Robertson County Extension PO Box 283 Mt. Olivet, KY 41064 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
PRESORTED STANDARD
US POSTAGE PAID CYNTHIANA, KY
PERMIT 2110
Robertson County
Agriculture &
Natural Resources
Newsletter
June 2019
Forage Timely Tips—June
Continue hay harvests. Minimize storage losses by storing hay under cover.
Clip pastures for weeds and seedheads as needed.
Slow rotation allowing for a longer recovery period.
Use portable fencing to decrease paddock size and increase paddock number.
Do NOT grazing below the minimum desired residual height.
Crabgrass, a warm-season annual grass, can provide high quality summer grazing. Remember crabgrass needs some annual soil disturbance to keep coming back.
Equipment Rental
Robertson Conservation
No-till Drill $50/day, 1-10 acres $50 + $5.50/acre, 11 acres and up
No-till Drill (Hay Buster) $65/day, 1-10 acres $65 + $6.50/acre, 11 acres and up *New Lime Spreader $60/day Lime Spreader $50/day
Contact Grant Paynter
to schedule:
(606)-842-0320
Soil Samples
First 10 Soil Samples are free!
(Per person)
$10 deposit on soil probe
Refund upon return
Hay Samples
$10/sample
For more information call the
Extension Office at
(606)-724-5796
Provide the right amount of water to summer veggies Source: Richard Durham, extension horticulture specialist
You might think vegetables will be the best quality only if they get adequate water throughout the growing season. It’s important that you water vegetables well while they are being established and during flowering, but sometimes the best quality garden produce results when water is somewhat limited. All vegetables need a good supply of soil moisture before and during flowering and during fruit development. For crops such as cabbage and broccoli, this period is dur-ing establishment and head development. One to two inches of water per week, in the form of natural rainfall or supplemental irrigation is enough for most vegetables during this time. For vegetables you continu-ally harvest, such as eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, summer squash and green beans, it’s important to keep an adequate supply of water to the plant. This ensures even soil moisture throughout the growing season, and it will keep plants productive longer. Consistent soil moisture on tomatoes will also help prevent blossom end rot and cracking of fruit.
You should withhold water from potatoes once the vines have begun to die. The tubers under the soil are entering dormancy at that time and excess water or fertilizer may cause regrowth or cracking of the potatoes, which makes them less suitable for storage.
Cucumbers will become bitter without a good supply of moisture throughout the entire growing season. On the other hand, mel-ons will produce a sweeter fruit when they are kept drier once the fruit has reached about half of its expected final size.
For melons, don’t cut off water completely. Continue to provide one-half to one inch of water per week. Heavy rain or irrigation when the melons are nearly mature will dilute the fruits’ sugar. Watermelons will reconcentrate the sugar if left on the vine a little long-er. Muskmelons, however, are less apt to do this.
Okra tends to produce more leaves than pods when it’s over watered, so try to keep these drought-tolerant plants on the dry side. A layer of mulch in the vegetable row will help conserve moisture, reduce weed growth and keep produce cleaner. Using black
plastic film as a mulch has become standard in commercial vegetable production, but most backyard growers still prefer organic mulch-es such as straw, wood chips, composted leaves or grass clippings. For more information about home gardening, refer to the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment publi-cation Home Vegetable Gardening in Kentucky at http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agcomm/pubs/id/id128/id128.pdf, or contact the Robertson County Cooperative Extension Service.
Stop by the
Extension Office
to pick up your
soil bags and soil
probe!
Vegetable Diseases to Scout for: Southern Blight
By: Kim Leonberger, Extension Associate and Emily Pfeufer, Extension Plant Pathologist
Southern blight, or basal stem rot as it is sometimes called, most commonly affects tomato, pepper, cucumbers, beans, and cabbage, but
has a very wide host range and can infect many crops. The disease can occur in any system where plants are grown in natural soil. Preven-
tion, early identification, and management will help reduce plant and yield losses.
Here are the symptoms and signs to look for, preventative tactics, and brief suggestions on how to treat crops once disease is confirmed.
Cause & Disease Development
Southern blight is caused by the fungal pathogen, Sclerotium rolfsii. This pathogen overwinters in crop residues or in soil as sclerotia
(small, round fungal overwintering structures). These sclerotia are smaller than the dark brown sclerotia developed by the timber rot/ white
mold pathogen. Sclerotia enable the fungus to remain viable for many years in soils, even through adverse conditions. Southern blight is
favored by high temperatures and humidity. Disease severity increases when undecomposed organic matter is left on and in the soil.
Symptoms
The first symptom of southern blight is a sudden wilting of foliage, which is followed by yellowing of leaves and stems/branches that turn
brown (Figure 1). Plant death occurs as a result of stem or crown decay at the soil level. Infected plant parts may be covered by a white,
thread-like mycelium (fungal body) (Figure 2). Over time, small, round structures, called sclerotia, appear within the mycelium and on the
stem (Figure 2). Sclerotia first appear white, but then darken to a brown or orange color. When fully developed, each sclerotium is about
the size of a mustard seed.
Management
Cultural practices:
Remove and destroy infected plants.
Do not plant in fields with a history of southern blight.
In gardens or on a small scale, apply a physical barrier such as wrapping aluminum foil around the lower stem and crown of the plant.
On larger scales, bury sclerotia by deep tilling fields, then maintain as fallow or plant non-host cover crops for several seasons.
Soil solarization for at least 6 weeks may reduce disease incidence in the following growing season.
Chemical approaches:
Southern blight is extremely difficult to manage once it becomes a problem in field or greenhouse soils. The pathogen has nearly 1900
hosts, and can even infect common rotational crops like corn, soybean, sorghum, and rye (Farr and Rossman, USDA-ARS). Following
deep tillage of an affected crop, it is important to maintain plant-free fallow periods using herbicide applications to keep the pathogen from
increasing on common weeds. Ideally this would occur over multiple seasons. For growers under constraints for rotational fields and/or in
high-value production areas, soil fumigation by a licensed company may need to be considered.
If transplanting into a field that has had southern blight issues in the more distant past, an at-transplant treatment of Blocker 4F may be
used in certain crops’ transplant water. Post-transplant, soil-directed applications of select labeled fungicides in FRAC groups 7 or 11 are
recommended to continue to suppress disease through the season. For organic growers, several biological products are labeled for southern
blight management, but efficacy data is lacking in most cases.
As always, all label recommendations must be followed when applying chemicals to crops. In particular, pay close attention to pre-harvest
intervals.
Figure 2: White mycelium
may develop on infected
plant parts. Within the my-
celium, small round sclero-
tia develop. (Photo: Emily
Pfeufer, University of Ken-
tucky)
Figure 1: Plants affected by southern blight exhibit
leaf yellowing and stems and branches turn brown.
(Photo: Kenny Seebold, University of Kentucky)
Minimize soil compaction on the farm Source: Jeff Lehmkuhler, extension beef cattle specialist; Ray Smith, extension forage specialist
Soil compaction is a problem that many producers face, but one they often overlook. Paying attention to the problem
is important since soil compaction can reduce your forage yields and slow forage establishment. That can cost you a lot of
money in the long run.
When soil particles are pressed together, it reduces pore space and aeration and damages the soil structure, which
reduces the soil’s ability to retain moisture. You know what happens when soil can’t retain moisture—runoff and poor
drainage.
Compacted soil also decreases organic matter, reduces microbial activity and increases erosion and nutrient leaching.
All these things really affect plant growth and that’s why you end up with sparse or bare patches and low overall yields.
Soil compaction results from natural and operational factors. Severe compaction is almost always due to manage-
ment practices. Wheel traffic is the main culprit. As farm equipment has become heavier and producers’ time has become
more limited, machinery has become an even bigger contributor to compaction.
Tillage operations at the same depth, over time, can cause severe compaction to the layers below the tillage depth.
Wet soils are most susceptible to compaction. Busy schedules make waiting for optimal soil moisture difficult. Hoof traf-
fic can also cause compaction, especially near waterers, feeders and gates.
You can take some simple steps to prevent and reduce the severity of soil compaction. Knowing your soil type and
soil properties can help you make management decisions. Soils higher in clay and low in organic matter have a greater
potential for compaction. Focus on building organic matter in the soil to develop a
good soil structure while you decrease soil bulk density.
If you can keep a thick stand of forages, you can increase manure distribution.
Reducing tillage can build soil organic matter. Try to control and reduce wheel
traffic, especially on wet soils.
Planting a tillage radish in severely compacted areas is another way to reduce
compaction. This plant provides a thick ground cover, and its large tap roots can
penetrate compacted soils. Be sure to plant a forage-type radish if you intend to
graze the pasture. Many producers plant a forage radish with a mixture of annual
ryegrass or cereal rye.
Consider installing high-traffic pads around waterers, feeders and gates. If you regularly move feeding areas, you can
prevent any one area from becoming severely compacted.
For more information on preventing or reducing soil compaction, contact the Robertson County Extension office.
You may also visit https://grazer.ca.uky.edu/ for more resources on managing forages.
Important Dates
Date Program Location
JUNE 20, 2019 WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM 6:00 PM FLEMING CO. EXT OFFICE
JULY 12, 2019 MT. OLIVET FARMER’S MARKET
GRAND OPENING FARMER’S MARKET BLDG.
JULY 19, 2019 SUMMER HEMP FIELD DAY
10:00-12:00 2625 DUTCH RIDGE RD.
AUGUSTA, KY
JULY 23-25, 2019 PLANT CAMP (FOR YOUTH) SEE SAMANTHA FOR INFO
SEPT. 21, 2019 ROBERTSON COUNTY
LIVESTOCK SHOW & SALE AG BARN
SEPT. 23, 2019 GROWING INDUSTRIAL HEMP 6:00 PM MCTC
OCTOBER 1, 2019 FARM SCHOOL FOR WOMEN MASON CO. EXT. OFFICE
OCTOBER 8, 2019 FARM SCHOOL FOR WOMEN MASON CO. EXT. OFFICE
OCTOBER 15, 2019 FARM SCHOOL FOR WOMEN MASON CO. EXT. OFFICE
OCTOBER 22, 2019 FARM SCHOOL FOR WOMEN MASON CO. EXT. OFFICE
2 cups whole-wheat bread, cut into cubes
1 cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
6 eggs
1 cup skim milk
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
⅛ teaspoon pepper
1 cup frozen broccoli florets
½ bell pepper, roughly chopped
½ onion, chopped
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 2. In a 7-by-11-inch or 9-by-9-inch pan, layer bread cubes and
shredded cheddar. 3. In a medium bowl, mix eggs, milk, salt, garlic powder, pep-
per and vegetables. Pour over bread. 4. Bake for approximately one hour (check periodically) or
until eggs have set. Makes 8 servings Serving size: 3-by-3 inch piece
Country Morning Casserole
Cooperative Extension Service Robertson County 39 E Walnut St. Mt. Olivet, KY 41064 (606) -724-5796 [email protected]
Agriculture & Natural Resources
Newsletter
June 2019
The months are just rolling on along as we make
our way into June! I hope that everyone is getting
along well with planting/setting their crops and
getting ready for the first cutting of hay.
June 1st makes one year of me being the
Agriculture and Natural Resources/4-H Youth
Development County Extension Agent in
Robertson County. I can not believe that it has
already been a year, but ya know the saying “time
flies when you are having fun”.
Inside this addition, there are a couple upcoming
programs this summer, which include the Wildlife
Management Program in Fleming County and the
Summer Hemp Field Day in Bracken County. Both
programs are going to be very educational and
beneficial if you are considering leasing your
property for hunting or raising hemp next year.
I hope that everyone gets a chance to stop by and
support our Farmer’s Market vendors at Blue Licks
and then in Mt. Olivet in July.
Inside this addition:
Farmer’s Market Dates
Important Dates
Wildlife Management Program
Summer Hemp Field Day
Minimize Soil Compaction
Southern Blight
Forage Timely Tips
Equipment Rental
Samantha Woerner Robertson County Agriculture & Natural Resources/4-H Youth Development Agent
The Robertson County Extension Office will be closed
Thursday, July 4th, in observance to Independence Day.