Just the Facts - Glyphosate Impact on the Environment

Recently, we have received an increased number of emails and phone calls regarding the negative interactions of glyphosate with micronutrients and plant diseases. There is a considerable amount of literature in both scientific and popular press about this topic. Bob Hartzler at Iowa State University has done an excellent literature review and discussion of this topic, which was presented at the 2010 ISUE Integrated Crop Management Conference (Ames, IA). The take-home message of Bob's article is that although these interactions cannot be completely ruled out because of where they most likely occur (rhizosphere), there is no empirical data to suggest that there is a widespread negative impact.

We welcome your additional questions and comments on this subject.

Paul and Shawn

Rick DeVoe of RnK Farms wins the 2010 WI Soybean Yield Contest

Rick DeVoe of RnK DeVoe Farms was crowned the 2010 WI Soybean Yield Contest winner. Rick planted Trelay 2252RR that yielded 75.9 bushels per acre. James Sprecher of Meadow Lane Farms, Inc placed second with a yield of 74.8 bu per acre (Jung 1248RR2Y). John Jones placed third with a yield of 68.6 bu per acre (Pioneer 92Y30).

2011 Winter Wheat Workshops

The 2011 Winter Wheat Workshops will take place March 30 and 31, and April 1. The theme for the 2011 workshops is, “The Timeline of Decisions for Wheat Management”. Topics include wheat growth staging, disease and insect diagnostics, nitrogen and weed management, and post-harvest management issues including cover crops, nutrient implications of straw harvest and manure applications. Participants will be able to work “hands-on” with plant material to improve their knowledge of growth staging in relation to management decisions.

Speakers for the 2011 workshops include: Shawn Conley (State Soybean and Small Grains Specialist), Paul Esker (Field Crops Extension Plant Pathologist), and Jim Stute (UWEX Rock County).

Registration will begin at 10:30 AM with the program to start at 11 AM and be finished by 3 PM. Lunch will be provided.

The cost for the workshop is $10. Continuing education credits will be requested.

Workshop locations are:

March 30: Randys, 841 East Milwaukee Street, Whitewater, WI

For more information, contact Heidi Johnson, UW-Extension Jefferson County, (920) 674-7295.

March 31: Marshfield Agricultural Research Station, 2615 East 29th Street, Marshfield, WI

For more information, contact Richard Halopka, UW-Extension Clark County, (715) 743-5121.

April 1: Kewaunee County Highway Department, E4280 County F, Kewaunee, WI

For more information, contact Aerica Bjurstrom, UW-Extension Kewaunee County, (920) 388-7141.

Finalists for the 2010 WI Soybean Yield Contest are Announced

2010 was a great year to be a soybean producer in Wisconsin. Not only did we achieve a state record soybean yield of 50 bu/ acre (NASS, 2010), but we also have the opportunity to crown our inaugural WI Soybean Yield Contest winners. The top three entries (in no particular order) were: RnK Devoe Farms, Monroe (planted Trelay 2252RR), Jones Farms, Bangor (planted Pioneer 92Y30), and James Sprecher of Meadow Lane Farms Inc., Spring Green (planted Jung 1225RR2). The final ranking and awards will be presented at the 2011 Corn Soy Expo to be held at the Kalahari Convention Center, Wisconsin Dells on February 3^rd. The contest is sponsored by the WI Soybean Program and organized to encourage the development of new and innovative management practices and to show the importance of using sound cultural practices in WI soybean production.

For more information please contact Shawn Conley, WI State Soybean Specialist at 608-262-7975 or spconley@wisc.edu

First Note - 2011 Winter Wheat Workshops

As you plan your 2011 winter meeting schedule, this is a first note to say that we will again be offering our winter wheat workshops that have been taught in 2009 and 2010, respectively. We have locked in dates and tentative locations (i.e., counties) with more details to follow.

Currently the workshops as scheduled for:

March 30: Jefferson County
March 31: Wood County
April 1: Kewaunee County

We have decided to take a slightly different approach with the presentation of workshop material for the 2011 program under the heading, "The Timeline of Decisions for Wheat Management". We look forward to offering a very hands-on program for these workshops and hope that you are interested in the program!

We will provide more details over the next month or so as details are finalized.

Happy Holidays!

Survey Request - Fusarium Head Blight Prediction Center

Fusarium head blight (FHB) of wheat has been an important problem in Wisconsin with regional disease outbreaks occurring between 2007-10. The disease causes significant yield loss and damaged grain is often contaminated with the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON), commonly known as vomitoxin. The disease is best managed through a combination variety resistance, and timely application of fungicides when weather conditions elevate the risk of disease development. In recent years, there has been considerable effort to predict the risk of FHB and the need for fungicide applications in wheat. The web-based prediction tools provide daily estimates of disease risk for 25 states east of the Rocky Mountains. This multi-state effort requires considerable resources to maintain, and scientists involved in the project would like to gather some input to justify continued investment of time, computing resources and funds needed to sustain the effort.

If you have used these tools during the 2010-growing season, we would like to hear from you. Please take a few minutes to complete this on-line survey that will help us evaluate, improve, and maintain the system.

The survey is available here.

Note: If you have trouble with the link, please use the following webpage:

http://www.hostedsurvey.com/takesurvey.asp?c=2010Us121326

Resistance to Strobiliurin Fungicides

Today (20 October), a report out of the University of Illinois confirmed that a field in Tennessee where frogeye leaf spot was found and sprayed twice with a strobilurin fungicide but still had high levels of the disease was because the pathogen that causes the disease (Cercospora sojina) was resistant to the fungicide. This finding was based on laboratory assays that examined the sensitivity of the isolate obtained from the field in Tennessee with baseline isolates and compared against active ingredients like azoyxstrobin, pyraclostrobin, and trifloxystrobin. These are the active ingredients that are found in fungicides such as Quadris, Headline, and Stratego.

What does this mean for Wisconsin? Most importantly, this serves as a very important reminder that the use of fungicides should be done based on several factors, including knowledge of the variety planted and if there is resistance to the targeted diseases of interest, followed by active scouting during the growing season to assess if conditions would warrant a fungicide application. Misuse or overuse of a foliar fungicide can increase the risk for resistance. Specifically for frogeye leaf spot in 2010, we did see symptoms in many fields, but severity was low on average. However, this is the sort of information that should be used to build a working knowledge of the specific diseases that may affect production fields in order to most effectively build a long-term management program.

Based on our data from Wisconsin over the past several years, in the majority of situations a foliar fungicide was not found to be needed and would have been an additional cost to production.