Yellowing in Wheat and Barley

You can see many fields of wheat and barley with yellow areas currently. The following are some potential causes of this yellowing.

• Excess water and waterlogged soils with temparily shut down small grain roots and can cause yellowing and stunting. Denitrification in these wet areas may lead to nitrogen deficiency and yellowing.
• pH problems can cause yellowing. Low pH (less than 5.3) will cause poor root growth and potential problems with Magnesium deficiency. High pH (above 6.4) will often lead to a Manganese deficiency in many DE soils.
• Compaction from equipment traffic over wet soils will lead to poor root growth and yellowing and stunting because soil is too dense for roots to penetrate. Secondary effects of compaction will be soils remaining wet longer and increased dentrification again potentially causing yellowing.
• Several diseases can lead to yellowing or browing of small grain seedling including Fusarium seedling blight, Pythium, and other seedling blights.
• Barley yellow dwarf virus can cause yellowing in spot in fields. These are usually circular in appearance.
• Nitrogen deficiency will cause yellowing in small grain seedlings. This is often most noticeable in areas where significant plant residue from the previous crop was incorporated, creating a temporary nitrogen deficiency.
• Herbicide carryover is another possible cause of yellowing in small grains. This is most common on dry years but still can happen in wetter years, especially after later planted vegetables where herbicides have not yet broken down.

Gordon Johnson, Extension Agriculture Agent, UD, Kent County

Tillering in Wheat

Good tillering is essential for high wheat yields. The following is more information on tillering in wheat.

A tiller is a shoot that originates at the coleoptilar node at the crown of the plant (near ground level). Tillers share the same root mass with the main stem. During tillering, the major management consideration is whether stands are adequate to achieve yield goals. Management inputs will not compensate for skimpy or erratic stands cased by insects, seedling diseases, poor seed quality, herbicide injury, etc. You want to encourage fall tillering for highest yields. This is best done by planting as soon after the Hessian fly free date (around October 8) and by having enough nitrogen (N) for the plant. With late planted wheat (November plantings) fall tillering will be minimal. For these late palnted fields, if stands are thin but uniform coming out of winter, a February or early March nitrogen (N) application may enhance the rate of tillering, potentially increasing the number of heads per square foot. Fall N application of 25 to 40 pounds per acre usually increases winter survival, tillering, and yield. Excess N applied at this time leads to a lush, vegetative growth which makes the crop more susceptible to winter-kill and foliar fungal disease. Adequate phosphorus (P) and a soil pH around6.0 are needed for good rooting and tiller development. Winter wheat can continue to tiller for several weeks. Depending upon the planting date and weather conditions, tillering can either be interrupted by or completed prior to the onset of winter dormancy. Most of the tillers that contribute to grain yield potential are produced in fall or late winter/early spring.

Some information taken from an fact sheet from the Ohio State University Extension.

International Poultry Expo Coming Up January 27-29, 2010

The Internation Poultry Expo is the largest event of its kind. It is coming up January 27-29, 2010 in Atlanta. Scientific meetings preceed the event on January 25-26. The following is more information.

The International Poultry Expo is the primary source of funding for the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, the world's largest and most active poultry organization. It represents the entire industry as an "All Feather" association. Membership includes producers and processors of broilers, turkeys, ducks, eggs, and breeding stock, as well as allied companies. Formed in 1947, the association has affiliations in 27 states and member companies worldwide. This nonprofit organization represents its poultry and egg members through research, education, communications and technical services.

Funds earned at the International Poultry Expo are funneled directly back into the industry in the form of research grants, educational programs, communications, and technical assistance.

Location of the event: Georgia World Congress Center, 285 Andrew Young Int'l Blvd. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30313-1591

Schedule:

Sunday, January 24
Noon - 5 p.m. Exhibitor Registration and On-site Attendee Self-Registration Open
International Blvd. Lobby between Halls A & B.

Monday, January 25
7 a.m. - 5 p.m. On-site Registration Open - International Blvd. Lobby between Halls A & B
Self-registration: 7 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Cashier hours: 7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
8 a.m. - 5 p.m. International Poultry Scientific Forum

Tuesday, January 26
7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. On-site Registration Open - International Blvd. Lobby between Halls A & B
8 a.m. - 3 p.m. International Poultry Scientific Forum
9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Pet Food Conference
1 p.m. - 5 p.m. Animal Agriculture Environmental Sustainability Summit

Wednesday, January 27
7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. On-site Registration Open - International Blvd. Lobby between Halls A & B
8 a.m. - noon Pet Food Conference
9 a.m. - 11 a.m. Animal Agriculture Environmental Sustainability Summit
10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Exhibit Halls Open
1 - 5 p.m. College Student Career Program Student Sign-in Interviews
5 - 6 p.m. International Networking Reception Thomas B. Murphy Ballroom, Georgia World Congress Center
5:30 p.m. Student Program Orientation and Opening Session

Thursday, January 28
7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. On-site Registration Open - International Blvd. Lobby between Halls A & B
8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. College Student Career Program
9 a.m. - 11 a.m. AFIA International Feed Education Program
10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Exhibit Halls Open

Friday, January 29
7:30 a.m. - 11 a.m. On-site Registration Open - International Blvd. Lobby between Halls A & B
8 - 10:15 a.m. Market Intelligence Forum
9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Exhibit Halls Open
8:30 a.m. - noon College Student Career Program Interviews Room C-307
1 p.m. Expo Closes
1 - 2:30 p.m. Free Airport Shuttle

For registration and additional information go to: http://www.ipe10.org/

Beef - Adding Supplemental Fat to Diets Improves Reproductive Performance

The following is a good article from the University of Kentucky on adding supplemental fat to the diet of cattle to improve reproductive performance.

Over the past 15 years, 30 different research trials have been conducted that examine the impact of supplemental fat on reproductive performance of beef and dairy cattle. Fats (or lipids) have been fed before and after calving and during the breeding season. Research on feeding supplemental fat has resulted in varied and inconsistent results as it relates to reproductive efficiency including positive, negative, and no apparent effect. Several different fat sources have been studied. Plant oils have thus far shown to have the greatest impact on reproduction. Some of the more common sources of plant oils include: sunflower, safflower, whole cottonseed, rice hulls and soybeans. In addition, animal tallow, calcium salts, and fishmeal have also been evaluated.

Dr. Rick Funston, University of Nebraska beef specialist, reviewed the research pertaining to this topic. His conclusions about added fat in cow and heifer diets suggested that some of the improvements reported may be due to the added energy from the fat source. He suggests that until these relationships are better understood, producers are advised to strive for low cost and balanced rations. IF a source of supplemental fat can be added with little or no change in the ration cost, it would be advisable to add it to the ration.

Adding fat would be most likely to have a benefit on reproduction with young, marginally thin, growing cows in a year where limited nutrients are available. In other words, two and three year old cows (in a 4 body condition score of 4 or 5) with low quality and/or quantity of roughage available, are most likely to get a boost from adding whole soybeans, whole cottonseeds, safflower, or sunflowers to their diet.

To examine the potential impact of feeding fat on reproductive performance, Dr. Jeff Lehmkuhler and I conducted a trial this spring on 160 extremely thin cows. Approximately 30 days before breeding, this herd of cows averaged a body condition score of only 3.5 (1-9 scale) and weighed less than 1000 pounds. About 125 of the cows were fed 25 pounds of wet distillers grain (about 12-13 pounds of WDG on a dry matter basis) while on pasture. The analysis of the WDG indicated a TDN of 89%, CP of 34%, and 10% fat. The remaining cows were not supplemented. Estrus was synchronized in all the cows by inserting a CIDR device for 7 days prior to turning the bulls in. Bulls remained with the cows for 70 days. Pregnancy rate was determined about 110 days after the beginning of the breeding season. All the cows gained weight throughout the experiment. The cows fed the WDG gained over 100 pounds and more than one body condition score (went from a BCS of 3.5 to a 5). The cows that were not fed WDG also gained weight. Feeding WDG improved pregnancy rate as 85% of cows fed WDG became pregnant while only (60%) of the cows that were not fed WDG.

This trial is further evidence of the positive impact of supplementation on rebreeding potential in beef cows. Although we cannot determine in this trial if the fat contained in the WDG was the key component impacting fertility, it seems apparent that feeding WDG for 30 days prior to breeding has the potential to improve the reproductive rate of cows in poor body condition.

Reprinted from "Adding Fat to the Diet Can Improve Reproductive Performance" by Dr. Les Anderson, Beef Extension Specialist, University of Kentucky http://www.uky.edu/Ag/AnimalSciences/beef/newsletter/Nov09OfftheHoof.pdf

Corn Still in the Field

There is still some corn in the field waiting to be harvested. The following is an article on the effect of delayed harvest on corn.

Leaving corn in the field exposes a crop to unfavorable weather conditions, as well as wildlife damage. A crop with weak plant integrity is more vulnerable to yield losses from stalk lodging and ear drop when weathering conditions occur. Additional losses may occur when ear rots reduce grain quality and can lead to significant dockage when the grain is marketed. Some ear rots produce mycotoxins, which may cause major health problems if fed to livestock.

The following are results of some research in Ohio on the effects of delaying corn harvest.

KEY FINDINGS

• Results showed that nearly 90% of the yield loss associated with delayed corn harvest occurred when delays extended beyond mid-November.

• Grain moisture decreased nearly 6% between harvest dates in Oct. and Nov. Delaying harvest after early to mid Nov. achieved almost no additional grain drying.

• Hybrids with lower stalk strength ratings exhibited greater stalk rot, lodging and yield loss when harvest was delayed. Early harvest of these hybrids eliminated this effect.

• The greatest increase in stalk rot incidence came between harvest dates in October and November. In contrast, stalk lodging increased most after early-mid November.

• Harvest delays had little or no effect on grain quality characteristics such as oil, protein, starch, and kernel breakage.

In this study, yields averaged across experiments, populations and hybrids decreased about 13% between the Oct. and Dec. harvest dates. Most of the yield loss, about 11%, occurred after the early-mid Nov. harvest date. In three of the eight experiments, yield losses between Oct. and Dec. harvest dates ranged from 21 to 24%. In the other five experiments, yield losses ranged from 5 to 12%.

Grain moisture content showed a decrease from the Oct. to Nov. harvest dates but little or no change beyond the Nov. harvest dates. Grain moisture, averaged across experiments, hybrid, and plant population, decreased 6.3% points between the Oct. and Dec. harvest dates, with most of the decrease occurring between the Oct. and Nov. harvest dates (5.8 % points); only a 0.5 % point decrease occurred after early-mid Nov. Differences in grain moisture were evident among hybrids on the first harvest date in early-mid Oct. but were generally negligible on the later dates.

Adapted from "How will Delaying Corn Harvest Affect Yield, Grain Quality and Moisture?-Research Findings" by Peter Thomison, Allen Geyer, and Rich Minyo in the November 10, 2009 edition of the Crop Observation and Recommendation Network newsletter from the Ohio State University http://corn.osu.edu/index.php?setissueID=329#A

Will Next Year Be a Heavy Soybean Aphid Year

We do not think that soybean aphids overwinter in Delaware because there are few wild host plants that they will survive on in this region. They do overwinter on Buckthorn in states such as Ohio. In the growing season, they move from these areas west of us to Delaware on weather fronts. We therefore look to these states to see if they will have heavy overwintering populations. The following are reports from Ohio on potential for soybean aphid problems in 2010.

In Ohio, the large flights of aphids seen in an outbreak year were much later than expected, more into mid-to-late August. These flights lasted well into the September. These late flights resulted in extremely large populations of aphids on buckthorn, the aphid’s overwintering host . Having that many aphids on buckthorn is unusual during an outbreak year. We normally see high buckthorn populations during low, non-outbreak years, since these high numbers in the fall lead to our predictions of high densities the following year. Although we expected to see large egg numbers on buckthorn, this did not happen. It appeared that a fungal pathogen infected the aphid population causing significant mortality. It was not unusual to see large numbers of brown, dead unwinged aphids along with winged aphids that seemed to “melt” on the leaf surfaces. Subsequently, we have observed very few eggs on the buckthorn this fall as we had projected. We would mention that this has been the same scenario that other Midwest entomologists have seen in their states.

What does this mean for 2010? At this time, we have to admit we do not know. Normally when we see late flights and large numbers of aphids on buckthorn, we predict that we will see significant problems the following summer. But the large mortality we observed with the corresponding lack of egg deposition questions that assumption. Thus, no prediction can be made. We will recommend that growers maintain extra vigilance next summer until we see trends in what the soybean aphid population is doing. Whether the aphid remains in a 2-year cycle with 2010 having low populations, or do we lose the 2-year cycle and have economic outbreaks next year remains to be seen.

Information from "Discussing the 2009 Soybean Aphid Season and What it May Mean for 2010" by Ron Hammond, Andy Michel, and Bruce Eisley in the November 10, 2009 edition of the Crop Observation and Recommendation Network newsletter from the Ohio State University http://corn.osu.edu/index.php?setissueID=329#C

PASA Coming Up

The following is information on the Pennsylvania Sustainable Agriculture Conference. This is a great educational and networking opportunity for all farmers interested in sustainable agriculture.

Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture's 19th Annual Farming for the Future Conference

Dates: February 4 -6, 2010
Location: State College, PA
Theme: The Sustainable Challenge - Providing for a Livable Tomorrow

Keynote Speakers

Opening Keynote Address Friday, February 5
Michael Reynolds Architect, author, and leader in sustainable housing, subject of the documentary Garbage Warrior

Closing Keynote Address Saturday, February 6
Lisa M. Hamilton, Author of Deeply Rooted, journalist and photographer focusing on agriculture, farmers & ranchers

The 2010 conference offers over 7o workshops and these11 intensive pre-conference tracks:

• Sustaining Healthy Relationships on the Farm
• Harvesting the Back Forty: Agro-Forestry in the Mid-Atlantic and Beyond
• Green Living for High School Students
• All Organic Matters with Pennsylvania Certified Organic
• Composting for Fruit, Vegetable, and Field Crop Production
• Storing the Land's Abundance: Putting Food By & Adding Value to Your Harvest
• Sustainable Pastured Poultry
• Controlling Your Dairy Destiny
• Value-Added Dairy
• Intermediate Cheesemaking
• Year-Round Production in High Tunnels with Steve Moore

Conference Brochures will be mailed to PASA members and supporters in early December. Full information will be available online at that time, at http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102834972091&s=6511&e=0019EsiEyKqu_5p8yNuTnEvKLzJZFYZUrEUACz6JIfMtpFqnSSono7-z9mz8XsMwPa961if1hDYLmKddTgZ0pTIgoZ8eMAhk3iaZvMN6mPT_GcUYeGFg3aLZg==. For those who have not received the conference brochure in the past, click here.

Current Grain Market Information

The following is current grain market information from Carl German, Extension Marketing Specialist, UD.

Time to Reward Counter Seasonal Rally

Considering the pace of U.S. exports for corn, this week lagging USDA’s recently revised 2.1 billion bushel export estimate for the ’09/’10 marketing year; a possible huge increase in soybean production this winter from the Southern Hemisphere, something on the order of a 15 to 25 million metric ton increase in production from last year; a stocks-to- use ratio for world soybeans indicated to be near 20 percent and expected to increase; domestic stocks of all wheat at 42.2 percent and world ending stocks-to-use at 29 percent, coupled with the recent rally in commodity prices, and it would seem logical to advance both old crop and new crop corn, soybean, and wheat sales. A scale up sales strategy seems to make sense when one considers that the commodities market is likely to continue to be favored by non-commercial traders for some time to come. From the close on September 4th to November 18th, Dec ’09 corn futures rallied 92 cents per bushel, from $3.06 to $3.98 per bushel; and Dec ’10 corn futures rallied 84 cents per bushel, from $3.56 to $4.40 per bushel. Since October 5th, Jan ’10 soybean futures rallied $1.37 per bushel, from $8.90 to $10.27; Nov ’10 soybean futures rallied $1.32 per bushel, from $8.87 to $10.19 per bushel; Dec ’09 SRW wheat futures rallied $1.24 per bushel, from $4.42 to $5.66 per bushel; July ’10 SRW wheat futures rallied $1.23 per bushel, from $4.86 to $6.09 per bushel.

The spread between corn futures contract months continues to depict a carry, meaning that advancing sales in a scale up fashion for corn is advisable. The slight carry depicted for old crop ’09 soybeans suggests that one should be looking to complete ’09 soybean sales in the near future, bearing in mind that the 2010 Southern Hemisphere crop will begin harvest near the end of January. At that point in time, recent robust U.S. soybean exports would be expected to slow down considerably.

For technical assistance on making grain marketing decisions contact:
Carl L. German, Extension Crops Marketing Specialist
Department of Food & Resource Economics
208 Townsend Hall
University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716-2130
Phone: 302-831-1317 Fax: 302-831-6243
email: clgerman@udel.edu

Poultry - Solar Power for Broiler Production Project

The following is information the harnessing solar energy for broiler chicken production - the University of Delaware Photovoltaic Poultry House Project.

Addressing Rising Energy Costs in Poultry Production

Energy costs are one of the biggest challenges facing poultry producers today. To evaluate the economic feasibility of powering poultry houses with solar energy, the University of Delaware-in conjunction with numerous project partners-installed a 42-kW photovoltaic (PV) system on an Allen Family Foods poultry farm near Laurel, Delaware. The system is ground-mounted and is divided into a 12-kW net metering system and a 30-kW demand management system. The system remains connected to the farm diesel generator and to Delmarva Power and Light (DP&L), the commercial supplier of electricity to this farm.

The project has two goals, namely: to determine the economics of installing, operating, and maintaining solar cells as a source of power for poultry houses and (2) to define and guide legislation that may be necessary to make this technology practical and viable.

For more information about this project, contact Robin Morgan, University of Delaware, Dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at morgan@udel.edu.

Visit the website that details this project at http://ag.udel.edu/anfs/solar/index.html

Organic Processing Vegetable Guides

There has been increased interest in recent years in producing organic vegetables for the processing industry. The following are some good publications from Cornell University on thes topic.

New Guides for Organic Growers Available

Four new production guides are available for organic growers from Cornell University.

The guides are:

Production Guide for Organic Beans for Processing,
Production Guide for Organic Carrots for Processing,
Production Guide for Organic Cucumbers and Squash for Processing and
Production Guide for Organic Peas for Processing.

Each guide contains detailed information on organic certification, soil health, cover crops, field selection, weed management, cultivars, planting methods, nutrient management and pest management. The guides can be found at http://nysipm.cornell.edu/organic_guide.

Characterization, Remediation, and Utilization of Derelict Poultry House Pad Soils

The following is a summary of my PhD research on characterization, remediation, and utilization of derelict poultry house pad soils.

There are a minimum of 2400 derelict poultry houses covering over 1000 acres that are out of production on the Delmarva Peninsula, over half in Delaware. Poultry houses are built over soil pads that accumulate mineral nutrients through diffusion from manure in litter over a 30-50 year period. This includes significant amounts of nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N). Once production ceases, houses are often demolished or left to slowly deteriorate. Exposed pads are subject to leaching from rainfall and high amounts of NO3-N can enter the groundwater. Vegetation is hard to establish due to high salt contents. Initial characterization studies revealed that nitrate and ammonium along with potassium accumulated to a depth of 5 feet in pad soils with the majority in the top foot. Phosphorus did not accumulate significantly. Salt levels are largely driven by nitrate and ammonium. The key was to have a tight roof. Once roofs started leaking or were removed, nitrogen was leached to depths that could not be easily recovered. Research was conducted to study methods to recover nutrients, particularly nitrogen (N), and to remediate sites. Remediation strategies researched included use of pad soils directly as a fertilizer, use of salt tolerant plants for bioremediation, and use of high carbon waste materials to tie up nitrogen and lower salt levels in pad soils prior to planting.

Results showed that pad soils can substitute for nitrogen fertilizer in crop production when excavated and spread on fields. Other research showed that salt tolerant plants were not as successful in direct remediation compared to incorporation of high carbon materials to tie up nitrogen and drop salt levels. With incorporated high carbon materials, normal crops could be established in a short period of time. It was demonstrated that recovered wood from demolished houses could be ground and used as the carbon source. Recommendations for excavation as a remediation approach include removing the top foot of soil soon after the house is demolished, screening it, and spreading it on nearby fields just ahead of crop production. Recommendations for on-site remediation include incorporating 2-4 inches of high carbon material immediately after the house is demolished to a depth of 8 inches and planting annual grass crops for the first year (sorghum species followed by small grain). After the first year, sites should be converted to deep rooted perennial crops (forage species) for several years to continue to remove nitrogen.

Gordon Johnson, Extension Agriculture Agent, UD, Kent County

Current Grain Market Information

The following is current grain market information from Darrel Good, Extension Economist, University of Illinois.

Corn and soybean prices continue to trade in a relatively wide range, but are currently near the highs of the past 10 weeks. Basis levels have weakened some as harvest accelerated.

The average cash price of corn in central Illinois peaked at $3.83 on October 22, declined to $3.41 on November 6, and stood at $3.62 on November 13. That price had dipped under $3.00 in early September. The average cash price in central Illinois was $.28 under December futures on November 13, compared to about $.15 under four weeks earlier. Corn prices have been supported by ongoing harvest delays as well as expectations that demand for corn-based ethanol will remain strong in the months ahead. Ethanol prices have moved sharply higher since late September, supported by very favorable blending margins. Reduced imports of Brazilian ethanol and some exports of U.S. ethanol have contributed to those margins. The EPA ruling on increasing the limit on blending from 10 percent to up to 15 percent will be important for determining domestic market size moving forward. It appears that the self-imposed deadline of December 1, 2009 for making that decision will not be met.

The level of corn export sales in recent weeks has been disappointing. Sales averaged only 16.3 million bushels per week for the four weeks ended November 5. Sales need to average well over 30 million per week in order to meet the current marketing year export forecast of 2.1 billion bushels. Weekly export inspections averaged 26.5 million bushels per week during the five weeks ended November 12. Shipments now need to average nearly 42 million bushels per week through August 2009 in order to reach the current USDA projection.

The jury is still out on the likely level of feed and residual use of corn this year. Some analysts believe that the generally poorer quality crop will result in higher rates of corn feeding, while others believe the poorer quality will lead to higher levels of feeding of other ingredients, particularly soybean meal. Initially, the large supply of low priced corn screenings might result in at least a normal rate of corn feeding per animal. It is still almost two months before the December 1 corn stocks estimate will be available. That estimate will allow a calculation of feed and residual use of corn during the first quarter of the 2009-10 marketing year.

The average cash price of soybeans in central Illinois dropped below $9.00 in early October, peaked at $9.96 on October 21, and stood at $9.635 on November 13. The average cash price on November 13 was $.29 under March 2010 futures, compared to about $.11 under three weeks ago. Soybean prices have been supported by a rapid pace of exports and export sales. Through November 5, export commitments (exports plus outstanding sales) stood at 68.5 percent of the total exports projected for the marketing year. For the four weeks ended November 5, new sales averaged about 31 million per week. To reach the USDA projection, new sales now need to average about 10 million per week. For the five weeks ended November 12, USDA export inspections averaged 55.8 million bushels per week. Shipments need to average about 23 million per week for the rest of the year to reach the USDA projection. The Census Bureau estimate of September 2009 exports was about 5 million bushels above the USDA estimate, indicating that USDA estimates may lag Census Bureau numbers this year, as has been the case in recent years. Export demand for U.S. soybeans will be concentrated in the first half of the marketing year and is expected to drop sharply with the availability of the South American harvest.

The domestic soybean crush was extremely small in September, but the National Oilseed Processors Association estimates showed a sharp rebound in October. The October 2008 crush estimate exceeded that of a year ago. Part of the increase in crush reflects a lower yield of both oil and meal from this year’s soybean crop. In addition, the larger crush resulted in a sharp increase in soybean oil stocks. If confirmed by the Census Bureau crush estimate, the October crush figure suggests that the 2009-10 marketing year crush could exceed the current USDA forecast. At this juncture, however, the larger crush seems to reflect lower product yield more than an increase in consumption.

Prices of corn and soybeans have also been supported by a low valued U.S. dollar and strength in the financial markets. A low valued U.S. dollar may result in importers being able to pay a higher price for U.S. commodities, but there is no historical statistical relationship between the value of the U.S. dollar and the volume of marketing year exports.

Corn and soybean prices may be well supported in the near term by another round of harvest delays. Strong demand for corn for ethanol may also provide longer term support. At some point, however, the soybean market may suffer from a very large South American harvest.

Issued by Darrel Good, Agricultural Economist, University of Illinois http://www.farmdoc.illinois.edu/marketing/weekly/html/111609.html

New "Creating Safe Play Areas on Farms" Resource Available

Keeping children safe on farms can be challenging. The following is information on a great resource on this subject.

New "Creating Safe Play Areas on Farms" Resource Available

Due to the overwhelming number of requests for an abbreviated resource to accompany its "Creating Safe Play Areas on Farms" booklet, the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety has released a "Creating Safe Play Areas on Farms 2009 Mini-Edition" in English and Spanish summarizing key elements to creating a safe place for children to play.

This new eight-page resource contains information on selecting a play area, fencing, ground surfacing and child development. This resource can be downloaded at www.marshfieldclinic.org/safeplay, along with other "Creating Safe Play Areas" information. For more information on this and other resources, please visit www.marshfieldclinic.org/nccrahs or email nccrahs@mcrf.mfldclin.edu.

November Rainfall

We had a miserable rainy period last week that shut down all field activities. The following are some November rainfall totals across mid-state.

Dover 4.17 inches
Harrington 5.26 inches
Milford 5.80 inches
Sandtown 1.36 inches
Smyrna 2.73 inches

Poultry - Managing Inlets in Cold Weather

Managing inlets during cold weather is challenging. Growers need to get that cold air mixed with the warmer air in the house and not let it drop to the floor and cause cold damp areas along sidewalls. The following is more information.

Cold air entering through an inlet tends to fall to the floor due to the simple fact that it is heavier than the air in the house. The colder the air, the heavier it is, the more likely it will fall to the floor causing problems with chilled birds and wet litter. This is why during cold weather producers should try to operate their inlet systems at a slightly greater negative pressure when it is very cold outside than they typically do during mild times of the year. A greater negative pressure will increase the speed at which the cold air enters the house. The faster the air enters the house, the further it tends to be thrown in towards the center of the house increasing the likelihood that it is thoroughly mixed with the hot air collecting at the ceiling before it moves down to bird/floor level.

Information from "Cold, Humid Air is Lighter than Cold, Dry Air" in the November issue of the Poultry Housing Tips from the University of Georgia http://poultryventilation.engr.uga.edu/tips/2009/vol21n12.pdf

Upcoming Friends of Agriculture Breakfast

The next Friends of Agriculture Breakfast will be held on Friday, November 20. The following is more information.

Friends of Agriculture Breakfast Series

Date: Friday, November 20, 2009
Time: 7:15 a.m.
Location: Modern Maturity Center, 1121 Forrest Ave, Dover DE
Speaker: Jack Tarburton, Director for USDA, Rural Development for DE and MD
Cost: $20.00
Registration: RSVP Alice Moore 302-831-2504 or ammoore@udel.edu or go to http://ag.udel.edu/agfriends/register.htm

Soybean Population Trial in PA

I thought Delaware farmers would be interested in soybean population trials that were conducted in Pennsylvania. The take-home point is that populations can be decreased with little or not impact on yields in full season beans.

Soybean Population Trial

This past season the PA Soybean Board funded the creation of the PA Soybean Growers Network. This network is designed to provide replicated on farm research to determine the best practices that achieve higher yields and higher profits. In addition it serves to validate small plot research and industry claims. This year was an organizational year however the group of producers did manage to compare two planting rates of soybeans. A low rate of a seed drop of 140,000 plants per acre and a high seed drop of 170,000 plants per acre were established on six farms in PA. The preliminary results are represented below. The final stand listed at the top of the chart represents a seed drop to final stand loss of about 20%. The overall yield would tend to reflect the nature of soybeans being responsive to lower populations. Once the statistics are determined a more detailed summary will be available later this year.

Information from Del Voight, Penn State Crop and Soil Sciences in the current edition of the Penn State Field Crop News http://fcn.agronomy.psu.edu/2009/fcn0932.cfm