Mississippi County

September 19 - 30

Dr. Allen Wrather, Pathologist, University of Missouri Delta Center:

Wheat seed intended for planting this fall can be protected from some diseases with a fungicide seed treatment. Fungicides can be applied to seed in the hopper box or by a commercial treater. However, commercially treated seeds have a more uniform coating of fungicide than hopper-box treated seeds, and, as a result, the seeds and resulting seedlings are better protected from diseases. Contact a local commercial seed treater about fungicide options.
Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is the worst pest of soybeans in the United States, and the situation isn't getting any better. This pest is causing lots of damage to soybean in Missouri. These losses occur because soybean farmers forget to plant varieties resistant to the type nematode in their fields. Some high yielding SCN resistant varieties of soybeans are available, but most are only resistant to one or two races of this nematode. Also, SCN seems able to overcome resistant varieties after a few seasons. Our soybean breeders are doing a terrific job of developing new SCN resistant soybean varieties. Information about soybean variety resistance to this pest is available in the Characteristics of Soybean Varieties portion of the 2004 Missouri Soybean Crop Performance Book.  The first step toward protecting soybean against SCN is to test the soil for its presence. Soybean growers should take this test and then take steps to beat this pest. For more information about SCN management contact your regional extension office or view Soybean Cyst Nematode at Plant Health website or Soybean Cyst Nematode: Diagnosis and Management guide sheet located on the MU website.

Anthony Ohmes, University Extension:

Corn harvest is coming to a close. Temporary storage is a subject I have not been directly asked this season, however, I have heard of corn being stored temporarily in non-traditional storage units. There is information available on management of temporary storage which outline steps prior to and during storage. Remember the purpose of any storage unit is to protect grain quality from moisture, pests, and microorganisms. Check stored grain frequently for heating, sweating, moisture accumulation and general condition of grain. Aeration is necessary to minimize mold growth, limit moisture migration and reduce insect damage.
Soybean harvest is slowly picking up. Cooler, wet, foggy weather over the past weeks have produced an increase in late infections of Septoria, Cercospora leaf blight, pod and stem blights, however, past the R6 stage these infections are not significant. Root knot nematode (RKN) symptoms are also appearing in areas. Now is the time to identify RKN problems in the field. Shortly after soybean harvest, roots deteriorate and identifying galls or knots is more difficult. It could be another year of green stalks and dry beans. I don't have a good explanation to why this happens. However, if this a entire field problem which hinders harvest there is a harvest aid option which could help. Contact your local extension office for more information on these issues.
To follow Dr. Wrather's comments on SCN. Earlier this month I sent a soil sample off for a Soybean Cyst Nematode (SCN) egg count. The egg count came back 6X higher than the upper threshold. I have seen this before and it usually indicates a shift in the species or race of SCN. SCN is considered a silent yield robber because many times the above ground symptoms are unnoticeable or minor. If SCN is associated with your field(s) and SCN resistant varieties with same SCN race resistance have been used for a number of years, consider submitting a soil sample for an egg count. As technology improves, there are options becoming available to manage SCN race shifts.
I have provided some wheat planting tips in the previous report.
Corn and soybean meetings have been scheduled for December 9th and January 13th, respectively.
 

September 6 - 16

The end of the corn and soybean season is approaching as well as the beginning of wheat season. For the rough start and mid-season, corn harvest has been better than expected. Some late season stalk rots are becoming apparent in some fields where corn is down. Stalk rots are caused by various fungi and bacteria. Some affect nodes and some affect internodes. Stress during grain fill is usually one cause for increased problems. Southwestern corn borer damage has also been apparent in fields this harvest season. In your non-Bt areas, monitoring with southwestern bucket traps is a good management tool. The final corn management stage is post harvest especially dealing with moisture and storage. Bill Casady, Ag Engineer, addresses storage management in the latest IPM newsletter which is linked below.
http://ipm.missouri.edu/ipcm/index.htm - IPM Newsletter

Wheat season is here. Variety trials from MU and surrounding states are available. There many management considerations for high yielding wheat.
1) Consider the quality of the wheat seed you select. If you plan to use saved seed be sure it is properly cleaned. Cleaning the seed will remove small and/or shrunken kernels, which may be infected by seed-borne pathogens. You may also want to consider a fungicide seed treatment. It is also recommended to have a germination test done. Knowing the germination rate will allow for accurate seeding rates. Typically, wheat with a germination below 80% should be avoided. Seed quality also includes seed size based on thousand kernel weight (TKW). If possible select a seed with a TKW of 30 grams or higher because these seeds tend to have increased fall tiller number and seedling vigor.
2) Consider disease package. Powdery mildew and septoria leaf blotch are common diseases. Stripe rust has become more prevalent and can infect the plant relatively early as witnessed this past season.
3) Consider location, wheat yield potential is only as good as the soil's potential. Wheat does not tolerate wet feet, therefore select well drained fields and improve drainage in wet spots. Soil fertility should be maintained. Phosphorus is essential for good fall and early spring growth. Target P level for wheat is 45 lb P/Acre. If unsure of your soil nutrient levels consider having your soil tested.
4) Optimum planting date can be a challenge and is dictated by weather and harvest of previous crop. With this in mind, The University of Kentucky recommends a planting date period of October 10 through October 30 for Kentucky. The University of Missouri’s optimal planting date is based on Hessian fly free date which is October 14. As indicated by this past season, a single date is only a suggestion since Hessian fly damage was found on wheat planted on October 20. There are other good reasons to follow the planting dates besides Hessian fly. Wheat planted prior to this date is also at increased risk of yield loss associated with aphid feeding, barley yellow dwarf virus as well as excessive fall growth which increases the risk of spring freeze injury. Another date to consider is the average first frost which for Mississippi County is approximately October 30. Although wheat will germinate in soil temperatures as low as 40 degrees, planting later than November 1 increases the risk of poor fall tiller development, winter injury, and heaving.
5) An optimal final fall stand should be approximately 35 plants per square foot. To obtain an optimal stand, base seeding rate on seeds per acre which should be between 1.3 to 1.5 million seeds per acre. Ideal seed placement is between 1 and 1.5 inches deep when soil moisture is adequate.
6) Scouting will help. The earlier the better, at least by 30 days after emergence begin scouting for aphids and weed emergence. Aphid thresholds on young wheat are very low. Kentucky's threshold recommendation for yield reducing aphids (greenbug, bird cherry-oat, and English grain) is 3/ft by 30 days after emergence (DAE) and 6/ft 30-60 DAE. Ryegrass was much more apparent this spring. Ryegrass control is in the fall. If not treating an entire field, a border application should be considered.

Dr. Hershman addresses stripe rust in a recent issue of Kentucky Pest News.
 

August 29 - September 2

Anthony Ohmes, Mississippi County Extension

Big news for last week was Hurricane Katrina. Katrina, which dealt a devastating blow to the Gulf Coast, brought rain and some wind to Southeast Missouri. Currently there has been no rust detected north of Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. There were questions about Katrina's affect on rust development in other states. Yes, it is likely that this storm sent spores into the air, which blew northward. However, currently there is still a very low threat of rust developing in this part of the U.S. because of the low level of inoculum in the southeast.

It is also safe to say, the early planted soybeans I have been looking at are well past the rust threat stage. All Group 3 and 4 soybeans are at R6+ as well as Group 5 soybeans are at R6 or will be within the week. Late planted wheat field beans are also very far along, most at R5+ to R6. The latest planted soybeans, following potatoes, are still early in development with the biggest threat being an early frost.

Efforts to monitor soybeans continue and will continue. Other pest outbreaks that occurred last week and should be monitored for this week are late season insect feeding on late soybeans. Green clover worms continued to eat on some areas. Remember, 20% defoliation with presence of 10 worms per foot is threshold. Revenge applications do not work, so make sure you have worms still present. I also found some podworms feeding in late planted potato field soybeans. Threshold is 1 corn earworm(podworm) per row. Stink bugs are also present and working on some fields. Stink bugs can affect the quality of the soybeans in R6 stage. Threshold is 12 bugs in 25 sweeps.

Corn harvest is underway. The excessive stresses all season from cool wet conditions early to hot dry conditions through flowering have taken there toll on corn yield potential. Efficient utilization of corn nitrogen may be a question as you harvest a field. There is a Nitrate test that can be done on the lower portion of the stalk. I talked with Peter Scharf, Crop Fertility Specialist - UMC, on this subject to which he emailed this reply: "Stalk nitrate samples might be about the easiest way to figure out whether fields have leftover N (and they probably do). However, it will not help with assessing the amount of leftover N. For wheat, there is little need for fall N fertilizer to start with (except on really sandy soils), and probably less than ever this year. So the amount of leftover N may not be critical. Assessing the N still available to the wheat in the spring may be more useful. There is a tissue N test that is pretty good for predicting how much N to apply, but it needs to be taken just before jointing, so lab turnaround needs to be quick. And even so it creates a narrow window for topdressing."

Final note: Weed and herbicide clinic will be next week, Sept. 13 at the Delta Center, contact Andy Kendig (kendigj@missouri.edu/379-5431) to register.

Brian Ottis, Rice Specialist - UM-Delta Center

Just a reminder about draining rice fields. On silt loam soils, fields should be drained when ¾ of the panicle has turned a straw color in an average area of the field. On heavier soils, fields should be drained when ½ of the panicle is straw colored in an average area of the field. I’ve seen many fields this week that should have been drained and haven’t. This practice can delay harvest, which can reduce milling quality.

David Reinbott, Ag Business Specialist
Grain Marketing Commentary 
September 2, 2005
Corn – 
Private crop estimates are looking for an increase in this year’s corn crop from the August estimate of 10.35 billion bushels. Most estimates are in the 10.5 to 10.4 billion bushel range. This will be bearish to prices since it was felt that after the August Crop Report the corn crop would get smaller instead of larger. If the September 12 report confirms this larger crop, we will probably continue to see lower prices.

The December contract has support at $2.15 and resistance at the price gap at $2.30. If $2.15 is broken, the next support levels from the weekly continuation charts are $1.90 - $1.95.

With the problems at the gulf and a seasonally weaker basis through October, LDP’s should continue to get larger. The farmer with storage will have an opportunity to capture the LDP, a rebound in basis in December and January, and the carry in the futures market. The basis on Friday was 55 under the December or 67 under the March. The seasonal trend for corn basis is that by December and January the cash basis to be 5 over the March or a 72-cent improvement.

An example of what type a return we can possibly receive: If the March futures are sold at $2.29 and the cash basis in December or January is 5 cents over the March futures, and we pick up a 50-cent LDP at harvest, this would give a gross price of $2.84. For this strategy to work you must have on farm storage, you must sell the carry in the futures market, their must be continued weakness in the futures and/or basis so the LDP will continue to get larger, and the basis rebounds. How much the basis rebounds is probably the most unpredictable at this time.

Buying a put option can be a good insurance policy if prices do continue to go lower as we move through harvest. A December $2.20 put option is 11 cents. You can use the put option as a price floor during harvest and sell back the put once you have the corn sold and collect back any value that is remaining. You can also use it with a storage strategy I outlined above to add value to the corn crop if prices continue to go lower.

Soybeans – 
Private crop estimates for soybeans are around 2.84 billion bushels, up 50 million bushels from the USDA August report. With production at 2.84 and no other changes in the September 12 report, ending stock would jump to 230 million bushels. I believe this will result in low $5.00 soybeans.

November futures are right at the support private level of $5.95. If this price level broken, the next support level is $5.70 and then the February low of $5.20.

A strategy I outline for Corn in using on farm storage to capture the LDP, basis and carry can be used for soybeans. I would also look at buying the January $6.00 put at 25 cents to set a price floor.

Wheat – 
Wheat futures are in a downtrend just like corn and soybeans. The December futures contract is near its contract low of $3.18. July contract is still 20 cents away from its contract low of $3.27. I hope you priced some 2006 wheat when it was above $3.65 for several weeks this summer.

The ending stocks of wheat are projected at 634 million bushels the highest in 5 years. At this level, we are looking at wheat under $3.00. A July $3.40 put option is 24 cents. Unless we have some major positive changes in the fundamentals in the U.S. or the world between now and harvest this option purchase will look like a good buy.

August 22 - 26

Anthony Ohmes and Jeff House, Regional Agronomists, University of MO Extension
No rust detected in SEMO. Very little disease pressure overall in the fields I have looked at this season. There has been some increase in frogeye levels since the first series of rains earlier last week. Group 2 beans are being harvested near Commerce. Group 3 and 4 beans are past disease and most insect problems. Stink bugs, if high enough, could affect seed quality at R6. Group 5 beans are almost out of the woods. Most are at late R5 with beans almost touching.
Jeff and I have seen some similar insect activity in soybeans. Overall, bean leaf beetles continue to feed on early planted beans as well as double cropped beans. The numbers have been high in areas and should continue to be monitored in later maturing fields. Green clover worm numbers have increased since last week in the wheat-field beans. Other leaf feeders showing up over the last 10 days are loopers, garden webworms, and grass hoppers. Average field defoliation currently has been moderate in wheat-field beans. However, there have been some hot spots where defoliation was higher than normally seen and treatment was warranted. Scouting for leaf feeders should begin at soybean emergence and continue through R6 (weekly if possible). Threshold for leaf feeding is 20% defoliation from bloom to pod fill with the presence of leaf feeding insects.
Currently, below threshold levels of defoliators + pod feeding insects have also shown up in some areas. Keep a close eye on these insects since thresholds are low compared to leaf (only) feeders. Bean leaf beetles, generally categorized as leaf feeders, can fit this profile if populations are high enough. In addition, corn earworm (podworm) and armyworm (yellow striped) are appearing in some double cropped soybeans. Jeff House also indicated that he is possibly picking up some very young beet armyworm larvae. This is a concern since pyrethroids do not control this insect. Stink bug levels have remained steady and below threshold levels.
I also found soybean aphids in a field near Sikeston. I looked at the field twice over seven days and aphid populations were low and did not increase. This is probably due to the high temperatures which disrupts the aphids reproductive cycle. In addition, a soybean plant which had broken off about 3 inches above the soil line was brought in with no apparent girdling. However, David Guethle indicated that he had found some three-cornered alfalfa hoppers and damage in Stoddard County. This girdling typically happens early and can be difficult to detect unless scouting for the insect and/or a wind blows over affected plants.

David Guethle, Regional Agronomist, Stoddard County
I have been in a couple of soybean fields there I think I was seeing some broken over plants caused by the three-cornered alfalfa hopper. The plants where broken over about 2-3 inches above the ground surface, probably by one of the recent rains we had.

Been out in some bean fields looking for defoliation and pod damage. Seeing a lot of foliar damage but generally not at threshold levels, mainly bean leaf beetle, clover worms and hoppers. Some pod damage but can't find many live worms around this damage. Most of the pod worms are 1/2 inch or larger. Some field had a good assortment of beneficials.

I positively identified a beet armyworm in a gardeners cowpea patch. He brought it in the office. Found about 5-6 miles northwest of Essex on the side of Crowley Ridge. The larvae was about half grown.

Allen Wrather, Pathologist, University of Missouri-Delta Center
Corn:
As of 8/26, a very small amount of local 2005 corn has been delivered to Missouri river terminals, and some of the corn had very small amounts of aflatoxin. None of the corn has been rejected because of aflatoxin. This is good news. SEMO corn producers should still take precautions to avoid this problem and never leave wet corn in a truck or grain tank for long periods without drying it.
Soybean:
Soybean rust has been detected in Alabama (12 counties), Florida (19 counties), Georgia (12 counties), Mississippi (2 counties), and South Carolina (1 County). The diseased field in Mississippi nearest to Portageville is about 400-450 miles away. Because of our distance from a diseased field and our predicted weather conditions for the next 5-7 days, I do not expect this disease to develop in our area soon. The MU extension regional agronomists and I are still scouting select soybean fields for rust, and we will alert you if this disease threatens our soybean crop.

Andy Kendig, Extension Weed Specialist, University of Missouri-Delta Center
Ryegrass problems in wheat have been increasing. The number one thing to remember about ryegrass in wheat is that it is best controlled with a fall application of Hoelon or Osprey. Fall herbicide applications tend to go against tradition where we plant wheat and forget about it till February.
Hoelon is the older ryegrass herbicide and it is a grass-only herbicide.. Hoelon is labeled for preemergence application; however the PRE rate is about double of the postemergence rate. Therefore the standard, and most economical recommendation is for early postemergence application, shortly after wheat emergence. Do not tank mix anything with Hoelon (there is an antagonism risk), and do not add crop oil or other adjuvants (there is a crop injury risk with them). The residual activity of Hoelon generally provides good, season-long control.
A lot of ryegrass in Arkansas, and some ryegrass in Missouri is resistant to Hoelon. If you have never used Hoelon before, I wouldn’t worry about resistance. But if you have tried Hoelon and had escapes, your ryegrass may be resistant. Of course, there is a small chance that your ryegrass infestation got started from some herbicide-resistant seed, so be aware of the resistance issue.
Osprey is the other Ryegrass herbicide and is relatively new. Like Hoelon, it works best in a postemergence application, shortly after wheat emerges in the fall. There are two major differences between Osprey and Hoelon: 1) Osprey has some broadleaf activity and 2) Osprey has very little residual activity.
Osprey also has some special adjuvant recommendations. You can use a MSO type oil or liquid fertilizer, but be sure to follow the label. This is a case where the additive makes a real difference.
For broadleaf weed control- Osprey suppresses a lot of junk broadleaf weeds, but really doesn’t provide complete, stand-alone control. A grower who has a lot of broadleaf weeds, should tank mix something with it (Harmony products and Sencor are two good options). As long as garlic isn’t a big problem, these tank mixes can often be a complete weed control program for wheat.
For bad ryegrass problems, the Osprey will have inadequate residual activity. The current recommendation is to tank mix two or three ounces of Sencor. Sencor by itself is a pretty respectable ryegrass treatment. Double check the Sencor label for crop safety and soil type restrictions.
Wheat weed control now offers growers options, and there may be some difficult choices: Should you use Harmony in the Fall with Osprey, or wait till the spring? Remember that every field is different, and that there are always trade offs. Bad ryegrass Hoelon and it’s residual activity or you will need to use Osprey and add some Sencor. If you have bad garlic problems you will need to use your ryegrass herbicide in the fall and your Harmony-type treatment in the spring. In our experience, spring applications of Hoelon and Osprey have not been as good as fall ones.
One final comment, growers who have bad ryegrass problems, should use all of the old-fashioned management techniques including starting with a totally clean seedbed!

Brian Ottis, State Rice Agronomist, University of Missouri-Delta Center
We have confirmed the presence of rice stalk borer (Chilo plejadellas) in a Pemiscot Co. rice field. As far as I can tell, it’s the first time it’s been found in Missouri. Karate Z and Mustang Max are labeled for control of this pest. The first application should be applied at 1-2” panicle (~2 wk after midseason) with the second application at boot split/early heading. Once the pest has bored into the plant, insecticide sprays are ineffective. Symptoms of rice stalk borer include blank panicles. Upon inspection of the plant, small borer holes can be found along the stem. A longitudinal section of the stem should reveal frass and evidence of feeding inside the plant. In most cases, the larvae can be seen.
Fields are being drained in some areas in preparation for harvest. We picked up more blast in some fields last week as well as threshold levels of rice stinkbug in Portageville. Continue to monitor late-planted fields for these pests.
August 15 - 19

Anthony Ohmes, Mississippi County
Rain relieved many acres this week from the drought experienced since Dennis on July 12. Most early planted Group 4 soybeans are at R6 (beans touching in pod on 4th node from top) reproductive stage. Continue to monitor Group 5 and wheat-field beans for disease and insect pressure. Bean leaf beetle numbers are high in some areas. When scouting for any insect, it is important to walk the entire field. It is also important to treat on a field by field basis because insects may settle in one field and have no need for another. Green clover worm feeding is also occurring at elevated levels in some fields. However, overall pressure from both of these leaf feeding insects has been low to medium. For leaf feeders defoliation of 20% plus presence of 10 insects/foot could cause economic losses. Some downy mildew has shown up in some wheat-field beans under irrigation. Although very common, this disease is considered minor and typically has no treatment recommendations.
For upcoming events go to: Upcoming Meetings
Rice Farm Field Day - August 24; Delta Center Field Day - August 31; Weed ID + Herbicide Symptomology Day - September 13
Dr. Allen Wrather, Plant Pathologist, University of Missouri - Delta Center
Corn:
SEMO corn growers should always be concerned about aflatoxin in corn and should always dry wet grain, 18% moisture or greater, within 24 hours of harvest. Many corn growers in SEMO had grain contaminated with this toxin in 1993 and 1998, and corn producers in Louisiana, Mississippi, and south Arkansas also had aflatoxin contaminated corn these years. The corn harvest in the south Mississippi Delta states has started and currently there are no reports of corn rejected due to aflatoxin. This is good news, and it may indicate that we will have no problems with aflatoxin during 2005. SEMO corn producers should still take precautions to avoid this problem and never leave wet corn in a truck or grain tank for long periods without drying it.
Soybean:
Soybean rust has been detected in Alabama (4 counties), Florida (18 counties), Georgia (9 counties), Mississippi (2 counties), and South Carolina (1 County). The diseased field in Mississippi nearest to Portageville is about 400-450 miles away. Because of our distance from a diseased field and our predicted weather conditions for the next 5-7 days, I do not expect this disease to develop in our area soon. The MU extension regional agronomists and I are still scouting select soybean fields for rust, and we will alert you if this disease threatens our soybean crop.
Cotton:
Cotton plants in some SEMO fields are beginning to show symptoms of leaf diseases. These diseases cause spots on leaves that may be purple, brown, or light brown centers with dark brown borders. Generally these diseases develop this time of year, but they usually develop only on plants in need of potassium. These plants may also have yellow areas at the margins of leaves that will turn brown in a few days, and this is a symptom of potassium hungry plants. If you see this, talk to your MU regional agronomist about sampling the soil to determine the need to fertilize for the 2006 crop.
Dr. Brian Ottis, State Rice Specialists, University of Missouri - Delta Center
Rice stinkbug numbers are definitely on the rise. We sprayed our research plots Wednesday for the first time. We are fully headed at this point, but don’t let stinkbugs ruin a good crop. Remember that for the first two weeks of heading, the threshold is 3 stinkbugs per 10 sweeps. Following that, it is 10 stinkbugs per 10 sweeps until rice reaches dough stage. I found some leaf blast this morning on some late planted rice, so continue to be vigilant for diseases, especially following the rains
August 8 - 12

Anthony Ohmes, Regional Agronomist, Mississippi County
Corn harvest will begin in the area this week. We will know just how the heat and drought affected various varieties and planting dates in short time. I did have a significant Southwestern Corn Borer moth flight a few weeks ago and was talking with other agronomists and scouts who said the same thing. Therefore, if you have non-Bt corn along with dry weather harvest in a timely fashion in order to avoid wind damage.
Soybeans are progressing rapidly. Some early planted, early maturing soybeans are turning. Many of the Group 4 beans are in the R6 (beans touching in pod on 4th node from top) area of development. Many of the Group 5 beans are R3-R4. Wheat field beans are flowering. Some rain fell in scattered areas through the night with more chances this week. Continue to monitor flowering to podding soybeans for disease and insects. Some bean leaf beetle activity, especially along the river, is building. No significant numbers of stink bugs or podworms as of yet. Frogeye is out there but at low levels.
Soybean rust is on a low to medium boil in the South. Florida experiencing additional locations of rust. Weather in the Mid-South has not been conducive for disease development.
Most grain sorghum in Mississippi County was planted early and is fully headed and turning. I have seen some late planted/replanted milo in areas and actually saw a double cropped field in wheat stubble. Late planted milo, still need to monitor for insects: midge if flowering and armyworm/earworm in whorls or heads.
Websites:
http://agebb.missouri.edu/mkt/croprpt.htm (FAPRI crop report)
Jeff House, Regional Agronomist, New Madrid County
Really needing a rain in this area, only a few showers and they were very scattered. Had a major build-up of bean leaf beetles in some soybean fields over the weekend/week, with a few fields receiving treatment. Corn earworm/bollworm/bean podworms also flared over the weekend. Found 3 day old larvae Monday (in Milo) and was still picking up fresh hatched larvae as of Wednesday p.m. (in milo). Do not have a handle yet if they are getting in the beans or not. Fungicide applications for yield enhancement have slowed down, waiting to see if we get anymore rain before spending the money. Besides if it doesn't rain, there may not be anything left to harvest on the later planted bean fields that are blooming now. Continuing to recommend a pyrethroid with any fungicide applications, and feel it may be even more necessary given the podworm flare. Interesting flare up continues on the Dectes stem borer in soybeans. Appears that the major emergence/flight has occurred basically over the last two weeks. One later planted bean field had what appeared to be a fairly significant infestation. From what I have dealt with in the past, I was picking up anywhere from 1-3 Dectes per 10 sweeps. If this translated to numbers we have seen in the past, then this field may see some pretty significant damage. I have also observed quite a bit of Dectes damage in a field that is not close to where we considered our "hot spots" to be. Could they be moving out again, new hotspot, or just going to be a good (bad for us) year for them?
Still seeing sudden death in bean fields. Not a lot of new diseases showing up, but the last outbreak that was brought on by Hurricane Dennis is a lot worse than I originally thought. Went up in a plane with a client on 8-11-05 to view his crops, and I was shocked to see the amount of beans acres that were affected. You can only see so much from a wind shield, so much from walking and so much from a tractor cab. You REALLY get a good handle from a plane. The worst seems to be in a band across the southern end of Scott county and the northern end of New Madrid county. Soil type? Varietal selection? Don't know but there were a lot of buggered up acres that I was NOT aware of (and I am not sure a lot of the farmers are either, but the combine will tell them!).
Some cotton has been sprayed for worms as well. Hearing of yellow striped armyworm in the mix as well, but no tobacco budworms in this area (yet). The worms really hit fast. Several dealers/consultants/researchers/Extension personnel were questioning what was going on late last week with the worms (and the lack of). Well we got our answer Monday.
Rice is heading out well and looks like a good crop. Not any calls this week on rice, but have heard of a few stinkbug rumors, but nothing getting sprayed at this time.
Milo is anywhere from turning to still flowering. Had one field treated for midge this week. Will be checking a field this afternoon for headworm. Observed 1 day old larvae on Wednesday p.m. in this field. I would like to make a very important point about worms (excluding tobacco budworms). If you have eggs, it doesn't mean they will hatch. If you have one day old larvae, it doesn't mean they will make it to 3 day old. A lot of things can happen and a lot of beneficial can really keep them in check. Unfortunately, I have not observed a lot of beneficial this year in any crop. While I am waiting to see some 3-5 day old worms to spray, I won't wait any longer hoping for environmental intervention. Just trying to catch the population dynamics where the residual will do the most good. Not sure how long this flight will last, hopefully it won't be a long drawn out affair.
Brian Ottis, State Rice Specialist, Delta Center
“The rice crop is 75% headed across the state. I’ve seen more red rice than I would prefer, especially in water-seeded fields. Continue to monitor for stinkbugs. Ten stinkbugs per 10 sweeps is threshold. Stinkbug numbers have remained low this year, which should help our milling quality. Recent hot temperatures have the rice really moving this week, but may reduce pollination efficiency.”
 

August 1 - 5

Anthony Ohmes, Mississippi County, University Extension
Continued to receive calls last week about Sudden Death (SDS) in Group IV soybeans. Many of the fields I have observed look far enough along in development to avoid big yield reductions. No insect activity at threshold levels to speak of in soybeans. Soybean rust is on slow boil in south. No reports in southeast Missouri. USDA website reporting and tracking on the movement. Continue to monitor your fields and utilize the website: www.sbrusa.net.
Most milo is heading and past flowering. Monitor for corn earworm and webworms.
Check out the following websites on drought and MO wheat performance:
http://www.psu.missouri.edu/agronx/mudroughtpage/ - Drought
http://agebb.missouri.edu/cropperf/wheat/soft/index.htm - Wheat Performance
Rice Field Day is set for August 24 and Delta Center Field Day set for August 31.
Dr. Allen Wrather, Plant Pathologist, Delta Center
Soybean rust is currently on soybean in one south Mississippi field, in one south and two east-central Alabama fields, in two central Florida fields and in 8 patches of Kudzu, and in six Georgia fields. We do not expect soybean rust to develop here during the next few days because the weather here is not suitable for it. However, rust may develop later, but I do not expect much yield reduction if it first develops after August 15. Soybean producers that can irrigate and expect high yields this year should consider applying Quadris or Headline to soybean at early pod development to protect their crop from the diseases that typically develop in our area such as frogeye leaf spot, pod and stem blight, and anthracnose.
This is a reminder and a repeat of the comments in last week’s e-letter. Corn producers should take precautions to avoid problems with aflatoxin especially dry land corn. I don’t expect many problems due to aflatoxin in corn this year because corn ear worm feeding was mild. However, corn harvested at 22% moisture or greater should be dried within 24 hours. If not dried, the pathogen that produces aflatoxin could quickly grow on the wet corn and produce aflatoxin.
Symptoms of Verticillium and Fusarium wilt have been observed on cotton in a few fields in our area. The symptoms are yellow blotches on the leaf margins, and these areas quickly turn brown. The leaves will wilt during mid day more rapidly than those on healthy plants. In addition, dark spots and streaks are present in the inside area of the upper tap root and lower stem. These can be seen when the stem at ground line is sliced into. There are no effective controls for these diseases.
Rice blast has been observed in a few SEMO fields. Rice should be scouted for this disease at boot stage. If the variety is susceptible and blast lesions are on leaves, fungicides should be applied.

Dr. Brian Ottis, Rice Specialist, Delta Center
“Be on continued lookout for stinkbugs in rice. Reports further south say it’s been a light stinkbug year so far, but things may change in a hurry. Also, keep an eye out for leaf blast, which has shown up in our research plots in Portageville and has been reported west of the ridge.”
Jeff House, New Madrid County, University Extension
Bean disease situation is not spreading out from already affected acres, but where it has hit it is bad. Some growers are trying to "doctor on it" but I really don't think it will help out. More Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) showing up in the earlier planted Group III and Group IV fields, hopefully as stated last week we will be able to outrun it, yield potential still looks good to excellent. Have one field of Group III that has SDS in it and it is still felt it could clear 55 bu/A. Fungicide applications on soybeans for yield increase still going out.

Ever so slight increase of worms in soybeans. Mostly loopers (no where near economic threshold). Found FEW podworms and even FEWER yellow-striped armyworms. Not sure WHAT the stink-bugs are doing, I think they know I am coming and leave the field!!!!

VERY scattered worm pressure in cotton, but as always it can change overnight in both the beans and cotton. Checked with several dealers and they are stating the same thing(s), not a lot of worm material going out on anything. The worms I found were 1st-2nd instars and the hatch could still be coming. Not a lot of beneficials to speak of still, but there are more than last week.

Very light build up of plant bug in cotton. Cotton is so far along in maturity that it probably won't pay to treat unless the cotton was planted late. Cut-out is going to be right on schedule for a lot (if not most) of the fields in New Madrid county.

Light worm pressure in the milo, not at threshold but it is approaching threshold and some may have to be treated.

Has been a very light insect year so far, not much time left until it will just about all be over.

Lot of complaints about glyphosate not controlling pigweed this year. The weeds were probably too big at application time and control could also have been hampered by the dry conditions. Still it is odd to see a living specimen RIGHT NEXT TO dead ones and realize that they really weren't missed by the spray pattern.

Rice is………………(good to eat?????)………… Not worked in any rice this week.

AND WE NEED ANOTHER RAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Most of the irrigation on the corn has stopped. Several bean acres receiving irrigation.

Advising cotton growers to "leave it wet on the 15th (of Aug)" per Dr. Phipps research. If you were not aware this is Dr. Phipps last day. It has been a pleasure to work with Dr. Phipps over the years and his insight and guidance will be sorely missed.
David Guethle, Stoddard County, University Extension
Still finding downy mildew in the soybean field I am checking for ASR. Also finding some cabbage loopers, green clover worms, bean leaf beetle, cucumber beetles, grape colapis beetles and a few stink bugs but not at threshold levels. Finding a lot of beneficials making meals out of them.

Have been seeing some spotty and whole field dicamba type damage in a few soybean fields. Couldn't locate any drift problems. Was seeing the problem mostly near the turn rows. Kevin Bradley has had calls in the past on this and says it is probably caused by Roundup and the unusually hot and humid weather we have experience.

Have seen some great looking full season beans really hurt by standing water in the poorer drained areas in the county that will not recover. Also am seeing a lot of double crop beans that have less then perfect stands where yields will be hurt.
 

July 25 - 29

Mississippi County

Weather conditions have been dry and not conducive for rust or any other disease. Continue to monitor for disease development. Rust has recently extended across Georgia to the border of South Carolina. It has been confirmed in a plot at Auburn University which is currently the most northern point of this disease. Refer to the commentary at the USDA website for more details on the latest find: www.sbrusa.net.

Sudden Death Syndrome SDS and some phytophthora diseases have appeared this past week. SDS typically coincides with stress early on followed by good growing conditions during reproductive stages. SDS is caused by Fusarium which is soil born. Loss due to this disease is dependent on soybean variety tolerance and stage in which the disease develops.

Monitor for late season insects in soybeans and grain sorghum. I look at field of milo yesterday and found one corn earworm and 2 sorghum webworms. Threshold for corn earworm is an average of 1 per head and webworm is 5 per head. Check at least 10 heads in 5 places away from the end rows. I have not seen threshold levels of insects in soybeans at this point.

Corn harvest is coming up and with the stressful conditions that some fields experienced this season take steps to help avoid potential aflatoxin problems. Refer to Dr. Allen Wrather's commentary below.

Check out the latest newsletter on the Mississippi County website: http://www.muextension.missouri.edu/mississippi/AgronomyNewsletterIssues.shtml

Mike Milam, Regional Extension Specialist, Dunklin County:

We had a light shower on Wednesday, but it just settled the dust. We are unusually dry. The soybean plants at both observation fields are showing drought and temperature stress. The soil is starting to crack at one location. We have some foliar disease at each location, both bacterial and fungal. In these fields, insects are not currently a problem. However, I have looked at both soybean and cotton and seen some rather large worms that are completely safe from insecticides. The fields were grassy with other weeds and in the soybeans, I found loopers, corn earworms, and yellow stripped armyworms. In the cotton, there was also bollworms, beet armyworms, and yellow stripped armyworms.

Allen Wrather, Plant Pathologist, University of Missouri Delta Center:
Soybean rust is currently in a 1 soybean field in south Mississippi, 2 fields in south Alabama, 2 fields in Florida and 2 Kudzu sites, and 4 fields in Georgia. We do not expect soybean rust to develop here during the next few days because the weather here is not suitable for it. Soybean producers that can irrigate and expect high yields this year should consider applying Quadris or Headline to soybean at early pod development to protect their crop from the diseases that typically develop in our area such as frogeye leaf spot, pod and stem blight, and anthracnose.
Producers should take precautions to avoid aflatoxin in their corn especially dry land corn. I don’t expect many problems due to aflatoxin in corn this year because corn ear worm feeding was mild. However, corn harvested at 22% moisture or greater should be dried within 24 hours. If not dried, the pathogen that produces aflatoxin could quickly grow on the wet corn and produce aflatoxin.

Brian Ottis, State Rice Specialist, University of Missouri Delta Center:
Be on the lookout for rice stinkbugs as rice begins to head. Stinkbug numbers so far have been less than expected, but numbers may increase. Threshold for applications during flowering are 3 stinkbugs per 10 sweeps. As rice panicles mature and begin to fill out, the threshold increases to 10 stinkbugs per 10 sweeps. An application of a pyrethroid or methyl parathion may be warranted.
Other Notes:
University of Arkansas' wheat results are out: http://comp.uark.edu/~avrtest/index.php?sg&content

 

July 18 - July 22

Mississippi County
Soybeans are progressing. Group IV soybeans are between R4 and R5. Wheat field beans are quickly catching up dispite a rough start. NO soybean rust in Southeast Missouri. I am on several mailing lists and received word that there is a rumor floating around about rust in Missouri. This is a rumor with no truth to it. The only locations of rust in fields has been in south Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and panhandle of Florida. Scouting continues in the northern regions of these states with no new developments. Continue to monitor for rust weekly. Utilize the tracking info on the website.

Other soybean developments including some late season phytophthora showing up in low spots in the heavier soils. There is no rescue treatment for phytophthora. It is a soil born organism. New Madrid county is also seeing these symptoms. Monitor for late season pests such as stink bugs and podworms. Stink bug thresholds are 12 per 15 sweeps when using a net or 2 per 3 feet of row. Pod worm threshold is 1 per foot of row.

New Madrid County (Jeff House)
Phytophthora is showing up on considerable bean acreages, with substantial yield loss certain. Mainly on the heavier soils, and appears to be hitting the Group V beans planted mid May to very early June particularly hard. Some growers are going to replant, but not holding on to much hope though, just "something is better than nothing"!! Will have a better handle on how much more will be affected after this weekend and the heat that is being predicted.

A lot of acres have been treated with fungicides. An ever so slight build up of stink bugs is occurring, barely noticeable unless you spend A LOT of time in the fields. No bean leaf beetles to speak of either (yet). Blanket recommendation of a pyrethroid going out with the fungicide still in place, trying to keep the populations from getting a foothold. Still a few spider mites in some bean fields but no where near the levels we were seeing before the rain.

Stoddard County (David Guethle)
Finding some downy mildew in the soybean field I am scouting. Also have a few reports, one sample came in the office, of what I think is fusarium blight. The top part of the plant goes flaccid and looks like it is going to die. The times I have seen this, has occurred right after a heavy flooding rain. The plant usually puts out new roots and do recover. A lot of our farmers were having a hard time getting a stand of wheat field beans due to the droughty soil. Some tried to irrigate up and failed. Then irrigated to add moisture, replanted and lost the stand to hurricane Dennis. Most of our wheat field beans have less than perfect stand.

July 11 - July 15

Hurricane Dennis brought some much needed relief earlier this week. I have heard unofficial rainfall reports of amounts between 4 and 6 inches. Logically, the next question is the weather's affect on soybean rust. As of yesterday, a low level infection was confirmed in a commercial soybean field close to the sentinel plot that was discovered a couple of weeks ago in southern Alabama. The concern with Dennis is if it picked up spores along it's path through the Florida panhandle and Alabama and deposited them in Missouri. If it did pick up spores, how many? The experts believe this number to be low because of the low level of inoculum in the south. Also, as of July 14, the rust spore tracking website had no suspicious looking spores found on the collection slides. North Carolina's Plant Disease Forecasting Center has us currently at low risk (http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/pp/soybeanrust/forecasts/s050715.php?month=07&year=05). Updates on the USDA website indicate no changes as well for surrounding states.

However, intensive scouting is being conducted in these areas where suspicious spores were found. Due to the weather and time frame since those spores landed and considering the amount of time it takes for symptoms to appear on the plant, rust symptoms should begin to appear on the plants going into next week. The rain that fell in SEMO for two days and the continued cool and overcast conditions for the remainder of the week, indicates a need for heightened awareness and scouting efforts.

As of this morning no rust has been detected in Missouri or bordering regions of other states. Continue to monitor and keep up with changing information. The target stage of rust management is still reproductive. Those beans still in vegetative are not at a risk level that would warrant treatment. Kentucky's rust management recommendations are to wait until more information on levels of spore distribution and infection can be gathered for the area. Still have some time between spore deposit and infection (10-14 days) which will give some time for the ground to dry out.

At the North Central IPM Center (http://ncipmc.org/alerts/soybeanrust/index.cfm) there is video aimed at helping with rust scouting. I could not get the video to work, but someone may have better luck than me.

If fungicides are used, some information about adjuvants and tank mixes has surfaced since the last report. Headline SBR (Headline plus Folicur) has had some reported low levels of phytotoxity to soybean leaves when tank mixed with a crop oil concentrate. BASF is recommending that a non-ionic surfactant be used at 0.125% volume/volume instead of crop oil. Contact your local company representative for more information.

New Madrid County (Jeff House):
Most of the mixed soils soaked in pretty quick, but the heavier soils (GUMBO) are pretty water logged and water is standing. Not any new diseases really showing up or lurking, but that could change pretty quick. Insects continuing to build slowly, but nothing major at this time. This rain SHOULD have taken care of the spider mites that were starting to affect the beans. A wet July can lead to a heaver pod worm outbreak, so I suggest sweeping beans when looking for SBR.

Other pests:

Low levels of soybean aphid are appearing in northern Missouri. Was in Columbia this week and observed a natural infestation in a soybean plot.
July 4 - July 10

Tropical depression Cindy has brought rain and conducive conditions for Asian soybean rust to a line south of South Carolina through central Georgia, Alabama and southeastern Mississippi. National hurricane center is tracking Hurricane Dennis which models are predicting could bring wind and weather into MO. Check out the forecast at: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/.

"Suspicious" spores have been collected in two spore traps. Like the trap in Louisiana, the traps located in Jackson, TN and Warren County, KY had too few of spores to confirm rust, 2 and 10 spores, respectively. However, both Tennessee and Kentucky pathologists are urging producers not to panic. No other spore traps collected spores and no symptoms are present in sentinel plots or any other soybean field in the surrounding area. Continue to utilize the USDA website: www.sbrusa.net. In addition to this website there is a rust hotline that is available now. Simply call 1-888-321-6771 and listen to the report.

Remember, three factors are required for disease development: soybean, rust spores, and environmental conditions. The rust must have 6 - 8 hours of leaf wetness to germinate. Also, remember for the rust to replicate it will take approximately 20 to 28 days. Soybean stage is also a factor. Rust is more aggressive once soybeans enter reproductive stages. Also, research indicates that targeting a fungicide application sometime between R3 and R5, if conditions are favorable, will give the best return for our more common diseases.

If you are still not sure what stage your soybeans are in, please visit the county website for photos of various soybean stages.

Continue to monitor the weather. If Dennis continues on the current predicted path and rain is called for next week and your soybeans are developing pods (R3-R5) then a fungicide could be warranted.

Below are the emails sent from Don Hershman from Kentucky and Melvin Newman from Tennessee.
Don Hershman:
This does not change anything, but I wanted to be as accurate in my reporting as possible. I was mistakenly told this morning that two SBR spores were found in the spore trap located near Woodburn, Warren County, KY. In reality it was 10 spores. This makes no practical difference, so I caution you not to make more out of this than is called for. I have attached a picture of the spores so you can see what we are dealing with. As you can see in my commentary on the USDA public website (www.sbrusa.net), I am still adamant, that spraying for soybean rust at this time is premature and unnecessary.

Dr. Hershman explained his position in a subsequent email. In summary, he explained, if managing for rust, do not panic because the odds are remote that the initial spores blowing in with Dennis will be anything more than just enough to start an epidemic. Then, symptoms will not be evident in growers fields until the end of the second cycle at 20-28 days following the onset of Dennis rains. At that point, if you applied a strobilurin or triazole or mix, you would protect against new infections. Having a triazole in the mix will eliminate some infections and reduce the risk that some miscalculations were made. Point is there should be plenty of time to implement a spray program after Dennis. It does not have to be implemented right away.

Melvin Newman:
Today (7-7-05) two "Spores of Interest" possibly soybean rust spores were reported to be present in a spore trap on The West Tenn. Experiment Station in Jackson TN. It is impossible to determine for sure if these spores are really soybean rust spores. But, according to Dr. John Rupe at the University of Arkansas who is heading up this spore trapping system, the spores are similar to soybean rust spores when viewed under the microscope.
Dr. Rupe said that no other spore traps in TN ( we have 10 across the
state) have shown any spores. He also said that no other states close around TN has been found to have spores in their traps. There have been no rust infections or rust pustules found anywhere in TN as of today. The UT Extension service will continue to monitor all sentinel plots and spore traps for any presence of soybean rust and we will let you know as soon as possible of any positive results. Please notify your local producers and chemical dealers and inform then of this.
What does this mean for producers? Do not panic or get upset. Two spores do not make a rust epidemic. This is not enough indication to spray for Soybean Rust. I would still stick to our game plan as presented this winter and spring. That is, if you have soybeans that are at the R3 stage of growth and you intend to spray for other late season diseases like brown spot, anthracnose and frogeye leaf spot then now is the time to spray as we have always said. It is still a good practice to include a combination fungicide, one with a Triazole fungicide in it , either in a premix or tank mix, just in case rust is in the air. But, if you have already sprayed with just a Strobilurin fungicide alone, it will be OK as well. We are still well ahead of any soybean rust damage that might occur.
Is it better to spray now if you are at R3 or wait until you see if we get a lot of rain from a Hurricane? Most pathologists would agree that it is better to spray before a rain than after. This would apply to rust as well as other late season diseases.
Melvin A. Newman, Ph.D.
Professor, Ento. & Plant Pathology Dept.
605 Airways Blvd.
Jackson, TN 38301
Phone: 1-731-425-4718
E-Mail: manewman@utk.edu

Concludes the comments from Hershman and Newman.

Other news:

Spider mites are still playing havoc with some soybean fields. One field in Mississippi county was under heavy pressure last week. New Madrid county is still reporting spider mites in some fields. These pests thrive on stressed, slow growing soybeans under hot dry conditions. Rain is a good cure. Recent rain in some areas may have relieved some of this stress. However, continue to monitor for spider mites as well as pod feeding insects.
June 27 - July 3

Lots of email activity last week with the confirming of soybean rust in two sentinel soybean plots, one in Florida and the other in Alabama. Go to the USDA rust website to see where these fields were located: www.sbrusa.net. As of this past week, no reports of soybean rust in Southeast MO.

Continue to monitor soybeans for disease and insect problems. Rain fell over the holiday weekend in Mississippi County. However, I don't know if the rain was uniformly distributed. Visit a weather station near you to gather year-to-date weather data. Mississippi County extension website has a link to the weather station for this area.

There have been some concerns over double crop soybean plant stands. Refer to the March-April newsletter on the Mississippi county website for information on plant stands. Also refer to the Replant Decision Guide at: http://muextension.missouri.edu/xplor/agguides/crops/g04091.htm.

Group III soybeans are at R3 stage and slowly entering R4 stage, which is 3/4 inch pod on one of top 4 nodes on main stem. Group IV are at R2 entering R3 which is 3/16 inch pod on upper 4 nodes of main stem. The soybeans are still several days away from R5 which is 1/8 inch seed within a pod on upper 4 nodes of main stem. Soybean disease is staying low on the plants. Primarily Septoria brown spot and some bacterial blight are the diseases being identified. Brown spot is common and usually stays on lower true leaves and first trifoliates.

Identified spider mites at threshold this past week on soybeans. Continue to monitor for these pests. The usually appear in high stress areas because they thrive on stressed plants. Hopefully the rain will relieve some of this stress and the beans will be able to grow through some of the feeding. Threshold for podding plants is 10% yellowing. Adequate water and pressure is required to get the underside of the leaves. This is more water and pressure than what glyphosate requires.

New Madrid County report:
Brown spot and bacterial blight is definitely out there. Saw 1 SDS plant symptom this week.

Spider mites building up on beans, starting to see leaves change color due to mites. The list of labeled chemicals for spider mite control in soybeans is not too impressive. Spotted a couple of fields with considerable grape colaspis in it, not sure if they are causing any damage, but will continue to monitor. Bean leaf beetles building, but not at threshold yet. Stink bugs are out but not building at this time.

Beans really needing a rain. Already seeing potentially significant yield reductions. Beans do not have a lot of height, flowering is heavy, but don't expect much retention with this dry spell. Group III fields going into R3, however a Group III field we thought was going to be R3 this week IS NOT, the beans still look good, just NOT progressing.

Other crops:
Mississippi County:
Caught some southwestern corn bores late in the week. First generation pressure was high this year. Monitor for second generation on non-Bt corn since this generation is considered most damaging.

New Madrid County:
Lot of SWCB starting to show up on corn in certain areas. The dryland corn is severally drought stressed. Irrigated is OK. Some fungicide has gone out at 50% tasseling.

Not a lot going on in cotton, some spider mites building and a few plant bugs, but that could change overnight. Some layby herbicide applications going out, if it holds this should finish it up. The cotton just does not have any great height to it this year. Not sure how the worm situation will develop in the upcoming weeks. The dry weather isn't really conducive to worm outbreaks, but will still need to be watched. If it turns off wet in July (especially the last half) then this situation could definitely change overnight.
June 20 - 26

Total rainfall at the Mississippi County Airport weather station for May through June 26 is 2.87 inches, most of that was in June with only one rainfall event accumulating more than 0.5 inches (1.26 inches). Last week was another dry one. Sunday was the only day that gave some fleeting hope of rain late in the afternoon. With all the dry weather, soybean rust has not surfaced anywhere in the southeast. There was some news from LSU that suspicious looking spores were found on a spore trap. However, there were not enough spores to conduct a DNA test for rust. Florida, was the only state with a moderate threat of rust development due to the rain through the southern part of the state. Continue to utilize the tracking information on the web and continue to scout your fields.

Folks have been doing a good job scouting. I, along with my colleagues, have received several calls about soybeans with brown spots on the lower true leaves and first trifoliate. These leaves were infected with Septoria brown spot. This common disease is considered an early season disease which rarely affects yield. The target areas that we want to protect are the middle and upper leaf canopy, where the bulk of the photosynthates are produced. However, do not let your guard down. Continue to monitor and ask questions about suspicious looking parts of your fields. Hot and dry conditions may not favor disease, but could favor spider mites. The reports of spider mites have been minimal, however continue to monitor for this pest. Threshold is 10% yellowing for podding soybeans and presence of spider mites.

The summarized message from reports last week:
a) Hold off on the fungicide application until conditions are more favorable for disease development.
b) Continue to monitor for disease

June 13 - 19

Despite rumors about Tropical Storm/Hurricane Arlene and rust spores, Asian soybean rust, as of Friday, is still confined to 5 counties in Florida on kudzu and 1 county in southwest Georgia on volunteer soybeans. Scouting efforts still continue through the southeastern U.S. As mentioned in previous issues of the newsletter and updates, it is critical to stay informed of latest developments and use reliable sources. Visit the agriculture page on the Mississippi County website for links to these sources, http:/muextension.missouri.edu/mississippi. If you haven't yet, sign up for email alerts and visit the USDA website: www.sbrusa.net.

No soybean rust identified in Southeast Missouri. Group III and Group IV soybeans are in reproductive stages (early bloom-R1/R2). Soybeans are still relatively small, therefore reducing the affects of micro-climates within the canopy as seen later in the season. The rain increased some brown spot activity on the lower leaves. This is typically an early season disease where treatment is rarely warranted. Still finding some thrips and have found some spider mites in soybeans. Thrip thresholds are when the numbers are high enough to cause leaf death (a lot). Spider mite threshold is 20% leaf yellowing before pod and 10% after pod development.

First generation southwestern corn borer has been found at threshold level in some fields, 25% of plants infested with eggs or larvae.  Monitor for second generation in July, which is usually considered more damaging to corn plants.

The following message is from Dr. Don Hershman, University of Kentucky:
Hello Everyone
I heard from two sources this morning that a rumor is floating around that soybean rust has been found in Kentucky, specifically in west Kentucky. This rumor is absolutely false; soybean rust as not been found in Kentucky or any state in the Midsouth.
At the present time, soybean rust is restricted to five counties in Florida, where it is found only in kudzu, and one county in extreme southwest Georgia in volunteer soybean, but not kudzu.
I also wanted to announce that the Kentucky Soybean Association has received a grant from the United Soybean Board to establish a free “call-in line” whereby callers can listen to daily soybean rust updates. This call-in line has now been established and is operational. The number is 1-888-321-6771. I will be leaving brief rust updates on this line at least once a day, perhaps more frequently, if needed. I can only speak for 1 min, so my updates will be brief. For more detailed information, I encourage you to read my commentary for Kentucky on the USDA soybean rust public website: www.sbrusa.net.
Have a rust-free day.
Concludes Don Hershman's report.
June 6 - 12

No rust reported in Southeast Missouri.  General amount of rainfall has fallen over Southeast Missouri. Some areas have received more than 3 inches this month while some have received almost an inch. Never-the-less, the rainfall was much needed and will help relieve some of the stress on the current crops.

Soybeans are finally starting to grow. Thrips are still around, however with added moisture, beans will soon outgrow any early foliar feeding. Group III soybeans are approaching R2. Keep in mind this is still, on average, 21 days from R3. No blooms noticed on later maturity Group IV's. A little Septoria brown spot is appearing on lower leaves in some areas. Continue to monitor crop for potential pest problems.

Monitor weather conditions. National Weather Service is tracking tropical storm Arlene (http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/). This storm in combination with wet, humid, cooler conditions this past week will heighten concerns about soybean rust. Sentinel plots in the south Delta are at R4. Scouting of these plots will give us some indication of disease potential in the coming weeks. Utilize the USDA tracking website (http://www.sbrusa.gov). Asian soybean rust has not been found in sentinel plots currently. The rust found on volunteer beans in Seminole County, GA has remained at low levels and stationary.
 

May 30 - June 5

No rust reported in Southeast Missouri.  General rainfall did occur leaving approximately 0.6 inches.  Slow, frequent rain followed by cooler temperatures are the type of conditions that favor rust.  Thrips and bean leaf beetle damage still showing up below threshold.  Continue to follow irrigation scheduling and moisture needs.

May 23 - 27

No rust reported in Southeast Missouri.  Beans are in various stages of development from in the bag still due to moisture concerns and 3-4 trifoliate.  Bean leaf beetles and thrips have been feeding at BELOW threshold levels.  Irrigation scheduling tools were calling for an irrigation for early May emerging beans.

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		University of Missouri Extension Mississippi County mississippico@missouri.edu Updated 05/24/04