Robertson County Extension PO Box 283 Mt. Olivet, KY 41064 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

PRESORTED STANDARD

US POSTAGE PAID CYNTHIANA, KY

PERMIT 2110

Robertson County

Agriculture &

Natural Resources

Newsletter

June 2019

Forage Timely Tips—June

Continue hay harvests. Minimize storage losses by storing hay under cover.

Clip pastures for weeds and seedheads as needed.

Slow rotation allowing for a longer recovery period.

Use portable fencing to decrease paddock size and increase paddock number.

Do NOT grazing below the minimum desired residual height.

Crabgrass, a warm-season annual grass, can provide high quality summer grazing. Remember crabgrass needs some annual soil disturbance to keep coming back.

Equipment Rental

Robertson Conservation

No-till Drill $50/day, 1-10 acres $50 + $5.50/acre, 11 acres and up

No-till Drill (Hay Buster) $65/day, 1-10 acres $65 + $6.50/acre, 11 acres and up *New Lime Spreader $60/day Lime Spreader $50/day

Contact Grant Paynter

to schedule:

(606)-842-0320

Soil Samples

First 10 Soil Samples are free!

(Per person)

$10 deposit on soil probe

Refund upon return

Hay Samples

$10/sample

For more information call the

Extension Office at

(606)-724-5796

Provide the right amount of water to summer veggies Source: Richard Durham, extension horticulture specialist

You might think vegetables will be the best quality only if they get adequate water throughout the growing season. It’s important that you water vegetables well while they are being established and during flowering, but sometimes the best quality garden produce results when water is somewhat limited. All vegetables need a good supply of soil moisture before and during flowering and during fruit development. For crops such as cabbage and broccoli, this period is dur-ing establishment and head development. One to two inches of water per week, in the form of natural rainfall or supplemental irrigation is enough for most vegetables during this time. For vegetables you continu-ally harvest, such as eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, summer squash and green beans, it’s important to keep an adequate supply of water to the plant. This ensures even soil moisture throughout the growing season, and it will keep plants productive longer. Consistent soil moisture on tomatoes will also help prevent blossom end rot and cracking of fruit.

You should withhold water from potatoes once the vines have begun to die. The tubers under the soil are entering dormancy at that time and excess water or fertilizer may cause regrowth or cracking of the potatoes, which makes them less suitable for storage.

Cucumbers will become bitter without a good supply of moisture throughout the entire growing season. On the other hand, mel-ons will produce a sweeter fruit when they are kept drier once the fruit has reached about half of its expected final size.

For melons, don’t cut off water completely. Continue to provide one-half to one inch of water per week. Heavy rain or irrigation when the melons are nearly mature will dilute the fruits’ sugar. Watermelons will reconcentrate the sugar if left on the vine a little long-er. Muskmelons, however, are less apt to do this.

Okra tends to produce more leaves than pods when it’s over watered, so try to keep these drought-tolerant plants on the dry side. A layer of mulch in the vegetable row will help conserve moisture, reduce weed growth and keep produce cleaner. Using black

plastic film as a mulch has become standard in commercial vegetable production, but most backyard growers still prefer organic mulch-es such as straw, wood chips, composted leaves or grass clippings. For more information about home gardening, refer to the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment publi-cation Home Vegetable Gardening in Kentucky at http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agcomm/pubs/id/id128/id128.pdf, or contact the Robertson County Cooperative Extension Service.

Stop by the

Extension Office

to pick up your

soil bags and soil

probe!

Vegetable Diseases to Scout for: Southern Blight

By: Kim Leonberger, Extension Associate and Emily Pfeufer, Extension Plant Pathologist

Southern blight, or basal stem rot as it is sometimes called, most commonly affects tomato, pepper, cucumbers, beans, and cabbage, but

has a very wide host range and can infect many crops. The disease can occur in any system where plants are grown in natural soil. Preven-

tion, early identification, and management will help reduce plant and yield losses.

Here are the symptoms and signs to look for, preventative tactics, and brief suggestions on how to treat crops once disease is confirmed.

Cause & Disease Development

Southern blight is caused by the fungal pathogen, Sclerotium rolfsii. This pathogen overwinters in crop residues or in soil as sclerotia

(small, round fungal overwintering structures). These sclerotia are smaller than the dark brown sclerotia developed by the timber rot/ white

mold pathogen. Sclerotia enable the fungus to remain viable for many years in soils, even through adverse conditions. Southern blight is

favored by high temperatures and humidity. Disease severity increases when undecomposed organic matter is left on and in the soil.

Symptoms

The first symptom of southern blight is a sudden wilting of foliage, which is followed by yellowing of leaves and stems/branches that turn

brown (Figure 1). Plant death occurs as a result of stem or crown decay at the soil level. Infected plant parts may be covered by a white,

thread-like mycelium (fungal body) (Figure 2). Over time, small, round structures, called sclerotia, appear within the mycelium and on the

stem (Figure 2). Sclerotia first appear white, but then darken to a brown or orange color. When fully developed, each sclerotium is about

the size of a mustard seed.

Management

Cultural practices:

Remove and destroy infected plants.

Do not plant in fields with a history of southern blight.

In gardens or on a small scale, apply a physical barrier such as wrapping aluminum foil around the lower stem and crown of the plant.

On larger scales, bury sclerotia by deep tilling fields, then maintain as fallow or plant non-host cover crops for several seasons.

Soil solarization for at least 6 weeks may reduce disease incidence in the following growing season.

Chemical approaches:

Southern blight is extremely difficult to manage once it becomes a problem in field or greenhouse soils. The pathogen has nearly 1900

hosts, and can even infect common rotational crops like corn, soybean, sorghum, and rye (Farr and Rossman, USDA-ARS). Following

deep tillage of an affected crop, it is important to maintain plant-free fallow periods using herbicide applications to keep the pathogen from

increasing on common weeds. Ideally this would occur over multiple seasons. For growers under constraints for rotational fields and/or in

high-value production areas, soil fumigation by a licensed company may need to be considered.

If transplanting into a field that has had southern blight issues in the more distant past, an at-transplant treatment of Blocker 4F may be

used in certain crops’ transplant water. Post-transplant, soil-directed applications of select labeled fungicides in FRAC groups 7 or 11 are

recommended to continue to suppress disease through the season. For organic growers, several biological products are labeled for southern

blight management, but efficacy data is lacking in most cases.

As always, all label recommendations must be followed when applying chemicals to crops. In particular, pay close attention to pre-harvest

intervals.

Figure 2: White mycelium

may develop on infected

plant parts. Within the my-

celium, small round sclero-

tia develop. (Photo: Emily

Pfeufer, University of Ken-

tucky)

Figure 1: Plants affected by southern blight exhibit

leaf yellowing and stems and branches turn brown.

(Photo: Kenny Seebold, University of Kentucky)

Minimize soil compaction on the farm Source: Jeff Lehmkuhler, extension beef cattle specialist; Ray Smith, extension forage specialist

Soil compaction is a problem that many producers face, but one they often overlook. Paying attention to the problem

is important since soil compaction can reduce your forage yields and slow forage establishment. That can cost you a lot of

money in the long run.

When soil particles are pressed together, it reduces pore space and aeration and damages the soil structure, which

reduces the soil’s ability to retain moisture. You know what happens when soil can’t retain moisture—runoff and poor

drainage.

Compacted soil also decreases organic matter, reduces microbial activity and increases erosion and nutrient leaching.

All these things really affect plant growth and that’s why you end up with sparse or bare patches and low overall yields.

Soil compaction results from natural and operational factors. Severe compaction is almost always due to manage-

ment practices. Wheel traffic is the main culprit. As farm equipment has become heavier and producers’ time has become

more limited, machinery has become an even bigger contributor to compaction.

Tillage operations at the same depth, over time, can cause severe compaction to the layers below the tillage depth.

Wet soils are most susceptible to compaction. Busy schedules make waiting for optimal soil moisture difficult. Hoof traf-

fic can also cause compaction, especially near waterers, feeders and gates.

You can take some simple steps to prevent and reduce the severity of soil compaction. Knowing your soil type and

soil properties can help you make management decisions. Soils higher in clay and low in organic matter have a greater

potential for compaction. Focus on building organic matter in the soil to develop a

good soil structure while you decrease soil bulk density.

If you can keep a thick stand of forages, you can increase manure distribution.

Reducing tillage can build soil organic matter. Try to control and reduce wheel

traffic, especially on wet soils.

Planting a tillage radish in severely compacted areas is another way to reduce

compaction. This plant provides a thick ground cover, and its large tap roots can

penetrate compacted soils. Be sure to plant a forage-type radish if you intend to

graze the pasture. Many producers plant a forage radish with a mixture of annual

ryegrass or cereal rye.

Consider installing high-traffic pads around waterers, feeders and gates. If you regularly move feeding areas, you can

prevent any one area from becoming severely compacted.

For more information on preventing or reducing soil compaction, contact the Robertson County Extension office.

You may also visit https://grazer.ca.uky.edu/ for more resources on managing forages.

Important Dates

Date Program Location

JUNE 20, 2019 WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM 6:00 PM FLEMING CO. EXT OFFICE

JULY 12, 2019 MT. OLIVET FARMER’S MARKET

GRAND OPENING FARMER’S MARKET BLDG.

JULY 19, 2019 SUMMER HEMP FIELD DAY

10:00-12:00 2625 DUTCH RIDGE RD.

AUGUSTA, KY

JULY 23-25, 2019 PLANT CAMP (FOR YOUTH) SEE SAMANTHA FOR INFO

SEPT. 21, 2019 ROBERTSON COUNTY

LIVESTOCK SHOW & SALE AG BARN

SEPT. 23, 2019 GROWING INDUSTRIAL HEMP 6:00 PM MCTC

OCTOBER 1, 2019 FARM SCHOOL FOR WOMEN MASON CO. EXT. OFFICE

OCTOBER 8, 2019 FARM SCHOOL FOR WOMEN MASON CO. EXT. OFFICE

OCTOBER 15, 2019 FARM SCHOOL FOR WOMEN MASON CO. EXT. OFFICE

OCTOBER 22, 2019 FARM SCHOOL FOR WOMEN MASON CO. EXT. OFFICE

2 cups whole-wheat bread, cut into cubes

1 cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese

6 eggs

1 cup skim milk

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

⅛ teaspoon pepper

1 cup frozen broccoli florets

½ bell pepper, roughly chopped

½ onion, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 2. In a 7-by-11-inch or 9-by-9-inch pan, layer bread cubes and

shredded cheddar. 3. In a medium bowl, mix eggs, milk, salt, garlic powder, pep-

per and vegetables. Pour over bread. 4. Bake for approximately one hour (check periodically) or

until eggs have set. Makes 8 servings Serving size: 3-by-3 inch piece

Country Morning Casserole

Cooperative Extension Service Robertson County 39 E Walnut St. Mt. Olivet, KY 41064 (606) -724-5796 samantha.woerner@uky.edu

Agriculture & Natural Resources

Newsletter

June 2019

The months are just rolling on along as we make

our way into June! I hope that everyone is getting

along well with planting/setting their crops and

getting ready for the first cutting of hay.

June 1st makes one year of me being the

Agriculture and Natural Resources/4-H Youth

Development County Extension Agent in

Robertson County. I can not believe that it has

already been a year, but ya know the saying “time

flies when you are having fun”.

Inside this addition, there are a couple upcoming

programs this summer, which include the Wildlife

Management Program in Fleming County and the

Summer Hemp Field Day in Bracken County. Both

programs are going to be very educational and

beneficial if you are considering leasing your

property for hunting or raising hemp next year.

I hope that everyone gets a chance to stop by and

support our Farmer’s Market vendors at Blue Licks

and then in Mt. Olivet in July.

Inside this addition:

Farmer’s Market Dates

Important Dates

Wildlife Management Program

Summer Hemp Field Day

Minimize Soil Compaction

Southern Blight

Forage Timely Tips

Equipment Rental

Samantha Woerner Robertson County Agriculture & Natural Resources/4-H Youth Development Agent

The Robertson County Extension Office will be closed

Thursday, July 4th, in observance to Independence Day.