You have an opportunity on June 19 to get rid of your old, unwanted, and probably hazardous pesticides, and you are not liable for them. The Clean Sweep Program of the Illinois Department of Agriculture wants the chemicals, not you, and wants you to know that if you register to participate in the program, you have no liability in the possession or transportation of the chemicals to the disposal site, regardless of what they are, and even whether you have a pesticide license.

The April issue of the Resource Review contained a registration form, or you can obtain one at the Extension, Farm Bureau, or SWCD office. May 9 is the deadline for returning them, but late registrations will be accepted by the IDoA, just to be able to help you dispose of hazardous farm chemicals. The only reason that your contact information is requested on the form is to notify you when and where the collection location will be, and to call you that day as a reminder.

Many farmers are uneasy about having their name on the form, but IDoA personnel have said the forms will be destroyed as soon as the chemicals are received. If you continue to have concerns, submit your nameless form to Extension with your name and phone number on a second sheet of attached paper, so we can submit your inventory list and notify you of the date and location of the collection point.

On May 23 at the Macon Extension Office Crop Specialist Dennis Bowman and FBMM Educator Paul Mariman will conduct a Crop Scouting workshop. The program will begin at the office at 9:30 for classroom instruction then out to the field for first hand experience. The cost is $35, which includes the Crop Scouting Manual and other materials. Call 877-6042 for pre-registration.

Agronomy Events

May 23 Crop Scouting Workshop 9:30 to 12 noon
June 24 Big Bug Bash II 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
July 8 Root Worm Barbeque 9:00 am to 11:30 am

Whether you are a farmer or a landowner in Macon County, chances are you have experienced the full force of the Japanese beetle in some way or another. This insect has caused problems in home garden and landscape plants for quite some time, but in recent years, farmers throughout central Illinois have noted damage in their cornfields from both Japanese beetle grubs and adults. The grubs feed on seedling roots, often causing severe stand reduction, and the adults feed on corn silks, which can significantly interfere with pollination; both have the potential to reduce yield.

Because so much of the past Japanese beetle research has been focused on turfgrass or landscape species, very little data is available to farmers with Japanese beetle problems. However, through research at the U of I, we hope to shed some light on these problems that they are facing. With the cooperation of several farmers in Macon and Piatt counties, we will put out six soil insecticide/seed treatment efficacy plots. The data we gather from these plots will hopefully help farmers make better decisions in the future regarding Japanese beetle grub control.

Concurrently, we will conduct greenhouse studies on the U of I campus to evaluate the effects of different grub densities on corn seedlings. We also hope to gain a better understanding of corn hybrid attraction to the adults. During the summer months, we will keep you updated on the results of our studies.

 

- Nathan Wentworth, Graduate Research Assistant, Uni

Federal financial assistance is available to farmers in Macon and 29 other counties who suffered agricultural production losses last summer due to severe drought conditions. The U.S. Department of Agriculture approved a request made by the governor in February to declare farmers eligible for USDA assistance programs, including low-interest loans. Livestock producers also may be able to receive assistance, including cash payments on a per-head basis, if they owned grazing animals during the drought period.

In order to qualify for federal disaster assistance, counties must experience at least a 30 percent decline in production in any single crop. Assistance also can be provided if farmers no longer qualify for commercial credit due to disaster-related losses. Farmers and others who believe they may be eligible for USDA assistance should contact the Farm Service Agency.

Spring is here and that means that anhydrous tanks will be dotting the countryside. However, in the last few years an illegal street drug called "methamphetamine," or "meth" for short, has made its appearance. The only ingredient needed to make the drug that cannot be purchased in the local Wal-Mart is anhydrous ammonia. A number of farmers and fertilizer dealers across the Midwest have had individuals steal anhydrous from tanks left outside. The tank hoses, fittings, and safety valves have been damaged during these thefts leaving dangerous and potentially hazardous conditions.

If you want to avoid a problem on your farm, follow these rules:

1. If possible, store tanks in a well lit, fenced in area close to the roadway or farmstead.
2. Have nurse tanks delivered to the field as close as possible to the day of application.
3. If at all possible, do not store full tanks in a field overnight, and return after use.
4. Ag chemical dealers should consider the use of surveillance cameras and motion sensors.
5. Consider renting or buying locking devices for nurse tank valves.
6. Inspect tanks daily and watch for evidence of activity near the tank, such as footprints in the soil, stained soil, tampering of the tank valves or items left near the tank (duct tape, garden hoses, plastic tubing, bicycle inner tubes or coolers).
7. Remove decoupling hoses and store them separately from the tank.8) Ask law enforcement for regular night and weekend patrols of the area.
8. Communicate with your neighbors and post signs about a crime watch area.
9. Contact local authorities if theft is suspected.
10. Never approach or confront suspicious individuals. Anyone under the influence of methamphetamine can be violent.

Law enforcement officials say that if you suspect a tank has been tapered with and a theft has occurred, call them immediately. Before you use the tank very carefully check the hoses fittings and safety valves for damage. Law enforcement officials state, that if you see suspicious activity around a tank call your local. Law enforcement immediately! Do not approach the individuals. The Sheriff or State Police get paid to deal with these folks, and know how best to handle them.

Soon there will be 10 acres of glass erected north of Maroa to house the largest sweet pepper growing facility in the country. The greenhouse will be the main plant by a local limited liability company made up of local farmers. Steve Wentworth initiated the project after a phone call from Randy Cruise, a Nebraska corn grower, who followed Steve as President of the National Corn Growers Association.

The facility will grow red, yellow and orange peppers. The great thing about the project is that all the peppers are already contracted for sale through Farmer's Premium Produce a company that was founded by Randy Cruise. All the peppers will be marketed under the "Farmer's" label in supermarkets. The project is scheduled for construction this spring and the first peppers will be planted this fall.

We always wonder how Brazilian farmers can afford to produce soybeans for so little expense. A University of Illinois graduate student studied soybean production costs in Brazil for the 2000 crop year, and compared them to soybean production costs in Central Illinois.

Central IL	Mato	Grosso
Variable costs per acre	$97	$108.20
Variable costs per bu.	$2.16	$2.21
Fertility cost (% of total cost)	5.3%	31.7%
Labor cost per acre	$33	$3.92
Fixed costs per acre	Yours?	$48.10
Fixed costs per bu.	Yours?	$0.98
Land costs (% of total costs)	35.9%	9.6%

The Resource Review can be delivered to you through e-mail for the first time next month. The goal is to provide you information faster in a format that will be at your fingertips. The format will be in Adobe Acrobat PDF files and the reader program is free on the web, so there will not be any additional cost. To be able to get the Resource Review in an electronic format, please send an e-mail note to Paul Mariman, which will allow us to capture your correct e-mail address. University of Illinois Extension will not sell your e-mail address and the address will only be used to send you the Resource Review. If you would like to get the Resource Review in an electronic format send an email to Pmariman@uiuc.edu.

A Note of Concern...

April 15, 2003

Dear Friend of 4-H and Extension,

The proposed Illinois budget contains substantial cuts in state funding support for 4-H and youth programming, as well as for University of Illinois Extension. If you or your family have benefited from local 4-H programs or Extension services, your assistance is needed in convincing members of the General Assembly that funding should be restored:

$10,950,000 in FY04 for County Board Match. (These funds match local taxes and contributions dollar for dollar; however, it is proposed to decrease to $10,321,700.)

$3,682,000 in FY04 to maintain 63 youth development educators in 63 counties. (These funds are proposed to drop to $1,966,300, eliminating 23 youth educators.)

$959,400 in FY03 funds budgeted for Extension programming for the balance of the current fiscal year. (The Governor has asked these funds be sent back to Springfield.)

Your own words are the most convincing in conveying your thoughts to our senators and representatives about the need to restore these funds. Tell them how you have benefited from an Extension program, or that this is not the time to reduce important programs for our youth. Any communication, either a letter or phone call to their office, or better yet, a personal visit, will be effective. Legislators say it only takes 10 letters or calls to move them to act, and yours may be the one that gets the job done!

Sincerely,
Stu Ellis, Macon Unit Leader
University of Illinois Extension

P.S. Here is their contact information for you to use:

Rep. Bob Flider
282-S Stratton Office Building
Springfield, IL 62706
Phone: 217-782-8398

Rep. Bill Mitchell
240-W North Stratton Office Building
Springfield, IL 62706
Phone: 217-782-8163

Sen. Frank Watson
309A Capitol Building
Springfield, IL 62706
Phone: 217-782-5755

Sen. Bill Brady
105A Capitol Building
Springfield, IL 62706
Phone: 217-782-6216