January Articles

Missouri Master Gardener Program

January 31, 2001

The mission of the Missouri Master Gardener program is: "Helping Others Learn to Grow". As part of the outreach efforts of University of Missouri Extension (UOE), Master Gardeners involve people in improving the quality of life, and enhancing the economy and environment through horticultural education, applied research and the resources of the University of Missouri and Lincoln University.

Callaway County will be holding Master Gardener training beginning March 5, 2001 at the Callaway County Extension Center. Anyone interested in attending to become a Master Gardener should contact the Extension Center for more information on the series of training programs. We currently have 22 Master Gardeners from Callaway County. All of them were trained in sessions outside the county. Now we have the opportunity to have home trained Master Gardeners. The sessions will cover topics like plant growth, garden soils and fertility, herbaceous ornamentals, vegetables, pest control and pesticide safety, landscape design, turf, woody ornamentals, insect identification, low maintenance gardening, fruits, and berries.

The Master Gardener concept began more than 25 years ago in Washington State in response to intense interest in-home gardening and numerous horticultural requests to county extension offices. The idea was to involve horticulture extension faculty in training knowledgeable gardeners to assist in delivering home gardening information to friends, neighbors, and the public. From that first Seattle class in 1972, Master Gardeners has spread to every state and several Canadian provinces.

The Missouri Master Gardener program began in St. Louis in 1983. The program was offered jointly by the University of Missouri and the Missouri Botanical Garden. This unique partnership continues today. St. Louis Master Gardeners are vital to staffing the Kemper Center for Home Gardening at the Missouri Botanical Garden. They also serve with outreach functions outside the garden gates. Other metropolitan areas soon followed with Master Gardener programs in Kansas City and Springfield. UOE and local Extension Centers wholly sponsored these additional programs. Since then, there has been a steady increase in both numbers and locations where Master Gardener training is offered. Currently, over 1,600 active Master Gardeners serve as UOE volunteers in more than 93 counties around the state. The number of volunteer hours put in by Master Gardeners in the year 1999 totaled 77,386 hours of service valued at well over a million dollars.

In 1995, the State Master Gardener Advisory Board was formed. Two Master Gardener representatives from each Extension region of the state, along with four staff members provide guidance and direction to statewide programs. The mission of the Missouri State Master Gardener Advisory Board is "To unify and strengthen the Missouri Master Gardener program". Jefferson City will host the annual Master Gardener Conference this year. The state conference serves as an opportunity for Master Gardeners to receive advanced level training in conference workshops. It's also a time for them to share program successes and management strategies.

For more information on the Master Gardener program contact your local Extension Center or see the Master Gardener web page at: http://extension.missouri.edu/mg/ . The Callaway Extension Center may be contacted at 573-642-0755 or at: http://extension.missouri.edu/callaway/ .

  The 77th Annual Callaway County Soils & Crops Conference

January 24, 2001                    

The 77th Annual Callaway County Soils & Crops Conference will be held on Thursday, January 25, 2001 at the Callaway Extension Center located in the Callaway County Courthouse Annex 1/4 mile west of Highway 54 off State Highway F, on County Road 302, just off Airport Drive (County Road 304). Registration for the conference will begin at 9:00 a.m. with coffee and doughnuts provided by Farm Credit Service and local agricultural chemical company representatives.

The main program will begin at 9:30 with a welcome from Rodney Garnett, the Callaway County Soils & Crops Conference chairman for the year 2001. Halan Palm from the University of Missouri's Precision Agriculture Center will speak on "Zone Management", a new and easier method to implement precision agriculture practices. The first of two panels will discuss alternative crops being planted in Callaway County and central Missouri. Two local farmers, Linus Rothermich and Fred Atkinson, and Rob Meyer from the Jefferson (alternative crops) Institute will be sitting on the panel. Questions and discussion from the audience, especially other alternative crop growers, is welcome and will be encouraged. Gary Linnenbringer will give a few remarks on his aerial seeding of wheat grant and project. Extension Forage Specialist Craig Roberts will speak on new cool season forage research and its application for feeding cattle in the future. Soybean disease problems during the past growing season will be the topic of discussion for Laura Sweets from the Plant Pathology Department at the University of Missouri. Show-Me-Select Heifer Program committee member, Robert Craghead will present information on the success of this project in Callaway County.

After lunch, the second panel will discuss equipment leasing versus purchasing. Representatives from the major, local equipment suppliers, John Deere, Case/IH, New Holland and Production Credit will speak. Again, questions and discussion are encouraged. Bill Wiebold, the "Soy Doc", will talk about variety and hybrid selection for the coming season. The information will be based on testing that is done next to Callaway County and other locations around the state. USDA-FSA representative, Darrell Campbell, will give an update on federal programs to support local farmers. The final presentation will be on the new and possibly major insect pest of soybeans found here at the end of the last growing season. The soybean aphids potential for damage, identification, and control will be presented by Jim Jarman.

The Callaway County Soils and Crops Conference committee officers are Rodney Garnett, Chairman; Harlan Borman, Vice-Chairman; Marion Gentry, Secretary; and Shea Gentzsch, Registrar. All the members of the committee and staff of the Callaway County Extension Center hope to see you on Thursday.

Other agriculture educational program news includes a postponement of the Audrain County Soils and Crops Conference. Typically, this conference follows Callaway's the day after on Friday. Scheduling conflicts have set their conference back to March 1, 2001. This will be an evening meeting versus our morning/afternoon program. Watch for further information. Speakers will talk on the hazards associated with abandoned methamphetamine labs and anhydrous ammonia theft, soybean diseases, variety selection, and precision agriculture. Other meetings are planned for February including Private Pesticide Applicator Training in Callaway, Audrain, Cole, and Osage Counties. If you need a license to purchase and apply restricted use pesticides, contact your local Extension center for the time and location. An Ag Connection Newsletter conference will be held on February 20 at the North Callaway High School. Topics there will include tax issues, farm management, forage and livestock, and pest management. The Missouri Soybean Association will have its annual district meeting in Cole County on March 19 at Veits Restaurant.

More information on these and other future programs, contact the Callaway County Extension Center at 573-642-0755 or http://extension.missouri.edu/callaway/ .

Farmers - Short Of Hay - Shop the Internet at Agebb

January 17, 2001

Many livestock farmers, particularly in Southwest Missouri, are running out of hay this winter. They were plagued by drought last summer and severe weather this winter. But, hay is available on the Internet through the Agricultural Electronic Bulletin Board at the University of Missouri-Columbia. On the other hand, if you have hay for sale, a listing on AgEBB may help your marketing. There are currently more than 200 listings of hay for sale. Because of the demand, we're seeking more sellers. Hay owners with a computer and Internet connection can list their hay for sale directly to the website at http://agebb.missouri.edu/haylst/index.htm . Anyone without a web connection or who wants help can contact the local University of Missouri Extension Center for assistance in listing their hay or requesting information on hay available for sale. Producers can also call the Missouri Department of Agriculture's Hay Hotline at 1-800-877-4HAY.

The hay list has the flexibility of a search option. Buyers can select the region, hay type wanted and the bale type preferred. Or a buyer can look at listings of all types of hay and bales from all across the state. First is the offering of an index listing of what is available. Then, a detailed listing can be selected on any entries meeting the buyers needs. All dealings are directly between the buyer and the seller. The AgEBB simply provides the connection.

Hay listings give type of hay, type of bale, and information on forage test results when available. There is also a notes section, which includes information such as "price per bale/ton", "first cutting", "can deliver" or "don't call before 6 a.m."

The source for this article is John Travlos, director of the AgEBB for the extension Commercial Agriculture Program (573) 882-7369, Jim Jarman, Agronomy Specialist (573-642-0755).

Tis the season for grower meetings. The 77th Annual Callaway County Soils & Crops Conference is January 25, 2001 at the local University of Missouri Extension Center beginning at 9:30 Thursday morning. Audrain County is having their 76th Annual Soils & Crops Conference that evening at the 4-H Center at the fairgrounds south of Mexico. These two conferences are coordinated during the day and evening to provide information to the largest number of individuals.

Red Imported Fire Ant Makes First Appearance In Missouri

January 10, 2001

Missouri this year experienced what might be the first wave of an unwelcome new immigrant: the red imported fire ant (RIFA). A mound built by this aggressive stinging insect was discovered in a St. Louis-area residential neighborhood last summer, probably brought in with a hibiscus plant shipped from Florida. People don't understand how serious an issue these fire ants can cause. They definitely impact biodiversity.

Not only do they displace native ants and other insect species, but they also pose a danger to ground-nesting birds such as quail. The chicks are helpless when they're small. Although the effect of the fire ant bite on humans is "mainly discomfort". They can sting repeatedly, cause immediate burning and itching sensations, followed by swelling and then white pustules form in a day or two. That's why they are called "fire" ants. The stung areas should be protected since they are easily infected and may leave scars. Some people could have severe allergic reactions to the bites. These people should get immediate medical attention as with any reaction to an insect bite or sting. 

In places where they have become established, such as Dallas, Texas, the ants also have economic impacts. They can infiltrate electronic circuit boxes and chew up the insulating casing on wires, for example, or damage expansion joints of bridges. Texas has also reported RIFAs injuring fawns because they instinctually lay motionless.

The South American native has established itself throughout the southeastern United States and as far north as northeast Arkansas (as reported by the Missouri Department of Agriculture). It has been adapting to colder temperatures. Initially, years ago, people thought there was no way they would survive this far north. But they are already in areas where it was predicted they would be unable to survive. Mild winters would tend to encourage survivability. The type of winter we are experiencing so far would seem to indicate we will get a pretty good test this year. Although, constant cold and an insulating snow cover are easier on hibernating insects than temperature variations between freezing and thawing.

The most common method of fire ant migration is through imported plants. Individual homeowners who buy a plant somewhere and bring it back to plant in their yard. It can also travel in hay bales and other organic matter. RIFA been a real problem in some urban areas, but it will establish itself in agricultural areas just as easily. If the Bootheel was not so heavily tilled every spring, it would definitely be a place where they could become established. The mounds can take a toll on farm equipment, and the ants' bites can injure calves, harm other livestock, and milk production.

The Bootheel is warm enough to sustain a red fire ant population. That is the area of the state where it is anticipate they would be able to survive and establish. They like the lighter soils. The heavy clay soils are not as desirable for their mound building nests.

On the plus side, the red imported fire ant is an aggressive predator that can knock down populations of harmful insects like ticks. You won't find many ticks where they get established. But that may not be such a good trade. Anyone who suspects they have seen a fire ant mound should contact their local University of Missouri Extension center or the Missouri Department Agriculture so they can treat and eradicate any infestations that they find. RIFA are medium sized, reddish to dark brown ants that build soft mounds that are rarely larger than 18 inches in diameter. They can vary in size from 1/8 to 1/4 inch long. Their aggressive behavior and stings that turn to pustules are, unfortunately, the reliable identifying characteristics for the non-scientist.

The information source for this article is from Richard Houseman, University of Missouri Assistant Professor and urban entomologist (573) 882-7181and Mike Brown, of the Missouri Department of Agriculture (573) 751-5507, and Jim Jarman, Agronomy Specialist, Callaway County Extension (573) 642-0755.

Alien Pest Invaders, My List

January 3, 2001 

It's my turn to compare the alien pests threatening our state. I do want to say that a year can bring totally new players into view. The potentially most serious invader from out of nowhere is the Chinese soybean aphid or just the soybean aphid. It has caused large economic losses in other countries shortly after appearing. The others not on my list such as bacterial leaf scorch, foliar nematodes, Japanese hops, and Sericea lespedeza do have significant potential for causing injury, if only in small areas or crops. Several of these pests have been subjects of past articles in this newspaper. The rest are possibilities for future articles.

Now it is my turn to talk about some pests that I have "highlighted" but were missed in last weeks' article. Okay, some are wildlife pests but they impact everyone and do have agricultural and horticultural significance.

Zebra mussels have invaded recently and should present big problems for farmers irrigating out of lakes, streams, or rivers as well as for fish farmers.

A pest with as great or greater potential as the zebra mussel is the spiny water flea. The other potential aquatic pests are the Cercopagis pengoi (similar to the spiny water flea), round goby, ruffe (both fish), purple loosestrife, and hydrilla (considered one of the world's worst weeds).

Armadillos are a pest moving northward in Missouri. I ran into them in Arkansas in the late 1970s as it moved through the center of that state. It can cause problems in gardens and cattlemen certainly don't need anything else digging holes in their pastures.

Some pest weeds and diseases that I feel were missed include tropical soda apple (a.k.a. the weed from hell) and wooly cupgrass and the diseases Karnal bunt of wheat (it may have been found in southern Missouri) and sorghum ergot.

The insect pests that are in or threatening us are Russian wheat aphids (found in Kansas), European hornet (found in Callaway County), the small hive beetle (a pest of honeybees), and Zimmerman's pitch beetle (a pest of long needled pines).

Not to just focus on the bad, there are several good insects that have come into our state recently. These include the seven spotted lady beetle, Asian multicolored lady beetle (some may consider this a pest), two beetle parasites of the noxious musk thistle, and several introduced parasites of the alfalfa weevil.

The United States Department of Agriculture-Animal, Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) keeps an extensively long list of potential exotic pests. With all the people and things that come in and go out of the country every day it is amazing that more pests have not entered.

So, out of the two programs I don't think that pests like the soybean aphid, Japanese hops, and bacterial leaf scorch should count against me since they just appeared without much warning. Insects are my favorite group so I did not miss any of them. The two remaining missed pests are Sericea lespedeza and foliar nematodes. I think that cutleaf teasel is more important that Sericea lespedeza as a roadside and pasture invading weed around here. Only time will tell that one. The bacterial leaf scorch was in the information that I just missed. I can only refer to the saying someone wrote about reserving the right to be smarter today than I was yesterday.

For more information on these or other pests contact Jim Jarman, Agronomy Specialist (573) 642-0755, at the Callaway County Extension Center.

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	Jim Jarman, jarmanj@missouri.edu Agronomy Specialist, (573) 642-0755 Site maintained by: Jen Pauley, pauleyj@missouri.edu Last update: 04/27/06