Take Steps to Ensure a Safe Harvest

One of the most taxing periods for Kentucky farmers and their families is the impending fall harvest season. This is a peak season for agricultural injuries and an especially important time for farm families to remember safety.

All workers should be trained and physically capable of operating equipment and understand the safety procedures for it. Take time to talk to workers about safety.

Long working hours can lead to fatigue and stress, making you less alert to potential safety hazards. Take some breaks when operating equipment for an extended period of time. If possible, trade off with other workers for a change of pace.

Dress appropriately for the job. Avoid loose clothing, jackets with dangling strings, and sweatshirts that could become entangled in moving equipment.

Entanglement in moving parts, especially Power Take-Offs or other chain and belt drives, is a major fall harvest hazard. Inspect machinery and equipment to be sure shields and guards on moving parts are in place and in good repair.  Replace ineffective or missing safety equipment. Before getting off field equipment, turn off the engine and wait for moving parts to completely stop.

It is a good idea to take the ignition key with you so another person does not unexpectedly start equipment while you are performing maintenance or repair. If you are working under any piece of equipment, such as a header unit, always use the jack stand or hydraulic cylinder locks to prevent it from suddenly falling and pinning you under.  Be sure all safety locks are operational.

A pinhole-size hydraulic leak can cause severe tissue damage. If you are injected with oil from a hydraulic leak, immediately seek medical assistance. The oil must be surgically removed, and delays can result in serious infections and possible amputations.  Always use paper or cardboard to check for hydraulic leaks.

Tractor overturns and run-overs are leading causes of farm deaths. Being thrown off a tractor and run over is the second leading cause of tractor deaths in Kentucky.  Equip older model tractors with a rollover protective structure (ROPS). Most tractors built after the late 1960s or early 1970s can be equipped with a ROPS for $600 to $1,200.

Make it a habit to use the seat belt to ensure you remain inside the zone of protection provided by the ROPS or safety cab. The seat belt also will keep you from being thrown off the tractor if you hit an obstacle.

Run-over injuries to extra riders, especially those involving children, who fall off are very tragic. Never allow any extra riders on tractors or equipment.

Keep bystanders away from operating equipment.  Also, be aware of people who may have come into the area. Check around equipment before starting or moving it.

Carry a fire extinguisher on all tractors and self-propelled equipment, chiefly combines. Frequently check extinguishers to ensure they are pressurized and in good condition. To prevent fires on combines, be sure equipment is clean and hoses and fuel systems are in good shape and not leaking. Remove debris around engine components.

Check for clearances with overhead power lines when operating or moving tall machines, because contact may result in electrocution. Moving portable augers around overhead power lines is especially hazardous so always lower them first.

When filling silos, watch for the bleach-like odor indicating silo gas. This yellowish brown gas is heavier than air and will settle on the silage surface and may flow down the chute into adjacent livestock areas. Close any doors leading to livestock areas, keep the base of the silo chute well ventilated and do not enter a silo during the first two weeks.

Keep slow-moving-vehicle emblems and extremity markings clean and bright to help motorists notice equipment. Replace faded emblems and check headlights, taillights and flashing lights for satisfactory operation.

To alert oncoming drivers, use yellow reflectors or yellow retroreflective tape on the edges of towed equipment especially if they extend beyond the left side of a tractor. If a tractor has mirrors, keep them clean and adjusted for the driver to watch for approaching motorists. When possible, pull completely off the road to let a line of traffic behind pass.

Proper equipment management along with using safety precautions around the farm and farm equipment will lead to a safer fall harvest season for everyone.

For more information on farm safety, contact the McLean County Cooperative Extension Service at (270)273-3690.  Educational programs of the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability or national origin.

Time to Plant Fall Garden

Photo from underwoodgardens.com

I have to admit that I was a little heart broken when our Farmers’ Market closed for the season.  And even more heart broken when my summer garden stopped producing.  However, we are looking forward to harvesting the benefits of having a fall garden.  If you have not done so already, you need to be finishing up planting your fall garden by the end of this month.

Early August would be the time to make a last planting of bush beans, carrots, kale, collards, bibb lettuce, turnips and cole crops such as kohlrabi, Chinese cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli.  Late August plantings can include 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 during an “average” year.  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 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 Ag Events
Aug 27th Rinse & Return, 1pm Sacramento CPS
Aug 29th    Farm Bureau Annual Meeting, 5pm MCHS
Sept 4th         Poultry Producers Meeting, 9am, Extension Office

Beef Field Day this Friday!

Foliar Fertilizers in Tobacco Production

Back in the spring I had a tobacco producer jokingly ask me why I had not written many articles about tobacco production.  I thought about letting him stand in for me and write the article this week, but I was afraid that Kelly might try to incorporate a story about two donkeys.  He did have a great point about my lack of tobacco related articles, but we didn’t have too many issues to worry with last year.  This year however, Mother Nature has not been good to our tobacco producers.

I have received a few calls about foliar fertilizer for tobacco this year since the weather didn’t cooperate and most could not get in the fields to side dress.  Bob Pearce, UK Tobacco Associate Extension Professor, recently sent out these keys points concerning foliar fertilizer for tobacco production.

Tobacco can absorb small amounts of nutrients through their leaves, however most plants like tobacco do not have the mechanisms to utilize large amount of nutrients through the leaves.  Foliar fertilization could provide some temporary easing of nutrient deficiency, but we would need an almost continuous supply of low levels of nutrients for sustained relief.
       
In properly conducted research trials, supplemental foliar fertilization has only rarely been shown to produce significant and reproducible increases in leaf yield.  In some studies foliar fertilizers have been applied 4 or 5 times over the course of a season before they had significant effect.

If you decide to use foliar fertilizers, be aware that they can produce leaf burn.  Limit the concentration by using small amounts of fertilizer and increasing the amount of water applied.  For water soluble fertilizer like 20-20-20 or 20-10-20 do not apply more than 5 lbs. per acre at any one time and mix in at least 30 gallons of water.  Take extra caution when mixing fertilizers with insecticides, fungicides, and sucker control products as they may enhance the potential for phtyotoxicity.

There are some products out there that claim that a pint or two of the product is equal to a much larger amount of fertilizer.  The claims are generally false and we have not seen yield increases from the products that been tested so far at the UK research facilities.

In addition to potential fertility issues, UK tobacco specialist Dr. Andy Bailey told agents last week that black shank, target spot and frogeye are very likely to occur this year due to the wet conditions that we have faced.  Ridomil, Ultra Flourish and MetaStar fungicides are labeled for post-planting for black shank control, however work best when incorporated into the soil so we are past the point of being able to apply and incorporate now.  For target spot and frogeye, quadric is the only chemical labeled for tobacco to control both diseases and can be used up to the day of harvest.

For more information on tobacco related issues and the use of foliar fertilizers, contact the McLean County Cooperative Extension Service at (270)273-3690. Educational programs of the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability or national origin.

On a different note, I would like to say Thank You to everyone that came out to this year’s Ag Festival!  I cannot begin to tell you how much I appreciate your support and your attendance at the event.  The Ag Festival Committee met this past Monday and we are already planning for next year!  I would also like to give a special Thank You to all of our sponsors: Independence Bank, Pioneer, McLean County Farm Bureau, Muster Funeral Homes, Tyson Chicken, Inc. , Beck’s, Security Seed, McLean County Ag Development Council, CPS, Riverside Care & Rehabilitation Center, BF Evans, Jim Gooch, US Bank, Hook Em’ Up Pulling, Farm Credit Services of Mid-America, Farm Credit Services of Mid-America Crop Insurance, First Security Bank, Ohio Valley Insurance, Providence Agriculture, Southern States, Wright Implement, H&R AgriPower, Erb Equipment, Murphy Farms, Ward Implement and Underwood Farms.  Ag Festival would not be possible without the support of these sponsors.


Upcoming Ag Events
Aug 7th Tri-County Grain Sorghum Field Day, 9am Melton Farm in Sebree
Aug 13th CPH Sale
Aug 14th         McLean Co. Beef Field Day, 9am Freddie Adkins’ Farm
Aug 27th Rinse and Return, 1pm CPS

Tri-County Grain Sorghum Field Day is This Friday!!!