This was recently sent to me from Ed Harris at Van Horn. I'm putting it in here to see how easily something like this will transfer.
Have you seen a more timely spring for putting in crops? Corn is really looking good now and soybeans will probably be up in 3 or 4 days. A great start on the 2004 crop!
PALLETS & MINIBAGS
-On Monsanto pallets, we are charged a deposit of $15/pallet. Thus we need them returned to your nearest Van Horn retailer. The pallets will have MONSANTO, MTC, ASGROW, OR DEKALB written on the side of the pallets. We would like Stine and other pallets returned, but since there are no deposits charged, we are not as concerned with these.
-On Monsanto minibags, we are charged a deposit of $25/minibag. We need them to be returned to your nearest Van Horn retailer. You do not need to return Stine minibags. Please burn or destroy them.
SOYBEAN NEEDS
-We have four varieties that have been high yielding and surely will be in 2004. If you need extra soybeans, please call. The four varieties are:
1. Asgrow AG3201-2 out of the last 4 years our biggest seller. Cyst and phytophthora resistance. Over 4 years and 128 plots, 1.8 bu./Acre above the average of the plots.
2. Stine 3632-4-cyst resistance, highest selling Stine bean the last 3 years. In 3 years and 62 plots, 3.1 bu./A. above the plot averages.
3. Asgrow AG3801-great on no-till, cyst resistant. New in 2004. In last years plots, 5.6 bu./A. over the averages of the plots.
4. Asgrow AG3905-cyst, phytophthora, and Brown Stem Rot resistance. Great no-till bean. #1 yielding bean in 2003. 6.4 bu./A. over the averages of the plots.
SOYBEAN APHIDS
Facts to know:
1. They are roughly the size of a pinhead or smaller. Need a magnifying lens to see their distinctness.
2. They can also transmit virus diseases like soybean dwarf mosaic.
3. They thrive when temperatures are cool, 68-75 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. They can produce 18 generations a year. Phew! Very fertile!
5. Most critical soybean stages of damage are the V, R1, and R2 stages of development.
6. In University of Wisconsin research, Cruiser50 or Cruiser 62.5 shows the longest systemic activity from seeding to the R3 stage and highest end yield. (Info on page 58 and 59 of the 2004 Illinois Crop Protection Technology Conference Proceedings)
7. According to Arlington Ag Research Station, Wisconsin, the longest lasting foliar insecticides were the pyrethroid insecticide Warrior and the organophosphates Lorsban4E and dimethoate.
8. Illinois guidelines for determining if a foliar insecticide application is warranted are:
A. Average density is 25 or more aphids per leaflet.
B. Density of soybean aphids increase from first to second sample (several days apart).
C. Alatoid nymphs (have wing pads, will become flying aphids) are less than 50% of the population.
D. Soybean stage is R1 or R2.
9. Natural parasites are:
A. Asian lady beetles You might want to “shoo them” from your house to the field.
B. Lacewings
C. Parasitoid wasps
D. Syrphid flies (often mistakenly called sweat bees).
SAYING
“When you need to ‘knock on wood’ is when you realize the world’s made of plastic.” - unknown
WATCH OUT FOR
1. Wireworms on corn are reducing corn stands even where insecticide was used.
2. Ground squirrels are a problem. An old farmers remedy is to take a syringe of turpentine and shoot in the bags of corn used by the roads. It works and does not affect the germ of the corn! It fumigates the seed. Another grower swears by Boot Hill mouse pellets. He opens the packets and scatters the pellets in areas where ground squirrels are present.
3. Bean Leaf Beetles have two generations/year. Watch for feeding on newly emerged soybeans.
Farm Management
