Even as recently as early May, some reports that wheat was around 5 to 7 days ‘late’, as compared to most years, were common. Although much of the wheat is likely back to a ‘normal’ development stage due to recent record-breaking high temperatures, many producers may already be considering harvest aids in wheat.

Harvest aids remove weeds that complicate harvest and potentially stain wheat grains. Harvest aids should not be used to help a crop dry down faster.

Several products are labeled as harvest aids. A subset of those products is listed in Table 1. They are labeled for the “hard dough stage” (actually hard kernel stage or Feekes 11.3) when seeds are at 30% moisture or less. This stage is physiological maturity when the seed development is complete. Applying the harvest before physiological maturity often reduces yield and test weight, especially in soft red winter wheat. Earlier application of glyphosate has less effect on yield on of spring wheats grown in Canada and North Dakota. Some growers may be reading articles that promote earlier timings of application and those early timings apply to the spring wheats, no to soft red winter wheat grown in this region.

Most products labeled for harvest aid have harvest intervals of either 7 or 14 days. This means that once the product is applied, the crop cannot be harvested until at least 7 or 14 days after the product is applied. Some products have restrictions on feeding straw to livestock while others allow feeding straw to livestock. Some products do not allow applications on fields being grown for seed production.

If you are considering a harvest aid application in wheat, read the label of the products being considered. Follow the label. Again, the harvest aid application is best suited to removing problematic weeds. Applying a harvest aid to speed up dry down will likely reduce yield and test weight.

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Table 1. Wheat Preharvest Guidelines According to Product Labels †

† This list is compiled from selected products and all comments are based off of each product's label. Please consult the label of any

product before making any applications.

‡ Mention of a product is not an endorsement by the University of Kentucky or the Cooperative Extension Service.

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Don’t Let a Compressed Spring Force Bad Weed Control Decisions

By Travis Legleiter, Extension Weed Specialist & JD Green, Extension Weed Specialist

When a spring season is compressed, it puts pressure on things around it. This is true if you are talking about a spring in the physical form or the season of spring in the agricultural world. The spring of 2018 in Kentucky has not been friendly for planting corn and soybeans, and thus, we are looking at strenuous situations of getting multiple weeks of work into only a few.

As we approach the time in which we will be switching from corn planting to soybeans, this compression still holds true as we strive to get soybean into the ground. Under these strenuous conditions there is a tendency to cut out things or skip steps, especially when it comes to weed control and use of pre-emergence herbicides. The temptation has only been sweetened with the introduction of dicamba-tolerant soybeans to compliment Liberty Link soybeans, providing two systems in which we have more viable post-emergence options for fields that are infested with herbicide-resistant weeds.

We would warn you, though, that even with the strains of a compressed spring and the temptations of dicamba and glufosinate [e.g. Liberty], we must stick with pre-emergence herbicides, especially if fields have any of the pigweed species or marestail.

B E N E F I T S O F P R E - E M E R G E N C E H E R B I C I D E S

Pre-emergence herbicides provide numerous benefits for weed control in soybean:

• By applying a pre-emergence soil-residual herbicide, you are allowing your soybean crop toemerge without competition and grow for several weeks without weed completion.

• Pre-emergence herbicides reduce the number of weeds or density of plants you must controlwhen it does come time to make a post-emergence application. This leads to twoadvantages: coverage with those applications is easier to achieve to assure the success ofthose applications and selection pressure on post-emergence herbicides is effectivelyreduced by applying to fewer plants.

• The use of pre-emergence herbicides in soybean allows a producer to introduce additionalsites of action into the rotation, such as Groups 15, 5, and 3. It is vitally important that weuse as many sites of action as possible on acres that are infested with herbicide-resistantPalmer amaranth, waterhemp, and marestail.

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R E C O M M E N D A T I O N S F O R F I E L D S W I T H P A L M E R A M A R A N T A N D W A T E R H E M P

Specific recommendations for pre-emergence herbicides in fields with Palmer amaranth and waterhemp are as follows:

• Use products that contain at least two of the following effective sites of action: Group 14(flumioxazin, sulfentrazone, and fomesafen), Group 15 (S-metolachlor, pyroxasulfone,dimethenamid-P, or acetochlor), or Group 5 (metribuzin).

• Apply full rates of your chosen pre-emergence product for your soil type; this assures youare getting the maximum utility out of your pre-emerge application.

R E C O M M E N D A T I O N S F O R F I E L D S W I T H M A R E S T A I L

Specific recommendations for pre-emergence herbicides in fields with infestations of marestail:

• Products that include the active ingredient metribuzin can provide good-to-excellentsuppression of spring and summer emerging marestail, depending of the rate of metribuzinin the product.

• Products containing the active ingredients flumioxazin (Valor) or sulfentrazone (Authority)can provide good suppression of marestail.

• Herbicides that contain saflufenacil (Sharpen) can be effective on emerged marestail (lessthan 2” tall) and provide some pre-emergence control.

• The active ingredients cloransulam (Firstrate) and chlorimuron (Classic) can provide goodsuppression of marestail populations that are ALS-sensitive.

• There are numerous products that contain mixtures of the above active ingredients that wewould highly recommend. As always the more sites of action we can get involved the better.

H E R B I C I D E I N F O R M A T I O N

An extensive list of the herbicides available for use pre-emergence in soybean, product rates, efficacy tables, and label highlights of each product can be found in the 2018 Weed Control Recommendations for Kentucky Grain Crops (AGR-6).

Information released by

Chuck Flowers Carlisle County Extension Agent for Agriculture & Natural Resources

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