Most landowners and farmers are continually being plagued with problems associated with controlling unwanted trees and shrubs and keeping them from becoming established in fencerows, drainage-ditch banks, pastures, rights-of-way and other non-crop areas. According to Bob Frazee, University of Illinois Extension natural resources educator, what many people refer to as "brush," may actually be trees and shrubs known by the common names of box elder, locust, red cedar, mulberry, hedge, multiflora rose, soft maple, brambles, honeysuckle, sumac, hackberry, willow, trumpet creeper or even poison ivy.

The good news for landowners is that brush can be effectively controlled by mechanical or chemical methods or by a combination of these approaches. Frazee emphasizes that right now is an ideal time for attacking your brush problems and bringing them under control.

Mechanical brush control is usually very time-consuming and costly but may be necessary where herbicide use in not desirable. Mechanical control can be accomplished by cutting, girdling or grubbing the tree or shrub.

Chemical brush control is accomplished with the use of herbicides to control the plant or to minimize resprouting. Using herbicides is usually less labor intensive but does not remove the dead plants from the landscape. Frazee cautions that when using herbicides for brush control, it is very important to read and follow the directions carefully and completely as there may be restrictions associated with grazing periods and harvest clearances or application to aquatic areas, drainage ditches, etc.

There are several ways brush herbicides may be applied—foliar treatment to the leaves, a basal-bark or cut-surface treatment either onto or into the stem or trunk or application to the soil. According to Frazee, regardless of which method a landowner might select, it should be based on the specific herbicide being used, the site, the season of the year and the environment.

Brush herbicides are also categorized by their mode of activity. Some brush herbicides are selective, which means they will leave grasses unaffected while controlling brush and broadleaf plants. However, Frazee cautions that care must be exercised even with selective herbicides because these herbicides can injure desirable broadleaf plants if they are allowed to drift, run off or leach out of the treated area. Nonselective herbicides mean that the herbicide will control all vegetation in the area being treated.

The most recently published Illinois Agricultural Pest Management Handbook (2008) is available for $27 plus shipping by ordering directly from the University of Illinois' Publications Plus at their e-mail address (PublicationsPlus@uiuc.edu) or their toll-free number (1-800-345-6087). This publication contains the very latest University of Illinois recommendations for all types of agricultural weed, insect and disease problems—including brush control.

Chapter 8 of the Illinois Agricultural Pest Management Handbook is entitled "Brush Control in Illinois" and contains a great deal of practical information in easy-to-read tables. Table 1 provides a listing of the common and scientific names of 32 brush species typically found throughout Illinois. Table 2 lists the label clearances for the common brush herbicides. Table 3 lists all recommended brush herbicides, their generic name, trade name and rate of application. Tables 4 through 7 provide detailed information outlining all recommended herbicide treatments, their method of application and their susceptibility on 32 common brush species.

For individuals wanting to use the internet, Frazee reports that the Illinois Agricultural Pest Management Handbook (2008) is also available at www.ipm.uiuc.edu/pubs/iapmh. A pdf file of individual chapters and tables can be downloaded, at no charge, from this website and printed. If you do not have access to a computer, stop by your local University of Illinois Extension office and request their assistance in downloading and printing this 11-page document.

· Buckle your seatbelt and mark your calendar for June 30 when USDA will release its best estimation of how many acres of corn and soybeans have been really planted. But in the words of Illinois Marketing Specialist Darrel Good, "The June estimates this year may contain more than the usual amount of producer intentions since considerable unplanted acreage still remains in the wettest areas of the eastern Cornbelt."

· Darrel Good says the USDA estimation in past years has changed over time. "For corn, actual planted acreage in the previous 5 years has varied by as little as 40,000 acres to as much as 1.35 mil. acres from the June estimate. For soybeans the difference has ranged from 400,000 to 1.185 mil. acres." The June 30 report will be released at 7:30 am CDT.

· Purdue economist Chris Hurt is concerned about a large loss of corn acres in the eastern Cornbelt. He says 1.5 mil. unplanted acres and a 152 bu. yield provide only 11.6 bil. bu. of corn and that would push Aug. 2010 stocks down to 800 mil. bu. Hurt says that scenario would put Dec futures in the range of $4.60 to $4.80 per bu.

· Corn demand remains an uncertainty to Hurt who notes large financial losses in pork and dairy have trimmed herds. He says ethanol demand should increase, not only with the higher target from fuel mandate, but EPA raising the ethanol content above 10%. Read more: http://www.agecon.purdue.edu/extension/prices/grains/corn.asp?ID=61 .

· $14 soybeans are still a possibility, believes Purdue's Chris Hurt. He says the current carryover on Aug. 31 will be a 15 day supply, and new beans will not be yet available. He also says only 7 mil. more bu. have to be sold to overseas buyers in the next 11 weeks to meet USDA's export projections. Hurt is anticipating beans will retest the $13 high, and if reached, he says $14 becomes more likely. The triggers for such a move include the June 30 stocks report, export sales, and late beans aggravated by summer weather. Read more: http://www.agecon.purdue.edu/extension/prices/grains/soybean.asp?ID=62

· What is your soybean pricing strategy? Hurt says one sales point is if July futures retest $13, then any weather concerns. But for an overall strategy "one might consider pricing more beans in the early part of the marketing year because South American acreage will rise and a return to normal yields there could result in lower priced beans in the last-half of the marketing year from March to September 2009."

· Also on Tuesday, USDA will be issuing its Quarterly Grain Stocks report for the third quarter of the year. Darrel Good's numbers point to USDA overestimating feed use and underestimating processing use, but total corn use appearing reasonable. He also says the soybean crush might be underestimated and stocks could be smaller than expected. Read his newsletter: http://www.farmdoc.uiuc.edu/marketing/weekly/html/062209.html .

· The ACRE sign-up deadline is Aug. 14 and Purdue's Chris Hurt believes the odds now favor positive returns to elect ACRE. He says there is still some time to make that evaluation as USDA will release its estimates on 2009 state yields and US average price on Aug. 12. Hurt says both of those forecasts are important in the formula to determine whether ACRE payments will be made for the 2009 corn crop.

· Corn is growing loudly with the help of ample moisture and heat across the Cornbelt, and in some cases, it is growing faster than herbicides can be applied, which could turn out to be a problem. IL weed specialist Aaron Hager says atrazine should not be applied to corn over 12" and glyphosate to corn over 30" tall. Hager says other post-emergent herbicide labels have maturity or corn height restrictions to protect against injury to the corn. Find those here: http://ipm.illinois.edu/bulletin/article.php?id=1150 .

· Corn lesson #1. After July 1 average summer temperatures will provide 1,900 growing degree days across the northern Cornbelt, 2,100 GDD across the central Cornbelt, and 2,450 GDD across the southern Cornbelt says IL agronomist Emerson Nafziger. Read his latest corn newsletter: http://ipm.illinois.edu/bulletin/article.php?id=1172

· Corn lesson #2. Daytime temperatures have been in the 90ºF range, but remember corn is a tropical plant and its photosynthetic rate will remain steady as long as there is enough water. The photosynthetic rate will not taper off until the temperature approaches 100 ºF.

· Corn lesson #3. Heat and moisture have contributed to the corn growth rate, and rapid stem growth is putting out leaves quicker than the typical 50 GDD rate implies. Late planted corn may end up with typical height, but likely smaller stalk diameters.

· Corn lesson #4. Current corn growth rates point to lower plant dry weight, lighter weight leaves and perhaps less surface area, and perhaps one to two fewer leaves. That means an incomplete canopy during and after pollination, and possibly lower yields.

· Corn lesson #5. A good canopy color in high temperatures means a good N supply, with good root development. Normal temperatures, sufficient sunlight, and a continuation of a good green color indicate good leaf function going into the pollination period.

· Hail can make corn look bad, but the serious damage occurs after the 6-leaf stage when the growing point is up and out of the ground, says Roger Elmore at Iowa State, who adds that hail adjusters use different growth stages than corn researchers. Elmore says the V6 or 6 leaf stage is equivalent to the 7 leaf stage used by the hail industry.

· Patience is needed in letting corn recover from hail, and it takes 3-5 days after a hail storm to obtain an accurate damage appraisal. Cut the corn plant stem lengthwise and if it has a healthy growing point it will survive. Elmore says a reduction in leaf area less than 50% will not reduce yield if the damage occurs before the V13 stage of growth. Read more: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/CropNews/2009/061901.htm .

· What if your nitrogen applicator is shorter than your corn? With rapid growth, many cornfields may be beyond conventional application. IL fertility specialist Fabian Fernandez says the best application time is prior to the V8 stage because that begins the heaviest N uptake by the corn plant. http://ipm.illinois.edu/bulletin/article.php?id=1171

· Nitrogen is best sidedressed by injection or dribbling to avoid volatilization and prevent foliar damage. Urea needs rain in 3-4 days to avoid loss. Dry formulations can be broadcast over the top, but Fernandez says the plant will display small lesions where the N has burned the tissue in the whorl or on leaves, but rarely results in any yield reduction.

· Are foliar fungicides of value if there is no evidence of disease? WI researchers say in the trials where disease severity has been at least 5% on the ear leaf, the response has been higher; but they say problems are usually less than 5%. With fungicides and applicator costs about $25-30/A and the lack of consistent research results from using foliar fungicides, foliar fungicides should not be used on corn unless the hybrid was susceptible. Read the research at: http://ipcm.wisc.edu/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx

· If your soils are wet, phytophthora spores may be swimming through your soil to reach soybean plants. That means phytophthora may be more common this year in fields where soybeans do not have resistance to the root and stem rot fungus. IL plant pathologist Carl Bradley says there is no rescue treatment, but be sure to select resistant seed next year:
1) Race resistance prevents outbreaks, but only to the phytophthora races in your field.
2) Field tolerance defends against all races, but does not provide complete control.
3) Mefenoxam and metalaxyl fungicides will provide partial growing season control.

· Corn rootworm larvae should be feasting lavishly on corn that was either non transgenic, or untreated with insecticides. But Purdue entomologists also say that some insecticide efficacy is in question. They recommend digging rootballs, break through the soil and look for quarter to half inch long slender larvae, along with root pruning. They say that two larvae per plant signals the need for a rescue cultivation application.

· A rescue cultivation application directs the insecticide toward the base of the plant and mounds up the soil around the plant to incorporate the insecticide and promote the establishment of brace roots, since the corn plant's standability may be compromised. They say application of an insecticide atop the soil in a no-till field will not be of value unless it is watered in by irrigation or a rain of one-half inch or more.

· If you are planting single crop soybeans by the double-crop soybean calendar, IL agronomist Vince Davis recommends finding the field with the best planting conditions.
1) Use a full to mid-season variety, since heat and night length will promote flowering.
2) Plant in 7-10 in. rows with a no-till drill to get the highest yields when planted late.
3) Plant at a rate that will target a final stand of 150,000 to 200,000 plants per acre.
4) Schedule timely rains, and hold off any killing frost until as late as possible.

· PI567102B. Remember that genetic code number because it may soon be a key to your survival from Asian soybean rust. Soybean researchers report the genes came from a Paraguayan soybean variety that had resistance to soybean rust in the US research labs. They have also identified several soybean cultivars that are "less rusting" and "slow rusting" which may also work their way into commercial soybean varieties. Read more: http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/sub/php/research/2009/resistance/ .

· Avoiding problems with spray drift may boil down to a trio of precautions:
1) Spray drift increases by 700% 90 ft. downwind when wind speeds double.
2) Spray drift increases 350% 90 ft. downwind when the boom is raised from 18 to 36 in.
3) When the distance downwind is doubled, spray drift decreases five-fold.

· File away for future reference a report from an Ohio State University entomologist that lady beetle populations are declining, with some varieties considered rare. The species diminishing do not include the Asian multi-colored lady beetles that are voracious predators of soybean aphids. However, if one specie goes down, what about the others?

· Acidic spots can develop in fields with otherwise good pH readings because of issues with the underlying subsoil. Plants growing in spots with a low pH might indicate they were low in phosphorus and magnesium, but high in iron and aluminum. Soils with a pH under 5.5 make aluminum and manganese more available, which become toxic to root systems, and that prevents phosphorus uptake by the plant. Microbial activity is reduced and that causes nitrogen issues. It can all be solved with strategic lime applications.

· The June Hogs & Pigs Report to be released later today must show massive cutbacks to provide any financial relief says Michigan St. economist Jim Hilker, "The USDA showed another 1.8% drop in pork production in 2010, I suspect the cut will be larger, but we might not see it until the September Quarterly Hogs and Pigs Report. The June numbers were collected around June 1, and we have seen a $10.00 drop /cwt since then."

· Hurting the price of pork is the reduction in exports, say MO economists Glenn Grimes and Ron Plain. They say April exports were 21% below April of 2008, and exports were down 11% for the first 4 months of the year compared last year. Exports still contribute $32.51 to the value of every hog slaughtered, even though that is less than in 2008.

· Grimes and Plain say don't blame demand for low pork prices. May hog slaughter was the same as May of 2008, but weight has added 2% to the supply of pork, "When one considers we have had seven to eight percent more pork recently this year domestically than last year, it indicates our problem as to prices has been supply and not demand."

· Employee turnover costs $2,000 when someone is replaced and a 25% turnover rate is not out of the question for farming operations. But there are ways to reduce that, offered by Ohio St. http://ohioagmanager.osu.edu/~ohioagmanager/news/index.php#turnover
1) Take time to hire better qualified employees, you get what you pay for.
2) Establish a training protocol for news employees, manuals and job descriptions.
3) Hold regular meetings to discuss farm issues, goals, and operational strategies.
4) Several farmers could share one or more employees or seasonal labor.
5) Conduct exit interviews to determine why employees seek work elsewhere.

· Create incentive and reward programs that cost very little, but show appreciation to employees. A basic "thanks" for a job well done goes a long ways. So do: home cooked meals, extra time off, use of fuel or farm commodities, and training seminars. Staff members will also appreciate being asked for their advice about equipment, safety, personnel conflicts, and unreasonable farm policies or work rules.

· Soybean demand remains strong and there are indications that price rationing has been occurring, says IL marketing specialist Darrel Good. In his weekly newsletter, Good says July futures seem to have peaked at $12.90, and have softened along with the basis, which leads him to believe sufficient rationing of old crop soybeans has occurred. Read his newsletter: http://www.farmdoc.uiuc.edu/marketing/weekly/html/061509.html

· Darrel Good says export business is above the pace to reach the 1.25 bil. bu. that USDA has projected for the year. Additionally, the domestic crush is slightly stronger than expected. USDA recently forecast a 110 mil. bu. carryout at the end of the marketing year in August, which is a 3.6% stocks-to-use ratio, however, Good believes that despite the high demand, stocks will probably not drop below the typical pipeline supply.

· The corn market has also weakened slightly, but basis levels have remained steady, and the market is apparently comfortable that the new crop will provide sufficient supplies for the 2010 marketing year. Darrel Good believes the recent decline in prices may be linked to financial and other outside markets. However, he says, "All of the ingredients for volatile corn and soybean prices appear to be in place," creating market uncertainty.

· Jim Hilker at Mich. State expects harvest prices around $4, given the USDA's current supply-demand projections and $65-70/barrel of oil. "At $4.25 and normal state and your farm yields we would not sign up for ACRE, but could prices be $3.50, the August report will let us know, so let's be ready." More: https://www.msu.edu/user/hilker/outlook.htm .

· Hilker's recommendation for the ACRE farm program is to fill out the paperwork now, wait for the August 12 Crop Report to indicate the potential supply and fall prices, then file paperwork by the August 14 deadline. "You will have a good idea of the state yields, your yields, and the US price with high odds after the report. That is all the information you need to make the decision. But you need to have everything in place."

· Wheat prices have softened, and Hilker's rearview mirror says, "Using hindsight, it appears the time to have priced some 2009 wheat was early June. If we get near the previous highs during harvest, certainly consider pricing much of your wheat. It is very unclear to me that there will be any returns to storage, the futures certainly do not suggest any, and the basis is still very unreliable." He says other crops may pay returns to storage.

· Corn or beans? In addition to reduced corn yield, OH agronomist Peter Tomison says there are other considerations when debating whether to switch corn ground to beans:
1) Higher grain moisture that may require artificial drying.
2) Lower test weights that may result in significant dockage.
3) Greater stalk lodging and stalk rots that may slow harvest and reduce yield.
4) Increased injury from silk clipping by corn rootworm beetles and Japanese beetles.
5) Greater injury from foliar diseases, such as gray leaf spot.
6) Less effective nitrogen uptake if the weather turns dry after planting.

· Purdue corn king Bob Nielsen recommends just parking your corn planter. After thunderstorms crossed through the Eastern Cornbelt on Thursday too many fields will be too wet to plant and "the agronomic viability of planting corn through the rest of this month in central and northern Indiana is essentially non-existent." And his comments could reasonably apply to similar latitudes in neighboring states as well.

· Nielsen joins other agronomists in saying maturity will be delayed too much. "Even early-maturity hybrids planted this late incur substantial risk of stressful weather conditions during flowering and grain filling prior to physiological maturity. Pollination that occurs in early to mid-August can easily experience some of the hottest and driest periods of the growing season." Nielsen says plant stress will increase the potential for stalk rot as carbohydrates move from the stalk to the ears, with later risk of lodging.

· With nitrogen dissipating in the soil, IL crop production specialist Emerson Nafziger says the switch from corn to beans is more justified on the basis of economics, "The expenditure to apply N has diminished, and even though it's not pleasant to write off such an expense, it is likely that the value of yield loss from delayed corn planting will exceed the value of the N left in most fields, making the switch to another crop more logical."

· Desperation alternative #1. Sorghum can be planted in late June to July, but needs good late summer weather fill grain, and that process can stop if September is cool. It attracts different insects, and sometimes weed control can be a challenge.

· Desperation alternative #2. Buckwheat will produce seed even if planted in mid-July and will set seed until frost. Since it is a cool season crop, it will suffer in a hot dry summer. Contrary to some reports, buckwheat does not fix N and is not a soil builder.

· Desperation alternative #3. Sorghum-sudan grass may be an alternative if there is a market for forage. While it is a warm season forage and can be planted late, it does not produce high quality forage. And late planting can compromise its quality.

· Desperation alternative #4. If there is a forage market, corn can be planted as a forage crop and may even produce some grain, which would increase its feed value. It may have a similar yield to other forage crops without grain production. Late corn may escape corn rootworm, so the use of conventional, non-Bt seed may allow seed costs to drop.

· Desperation alternative #5. Extension crop specialist Emerson Nafziger says anecdotal reports indicate that prevented planting payments from crop insurance may exceed the expected profit from a cash crop that might be planted this late in the growing season. Read Nafziger's planting options: http://ipm.illinois.edu/bulletin/article.php?id=1162 .

· The double-crop calendar will be used by many soybean growers says IL crop specialist Emerson Nafziger, "Full-season" soybeans will have little or no head start on double-crop soybeans in many areas this year. In fact, wheat dries out the soil as long as the wheat plants are still green, so fields following wheat harvest may in some cases be ready to plant sooner than those planned for a "full-season" (soybean) crop."

· What insects are attacking Cornbelt crops? Extension entomologists report:
1) Soybean aphids are near the MSU campus, northern IN, southern MN, & NW Ohio.
2) Sporadic infestations include: white grubs, wireworms, black cutworms, bean leaf beetles, potato leafhoppers in alfalfa, and armyworms in wheat fields.
3) Unusually high populations of corn borers are in NE and IA.
4) Corn rootworms are well into their hatch in central and northern IL.

· Regarding soybean aphids in Ohio, Extension entomologist Ron Hammond expected to find high populations in odd-numbered years, "But what is unusual this year is the large number of aphids being found so early in the season. The situation could be that many soybean fields were planted late this year due to persistent wet weather, so early planted fields are receiving the brunt of aphid colonization." He says scout early soybeans.

· Late beans may be lucky! Late-planted soybeans have a lower disease risk than early-planted soybeans in nearly all diseases with the exception of soybean rust. "Late planting in soybeans really doesn't affect the disease situation much. In fact, it probably actually helps it," says Don Hershman, UK Extension plant pathologist. "Usually the only disease where there could be an increased risk is with soybean rust." Read more at: http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/pub/php/news/2009/LateSoyPlanting/

· Asian soybean rust has been found in 21 counties in LA, AL, GA, & FL along with Mexico. IL plant pathologist Carl Bradley says when you consider the later planting of some Midwestern soybean fields, the risk of soybean rust may be slightly elevated. Rust has not been a yield problem the past several years because beans are mature by the time it has arrived in the Midwest. For updates, rely on the rust website: www.sbrusa.net .

· Your first herbicide application may not have performed well, say Purdue weed specialists who say the cool, wet conditions may have interfered with translocation of the herbicide throughout the weed. That means a field check may find that a second herbicide application could be necessary. The specialists also warn that warmer temperatures will enhance weed growth and some could overtake young soybeans.

· Should you use a PSNT test to analyze whether to apply nitrogen to corn, where you are concerned that spring weather conditions and Father Time may have diminished the N availability? The Pre-Sidedress Nitrate Test is a tool to help decide. However, WI soil scientist Carrie Laboski says when temperatures are cooler than normal by 1ºF or more, the PSNT test underpredicted the N credits that were due to manure and legumes by 59%. So, a cool PSNT test called for more N than was needed about 60% of the time.

· Puny, discolored corn may outgrow its appearance when the soil warms up and dries out and root development is enhanced, says MSU soil scientist Darryl Warncke. Those symptoms include purple corn that appears to have a phosphorous deficiency, yellow striped leaves that appear to be a sulfur deficiency, and yellowish mottling that appears to be a magnesium deficiency. He says slow root growth interfered with nutrient uptake.

· Are you applying 28% N in your UAN or only 20%? If you stored it over the winter, a cold spell of 0ºF may have caused the urea and ammonium nitrate to come out of solution and settle as crystals in the bottom of the tank. The N is not lost, but may need a pump to circulate the N back into a 28% solution, and the warmer the temperature, the better.

· In the rush to apply anhydrous ammonia, Purdue safety specialist Bill Field says too many chances and shortcuts are taken, but be sure to not forget your safety checklist:
1) Ensure you have enough water to flush ammonia burns for 15 minutes.
2) Check integrity of hitches, because when they break, hoses snap and flail.
3) Goggles will save your sight and rubber gloves will protect your hands.
4) Your cell phone battery should be charged, so you can call for help if burned.

· If your crops are burned, some of the blame may be attributed to sprayer tank residue. Kristine Schaefer at Iowa State says water may not always rinse out the residue and crops can be injured when the chemicals return to solution. Those include: Dicamba, 2,4-D, Status, NorthStar, Callisto, Impact, and Laudis. She says glyphosate and glufosinate are good tank cleaners and can rejuvenate older chemicals unexpectedly in the sprayer lines.

· If your corn looks goofy, was Lumax part of your herbicide strategy? Purdue weed specialists say the weather and the chemistry may have collided and they have noticed corn injury in the form of bleaching of leaves and the inability of the corn leaves to unfurl. Testing at Purdue indicated potential problems when soils were cool and wet. More is at: http://www.btny.purdue.edu/weedscience/2009/CornInjury09.pdf .

· Is it too early for corn earworms and corn borers? No, says IL crop specialist Mike Roegge who has found both of them, despite the calendar. He says high populations can cause economic damage to young corn plants, and scouting should be a priority. Use this treatment decision aid: http://ipm.illinois.edu/decision/corn_borer_first.html .

· Genetically-modified crops have benefited the environment, says IL entomologist Mike Gray, quoting www.pgeconomics.co.uk/pdf/2009globalimpactstudy.pdf .
1) Since 1996 global farm income improved $21.8 bil. from beans & $7.2 bil. from corn.
2) In 2007, 12 mil. farmers used GMO technology, 90% of them in developing countries.
3) Pesticide use has dropped 8.8% (359 mil. KG of active ingredient) since 1996.
4) Herbicide and insecticide use has dropped a total of 17.2% since 1996.
5) Because of less pesticide use, 2007 tractor fuel savings totaled about 100 mil. gal.

· Cow slaughter is up 1.7% for the year; but most of that is dairy cattle, and MO livestock economists say that is not enough, "This data indicates cow-calf producers have slowed or possibly even stopped the decline in the beef cow herd. With only about a 2% cut in the cow herd on Jan. 1, the odds are low that the herd has been reduced enough to get the beef supply in line with demand that will be profitable for producers with $4 corn."

· On the weather map, OSU meteorologist Jim Noel expects normal temperatures and precipitation for the summer. He says normal heat in July and September and a warmer than normal August. Rainfall is expected to be normal in July and September and drier in August. His early prediction is for an El Nino to turn fall and winter into warmer and drier than normal, which is a pattern change from the high moisture in 2008 and 2009.

· USDA cut the soybean carryout to 110 mil. bu. at the end of August, but IL ag economist Darrel Good says price rationing will ensure a pipeline supply. "Prices will stay high or continue to rise until there is convincing evidence that consumption has slowed sufficiently to maintain at least a pipeline supply of old crop soybeans." He says move old crop beans once the market is satisfied that sufficient rationing has occurred.

· We will have enough beans, but Good says China has taken 629 mil. bu. so far and that is 188 mil. more than last year. Total soybean exports are projected to be 1.250 bil. thanks to the droughty Argentine harvest and the slack demand by the domestic crush. But USDA says the crush is picking up and may surpass 2008 stats by 5 mil. bu. Read his newsletter: http://www.farmdoc.uiuc.edu/marketing/weekly/html/060809.html .

· Darrel Good wonders if consumption is beginning to slow, saying there is evidence:
1) The pace of exports has dropped for two weeks and sales have been cancelled.
2) Higher prices for DDGS indicate livestock feeders are buying it instead of bean meal.
3) Exports of meal and oil are slightly above the pace projected by USDA.

· USDA's language in the June Supply-Demand report caught the eye of Kansas State's Mike Woolverton, because the acreage estimates were "highly tentative." He says USDA used the Planting Intentions report acreage, which will change. "That will certainly raise the level of interest in USDA's June 30^th Acreage report to an all time high. The USDA June domestic corn production projection may turn out to be a best case scenario."

· Woolverton says if planted corn acreage falls by a million acres or more in the June 30th report, carryover would fall below 1 bil. bu. And he adds, "If summer weather phenomena lowers national average yield even more, as some now predict, the corn supply/demand fundamentals will become very tight for this marketing year; and next, unless corn acreage expands dramatically next spring."

· Woolverton is concerned about the 110 mil. bu. soybean carryover this year and USDA's projected 210 mil. bu. carryover next year, which he says is a 23 day supply. He says higher acreage of 79 million, but lower yield by 39.6 bu., which was last year's national average, would result in a 100 mil. bu. cut in production and 22 day supply. Read more: http://www.agmanager.info/marketing/outlook/newletters/default.asp .

· Biofuel demand has also started to rebound with higher fuel prices, says IA Extension's Chad Hart. "Since the first of the year, corn and ethanol prices are up about 5%, soybean prices are up over 20% and gasoline prices are up over 70%. Gasoline prices have increased enough to overtake ethanol prices and the economics of blending again favor ethanol." He expects more breathing room for ethanol prices and increased margins.

· Your ACRE decision needs to be made by Aug. 14, says OSU economist Carl Zulauf. "Market events can happen between now and August to substantively impact the ACRE decision for corn and soybean producers and landlords. We could see a major increase in crop revenue, possibly due to higher prices resulting from a drought that would clearly reduce the incentive to participate in ACRE. On the other hand, we could see a big decrease in revenue between now and August that would clearly increase the incentive to participate in ACRE." He says prepare paperwork now, and file it just before Aug. 14.

· Expect more hoop jumping for farmers needing credit says IL ag economist Bruce Sherrick, "In the end, there will likely be increased public disclosure and improved informational systems supporting loans and other forms of capital transfer, and there will be likely be improved risk-pricing (more responsive loan rates to borrower risk), but there is not likely to be a fundamental rationing of credit in agriculture as there may be in some other worse-hit sectors." Sherrick says we are not revisiting the 1980's at this time.

· Agriculture entered "the crisis" in good shape, says Sherrick, "Compared to most other sectors, agriculture has exceptionally low leverage. USDA data indicate that the overall ag debt-to-asset ratio was only 9.1% as of 2008. Further, 2008 was a year of record agricultural income, following several other years of relatively high income levels. Further buffering the impacts, land values represent over 85% of the assets in the sector."

· Prices for diesel fuel are 52% less than year ago levels according to Kansas State's Kevin Dhuyvetter, based on NYMEX futures prices. And he says that will be about the price differential through the balance of the summer. Harvest season will see diesel prices 40% under late 2008 prices, but December prices will be 13% over 2008.

· How late can corn be planted? IL crop specialist Emerson Nafziger says, "Based on accumulated data, corn yield approaches 50% of its maximum yield when planting is delayed to June 15-20. But past data are so variable that such predictions are likely to be inaccurate for any given year. Most fields with stands above 20,000 to 25,000 should probably be kept now, given the severe penalty for planting so late." Read about seedling losses in his latest newsletter. http://ipm.illinois.edu/bulletin/article.php?id=1154 .

· Corn rootworms began hatching in the Central Cornbelt about June 1, and will soon be at the 50% point, based on degree-day accumulations. For the balance of June, IL bug specialist Mike Gray says damage to late planted corn may be more severe, due to the overall smaller root system exposed to corn rootworm feeding. Scout your fields.

· European corn borers may have a challenge surviving their first generation, due to delays in corn planting, says IL entomologist Mike Gray, and he says the prevalence of Bt fields will help drive survivors down even further. Gray says Bt refuges could be vulnerable to significant infestations, so scout them for decisions on spraying.

· Soybean aphids have appeared in Michigan, but the intensity of the population is not yet determined, nor the density of their primary predators, the seven spotted lady beetle and the multicolored Asian lady beetle. Canadian researchers have found that adult seven spotted lady beetles consumed between 166 and 277 soybean aphids per day. The multicolored Asian lady beetles ate between 73 and 244 aphids per day. Hungry devils!

· Wet soils prevented some cornfields from pre-emergent weed control, so the post-emergent herbicides will have to be the weapons of choice for many farmers. However, each has a restriction on the maximum stage and size of corn that it can be used. IL weed specialist Aaron Hager has that list: http://ipm.illinois.edu/bulletin/article.php?id=1150 .

· Do you need more nitrogen? IL fertility specialist Fabian Fernandez says that depends on soil types, amount of rainfall, and when the rains came in relation to the time that N was applied. He suggests a test strip through the field with a higher rate of nitrogen, then compare. If the higher rate strip looks better, then more nitrogen in the field is needed.

· Nitrogen #1. In silt-loam or fine-textured fields with poor drainage, if you had excessive rain, ponding killed the corn, about 2 weeks after applying UAN or 4 or more weeks after applying anhydrous ammonia, you might consider applying 50 to 100 pounds of N per acre for the new corn crop. This situation occurs most often in low areas of a field.

· Nitrogen #2. In sandy or light-textured soils, if 7-8 inches of rain soaked in without run-off, 2 weeks after applying UAN or 4 weeks after applying anhydrous ammonia, it is likely that a substantial part of that nitrogen was leached out of the root zone. In this situation you might also consider applying between 50 and 100 pounds of N per acre.

· Nitrogen #3. In silt-loam or fine-textured soils with poor drainage where a large rain event caused water to be ponded for 1 to 3 days and UAN was applied at least 2 weeks before or anhydrous ammonia at least 4 weeks before the time of waterlogged conditions, you might consider applying 30 to 50 pounds of N per acre.

· Nitrogen #4. In fields where the chance of N loss is less than 30 pounds per acre, there is no need to worry about applying more. This would include fields where excess soil water was present for 1 to 3 days within a week after applying UAN or urea or where anhydrous ammonia was applied less than 3 weeks before soils were waterlogged. Where N loss potential is low in light-textured soils, where infiltrated rain was less than 4 in., and most of the applied nitrogen was not in nitrate form, then you may have enough.

• Nitrogen #5. If UAN or urea was sidedressed in sandy soils followed by heavy rain, the amount of additional N needed will depend on rain totals. 7 to 8 in. of rain would leach the N out of the root zone. 4 to 7 in. would leach some out, and you might consider applying 30-50 lbs of N per acre. More N may not be needed for rainfall under 4 in.

· Puny, sickly corn may not indicate a shortage of nutrients, says IL fertility specialist Fabian Fernandez, "It is not unusual for crops in fields or portions of fields to show nutrient deficiencies even though adequate fertility and proper nutrient management plans are followed for phosphorus and potassium." He says many other factors could be at work in his newsletter: http://ipm.illinois.edu/bulletin/article.php?id=1153 .

· Sickly, puny corn may also be a victim of nitrogen application. Iowa State agronomist John Sawyer says ammonia injury frequently occurs with shallow placed ammonia, ammonia application near planting time, urea placed near the seed, and dry soils.

· Corn injury could result from some the additives that have been placed in tank mixed herbicides. Iowa State weed specialist Bob Hartzler says, "Symptoms associated with additives (surfactants, AMS, etc.) include chlorotic mottling or necrosis of leaves, and are likely to be short-lived with no negative impact on crop development."

· Quality concerns are being expressed about soft red winter wheat because wet weather fostered fusarium head blight, and that creates vomitoxin or DON. Wheat millers will be concerned and high dockage or refusals may greet unsuspecting wheat growers.

· If fusarium infection is prevalent in your wheat field, keep in mind those kernels will be lighter in weight. By turning up the air in the combine, the lighter kernels will be blown into the field, and that may reduce the DON level when the wheat is tested at the elevator. High DON wheat can also be cleaned prior to delivery to make it more marketable.

· The breeding herd will have to decline 5-10% to get supplies in line with demand to push prices up to the cost of production, say Glenn Grimes and Ron Plain at Missouri. They say demand is still down from the H1N1 virus blamed on swine and they add, "How long it will take to recover from this flu situation is not very predictable."

· Cold storage pork stats are unfriendly. IA Extension's Shane Ellis says, "A year ago robust exports and strong domestic demand utilized a mountain of pork in cold storage. While this year's volume of pork in cold storage has been less than a year ago, volumes have started to trend higher at the time that last year's volumes started to decline."

· Shane Ellis says, "Cattle on feed numbers although lower than a year ago are slowly closing the margin of difference. Carcass weights are up from a year ago as feeders hold cattle longer to heavier weights. The tighter supplies of fed cattle will continue through the end of the year. From the latest range condition report it is unlikely that a drought occurrence will incur a mass placement of early wean calves."

· But those pasture conditions will impact the market, according to Ellis. "First, there will be plenty of feed for stockers, lightening the supply of feeder cattle available for feedlot placement. Last year feedlot placements were lighter when corn prices were reaching record highs. Second, with added grazing resources available there will be less pressure to cull cow herds. Although the number of beef cows will be lower, the number of dairy cows entering the slaughter supply is increasing with the dairy retraction."

· The process of crop scouting is methodical, says MO Extension's Allen Wrather:
1) Determine the variety and the age of the plant.
2) Identify all the symptoms affecting the leaves, stems, roots and fruit.
3) Estimate the percentage of plants damaged in the affected part of the field.
4) Determine the distribution or pattern of the problem in the field.
5) Evaluate whether the crop and weeds in the field share similar symptoms.
6) Determine the history of the problem.

• Delayed planting in IL, IN & OH may push the national corn yield potential down to 152 bu. estimates Purdue marketing specialist Chris Hurt, who says acreages shifts from corn to beans won't help either. He says the low production means usage cuts by the ethanol and livestock industries which are already in negative margin territory.
• But Hurt says the kicker will be the impact on the ethanol industry because the Renewable Fuels Standard requires 12 bil. gal. in 2010 and that means 350 to 400 mil. bu. more corn will have to be produced this year. If that is a hardship, Hurt says the EPA administrator can reduce the requirement, which softens the corn market. Read more: http://www.agecon.purdue.edu/extension/prices/grains/corn.asp?ID=60
• The soybean market is being fueled by the short supply in Argentina and the long demand in China, according to Purdue's Chris Hurt. He says US exports could rise 60 to 80 mil. bu. above USDA's projection of 1.24 bil. bu., pushing carryout below 100 mil. bu. representing only a 12 day supply; and he says that may lead to $14 soybeans. More: http://www.agecon.purdue.edu/extension/prices/grains/soybean.asp?ID=61
• New crop soybean prices will be a function of 2009 acreage, more than anything else says Hurt. He says, "If July futures do move to $14, this might only increase November new crop futures by 40¢ to 60¢ per bu. and approach the $11 per bu. mark.
• Use a spread to market beans, says Hurt, "Consider pricing new crop futures by selling old crop futures months like the July, August, or September. This is an old crop/new crop spread which is full of risks. Those risks can be lowered sharply by selling the August or September futures rather than the July futures. Generally by late July or early August the old crop shortage situation will be resolved and August and September prices may decline more than the November futures." He adds, be sure of what you are doing.
• If you don't store soft red wheat, and only 1 in 4 bushels is stored, you may want to rethink that marketing strategy this year. New crop prices are $1.30 higher than in April because the crop size is 68% of last year. IL Extension's Darrel Good says the harvest delivery basis is 96¢ under July, compared to $1.76 at this time last year. He expects further price strengthening on a deteriorating winter wheat crop and corn crop concerns. Read more at: http://www.farmdoc.uiuc.edu/marketing/weekly/html/060109.html .
• Wheat has been a problem for the futures market because of the lack of convergence of cash and futures. Good says corrective efforts have resulted in a 50¢ premium for Dec futures, and a 64¢ premium for Mar 2010 futures. And he says a stronger basis will be another benefit for wheat producers who store this year, instead of harvest sales.
• Replanting beans? Tough decisions should be based on good data says IL agronomist Vince Davis. Read his newsletter at: http://ipm.illinois.edu/bulletin/article.php?id=1143
  1) You are losing roughly ½ bu. of soybean yield potential per day of delay in June.
  2) An evenly spaced seeding rate of 50,000 plants/A will produce 91% of expected yield.
  3) 150,000 seeds planted June 1, with 50,000 plants/A has a 90% yield potential.
  4) If the low stand is not uniform, one idea is to plant more seeds into an existing stand.
  5) The thinner the stand, the more delayed the canopy, and the higher the weed pressure.
  6) Buy more time for a thin stand with an extra application of post emergence herbicide.
• It may have been entrapment, but Michigan State entomologists have found soybean aphids on early planted soybeans on the campus, reporting 5% of the plants were infested. The aphid population included both winged and non-winged individuals, some of which had arrived via a rainfall, but unseen in the prior week.
• Weed competitiveness depends on your cropping system say NE researchers, who found narrow row beans reduce weed competition by 20-50% compared to wider rows, as well as when the weeds emerged relative to the growth stage of the crop. Competitiveness was defined as the amount of dry matter produced by the weeds.
• Weed control #1. Post emergent herbicide applications on corn is recommended when weeds are 2-4 in., since grain yield loss will occur as weed competition increases beyond that height. Additionally, smaller weeds are easier to control than larger weeds.
• Weed control #2. The prevalent use of glyphosate has diminished the use of tank mixes of broadleaf and grass herbicides, but IL Extension's Aaron Hager says glyphosate resistance may bring the practice back into popularity. For glyphosate resistant corn, he recommends tank mixing growth regulator herbicides with glyphosate for waterhemp.
• Weed control #3. Post emergent herbicides for corn that restrict application to corn maturity, should be applied against the most restrictive, whether that is height, leaves, or other factors. Hager says the same recommendation goes for tank mixed herbicides.
• If you have wheat, it probably has a disease of some type, according to an Illinois wheat survey. It found 77 to 100% of wheat had leaf blotch, usually minor problems with leaf rust, 50-92% had glume blotch, and head scab was as low as 17% and high as 100%.
• Don't take an antibiotic if you have a virus, and if your wheat has a virus, don't try to treat it with a fungicide. Just like the antibiotic, it won't work, says OH Extension's Pierce Paul. He's seen wheat spindle streak mosaic and barley yellow dwarf virus in wheat fields, but he says next year, select wheat varieties that carry resistance.
• It is too late this year to cure scabs and blotches in wheat, but next year choose a variety that is resistant to the diseases in your field this year. IL Pathologist Carl Bradley says planting wheat into excess surface corn stubble increases the chance for fusarium.
• Crazytop in corn may be a common sight in parts of the Cornbelt this year, because conditions were good for downy mildew fungus which causes it. Infection can set in when young plants are in saturated soils for 24-48 hours between planting and the five leaf stage. Water accumulation in the whorl also is a contributing factor.
• Wet soils in the eastern Cornbelt are contributing to early season corn and soybean diseases, stemming from soil borne pathogens that are attracted to plant roots, and cause a deterioration of the root system. OSU specialists recommend several routes to take:
  1) Manage the drainage in the field, which are indicated by the replant frequency.
  2) Use a seed treatment for both corn and beans that have several active ingredients.
  3) Use a seed treatment when the crop has to be replanted.
  4) Choose resistant varieties and hybrids, particularly for phytophthora in beans.
  5) Plant when the soil is sufficiently dry and conditions favor the seed not the disease.
• The active ingredient in Furadan 4F is being banned by the EPA after Aug. 13. The impact is Furadan 4F can be used this year, but not next year. Don't stockpile it, since you cannot sell a crop that has been treated with Furadan after Jan. 1. If using Furadan 4F to protect Bt refuges, alternatives include granular application units on planters or purchase seed that has been treated with neonicotinoids such as Poncho or Cruiser.
• Stalk borers should be on your scouting radar. If you find them on brome and ragweed they will soon migrate to corn. They will tunnel in unfurled leaves at ground level and wilt the upper leaves of corn, and YieldGard corn is not immune. When 8-9% of corn plants are infested at the 3-5 leaf stage with corn at $4, rescue treatment is warranted. Read more: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/CropNews/2009/060209hodgsonpope.htm
• Wireworms are not always being stopped by Poncho 250, according to Iowa State entomologists. They have caused a stand loss in fields with the treatment and anyone using the product should scout for damage, and consider higher rates next year.
• Bean leaf beetles are on the warning list of MO Extension, where numbers have exceeded economic thresholds on early planted beans without insecticides. Flea beetles were also spotted in corn fields where seed did not have insecticide treatments. Find management tips: http://ppp.missouri.edu/newsletters/ipcm/archives/v19n12/a2.pdf
• Growing season weather should be good, says meteorologist Jim Noel at Ohio State. He's calling for the summer season to be close to normal rainfall and temperature, with limited heatwaves during the summer. He attributes that to sunspots, and the lack of La Nina and El Nino. But he's expecting an El Nino to be in the forecast for the fall and winter, which means drier than normal with good fall harvest conditions.
• Livestock producers will want to "bookmark" a reference point to obtain accurate information about a wide variety of animal diseases, including hoof and mouth disease, BSE or mad cow disease, anthrax, avian flu, Johne's, and west nile virus. Links to authoritative sources are at: http://www.livestocktrail.uiuc.edu/biosecurity/ .

As more consumers search for fresh local foods, more farmers are considering adding an entrepreneurial business such as eggs, honey, or produce to their farm business. Many new farmers, even those with just a few acres, often consider producing food to sell within their community. To meet these needs, The Land Connection and the University of Illinois Extension are collaborating to host the workshop, "Is Entrepreneurial Farming for You?" on June 16 at the University of Illinois Extension, Logan County Unit Office, 980 N. Postville Drive in Lincoln.

"The four-hour workshop is designed to help people who think they might want to get their feet wet in sustainable farming learn what it takes to start and manage a farm-based business, and decide whether this is the path they are ready to take," said Deborah Cavanaugh-Grant, Small Farm and Sustainable Agriculture Extension Specialist.

The workshop will cover resource assessment, goal-setting, financial planning, and marketing options. Participants will have the opportunity to meet experienced sustainable farmers, graduates of the longer 10-month Central Illinois Farm Beginnings course, and other prospective farmers. They will learn about different successful farm enterprises, and be able to ask questions about the genesis and development of farm businesses.

"Participants in the workshop will walk through the next steps required in pursuing their farming goals and leave with a clear idea about what's possible and what the risks are, so they'll be better prepared if they decide to take the plunge," said Terra Brockman, Director of Farmer Training at The Land Connection.

Registration for each workshop is $30 and includes a light supper. All workshops are from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Payment can be done by mail, by contacting The Land Connection at 847-570-0701, or online at http://www.thelandconnection.org/farmers/dreams.cfm. If reasonable accommodations are needed in order to participate in any of the programs, call 217-241-4644.

"Is Entrepreneurial Farming for You?" was developed and will be facilitated by Terra Brockman of The Land Connection and Deborah Cavanaugh-Grant, the Small Farms Specialist with the University of Illinois Extension.