Help Livestock Beat the Heat

Photo from bae.uky.edu

Summer is almost here. We’ve already experienced some heat, just a taste of what’s to come. Humans aren't the only ones who suffer when the temperatures rise. Farm animals feel it, too. You can recognize when your livestock may be in danger from the heat and what you can do to increase their comfort.

UK Agricultural Meteorologists Tom Priddy and Matthew Dixon warn that livestock become uncomfortable when the heat index reaches about 90 degrees. The heat index is a combination of air temperature and humidity, and is used to describe how it feels outside.

The University of Kentucky Agricultural Weather Center regularly monitors heat indices across the state and provides an index of its own – the Livestock Heat Stress Index – to help producers know when heat stress could create a problem for their animals. The county-by-county index indicates three levels of heat stress: no stress, danger stress and emergency stress.

Periods of heat stress call for livestock producers to be vigilant in making sure their animals are adequately prepared. One of the most important things you can do is provide cool, clean drinking water. Providing an adequate source of drinking water helps keep animals’ internal body temperatures within normal limits. You should shade above-ground water lines so they do not act as solar water heaters and make the water too hot to drink.

It is also important for animals to have shade and for buildings to be as open as much as possible for adequate ventilation. Sprinkler systems that periodically spray a cool mist on the animals can also be beneficial.

It is best to avoid working your animals during periods of heat stress. You should also avoid transporting livestock during those times. When you must transport livestock, haul fewer animals per load. Planning trips so the animals can be loaded immediately before leaving and unloaded quickly upon arrival can likewise help you minimize the risk.

To keep up-to-date with the livestock heat stress index, access the Agricultural Weather Center’s website http://wwwagwx.ca.uky.edu or for more information contact the McLean County Cooperative Extension Service 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.

Disease Prevention in Home Gardens

Photo from www.thefhd.com

I couldn't get over how quickly the ground had dried from all the rain we got a couple of weeks ago so the rain we had this past weekend seemed like it came at a good time.    The corn and beans already in the ground looks like they grew several inches just in a few short days.   Not to mention the plants in my garden seem to have shot up since last Friday.  Even though my garden looks to be growing at a good pace and appears to be healthy, that warm, wet soil is breeding grounds for fungi and diseases.  So this past Sunday morning and again on Tuesday morning (because of the Monday rain), I applied a fungicide to my home garden as a preventative measure.

Plants in the garden can be attacked and damaged by fungi, bacteria, nematodes and viruses.  Plant diseases can be prevented or controlled in a variety of ways. Rural home gardeners can often use nonchemical methods effectively because they are willing to bear time and labor costs. When chemicals must be used, home gardeners can get by with few chemical applications by spraying only when needed.

The number of chemicals labeled for use in home vegetable gardens is limited compared to the number available to producers of commercial vegetables. Gardeners should rely on preventive practices rather than pesticides to manage diseases. Use fungicides to supplement cultural controls—this will greatly reduce the need for chemicals in the garden.

Fungicides available to home gardeners are protectants by nature and will not cure existing infections or symptoms, therefore prevention is key.  Protectant fungicides should be applied in a preventive manner to plant parts ideally before pathogens arrive (or no later than development of first symptoms). This is very different from the approach taken with most insecticides. Don’t wait until severe damage has occurred before deciding to use a fungicide. The majority of plant diseases tend to develop quickly under favorable environmental conditions, and delaying applications of fungicides in these situations usually has little effect on the disease. Because fungicides are subject to weathering, they must be reapplied at regular intervals when disease organisms are active to keep plants adequately protected.

Growers using certified organic gardening practices can only use certain brands of sulfer or fixed copper, and they should be used very sparingly. Other organically approved fungicides exist though they may be difficult for the home gardener to find or are only available via mail order. Some of these organic fungicides include naturally occurring soil fungi that are antagonistic to disease causing pathogenic fungi, and when applied can kill or out compete the pathogenic fungi. Other organic fungicide products include potassium bicarbonate (baking soda), which may have a strong preventative effect against powdery mildew disease.

Non-restricted use fungicides for the home garden can be found in most any outdoor/gardening section at retail stores (ie Ace Hardware, Lowe’s, Wal-Mart, etc).  Chemicals should be applied only in the prescribed manner as recommended by the manufacturer. Read the label carefully and follow directions. Note the number of days required between the last fungicide application and harvest date. The days waiting may vary among crops. Recent changes in pesticide registrations have significantly reduced the number of chemicals labeled for use in home vegetable gardens. The user must accept responsibility for safe and legal pesticide use.

A complete list of fungicides for use in the home garden can be found at http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agcollege/plantpathology/ext_files/PPFShtml/PPFS-GEN-07.pdf.

For more information on home vegetable gardening, contact the McLean County Cooperative Extension Service 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.

Maple Petiole Borers Not Uncommon This Time of Year

Photo by V. Shadrick

I don’t need to look outside to know that our trees, flowers, landscapes and gardens are up and growing; I can tell by the increased number of calls and emails to the office.  One of the most interesting emails that I got last week had to do with maple trees.  The first line of the email was “The leaves on our maple trees are falling off like it is October.”  Sure enough when I got to their home, the front yard was covered in what appeared to be healthy, green maple leaves and the culprit was Maple Petiole Borer.

According to UK Extension Entomologist Dr. Lee Townsend, a sudden drop of many sugar maple leaves in May and June can be due to injury by a small wasp larva that burrows in leaf petioles. These stems usually break at a darkened area near the leaf blade. Usually, infestations are limited to sugar maples and only about 15% to 20% of the leaves fall to the ground.

While spectacular, the leaf drop has little effect on tree health. Buildups of scales or aphids, or drought stress can cause leaf loss but these typically occur later in the year.

Leaf drop due to borers occurs earlier in the season and the leaf blades may still be green. Leaves from trees stressed by sucking insects or drought usually have turned yellow before they drop. If the wasp is involved, splitting the petiole carefully near the leaf blade should reveal the larva or the tunnel.

Infestations begin as the adults, small wasps about 1/6" long, appear in May and lay their eggs in petioles near the leaf blades. Legless, white grubs with distinct light brown heads hatch from the eggs and tunnel inside the leaf stem for 20 to 30 days. The weakened stem breaks and the leaf floats to the ground.

The borer larvae remain in the portion of the stem left on the tree. About 10 days after leaf drop, the rest of the stem falls to the ground. The mature larva, about 1/3" long, leaves the stem through a hole in the side and burrows into the soil. It will change to the pupal stage and remain in the soil until the following spring.

The borer larvae remain in the portion of the stem left on the tree. About 10 days after leaf drop, the rest of the stem falls to the ground. The mature larva, about 1/3" long, leaves the stem through a hole in the side and burrows into the soil. It will change to the pupal stage and remain in the soil until the following spring. There is one generation each year.

Maple petiole borer infestations are infrequent and unpredictable. Also, they do not appear to harm tree health so insecticidal control is not recommended. It may be possible to reduce future infestations somewhat by picking up and destroying infested stems, the short sections without leaves, about 7 to 10 days after the first leaves fall. This needs to be continued throughout the leaf drop period and must include all infested trees in the vicinity to be most successful. Raking and disposing of the fallen leaves will not reduce the population because the insects are not in that portion.

For more information on landscape pest and problems, contact the McLean County Cooperative Extension Service 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.

Upcoming Events
May 19th Ag Festival Meeting, 5pm
June 2nd Opening Day of Farmers’ Market
June 13th District Lamb Show, Myer Creek Park

Avian Influenza Facts

With the discovery of a few wild birds in Western Kentucky testing positive for avian influenza, also known as bird flu, many questions exist about the disease.  According to Dr. Tony Pescatore, UK Poultry Specialist, avian influenza is actually a group of viruses that can infect domestic and wild birds. The viruses can be classified by their ability to cause illness and death. The strain of concern right now is H5N2, a highly contagious strain that can cause high death loss and rapidly spread from flock to flock.

Bird flu spreads through the bodily fluids and feces of infected birds. Wild birds are a host for the disease; they may not even show signs of having it. This particular strain doesn’t show any potential for human infection, thus far.

It’s important for poultry producers and backyard chicken keepers to recognize symptoms of bird flu to help keep it from spreading.

Common signs of flu in chickens and turkeys include:
• Sudden death
• Little or no energy or appetite
• Few or no eggs produced
• Soft or deformed eggs
• Nasal discharge, coughing, sneezing or breathing difficulty
• Swelling around the head, neck and eyes
• Purple discoloration
• Loss of muscle control
• Drooping wings, twisting of head and neck or inability to move
• Diarrhea

Birds may have the disease for 3 to 7 days before showing signs and death could occur 24 to 48 hours after the first signs. Remember though, other diseases can cause similar symptoms. Always seek a veterinarian’s advice. Be sure to wear latex or rubber gloves and washable clothing when touching sick or dead birds. Don’t touch feces or bodily fluids from sick or dead birds.

Early detection and reporting are very important ways to stop the spread of bird flu. If you see unusual symptoms or if you have a high number of deaths in your flock, contact your local veterinarian or the state veterinarian at 502-782-5920. You may also call the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s toll-free hotline at 866-536-7593.

To report any sick or dead waterfowl in Kentucky, call the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife at 800-858-1549. For other types of wild birds, only call to report deaths of five or more birds.

For more information about poultry production or backyard chickens, contact the McLean County Cooperative Extension Service 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.