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County FSA Elections

Brandy VanDeWalle

Be proactive, rather than reactive- County Committee Elections

         It is important for one to stand for what they believe in and take an active role in one’s community. Effective leadership is crucial to any community or organization. One of the steps of having effective leadership in any community or organization is to ensure that the right people are in those crucial leadership roles.  An effective leader understands the issues at-hand, is knowledgeable in his/her area, knows the proper ways to motivate others, embraces change, can work in a variety of settings and with a variety of personalities, and involves the group or followers in important decision-making. That being said, remember that a leader is not only a political figure or someone that is well-known, but a leader can be a farmer, local businessmen/women, or anyone in a community or organization.  One that leads others should be proactive rather than reactive; he/she should plan and effectively lead others with the group’s vision in mind.  It is frustrating to hear others complain about various political leaders when often times those complaining never took the time to vote or understand the issue(s) at hand. 

            One important election at hand in this area is the election of responsible agricultural producers to FSA County Committees.  This is important to ALL farmers with large or small operations.  County Committees are a direct link between the farm community and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  Committee members are a critical component of the day-to-day operations of FSA.  They help deliver FSA farm programs at the local level.  They work to make FSA agricultural programs serve the needs of local producers. Committees make decisions on: commodity price support loans and payments, conservation programs, incentive and disaster payments, and other farm disaster assistance. FSA committees operate within official regulations designed to carry out Federal laws.  Committee members apply their judgment and knowledge to make local decisions.

Nominations
To become a nominee for the COC, eligible individuals must sign nomination form FSA-669A. The form includes a statement that the nominee agrees to serve if elected. This form is available at Service Centers and online at http://www.fsa.usda.gov/elections.  Nomination forms for the 2011 election must be postmarked or received in the local Service Center by close of business August 1, 2011.

Agricultural producers who participate or cooperate in an FSA program may be nominated for candidacy for the county committee. Individuals may nominate themselves or others as a candidate. Additionally, organizations representing minority and women farmers or ranchers may nominate candidates. Nomination forms are filed for the COC in the office that administers a producer’s farm records.

Election Period
August 1, 2011 – Last day to file nomination forms at the local Service Center
November 4, 2011 – Ballots mailed to eligible voters
December 5, 2011 – Last day to return voted ballots to the Service Center
January 2, 2012 – Newly elected COC members take office

Additional election information may be found at: http://www.fsa.usda.gov/elections. Producers may contact their local Service Center for more information.

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Youth Needed in Agriculture

Brandy VanDeWalle
Guest speakers are brought in to help youth meet others involved in agronomy.

 As I work with youth in the Crop Science Investigation series, I’m reminding them to consider agriculture as a career choice. Today’s agricultural world faces several challenges, one of them being the decline of our most valuable resource, the future workforce. While Nebraska’s population under 18 years of age grew between the years of 2000 and 2009, this increase was seen in only ten of the 93 counties. Rural communities, including agricultural producers, can benefit from expanding youth into leadership opportunities, therefore mentoring youth leaders (Cantrell, 2010).  One strategy to keep youth in rural communities and involved in production agriculture is to involve them in projects that encourage active participation and learn about the wide array of careers related to production agriculture.

To help address this, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension offers Crop Science Investigation (CSI) programming for youth to increase their knowledge and interest with plants, science, and agriculture. Currently, CSI workshops are offered in several counties which consist of local hands-on workshops for 4-H and FFA youth.

A goal I have for the CSI program is to expand it statewide so youth that don’t have a local CSI program have the opportunity to participate. Workshop topics include: marketing, nutrient management, managing disease, insect and weed problems, row spacing, plant population, water management, etc. These sessions build life skills such as; researching scientifically based answers; problem solving, public speaking, etc. 

Last week, I had the opportunity to work with ten Fillmore and ten Jefferson county youth teaching them how crops grow and other current agronomic factors. If you know of youth interested in crops, I’d be happy to provide some resources to them or check into the possibilities of forming a CSI group in their area.

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Brandy VanDeWalle

Start Mosquito Control Now

 I love to spend time outside working in the garden or in the landscape, but unfortunately the mosquitoes have recently started to enjoy spending time outside with me as well. I’ve heard lots of clients already complain about the intense populations of mosquitoes so this week, I’ve decided to share information provided recently by Roberto Cortinas, assistant professor, entomology and veterinary and biomedical sciences and Barb Ogg, Ph.D., extension educator from a recent news release.

There are two types of mosquitoes: floodwater and standing water mosquitoes. Floodwater mosquitoes such as the Aedes vexans, also commonly known as the inland floodwater mosquito lay eggs in dry areas in anticipation of flooding or rain. These eggs may survive a few years without water and hatch into mosquito larvae when water pools in the area. Mosquito larvae develop into pupae and then emerge from the water when they become adult mosquitoes. With the flooding this year, the number of Aedes vexans likely will increase. These mosquitoes transmit dog heartworm, which infects animals, primarily dogs, but it is easily preventable, according to Cortinas. Fortunately, the Aedes vexans mosquitoes are not the key player in the spread of the West Nile virus. The West Nile virus is the most important mosquito-transmitted disease in North America.

In 2010, 39 cases of West Nile were reported in Nebraska with two of those leading to death. The mosquito that spreads West Nile virus is Culex tarsalis, a standing water mosquito. This kind of mosquito prefers to lay eggs in existing, stagnant water sources, such as water in a paper cup or old tires. For the Culex tarsalis mosquito population to increase substantially and increase the risk of West Nile virus transmission the floodwater would have to remain pooled for a few weeks.

To protect oneself against the West Nile virus, control mosquito populations around an area and prevent mosquito bites. Barb Ogg, UNL Extension educator in Lancaster County, said long-term mosquito control starts with people eliminating mosquito breeding grounds instead of just spraying insecticide. If one is going to spray their yard, it’ll be effective for maybe a day or two. Anything in the yard that collects water, such as flower pots, cans and old tires, should be emptied. Dump out the bird bath at least twice a week and check gutters to make sure they are not clogged. For ponds or flooded areas, briquets or granules of the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) can be used to kill mosquito larvae, but it won’t harm birds, fish mammals and other organisms.

People can avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes by making sure window and door screens are in good condition, and by remaining indoors during dawn and dusk, which is when mosquitoes are most active. When venturing outside, it’s advisable to wear long-sleeved clothing and long pants. Light-colored clothing seems to attract fewer mosquitoes than dark-colored clothing. Mosquito repellents help prevent mosquito bites, too.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends three kinds of mosquito repellents:

  • DEET is the most common chemical used in insect repellents. DEET is effective, lasts up to eight hours depending on the concentration and is considered “the gold standard” for mosquito repellents. However, many people don’t like DEET because it has an oily feeling and odor. 
  • Picaridin is as effective as DEET but it isn’t as long-lasting. However, it is not greasy and doesn’t have an odor, so some people prefer Picaridin over DEET.
  • Oil of lemon eucalyptus (PMD) is extracted from the lemon eucalyptus plant. People like it because it’s a natural substance, but it lasts for a shorter period of time than DEET or Picaridin of the same concentration, so it needs to be re-applied more frequently.

For more tips on controlling mosquitoes around the home, visit UNL NebGuide Residential Mosquito Control.

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Internship Programs

Brandy VanDeWalle

Welcome!

This summer we were blessed with not only one intern, but two! We have Molly Traush, our Extension Intern working mostly with the 4-H program. We also have Cale Mages, who has been helping me install irrigation equipment and will be working on a special grant-funded project this summer. Here is a short piece from him.

My name is Cale Mages and I am a summer intern with the Partners in Pollution Prevention program at UNL. I will be working in the Fillmore County Extension Office, specifically working with producers to help evaluate irrigation system efficiencies and offering any suggestions for improvement that I can. So far it has be very enjoyable experience, and I hope to give producers a better understanding of their irrigation systems and find ways they can save money. I am originally from a small town southeast of Kansas City. I will be a 5th year senior at the University of Kansas where I study civil engineering. I have grown up both working and playing outside, so I am glad to have an internship that allows me to keep doing so. I look forward to meeting members of the community and enjoying my time in Fillmore County. Feel free to stop by the extension office with any questions.

We are glad to have both Cale and Molly in the office so please help them both feel welcome this summer.

Flooding Resources

Just a quick mention that there are lots of flood resources available at UNL extension’s website. If you know of someone with these issues, help spread the word.

Crops, Uncategorized

Early Season Crop Diseases

Brandy VanDeWalle
Photo courtesy of Aaron Nygren

Diseases in Wheat and Soybeans

            In early May, parts of the county were very dry; even pivots were running to get the crops out of the ground.  With a significant amount of rainfall within the last couple weeks, now brings concern for diseases.  Before treating for diseases though, it is important to scout your fields and confirm if and how much disease is present.

Scout for Soybean Seedling Diseases

Wet spring conditions have led to the development of soybean seedling diseases in some Nebraska fields. Seedling damping off and seed rot caused by several fungi commonly occur in Nebraska. Early season damping off and root rots are often followed by premature death, which in many instances may be attributed to fungal infections earlier in the season. In some situations, large areas of a field or even entire fields need to be replanted due to early season fungal problems. This may especially be true in a year like this when cool, wet weather early in the growing season creates favorable conditions for infection by certain soil borne pathogens that attack developing soybean plants.Seedling diseases also are active whenever soils are saturated.

Several soybean disease pathogens may cause damping off or root rot seedling diseases. The most common in Nebraska are species of Phytophthora, Pythium, Rhizoctonia, and Fusarium. All four are capable of killing soybean seedlings or at least causing damage sufficient enough to affect the plant’s ability to achieve full yield potential.

These seedling diseases have similar symptoms, often making diagnosis difficult. Microscopic examination and other laboratory analyses of the diseased seedlings often are necessary to identify the cause and differentiate damage from disease, insect injury, herbicide damage, planting problems, or environmental stresses that have similar symptoms. If you think you have some, we can get those samples to our UNL Plant Pathology lab for proper diagnosis.                (Source, CropWatch, May 26, 2011 Issue)

Scab Risk Moderate in South Central Nebraska

The following information was provided by Stephen Wegulo, Extension Plant Pathologist. With wheat flowering occurring or approaching, the National Fusarium Head Blight Risk Assessment Tool has elevated the risk of scab from low to high in an area of southeast Nebraska and to moderate in areas of eastern, south central, southwest, and north central Nebraska. Scab appears in the field as prematurely whitened or bleached heads. Affected heads are partially or entirely bleached and often are seen suddenly scattered over small, large, or entire areas of the field. It is recommended that a fungicide be applied at early flowering to suppress scab in scab-prone areas (southeast, south central, and southwest Nebraska). The fungicides Prosaro and Caramba are good in suppressing scab and very good to excellent in controlling foliar diseases.

Timing of fungicide application for scab suppression is critical. Early flowering is the optimal time. Once bleached heads appear scattered in the field, it is too late to apply a fungicide for scab suppression. For fields where wheat is not flowering yet, if foliar disease pressure is low and the flag and flag -1 leaves are free of disease, delay a fungicide application until early flowering and then apply a fungicide that will both suppress scab and provide protection against foliar diseases.

If foliar disease pressure is high and the flag leaf is at risk of infection, consider applying a fungicide to protect the flag leaf and monitor the risk of scab as heading and flowering approach. In this case a second fungicide application to suppress scab may be warranted in high risk and high yield potential fields, such as irrigated fields, if the risk of scab rises prior to flowering. Refer to a fungicide table  for a list of fungicides and their efficacy against various diseases.

Crops, Uncategorized

Early Season Flooding

Brandy VanDeWalle

As I write this article, parts of Fillmore County received over 4 inches of rain in less than a 24-hour period, which has brought flooding in some fields. You might wonder how this affects the crop condition so I found an article from Purdue University written May, 2010 that describes what could happen. The longer an area remains ponded, the higher the risk of plant death. The article, Effects of Flooding or Ponding on Young Corn was written by R. L. (Bob) Nielson summarizes the following:

  • Corn that is completely submerged is at higher risk than corn that is partially submerged.
  • Plants that are only partially submerged may continue to photosynthesize, albeit at limited rates.
  • Most agronomists believe that young corn can survive up to about 4 days of outright ponding if temperatures are relatively cool (mid-60’s F or cooler); fewer days if temperatures are warm (mid-70’s F or warmer).
  • Soil oxygen is depleted within about 48 hours of soil saturation. Without oxygen, the plants cannot perform critical life sustaining functions; e.g. nutrient and water uptake is impaired and root growth is inhibited.
  • Even if surface water subsides quickly, the likelihood of dense surface crusts forming as the soil dries increases the risk of emergence failure for recently planted crops.
  • The greater the deposition of mud on plants as the water subsides, the greater the stress on the plants due to reduced photosynthesis.
    • Ironically, such situations would benefit from another rainfall event to wash the mud deposits from the leaves.
  • Corn younger than about V6 (six fully exposed leaf collars) is more susceptible to ponding damage than is corn older than V6.
    • This is partly because young plants are more easily submerged than older taller plants and partly because the corn plant’s growing point remains below ground until about V6. The health of the growing point can be assessed initially by splitting stalks and visually examining the lower portion of the stem (Nielsen, 2008). Within 3 to 5 days after water drains from the ponded area, look for the appearance of fresh leaves from the whorls of the plants.
  • Extended periods of saturated soils AFTER the surface water subsides will take their toll on the overall vigor of the crop.
  • Some root death will occur and new root growth will be stunted until the soil dries to acceptable moisture contents. As a result, plants may be subject to greater injury during a subsequently dry summer due to their restricted root systems.
  • Associated with the direct stress of saturated soils on a corn crop, flooding and ponding can cause significant losses of soil nitrogen due to denitrification and leaching of nitrate N.
  • Significant loss of soil N will cause nitrogen deficiencies and possible additional yield loss.
  • On the other hand, if the corn dies in the ponded areas it probably does not matter how much nitrogen you’ve lost.
  • Lengthy periods of wet soil conditions favor the development of seedling blight diseases, especially those caused by Pythium fungi (Sweets, 2008).
  • Poorly drained areas of fields are most at risk for the development of these diseases and so will also be risky for potential replant operations.
  • Certain diseases, such as common smut and crazy top, may also become greater risks due to flooding and cool temperatures (Malvick, 2002).
  • The fungus that causes crazy top depends on saturated soil conditions to infect corn seedlings.
  • The common smut fungal organism is ubiquitous in soils and can infect young corn plants through tissue damaged by floodwaters. There is limited hybrid resistance to either of these two diseases and predicting damage is difficult until later in the growing season.
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Agricultural Leadership – LEAD Program

Brandy VanDeWalle
As a LEAD 27 participant, our class traveled to China, South Korea & Hong Kong!

 LEAD Application Deadline is June 15

As the number of individuals involved in agriculture continues to decrease—and the challenges continue to increase—the need for highly trained, effective and articulate spokespersons and leaders in the agricultural industry becomes even more critical. If you would like to be a part of the leadership necessary to chart the course . . . now and in the future, and you are presently involved in production agriculture or agribusiness, there will never be a better time to make application to the Nebraska LEAD Program.

Fellowship applications for Nebraska LEAD (Leadership Education/Action Development) Group XXXI (31) are now available for men and women involved in production agriculture or agribusiness and are due on June 15. Up to 30 motivated men and women who are passionate about our industry will be selected from five geographic areas of the state.

In addition to monthly three-day seminars throughout Nebraska from mid-September through early April each year, Nebraska LEAD Fellows also participate in a 10-day National Study/Travel Seminar to Kansas City, Washington, D.C. and Chicago during the first year, and a two week International Study/Travel Seminar during the second year.

Seminar themes include leadership assessment and potential, natural resources and energy, agricultural policy, leadership through communication, our political process, global perspectives, nuclear energy, social issues, understanding and developing leadership skills, agribusiness and marketing, advances in health care, and the resources and people of Nebraska’s Panhandle.

The Nebraska LEAD Program is designed to prepare the spokespersons, problem-solvers and decision makers for Nebraska and its agricultural industry. In its 30th year, the program is operated by the Nebraska Agricultural Leadership Council, a nonprofit organization, in collaboration with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources and in cooperation with Nebraska colleges and universities, business and industry, and individuals throughout the state.

Applications are due no later than June 15 and are available via e-mail from the Nebraska LEAD Program. Application materials can be requested by contacting Shana at sgerdes2@unl.edu, by calling (402) 472-6810, or by writing Room 318 Biochemistry Hall, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 68583-0763.

As a graduate of LEAD XXVII, I would highly recommend anyone even thinking about applying to visit with me and I’ll share more personal insights on this excellent program. I can attest to the high quality and how its helped improve my leadership skills and confidence and made me more aware of important issues and opportunities to continually improve myself and knowledge.