C ROPS Ohio’s Country Journal 13 M ID -M A Y 2007 BY MATT REESE Mick Luber really likes good food. His eyes sparkle when speaking of garlic pesto, unique lettuce varieties and the various dishes he makes using his favorite fresh ingredients. His love for good, local food and his green thumb were developed during his childhood in eastern Ohio where his family kept a large garden. “My dad was a coal miner, and my mother would can a lot from the gar- den to supplement our food,” he said. After going to college, Luber moved to Chicago to teach grade school and took his love of food with him. While there, he took notice of the worn, cracked hands of a local produce buyer from the fungicide on the crops he handled. “Those chemicals were doing that to his hands and I was putting that stuff in my stomach,” he said. “After that, I formed a buying co-op in Chicago to purchase organic food from California.” Luber’s summer carpentry business, and a desire to return to the land, took him back to eastern Ohio where he served on a city council and established a farmers market for the area. He also got involved with the formation of the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA). He then pur- chased a beautiful 60-acre farm nestled in the rolling hills of Harrison County to start organic production in the early ‘80s. He named it Bluebird Farm. “Since my name is Luber, kids always used to call me ‘bluebird’ when I was growing up,” he said. “Then there was a bluebird sitting here after I bought it.” While the scenic farm was pleasant to the eyes, the crops Luber planted ini- tially found the heavy clay ground less than desirable. The ground had been in a long-term corn crop, and Luber immediately planted oats and white clover to break up the tough ground and get some nitrogen into the soil. He then began composting leaves, manure from layer hens on his farm and horse manure from his neighbors. “I just plant my plants in a little pile of compost,” he said. “That has really helped the soils.” Now he intensively farms 2 acres of land in a three- or four-crop rotation growing a wide array of organic crops, from berries to flowers. His favorites, however, are the 35 types of head let- tuce and numerous garlic varieties he produces that account for 30% of his business. “I can get a lot of produce from 2 acres. I have a wider variety of crops than a lot of people,” he said. “The more variety I have, the more people I can attract.” Luber sells three days a week during the growing season at four farmers markets in Washington, Pa., Pittsburg and Wheeling, W.Va. The two markets in Pittsburg are his longest trips, at about 70 miles. Most of the crops are picked the evening prior to or the morning of the markets and carefully loaded into a pickup truck in plastic crates. Crops that don’t sell are fed to the chickens. “I think I usually get the award for fitting the most stuff on a pickup truck,” he said. “I’ve been a packrat for my whole life so I have had practice.” He takes great pains to ensure his products are fresh and well organized in the display area for a nice presentation. “No matter what you’re selling, the freshness and quality makes the differ- ence. My lettuce lasts longer and it tastes sweeter,” he said. “When I start- ed selling my organic crops, 65% of my business was from people who just wanted quality produce, 35% wanted organic. Now that has reversed.” He also relies on his background in education when working with his cus- tomers and educating them about his love for good food. “You have to educate people and that is the best selling point. You have to tell them something about your product that is unique and show them lots of pictures of how it is grown so they can really identify with what they’re buying,” Luber said. “I also do farm tours, taste tests and share recipes using the different products. I get peo- ple standing in line at the market shar- ing their own recipes and talking about the foods they like too.” He uses a solar collector in a small greenhouse and polystyrene fabric row covers (which also keep bugs out) to give his crops an early start for the sea- son. He uses products like diatoma- ceous earth, Bt bacteria and Pyrethrum spray for pest control, which are allow- able with restricted use in organic pro- duction. He zaps deer with peanut but- ter on aluminum foil wrapped on an electric fence. Tillage, cultivation, rotary hoeing, hay mulch in the rows and manual hoeing are used for weed control. He uses a single-shank deep-ripper to loosen the soil for planting, which for most crops is bare-root hand plant- ing after being dipped in fish emulsion to speed plant growth. For potatoes, Luber devised a PVC tube strapped to the back of his deep ripper that funnels the seed into the furrows. Without any irrigation, crops are planted and harvested through the duration of the extended farmers market season, and extended on either end through his greenhouse and row covers. “In order to make a living at this, you really need to sell at markets that run for at least six months,” he said. “With my system, I had fresh tomatoes until almost Christmas last year.” He uses rye, spelt, barley and wheat for winter cover crops and then tills them in the following spring. “The soils here breakdown those cover crops quickly in the spring,” he said. From his first days in OEFFA to the current explosion in organic demand around the country, Luber has been involved in some of the tremendous changes in organic agricul- ture. He currently serves as a state organic inspector for OEFFA, he has served in almost every elected position in the organization and worked exten- sively on the development of a national set of organic standards. He was recently recognized with OEFFA’s high- est honor, the 2007 Stewardship Award, for his many years of dedication to organic agriculture. His biggest concern for the future of organics, and agriculture in general, is the tremendous difficulties faced by young farmers. “The biggest challenge we face in agriculture is getting new farmers who can compete with developers for the land,” he said. “I’d like to see some type of mentoring program for young farmers.” Rising demand and profitability for organic farms, however, has helped generate interest in organic production. OEFFA’s certification program has seen a 50% increase in applications for organic certification in the past two years. Through his intensive manage- ment and effective marketing, Luber is able to generate $10,000 an acre on his small operation with three employees. His love of the fresh garden food he enjoyed as a child remains at the heart of Bluebird Farm. “The food tastes good and it is fun to produce it for people,” he said. Good food at the heart of Bluebird Farm This display at a Pittsburg market highlights some of the diversity of crops Luber sells, which includes a wide array of fruits, flowers and vegetables. This tomato plant got an early start in Luber’s small solar-powered greenhouse.
Transcript
CROPSOhio’s Country Journal 13MID-MAY 2007
BY MATT REESE
Mick Luber really likes good food. Hiseyes sparkle when speaking of garlicpesto, unique lettuce varieties and thevarious dishes he makes using hisfavorite fresh ingredients.
His love for good, local food and hisgreen thumb were developed duringhis childhood in eastern Ohio wherehis family kept a large garden.
“My dad was a coal miner, and mymother would can a lot from the gar-den to supplement our food,” he said.
After going to college, Luber movedto Chicago to teach grade school andtook his love of food with him. Whilethere, he took notice of the worn, crackedhands of a local produce buyer from thefungicide on the crops he handled.
“Those chemicals were doing that to his hands and I was putting thatstuff in my stomach,” he said. “Afterthat, I formed a buying co-op inChicago to purchase organic food from California.”
Luber’s summer carpentry business,and a desire to return to the land, tookhim back to eastern Ohio where heserved on a city council and establisheda farmers market for the area. He alsogot involved with the formation of theOhio Ecological Food and FarmAssociation (OEFFA). He then pur-chased a beautiful 60-acre farm nestledin the rolling hills of Harrison Countyto start organic production in the early‘80s. He named it Bluebird Farm.
“Since my name is Luber, kidsalways used to call me ‘bluebird’ whenI was growing up,” he said. “Thenthere was a bluebird sitting here after Ibought it.”
While the scenic farm was pleasantto the eyes, the crops Luber planted ini-tially found the heavy clay ground lessthan desirable. The ground had been ina long-term corn crop, and Luberimmediately planted oats and whiteclover to break up the tough groundand get some nitrogen into the soil. Hethen began composting leaves, manurefrom layer hens on his farm and horsemanure from his neighbors.
“I just plant my plants in a little pileof compost,” he said. “That has reallyhelped the soils.”
Now he intensively farms 2 acres ofland in a three- or four-crop rotationgrowing a wide array of organic crops,from berries to flowers. His favorites,however, are the 35 types of head let-tuce and numerous garlic varieties heproduces that account for 30% of his business.
“I can get a lot of produce from 2acres. I have a wider variety of cropsthan a lot of people,” he said. “Themore variety I have, the more people Ican attract.”
Luber sells three days a week duringthe growing season at four farmersmarkets in Washington, Pa., Pittsburgand Wheeling, W.Va. The two marketsin Pittsburg are his longest trips, atabout 70 miles. Most of the crops arepicked the evening prior to or themorning of the markets and carefullyloaded into a pickup truck in plasticcrates. Crops that don’t sell are fed tothe chickens.
“I think I usually get the award forfitting the most stuff on a pickuptruck,” he said. “I’ve been a packrat formy whole life so I have had practice.”
He takes great pains to ensure his products are fresh and well organized in the display area for anice presentation.
“No matter what you’re selling, thefreshness and quality makes the differ-ence. My lettuce lasts longer and ittastes sweeter,” he said. “When I start-ed selling my organic crops, 65% of mybusiness was from people who justwanted quality produce, 35% wantedorganic. Now that has reversed.”
He also relies on his background ineducation when working with his cus-tomers and educating them about hislove for good food.
“You have to educate people andthat is the best selling point. You haveto tell them something about yourproduct that is unique and show themlots of pictures of how it is grown so
they can really identify with whatthey’re buying,” Luber said. “I also dofarm tours, taste tests and share recipesusing the different products. I get peo-ple standing in line at the market shar-ing their own recipes and talking aboutthe foods they like too.”
He uses a solar collector in a smallgreenhouse and polystyrene fabric rowcovers (which also keep bugs out) togive his crops an early start for the sea-son. He uses products like diatoma-ceous earth, Bt bacteria and Pyrethrumspray for pest control, which are allow-able with restricted use in organic pro-duction. He zaps deer with peanut but-ter on aluminum foil wrapped on anelectric fence. Tillage, cultivation,rotary hoeing, hay mulch in the rowsand manual hoeing are used for weed control.
He uses a single-shank deep-ripperto loosen the soil for planting, whichfor most crops is bare-root hand plant-ing after being dipped in fish emulsionto speed plant growth. For potatoes,Luber devised a PVC tube strapped tothe back of his deep ripper that funnelsthe seed into the furrows.
Without any irrigation, crops are planted and harvested through the duration of the extended farmersmarket season, and extended on eitherend through his greenhouse and row covers.
“In order to make a living at this,you really need to sell at markets thatrun for at least six months,” he said.“With my system, I had fresh tomatoesuntil almost Christmas last year.”
He uses rye, spelt, barley and wheatfor winter cover crops and then tillsthem in the following spring.
“The soils here breakdown thosecover crops quickly in the spring,” he said.
From his first days in OEFFA to the current explosion in organicdemand around the country, Luber has been involved in some of thetremendous changes in organic agricul-ture. He currently serves as a stateorganic inspector for OEFFA, he hasserved in almost every elected positionin the organization and worked exten-sively on the development of a nationalset of organic standards. He wasrecently recognized with OEFFA’s high-est honor, the 2007 Stewardship Award,for his many years of dedication toorganic agriculture.
His biggest concern for the future oforganics, and agriculture in general, isthe tremendous difficulties faced byyoung farmers.
“The biggest challenge we face inagriculture is getting new farmers whocan compete with developers for theland,” he said. “I’d like to see sometype of mentoring program for young farmers.”
Rising demand and profitability fororganic farms, however, has helpedgenerate interest in organic production.OEFFA’s certification program has seena 50% increase in applications fororganic certification in the past twoyears. Through his intensive manage-ment and effective marketing, Luber isable to generate $10,000 an acre on hissmall operation with three employees.
His love of the fresh garden food heenjoyed as a child remains at the heart ofBluebird Farm.
“The food tastes good and it is fun toproduce it for people,” he said.
Good food at the heart of Bluebird Farm
This display at a Pittsburg market highlights some ofthe diversity of crops Luber sells, which includes awide array of fruits, flowers and vegetables.
This tomato plant got an early start in Luber’s small solar-powered greenhouse.
14 Crops • Ohio’s Country Journal • Mid-May 2007
With help from mycheckoff, I can see a stronger future.Soy biodiesel market development is fueling the future of Ohio’s soybeans.From my combine, I can see my farm. And thanks to my Ohio soybean checkoff, I can see how soybeans and soy biodiesel are making a positive impact on our environment, in our engines and onthe economy. Our Ohio soybean checkoff has worked the past decadeto help make soy biodiesel the world’s fastest-growing renewable fuelsource. With on-farm use approaching 50 percent in many states, soybiodiesel potential is on the rise.
I’m proud to know our Ohio soybean checkoff investments are leading the world into a brand new era of energy. And I’m a prouduser of biodiesel.
For more information on soy biodiesel or any of the other powerful innovations in soy, visit www.soyohio.org.
“I use Soy Biodiesel because it helps my bottom line.Every dollar we ship oversees for oil is money gonebut every dollar we can keep in our country helpsour economy. As a soybean farmer, I am more awareof the benefits of Soy Biodiesel and we are turningthe corner and are going from producing a crop forfood to now looking at a total new concept and producing crops for energy.”
Don RalphMarion County soybean farmer
Because of my checkoff, I cansee a world of opportunity.Soy biodiesel is the fastest-growing renewablefuel in the country.
Farming isn’t easy. But our soybean checkoff takes someweight off my shoulders. My checkoff investments arebeing used to develop and promote soy biodiesel. All thehard work has really made a difference. People around theworld are realizing the benefits of soy biodiesel. And, I cansee that soybean checkoff marketing efforts are paying off.
With the help of our soybean checkoff and my soybeans,biodiesel will help build a cleaner more productive worldfor generations to come. A world I couldn't be more proud of.
An early and timely planting hasunfortunately passed certain areas inOhio by now. Heading into May, someproducers were only able to get a smallamount of corn or soybeans planted, ifany at all. Longer planting delaysincrease the chance for reduced yields,especially in corn.
As we move through May, we want toconcentrate on getting the corn crop in asquickly as possible. The one thing toremember is to stay off of the soil if it’swet. You would be better off to delayplanting by a couple of days, than toslice seed into mud. If you’re going toplant a little wet you’re usually better todo so in April than in mid May. Not onlydo you not end up with good soil to seedcontact, but the possibility of soil compaction exists.
Some growers may decide to switch tono-till practices, and keep the trips acrossthe field to a minimum. Not only maytillage practices change with later planting,but your herbicide program may alsochange. Herbicide programs may changefrom pre-plant programs, to a post pro-gram. If switching to a post program, a
herbicide-resistant variety (such as aRound-Up Ready variety) may be veryadvantageous. When switching to a no-tillpractice, you may want to increase yourseed drop by 5% to 15%. The use of a cornseed-applied insecticide like Poncho 250also is recommended.
One key thing to remember withlater planting though, is not to pushthe panic button and switch to earliermaturing varieties. Hang in there withthe mid-full season varieties you hadplanned on up through May 20 to 25.Research has shown that the later sea-son varieties will more fully takeadvantage of the growing season.
A frequently asked question fromproducers is, “What depth should Iplant my corn?” The best or safestanswer is to put it at a 1- to 1.5-inchseeding depth. The main goal is toachieve good soil to seed contact.
Most producers will go a little shal-lower in April (around 1-inch depth).This time of year we usually have goodsoil moisture and warmer soil near thetop inch. In mid-May, we can tend to putit a little deeper (1.5 to 2 inches). Animportant thing to remember though isnot to plant too shallow. In someinstances, a half inch planting depth canresult in poor development of the permanent root system.
Some producers also will plant deeperin mid to late May to go for moisture. Iwouldn’t recommend planting deeperthan 2 inches, even though the mesocotylhas the ability to lengthen from a 4- to 5-
inch planting depth. If it turns cool, thekernel may use up all of its reservesbefore pushing through the soil.
Every now and then a producer whostarts with a particular setting will neveradjust, or check the depth the rest of theplanting season. It is amazing how muchthe depth can change depending on whatsoil type they are planting in, or the con-dition of the seedbed when it wasworked. Also, switching from conven-tional tillage fields to no-till fields will vary.
In addition to planting corn and soy-beans, it’s time to get out and start scout-ing the wheat fields for leaf disease.Luckily the wheat plant is a tough crop,because it’s been through a lot since lastfall. If Mother Nature is kind to the wheatin the next six weeks (cool weather), wecould end up with a respectable wheatcrop. Unfortunately, a good May and Junegrowing season for wheat is usually notthe most ideal for corn and soybeans.
The wheat crop may be further alongthan it looks. The cool weather at the endof April has the crop a little shorter thannormal. The “flag leaf” emerges orappears around Feekes growth stage 8,and this is the time to start scouting fordiseases to determine what disease youmay have, and the extent of the disease.If diseases are present, the use of a fungicide may be warranted.
Fungicide application should be deter-mined based on several factors:
1. What is the level of disease?2. Overall yield potential of the field.3. The current and forecasted weather.
If a disease is noticed, keep a close eyeon the field, and track its movement on theindividual plants. If the disease continuesto move up the plant, and reaches the flagleaf, you may need a fungicide application.Fortunately, we have a nice market price tojustify the cost of any needed application.
Diseases like powdery mildew will startto appear, especially on varieties that aresusceptible. Powdery mildew has been themost common disease of wheat. It is awhitish-gray fungal growth that is mostdamaging in the years with mild weatherfrom late April through mid May. It willstart on the lower leaves of susceptiblevarieties. Greatest yield loss occurs when itmoves up to the flag leaf.
CHRIS MAGERSSALES AGRONOMIST FOR
STEYER SEEDS
AgronomyUpdate
After my visit to Bluebird Farm inHarrison County, farm owner MickLuber insisted that I take a few wholegarlic plants home to use in a tasty pesto.
I got home and with great culinaryzeal chopped up all of the five or sixplants he gave me and tossed them intothe sauté pan with some olive oil, rose-mary and thyme. From there, I searedsome pork chops in the mixture, placingeach side in the pan of pesto for 15 or 20seconds. My wife would be impressed.
At the same time I boiled some pastaand thawed out some delicious home-made tomato sauce from the freezer. Iadded the sauce to the pesto, and Igrilled the pork. Midway through theprocess my wife called. I informed her ofmy actions. “That sounds like an awfullot of garlic,” she said.
As it turned out, the food was great. Inmy excitement to delight the taste buds,however, I failed to consider the impact ofthe meal’s main ingredient on another veryimportant sense. My wife got home andopened the door with her eyes watering.
“UUUgghhh. What are you doing?”Apparently, the house really smelled,
bad. Garlic had not only seasoned themeal, but had infiltrated the rugs, theclean laundry, the towels, my clothes, myhair, the dog and seemingly even thewalls of our house. We dined by less-than-romantic scented candlelight inattempt to mask the stomach-churningsmell. It didn’t really help my goodintentions gone bad.
On the surface, the congressional actionto ban horse slaughter seems like a prettygood idea too. After all, people like horses.Most Americans are probably not itchingto go out and buy a horseburger anyway,and many consider the idea of slaughter-ing the iconic animal somewhat upsetting.With closer examination, however, thereare some pretty unsettling consequences tobanning horse slaughter.
There are three horse-processing facil-ities in the country that process 70,000 to100,000 unwanted horses annually formillions of dollars in exports. Theseplants have already been shut down tem-porarily due to legal action. In the mean-time, some of the horses are being sent toCanadian facilities for slaughter instead.
By permanently banning horse slaugh-ter, we will be trading a source of economicincome for a significant cost and logisticchallenge of caring for and finding homesfor thousands of unwanted horses annual-ly. Without the option of domestic, regulat-ed processing, unwanted horses mayinstead be subjected to a worse fate.
“This sad state of affairs is the directresult of the anti-horse slaughter move-ment, led by the vegan-led HumaneSociety of the United States (HSUS) andother animal rights organizations,” saidKay Johnson, with the Animal
Agriculture Alliance, a group that is partof a large alliance of agricultural, veteri-nary and equine organizations opposedto the ban of horse slaughter. “Thesegroups claim to care about animal wel-fare, but when faced with an animal wel-fare disaster caused by their efforts, theycallously insist that the market will sortitself out or, worse yet, coldheartedly dis-pute that this crisis exists, while leaving
seriously under-funded local animal res-cue operations to save animals.”
The congressional bills fail to provideany provisions for the proper care andhousing of the affected horses — roughly$1,900 per abandoned horse. In addition,improper burial and handling of unwantedhorses can lead to water contaminationand potential health issues.
Not least among the concerns of the
coalition opposing the ban is the precedentof letting shortsighted emotion guide pub-lic policy that can so dramatically impactprivate businesses.
The initial emotional appeal of banninghorse slaughter sounds pretty good, butwhen considering all the potential conse-quences, it is not a pro-horse measure, butsimply a shortsighted plan with conse-quences that really stink.
CLIENT: MANA JOB NO: 001851PUB: OHIO’S COUNTRY JOURNALLIVE: 7.25 x 10TRIM: NABLEED: NAINSERTION: MAYAGENCY: Freebairn & Co.CONTACT: Dawn Adams, Prod. Mgr.PHONE: 404.487.6126
*Based on 19 university studies averaging 9.8 bushel yield improvement at $4 per bushel. Does not include the cost of application.
EARN AN EXTRA$30ANACREWITH A BUMPERYIELD ADVANTAGE.
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CONTROL FOR LESS THAN $10 PER ACRE.With corn prices high, Bumper® fungicide insures high yields and maximizes your profits.Across 19 trials, propiconazole fungicide resulted in an average yield increase of 9.8bushels/acre. The largest yield increase from an application of propiconazole in these trials was 36.4 bushels/acre. That’s like growing an extra thirty dollars* or more in everyacre. And unlike other fungicides, Bumper not only prevents disease, it also controls itif infection should occur. Make the most out of your corn. Ask for Bumper from MANA.
PROPICONAZOLE
Ohio’s Country Journal • Mid-May 2007 • Crops 15
MattReeseassistant
editor
CountryCrossroads
16 Crops • Ohio’s Country Journal • Mid-May 2007
Killing weeds with a propane flamer,a practice that works in organic rowcrops, can help in certain vegetables, too.
In a study of cabbages and tomatoes,Ohio State University scientists report thatflaming takes far less work than hand-weeding, results in about the same cropyields and quality, and even leads to lessblossom end rot, a costly tomato disorder.
The study determined two keys tosuccess: flaming in the morning, not theafternoon, and reaching, for a split sec-ond, temperatures between 140 to 160degrees F.
Doug Doohan, one of the study’sauthors and an associate professor inthe Department of Horticulture andCrop Science, said flaming gives farm-ers an added way to fight weeds with-out using chemicals.
“For certified organic growers, this isa useful tool they can have in their toolkit,” said Doohan, who holds jointappointments with OSU Extension andthe Ohio Agricultural Research andDevelopment Center (OARDC) and is amember of Ohio State’s Organic Foodand Farming Education and Research(OFFER) program.
Flaming already is commonly used inorganic corn and soybeans. The practiceuses propane gas, lit and blown from anozzle — picture a blowtorch — to killweed seedlings by wilting them. Theweeds don’t burn but burst their cells.
A typical propane flame weeder hasmultiple nozzles side by side and rides onthe back of a tractor, mounted on a three-point hitch. The flames angle in on thesides of a row, shoot down near the base ofthe crop, and zap, ideally, just weeds —tiny ones, less than a half-inch high.
The two-year study used an eight-nozzle flamer on plots of cabbage andtomato plants. Comparisons were madebetween flat ground and raised bedsand also between morning and after-noon treatments. Crop injury, soil sur-face temperatures, total and marketableyields, and weed control and communi-ties were measured.
“This was exploratory research to seehow flaming would work in veggies,”Doohan said. “And I think the answerwould be that it can work quite well.”
Other, previous studies have shownthat organic farmers rate weed control astheir No. 1 production challenge.
Common organic weed-control meth-ods include cultivating, hand pulling andmulching, either with plastic sheeting orwith plant materials such as straw.
Flaming, though, doesn’t disturb thesoil, a feature that cuts the risk of erosion,fits under no-tillage systems and keepsfrom exposing more weed seeds to sprout.
Unlike plastic mulch, flaming does-n’t leave behind a pile of old plastic todispose of.
And flaming gives growers an optionwhen a field is too wet to cultivate.
“It might just be a day or so sooner,”Doohan said. “But that day or so mightbe critical. A flamer can give you the con-trol you need now.”
Also of note, the study saw flamingslash the incidence of blossom end rot, aphysiological disorder caused by too lit-tle calcium in the tomato fruit.
“We found that very interesting,”Doohan said. “It seems like the flamingis changing the plant’s physiology everso slightly. It would suggest that thetomato plant is experiencing that heat
and is somehow altering its physiologybecause of it.”
Flaming has drawbacks, too, however.It won’t work with mulch. The flamescan melt or ignite it.
Year-in, year-out weed control is lessconsistent than that of chemical herbicides.Environmental conditions — rainy weath-er, wet or dry soil, and so on — affect howwell and how long flaming works.
For example, the study found flamingin the morning worked much better thanin the afternoon due to more moisture onthe soil and the weeds. Moisture helpstransfer the heat from the flames.
On the other hand, too much moistureall season long, as happened in thestudy’s second year, can spur moreweeds, faster growth and species that tol-erate flaming. Additional flaming andadditional methods — cultivation andhand weeding, among them — may thenbe required to get good control.
The results “indicate a need for theavailability of multiple weed control meth-ods, with flaming among them,” Doohanand colleagues said in the study. “The needfor alternative methods ... will vary fromyear to year but should be anticipated.”
And then there’s the risk of roastingmore than just the targeted weeds. Thestudy found tomato plants stood largelyunfazed by the heat, while cabbageplants saw their growth set back abouttwo weeks then recovered. (Worst hitwere cabbages in raised beds). Bothcrops ended up giving good yields.Flaming, it seems, takes a balancing act.
“We need lethal temperatures atground level but for just a very shortperiod of time,” Doohan said. “Three to 5miles per hour is where we were able to
achieve that.“Farmers using flame weeding for the
first time will need to try several short testruns to determine the correct tractor speedto kill weeds but not damage the crop,” hesaid. “Try starting with relatively fast trac-tor speeds, say, 6 to 7 miles per hour, thengo to progressively slower speeds.”
Then test for weed kill by squeezing— not too hard — a weed leaf betweenthe thumb and index finger. A distinct,dark-colored thumbprint means you’vereached the right speed.
“Because conditions change rapidly inspring and early summer in response toplant growth and weather conditions, itmay be necessary to repeat this test everytime you flame in order to achieve ‘just-right’ temperatures at ground level,”Doohan said.
He also suggests that the first flamingwait until about three weeks after plant-ing. The time helps the crop plants devel-op their roots. Sometimes weeding can’twait, though, he said.
Co-researchers on the study wereAnnette Wszelaki, formerly of Ohio Stateand OFFER, now of the University ofTennessee, and Athanasios Alexandrou,formerly of Ohio State’s AgriculturalTechnical Institute, now of Fresno StateUniversity. The study appeared in a recentissue of the journal Crop Protection.
Funding came in part from a grantfrom the U.S. Department of Agriculture(USDA) Initiative for Future Agricultureand Food Systems.
Organic and conventionally growncabbage and tomatoes have a combinedproduction value in Ohio of nearly $20million, according to the OhioDepartment of Agriculture.
Propane flamer offers benefits for organic weed control
In late April, U.S. District Court JudgeCharles Breyer in California continued theban on further planting of Monsanto’sRoundup Ready alfalfa, citing the potentialfor genetic contamination.
Breyer, in a published order, said aninjunction against planting more of theherbicide-resistant alfalfa should stay inplace until government studies on itsenvironmental effects are concluded.Breyer’s decision followed a preliminaryinjunction on the alfalfa in March, on thegrounds that the U.S. Department of
Agriculture failed to prepare an environ-mental impact statement before deregu-lating the genetically engineered variety.
In the case, Monsanto presented exten-sive regulatory and environmental studieson Roundup Ready alfalfa. The companyalso described successful stewardship prac-tices that allow the coexistence of organic,conventional and Roundup Ready alfalfa.Other regulatory agencies around theworld, including Canada and Japan, haveconfirmed the environmental safety ofRoundup Ready alfalfa.
Roundup Ready alfalfa that was plant-ed by March 30, 2007, can still be grown,harvested and sold as forage in the UnitedStates. And, along with continuing the ban,Breyer ordered that pollinators not beadded to currently growing RoundupReady alfalfa fields grown only for hayproduction, and that equipment used inproduction of Roundup Ready alfalfa beproperly cleaned after use.
The Monsanto Company was disap-pointed with the decision.
“The last decade has shown that
biotech and organic crops have success-fully co-existed,” said Jerry Steiner, exec-utive vice president for MonsantoCompany. “We support a farmer’s rightto choose biotechnology, organic or con-ventional crops with the proper steward-ship practices that make coexistence fea-sible. We have heard from farmers acrossthe country who are disappointed theycan’t access this technology.”
Monsanto is currently reviewing itsoptions, including the possibility of anappeal of the court’s decision.
Ban continued for Roundup Ready alfalfa
American Farmland Trust (AFT) hasreleased two reports that show that clearpreservation goals and priorities thatreflect the deliberations and priorities ofelected officials, citizens, program man-agers and planners are critical for effectivelocal agricultural easement programs.
“A National View of AgriculturalEasement Programs: How ProgramsSelect Farmland to Fund — Report 2,”and “Easements and Local Planning —Report 3” are generated from the firstnational assessment of local agriculturaleasement programs. This study is basedon an in-depth and comprehensiveanalysis of 46 programs in 15 states, that
examines practices and approaches thathave helped communities protect farmand ranch land across America.
The programs studied have spent atotal of $2.3 billion to protect about 1.1million acres — nearly half of all publiclyfunded farmland protection programs inthe nation. Report 1, containing profilesand maps of the studied programs, wasreleased in 2003. American FarmlandTrust and the Agricultural Issues Center,University of California did the studieswith support from Farm Foundation.
“These newly released reports providevaluable suggestions for new and existingprograms to consider for maximizing pro-
gram effectiveness,” said project co-directorAnita Zurbrugg, American Farmland Trust.
Agricultural easements allowlandowners to sell the developmentrights on their farms to government ornonprofit organizations in exchange foragreeing to keep the land permanentlyavailable for agriculture. The use of farmeasements has grown exponentially sincethe 1970s; today 26 states have at leastone publicly funded easement programat the state or local level.
Another key finding of the study,which shows how programs differ instrategies and priorities, describes a criti-cal link between an effective easement
program and local planning. “Strongplanning policies and land use regula-tions assist easement programs by help-ing reduce acquisition costs and guideeasement location. In addition, compati-ble easement programs can support plan-ning policies by softening the landownerburden of zoning regulation,” said AlvinD. Sokolow, project director, Universityof California-Davis.
All three reports are available atwww.farmland.org and www.farmfoun-dation.org. The fourth and final reportof this study will encompass measure-ments of success in protecting farmlandwith easements.
Study broadens knowledge of farm conservation easements
Ohio’s Country Journal • Mid-May 2007 • Crops 17
Ohio’s alfalfa crop that broke dor-mancy early has suffered some frostdamage from the cold weather that hitthe state in early April, but established,healthy stands are anticipated to recoverand produce near normal yields.
Mark Sulc, Ohio State UniversityExtension forage specialist, said estab-lished stands will initiate new growthwith the current warm temperatures,especially if fields have good drainageand adequate fertility.
“I really don’t expect that we will seepermanent damage to established,healthy stands from this late freeze,”Sulc said. “Back in 1992 we had similarconditions of alfalfa breaking dormancyearly in March, followed by cold tem-peratures that killed the shoots back tothe crown. Alfalfa re-initiated growththat year and first-cutting yields werenear normal.”
Sulc said there is considerable varia-tion in response to the late freeze across Ohio.
“The worst freeze injury I’ve seen wasin west central Ohio, where just about allthe top growth was killed back to thecrown,” Sulc said. “That alfalfa will haveto start growth all over again.”
In contrast, the freeze damage innortheast Ohio was much less, with onlythe shoot tips showing injury.
“Apparently, alfalfa broke dormancylater enough in northeast Ohio so thatthe late cold snap did less damage to thecrop compared with the alfalfa furthersouth,” Sulc said.
Sulc encourages growers to scout theiralfalfa fields in the coming weeks forfrost injury. If the inner root tissue is soft,spongy and discolored, permanent injuryhas occurred, and most likely thoseplants will die. Healthy root tissue willbe firm and white. In addition, fieldsshould be scouted closely for alfalfa wee-vil feeding, because that could severelyhamper the recovery of the plant.
Damaged or dead stems should notbe cut as they have negligible effect on
the growth of new shoots and foragequality, and cutting away dead materialmay do more harm than good to newshoots, especially if soils are wet.
“For late summer 2006 seedings, thefrost injury may cause more significantproblems depending on extent ofseedling establishment and growthachieved last fall,” Sulc said. “Plantingsmade in late July to early August 2006will likely have less long-term damagethan those made in late August to September.”
The alfalfa crop may escape frostdamage, but because of the hard freeze,growers may have to delay their firstharvest by seven to 15 days this spring.The delay means there may only bethree cuttings, instead of the usual four.
“A delayed first harvest will give thecrop time to recover and produce nearnormal yields. In addition, allowing thealfalfa to mature to 30% to 50% bloomstage this summer will help the standregain full vigor,” Sulc said. “Research
has shown that alfalfa cut three times isoften higher yielding than when fourcuts are made. Forage quality is usuallylower with three cuttings as comparedwith four; however, it is usually accept-able for dairy animals, provided thestand is pure alfalfa and not mixedwith grass.”
Interseeding grasses with alfalfa isan option to extend the life of winter-damaged alfalfa beyond this year andto boost forage production.
“The yield benefit from perennialspecies such as red clover or ryegrassmay not be great until the second year,because they do require some time toestablish,” Sulc said. “If forage suppliesare very critical for this year, considerinterseeding with a cereal grain.Annual grasses are quick to establishand will compete well in a thin alfalfastand. There are numerous annualspecies for boosting forage supplies forthis year alone, corn silage being one ofthe best.”
Ohio’s alfalfa recovering from frost
BY PETER THOMISON AND ROBERT MULLEN,OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION
As prospects for a timely plantingdiminish, growers need to reassess theirplanting strategies and consider adjust-ments. Since delayed planting reducesthe yield potential of corn, the foremostattention should be given to manage-ment practices that will expedite cropestablishment. The following suggestionsand guidelines should be consideredwhen dealing with a late planting season.
Although the penalty for late plantingis important, care should be taken toavoid tillage and planting operationswhen soil is wet. Yields may be reducedsomewhat this year due to delayed plant-ing, but effects of soil compaction canreduce yield for several years to come.
If you originally planned to applynitrogen (N) and herbicides pre-plant,
consider alternatives so planting is notfurther delayed when favorable plantingconditions occur. Although application ofanhydrous N is usually recommendedprior to April 15 in order to minimizepotential injury to emerging corn, anhy-drous N may be applied as close as aweek before planting (unless hot, dryweather is predicted).
In late planting seasons associatedwith wet cool soil conditions, growersshould consider sidedressing anhy-drous N (or UAN liquid solutions) andapplying a minimum of 30 pounds of Nper acre broadcast or banded to stimu-late early seedling growth. This latterapproach will allow greater time for planting.
Similarly, crop requirements forphosphorus and potassium (P and K)can often be met with starter applica-
tions placed in bands 2 inches to theside and 2 inches below the seed.Application of P and K is only neces-sary with the starter if they are defi-cient in the soil. The greatest probabili-ty of yield response from P and Kstarter is in a no-till situation.
Keep the amount of time expended ontillage passes and other preparatoryoperations to a minimum. This type ofwork will provide minimal benefits if itresults in further planting delays. No-tilloffers the best option for planting ontime this year. Field seedbed preparationshould be limited to leveling ruts left bylast year’s wet, problem harvest — diskor field-cultivate very lightly to level.
Most newer planters provide rela-tively good seed placement in “trashy”or crusted seedbeds. Final tillage pass-es just before planting can be beneficial
in suppressing weeds, but may not bepractical this year. In many cases, itwill be more profitable to completeplanting first and control weeds withpost-planting applied herbicides.Planting into seedbeds containingemerged weeds will make post-plant-ing weed control critical.
Herbicide-resistant corn includingRoundup Ready and Liberty Linkhybrids may offer definite advantagesin these situations. Effective burndownapplications will help minimize thepotential for major weed problemsdeveloping later in the season.
Do not worry about switchinghybrid maturities unless planting isdelayed into late May. If planting ispossible before May 20, plant full-sea-son hybrids first to allow them toexploit the growing season more fully.
Adjusting corn management practices for a late start
Growers looking at applying fungicidesto row crops should do so, but do so cau-tiously and sparingly, said a PurdueUniversity expert.
Fungicides have been used for years byfruit and vegetable growers, but not muchis known about the payoffs of fungicideapplication for corn and soybeans.
Growers that decide to apply a fungi-cide and want to test it out for themselvesshould choose portions of fields to spray atrandom, said Greg Shaner, PurdueExtension crop specialist. This gives a bet-ter indication of yield results from spray-ing than intentionally choosing the area tobe sprayed, because there may be a ten-dency to treat an area that historicallyyields better anyway.
When analyzing yield results, remem-ber other factors should be consideredsuch as soil type and moisture level, aswell as the fungicide treatment.
Timing is critical for fungicide applica-tion. Fungicides work better as preventa-tives than as curatives, Shaner said. It isimportant to spray a crop just at the onset
of disease as most fungicides only remaineffective for three weeks. This means if afungicide is applied too early, it will notstill be there when needed. If a fungicide isapplied too late, it will not stop the disease.
“A general guideline for corn is to makethe first application when there are nomore than a couple lesions on lower leafsof about half the plants in a cornfield,”Shaner said.
“We have the threat of soybean rust, butit hasn’t yet been a problem in theMidwest,” Shaner said. “If it does appearduring the summer, then we have got adefinite problem and we will need to use fungicides.”
For ground application of fungicides,use 10 gallons per acre. Research at Purduesuggests 15 gallons per acre gives bettercoverage and canopy penetration than 10gallons per acre. Five gallons per acre is thestandard for aerial application, but a cou-ple of fungicides can be applied at 2 gallons per acre.
Research is being conducted with elec-tro-static technology, which requires only 1
gallon per acre, but is not yet commerciallyavailable. As the fungicide droplets emergefrom the spray nozzles, they are given anelectrical charge, causing them to beattracted to the foliage. But because thedroplets have the same charge, they repeleach other and disperse in a more uniform pattern.
“This summer we are working with an aerial applicator to apply fungicides on corn and soybean fields at three differ-ent increments — 5, 2 and 1 gallon peracre,” Shaner said. “Our goal is to collectdata on the amount of disease control,yield difference and bottom line resultingfrom applying a fungicide to both corn and soybeans.”
In the weeks following the fungicideapplication, sprayed fields and unsprayedfields will be compared for disease control.Yield also will be compared after harvest.
“From our aerial application trials wewill learn if the decreased volume andsmaller droplets, provide the same diseasecontrol and yield benefit as conventionalaerial application,” Shaner said.
He explained that some manufacturersbelieve fungicides have general planthealth benefits, meaning that even thoughthere may be no real foliar disease problemor need to control anything, there are yield responses.
“It’s possible that some of the late-sea-son soybean diseases, such as pod andstem blight, and anthracnose — diseases,which are not evident until the beans arematuring and starting to drop their leaves— may be doing more damage than werealized and fungicides are controllingthem,” Shaner said.
Unlike soybeans, spraying corn with afungicide is more for disease control,Shaner said. But that is an area that stillneeds more research.
Shaner does know that in determiningwhether or not to apply a fungicide to afield, plant susceptibility must be takeninto account.
In spraying a fairly susceptible hybrid,the leaf tissue is protected and so is the yield.
