There is lots of talk out in the country side about the seed supply for 2013.
There are rumours of some picked seed corn fields in the midwest coming in at 30 bus/ac. A thirty bus corn crop compared to a 150 bus corn crop have very different seed sizes. In the drought stressed field, you end up with a lot of large rounds, and a lot of cull seeds so you may be down to 15 usable bus/ac.
Now for the good news - well over half of Pioneer's North American seed production is irrigated. Seed fields in southwest Ontario are variable but over all caught more rain than we did here. Pioneer is also ramping up winter production in South America to maintain supply.
So for most hybrids, supply will be ok. Of course there are going to be a few hybrids that due to the location the seed is produced, parental lines or seed size, there may be lower supply available. If there is a variety that you really want for next year, my advice would be to speak for it early. Keep in touch with your Pioneer rep.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
What now?
It rained, the temps have cooled down and the spider mites are still moving around on the crops. Although the crops look a little healthier from their reprieve, and the mites look a little slower, I was still a little nervous about the numbers I was seeing. However, Peter Johnston has assured Ontario through Twitter that the Spider Mite threat for Ontario is over as long as the moisture and cool weather stays (the 14 day shows it will). If it does get hot and dry again and your soys have not reached R6 yet (at least one out of the top 4 pods has beans filling the pod), I would get back out there and take a look.
Enough of Spider Mites, now on to the next bug - it is 2012 you know.
There are a few Green Stink Bugs being found in area soy bean fields. Below is a picture of the nymph. The bugs pierce the pod and feed on the juices of the bean. As a result, the beans can become shriveled and deformed. Also the pierce injury is a pathway for disease to infect the seed. Control could be warranted in IP soys if there is 1 stink bug found per foot of row in 30" or .2 bugs per sweep in narrow rowed or solid seeded soys. This threshold is to the end of R6.
Another bug being found in some area dry bean fields is Western Bean Cutworm. Since the peak flight of the moths was after the corn tasseled, they may have laid their eggs in dry bean fields instead. Once the eggs hatch the larva will start to feed on the pods and eventually make a home in a rolled up leaf. No one at OMAFRA or any of the dry bean growing state extension offices have come up with a reliable way to scout for the bug and thresholds. It's a gut reaction on this one whether or not you spray. The one good thing about 2012 is that the trap counts during the peak moth flight across Ontario were considerably less than last year.
Below is a picture of Western Bean Cutworm Larval feeding on Dry Beans.
Good luck with this round of bugs. If we get a swarm Locust next, I'm packing my bags and am out of here!
Enough of Spider Mites, now on to the next bug - it is 2012 you know.
There are a few Green Stink Bugs being found in area soy bean fields. Below is a picture of the nymph. The bugs pierce the pod and feed on the juices of the bean. As a result, the beans can become shriveled and deformed. Also the pierce injury is a pathway for disease to infect the seed. Control could be warranted in IP soys if there is 1 stink bug found per foot of row in 30" or .2 bugs per sweep in narrow rowed or solid seeded soys. This threshold is to the end of R6.
Another bug being found in some area dry bean fields is Western Bean Cutworm. Since the peak flight of the moths was after the corn tasseled, they may have laid their eggs in dry bean fields instead. Once the eggs hatch the larva will start to feed on the pods and eventually make a home in a rolled up leaf. No one at OMAFRA or any of the dry bean growing state extension offices have come up with a reliable way to scout for the bug and thresholds. It's a gut reaction on this one whether or not you spray. The one good thing about 2012 is that the trap counts during the peak moth flight across Ontario were considerably less than last year.
Below is a picture of Western Bean Cutworm Larval feeding on Dry Beans.
Good luck with this round of bugs. If we get a swarm Locust next, I'm packing my bags and am out of here!
Thursday, August 9, 2012
I think I had better get new glasses....
Below is what I have been looking at for three weeks now. Out standing in a field, looking at a white sheet of paper in the bright sunshine. Squinting to see what is moving around on it.
Spider Mites seem to be everywhere this year. In the soys, corn and edibles too. Nothing is more fun than walking through a corn field and realizing that the leaves that are hitting your face are covered in mites.
Anyways, enough of my complaining. As I type this, we have had a good 8 hours of rain and it looks like we should be in for another day or so of it with cooler temps. So what does this mean to the mite population? Below are a few links to articles that I found today.
The Cole's notes version: While this weather we are getting may give us some fungi help, scout your fields again on Monday.
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