CooperativeExtension ServiceMarshall County

1933 Mayfield Hwy.Benton, KY 42025

(270) 527-3285Fax: (270) 527-1555

http://marshall.ca.uky.edu

The March Edition of

Nikki’s NewsMarshall County’s Agriculture and Natural Resources Update

RENEWING FARM TAGS BENEFITS 4-H

4-H has an opportunity to raise funds for Marshall County and statewide 4-H programs through the Kentucky Ag Tag Program. Soon after taking office in 2012, Commissioner of Agriculture

James Comer announced all farm license plate voluntary donations would be split evenly among 4-H, FFA and the Kentucky Proud

program. Farmers can make the donation of $10 when renewing their farm

license plates at the county clerk’s office in March. With more than 184,000 farm plates bought or renewed each year in Kentucky, the commissioner’s action can generate significant funds to support these outstanding programs. “Kentucky

4-H has been given a tremendous opportunity by Commissioner Comer to raise significant funds to support 4-H,” said Keith Rogers, executive director of the Kentucky 4-H Foundation. “The donations made to the Ag Tag Program will help 4-H give young

people around the Commonwealth opportunities that develop leadership, citizenship, and life skills.”

Last year Kentucky 4-H received $169,280.21, from the Ag Tag Program. These funds are split between the county where the funds originated and the Kentucky 4-H foundation for state level programs. Marshall County 4-H’s share for 2014 was $585

and benefited programs such as 4-Her Volunteer Service Scholarships, 4-H Camp, After-School and Project 4-H Clubs, and much more.

This year Marshall County has a great opportunity to increase financial support for our local 4-H Councils, clubs and programs by encouraging farmers to make the

donation. Making the $10 donation on each farm license plate at renewal is an excellent opportunity for our agricultural community to support the youth of our community and help fund the programs that can make a lasting difference in their lives. To learn more

about 4-H programs, contact the Marshall County Extension Office at 527-3285.

Lena D. Mallory, Marshall County Extension Agent for 4-H Youth Development

P. 2-3

Crop News Yield Goals Could Cost You This Year

P. 4-5

More Crop News Will Insects Survive

This Winter?

P. 6 Even More Crop News

2 Things to Cut Cost

P. 7 Horticulture NewsBecome a Garden

Seed Saver

P. 8-9 Livestock News Timely Tips

& Raising Backyard

Chickens Workshop

Page 10Recipe of the Month

Zippy Corn Chowder

Crop NewsRecently, I worked with a small group of farmers who were interested in trimming costs, but not yield, in 2015. They provided their soil test values, historical yields, crop history, and intended production practices for 2015. Those producers reported that were applying $124 per acre more for fertilizer than what was recommended by the University of Kentucky. Even if we factored in enough fertilizer for the following soybean crop, they were spending about $100 per acre more. They were using yield goals to make their fertilizer decisions.

Producers enjoy farming based on yield goals. Yield goals are positive thinking. They are a challenge to the pro-ducer to try to reach higher yields. Annual budgets have yield goals. Loans require an estimate of income which requires a projected yield. Yield goals are easy to market and easy to understand. Yield goals also could cost you a lot of money in 2015.The University of Kentucky publishes AGR-1 Lime and Nutrient Recommendations every two years. These recommendations are based on decades of research on soil test values, fertilizer rates and yields in Kentucky. The rates in AGR-1 are based off of these research results. Many yield goal strategies include fertilizer rates to meet the expected crop removal rate. Often, those crop removal rates are much higher than the agronomic response of fertilizer reported in AGR-1.

Yield Goals Could Cost You This YearBy: Chad Lee, Extension Professor for Grain Crops ,University of Kentucky

The farmers in that small group were applying more phosphorus, potassium and zinc than what AGR-1 recommends based on soil test values. While these rates were high, the phosphorus, potassium and zinc were not high enough to be an in environmental risk. The additional phosphorus, potassium, and zinc should increase soil test values and a portion of each should be available for subsequent crops. As long as these fields are managed by the same growers in 2016 and 2017, they can recoup part of their investment on the additional fertilizer. With tighter margins in 2015, the only real loss these producers face is the additional expense on fertilizer that likely will not increase yields a single bushel.

While a yield goal method tends to recommend more fertilizer on fields that soil test in the moderate to high range (Table 1), the yield goal method could suggest less fertilizer on fields that soil test low or very low (Table 2). In these low-testing fields, AGR-1 is attempting to increase soil test values in addition to providing enough nutrients for the crops. So, a yield goal method likely over-fertilizes fields that soil test high and possibly under-fertilizes on fields that soil test low. Again, yield goals are fun to talk about and are easy to understand. They may not be the most economical approach in 2015. If we cannot convince you to step away from the yield goal approach for 2015 then we will suggest an adjustment to your yield goal. For 2015, consider using an Olympic average as your yield goal instead of the maximum. If you follow AGR-1 for fertilizer and we get a good season, then you have a great chance of beating your Olympic average.

More Crop NewsThe Inevitable Questions About Insects Surviving the Winter

Doug Johnson, Extension Entomologist, University of Kentucky

The onset of colder than normal weather always brings up the question of how the cold will affect insect populations in the upcoming growing season. Though the answer to this question seems simple it is actually very complex. Certainly, temperature has a large impact on insects. If the temperatures are too high (generally greater than 85-90o F) insects may die because their cellular activity is moving so fast. It’s like humans having an elevated temperature, except much worse. When the temperature is too low, (generally less than 60o F) insects are less able to move, eat and reproduce but they often do not die even when it is very cold; they just remain sluggish or immobile until temperatures warm back up. The mechanisms that allow this survival are too complicated to describe here, but basically insects have two main protective mechanisms. They can seek shelter from the cold and they can produce compounds in their bodies that are very similar to the antifreeze that we humans put in our cars. These compounds keep them from freezing solid. It is not the cold but the freezing/thawing processes that usually causes insect death. When thinking about how winter affects insects we need to remember that we are talking about population size. An individual insect is either alive or dead, there is no in between. But an insect population, a group of insects, can have different rates of survival. So, in a “mild” winter, perhaps 10% of the overwintering insects die leaving 90% of them to live into the spring. On the other hand, in a “hard” winter, perhaps 80% of the population will die leaving only 20% of the population to survive into the spring. So, it is not so much a matter of if insects can survive as it is how many insects will survive. Remember that snow and ice are insulators. Though what they coat will be at freezing (32o F) and temperature will drop slowly, this is often much better than the air temperatures from an arctic blast! So, for example, when there is a -10o F day, things that are covered with snow and ice will remain much nearer to 32o F, providing a measure of protection from the ultra-cold temperatures. This and protection from water loss is why wheat producers like to have a snow cover when severe cold is present. The status of water in the area of overwintering is also very important. For many insects the presence of liquid water, combined with very cold conditions, is quite dangerous. With most species the over wintering stage can survive much lower temperatures if they are dry and not in direct contact with ice crystals. This may sound confusing but greater insect survival rates occur when the overwintering insect is dry, and not touching an ice crystal. They may be insulated by surrounding ice so long as they are not touching the ice. So, what can we say about insects in Kentucky? We can generally classify our insect pests as those that are: 1) cold adapted, 2.) warm adapted or 3.) migratory. Here are some examples.Fully cold-hardy European corn borer (ECB) larvae can survive -4o F for three continuous months, while the egg stage of the soybean aphid can survive to about -29o F in a single severe cold event. Clearly, European corn borer, imported in the 1700’s from northern Europe, and soybean aphid which arrived in KY from northern Japan in 2000, are not likely to face many winters in Kentucky that they cannot survive; especially when there is snow cover. Southwestern corn borer (SWCB), which migrated to the central states from southwestern US states and Mexico, is a more warm adapted pest, (though there is some evidence the species is adapting to cooler areas). In laboratory studies larvae can survive temperatures of 14o to 19o F for several days if they are dry.

Armyworm

The importance of seeking a hiding place is illustrated by a study done near Evansville, IN, which represents the likely northern range edge for southwestern corn borer. Temperatures inside intact corn root crowns, the overwintering location of SWCB, were measured over three winters. Although air temperatures fell below 2.2° F for up to five consecutive days, root crown temperatures only approached 17.6o F for periods of a few hours, due primarily to a moderating effect of freezing soil water. So, though the air temperature was cold enough to kill the SWCB, they were not experiencing that cold in their hiding place. Migratory pests like fall armyworm cannot survive a Kentucky winter any time. They can only live in an area where their food grows continuously all year round. Thus, we only see them after the weather has become warm enough for: 1.) The insect to survive the cold and 2.) Their food source becomes available. As those conditions expand northward each year we see the population expanding into our area and beyond. What conditions are likely to cause the greatest decrease in an insect population in Kentucky?

• It appears that cold, wet weather, particularly with wet but not frozen soils for insect overwintering in the ground, and lack of snow or ice cover will cause the greatest or at least the most common decrease in survival of overwintering insects in Kentucky,• Extreme cold that is not moderated by snow or ice cover increases mortality but is a rather rare event.• Repeated wide swings in temperature, alternating warm and cold during the traditionally cold months (e.g. Dec – Mar).• A long, warm period late in the traditionally cold season followed by a quick return to very cold conditions.• Consistently cold but “average” temperatures are not as damaging as most people expect.What will possibly happen to grain crops insect pests in the 2015 production year because of the 2014-2015 winter conditions? This is skating on thin ice; but let’s take a go!• “Cold adapted” insects like European corn borer will not be much affected,• Migratory insects like armyworm and fall army worm (Pictured Left) : Given how far south the cold weather has penetrated, these insects may show up later in the year and in smaller numbers, but this may be more dependent on how long the cold and the snow cover lasts, rather than how cold it gets.• Warmer adapted insects like southwestern corn borer may have less overwintering survival. The severe cold weather in the late 1970s decimated this pest in Kentucky which did not reappear in an economic way until the early 1990s.• The more warm adapted southern green and redbanded stinkbugs that are on our boarders but not yet recorded in Kentucky, are unlikely to make it to us in 2015. • Kudzu bug (Pictured Right) populations in the south were much smaller and appeared later in the 2014 growing season, partially because of the 2013-14 winter. So, I would expect this to happen again in 2015.• Brown Marmorated stink bug is a more difficult call. This insect did not seem to be much affected by the 2013-14 winter and my guess is the same for this winter. There appeared to be increases in BMSB populations in central KY during 2014. This is one I would look out for in central KY this year. • Our normal Green & Brown stinkbug complex was much larger in 2014 than in the previous year. So, I don’t see that the 2013-14 winter had much impact on them, thus I don’t think the 2014-15 winter will either.

References:Baskauf, S. and D. McCauley. 2001. Evaluation of low temperature mortality as a range-limiting factor for the southwestern corn borer (Lepidoptera:Crambidae) Environ. Entomol. 30(2): 181-188.Hanec, W. and S. Beck. 1960. Cold hardiness in the European Cornborer, Pyrasta nubilalis (Hubn.) J. Insect Physiology.5(3-4)169-180.MCCornack, B., M. Carrillo, R. Venette and D. Ragsdale. 2005. Physiological constraints on the overwintering potential of the soybean aphid ( Homoptera: Aphidae). Environ. Entomol. 34(2):235-240.

Kudzu Bug

Focus on These Two Things, Cut Costs ElsewhereChad Lee, Extension Agronomist, University of Kentucky

Farmers are looking where to cut production budgets for 2015. Three of my colleagues and I were honored to speak at the National Commodity Classic this year. During our presentation, one of my colleagues closed out our session by saying that the two things farmers need to do is: 1) use appropriate soil-applied fertilizers based on soil tests; and 2) use highly effective weed control, which probably includes a soil residual herbicide. All of us in the room agreed that these are probably the two things many farmers will cut in 2015.

A representative soil test is our best indicator for what the field needs to produce soybeans. If a soil is deficient, lime and soil-applied fertilizers based on a soil test help insure that soybeans will not lack for nutrients. On the flip side, a soil test may indicate that no additional fertilizer is needed in a particular field. If a soil test suggests no fertilizer needed, then that guideline results in huge savings without impacting yield.

Weeds are one of the major things that reduce soybean yields each year. In a year like 2015, some producers will be tempted to try to sneak by with a single postemergence herbicide timing. They may be tempted to let some weeds get big so that others will germinate and all can be controlled with a single pass. This practice almost always costs more in yield loss than what was spent on a second herbicide application. Getting weeds removed before they compete with the soybean crop will help maintain high yield potential. In addition, letting some weeds escape this year only results in more problems next year.

So, farmers should focus on adequate fertility based on a representative soil test and excellent weed control. Both are critical to high yields. There are plenty of other places where a producer can save a few dollars in 2015 production costs.

Even More Crop News

Horticulture NewsThinking About Becoming A Seed Saver?

By Ray Tackett Bourban County ExtensionAgent for Horticulture.

You can save vegetable seeds from your garden produce to plant next year. Seed saving involves selecting suitable plants from which to save seed, harvesting seeds at the right time, and storing them properly over the winter.

Tomatoes, peppers, beans and peas are good choices for seed saving. These plants have flowers that are self-pollinating, and seeds that require little or no special treatment before storage.

Seeds from biennial crops such as carrots or beets are harder to save, since the plants need two growing seasons to set seed.

Plants with separate male and female flowers, like corn and vine crops, may cross-pollinate, so it is difficult to keep the seed strain pure. A stand of sweet corn can be pollinated by popcorn from a nearby garden on a windy day. The flavor of the current sweet corn crop will be affected, and a crop grown from these seeds will be neither good sweet corn nor good popcorn.

Cucumbers, melons, squash, pumpkins and gourds can all be cross-pollinated by insects. Although the quality of the current crop will not be affected, seeds from such a cross will grow into vines with fruit unlike that of the parent plant--often inferior in flavor and other characteristics.

When saving seed, choose open-pollinated varieties rather than hybrids. If open-pollinated varieties self-pollinate or are cross-pollinated by other plants of the same variety, they set seed which grows into plants that are still very similar to the parent plant, bearing similar fruit and setting seeds that will produce more similar plants. Open-pollinated varieties may be “heirlooms,” varieties that have been passed down from one generation of gardeners to the next, or they may be more recent selections.

Once you have planted an open-pollinated crop, select the plants from which you want to save seed. Choose only the most vigorous plants with the best-tasting fruit as parents for the next year’s crop. Do not save seed from weak or off-type plants. In future articles we will discuss properly harvesting and storing seed that you have collected.

Livestock NewsTimely Tips

Dr. Roy Burris, Beef Extension Professor, University of Kentucky

Spring-Calving Cows- Continue grass tetany prevention. Be sure that the mineral mix contains magnesium and that cows consume adequate amounts. You can feed the UK Beef IRM High Magnesium mineral.

- Obtain yearling measurements on bulls and heifers this month (weight, height, pelvic area, scrotal circufer-ence, ultrasound data, etc.) if needed for special sales. Heifers should be on target to be cycling by the start of the breeding season.

- The spring calving season should be in full swing now, top priority should be to get a live calf and keep cows in sufficient body condition to rebreed early. Calving areas should be accessible and as clean and as free of mud as possible. Pastures which have good sod and are close to handling facilities work best.

- Check cows at least twice daily and first-calf heifers more frequently than that. Be ready to assist those not making progress after 1 to 2 hours of hard labor. Chilled calves should be dried and warmed as soon as possi-ble.

- See that each calf gets colostrum within an hour of birth, or administer colostrum (or a commercial colos-trum replacement) with an esophageal feeder, if needed.

- Identify calves with eartags and/or tattoos while calves are young and easy to handle and record birthdate and Dam ID. Commercial male calves should be castrated and implanted as soon as possible. Registered calves should be weighed in the first 24 hours.

- Separate cows that have calved and increase their feed. Energy supplementation to cows receiving hay is necessary to prepare them for rebreeding. For example, a 1250 lb cow giving 25 lb/day of milk would need about 25 lb of fescue hay and 5 lb of concentrate daily to maintain condition. If you need to go from a cond-tion score of 4 to 5, you will need to add about 2 more lbs of concentrate. Cows must be in good condition to conceive early in the upcoming breeding season.

-Watch for calf scours! If scours become a problem, move cows which have not calved to a clean pasture. Be prepared to give fluids to scouring calves that become dehydrated. Consult your veterinarian for advice and send fecal samples to diagnostic lab to determine which drug therapy will be most effective. Try to avoid feed-ing hay in excessively muddy areas to avoid contamination of the dams’ udders.

- Plan to vaccinate calves for clostridial diseases (Blackleg, Malignant Edema) as soon as possible. You might choose to do this at the prebreeding working in late April or early May.

- Prepare bulls for the breeding season. Increase feed if necessary to have bulls in adequate condition for breeding.

- Finalize plans for your spring breeding program. Purchase new bulls at least 30 days before the breeding season – demand performance records and check health history including immunizations. Use visual evalution and expected progeny differences (EPD’s) to select a bull that fits your program. Order semen now, if using artificial insemination.

Fall-Calving Cows- Calves intended for feeders should be implanted.

- Bull(s) should be away from the cows now!

- Plan to pregnancy check cows soon. You can also blood test for pregnancy 30 days after bull removal.

- Creep feed calves with grain, by-products or high quality forage. Calves will not make satisfactory gains on the dam’s milk alone after about 4 mos. of age – since there isn’t much pasture in March, fall calves need supple-mental nutrition. Consider creep grazing on wheat pasture, if available. Calves can also be early-weaned.

- Consider adding weight and selling your fall calves as “heavy” feeder calves while prices are high. Keep them gaining! Prices are too high to waste time.

General- Repair fences, equipment and handling facilities.

- If you have a dry, sunny day, use chain-link harrow to spread manure in areas where cattle haveoverwintered. This may be done in conjunction with renovation.

- Watch for lice and treat if needed.

- Renovation and fertilization of pastures should be completed.

- Start thistle control. They can be a severe problem in Kentucky pastures. Chemical control must be done early to be effective.

For more information go to http://marshall.ca.uky.edu/AgNaturalResources

Or Follow us onMarshall County Agriculture and Natural Resources Facebook Page

Marshall County Agriculture and Natural

Resources Agent

Recipe of the Month

In a large saucepan, sauté onion and green pepper in butter until tender. Add broth and cubed potatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes are almost tender. Stir in jalapeno, mustard, basil, paprika and red pepper flakes. Add corn, green onions and 1½ cups of milk. Bring to a boil. In a separate bowl, combine all-purpose flour and remaining ½ cup

milk, stirring until smooth. Gradually add mixture to soup. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly.

Yield: 8, 1 cup servings

Nutritional Analysis: 190 calories, 2.5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 350 mg sodium, 34 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 10 g sugar, 7 g protein

Zippy Corn Chowder1 medium onion, chopped1 green pepper, chopped1 tablespoon butter1 (14.5 ounce) can low-sodium chicken broth2 large red potatoes, cubed1 jalapeno pepper, seeded

and chopped2 teaspoons Dijon mustard1 teaspoon basil½ teaspoon paprika½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

3 cups fresh or frozen whole kernel corn 4 green onions, chopped2 cups skim milk, divided2 tablespoons all-purpose flour1 teaspoon salt (optional)

Buying Kentucky Proud is easy. Look for the label at your grocery store, farmers' market, or roadside stand.

NOTE: Body is 9/11 (-10)Can be reduced to 8.5/10 (-10)

Or 8/10 (-10) max

Kentucky Sweet CornSEASON: July-AugustNUTRITION FACTS: Corn is low in fat and is a good source of fiber and B vitamins, with 90 calories in a half cup serving.SELECTION: Look for ears with green shucks, moist stems and silk free of decay. Kernels should be small, tender, plump and milky when pierced. They should fill up all the spaces in the rows.STORAGE: Keep unshucked, fresh corn in the refrigerator until ready to use. Wrap ears in damp paper towels and place in a plastic bag for 4 to 6 days.PREPARATION:

To microwave: Place ears of corn, still in the husk, in a single layer, in the microwave. Cook on high for 2 minutes for one ear, adding 1 minute per each additional ear. Turn the ears after 1 minute. Let corn set for several minutes before removing the shucks and silks.

To boil: Remove shucks and silks. Trim stem ends. Carefully place ears in a large pot of boiling water. Cook 2-4 minutes or until kernels are tender.To grill: Turn back the shucks and remove silks. Sprinkle each ear with 2 tablespoons of water and nonfat seasoning such as salt, pepper or herbs. Replace shucks and tie them shut with a string that has been soaked in water. Place ears on a hot grill for 20 to 30 minutes, turning often.

KENTUCKY SWEET CORNKentucky Proud ProjectCounty Extension Agents for Family and Consumer SciencesUniversity of Kentucky, Dietetics and Human Nutrition studentsJune 2013

Source: www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov

Educational programs of Kentucky Cooperative Extension serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability, or national origin. For more information, contact your county’s Extension agent for Family and Consumer Sciences or visit www.uky.ag/fcs

In a large saucepan, sauté onion and green pepper in butter until tender. Add broth and cubed potatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes are almost tender. Stir in jalapeno, mustard, basil, paprika and red pepper flakes. Add corn, green onions and 1½ cups of milk. Bring to a boil. In a separate bowl, combine all-purpose flour and remaining ½ cup

milk, stirring until smooth. Gradually add mixture to soup. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly.

Yield: 8, 1 cup servings

Nutritional Analysis: 190 calories, 2.5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 350 mg sodium, 34 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 10 g sugar, 7 g protein

Zippy Corn Chowder1 medium onion, chopped1 green pepper, chopped1 tablespoon butter1 (14.5 ounce) can low-sodium chicken broth2 large red potatoes, cubed1 jalapeno pepper, seeded

and chopped2 teaspoons Dijon mustard1 teaspoon basil½ teaspoon paprika½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

3 cups fresh or frozen whole kernel corn 4 green onions, chopped2 cups skim milk, divided2 tablespoons all-purpose flour1 teaspoon salt (optional)

Buying Kentucky Proud is easy. Look for the label at your grocery store, farmers' market, or roadside stand.

NOTE: Body is 9/11 (-10)Can be reduced to 8.5/10 (-10)

Or 8/10 (-10) max

Kentucky Sweet CornSEASON: July-AugustNUTRITION FACTS: Corn is low in fat and is a good source of fiber and B vitamins, with 90 calories in a half cup serving.SELECTION: Look for ears with green shucks, moist stems and silk free of decay. Kernels should be small, tender, plump and milky when pierced. They should fill up all the spaces in the rows.STORAGE: Keep unshucked, fresh corn in the refrigerator until ready to use. Wrap ears in damp paper towels and place in a plastic bag for 4 to 6 days.PREPARATION:

To microwave: Place ears of corn, still in the husk, in a single layer, in the microwave. Cook on high for 2 minutes for one ear, adding 1 minute per each additional ear. Turn the ears after 1 minute. Let corn set for several minutes before removing the shucks and silks.

To boil: Remove shucks and silks. Trim stem ends. Carefully place ears in a large pot of boiling water. Cook 2-4 minutes or until kernels are tender.To grill: Turn back the shucks and remove silks. Sprinkle each ear with 2 tablespoons of water and nonfat seasoning such as salt, pepper or herbs. Replace shucks and tie them shut with a string that has been soaked in water. Place ears on a hot grill for 20 to 30 minutes, turning often.

KENTUCKY SWEET CORNKentucky Proud ProjectCounty Extension Agents for Family and Consumer SciencesUniversity of Kentucky, Dietetics and Human Nutrition studentsJune 2013

Source: www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov

Educational programs of Kentucky Cooperative Extension serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability, or national origin. For more information, contact your county’s Extension agent for Family and Consumer Sciences or visit www.uky.ag/fcs