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MARCH 29,2013 • AGRICULTURE
UK researchers study the effects of grazing wheat in winter BY KATIE PRATT UK College of Agriculture
A study conducted by Roy Burris and Edwin Ritchey is looking at the effects of grazing cattle on wheat in the winter.
Extending the grazing season is good for herd health and is cost effective. But it is difficult to do in the winter when very few grasses are growing. University of Kentucky College of Agriculture researchers are studying the effects of cattle grazing wheat that will later be harvested for grain. “In the cattle business, we say any day grazing is a good day, and beef cattle wintering costs are so high,” said Roy Burris, UK extension beef specialist. “If cattle can graze the wheat, it will be good for the cattle and good for producers’ pocketbooks.” Burris has seen producers of both commodities in other states graze cattle on wheat in the winter and believes Kentucky producers can do it. Kentucky producers have used wheat in their grazing systems as a feed source in the fall and early spring. He asked UK soil extension specialist Edwin Ritchey to help him conduct the study. Ritchey and Burris conducted
a preliminary trial during the winter of 2011-2012. Cattle grazed on 19 acres of wheat from Dec. 12 to March 16 at the UK Research and Education Center. The researchers also had a two-acre, tall fescue pasture adjacent to the wheat field so the cattle could be moved during the weekends and during wet weather to prevent compaction and yield damage. They removed cattle from the field in February to help maintain grain yields. The results from the preliminary study were promising. The average daily gain of the 24 young beef heifers was nearly 1 pound per day. Using the current cattle prices, the researchers estimated they made $140 per acre. The wheat yield decreased by 7 bushels per acre compared to a non-grazed area, which is estimated to be a $50 per acre loss. When these two numbers are considered, researchers estimate they made $90 per acre. They also did not feed any hay to these cattle. “We weren’t trying to maxi-
PHOTO: Brad Beckman, UK agricultural communications specialist
AGRICULTURE• MARCH 29,2013
mize weight gain, just get the cattle to gain enough weight so they would breed efficiently,” Burris said. “Cost of gain should be less on pasture compared to dry lot feeding.” Researchers planted double-crop soybeans after the wheat harvest. The soybeans did not have any measurable yield loss, which means soil compaction caused by grazing cattle may have been minimal. “We feel like this is a very good option for small- to medium-sized grain producers that are also running cattle,” Ritchey said. “It probably won’t work for the larger grain farmers who have already pushed all their fences out to maximize production.” It also takes more careful management than feeding hay or grazing cool-season pastures. “Ideally, the wheat should be 6 to 8 inches tall before you turn the cattle in,” Ritchey said. “You also have to make sure they don’t graze it into the ground. Compaction is also an issue. In Kentucky, we tend to have wet winters, and you don’t want the animals to compact the soil. Therefore, you need another pasture where the cattle can still graze when the weather is wet and sloppy.” He added producers also
need a water source to make this system work. The researchers are replicating the study this winter. Half of this year’s herd will graze the wheat throughout the season while the other half will be removed from the field prior to the wheat jointing. This will allow researchers to see if and how much the cattle hurt grain yields. They will fence off cattle from a portion of the field so a yield comparison can be made.
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MARCH 29,2013 • AGRICULTURE
2013 pest survey is under way BY KATIE PRATT UK College of Agriculture Kentuckians may soon start noticing objects attached to or hanging from trees this spring, and chances are they were put there by personnel from the Kentucky Office of the State Entomologist, which is housed at the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture. The 2013 Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey is designed to detect and, in some cases, eliminate exotic pests before they become a problem. The survey is a cooperative effort between the UK College of Agriculture and state and federal agencies. Each year, personnel with the Kentucky Office of the State Entomologist set out thousands of traps targeting several pests and diseases of concern. “We see these surveys as an integral part of preventing the spread of non-native pests that can cause economic damage to our state,” said Carl Harper, senior nursery inspector. SUPPORTING AGRICULTURE
Harper, along with fellow Office of the State Entomologist personnel Joe Collins, Janet Lensing, Jennie Condra, Katie Kittrell and J. D. Loan, installed the first traps of the season the week of March 4. They will install more throughout the spring. Insects and diseases they are surveying this year include: · Emerald ash borer. A native to Asia, the small green metallic beetle was first found in Kentucky in 2009. Several Kentucky counties have the insect, and it can move great distances by the transportation of firewood. About 950 purple prism traps will be placed in ash trees to monitor the spread of the insect in a line roughly from Floyd County to Casey County to Hancock County to the Tennessee border. Biological control measures will be continued with the hopes of reducing the devastating effects of the emerald ash borer. · Pine shoot beetle. The pine shoot beetle attacks pine trees, killing the tips of the tree by boring into
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the stems, which then snap off. It’s been discovered in Indiana and Ohio. The traps are a series of black funnels that will hang from a branch or a rope between two trees and will be installed in Northern Kentucky following the Ohio River eastward to Ashland. · Walnut twig beetle/thousands cankers disease. Thousand cankers disease is the result of the tiny bark beetle that carries a canker producing fungus. As the beetle moves beneath the bark of walnut branches, it creates numerous galleries, resulting in fungal infection and canker formation on the branches. While the beetle is not known to be in Kentucky, it was found in Knoxville, Tenn., in 2010. Other recent finds include around Richmond, Va., and the Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina. As with the pine shoot beetle, a black funnel trap will be used to monitor for this insect. · Gypsy moth. The Office of the State Entomologist has surveyed for the gypsy moth for many years, and it has been one of its most successful programs. Infestations have been found three times in the survey in Kentucky and have all been eliminated before they could become established. The pest, one of the most damaging insects to hardwood forests and urban landscapes, is not currently found in the state. Nevertheless, about 4,000 tent-shaped traps will be placed on trees in and around Lexington, Louisville, Land Between the Lakes, Lake Cumberland and from Northern Kentucky to Pike County in Eastern Kentucky, reaching as far south as Montgomery, Menifee and Floyd counties. The traps will be orange, green or brown. Additionally, inspectors will conduct visual surveys of trees for the hemlock woolly adelgid, Asian longhorned beetle and the disease sudden oak death. The hemlock woolly adelgid has been a threat to the state’s hemlock trees since it was first found in 2006 in southeastern Kentucky. Surveys for this invasive pest will take place in Eastern Kentucky, where the vast majority of hemlock trees are
PHOTO: Steve Patton, UK agricultural communications (L to R): Joe Collins, Janet Lensing and Carl Harper with the Office of the State Entomologist with an emerald ash borer trap. located. They will continue biological control measures that have been going on for several years. The Asian longhorned beetle is a known pest of 18 different trees, but it has a preference for maple. It was recently found in Bethel, Ohio. The inspectors will focus most of their efforts on this pest near state parks. Like the emerald ash borer, this pest easily spreads by moving firewood. Sudden oak death is a major fungal problem in California and Oregon nurseries that results in the death of oak trees. While no instances of this disease have been found in Kentucky, many nurseries and garden centers receive inventory from these two states. Rhododendron, a plentiful plant in Kentucky forests, is a host for this disease. The inspectors will do visual examinations mostly at garden centers and nurseries that receive plants from the West Coast. If symptomatic leaves are found, inspectors will collect and submit them to the UK Plant Disease Diagnostic Laboratory to confirm presence of the disease. Commodity-specific insect Pest Continued
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MARCH 29,2013 • AGRICULTURE
Pest ......................... Continued from Page 4 surveys will be conducted in Western and Eastern Kentucky thanks to a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. These surveys target corn, soybean and small grains fields. Inspectors will monitor for a variety of pest insects that haven’t been found in the state before. In a
similar survey, inspectors will monitor the presence of insect pests at state parks. More information about the 2013 surveys is available on the Kentucky Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey website at http://www.ky-caps.org.
Challenges facing farmers today and tomorrow
KENTUCKY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES I am proud to represent the agriculture communities of Logan and Todd counties by serving you on the House Agriculture Committee Rep. Martha Jane King Greater public awareness of agricultural challenges could help the industry in the future
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Though farming was once big business in the United States, by 2012 less than 1 percent of Americans were professional farmers. Many challenges face today’s farmers, many of which are largely unknown to the general public. Many people have an outdated view of a farm as a small, family-owned and operated parcel of land where livestock is raised in open pens and
crops are hand-harvested when ripe. The reality is that modernday farms have had to overhaul operations to meet demand and remain competitively priced while adapting to the ever-changing ways technology infiltrates all parts of life. Each of these factors present obstacles Farmers today
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AGRICULTURE• MARCH 29,2013
Eastern tent caterpillar outlook for An up-close view of an eastern tent caterpillar egg mass. Experts report that the eastern tent caterpillar egg hatch will likely begin in mid-March for Central Kentucky. “The development of the eastern tent caterpillar – and insects in general – is directly correlated with air temperature. This helps predict when they will be active,” said Lee Townsend,University of Kentucky College of Agricultureentomologist. “Temperature data from UK’s Ag Weather Center so far shows a pattern in Central Kentucky that is very similar to 2012.” According to Townsend, temperature information can help to predict when eggs will begin to hatch but will give no clue as to how many caterpillars will be present in a given area. “Last year’s experience is the best thing to go by,” he said. “There has been a gradual but relatively steady general increase in tent caterpillar
numbers, and they have become much more apparent in some areas over the past few years. However, concentrations can be spotty, heavy in some areas and very light in others. The eastern tent caterpillar overwinters in ring-like masses of 100 to over 400 eggs around pencil-sized twigs. A relatively small increase in the number of egg masses from one year to the next can mean a big jump in caterpillar numbers.” The eastern tent caterpillar is active early each spring. It is an important insect in horse country due to its role in Mare Reproductive Loss Syndrome, which resulted in staggering losses of foals in the 1999-2001outbreak. MRLS can cause late-term foal losses, early- and late-term fetal losses and weak foals. Subsequent studies by UK researchers revealed that horses will inadvertently
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eat the caterpillars, and the caterpillar hairs embed into the lining of the alimentary tract. Once that protective barrier is breached, normal alimentary tract bacteria may gain access to and reproduce in sites with reduced immunity, such as the fetus and placenta. According to Townsend, horse owners with spring-foaling mares should now check their fence lines for wild cherry trees and in a few weeks for signs of tent caterpillar activity.
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PHOTO: Courtesy of Lee Townsend, UK entomologist
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“This is a good time to prepare,” Townsend said. “Begin by checking pasture fence lines to see how abundant wild cherry is in them. If practical, plan to move pregnant mares from areas where these trees are abundant to minimize the chance of exposure to the caterpillars. The potential is greatest when the mature tent caterpillars leave trees and wander to find places to pupate and transform to the moth stage.”
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MARCH 29,2013 • AGRICULTURE
Farmers today....... Continued from Page 6 Technology Rural farming communities are expected to make an effort to integrate modern technology into an industry that has been around for centuries. But such a transition in rural areas, where communications systems may not be as up-to-date as those in urban areas, is not always so easy. According to the Manitoba Rural Adaptation Council, a shift from a resource-based to an informationbased economy, compounded by the rapid introduction and expansion of new technology in the workplace, has altered farm operation and the skills in demand. Older workers who have been schooled in one way of agriculture may have a significant impact on labor supply and the vitality of farming as a career. Younger adults who are knowledgeable in technology may no longer seek out agricultural careers. Decrease in farming as an occupation The United States Environmental Protection Agency says that
only about 960,000 Americans claim farming as their principal occupation. As that figure has dwindled, the average age of farmers continues to rise, as the Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that roughly 40 percent of the farmers in this country are 55 years old or older. This has led to concerns about the long-term health of family farms throughout the United States. Environmental concerns Many farmers have come under scrutiny for how farming impacts the environment. A growing emphasis on sustainability and conservation has led many people to protest certain farming practices. Protesters claim that certain practices, such as raising livestock, can pollute water, while the use of fertilizers and chemical pesticides is bad for the environment. Many farmers, however, have altered their methods to be more environmentally friendly and selfsustainable in the process. Climate change is another environmental issue farmers must deal with. Strong storms and severe droughts have made farming even more challenging.
Financial fall-out The ongoing recession of the last half-decade has also affected farmers. In November of 2012, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated that the unemployment rate within the agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting industries was at 13.6 percent, far higher than the national unemployment rate. As a result, many farm families have found themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place, as rising costs for equipment and technology are being coupled with decreasing profits and rising unemployment. Further complicating matters is competition from corporations and international
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UK researchers conducting comprehensive poultry litter study BY KATIE PRATT UK College of Agriculture
One part of this comprehensive poultry litter study will determine if there is weed seed in the litter.
Princeton, Ky. Previous research studies have shown poultry litter applications have many benefits for corn and soybean producers, but these benefits have not been quantified or integrated into one comprehensive research study. UK College of Agriculture researchers are doing just that. UK extension soils specialist Edwin Ritchey is leading the study to explore whether poultry litter applications can increase yield, allow for better water infiltration, improve soil water-holding capacity and add organic matter to the soil in Western Kentucky corn and soybean operations. He will also study whether one of the crops receives more value from the poultry litter, if nutrient values vary among poultry litter sources and if producers receive a yield boost from applying both poultry litter and nitrogen to their fields. “This research should determine whether poultry litter, in addition to providing plant nutrients, can improve soil quality without adversely affecting insects, diseases and weeds,” Ritchey said. “If it can, and if producers can economically obtain it, it might be preferred over a strict use of commercial fertilizers.” As part of the research, UK extension weed scientist Jim Martin and UK extension plant pathologist Don Hershman will study poultry litter’s effect on weeds and disease pests, particularly the soybean cyst nematode.
“The soybean cyst nematode has been found in all major soybean producing counties in Kentucky, and it is the most damaging pest of soybean in the state, reducing state soybean productivity by 2 to 5 percent, depending on the year,” Hershman said. “Up to 30 percent yield loss can occur without any visible symptoms being produced.” The study is funded by the Kentucky Soybean Promotion Board and the Kentucky Corn Growers Association. In 2012, Ritchey selected four producers’ fields in Daviess, Hopkins, McLean and Henderson counties for the study. He selected these fields because they have low to medium nutrient values in the soil and soybean cyst nematodes. The fields range in size from three to five acres. Researchers gathered initial baseline data from the fields in 2012 and will sample the fields more intensively in March. Researchers will apply poultry litter to two cornfields and two soybean fields in the spring prior to planting. They will collect data throughout the growing season, culminating with yield data at harvest. Greenhouse research to test for the presence of the weed seed in poultry litter began in January at the UK Research and Education Center. Field research concerning whether poultry litter alters weed species or weed growth will begin in the spring and continue throughout the season with the goal of collect-
ing samples before the grower applies herbicides. “There’s some concern that poultry litter may contain weed seed and by applying poultry litter, growers may introduce new and different weeds into a field,” Martin said. “We’re not sure if that’s the case, so that’s why we’re testing the poultry litter in the greenhouse and in the
field.” In addition, Ritchey received the results of the 2011 poultry litter nutrient tests conducted at the UK Soil Testing Laboratory in Lexington this winter. He will analyze these results to see if the nutrient content varies among poultry age, type and integrators.
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Drought affecting corn crops prompts ethanol debate Corn shortages are sparking debates as to whether corn should be used for fuel or food.
A drought that plagued most of the United States in the summer of 2012 decimated soybean and corn crops across America’s heartland. According to Reuters, during the drought ratings for corn and soybeans fell to their lowest since the major drought of 1988 and major farm states, such as Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, Missouri, and Kansas, were not able to produce enough crop necessary to meet food and feed demands. To further exacerbate the shortage, the United States government still mandates that 42 percent of this year’s crop be turned into ethanol as part of the Renewable Fuel Standard adopted in 2005, angering some farmers. Livestock producers who rely
on corn for feed are angry that the mandate has not been modified in lieu of the record-breaking drought and shortages. Corn prices already are at all-time highs, and requiring that 42 percent of the yield be relegated to fuel will considerably drive up the cost of the remaining corn. Not only will livestock farmers be affected but so will those who enjoy corn in everything from breads to cereals. Consumers on limited budgets may find corn is simply too expensive. Ranchers and farmers are not the only ones hurting as a result of the corn shortage. The ethanol plants themselves are also feeling the crunch. A lack of corn means that many plants are remaining idle or not
working at capacity. Some plants are not breaking even in terms of operational costs, potentially costing individuals their jobs. However, supporters of the ethanol requirement are concerned that removing the allotted ethanol amounts from fuel will further drive up the cost of filling up at the pump. Drivers have already experienced high gas prices, and many are feeling the effect on their wallets. The result is a catch-22 where no one wins. Despite the talks, some economists say that the ethanol mandate suspension may do little to lower the cost of corn. Agricultural economist Scott Irwin from the University of Illinois says that because of the backlog of demand of corn for fuel,
it would be a few months before any price change would reach the market. Plus, the change would be nominal because it would be hard to implement such widespread changes in corn for fuel consumption since the country has come to depend on a set amount. High summertime temperatures combined with historically low rainfall totals this past season devastated many corn crops that would be put to use as animal feed and ethanol fuel. The debate over whether or not ethanol mandates should be temporarily ceased is bound to continue until corn supplies are replenished.
AGRICULTURE• MARCH 29,2013
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3rd UK invasive species V I E W T N F A A S RMS A E L conference set for April 3 P BY CAROL LEA SPENCE UK College of Agriculture
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The University of Kentucky College of Agriculture will present the 3rd Conference on Invasion Biology, Ecology and Management, April 3 at the UK Student Center. This year’s conference, titled “Where We Were, Where We Are, and Where We Should Be,” will take a broad view of the environment to plan future strategies through the lessons learned from history. Hosted by the UK Environmental and Natural Resources Initiative’s Invasive Species Working Group, organizers of the one-day conference invite foresters, natural resource managers, land managers, landowners and researchers to hear about the latest developments on detecting, monitoring and managing invasive species. The conference will feature prominent keynote speakers, including Andrew Mickelson speaking about “Where We Were.” Mickelson, associate professor in earth sciences at the University of Memphis, specializes in the prehistory of eastern North America and works extensively in the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys and southern Appalachia. His interests include relationships between prehistoric land use, environmental change and subsistence practices. He will present his keynote address, Prehistoric Native Americans as Niche Constructors: Three Case Studies from the Ohio Valley, at 8 a.m. April 3. Julie Lockwood, professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolu-
tion, and Natural Resources at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, focuses her research on the intersection of conservation biology, biogeography and invasion ecology. She is the co-author of “Invasion Ecology,” which provides an overview of the processes associated with non-native invasions. Lockwood will address “Where We Are” in her keynote speech, The Rising Tide of Invasive Species at 12:30 p.m. At 3:15 p.m., Virginia Dale, from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, will look down the road at “Where We Should Be,” with her keynote address, Land Use in the Context of Species’ Invasions, Climate Change and Energy Choices. The conference will be preceded on April 2 with an evening lecture at 7 p.m. by Charles C. Mann, the author of “1491” and “1493,” who will provide an overview of the Americas, pre-Columbus. Continuing Education Credits will be offered. For commercial pesticide applicators, 3 general and 3 specific hours in categories 2, 3, 6, 10, 12 and 14, for arborists, 8 ISA credits and 7.5 SAF continuing education credits for foresters. For a conference agenda, information on breakout sessions, parking and registration, go to http://www2.ca.uky.edu/environment/speakers. Registration deadline is March 22. Cost is $100, or $40 for graduate students and free for undergraduate students.
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News Democrat & Leader March 29,2013
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MARCH 29,2013 • AGRICULTURE
UK researchers study the effects of grazing wheat in winter BY KATIE PRATT UK College of Agriculture
A study conducted by Roy Burris and Edwin Ritchey is looking at the effects of grazing cattle on wheat in the winter.
Extending the grazing season is good for herd health and is cost effective. But it is difficult to do in the winter when very few grasses are growing. University of Kentucky College of Agriculture researchers are studying the effects of cattle grazing wheat that will later be harvested for grain. “In the cattle business, we say any day grazing is a good day, and beef cattle wintering costs are so high,” said Roy Burris, UK extension beef specialist. “If cattle can graze the wheat, it will be good for the cattle and good for producers’ pocketbooks.” Burris has seen producers of both commodities in other states graze cattle on wheat in the winter and believes Kentucky producers can do it. Kentucky producers have used wheat in their grazing systems as a feed source in the fall and early spring. He asked UK soil extension specialist Edwin Ritchey to help him conduct the study. Ritchey and Burris conducted
a preliminary trial during the winter of 2011-2012. Cattle grazed on 19 acres of wheat from Dec. 12 to March 16 at the UK Research and Education Center. The researchers also had a two-acre, tall fescue pasture adjacent to the wheat field so the cattle could be moved during the weekends and during wet weather to prevent compaction and yield damage. They removed cattle from the field in February to help maintain grain yields. The results from the preliminary study were promising. The average daily gain of the 24 young beef heifers was nearly 1 pound per day. Using the current cattle prices, the researchers estimated they made $140 per acre. The wheat yield decreased by 7 bushels per acre compared to a non-grazed area, which is estimated to be a $50 per acre loss. When these two numbers are considered, researchers estimate they made $90 per acre. They also did not feed any hay to these cattle. “We weren’t trying to maxi-
PHOTO: Brad Beckman, UK agricultural communications specialist
AGRICULTURE• MARCH 29,2013
mize weight gain, just get the cattle to gain enough weight so they would breed efficiently,” Burris said. “Cost of gain should be less on pasture compared to dry lot feeding.” Researchers planted double-crop soybeans after the wheat harvest. The soybeans did not have any measurable yield loss, which means soil compaction caused by grazing cattle may have been minimal. “We feel like this is a very good option for small- to medium-sized grain producers that are also running cattle,” Ritchey said. “It probably won’t work for the larger grain farmers who have already pushed all their fences out to maximize production.” It also takes more careful management than feeding hay or grazing cool-season pastures. “Ideally, the wheat should be 6 to 8 inches tall before you turn the cattle in,” Ritchey said. “You also have to make sure they don’t graze it into the ground. Compaction is also an issue. In Kentucky, we tend to have wet winters, and you don’t want the animals to compact the soil. Therefore, you need another pasture where the cattle can still graze when the weather is wet and sloppy.” He added producers also
need a water source to make this system work. The researchers are replicating the study this winter. Half of this year’s herd will graze the wheat throughout the season while the other half will be removed from the field prior to the wheat jointing. This will allow researchers to see if and how much the cattle hurt grain yields. They will fence off cattle from a portion of the field so a yield comparison can be made.
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MARCH 29,2013 • AGRICULTURE
2013 pest survey is under way BY KATIE PRATT UK College of Agriculture Kentuckians may soon start noticing objects attached to or hanging from trees this spring, and chances are they were put there by personnel from the Kentucky Office of the State Entomologist, which is housed at the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture. The 2013 Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey is designed to detect and, in some cases, eliminate exotic pests before they become a problem. The survey is a cooperative effort between the UK College of Agriculture and state and federal agencies. Each year, personnel with the Kentucky Office of the State Entomologist set out thousands of traps targeting several pests and diseases of concern. “We see these surveys as an integral part of preventing the spread of non-native pests that can cause economic damage to our state,” said Carl Harper, senior nursery inspector. SUPPORTING AGRICULTURE
Harper, along with fellow Office of the State Entomologist personnel Joe Collins, Janet Lensing, Jennie Condra, Katie Kittrell and J. D. Loan, installed the first traps of the season the week of March 4. They will install more throughout the spring. Insects and diseases they are surveying this year include: · Emerald ash borer. A native to Asia, the small green metallic beetle was first found in Kentucky in 2009. Several Kentucky counties have the insect, and it can move great distances by the transportation of firewood. About 950 purple prism traps will be placed in ash trees to monitor the spread of the insect in a line roughly from Floyd County to Casey County to Hancock County to the Tennessee border. Biological control measures will be continued with the hopes of reducing the devastating effects of the emerald ash borer. · Pine shoot beetle. The pine shoot beetle attacks pine trees, killing the tips of the tree by boring into
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the stems, which then snap off. It’s been discovered in Indiana and Ohio. The traps are a series of black funnels that will hang from a branch or a rope between two trees and will be installed in Northern Kentucky following the Ohio River eastward to Ashland. · Walnut twig beetle/thousands cankers disease. Thousand cankers disease is the result of the tiny bark beetle that carries a canker producing fungus. As the beetle moves beneath the bark of walnut branches, it creates numerous galleries, resulting in fungal infection and canker formation on the branches. While the beetle is not known to be in Kentucky, it was found in Knoxville, Tenn., in 2010. Other recent finds include around Richmond, Va., and the Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina. As with the pine shoot beetle, a black funnel trap will be used to monitor for this insect. · Gypsy moth. The Office of the State Entomologist has surveyed for the gypsy moth for many years, and it has been one of its most successful programs. Infestations have been found three times in the survey in Kentucky and have all been eliminated before they could become established. The pest, one of the most damaging insects to hardwood forests and urban landscapes, is not currently found in the state. Nevertheless, about 4,000 tent-shaped traps will be placed on trees in and around Lexington, Louisville, Land Between the Lakes, Lake Cumberland and from Northern Kentucky to Pike County in Eastern Kentucky, reaching as far south as Montgomery, Menifee and Floyd counties. The traps will be orange, green or brown. Additionally, inspectors will conduct visual surveys of trees for the hemlock woolly adelgid, Asian longhorned beetle and the disease sudden oak death. The hemlock woolly adelgid has been a threat to the state’s hemlock trees since it was first found in 2006 in southeastern Kentucky. Surveys for this invasive pest will take place in Eastern Kentucky, where the vast majority of hemlock trees are
PHOTO: Steve Patton, UK agricultural communications (L to R): Joe Collins, Janet Lensing and Carl Harper with the Office of the State Entomologist with an emerald ash borer trap. located. They will continue biological control measures that have been going on for several years. The Asian longhorned beetle is a known pest of 18 different trees, but it has a preference for maple. It was recently found in Bethel, Ohio. The inspectors will focus most of their efforts on this pest near state parks. Like the emerald ash borer, this pest easily spreads by moving firewood. Sudden oak death is a major fungal problem in California and Oregon nurseries that results in the death of oak trees. While no instances of this disease have been found in Kentucky, many nurseries and garden centers receive inventory from these two states. Rhododendron, a plentiful plant in Kentucky forests, is a host for this disease. The inspectors will do visual examinations mostly at garden centers and nurseries that receive plants from the West Coast. If symptomatic leaves are found, inspectors will collect and submit them to the UK Plant Disease Diagnostic Laboratory to confirm presence of the disease. Commodity-specific insect Pest Continued
Page 6
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Pest ......................... Continued from Page 4 surveys will be conducted in Western and Eastern Kentucky thanks to a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. These surveys target corn, soybean and small grains fields. Inspectors will monitor for a variety of pest insects that haven’t been found in the state before. In a
similar survey, inspectors will monitor the presence of insect pests at state parks. More information about the 2013 surveys is available on the Kentucky Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey website at http://www.ky-caps.org.
Challenges facing farmers today and tomorrow
KENTUCKY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES I am proud to represent the agriculture communities of Logan and Todd counties by serving you on the House Agriculture Committee Rep. Martha Jane King Greater public awareness of agricultural challenges could help the industry in the future
[email protected]
Though farming was once big business in the United States, by 2012 less than 1 percent of Americans were professional farmers. Many challenges face today’s farmers, many of which are largely unknown to the general public. Many people have an outdated view of a farm as a small, family-owned and operated parcel of land where livestock is raised in open pens and
crops are hand-harvested when ripe. The reality is that modernday farms have had to overhaul operations to meet demand and remain competitively priced while adapting to the ever-changing ways technology infiltrates all parts of life. Each of these factors present obstacles Farmers today
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AGRICULTURE• MARCH 29,2013
Eastern tent caterpillar outlook for An up-close view of an eastern tent caterpillar egg mass. Experts report that the eastern tent caterpillar egg hatch will likely begin in mid-March for Central Kentucky. “The development of the eastern tent caterpillar – and insects in general – is directly correlated with air temperature. This helps predict when they will be active,” said Lee Townsend,University of Kentucky College of Agricultureentomologist. “Temperature data from UK’s Ag Weather Center so far shows a pattern in Central Kentucky that is very similar to 2012.” According to Townsend, temperature information can help to predict when eggs will begin to hatch but will give no clue as to how many caterpillars will be present in a given area. “Last year’s experience is the best thing to go by,” he said. “There has been a gradual but relatively steady general increase in tent caterpillar
numbers, and they have become much more apparent in some areas over the past few years. However, concentrations can be spotty, heavy in some areas and very light in others. The eastern tent caterpillar overwinters in ring-like masses of 100 to over 400 eggs around pencil-sized twigs. A relatively small increase in the number of egg masses from one year to the next can mean a big jump in caterpillar numbers.” The eastern tent caterpillar is active early each spring. It is an important insect in horse country due to its role in Mare Reproductive Loss Syndrome, which resulted in staggering losses of foals in the 1999-2001outbreak. MRLS can cause late-term foal losses, early- and late-term fetal losses and weak foals. Subsequent studies by UK researchers revealed that horses will inadvertently
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eat the caterpillars, and the caterpillar hairs embed into the lining of the alimentary tract. Once that protective barrier is breached, normal alimentary tract bacteria may gain access to and reproduce in sites with reduced immunity, such as the fetus and placenta. According to Townsend, horse owners with spring-foaling mares should now check their fence lines for wild cherry trees and in a few weeks for signs of tent caterpillar activity.
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PHOTO: Courtesy of Lee Townsend, UK entomologist
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“This is a good time to prepare,” Townsend said. “Begin by checking pasture fence lines to see how abundant wild cherry is in them. If practical, plan to move pregnant mares from areas where these trees are abundant to minimize the chance of exposure to the caterpillars. The potential is greatest when the mature tent caterpillars leave trees and wander to find places to pupate and transform to the moth stage.”
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MARCH 29,2013 • AGRICULTURE
Farmers today....... Continued from Page 6 Technology Rural farming communities are expected to make an effort to integrate modern technology into an industry that has been around for centuries. But such a transition in rural areas, where communications systems may not be as up-to-date as those in urban areas, is not always so easy. According to the Manitoba Rural Adaptation Council, a shift from a resource-based to an informationbased economy, compounded by the rapid introduction and expansion of new technology in the workplace, has altered farm operation and the skills in demand. Older workers who have been schooled in one way of agriculture may have a significant impact on labor supply and the vitality of farming as a career. Younger adults who are knowledgeable in technology may no longer seek out agricultural careers. Decrease in farming as an occupation The United States Environmental Protection Agency says that
only about 960,000 Americans claim farming as their principal occupation. As that figure has dwindled, the average age of farmers continues to rise, as the Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that roughly 40 percent of the farmers in this country are 55 years old or older. This has led to concerns about the long-term health of family farms throughout the United States. Environmental concerns Many farmers have come under scrutiny for how farming impacts the environment. A growing emphasis on sustainability and conservation has led many people to protest certain farming practices. Protesters claim that certain practices, such as raising livestock, can pollute water, while the use of fertilizers and chemical pesticides is bad for the environment. Many farmers, however, have altered their methods to be more environmentally friendly and selfsustainable in the process. Climate change is another environmental issue farmers must deal with. Strong storms and severe droughts have made farming even more challenging.
Financial fall-out The ongoing recession of the last half-decade has also affected farmers. In November of 2012, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated that the unemployment rate within the agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting industries was at 13.6 percent, far higher than the national unemployment rate. As a result, many farm families have found themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place, as rising costs for equipment and technology are being coupled with decreasing profits and rising unemployment. Further complicating matters is competition from corporations and international
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UK researchers conducting comprehensive poultry litter study BY KATIE PRATT UK College of Agriculture
One part of this comprehensive poultry litter study will determine if there is weed seed in the litter.
Princeton, Ky. Previous research studies have shown poultry litter applications have many benefits for corn and soybean producers, but these benefits have not been quantified or integrated into one comprehensive research study. UK College of Agriculture researchers are doing just that. UK extension soils specialist Edwin Ritchey is leading the study to explore whether poultry litter applications can increase yield, allow for better water infiltration, improve soil water-holding capacity and add organic matter to the soil in Western Kentucky corn and soybean operations. He will also study whether one of the crops receives more value from the poultry litter, if nutrient values vary among poultry litter sources and if producers receive a yield boost from applying both poultry litter and nitrogen to their fields. “This research should determine whether poultry litter, in addition to providing plant nutrients, can improve soil quality without adversely affecting insects, diseases and weeds,” Ritchey said. “If it can, and if producers can economically obtain it, it might be preferred over a strict use of commercial fertilizers.” As part of the research, UK extension weed scientist Jim Martin and UK extension plant pathologist Don Hershman will study poultry litter’s effect on weeds and disease pests, particularly the soybean cyst nematode.
“The soybean cyst nematode has been found in all major soybean producing counties in Kentucky, and it is the most damaging pest of soybean in the state, reducing state soybean productivity by 2 to 5 percent, depending on the year,” Hershman said. “Up to 30 percent yield loss can occur without any visible symptoms being produced.” The study is funded by the Kentucky Soybean Promotion Board and the Kentucky Corn Growers Association. In 2012, Ritchey selected four producers’ fields in Daviess, Hopkins, McLean and Henderson counties for the study. He selected these fields because they have low to medium nutrient values in the soil and soybean cyst nematodes. The fields range in size from three to five acres. Researchers gathered initial baseline data from the fields in 2012 and will sample the fields more intensively in March. Researchers will apply poultry litter to two cornfields and two soybean fields in the spring prior to planting. They will collect data throughout the growing season, culminating with yield data at harvest. Greenhouse research to test for the presence of the weed seed in poultry litter began in January at the UK Research and Education Center. Field research concerning whether poultry litter alters weed species or weed growth will begin in the spring and continue throughout the season with the goal of collect-
ing samples before the grower applies herbicides. “There’s some concern that poultry litter may contain weed seed and by applying poultry litter, growers may introduce new and different weeds into a field,” Martin said. “We’re not sure if that’s the case, so that’s why we’re testing the poultry litter in the greenhouse and in the
field.” In addition, Ritchey received the results of the 2011 poultry litter nutrient tests conducted at the UK Soil Testing Laboratory in Lexington this winter. He will analyze these results to see if the nutrient content varies among poultry age, type and integrators.
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Drought affecting corn crops prompts ethanol debate Corn shortages are sparking debates as to whether corn should be used for fuel or food.
A drought that plagued most of the United States in the summer of 2012 decimated soybean and corn crops across America’s heartland. According to Reuters, during the drought ratings for corn and soybeans fell to their lowest since the major drought of 1988 and major farm states, such as Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, Missouri, and Kansas, were not able to produce enough crop necessary to meet food and feed demands. To further exacerbate the shortage, the United States government still mandates that 42 percent of this year’s crop be turned into ethanol as part of the Renewable Fuel Standard adopted in 2005, angering some farmers. Livestock producers who rely
on corn for feed are angry that the mandate has not been modified in lieu of the record-breaking drought and shortages. Corn prices already are at all-time highs, and requiring that 42 percent of the yield be relegated to fuel will considerably drive up the cost of the remaining corn. Not only will livestock farmers be affected but so will those who enjoy corn in everything from breads to cereals. Consumers on limited budgets may find corn is simply too expensive. Ranchers and farmers are not the only ones hurting as a result of the corn shortage. The ethanol plants themselves are also feeling the crunch. A lack of corn means that many plants are remaining idle or not
working at capacity. Some plants are not breaking even in terms of operational costs, potentially costing individuals their jobs. However, supporters of the ethanol requirement are concerned that removing the allotted ethanol amounts from fuel will further drive up the cost of filling up at the pump. Drivers have already experienced high gas prices, and many are feeling the effect on their wallets. The result is a catch-22 where no one wins. Despite the talks, some economists say that the ethanol mandate suspension may do little to lower the cost of corn. Agricultural economist Scott Irwin from the University of Illinois says that because of the backlog of demand of corn for fuel,
it would be a few months before any price change would reach the market. Plus, the change would be nominal because it would be hard to implement such widespread changes in corn for fuel consumption since the country has come to depend on a set amount. High summertime temperatures combined with historically low rainfall totals this past season devastated many corn crops that would be put to use as animal feed and ethanol fuel. The debate over whether or not ethanol mandates should be temporarily ceased is bound to continue until corn supplies are replenished.
AGRICULTURE• MARCH 29,2013
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3rd UK invasive species V I E W T N F A A S RMS A E L conference set for April 3 P BY CAROL LEA SPENCE UK College of Agriculture
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The University of Kentucky College of Agriculture will present the 3rd Conference on Invasion Biology, Ecology and Management, April 3 at the UK Student Center. This year’s conference, titled “Where We Were, Where We Are, and Where We Should Be,” will take a broad view of the environment to plan future strategies through the lessons learned from history. Hosted by the UK Environmental and Natural Resources Initiative’s Invasive Species Working Group, organizers of the one-day conference invite foresters, natural resource managers, land managers, landowners and researchers to hear about the latest developments on detecting, monitoring and managing invasive species. The conference will feature prominent keynote speakers, including Andrew Mickelson speaking about “Where We Were.” Mickelson, associate professor in earth sciences at the University of Memphis, specializes in the prehistory of eastern North America and works extensively in the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys and southern Appalachia. His interests include relationships between prehistoric land use, environmental change and subsistence practices. He will present his keynote address, Prehistoric Native Americans as Niche Constructors: Three Case Studies from the Ohio Valley, at 8 a.m. April 3. Julie Lockwood, professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolu-
tion, and Natural Resources at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, focuses her research on the intersection of conservation biology, biogeography and invasion ecology. She is the co-author of “Invasion Ecology,” which provides an overview of the processes associated with non-native invasions. Lockwood will address “Where We Are” in her keynote speech, The Rising Tide of Invasive Species at 12:30 p.m. At 3:15 p.m., Virginia Dale, from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, will look down the road at “Where We Should Be,” with her keynote address, Land Use in the Context of Species’ Invasions, Climate Change and Energy Choices. The conference will be preceded on April 2 with an evening lecture at 7 p.m. by Charles C. Mann, the author of “1491” and “1493,” who will provide an overview of the Americas, pre-Columbus. Continuing Education Credits will be offered. For commercial pesticide applicators, 3 general and 3 specific hours in categories 2, 3, 6, 10, 12 and 14, for arborists, 8 ISA credits and 7.5 SAF continuing education credits for foresters. For a conference agenda, information on breakout sessions, parking and registration, go to http://www2.ca.uky.edu/environment/speakers. Registration deadline is March 22. Cost is $100, or $40 for graduate students and free for undergraduate students.
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