Wheel Traffic to Narrow-Row Reproductive-Stage Soybean Lowers Yield – (PDF of Slides) Soybean producers need to know the loss associated with sprayer tire damage to fully determine the cost and benefit of reproductive-stage pest management strategies. Experiments were conducted in Virginia and Delaware to determine the yield loss resulting from wheel traffic applied at the R4-stage to full-season and double-crop soybean planted in three row spacings. Wheel traffic reduced yield when planted in 7.5- and 15-inch row spacing. When prorated to 45- to 120-foot booms, yield loss ranged from 6.4 to 1.0 %. Traffic did not reduce yield of soybean planted in wider rows, but non-irrigated soybean planted in 36-inch row spacing yielded equal to or less than trafficked soybean planted in narrow rows. Drilled soybean tended to compensate for damaged rows better than 15-inch soybean, but only when environmental conditions were conducive for compensation. Water stress during the time of traffic treatment reduced soybean’s ability to compensate for damaged rows. These data provide information that can be used to refine reproductive-stage pest management decisions in soybean. Instructor: Dr. David Holshouser, Virginia Tech – Tidewater AREC and Dr. Richard Taylor, University of Delaware

 

 

Nutrient Management Sessions

The Role of Fertilizer Additives in Maximizing Yield Potential in Corn - (PDF of Slides) Improvements in drought and stress tolerance in corn hybrids have provided the opportunity to increase corn yield by increasing plant population. However, to maximize yield potential in these high population corn systems growers must address the issues of smaller ear size and smaller stalk diameter. This presentation will examine the use of fertilizer additives in improving root development, stalk and ear size, and corn yield. Instructor: Dr. Ronnie W. Heiniger, Crop Science Department; North Carolina State University

 

Manure injection to improve nitrogen use efficiency and other new technologies - (PDF of Slides) No-till is a best management practice that can prevent soil erosion, increase soil organic matter and decrease energy inputs. As surface applied manure cannot be incorporated by tillage in these systems, it remains on the surface where it loses valuable ammonia nitrogen and can also lose nutrients through runoff. Manure management in no-till systems will be discussed, with an emphasis on manure injection technology. Instructor: Dr. Rory Maguire, Virginia Tech

 

Managing manure in no-till corn – (PDF of Slides) The benefits of no-till to soil quality and crop production are well known. However, nutrient losses in runoff can be significantly higher from no-till fields that receive poultry litter. A three-year study was conducted in Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia to evaluate commercially available tillage equipment to determine if minimal tillage could be used to partially incorporate broiler litter to reduce nutrient losses in runoff while preserving some of the benefits of no-till. The results of this study will be presented. Instructor: Dr. Joshua M. McGrath, University of Maryland

 

Potassium Behavior and Management - (PDF of Slides) Potassium is often looked on as the poor second cousin of the major nutrients. However, most crops take up more K than they do P and take up a similar amount of K as they do N. Potassium gets less attention because it has historically been the least expensive major nutrient and it is not usually considered to be a pollution concern. However, K is not so cheap anymore and excess K can cause problems in crops and animals. The behavior of K in the soil-plant system and how this affects K management decisions will be discussed. Instructor: Dr. Douglas Beegle, Penn State University

Precision Sampling Versus Conventional Sampling on Small Acreages: What was Found and How Has Precision Sampling Been Adopted - (PDF of Slides) In 2006, 11 land owners consigned 670 acres to a demonstration of precision soil sampling versus conventional sampling. These farms were soil sampled using conventional and precision methods. Results showed that precision sampling and application required more lime than recommended by conventional sampling, more phosphorous and less potash on fewer acres than recommended by conventional management. An additional 1545 acres were sampled and over 1600 acres received precision application of lime, phosphorous and potash. Instructor: Craig W. Yohn, WVU Extension Agent

 

Managing the Nitrogen Cycle – (PDF of Slides) Nitrogen-use efficiency is paramount to both agronomic viability and environmental health. The increased cost of fertilizer N and public concern about environmental quality necessitate the implementation of management practices that improve cropping system N-use efficiency. A number of management practices can significantly influence soil N cycling and fertilizer N recovery. This presentation will discuss several strategies for tightening the nitrogen cycle. Instructor: Dr. John Spargo, USDA – ARS

 

The Fertilizer Supply/Demand Situation –  This presentation will cover the situation and outlook for the fertilizer market and the factors which have resulted in the high fertilizer prices both domestically and worldwide. Instructors: Dr. Harry Vroomen, The Fertilizer Institute, Washington D.C.

 

Soil Sampling and Nutrient Analysis and Assessment -  Temporal and spatial variability can have an impact on soil sample results. For example, soil sampling error can be reduced from 18% to 1% by collecting 12 as opposed to six sub-samples in a 15-acre pasture. Proper soil sample collection including the number of samples and time of sampling will be discussed. Instructor: Dr. Solomon Kariuki, University of Maryland

 

Time scales for transport of nutrients from field to surface water - implications for nutrient management - (PDF of Slides)The time needed to transport plant nutrients nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon is dependent on many physical and chemical factors. Field research results published in the past five years challenge some of the rules of thumb used to manage and control nutrient losses from fields. This presentation will review a few basic concepts regarding nutrient loss and transport and highlight these concepts with field research results concerning travel time of nutrients between field and surface water and recent findings on transport of phosphorus in ground water Instructor: A. Scott Andres, Delaware Geological Survey

 

Pest Management Sessions

Small Fruit Disease Management – What’s New? –Since EPA lifted its moratorium on new registrations for sterol-inhibiting (SI) fungicides in 2006, a number of small fruit crops have been added to the labels of Indar, Orbit, and Tilt. Other new fungicides such as Quintec are now labeled for some small fruits. On the other hand, fungicide-resistant grape downy mildew and grape powdery mildew isolates were recently found in Maryland and Virginia. Come find out what’s new, what’s working, and what’s no longer working for brambles, strawberries, blueberries, and grapes. Instructor: Dr. Anne DeMarsay, Maryland Cooperative Extension

Links:

Mid-Atlantic Berry Guide

Natural Resource Agriculture and Engineering Service Publications

Michigan State Pocket Guides for IPM

Southeast Regional Small fruit Production Guides

 

 Gene Stacking in Agriculture - (PDF of Slides)  One of the more technically attractive options for managing pest resistance is to attack pests simultaneously with multiple, unrelated control mechanisms. This greatly lessens the likelihood of resistance development as a pest would have to possess resistance to multiple modes of action and this would be a very low probability event. Because added genes become a permanent part of a crop’s genome, they only need to be inserted once. This makes the stacking of genes that control a pest with differing mechanisms practical as the costs can remain low to the grower. Over the next several years, seed companies will be introducing the first generation of crops that contain stacked combinations of insect and weed control traits that have previously only been available as separate competitive products. SmartStaxTM is a product that will contain 8 different genes targeting corn insects and weeds. It is the result of collaboration between Monsanto and Dow and combines the traits of YieldGard VT Triple Pro and Herculex Xtra products. This combination will provide 3 insecticidal proteins targeting the corn rootworm insect and 3 insecticidal proteins targeting various lepidopteron insects including European corn borers, corn earworms and black cutworms. SmartStaxTM will also stack glyphosate tolerance with glufosinate tolerance to provide additional herbicide options for managing weeds. Instructor: Dr. David Mayonado , Monsanto Company

 

 

Update on Corn Fungicides - (PDF of Slides) The application of strobilurin fungicides on corn has skyrocketed throughout much of the U.S. during the past 2-3 growing seasons. In university experiments throughout the Midwest during 2007, yield increases were seen approx. 70% of the time, but only 38% of the time did the treatment differential exceed the breakeven point. Also, yield loss associated with strobilurin applications during 2007 was surprisingly high. Producers planning to use strobilurin fungicides can maximize their chances of reaping a benefit from the application by targeting applications to fields with the highest disease pressure. Instructor: Dr. Paul Vincelli, University of Kentucky

 

The Importance of Pesticides in U.S. Crop Production – (PDF of Slides)The spraying of pesticides began in the late 1800s to control insects and diseases that were reducing U.S. crop production by 50%. Currently, fungicides and insecticides are sprayed on >95% of most fruit and vegetable acres. Widespread use of herbicides dates back sixty years. Prior to that time, growers relied on manual labor and numerous tillage trips to uproot weeds. Cont. Organic vegetable and fruit growers spray pesticides which do not contain synthetic chemicals and employ many workers for hand weeding. The importance of pesticides in U.S. agriculture should not be underestimated. Over 200 million acres of U.S. cropland are sprayed every year. Despite multi-million dollar expenditures, the search for alternatives has not produced pest control practices that could effectively replace the widespread use of pesticides in the U.S for the foreseeable future. Instructor: Leonard Gianessi, CropLife Foundation

 

Spray Nozzle Technology – Making the Best Choices - (PDF of Slides) With many choices available to applicators, how do you make the right nozzle selection for the crop, chemical and weather conditions in which you are working? This presentation will cover nozzle basics, droplet size, nozzle types, drift control, nozzle wear life and factors critical to successful chemical application. Instructor: Thomas Reed, TeeJet Northeast

 

The Soybean Cyst Nematode revisited after 30 years on the Eastern Shore - (PDF of Slides) With soybean rust taking the spotlight for the past several years there is a persistant pest that might be easy to ignore but still can be a yield robber, the soybean cyst nematode. Nematodes are out of sight and often out of mind. Since the discovery of SCN in 1979 in DE, MD and VA, growers have had a measure of success managing this pest but the sources of resistance in today’s varieties might be allowing SCN populations to increase slowly and possibly limit yields. Research is still being conducted on developing resistant varieties, and basic research funded by USB is looking at the soybean and the nematode genomes to identify resistance genes and virulence genes. This will hopefully provide new and better sources of resistance. On the negative side there is a lack of knowledge about the populations of SCN that are present now since the original work that was done in the mid 1990’s. Matching these populations with varieties that are resistant is the challenge. This talk will look at the past and how we dealt with the problem and the challenges that face us now in light of the development of Round-Up Ready soybeans and the future of soybean cyst nematode control. Instructor: Bob Mulrooney, University of Delaware

 

 

 Getting the Most from your Diagnostic Laboratory – (PDF of Slides) An accurate diagnosis is the first step in effective plant disease management, but the microorganisms that cause plant diseases are often difficult to identify. In many cases, growers need to submit plant samples to diagnostic laboratories where specialized tests can be performed to rule out or confirm the presence of disease. This presentation will cover the types of diseases that warrant a laboratory diagnosis, and how to submit a good diagnostic sample using case studies from diagnostic lab archives. Instructor: Karen Rane, University of Maryland

 

Soil and Water Sessions

Stover Removal—How Much is too Much? – (PDF of Slides) Mid-Atlantic farmers may harvest stalk residue left after grain harvest if a market for that product is available. While stover removal can sometimes be economically justified, one should carefully evaluate the full effect of removing crop residues. Specifically, crop residues return nutrients and organic carbon to the soil. In view of higher crop prices and rising fertilizer costs, farmers must recognize and understand the value of these residues for maintaining soil fertility, soil quality, sustained yield increases, and long-term profits. Instructor: Dr. David Holshouser, Virginia Tech – Tidewater AREC

Remote sensing of winter cover crops: outcomes and opportunities - (PDF of Slides) Winter cover crops are recognized as an effective agricultural conservation practice for reducing nitrogen losses to groundwater, Remote sensing, when combined with farm program enrollment data, can provide a tool for real-time estimation of cover crop biomass and nutrient uptake on working farms throughout the landscape. Agronomic factors influencing cover crop performance include species (rye >barley>wheat), planting date (September>November), planting method (drilled>broadcast> aerial), and previous crop (end-of-season residual soil nitrate). We will discuss results from three years of cover crop monitoring within the Choptank River watershed on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Instructor:

Dr. Dean Hively and Dr. Greg McCarty, USDA-ARS-HRSL

 

Nutrient losses from temporary in-field piles of poultry litter - (PDF of Slides) Temporary piles of poultry litter in crop production fields are common practice in this region. This presentation will discuss the potential losses of nutrients from these piles. In addition, the relative merits of different techniques for reducing nutrient losses will be discussed. Instructor: Dr. Greg Binford, University of Delaware

 

Live roots to manage soil quality - ( PDF of Slides) A new concept in soil management that is gaining increasing acceptance is the importance of live roots to maintain and improve physical, biological, and chemical soil quality. In this presentation we will discuss this concept and study properties of different root systems to meet soil quality maintenance goals. Instructor: Dr. Sjoerd Duiker, Department of Crop & Soil Sciences, Penn State University

 

Advancing the concept of subsurface irrigation for grain crops –  (Irrigation Video) (PDF of Slides) This session immerses participants in the philosophy of developing and utilizing subsurface drip irrigation in commercial grain production. Central discussion focuses on the unique opportunity to blend precision agricultural management processes with agronomic specialists, and the need for their active leadership to provide distinctive value propositions within the grain production market space. Instructor: Kris Nightengale, John Deere Water Technologies

 

2008 Farm Bill Update - (PDF of Slides) The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Farm Bill) became law on May 22, 2008. The legislation includes fifteen diverse titles, including broad provisions for conservation, energy and tax policy. Enactment of the bill followed a multiple year process of deliberation and debate yielding a final product with some but not all of the policy recommendations offered by the United States Department of Agriculture.

The areas discussed will include: Increases funding for Conservation programs, Focuses on Agricultural and Forestry Working Lands, Environmental Quality Incentives Program expanded, Continues Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program, Agricultural Management Assistance expanded to include Hawaii, Conservation Stewardship Program begins FY2009 with an acreage allocation and a ranking system. Offers flexibility to be a nationwide program, Wetlands Reserve Program, Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program funding expanded, Creates an Open Fields Program to encourage public access to private land for hunting and fishing and Chesapeake Bay program created to direct further NRCS program resources to the Bay watershed. Instructor: Tim Pilkowski, Maryland Natural Resources Conservation Service

 

Nutrient issues and the Chesapeake Bay: Trends, problems, and possibilities – (PDF of Slides) At 64,000 square miles, the Chesapeake Bay watershed is the largest estuary in the nation. Each year, many millions of federal and state dollars are devoted to decreasing the loads of nitrogen and phosphorus that enter the Bay and its’ tributaries. In this session we will discuss the nature and magnitude of the issue, what has been and is being done to reduce nutrient loads, and potential opportunities for agricultural practices as a partial solution to the Bay-wide water resource degradation. Instructor : Dr. Dave Hansen, University of Delaware

 

New Soil Surveys Online – Using Web Soil Survey - (PDF of Slides) Many state soil surveys, including Delaware, have recently been updated. Maps, tables, and soil interpretations are available online through state NRCS web sites. The presentation will provide guidelines and a demonstration of accessing and using the new soils information via Web Soil Survey, with additional information about the Soil Data Mart and Geospatial Data Gateway sites. These web sites are the current source for official soil survey information. Instructor: Diane Shields, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

Links

NRCS

Web Soil Survey

Soil Data Mart

NRCS Soils Page

USDA Geospatial Data Gateway

 

Double Cropping, Forage Yields and the Soil Water Balance in Southeastern PA - (PDF of Slides) Double cropping is increasingly common on dairy farms as farmers struggle to produce enough feed and fiber for their cattle. This session will discuss using a winter small grain (rye and barley) on main crop forage yields (corn and soybean) and on the soil water balance in no till. The components of the water balance measured were precipitation, runoff, drainage, and soil water content. Crop evapotranspiration was estimated using the Penman-Monteith method. Instructor: Dr. Ymene Fouli, University of Maryland