Mike Staton                                                Dan Rajzer
MSUE Agricultural/Natural                           County Extension Director, Cass County
Resource Agent, Van Buren Co.

• Decrease your ground speed to 2.5 to 3 miles per hour.
• Position the cutter bar as close to the ground as possible.
• Angle the pickup fingers on the reel back slightly to more aggressively pull the lodged plants into the cutter bar. Reduce the angle of the fingers if plants are riding over the top of the reel.
• Run the axle of the reel 6 to 12 inches ahead of the cutter bar.
• Operate the reel as low as necessary to pick up lodged plants without causing plants to ride over the top of the reel. Raise the reel if this happens.
• Consider installing vine lifters on the cutter bar.
• If the plants are lodged badly in one direction, operate the combine in the opposite direction.
• Try increasing the reel speed in relation to the ground speed. The reel should be run 10 to 25% faster than the groundspeed under ideal conditions. However, if the beans are lodged it should be increased to a maximum of 50% faster than the groundspeed. Be careful not to beat the beans out of the pods before they reach the cutter bar.
• Make one adjustment at a time and stop frequently to evaluate how you are doing. Call your local MSU Extension office if you would like information on estimating harvest losses.

Harvesting Drought-Stressed Corn for Grain
The following information was extracted from Extension bulletin NCH-58 “Utilizing Drought-Damaged Corn” by Dr. Oran Hesterman and Dr. Paul Carter. The decision to harvest low-yield grain should be based partly whether the value of the harvested grain covers the harvest cost. If only a localized area is stricken by drought-even an area as large as a single state you cannot expect a significant increase in corn price, which could compensate for low yields. If the drought is widespread-that is, if it affects the major corn producing areas in the United States-then harvesting a low-yield crop may be profitable because the market price will likely increase. Because the ears on moisture-stressed plants will probably be small, some combine adjustments will be necessary. Consider making the following adjustments:

·Review the operator's manual for suggestions on harvesting a light crop.

·With short or lodged corn, run the gathering snouts and chains low. Watch for stones, and be sure stone-protective devices are working.

·Drive carefully and at normal or lower speeds to avoid excessive harvest loss and machine damage from stones.

·For small ears, set stalk rolls and snapping plates closer than normal to snap off a higher percentage of ears. Don't attempt to snap off barren cobs.

·If clean shelling is a problem, increase cylinder speed slightly and, if necessary, decrease cylinder-concave clearance. With a rotary machine, check rotary-concave clearance. Avoid excessive damage to kernels from good ears.

·If cleaning losses are high, open the chaffer and chaffer extension slightly.

·Initially decrease the amount of air from the cleaning fan. If cleaning becomes a problem, either increase the fan blast and close the lower sieve slightly, or clean the corn out of the combine as it is put in the bin.

·Be alert to changes in weather and crop conditions and make adjustments as necessary.

·Excessive fines or "bees wings" can result from harvesting drought-damaged corn. These fines can build up in the center of a storage bin as it fills, attracting moisture and causing storage problems. Be aware of possible storage problems with drought-damaged grain.

Higher Probability of Stalk Rots and Lodging in Drought-stressed Corn
The drought conditions we experienced this season will increase the potential for stalk rot and lodging problems this fall. Plants growing under drought conditions have reduced photosynthentic activity and carbohydrate production. The corn plant responds to the lower carbohydrate levels by reallocating the carbohydrates from the leaves, roots and lower stalk to the developing ear. This removal of carbohydrates results in premature death of the cells in the stalk and the root tissues leaving them vulnerable to invasion by fungi.

Stalk rots do not always lead to severe lodging problems as hybrids vary in stalk strength and timely harvest can prevent lodging. If your corn fields were affected by drought this summer, you should check the strength of the stalks in each of your fields after the corn has reached physiological maturity. Use this information as you determine your harvest schedule. There are two easy methods for checking stalk strength – the “push test “and the “squeeze test”. When using the push test, grab the stalk at the ear and push the stalk 6 to 8 inches off vertical. If the stalk buckles, stalk rot is present and the plants are prone to lodging. The squeeze test involves pinching the internode area near the base of the stalk. If this area can be compressed easily, stalk rots are present and lodging is likely.

Fall Potash Applications
Potassium fertilizer prices increased significantly since last fall, so you should manage this essential crop nutrient carefully. Potassium is subject to leaching loss in coarse-textured and organic soils. This is due to the lack of clay minerals available to hold the potassium in these soils. Clay minerals possess negative charges that effectively hold the positively-charged K⁺ ions from leaching but allow them to be available to plants. Organic matter also has negative charges and holds most cations well, but potassium is loosely attached. Because of this, most universities do not recommend fall applications of potassium fertilizers on coarse-textured or organic soils. The cation exchange capacity listed on every soil test report is directly related to the clay content of mineral soils. It can be used to predict if the soil is suitable for fall potash applications. Potassium fertilizers can be safely applied to soils having cation exchange capacities of 6 meq/100g or greater. Significant potassium leaching losses are possible when CEC’s are lower than 6.

Coping With High Diesel Prices
Agricultural economists and engineers at the University of Tennessee offer the following ideas to help farmers cope with high diesel prices:

• Use the smallest available tractor that will perform the job safely and efficiently.

Tractor Size	Diesel Fuel Costs (dollars per hour @ $2.50/gallon )
70 horsepower	$7.89
100 horsepower	$10.95
150 horsepower	$16.43

• When tillage operations are required, hitch two or more implements together to reduce the number of tillage passes required.
• Change from conventional tillage to no-tillage.
• Eliminate all non-essential machinery operations.
• Whenever possible, operate tractors in higher speed gears and lower throttle settings to conserve fuel and drive train wear. This practice works well for moderate or light loads when the tractor is operating at 75% or less of its maximum power. Cutting engine speed by 300 rpm can reduce fuel consumption by 10%. Always maintain the recommended engine rpm when operating PTO driven equipment. You also need to avoid overloading the engine. You can accomplish this by checking your operator’s manual to make sure that the engine is operating within the Working RPM Range of your tractor. You can also check for overloading by opening the throttle. If the engine responds well, it is not overloaded.
• Keep tires inflated to the correct pressures and distribute weight correctly between the front and rear axles to reduce fuel consumption up to 10%. Please contact your local MSU Extension office if you would like specific information on this subject. Radial tires slip less than bias-ply tires of the same size and will more than pay for themselves when installed on tractors that pull heavy loads
• Clean fuel injectors and air cleaners.
• Use the proper viscosity oil for the engine.
• Shut off modern diesel engines (any tractor manufactured within the past 10 years) when not in use for 2 to 3 minutes. Idling wastes fuel and can lead to carbon build up on injector spray holes and valves.

Fuel Requirements for Field Operations
The following information was extracted from Iowa State University bulletin PM 709 “Fuel Required for Field Operations” by Mark Hannah and George Ayres. This information can be used to estimate the cost of various field operations and make decisions about your tillage practices this fall and next spring. 

Stalk Nitrate Test and N Management For Corn
Darryl Warncke, MSU Crop & Soil Sciences

In N rate studies conducted at MSU in 2003 and 2004, the stalk nitrate N concentration reflected the corn grain yield response and the excess N application according to the guidelines presented in Table 1. The total N concentration of the ear leaf at silking and the corn grain showed when the N rate was too low, but did not reflect when excess N was applied. Hence, the stalk nitrate test is a better diagnostic tool. Even though it is post-mortem it can be useful for long term adjustment of N manage-ment practices. Farmers are encouraged to try this test on a few fields with different N management practices. It can tell a lot about how N is being utilized by a corn crop. Over a few years one can develop a good data base for evaluating the appropriateness of various N management practices.

Harvest Safety Tips
The harvest season is one of the most dangerous times of the year for grain farmers. Your exposure to powerful equipment is the highest at this time and you are working long hours. Please take a minute to review the following harvest safety tips:

· Always disengage the power, turn off the engine and remove the key before attempting to clean out plugged machines.

· Reduce the probability of plugging with proper machinery adjustment, use of herbicides as a harvest aids in weedy fields and harvesting during optimal conditions.

· Prevent operator fatigue by taking short frequent breaks and rotating jobs.

· Have a first aid kit or trauma kit in every vehicle.

· Prevent combine fires by cleaning crop residue from hot spots on the combine every time you stop for a break, refueling or unloading.

· Equip each combine with at least one, 20 pound ABC fire extinguisher. Most combine fire will require two.

· Don’t allow extra riders. They can be a distraction, an obstruction and a potential accident victim.

· Clean the combine windshield frequently. You can’t avoid what you can’t see.

· Prevent grain augers from contacting overhead power lines.

· Make sure all guards and safety shields are in place.

Fall Dandelion Control in No-till Fields
The following information was extracted from an MSU Extension Fact Sheet entitled “Controlling Dandelion in No-tillage Corn and Soybeans” by Aaron Franssen and Dr. Christy Sprague. Dandelion can be a problem weed in no-till fields. Since tillage is very effective in controlling dandelion, no-till fields having dense populations of dandelion may benefit from periodic tillage. If tilling the fields is not a viable alternative, you will need to maximize your chemical control options. Research conducted at MSU from 2001-2003 yielded the following results:

·Glyphosate at 0.75 lb ae/acre plus ammonium sulfate at 17 lbs/100 gallons effectively controlled dandelion when applied in the fall after harvest.

· 2,4-D ester at 1.0 lb ai/acre was less effective in controlling dandelion than glyphosate.

·Fall applications of glyphosate or 2,4-D ester controlled dandelion better than spring applications.

·Sequential postemergence applications of glyphosate in Roundup Ready corn or soybeans will be needed to control regrowth and seedling germination of dandelion.

· Fall applications of 1 pt/acre of 2,4-D ester + Canopy XL at 2.5 to 4.5 oz/acre + Express at 0.167 oz/acre + 1% v/v crop coil concentrate provided excellent control of established dandelion and also gave good control of seedling dandelion.

Many of the wheat seed fields harvested this spring had long grain fill periods which resulted in large seeds for planting this fall. Normally, there are fourteen to sixteen thousand wheat seeds per pound, but many of the seed lots we will plant this fall have only ten to thirteen thousand seed per pound. Although the number of seeds per foot of row is the same as in previous years, the pounds of seed per acre will be greater this fall.

Calibrate the drill for each variety and each seed lot planted. The optimum seeding rate is 1.2 to 1.6 million seeds per acre for 7.5-inch rows when planting during the two weeks following the fly-safe date. The minimum seeding rate in Michigan is 1.6 million seeds/acre due to harsher winter conditions. During the third and fourth week after the fly-safe date, plant 1.6 to 2.0 million seeds per acre. Do not plant faster than the speed at which the drill was calibrated. The number of seeds per pound and germination rates are critical factors that need to be known before the proper seeding rate can be determined and the drill calibrated. That information should be listed on the bag of seed. The following table shows the pounds of seed needed per acre to accomplish various seeding rates using different sizes of seed.

Don’t Miss Out on the Loan Deficiency Payment (LDP)
The loan deficiency payment (LDP) allows growers to lock in the loan rates for corn and soybeans. The loan rate for corn may be significantly higher than the market price this fall. Because of this, the LDP will be an important part of your marketing plan. You should communicate closely with your USDA-FSA office to make sure you understand the LDP and how it fits into your marketing plan. In order to be eligible for the LDP:

· You must have your crop acreage certified at the FSA office. Late certification is available for a fee.

· You must have beneficial interest in the commodity.

· You must complete the first page of a 709 form or the new 633EZ form prior to losing beneficial interest in the commodity.

 

Importance of Maintaining Optimum pH for Crop Production
By: Robert Mullen, Edward Lentz, Maurice Watson, Ohio State University Extension

Why do I stress maintaining an adequate soil pH? This year is a prime example of why. Under high rainfall conditions soils with marginal pH levels can be productive with little if any loss in yield loss even if the soil pH is slightly less than optimal. When moisture is in short supply (like this year) soils with marginal soil pH levels can experience a decrease in soil pH. This decrease in soil pH can lead to macronutrient deficiencies including potassium and magnesium (exactly what happened this year in certain areas). This is why soil pH should be maintained at or near the optimum level for the crop being grown. For additional information on selecting a lime material visit the following link: http://corn.osu.edu/story.php?setissueID=52&storyID=278. A soil pH and liming bulletin will be published this fall, so be on the look out for this new publication.

Traffic Safety Tips
Traffic accidents involving farm machinery are more likely to occur during planting and harvest. Since we are entering the harvest season, please review and follow the traffic safety tips provided below:

Always mount a Slow Moving Vehicle (SMV) emblem to all tractors, combines and implements transported on public roads.

Never use white lights on the rear of the tractor when driving on public roads. If you don’t have a rear red light, have an escort vehicle follow within 50 feet of the tractor or implement of husbandry.

Always use flashing amber warning lights on public roads.

Check to see if traffic is backing up behind you and pull over periodically when it is safe for cars to pass.

Use turn signals or proper hand signals to communicate your intentions to motorists.

Never travel left of the center of the road after dark, during poor visibility or when approaching the top of a hill or a curve.

The information given herein is supplied with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by MSU Extension is implied.