Be On The Lookout for Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs

UK Extension Entomologist Doug Johnson is telling County Ag Agents that recent reports indicate an increase in Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) activity in central Kentucky.   Although the majority of the reports are coming from central and eastern Kentucky, BMSB have been reported in Daviess and Henderson County.  This invasive bug has been in Kentucky for about five years, but as yet has not become of economic importance in grain crops. However, this is likely to change at some time and it is best not to get caught off guard. 

BMSB is mainly a threat because of its ability to develop very large populations. Bug to bug it is not a great deal more important than other brown or green stink bugs, but its’ populations tend to be much larger. Like other stink bugs BMSB begin moving into soybeans as they start to bloom and populations grow to their largest numbers as pods are forming and filling. It is their feeding on pods that creates such a problem and can have an effect on yields. 

Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs tend to be highly congregated on the field margins. Though some will be found in the interior of a field, most of them will be in the outer rows. In many states, edge applications have been found to be sufficient to control this pest.  BMSBs look similar to other brown stink bugs in shape and color, though they tend to be a bit larger. The most diagnostic characters for identification are the two (small but distinct) white strips on each antenna near the tip end. Also, along the rear sides are a series of black and white bands.

These insects can be controlled reasonably well with synthetic pyrethyroid insecticides. In particularly difficult situations, mixtures of pyrethroids + neonics or pyrethroids + acephate may provide a little better control.  For more information on Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs and insecticides to control BMSB, contact the McLean County Cooperative Extension Office at (270)273-3690.  Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability or national origin.

I want to mention that this coming Tuesday, August 5^th I am having a Land Management Program at the office from 9am-2:30pm.  This program will feature topics such as Soil Health, Use of Cover Crops, Residue Management, Grass Waterways, Prevention of Ditch and Riverbank Erosion, No Till Practices, Implementation of Conservation Practices, and the Economic Value of These Practices.  We will be spending the morning at the McLean County Extension Office listening to various speakers on these important topics.  Then after lunch we will hear from a panel of experts, including a McLean County Producer, then depart from the office for a site visit where we will experience some hands-on, in the field learning.  We will wrap up the day’s program about 2:30.  This is a joint effort between the McLean County Cooperative Extension Office, UK Extension Specialist, NRCS and the McLean County Conservation District.  If you are interested in attending, please contact the Extension Office by 4:30pm this Friday at (270)273-3690 so that we can plan accordingly.  Coffee and doughnuts will be provided by the McLean County Soil Conservation District and lunch is sponsored by Frist Security Bank.

Last, but certainly not least, I would like to say thank you to everyone that attended the McLean County Ag Festival last weekend!  Words cannot express my gratitude for everyone’s support of this event.  I thoroughly enjoyed seeing so many people having a great time together at our park, while celebrating agriculture.  I am so blessed to be living in McLean County and be your County Ag Agent.  I get the opportunity to work with so many extraordinary people, including our farmers and the members of the Ag Festival Committee.  Thank you to all of the Ag Festival Committee Members and to all of our sponsors that had a hand in making this event a reality.   I look forward to doing it again next year!

Big Jump in Fall Armyworm Moth Capture, by Doug Johnson, UK Extension Entomologist

Big Jump in Fall Armyworm Moth Capture

Doug Johnson, Extension Entomologist, University of Kentucky

The trap week of July 17-24 showed a large increase in fall armyworm (FAW) moths captured in the western UK-IPM traps. The capture increasing from virtually none to 155/trap-week, is a pretty major change and worth noting.

 This capture level is not an emergence because: 1.) This level is not yet at the point where we know historically that problems have occurred (See Graphs at:http://www.uky.edu/Ag/IPMPrinceton/counts/fall/fawgraph.htm) and 2.) These are the moths and moths do not damage our crops; damage is done by their caterpillar offspring. Offspring of these moths should begin appearing in about 1-2 weeks depending upon temperature. So, we have time to check out the situation. NOTE: Though it can be found across the state, FAW is rarely a pest outside the western 1/3 of Kentucky. Remember some FAW may already be in the area at low populations, so you may find a few worms that are well below thresholds. Treating too early will not be of help and may make the problem worse as they will kill the beneficial insects.

 In addition though we know these are FAW, we do not know which feed type this population contains. FAW which migrates from south Texas to the New England states over the course of summer and fall can be of two feeding types. The “Corn” type tends to feed on corn and sorghum while the “Grass” type tends to feed on lawn, pastures and hay grass including Millet and preferring Bermuda grass. They will also feed on wheat, but that is not a concern at this date. There is no way to differentiate these groups by sight. They can only be distinguished by what they are feeding on or by genetic analysis. Though these are the major food for FAW they will also feed on soybean and alfalfa. Alfalfa would be at particular risk if it is in a mixed stand with grass.

Figure 1. FAW caterpillar; note inverted

 Y.

FAW caterpillars vary from light tan to nearly black with three thin light yellow lines down the back. There is a wider dark strip and a wavy yellow, red-splotched strip on each side. They resemble both armyworms and corn earworms but fall armyworms have a prominent white inverted Y mark on the front of the head (Figure 1.).

 So, producers should begin doing two things. First scout your crops for the presence of theses caterpillars and 2^ndcheck the trap capture numbers for the next several weeks to see if the population continues to increase. A good place to scout first would be in very late planted grain sorghum (Milo) or corn. FAW are easy to see in sorghum heads and in corn whorls. Grasses, alfalfa and soybean can be easily checked using a sweep net. The 15” sized hoop is the standard on which most thresholds are based (if thresholds are available). Corn and sorghum are evaluated by the number of infested plants. 

Best Land Management Practices Program Will Be Aug 5th

Make Plans to Attend!!!!   Tuesday, August 5^th I am having a Land Management Program at the McLean County Cooperative Extension Office from 9am-2:30pm.  This program will feature topics such as Soil Health, Use of Cover Crops, Residue Management, Grass Waterways, Prevention of Ditch and Riverbank Erosion, No Till Practices, Implementation of Conservation Practices, and the Economic Value of These Practices.  We will be spending the morning at the McLean County Extension Office listening to various speakers on these important topics.  Then after lunch we will hear from a panel of experts, including a McLean County Producer, then depart from the office for a site visit where we will experience some hands-on, in the field learning.  We will wrap up the day’s program about 2:30.  This is a joint effort between the McLean County Cooperative Extension Office, UK Extension Specialist, NRCS and the McLean County Conservation District.  If you are interested in attending, please contact the Extension Office by 4:30pm this Friday at (270)273-3690 so that we can plan accordingly.  Coffee and doughnuts will be provided by the McLean County Soil Conservation District and lunch is sponsored by First Security Bank.

Open Ag Entries for Ag Festival Takes Place TODAY!!!!

Open Agricultural Crops Department

Entries begin Thursday, July 17^th 10am

Judging Begins at 6pm

Contact- Cary Hicks

(270)273-3690

Rules and Regulations:

1.      Entries must be brought to the 4-H Activities Building at Myer Creek Park and registered on Thursday, July 17^th 10am-6pm.

2.      Judging will begin promptly at 6pm on July 17^th.

3.      All judges’ decisions are final.

4.      Exhibits must be picked up Saturday, July 19^th 6pm-8pm.

5.      Field and Garden Crops will be judged on their stage of maturity at time of judging.

6.      All premium checks will be mailed to exhibitors following the close of Ag Festival. 

7.      Entries must have been produced in McLean County.

8.      Exhibitor must be a resident of McLean County.

FIELD CROP DEPARTMENT-OPEN DIVISION

$7.00   $6.00   $5.00   $4.00

Tobacco

            501      Green Tobacco by the Stick, Burley, 4 Stalks per Stick

            502      Green Tobacco by the Stick, Dark, 4 Stalks per Stick

            503      Best Potted Growing Plant of Burley Tobacco

            504      Best Potted Growing Plant of Dark Tobacco

Corn

            506      10 Ears White Corn 2014 Crop

            507      10 Ears Yellow Corn 2014 Crop

            508      10 Ears Popcorn 2014 Crop

            509      1 Qt White Shelled Corn 2013 Crop

            510      1 Qt Yellow Shelled Corn 2013 Crop

Hay

            511      ½ Bale Clover Hay

            512      ½ Bale Alfalfa Hay

            513      ½ Bale Mixed Hay

            514      ½ Bale Grass Hay

            515      ½ Bale Legume Hay

Seed Crops

            517      1 Qt Soybeans 2013 Crop

            518      1 Qt Wheat

            519      3 Soybeans Plants

           

GARDEN DEPARTMENT- OPEN DIVISION

$5.00   $4.00   $3.00   $2.00

            521      Snap Beans-any variety, plate of 12

            522      Beet-any variety, plate of 5

            523      Broccoli, best head

            524      Cabbage, best head

            525      Lima Beans-any variety, plate of 12

            526      Cauliflower, best head

            527      Carrots-any variety, topped, plate of 5

            528      Cucumbers-for slicing, any variety, plate of 5

            529      Cucumber-for pickling, any one variety, plate of 5

            530      Green Onions, plate of 5

            531      White Onions, plate of 5

            532      Yellow Onions, plate of 5

            533      Okra-any green slender variety, plate of 5

            534      Peppers-green bell, plate of 5

            535      Peppers-red bell, plate of 5

            536      Peppers-pimento, plate of 5

            537      Peppers-banana, plate of 5

            538      Peppers-jalapeno, plate of 5

            539      Peppers-cayenne, plate of 5

            540      Potatoes-best of any variety, play of 5

            541      Striped Pumpkin

            542      Pumpkin-any variety

            543      Summer Squash-any variety, play of 3

            544      Winter Squash-any variety, play of 3

            545      Sweet Corn, 6 ears in husk

            546      Tomatoes-red, one variety, plate of 5

            547      Tomatoes-yellow, one variety, plate of 5

            548      Tomato-Largest

            549      Watermelon-Largest

            550      Cantaloupe-any of variety

            551      Best Garden and/or Orchard Display

            552      Best Novelty Garden Crop Display

            553      Best Gourd Display

            554      Best Sunflower Head

            555      Best Jar of Honey

            556      Best Miniature Flower Arrangement, 3” high, live

            557      Best Rose Display

            558      Best Zinnia Display

            559      Best Flowering House Plant

            560      Best Foliage House Plant

            561      Best Arrangement of 5 or Fewer Flowers, Live

            562      Best Arrangement of 6 or More Flowers, Live

            563      Best Agriculture Education Display/Poster

Planning for Your Fall Garden

As much as I love fresh sweet corn and Cherokee purple tomatoes, my most favorite fresh vegetables come out of the fall garden.  I know it’s hard to think about fall in July, but it is time to start planning how you can continue to enjoy your garden through the fall season. You can plant a variety of produce in Kentucky gardens in the coming weeks allowing fresh items to be available well into the fall.

According to UK Extension Specialist for Consumer Horticulture, the cooler nights experienced later in the year as these vegetables mature may increase the sugar content of many crops and thus increase their quality. Cooler nights also slow growth, so crops can take longer to mature than in the summer. Keep this slower pace in mind when you check seeds for days to maturity.

Late July or early August would be the time to make a last planting of bush beans, carrots, sweet corn, kale, collards, bibb lettuce, turnips and cole crops such as kohlrabi, Chinese cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli. For late August and into September try planting mustard greens, spinach greens, radishes, turnip greens and leaf lettuce.

Before planting, remove any existing debris including crops and weeds to the compost bin and cultivate the soil.

If the previous crop was well fertilized and grew vigorously you may need to add little if any additional fertilizer, otherwise apply about 2 to 3 pounds of a complete fertilizer such as 5-10-10 or 10-10-10 per 100 square feet of planting area.

Remember to keep fall gardens well watered as this tends to be a fairly dry time in Kentucky. A weekly irrigation sufficient to wet the soil to 6 or 8 inches should be adequate. This is more or less equivalent to a weekly one-inch rain.

To learn more about fall gardening options, contact the McLean County Cooperative Extension Service.  Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability or national origin.

McLean County Ag Festival is THIS WEEKEND!!!!

I can hardly believe that Ag Festival is here!  What started off as an idea between myself and two amazing volunteers, has turned into way more than I could have ever dreamed!  I am so blessed to be in McLean County and be surrounded by so many remarkable people and talented agriculturalist.  The amount of support for this event has been so overwhelming and means more to me that anyone could ever know.  I am so excited about this weekend and what our Ag Festival could possibly do for our county.  Thank you so much to all of the volunteers and sponsors that have done so much work to make this event happen!  Each and every volunteer has worked so hard, but I would like to give an extra special shout out to Steve Hatfield and Dinky Hicks for going above and beyond!  Also, I would like to give a HUGE THANK YOU to all of our sponsors:

McLean County Cooperative Extension Service

Independence Bank

Tyson Foods, Inc.

River Valley Animal Foods

Sacramento Deposit Bank

Sanders

BB&T

BF Evans Ford

Rice Agri-Marketing

Murphy Farms

Great Lakes Seed

Nimco Inc.

First Security Bank

Kentuckiana

Tim Johnson, McLean Co. PVA

McLean County Cattlemen Association

Farm Credit Services of Mid-America Crop Insurance

Ohio Valley Crop Insurance

US Bank

ADS

Ward Implement

McLean County Ag Development Board

Crop Productions Services

Hook’em Up Pulling

Muster’s

Hope you all have a great week and I look forward to seeing you all this weekend at Myer Creek Park for the McLean County Ag Festival!

Mechanical Bull Rodeo

Upcoming Agricultural Events and Meetings

Upcoming Agricultural Events

July 16^th          Canola Informational Meeting, 7:30am at Rice Agri-Marketing

July 17^th          Open Ag Crop/Garden Entries, 10am-6pm at Myer Creek Park

July 18^th&19^thAg Festival at Myer Creek Park

July 19^th          Farmer Appreciation Breakfast, 7:30am at Myer Creek Park

July 24^th          Bee Keeping Class for Beginners & Seasoned Bee Keepers, 5pm

McLean Co. Extension Office

July 30^th          PQA Training, 10am McLean Co. Extension Office

July 31^st          UK Corn, Soybean & Tobacco Field Day, Princeton Research Station

Aug 5^th            Best Land Management Practices Program, 9am McLean Co. Extension Office

Aug 9^th            Farm Bureau Annual Meeting

Aug 12^th          Applied Master Cattlemen Program, 6pm at McLean Co. Extension Office

Aug 14^th          CPH Cattle Sale

Aug 26^th          Applied Master Cattlemen Program, 6pm at Henderson Co. Extension Office

Aug 27^th          Rinse & Return

Sept 4^th           Applied Master Cattlemen Program, 6pm at Daviess Co. Extension Office

Spotted Wing Drosophila and Small Fruit Production

Spotted wing Drosophila (SWD) is a serious invasive pest of soft-skinned fruits. SWD was first detected in Kentucky in 2012, by midsummer of 2014 SWD could be found throughout Kentucky at high levels. This fruit fly lays its eggs in soft-skinned fruits as they soften before harvest; this new pest not only causes issues for the commercial grower but the home gardener as well. SWD attacks many different soft-skin fruiting crops, but the most serious damage in 2013 was to raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and grapes. It also breeds in fruit of native wild plants like pokeweed, mulberries, wild blackberries, and nightshade. The female SWD uses her serrated egg layer to cut into the skin of otherwise intact soft-skinned fruits to deposit her eggs. Each female deposits 7 to 16 eggs a day and up to 300 eggs during its lifetime. Eggs hatch in 2 to 72 hours, resulting in small larvae in harvested fruit. SWD will overwinter in Kentucky as it survives in states to our north and parts of Canada. 

Here are some great tips for checking fruit and management of SWD from UK Extension Entomologist Ric Bessin:

Checking Fruit: When harvesting take the time to thoroughly look over each berry. Externally berries may look unifested but larvae may still be inside. If a berry is very soft, collapsing on itself, or is watery near the cap of the fruit, SWD larvae are most likely present. These berries should be discarded away from the field, and preferably bagged for disposal. We are not aware of any known risk to human health by ingesting SWD eggs and larvae.

Management: Refrigeration- Berries that have no visible damaged should be placed directly in the refrigerator. Placing the berries in the refrigerator will stop the development of the SWD if they are present, both hatched and unhatched. Freezing berries will kill SWD and holding berries at 34F for 72 hrs will kill most of the eggs and larger larvae.

Netting-  Mechanical control maybe an option for homeowners, as with many of the small fruit crops we often use netting to keep the birds from eating the berries. For the SWD the same concept applies except the netting must be a fine mesh, with opening of less than 1 mm. ProTekNet is a brand of netting that provides netting small enough (less than a 1mm square opening) that can exclude SWD, but spun bond row covers should work as well. Netting should be placed over the planting when the earliest berries begin to turn color prior to harvest. Netting may interfere with pollination of later raspberry flowers, but this maybe a sacrifice to save the rest of the crop. The netting must be secured along the ground to prevent any openings for SWD to enter. On larger plantings a structure might be installed to help support the netting and allow a person to pick underneath the netting. The netting will have to remain over the crop until harvest is finished.

Sanitation- It is also important to remove any damaged fruit from the field, as these fruits may contain SWD eggs and larvae. Overripe, damaged, or rotting fruit should be collected, placed in clear bags, and left in the sun.  Burial of infested fruit is ineffective as the larvae can emerge from depths of one foot or more.

If you suspect you have a spotted wing drosophila problem, or would like more information on SWD, please contact the McLean County Cooperative Extension Office at (270)273-3690.  Educational programs of the Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, sex, religion, disability or national origin.

FFA Exhibits for Ag Festival

FFA Exhibits

Entries begin Thursday, July 17^th 10am

Judging Begins at 6pm

Contact- Ross Woodburn

Rules and Regulations:

1.      Entries must be brought to the 4-H Activities Building at Myer Creek Park and registered on Thursday, July 17^th 10am-6pm.

2.      Judging will begin promptly at 6pm on July 17^th.

3.      All judges’ decisions are final.

4.      Exhibits must be picked up Saturday, July 19^th 6pm-8pm.

5.      Field and Garden Crops will be judged on their stage of maturity at time of judging.

6.      All premium checks will be mailed to exhibitors following the close of Ag Festival. 

7.      Entries must have been produced in McLean County.

8.      Exhibitor must be a member of McLean County FFA.

FIELD CROP DEPARTMENT-FFA DIVISION

$5.00   $4.00   $3.00  

Tobacco

            560      Green Tobacco by the Stick, Burley, 4 Stalks per Stick

            561      Green Tobacco by the Stick, Dark, 4 Stalks per Stick

            562      Best Potted Growing Plant of Burley Tobacco

            563      Best Potted Growing Plant of Dark Tobacco

Corn

            564      10 Ears White Corn 2014 Crop

            565      10 Ears Yellow Corn 2014 Crop

            566      10 Ears Popcorn 2014 Crop

            567      1 Qt White Shelled Corn 2013 Crop

            568      1 Qt Yellow Shelled Corn 2013 Crop

Hay

            569      ½ Bale Clover Hay

            570      ½ Bale Alfalfa Hay

            571      ½ Bale Mixed Hay

            572      ½ Bale Grass Hay

            573      ½ Bale Legume Hay

Seed Crops

            574      1 Qt Soybeans 2013 Crop

            575      1 Qt Wheat

            576      3 Soybeans Plants

           

GARDEN DEPARTMENT- FFA DIVISION

$4.00   $3.00   $2.00  

            588      Snap Beans-any variety, plate of 12

            589      Beet-any variety, plate of 5

            590      Broccoli, best head

            591      Cabbage, best head

            592      Lima Beans-any variety, plate of 12

            593      Cauliflower, best head

            594      Carrots-any variety, topped, plate of 5

            595      Cucumbers-for slicing, any variety, plate of 5

            596      Cucumber-for pickling, any one variety, plate of 5

            597      Green Onions, plate of 5

            598      White Onions, plate of 5

            599      Yellow Onions, plate of 5

            600      Okra-any green slender variety, plate of 5

            601      Peppers-green bell, plate of 5

            602      Peppers-red bell, plate of 5

            603      Peppers-pimento, plate of 5

            604      Peppers-banana, plate of 5

            605      Peppers-jalapeno, plate of 5

            606      Peppers-cayenne, plate of 5

            607      Potatoes-best of any variety, play of 5

            608      Striped Pumpkin

            609      Pumpkin-any variety

            610      Summer Squash-any variety, play of 3

            611      Winter Squash-any variety, play of 3

            612      Sweet Corn, 6 ears in husk

            613      Tomatoes-red, one variety, plate of 5

            614      Tomatoes-yellow, one variety, plate of 5

            615      Tomato-Largest

            616      Watermelon-Largest

            617      Cantaloupe-any of variety

            618      Best Garden and/or Orchard Display

            619      Best Novelty Garden Crop Display

            620      Best Gourd Display

            621      Best Sunflower Head

622      Best Jar of Honey

FFA PROJECTS (Built by FFA Member)

$5.00   $4.00   $3.00

            577      Best Agriculture Education Display/Poster

            578      FFA Shop Display

            579      Woodworking Display

            580      Welding Display

            581      Trailer or Wagon

            582      Gate

            583      Picnic Table

            584      Flower Box

            585      Workbench

            586      Tool Storage

            587      Other Shop Article

Canning Division at Ag Festival

Canning Department

Entries begin Thursday, July 17^th 10am

Judging Begins at 6pm

Contact- Amber Meeks

(270)273-3690

Rules and Regulations:

1.      Entries must be brought to the 4-H Activities Building at Myer Creek Park and registered on Thursday, July 17^th 10am-6pm.

2.      Judging will begin promptly at 6pm on July 17^th.

3.      All judges’ decisions are final.

4.      Exhibits must be picked up Saturday, July 19^th 6pm-8pm.

5.      All premium checks will be mailed to exhibitors following the close of Ag Festival. Prize money will only be awarded for 1^st and 2^nd placing. 

6.      Entries must have been produced in McLean County.

7.      Exhibitor must be a resident of McLean County.

8.      Clear, clean STANDARD canning jars and two piece lids must be used.  No mayonnaise jars accepted.

9.      Jars must be vacuum-sealed (fruits, vegetables, jams, preserves and pickles).                                   

10.  Jars not properly processed will be disqualified.   

FRUITS

                                              Use STANDARD unopened pint or quart jars.

1212-Peaches                                                                                                              3.00 2.00

1213-Apples                                                                                                                3.00 2.00

1214-Cherries                                                                                                              3.00 2.00

1215-Blackberries                                                                                                        3.00 2.00

1216-Pears                                                                                                                  3.00 2.00

1217-Grape Juice                                                                                                         3.00 2.00

1218-Blueberries                                                                                                          3.00 2.00

VEGETABLES

Use STANDARD unopened pint or quart jars.

1224-Green Beans                                                                                                       3.00 2.00

1225-Tomatoes                                                                                                            3.00 2.00

1226-Tomato Juice                                                                                                      3.00 2.00

1227-Carrots                                                                                                               3.00 2.00

1228-Kraut                                                                                                                  3.00 2.00

1229-Beets                                                                                                                  3.00 2.00        

1230-Peas                                                                                                                   3.00 2.00

1231-Corn                                                                                                                   3.00 2.00

               

PICKLES AND RELISHES

Use STANDARD unopened Pint Jars Only

1241-Cucumber pickles                                                                                               3.00 2.00

1242-Peach Pickles                                                                                                      3.00 2.00

1243-Watermelon Pickles                                                                                            3.00 2.00

1244-Green Tomato Pickles                                                                                         3.00 2.00

1245-Beet Pickles                                                                                                        3.00 2.00

1246-Corn relish                                                                                                          3.00 2.00

1247-Pepper Relish                                                                                                      3.00 2.00

1248-Salsa                                                                                                                   3.00 2.00

                                                                                                                                               

SOFT SPREADS - JELLIES, JAMS, PRESERVES

Use STANDARD unopened Pint or Jelly Jars

1265-Any Jelly                                                                                                             3.00 2.00

1266-Any Jam                                                                                                             3.00 2.00

1267-Any Butter                                                                                                          3.00 2.00

1268-Any Preserves                                                                                                     3.00 2.00

1269-Any Marmalade                                                                                                  3.00 2.00