March Articles

MU weed control book lists herbicide guidelines for 2002 field crops

March 20, 2002

Updated weed controls for this crop year are now available from the University of Missouri.

The "Weed Control Guide for Missouri Field Crops" contains 110 pages of herbicide recommendations including rates, timing, methods and precautions. Andy Kendig and Bill Johnson, MU state extension weed specialists, wrote the manual. Kendig is located at the MU Delta Center at Portageville, Mo., and Johnson is on the Columbia campus.

The book includes new herbicides approved for use this year. Most guidelines for use are based on test plot comparisons in Missouri. Chemicals that do not perform well in the state are not included. A great feature is the tables that rate the performance of herbicides against problem weeds in each crop.

To be included, herbicides are first tested for three years in the state. MU has extensive weed control plots at Delta Center, Agronomy Research Center at Bradford Farm, Columbia; Hundley-Whaley Farm, Albany, Mo., and Greenley Center, Novelty, Mo., All of the farms are part of the MU Agricultural Experiment Station.

Crops covered include soybeans, corn, grain sorghum, small grains, cotton and rice. In the guide, under each crop, is the trade name and formulation, material per acre, active ingredient rate, tank-mix partners, application method and precautions. Among the precautions are limits on replant timing, grazing restrictions and preharvest time limits.

While the manual is quite detailed, not all information can be summarized in one book. The herbicide label should always be your final guide to use.

The emphasis in the book is on herbicides, but the authors note that these are only part of a total weed control plan. Tillage, including a rotary hoe, can make weed control more effective.

The book also contains instructions on sprayer calibration for efficient and effective use of control materials. Accurate calibration is essential. Most people do not calibrate often enough. Be sure to check the individual nozzles as well as output of from the whole sprayer.

The first step in weed control is proper weed identification, Johnson said. Other new manuals include illustrated guides to weed identification. One of these is the just released "Noxious Weeds of Missouri," IPM 1014, one in a series of Integrated Pest Management booklets.

A companion manual to MP575 is MP581, “Weed and Brush Control Guide” for forages, pastures and non-cropland. These books are available through local University of Missouri Extension Centers. The weed control guide, MP575, costs $7.50 plus shipping and the weed and brush control guide, MP581, costs $5.00 plus shipping from MU extension publications office at 1-800-292-0969.

MU offers numerous guide sheets containing weed control and scouting recommendations for individual crops. Those are also available at extension centers or online at XPLOR at http://extension.missouri.edu/explore/

The source for information in this article are Bill Johnson, Assistant Professor Of Agronomy at the University of Missouri, (573) 882-0619; and Andy Kendig, Extension Assistant Professor of Agronomy at the Delta Center, Portageville (573) 379-5875. 

A HERBICIDE FYI – If anyone still has carryover supplies of Bladex and or Extrazine which contain cyanazine, this is the last year it can be used legally. The “phase out” which began in 1997 ends this year. The maximum legal rate for 2002 is 1.0 pounds of active ingredient per acre. Clean out your storerooms while you can still legally apply this to the land.  

Warm winter may spell banner year for insects

March 13, 2002

The question is asked every winter after a cold spell. Will it kill the bugs? It is too bad, but the freeze that struck much of Missouri in early March probably will not put a real dent in insect pest numbers.

"I think the numbers will be higher because it's been such a warm winter," Wayne Bailey, University of Missouri Entomologist said. "We're expecting some major problems with insects."

Bailey anticipates problems in corn with flea beetle and the southern corn leaf beetle, as well as high numbers of alfalfa weevils and other crop pests. The monthly temperature averages in November and December 2001 and in January and February 2002 were far higher than usual, he noted.

High and low temperatures during December, January, and February are averaged for corn flea beetle predictions. If the average temperatures are about 30 degrees per month or lower for a total of 90 degrees or less, then flea beetles problems are few. If the total average for those three months is above 100, then flea beetle numbers will not have been lowered. Central Missouri winter temperatures averaged well above 100. The two closest stations in Auxvasse and UMC South Farm averaged above 110 degrees. So we should get ready for corn flea beetles.

MU climatologist Pat Guinan said this winter "will definitely be in the top 10" warmest winters on record in Missouri since 1895. "All the numbers aren't in yet. It'll probably be sixth or seventh. "If cold temperatures hold bugs at bay, we really haven't had that," he said.

Guinan pointed out that five of the last six Missouri winters have been warmer than normal. This year also has seen below-average snowfall in much of the state. "We're running at about 50 percent of normal."

But whenever a severe cold front arrived this winter, "we've had snow cover," Bailey said. "If we didn't have the snow cover, the temperature fluctuations could have had a serious effect. There would've been more impact because the ground would've cooled down too.

"But if they're down on the ground, under a blanket of snow, cold temperatures probably aren't going to hurt them that much," he said. Snow is good insulation.

Some insects might have been fooled by warm February temperatures and come out early. “If the insects started to come out, their natural antifreeze sort of burns out" and they're defenseless against a late-season cold snap," Bailey said.

"I would still expect the ticks and chiggers to be pretty mean next year."

The sources for this article are Wayne Bailey, University of Missouri Entomologist (573) 882-2838; Pat Guinan, University of Missouri Entomologist climatologist (573) 882-5908; and Jim Jarman, Agronomy Specialist, (573)642-0755.

The University of Missouri in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Agriculture have published an full color guide to the "Noxious Weeds of Missouri". It is the first illustrated guide that concentrates on weeds officially designated as noxious by the Missouri General Assembly.

In Missouri, noxious weeds are: Johnson grass, musk thistle, Canada thistle, Scotch thistle, field bindweed, purple loosestrife, wild hemp, cutleaf teasel, common teasel and kudzu. The last three weeds were just added during the summer of 2001.

Welcome additions to this booklet are the control recommendations from Bill Johnson, MU weed scientist. Other authors include Fred Fishel, director of the MU Integrated Pest Management Program; James Williams, Missouri Department of Agriculture; and Gary Hoette, Agronomy Specialist in Montgomery County. To order "Noxious Weeds of Missouri," publication IPM 1014, call 1-800-292-0969 or contact you local Extension Center.

More information on Bluegills and other issues

March 6, 2002

Last weeks news article stirred up some questions that only Rob Hayward could answer. He told me all the research has been in the laboratory in research tanks. The best performing feeding schedule to stimulate compensatory growth in bluegills was no feed for 2 days and full feed for 6 days. The best food for bluegills and hybrid sunfish is floating trout chow. The sunfish (bluebills and hybrids) grow better on high protein feeds like trout chow. Rob and his coworkers think this can be used in ponds and lakes but there is no research to back that up. Getting the fish used to a bagged food often necessary. Often, fingerlings bought from a producer are feed-trained. Young fish train to bagged feed better than older fish.

“Bluegills and hybrids, of course, grow slower in ponds than in recirculating tanks where favorable growth temperatures are available year round”, Robert said. “For ponds, I currently recommend using hybrids as they tend to grow faster in ponds.” “For recirculating tanks, bluegills actually grow faster.” “We know why but it’s a bit involved--one of the marvels of science.” “Hybrids should reach food-market size of a half pound in ponds in about 2.5 years of growing if proper feed and feeding techniques are used, and good water quality is maintained.” He also said, “our studies indicate that 3 feedings per day is best. In recirculating tanks, bluegills reach food market weight in 18 months!”

Competition from other fish would be a problem in ponds and lakes. There is no information but they are about to working on that. The recommendation for only hybrids in a pond is 12,000 young fish (2 to 3 inches long) per acre. 

Again, the source information in this article is Robert Hayward, MU associate professor of fisheries and wildlife, (573) 882-2353 haywardr@missouri.edu. This article was written by Jim Jarman, Agronomy Specialist, (573)642-0755 from the Callaway County Extension Center. 

Missouri Department of Natural Resources will host four public meetings and a public hearing to discuss a proposed Groundwater Remediation Rule. The intent of the new rule is two-fold: protecting groundwater resources and encouraging the cleanup and redevelopment of sites with contaminated groundwater. The rule would allow the use of risk-based clean-up standards.

The nearest meeting is in Columbia, on March 11, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Ramada Inn, Salon A and B, 1100 Vandiver Drive. Then the rule will be presented to the Missouri Clean Water Commission March 19 in Jefferson City at 9 a.m. in the Capital Plaza Hotel, 415 West McCarty St., Jefferson City. The commission will accept public comments at the hearing and accept written comments through April 2. To submit comments, or for more information, contact John Madras, Department of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 176, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0176 or telephone 1-800-361-4827 or (573) 751-6892.

Each March is the start for Century Farms applications. To qualify as a Missouri Century Farm, farms must meet the following guidelines: The same family must have owned the farm for 100 years or more as of Dec. 31, 2002. The family shall consist of direct descendants only. The farm must be at least 40 acres of the original land and must make a financial contribution to the overall farm income. Forty one Century Farms have been recognized in Callaway County of the since the program began in 1976.

Application forms and information are available through Extension Publications, 2800 Maguire Blvd., Columbia, MO 65211, through your local extension office, on the web site http://extension.missouri.edu/centuryfarm or call the University of Missouri Century Farm office at (573) 882-7216. 

A $25 fee is required to cover the cost of certificates and farm signs for approved applicants. Make checks payable to Missouri Century Farms and submit a completed application. If more than one sign is requested, include an additional $10 for each additional sign. Applications must be returned by July 5, 2002. Past Century Farms can get a new sign for $15. 

Anyone who is more comfortable reading information in Spanish needs to check the Callaway County Extension web page under Jarman’s News. Mirror Spanish/English information on Integrated Pest Management (IPM) or Manejo Integrado de Plagas (MIP) can be found at: http://extension.missouri.edu/callaway/agriculture.shtml.

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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