Drought is the most common yield loss complaint of soybean producers, but University of Missouri research shows that in many years, the wet spots are the worst spots. According to yield mapping data, soybean yields in a field are better correlated with elevation than with factors like fertility. Farmers may need to look at varieties that can tolerate short periods of soil water logging.

Soybean varieties have been tested at various growth stages for tolerance to extended waterlogged conditions. Finding’s showed varieties that are sensitive to flooding can lose up to 80 percent of the yield under extreme conditions. The most tolerant varieties only lose about 39 percent, cutting the losses in half. One grower made nearly $40,000 just by changing varieties.

Having long been cultivated in the monsoon climates of Southeast Asia, soybeans show a greater natural tolerance for excessive water than corn or cotton. But the dramatic effect of water logging on yields complicates the situation, especially for producers who irrigate.

Over three years, hundreds of soybean varieties and lines were studied for varieties with the most tolerance to soil water logging. The most tolerant Group IV varieties were Hornbeck HBK R4920, MFA Morsoy RT 4809, NK S49-Q9, P94B13, P94B73, Southern Cross Titus, and Stine 4202.

Researchers are still looking to determine the effects of waterlogged soil on soybeans at various growth stages and on different soils to find out how long the plants can tolerate the water before yields begin to decline.

In other tests, the researchers kept the soil supersaturated for up to two weeks. They were trying to kill everything out there. After about two weeks of recovery time, most of the soybeans are dead, but some of the varieties will still make pods.

Even the most tolerant varieties suffered when exposed to sustained flooding. But some varieties could withstand up to 96 hours of flooding without significant yield loss. Non-tolerant varieties displayed dramatic yield decline after 48 hours.

For all varieties, the greatest yield loss from flooding occurred at pod-fill. Significant injury also occurred at flooding during full bloom. The plants appeared least vulnerable to flood injury during older vegetative stages. Unless the early flooding killed the young plants, they were able to recover and produce full yields.

Future investigations will include other soy varieties from Asia. There are reports of Chinese varieties that can really take flooding. It is hoped to combine those genes into current varieties.

The sources of information for this article are Grover Shannon, soybean breeder and Gene Stevens, agronomist at MU Delta Research Center in Portageville, Mo (573) 379-5431 and Jim Jarman, Agronomy Specialist (573) 642-0755.

Mid-Missouri Grazing Conference, March 4

Farmers interested in forages and livestock will hear the latest news at the Mid-Missouri Grazing Conference, Mar. 4, at the Ramada Inn in Jefferson City. Fast-paced and information-packed is a good way to describe the one-day conference, said Mark Stewart, University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist, Fulton, Mo. The conference is from 8:30 a.m. to 3:40 p.m. and includes breakout sessions, a trade show, and luncheon address by Jimmy Henning, forage specialist formerly at the University of Missouri and now at the University of Kentucky. Henning returns to speak on "Forage-Livestock Systems: Missouri’s Agriculture Future."

Participants can save $10 by pre-registering. Early registration is $25 for singles and $40 for couples. Mail checks payable to the Cole County SWDC to Ed Gillmore, 1911 Boggs Creek Rd., Jefferson City, MO 65101. The registration includes a lunch and conference proceedings. Details and a registration form are available on the Internet at: http://extension.missouri.edu/cmregion/ag/mmgc/registration.shtml

March Is Century Farm Time

To qualify as a Missouri Century Farm there are guidelines: The same family must have owned the farm for 100 years or more as of Dec. 31, 2004. 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.

A $25 fee is required to cover the cost of certificates and a farm sign. Make checks payable to Missouri Century Farms. Application forms and information are available through Extension Publications, 2800 Maguire Blvd., Columbia, MO 65211, on the web site http://extension.missouri.edu/centuryfarm, at the University of Missouri Century Farm office at (573) 882-7216 or through our local extension office (573) 642-0755. Applications must be returned by July 3, 2003. The Callaway County Extension Center has printed information and applications waiting.

Don’t Settle For Plain Old Potatoes  March 10,2004

St. Patrick’s Day, the traditional planting date for potatoes, is fast approaching. This season, instead of — or in addition to – growing the conventional white potatoes, gardeners might want to raise specialty spuds.

Different potato varieties can have different shapes, and their skin and flesh comes in a wide variety of colors. More important, they have unique flavors that make them ideal for many dishes. Restaurants and farmers’ markets are excellent places to buy or sell these potatoes.

"Fingerling type" potatoes, as their name implies, are small, round tubers that are superb for roasting and boiling. Varieties include Kipfel, La Ratte, French fingerling, Austrian Crescent, Rose Finn Apples, Purple Peruvian and Blossom.

Other potato varieties such as Red Gold, a mid-season, round potato with lightly netted red skin and yellow flesh, and Carola, a late-season round variety with yellow skin and flesh that has been a high-yielding specialty potato in other states. Desiree is an excellent red-skinned variety and Purple Viking, has purple skin and red stripes, making it an attractive potato at farmers markets. A variety called All Blue is popular not only for its taste but because it keeps its color after being cooked.

Specialty potatoes can be a pleasant surprise for those who are used to — or tired of — conventional white varieties. Many of us grew up eating "Irish" potatoes nearly every day. As exotic as it got was in the late spring when we had new potatoes. Trying some of these will be like discovering potatoes all over again.

The ideal planting date in most of Missouri is late March to early April. The soil has to be at least 45 degrees Fahrenheit and preferably loose and friable. Mulch the potatoes fairly heavily with straw or hay to keep the soil temperatures cooler. The tops can take a light frost, but not a hard freeze. Some grower's plant their potatoes under clear plastic, which is removed as soon as the sprout appear.

Because specialty potatoes are not widely grown, local seed stock is likely to be unavailable. Although many reputable dealers exist nationwide, Missouri growers recognized several sellers as reliable sources of high quality, reasonably priced seed stock including Milk Ranch Specialty Potatoes in Powderhorn, Colo., at (970) 641-5643 or http://www.milkranch.com, Johnny’s Selected Seeds in Albion, Maine, at (207) 437-4395 or http://www.johnnyseeds.com/welcome.html and Ronnigers Potato Farm in Moyie Springs, Idaho, at (208) 267-7938 or http://www.ronnigers.com. About 20 pounds of potatoes can be grown from a two-pounds of seeds. They usually start shipping seed stock about March 1.

The source of information for this article is Lewis Jett, MU extension horticulturist (573) 884-3287 and Jim Jarman, Agronomy Specialist, (573) 642-0755.

March Is Century Farm Time

To qualify as a Missouri Century Farm there are guidelines: The same family must have owned the farm for 100 years or more as of Dec. 31, 2004. 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.

A $25 fee is required to cover the cost of certificates and a farm sign. Make checks payable to Missouri Century Farms. Application forms and information are available through Extension Publications, 2800 Maguire Blvd., Columbia, MO 65211, on the web site http://extension.missouri.edu/centuryfarm, at the University of Missouri Century Farm office at (573) 882-7216 or through our local extension office (573) 642-0755. Applications must be returned by July 3, 2003. The Callaway County Extension Center has printed information and applications waiting.

Frost-Defying, Early-Blooming Annuals  March 17,2004

Gardeners who have wearied of winter’s grays and browns should consider coloring the landscape with early-blooming flowers, a University of Missouri horticulturist said. This is the ideal time to plant hardy annuals for glorious early-spring flowers. “There are many annuals that can be planted early and do fine through spring frosts.”

Pansies, despite their name, are “tough and cold tolerant, able to survive outdoors during most temperature extremes in mid-Missouri. They are ideal for March planting and are a terrific complement to bulbs before perennials start blooming.

The Cape Daisy is another flowering annual with a preference for cool temperatures. They start to bloom with daytime temperatures of about 50 degrees but slow down when summer temperatures start to rise.” Like pansies, Cape Daisies’ blooms range from white to deep purple, and variegated varieties are also available.

The snapdragon is another hardy flower that thrives on early planting and can take relatively heavy frosts. “They can be sowed early in the spring once the ground is workable, but they’re more showy if you give them a head start indoors and place the young seedlings in the ground.

If seeded outdoors in the fall, snapdragons, like pansies, survive through the milder Missouri winters and bloom profusely in the spring. And like the other cold-hardier annuals, they tend to stop blooming and die out in the warmer months. Several more heat-tolerant varieties are now available.

The sources for this article are Mary Kroening , MU extension horticulturist (573) 882-9633 and Jim Jarman, Agronomy Specialist and Master Gardener instructor (573) 642-0755.

 Restoring hardwood trees in river floodplains MU agroforestry workshop

Landowners interested in learning how to restore and manage hardwood tree species in the Missouri and Mississippi River floodplains should plan to attend a University of Missouri-sponsored workshop, April 1 in Jefferson City. Crops may occupy most of today’s bottomlands, but hardwood forests were once the dominant habitat, which is sponsoring the workshop. Establishing and maintaining trees in these flood-prone areas can be a challenge, so we wanted to offer the workshop to share our collective expertise with landowners interested in restoration.

The full-day workshop begins at 8 a.m. at the Missouri Department of Natural Resources Building, 1659 East Elm St., with presentations by experts from MU, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the U.S. Forest Service.

There will be sessions on establishment methods, vegetation control, benefits to waterfowl management, avian diversity and herbivore damage control. “Also there is information about the economics and incentives of bottomland restoration, which should include the USDA’s new Conservation Reserve Program initiative.

While there is no cost to attend the workshop, which includes a catered lunch, space is limited to the first 30 interested landowners and first 30 resource professionals. To register, contact Julie Rhoads, Center for Agroforestry events coordinator, by phone at (573) 882-3234; by fax at (573) 882-1977; or by e-mail at RhoadsJ@missouri.edu. Deadline for registration is March 23.

For more information about individual workshop sessions, contact Walter at (573) 884-7991 or WalterW@missouri.edu. Dusty is a senior research specialist with the University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry

2004 Corn Flea Beetle Predictions for Missouri.  March 24,2004

When the average Fahrenheit temperatures during December, January and February are summed, it indicates the expected survival of corn flea beetles. If that sum is lower than 90^o F, expect low flea beetle survival. Moderate or variable survival is expected for summed temperatures are between 90^o F and 100^o F. Expect good flea beetle survival if temperatures are higher than 100^o F. Temperatures vary within regions. Look at the station(s) near you for further hints on flea beetle survival. There is no good substitute for field crop scouting. Predications are made as a management guide.

Monroe County, Monroe City (Monroe City Airport)                                                              86.02o F

Dunklin County, Rhodes Memorial Research Farm (north of Clarkton)                                 116.05o F

2004 Corn Flea Beetle Predictions for Missouri

The corn flea beetle is a pest where the relative numbers can be predicted. Other pests like black cutworm and European corn borer predictions are made on the dates of occurrence. All pests need to be scouted to see their actual damage potential. The relative numbers predicted for flea beetles gives the relative urgency to scout. The occurrence timing of black cutworm and European corn borer gives an idea of when to scout. Although, Missouri’s variable weather has a way of spoiling insect predictions as seen in 2003. Last year, central and northern regions had significant flea beetle infestations where average winter temperatures suggested their numbers should have been at least variable to low.

Adult corn flea beetles over winter in grassy areas. When winter temperatures average significantly lower than freezing (average temperature below 30^oF per month), poor flea beetle survival is indicated and few early season flea beetle problems should occur. High flea beetle numbers and damage are most likely to occur following a warm winter (averages above 33^oF per month). When a cool wet spring, which slows or stops corn seedling growth, is combined with higher flea beetle numbers, feeding damage can occur on the seedling corn leaves for a relatively long time.

Typical flea beetle damage is a silvering and even death of the leaves. The economic threshold for flea beetles attacking seedling corn is 5 or more per plant with significant feeding when the plants are under cool weather stress. Flea beetle feeding may also transmit steward’s wilt, a bacterial disease of corn, although current corn hybrids are resistant.

This year the southern 1/3 of Missouri had combined average winter temperatures of 108^o F. The south central area had a combined average temperature of 93^o F. Central Missouri's average daily winter temperatures were 90^o F. The Northern Missouri combined average monthly temperatures were 86^o F. These temperatures are very near to last year’s temperatures. The table with the temperatures and locations of MU’s Commercial Agriculture weather stations is on the Callaway County Extension Web page at: http://extension.missouri.edu/callaway/jarman-news/index.html.

Flea beetle numbers will likely be high during the time field corn is emerging over the southern 1/3 of Missouri. Fields in Central Missouri may have moderate flea beetle infestations. Cornfields in northern Missouri will probably have corn flea beetle numbers.

An additional factor is the temperature during and just after corn emergence. If warm weather continues from emergence through the early growth stages, even high flea beetle numbers are unlikely to cause economic damage. Rapid early growth outpaces the feeding damage caused by corn flea beetles.

Even if your area is not expected to have high flea beetle numbers, it is a good idea to scout seedling corn for early insect, disease and weed problems. If you don’t look, you won’t know.

Jim Jarman, Central Missouri Region Agronomy Specialist, 573-642-0755 or email at jarmaj@ext.missouri.edu.

'Baleage' An Alternative To Traditional Silage  March 31, 2004

Making big round bale silage by rapping high-moisture forage in plastic is becoming an increasingly popular choice among producers. When properly done, the hay bale goes through fermentation and produces a silage product. This is often called 'Baleage.'

The advantage of silage and Baleage over traditional hay is harvesting and storing forage at higher moisture contents. This limits harvest losses from mechanical handling but also reduces the number of hours of field curing by 50 percent or more. This is especially important in spring, when we often have wet weather interfering with hay curing.

Baleage requires less investment than silage. Traditional silage systems, with chopping equipment and a silo can cost more than $250,000; a bale wrapper added to existing hay equipment is an additional $8,000 to $25,000. Baleage is also more marketable than silage, especially if the bales are individually wrapped.

The two most popular types of Baleage machinery are platform wrappers and in-line wrappers. Platform wrappers wrap individual bales, while in-line wrappers place the bales end-to-end and simply wrap the outside of the bales. You have to manually cover the ends of the first and last bale when you use an in-line wrapper. Platform wrappers are less expensive than in-line models. Bales can be fed to livestock at any rate needed, and they can be marketed easily.

More plastic is required for platform balers, and it takes more time to wrap each bale. An in-line wrapper uses less than half as much plastic and requires less labor per bale. But those bales are less marketable to distant customers, and once the tube is opened, the bales need to be fed at a fairly constant rate. 

Some tips for making Baleage.

• First, moisture content should be between 50 and 60 percent. If the moisture content falls below 45 percent, it is much harder to make good Baleage because the enzymes needed for fermenting are far less active.
• A dense, tight bale is necessary to exclude as much oxygen as possible, and bales should be wrapped as soon as possible after baling. Waiting more than 24 hours to wrap bales retards the ensiling process.
• Bales should be wrapped with at least four layers of good quality, 1-mm, sunlight-resistant plastic. Use natural fiber or plastic twine to tie them, not treated sisal twine.
• Store your bales on a well-drained site, and patch any holes promptly, preferably using UV unprotected plastic tape. Although, duct tape works in a pinch.
• Some balers are designed especially to handle high moisture forages. If in doubt, check with the manufacture of your baler to see if it is compatible baling high moisture forage.

The source of information for this article is Assistant Professor of Agronomy Rob Kallenbach, a University of Missouri forage specialist (573) 882-2001 and Jim Jarman, Agronomy Specialist (573) 642-0755.

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