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What's new in Michigan Organic Ag? May 10- 23 PRODUCTION NEWS AND INFORMATION (In Parts 1, 2, and 3) 1. New Ag Network electronic Newsletter 2. Minnesota Fruit and Vegetable IPM Newsletter 3. Field Crop CAT Alert Newsletter 4. The New MSU Vegetable CAT Alert 5. The New MSU Fruit CAT Alert 6. Identify and Diagnose Soybean Emergence Problems Early 7. Codling Moth in Apple-Time to start monitoring and treatments 8. Ag Management 9. 'Ridge' apple farms may become wind farms 10. Growing Pains 11. A Growing Concern NOTICE OF POSITION OPENINGS (In Part 3) 12. Gardening and Gleaning Supervisor needed at The Garden Project of The Greater Lansing Food Bank 13. Youth Farm Stand Summer Youth Coordinator needed at Blandford Nature Center 14. Assistant Needed on "Our Family Farm LLC in Manchester, MI EVENTS (In Part 3) 15. Vegetable Cover Crop Meeting 16. Promotion Opportunity for Michigan grower/specialty food processor *************** PRODUCTION NEWS AND INFORMATION *************** 1. New Ag Network electronic Newsletter Vol. 5, No. 2 - May 14, 2008 http://www.new-ag.msu.edu/ In this issue: 2008 Organic research projects from MSU's Kellogg Biological Station MSU and C.S. Mott Group host first Michigan Organic Reporting Session Advice for certifying research sites and facilities Workshop: Cover crops for vegetable systems Reports from organic growers *************** 2. Minnesota Fruit and Vegetable IPM Newsletter Vol. 5, No. 3 - May 23, 2008 htm format: www.vegedge.umn.edu/MNFruit&VegNews/vol5/vol5n3.htm pdf format: www.mda.state.mn.us/plants/pestmanagement/ipm/ipmnews.htm In this issue: Feature Article: European Corn Borer Flight Slow to Develop Vegetable News Bean Leaf Beetle Overwintering Survival Strawberry News Strawberries and Tarnished Plant Bug MDA's Weekly Strawberry Pest Sampling Data Grape News New Online Grape IPM Guide Available! Apple News Apple: Weekly Trap Counts Apple Scab Infections Degree Day Comparison for 2008 & 2007 *************** MSU CAT Alerts-weekly IPM crop newsletters CAT (Crop Advisory Team) Alerts are a product of MSU Extension educators meeting with the researchers on a weekly or bi-weekly basis to discuss the growth and development of the crop type they specialize. From the weekly conference call and discussion an on-line newsletter is created offering information about the current issues. Here I am presenting the CAT Alerts for Field Crops, Vegetables and Fruit. Please take a look and see how this can help you understand the pests and possible ideas for management. Pesticides are offered that are NOT allowed on organic systems but the biology of the pest and identification methods are very useful for all farmers. I hope you think so too. *************** 3. Field Crop CAT Alert Newsletter The New MSU Field Crop CAT (Crop Advisory Team) Alert is out and here is the list of what is on offer: Vol. 23, No. 7, May 22, 2008 http://www.ipm.msu.edu/cat08field/fc05-22-08.htm In this issue: Status of early-season pest insects Annual weed control in alfalfa: In-season management Alfalfa harvest: Getting it right will return big dollars Pricing standing forage Net blotch on winter barley Wheat update Regional reports Weather *************** 4. The New MSU Vegetable CAT Alert The New MSU Vegetable CAT Alert is out and here is what is on offer http://ipm.anr.msu.edu/cat08veg/v05-21-08.htm Vol. 23, No. 5, May 21, 2008 In this issue: Insect update Impacts of a cool spring on cover crops and vegetable crops management Vegetable weed control during cool growing conditions Buckwheat cover cropping for vegetables 2008 MSU Weed Tour Emergency Ag Relief Act Regional reports Weather *************** 5. The New MSU Fruit CAT Alert is out and here is what is on offer Vol. 23, No. 7, May 20, 2008 In this issue: Tree fruit news Winter injury in sweet cherry Optimizing insecticide sprays for plum curculio TNRC trapline data: Oriental fruit moth Small fruit news Timing cranberry fruitworm sprays in blueberry Topsin M Section 18 request for blueberries denied by EPA Manipulating blueberries with Gibberellin Small fruit meeting Other news Emergency Ag Relief Act Regional reports Weather news *************** 6. Identify and Diagnose Soybean Emergence Problems Early Compiled by Staff Early detection and diagnosis of soybean emergence problems is always important to achieving high yields. This year, early-season scouting is even more important because of a reduction in seed quality. Growers who begin monitoring their fields early can head off potentially costly problems caused by diseases or pests. "Soybean emergence ranges from six days under ideal conditions to 14 days under more challenging soil conditions," says Mike Staton, Michigan State University Extension agriculture and natural resources educator and Soybean 2010 coordinator. "Those challenges can include cold soil temperatures, excess soil moisture, inadequate soil moisture, soil crusting, improper seeding depth or uniformity, poor seed-to-soil contact, insect feeding and disease infestations." Staton recommends that farmers who notice fields with slow or uneven emergence should dig up the plants and inspect them for signs of disease or insect damage to the root, hypocotyl or cotyledons. "In most fields, the major insect pests affecting seedling emergence are seedcorn maggots and wireworms," he says. "If seedcorn maggots have reduced a stand to an unacceptable level, replanting should correct the problem -- the decaying organic material that lured the adults to the field in the first place won't be an issue. If wireworms are responsible, the seed will need to be treated with Cruiser prior to replanting." Soil-borne diseases such as Phytophthora, Pythium, Rhizoctonia and Fusarium can also damage germinating soybean seed. Fusarium can survive a wide range of temperatures. It may not kill seed outright but may contribute to stunting and root rot. Pythium is more likely to create problems under cool, wet soil conditions. It is prevalent in southwestern Michigan soils, and damage is likely to occur when a heavy rain occurs within 24 hours following planting. Its symptoms are swollen and bent hypocotyls. Replanting when soil temperatures exceed 60 degrees should result in satisfactory emergence. Warmer temperatures (between 75 and 89 degrees F) and drier conditions favor Rhizoctonia. (68 to 77 degrees F). If seedlings emerged from the soil but died quickly, Phytophthora is a likely suspect, and growers should replant with resistant varieties or fungicide-treated seed. If no insect feeding or disease symptoms/lesions are present on the seedlings, look for a soil crust. If one exists, Staton suggests using a rotary hoe to break it up, though with caution. It's important to avoid using a rotary hoe when the plants are in the "crook" stage or for three days afterward to prevent damage to emerging seedlings. Large soybean seed is more likely to experience emergence problems in crusted soils than small soybean seed because of its larger cotyledon. If emergence problems occur but there are no signs of insects or diseases and crusting is not the problem, determine if the planting depth was correct and uniform, and check to see that soil is firmed around the seeds. Some varieties may not emerge well when planted 2 or more inches below the surface. If no planting problems are detected and the seeds/seedlings look healthy, inadequate soil moisture is likely the cause of the delayed emergence. Wait until a rain occurs and recheck the field. To determine whether replanting is warranted, Staton suggests farmers compare the yield potential of the existing stand to that of the replanted stand and take into "Yield losses of 0.6 of a bushel per acre per day have been shown to occur when planting is delayed after mid-May," he says. "A uniform stand of 100,000 plants per acre will produce good yields, and because seed supplies are short this year, a high-yielding variety may not be available as we get further into the season." For more information about soybean emergence problems, contact your county For more information about improving Michigan's soybean crop, visit the Soybean 2010 Web page at web1.msue.msu.edu/soybean2010/. Soybean 2010 was developed to help Michigan growers increase soybean yields and farm profitability by 2010. Funding is provided by MSU Extension; Project GREEEN (Generating Research and Extension to meet Economic and Environmental Needs), the plant industry initiative at MSU; and the Michigan Soybean Promotion Committee. *************** 7. Codling Moth in Apple-Time to start monitoring and treatments Requested by a listserv member Mark Longstroth as an MSUE educator in Van Buren County and specializes in fruit. He is a good resource when considering planting new orchards, seeking varieties and management practices for organic systems. Here is his reply to the recent ones sent about Codling Moth in apple on this listserv. If people are interested in fruit pests they might want to look at the sections from Gus Howitt's book I have posted on my website and back issues of the Fruit CAT Alert. Note New Address and Phone Number! ----------------------------------------- Mark Longstroth SW Michigan District Fruit Educator Van Buren County MSU Extension 219 Paw Paw Street, Suite 201 Paw Paw, MI 49079 Bus (269) 657-8213 x3 Cell (269) 330-2790 Code-A-Phone (269) 657-8217 Fax (269) 657-6678 Email - [log in to unmask] Check Out My Webpages http://web1.msue.msu.edu/vanburen/disthort.htm If you would like to access previous postings to the Mich-Organic listserv you can copy and paste the following URL into your browser address bar http://list.msu.edu/archives/mich-organic.html