Caldwell County Agline

The final results of the 2009 Iredell County, NC Corn Hybrid Demonstration for both silage and grain.

Thanks to all those who participated in the on-farm demonstration, especially McLain Farms for the work they provided in planting and harvesting.  Also appreciation is expressed to those seed corn company representatives who assisted in planting, conducting the field day, harvesting, and helping analyze the data.  
 

We hope this will be helpful in selecting hybrids that can improve grower profitability but remember that one year’s data in one location should not be the sole selection criteria.

 

Iredell Grain Results

Iredell Silage Results 

Link to official variety test (OVT) http://www.ncovt.com

Michael P. Miller, Extension Agent - Agriculture
Iredell County, NC

Asiatic soybean rust was confirmed today at the Central Crops Research Station near Clayton, North Carolina in the sentinel plot located there. Four pustules on one leaf out of 100 leaves were positive for SBR and they were sporulating. This morning we checked samples from sentinel plots in Columbus, Carteret, Granville, Wayne, New Hanover, and Edgecombe Counties that were all negative for soybean rust. We will receive samples from the rest of the sentinel plots today thru Friday.  Rust was found yesterday at the research station near Suffolk, Virginia, about 15 miles north of Gates County, North Carolina. Rust has now been confirmed on soybeans in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Missouri, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina.

If no symptoms of rust are visible on the underneath side of the lower leaves yet, it will typically take four weeks or so before much serious defoliation takes place.  In four weeks from now, probably 80% of our state\u2019s soybeans will already be defoliated anyway.

That leaves no more than 20% of our state\u2019s crop to worry about.  If no symptoms of rust are visible, and the soybeans have one or more pods in the top four nodes of the main stem with full sized seeds (seeds touching each other in the pod), the field is not likely to suffer economic damage from rust, and would not need to be sprayed with a fungicide.  If no symptoms are visible, and there are no full sized seeds in the top four nodes, growers should seriously consider spraying with a triazole fungicide, or a combination of a triazole and a strobulurin.  If other foliar diseases are also present or considered likely to develop, our preference would be to spray with a strobulurin fungicide, or a combination of the two types of fungicides. The benefit of fungicide applications after plants enter growth stage 6 is highly questionable and not recommended at this time because of the general lack of a yield response this late in the season. Be aware that the use of fungicides pursuant to section 18 permits for control of soybean rust is not legal after plants enter growth stage 6. Fungicides with a soybean label for control of rust or other diseases may also have restrictions that forbid late season applications or requirements for lengthy pre-harvest periods, plant-back restrictions, or other restrictions.

North Carolina farmers should continue to check their soybeans that have not yet gotten full sized beans in the top of the plants, and to continue to monitor reliable reports of where else rust has been found. An up-to-date map of where rust has been found is at http://www.sbrusa.net.  The current version of these North Carolina updates should also be available at our Teletip line at 800/662-7301.

Asiatic Soybean Rust was confirmed yesterday on soybeans in Dorchester County, SC, and in St. Clair County, AL. The Dorchester County site is about the same distance from Charlotte as the previously announced Berkeley County, SC site, at 145 miles. It is a little farther from the other 7 cities we’re tracking than the Berkeley County site. The Berkelely County site is approximately 145 miles from Charlotte, 305 miles from Elizabeth City, 145 miles from Fayetteville, 260 miles from Murphy, 195 miles from Raleigh, 240 miles from Washington, 145 miles from Wilmington, and 200 miles from Winston-Salem. The closest rust to Murphy is now St. Clair County, AL, which is approximately 160 miles away.

Rust has now been confirmed on soybeans in AL, AR, FL, GA, LA, MS and TN. The other counties announced in the past week to have rust on soybeans are all farther away from our North Carolina soybeans than the sites mentioned in the first paragraph.

We do not consider this find to pose any imminent threat to our North Carolina soybeans yet. North Carolina farmers should continue to check their soybeans that have not yet gotten full sized beans in the top of the plants, and to continue to monitor reliable reports of where else rust has been found. An up-to-date map of where rust has been found is at http://www.sbrusa.net.The current version of these NC updates should also be available at our Teletip line: 800/662-7301.

When temperatures get up to 95 degrees or more, soybeans tend to:

• Close their stomates to conserve moisture within the leaf. They can't move enough water through the plant to keep up with that high an evapotranspiration demand. Soil moisture levels, therefore, have little to do with it.
• Stop producing photosynthate, since carbon dioxide can't get in through those closed stomates either.
• Abort flowers. Not a big deal, since soybeans can replace those flowers, and they don't seem to care much which flowers become pods.
• Abort small pods. This is a little more serious, but the plants may well have enough pods left anyway. If a pod was about half full size or bigger, it probably did not abort.
• Abort seeds within larger pods if the seeds were still pretty small.
• Produce smaller seeds if the seeds were very big already.

Remember that soybeans typically produce more pods than the combine will ever find, and produce way more flowers than the combine will find as pods. That's one of the major ways they survive adversity like this. The net result will probably be not much worse than losing a few days of potential production. I wouldn't expect any lasting effect of this response to high temperatures.

Current Status of Soybean Rust in North America – July 2009

Asiatic Soybean Rust has been confirmed in Alabama, Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, and Texas.  Most finds, with the exceptions of Louisiana and Alabama, are on Kudzu.  Soybean rust has spread very little this year, even with above average rainfall in many soybean growing areas.  Temperatures in the 100 degree range along much of the Gulf Coast have limited its development.  With more moderate temperatures and soybeans approaching or at reproductive stages, we can expect rust to accelerate its northward movement.  Still, it seems unlikely that rust will arrive until soybean harvest is in progress.

The closest to North Carolina confirmation of rust on soybeans is in Gadsden County, FL (near Tallahassee).  It is approximately 320 miles from Murphy, NC, 390 miles from Charlotte, and 450 miles from Fayetteville.  We do not consider this find to pose any imminent threat to our North Carolina soybeans.

Soybean Disease Summary for North Carolina

Soybean rust currently poses no threat to North Carolina Soybean.  Unless a tropical storm or remnants of one moves through the southern US to North Carolina, it is unlikely that soybean rust will affect the soybean crop prior to harvest.

Other soybean diseases that are common this year are soybean cyst nematode, Phythophthora root and stem rot, and brown spot.  Phytophthora root rot is most prevalent in low spots in fields.  Many varieties are resistant to this disease.  If the disease occurs on a resistant variety, identify the source of resistance genes or races that variety is resistant to and do not use a similar type of resistance in the future.

Resources for Soybean Rust in 2009

There are more resources for information on Asiatic soybean rust available this year, than in many years in the past.  Some sources for more detailed information are listed below:

Teletip Phone Number: 1-800-662-7301 (the same number as for the cotton insect update) with a message updated as necessary.

The USDA soybean rust web site  http://www.sbrusa.net/cgi-bin/sbr/public.cgi

The North Carolina Crop Protection Manual  http://ipm.ncsu.edu/agchem/6-9.pdf

Results of the wheat yeild contest are in.  The State wheat yeild winner is Michael Cobb.  The is a Coastal Plain farmer from Greene County.  He grew SS 520 with a yeild of 106.5 bu/ac.  Louie Johnson was the Agent working with Mr. Cobb.

 The top Piedmont entry was from Travis Starnes in Union County.  He grew SS 8302 yeilding 88.7 bu/ac.  For the entire results go to www.smallgrains.ncsu.edu/Contest/Results2009.pdf

May 5th  at the Piedmont Research Station in Salisbury, NC, small grain growers will have an opportunity to view numerous research plots and to interact with agents, specialists, and other farmers. This is an excellent chance to learn the latest information about small grain production in the piedmont.

 Registration starts at 4:00,  field tours 4:30, and dinner will be at 6:30.

The agenda includes:

• Wheat variety review
• Planting wheat before soybean harvest: 5 year results
• Syngenta insecticide/fungicide system vs IPM
• Stagonospora thresholds research
• Advances in hard wheat breeding

Presenters will include; Jack Bacheler, Christina Cowger, David Marshall, Paul Murphy, Randy Weisz.

 Contact seth_nagy@ncsu.edu the Caldwell County Extension Center if you would like to attend.
 

PEST ALERT

From: Steve Koenning Extension Soybean Pathology Specialist North Carolina State University and Jim Dunphy Soybean Specialist Crop Science

Current Status of Soybean Rust in North America ? March 2009

As of March 16, 2009, soybean rust is viable on kudzu in parts of Florida (including one site in the panhandle), two counties in southern Georgia, southern Alabama (Mobile area), several locations in Louisiana, and extreme south Texas. Rust is also active in Mexico, and a new potentially new host has been found in Mexico. The new find in Mexico has not been identified as to species, but is said to be quite common on road sides in Mexico. Planting of sentinel plots in will be underway in southern states and will resume when soils dry out.

Soybean Rust Summary for North Carolina ? Reflections on 2005-2008

Soybean rust has been detected in North Carolina every year since 2005. Rust was found in 17, 44, and 6 counties in 2005, 2006, and 2007 respectively. In spite of a favorable fall environment, rust was only found in six counties in 2008. Fungicides were not necessary to control rust and most foliar diseases were minor in 2008. Only in 2006 was it recommended that fungicides be sprayed in the southeastern counties on late planted late maturity soybean. Yield increases in these areas were on the order of 4 to 5 bushels per acre.

Soybean rust generally moves from south to north from Florida to Georgia and finally to North Carolina and Virginia. Much of this movement is by local spread which is relatively slow. Tropical systems that moved through the state from the south have resulted in either delivery of spores or provided an environment conducive for rust to develop. In 2005 this was Ophelia and in 2006 tropical storm Ernesto coincided with development of rust in North Carolina. There was some concern in 2007 when a tropical storm moved through in June which could have brought spores from Florida. This did not happen because Florida and South Georgia were extremely dry and if there was any spore production in Florida prior to this time it was very minor. You have to have spores for a transport event (movement from one location to another).

In general we will likely need a wet spring and a summer with lots of ?gray days? to have an epidemic that requires fungicide sprays over large areas of the state. This can be expected about one year in five to one year in ten in North Carolina. Dr. Jim Dunphy and I will continue to maintain a network of communication with County Extension Agents, CCAs, and consultants to provide warnings about the need to spray for rust. Sentinel plots will be planted in the next 30 days in most locations. In addition, have a teletip phone number 1-800-662-7301 (the same number as for the cotton insect update) with a message updated as necessary.

Resources for Soybean Rust in 2009

There are more resources for information on Asiatic soybean rust available this year, than in many years in the past. Some sources for more detailed information are listed below:

• The USDA soybean rust web site - www.sbrusa.net
• The North Carolina Crop Protection Manual - ipm.ncsu.edu/agchem/6-9.pdf

    The results of the soybean Official Variety Tests (OVT) for 2008 are now posted at www.ncovt.com.  In addition to soybean, there is also data for corn, cotton, small grains, and tobacco.  The OVT's unbiased data can be used by producers to select varieties best suited for their production system.  Data presented in the OVT is not just yield data, but also includes disease resistance, maturity information, and other crop specific data.

Canola is a new crop gaining acreage in North Carolina.  Our neighbors in Georgia and Arkansas have recently publish great information on canola production.  This information is generally applicable to North Carolina growers. 

• Georgia Canola Site -  http://www.caes.uga.edu/commodities/fieldcrops/canola
• Arkansas Canola Production Guide -  http://www.uaex.edu/Other_Areas/publications/PDF/FSA-2154.pdf

 

 

We are getting frost this week, it will probably catch some soybeans that are not yet physiologically mature.  A green canopy is harder for frost to kill than a maturing canopy, because the green canopy holds heat better than a maturing canopy, and the green leaves have more solutes in the sap than a yellowing leaf.  If the leaves get killed, but the petiole stays green, I'd expect the beans to suck most of the goodies out of the dead leaves anyway, with little net loss in yield from the frost.  If the petioles are also killed , I'm not sure how much of the photosynthate in the leaves will make it to the seeds, but I suspect very little.

Frost injury will be pretty evident the morning after the frost.  If only the top portion of the canopy get injured by frost, I'd expect the yield to be reduced only in the top portion of the canopy.

If the entire crop gets killed prematurely by frost, there may be little effect except smaller than hoped for seeds. Small seeds should be close enough to normal in content (e.g. oil and protein) that they will not get discounted at the elevator; green (in cross section, not just the seed coat) seeds probably will get discounted.

With rising interest in alternative nitrogen (N) sources NCSU Extension Specialists Dr. Carl Crozier and Dr. Ron Heiniger developed information for growers on current costs associated with cover crops and the amount of N that may be fixed.  There is also a good NC Extension factsheet on growing cover crops "Winter Annual Cover Crops" written by Greg Hoyt, Michael Wagger and Carl Crozier.

The bottom line is cover crops can work.  However, growers should quickly make a plan and decide how the cover crop will be destroyed in the spring.

Using Winter Cover Crops to Provide N for Corn in 2009 - Extension Corn Note (pdf)
Winter Annual Cover Crops - NCSU Soil Facts (pdf)

Burley Tobacco Field Day on July 30, 2008 at the Upper Piedmont Research Station in Reidsville, NC.  The Field Day will start with registration at 2:30 pm and end with a meal at 6:00 pm.  I don't have a schedule yet, but Loren Fisher will be heading up the program.  Please let me know if you are interested in attending . . . Seth (seth_nagy@ncsu.edu)

The 2008 wheat variety recommendations are now available!  This is the latest and great NC Extension has to offer wheat growers.  As in the past, we are recommending growers select an above average yielding variety for better fields and plant three varieties.  Of the three varieties only one should be early heading.  Early heading varieties are more susceptible to late spring freezes.  The full report can be found at www.smallgrains.ncsu.edu.

Soybeans, like many other plant species, cannot translocate enough water to keep up with the evapotranspiration demand that temperatures over about 95 degrees creates. So with temperatures over 95, soybeans will wilt in the heat of the day regardless of how much water is available to them. They close their stomates to dramatically reduce water loss from the leaf, but this also closes the stomates to carbon dioxide getting into the leaf, so little or no photosynthesis takes place while the stomates are closed.

If water is available to the soybean roots, the plants will tend to recover significantly when temperatures drop down into the 80s, and may well look pretty normal before nightfall. If water is not available to the roots, however, it will take them longer to recover. It's possible to kill soybean plants with a combination of little moisture in the root zone with high daytime temperatures, but soybeans can tolerate more of this situation than many other plant species can.

If soybeans have not started blooming, there is probably little long term effect other than having lost a few potential growing days. If soybean are blooming, or past blooming, they will tend to abort whatever reproductive structure is being developed at the time (e.g. flowers, pods, or seeds), which won't necessarily be too serious, if they have time to put on more flowers/pods/seeds.

Whether to plant with the current temperatures or not is not an easy call. If the soil has enough moisture that I expect to be able to get a crop up, I would be concerned about the soil temperature, and the expected daytime highs several days out. I'd be inclined to delay planting if soil temperatures are in the 90s at 2 inches depth, or if I expect the daytime highs to be above 95 when the plants emerge. If soil temperatures are in the 80s or below, and the daytime highs when the soybeans emerge are expected to be below 95, I'd probably go ahead and plant.

Soybean rust is viable in parts of Florida and Texas at this time. Rust was found fairly far north in Mississippi on kudzu, but was under water for sometime and though the kudzu may recover from flooding, the rust will have to reach this site again to initiate new infections. Rust may be active in Mexico onvolunteer soybean growing in corn on a limited acreage, but there is a good chance that these volunteer soybean have since been killed with herbicides.Though we have yet to receive reports of soybean rust on jicama (yambean, a crop grown in Mexico on as much as 100,000 acres) there is a good possibility that it may be developing there since yam bean has been planted andthe rainy season has or should start soon. Planting of sentinel plots in Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi has been completed, though some sites mayhave to be replanted because of excessive rainfall. Some early maturing soybeanin Mississippi and Louisiana are now flowering and conditions are good for rust development, but planting delays may inhibit development of rust in these locations.

Another Host for Soybean Rust

A new host for soybean rust in the US is Coral Bean, grown in many areas especially along the East coast. Pictures of this plant can be found at  http://www.floridata.com/ref/E/erythrin.cfm.Coral bean is most likely to serve as an additional over wintering host for soybean rust in the gulf coast states, and its contributions to the epidemiology of have not been assessed at this time.

Soybean Rust Summary for North Carolina - Reflections on 2005-2007

Soybean rust has been detected in North Carolina every year since 2005. Rust was found in 17, 44, and 6 counties in 2005, 2006, and 2007 respectively. For the most part it has not required fungicide sprays. Only in 2006 was it recommended that fungicides be sprayed in the southeastern counties on late planted late maturity soybean. Yield increases in these areas were on the order of 4 to 5 bushels per acre.

Resources for Soybean Rust in 2008

Soybean rust sentinel plots will be planted inthe next 30 days in most locations. In addition, we have a teletip phone number 1-800-662-7301 (the same number as for the cottoninsect update) with a message updated as necessary.

There are more resources for information on Asiatic soybean rust available this year than in many years in the past. Soybean Rust Management in the Mid-AtlanticRegion can be found at the SSDW web site http://cipm.ncsu.edu/ent/SSDW/, as well as the Soybean Disease Atlas. The Fungicide Manual is available as a PDF version from http://oardc.osu.edu/soyrust/. This Fungicide Manual actually contains more information than most growers are likely to need.

Some sources for more detailed information are listedbelow:

• The USDA soybean rust web site http://www.sbrusa.net/cgi-bin/sbr/public.cgi
• The North Carolina Crop Protection Manual http://ipm.ncsu.edu/agchem/6-9.pdf
• Fungicide Manual http://oardc.osu.edu/soyrust/

• Do strobilurin fungicides (like Quadris or Headline) increase yield when diseases are not present?
• At high wheat prices, shouldn't our spray thresholds be lower?
• At high wheat prices, shouldn't fungicides be applied routinely to all our wheat?
• Have the University recommendations been updated anytime in the last few years?
• Why is the University not encouraging more fungicide use?

To help answer these questions, Randy Weisz - NC Small Grains Extension Specialist compiled the latest information from his research and colleagues from around the Southeast.  I think for Caldwell County growers variety selection can be a very useful tool and the most cost effective.  We do not have a high disease pressure like is present in the eastern part of the State.

Current Status of Soybean Rust in North America

As of April 8, 2008, soybean rust is viable in parts of Florida, southern Alabama (Mobile area on kudzu), and Louisiana. Rust was found overwintering fairly far north in Mississippi on kudzu, but this site is now under water. Rust is active in Mexico on volunteer soybean growing in corn at this time on a limited acreage, but no soybean rust has been found on jicama (yam bean, a crop grown in Mexico on as much as 100,000 acres) because their rainy season has not started yet. Planting of sentinel plots in Florida is nearly complete, and many have been planted in Mississippi. Sentinel plot planting in Mississippi is currently on hold because many fields are under water and many if not all of their sentinel plots may have to be replanted.

Soybean Rust Summary for North Carolina: Reflections on 2005-2007

Soybean rust has been detected in North Carolina every year since 2005. Rust was found in 17, 44, and 6 counties in 2005, 2006, and 2007 respectively. For the most part it has not required fungicide sprays. Only in 2006 was it recommended that fungicides be sprayed in the southeastern counties on late planted late maturity soybean. Yield increases in these areas were on the order of 4 to 5 bushels per acre.

Soybean rust generally moves from south to north from Florida to Georgia and finally to North Carolina and Virginia. Much of this movement is by local spread which is relatively slow. Tropical systems that moved through the state from the south have resulted in either delivery of spores or provided an environment conducive for rust to develop. In 2005 this was Ophelia and in 2006 tropical storm Ernesto coincided with development of rust in North Carolina. There was some concern in 2007 when a tropical storm moved through in June which could have brought spores from Florida. This did not happen because Florida and South Georgia were extremely dry and if there was any spore production in Florida prior to this time it was very minor. You have to have spores for a transport event (movement from one location to another).

In general we will likely need a wet spring and a summer with lots of ?gray days? to have an epidemic that requires fungicide sprays over large areas of the state. This can be expected about one year in five to one year in ten in North Carolina. We will continue to maintain a network of communication with county Extension agents, CCAs, and consultants to provide warnings about the need to spray for rust. Sentinel plots will be planted in the next 30 days in most locations. In addition, have a Teletip phone number, 1-800-662-7301 (the same number as for the cotton insect update), with a message updated as necessary.

Soybean Rust Prospects for 2008

The potential for soybean rust to negatively affect North Carolina soybean production in 2008 appears greater than in the three previous years (2005-2007) ?at this time.?  I emphasize ?at this time,? since my crystal ball is no better than most, and this is mostly speculation for April 2008. 
Factors that may make soybean rust more of a problem in 2008 are as follows:

1. It seems that the La Nina effect that was at least partially responsible for the 2007 drought is breaking up, thus the chances for at least average rainfall or greater are improved.
2. Projected soybean plantings for 2008 to the south of us, Georgia and Alabama may well double in 2008.  Increased wheat plantings this year make it likely that more soybeans will be planted double crop to the south of us this year. This of course is partially dependent on soybean seed supply.
3. Some crop protection specialists are concerned that fungicide supply in 2008 may be limited because of increased use on the small grains this spring. There are reports that some wheat growers are already planning on two fungicide applications on wheat this spring (2008).
4. The large North Carolina wheat crop is likely to mean increased double-cropped soybean in 2008 which may be at greater risk to soybean rust. This again depends on the supply of seed.
   

Obviously, this is only speculation on our part. The transport of rust to North Carolina is dependent on numerous environmental factors, including weather to the south of us and environment during the growing season. Still greater vigilance seems warranted at this time.

Resources for Soybean Rust in 2008

There are more resources for information on Asiatic soybean rust available this year than in many years in the past. Some sources for more detailed information are available on the web at:

USDA soybean rust web site:
http://www.sbrusa.net/cgi-bin/sbr/public.cgi

North Carolina Agricultural Chemicals Manual soybean disease control recommendations:
http://ipm.ncsu.edu/agchem/6-9.pdf

NC Cooperative Extension Corn Specialist, Ron Heininger was recently interviewed by the Southeast Farm Press.  Dr. Heininger talked about how much nitrogen it will take to make a corn crop.  This is the same material that he presented at the Iredell County Corn and Soybean Meeting on February 21.

I was at the meeting in Iredell, but it never hurts to hear new messages more than once.  Read the article at (southeastfarmpress.com/grains/corn-fertilization-0327/).

This is our first soybean rust update for 2008, and is being sent now both to catch you up to date on the status of rust in the continental US, and to be sure we?re still getting to everyone we intended to reach, before rust becomes more active. If you know of any Extension soybean agents, CCAs, licensed consultants, regional NCDA&CS agronomists, research station superintendents, or CPAs who did not receive this update, please let Jim Dunphy (919/515-5813) or Steve Koenning (919/515-3905) know.

Florida has rust on kudzu in south Florida (Tampa and below), and in the Jacksonville area, but not in the panhandle area. They have had rust on kudzu in the panhandle until the past two weeks.

Georgia has some kudzu greening up, but no rust has been detected yet.

Alabama has rust on kudzu in Mobile. They have 2-3 week old soybeans growing in the Baldwin area . (Both cities are on the coast.)

Mississippi has found no rust yet this winter, and has 20 sentinel plots planted.

Louisiana has green kudzu on the coast, but has found no rust. 2 of their sentinel plots have been planted.

Texas has kudzu and Texas Bluebonnet up and growing , but no rust has been found yet.

Mexico had rust on soybeans 2 weeks ago, and we presume still does.

We (NC State University) plan to have sentinel plots this year in Bertie, Camden, Carteret, Cherokee, Cleveland, Columbus (2), Edgecombe, Gates, Granville, Henderson, Hyde, Johnston, Lenoir, Montgomery, New Hanover, Pasquotank, Rowan, Sampson, Scotland, Stanly, Union, Washington, and Wayne counties, all with a very early maturing variety and a mid-season variety.

For More Information:

• Soybean Rust Forecast
• Soybean Rust Fact Sheet
• Soybean Rust - USDA

Due to extreme weather conditions across North Carolina over the past year, it had been expected there might be potential shortages of seed for the 2008 season.  The primary purpose of this communication is to share general information related to the seed supply that will be helpful in your discussions with our state's farmers.

Soybean seed production, in general, has been greatly affected by the extreme drought conditions last year resulting in reduced yields and a slight decline in overall seed quality.  It is expected there will be an increase in soybean acreage for this season, further impacting the potential availability of seed for planting.  As a result, the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Plant Industry Division has received multiple inquiries from farmers expressing concerns related to seed supply issues, specifically for soybeans.  Producers that might have booked their seed order early are receiving information on potential allocations from seed dealers.  Others that have not booked or do not have existing agreements with dealers may be turned away.

To assess the potential seed shortage, NCDA&CS convened a cross-section of individuals representing the N.C. Seedsman's Association, North Carolina Crop Improvement Association, and multiple private industry partners to discuss the current conditions.  From this group, it was determined the certified seed growers here in North Carolina are still in the process of conditioning seed for the 2008 planting season.  As such, they do not yet have final bag counts.

There may be some potential relief for seed supplies.  It was determined that a limited amount of seed of lesser quality are held "on reserve" in the state for use if needed.  However, supplies of lower quality seed are limited and would likely be utilized only in extreme emergencies.  It is expected that the price for these seed would likely be reduced.  Some companies have already lowered their germinations for certain varieties to 75%.  Lower germination levels are legally acceptable, down to 70% for soybeans, sold in North Carolina.  Many producers may not be able to plant their preferred soybean varieties and/or maturity groups.  In consultation with N.C. State University, producers may need to review or re-assess overall seeding rates.

Drs. Spears and Dunphy, NCSU Crop Science, recommend that if soybean seed are labeled at 80% germination or higher, no adjustments from normal seeding rates are recommended.  If soybean seed are labeled at 70-79% germination, seeding rates should be increased by 10% for full season (e.g. May) plantings, or by 5% for double-crop (e.g. June) plantings.  Be sure to account for seed size (as reflected in the number seeds per pound), since this may be variable this season.  There is also concern that the lower germinating seed may well be accompanied by lower vigor, which would be more serious with the cooler May planting dates than with the warmer June plantings.

The industry partner group is expected to continue to track the seed supply issue over the next few weeks and will reconvene to jointly share information.  Based on this information, NCDA&CS will assess the need for further actions.

Should you have information related to this issue, please contact Eddie Martin, NCDA&CS Seed Administrator by email: Eddie.Martin@ncmail.net or phone: 919-733-3933 ext. 226.

Some farmers are asking about Cerone. In general, we have not recommended using Cerone in NC, but there are cases where it can be beneficial. If you are concerned about lodging, Cerone maybe something to consider.  However, it may do more harm than good if applied improperly.  What follows is information from Randy Weisz, NCSU Small Grain Extension Specialist.

Cerone is a plant growth regulator that can be used to shorten the distance between nodes (where each leaf attaches to the main stem) in small grains. By shortening internode length, plant height is reduced. This helps reduce the likelihood of lodging during grain-fill and ripening. Cerone must be applied at the correct growth stage or yield losses can occur. Late application, can significantly reduce yields. Also, keep in mind that Cerone cannot increase yield potential, but only minimize yield loss due to lodging problems.

Cerone is very beneficial in reducing yield losses from lodging in fields that traditionally have problems with lodging. Cerone should be applied only on fields that are frequently scouted to determine growth stage.

Situations that favor consideration of Cerone are as follows:

• Wheat with high nitrogen (N) application rates.
  
• Heavily manured ground.
  
• Wheat coming into the spring with excessive growth and at risk to lodging.
  
• Small grains are between Feekes Growth Stage 8 (flag leaf is visible but rolled up, the head is starting to swell inside the stem) and Feekes Growth Stage 9 (early boot, ligule of flag leaf is visible).

   Cerone should not be used in the following situations:

• Before Feekes growth stage 8.
  
• After the boot has split, or anytime the heads are exposed.
  
• In fields that are not frequently scouted for growth stage development.
  
• When temperatures are higher than 90 degrees.
  
• When small grains are drought stressed.
• When small grains have fungal disease present and a fungicide is not applied.
  
• Rainfall is anticipated within 4 hours.
• Small grains have already lodged.
  

If your situation indicates a need for Cerone, read and understand the label. Because of the economic consequences of misapplication, understand the limitations and restrictions on when it can be applied.

More information about small grain production can be found at www.smallgrains.ncsu.edu

Hessian flies have been found farther west that normal this year.  I've seem them in Rowan County at the NCDA Research Station.  This is not normal.  The good news for Caldwell farmers is I've not seem any in the county and don't expect to see any.  However, to respond to those who are being effected by Hessian fly, NCSU Small Grain Specialist Dr. Randy Weisz has developed a great factsheet. 

To see this and other great production info visit www.smallgrains.ncsu.edu. 

A Wheat Production meeting will be held Wednesday, March 5.  The meeting will start with a sponsored BREAKFAST at 8:00 am at Knox Grain Farm's Shop Building on 3485 Amity Hill Road, Cleveland NC (near intersection of Knox Farm Road and Amity Hill Road).

We will discuss growth stages of wheat, tissue sampling to determine Nitrogen needs, insects, diseases etc.  One hour of pesticide credit is approved.

Please contact me for breakfast reservations by Februrary 29 at 828.757.1290 or seth_nagy@ncsu.edu for interested producers.

Ryegrass is the biggest weed in small grain fields in Caldwell county.  Research shows yields are reduced 0.4% for every ryegrass plant per square yard.  Control becomes economical when expected yield reduction exceeds treatment cost.  I use 8 to 12 plants per square yard as a thumb rule for treatment.  This number can vary depending on small grain prices.

For more information on weed control in small grains go to Alan York's  Small Grain Weed Control chapter in the NC 2004-05 Small Grain Production Guide.