In this issue!!!!

Packer Park Nematode Field Day— October 9, 2018
Late Season Management and Reminders (Freeman)

Dealing with Forage Diseases

Packer Park Nematode Field Day— October 9, 2018

A brief cotton nematode field day will be held at Packer Park Farm, on Tuesday, October 9, 2018. The farm is located across from the new Colquitt County High School.   The field day starts at 9 am.  Dr Bob Kemerait, UGA Plant Pathologist, will be on hand to discuss the field demonstration and other aspects of managing nematodes in cotton.  If you have any questions please feel free to contact me or Kristina Crosby at the Colquitt County Extension Office.  The office number is 229-616-7455.  CCA and pesticide credit will be available. 

Late Season Management and Reminders (Freeman)

Throughout 2018 the Georgia cotton crop has been extremely variable in regards to growth and development. This is due in large part to heavy and frequent rains during the planting window. Even now we have the crop in various growth stages ranging from cotton being harvested, defoliated, starting to open, and our latest planted crop unopened and still needing additional irrigations in some dry regions of the state.

Deciding when to terminate irrigation is one question that has come up quite frequently in recent weeks.  The general recommendation is to stop all irrigation events when 10% of the bolls have opened. (This is usually about 1-3 bolls per plant.) This can help with issues such as boll rot, hard lock, as well as preserve fiber quality. There MAY be times when irrigation beyond this point is warranted.  Scenarios where fruit retention on the lower nodes is poor and most of the harvestable bolls are located on the upper nodes may require additional irrigation water. However, all factors such as current and future weather conditions and available soil moisture must be considered.

The above picture courtesy Philip Edwards, Irwin County Extension…

Contamination Free Cotton:

Worldwide, the US has a strong reputation for producing high quality cotton, and reducing the amount of cotton contaminated by plastics and other materials has been a priority for the cotton industry. Starting in 2018 the USDA AMS Cotton and Tobacco program will implement two new Extraneous Matter codes. These codes will be 71- Plastic Level 1 and 72 – Plastic Level 2.

To help combat cotton contamination the National Cotton Council has developed pre-harvest and post-harvest checklists for farmers, ginners, and warehouses. Care should be taken when harvesting to pick up any potential contaminants such as plastic grocery bags, plastic mulch, or any other foreign debris that may be picked up by the harvest equipment. Growers should also be careful when handling round rolled modules not to puncture the plastic wrap which will insert small pieces of yellow or pink plastic into the seed cotton. Large modules should be built on surfaces free of potential contaminants and/or stalks and module covers should be inspected and replaced if torn.

For more information on Contamination Prevention visit the National Cotton Council’s Quality Preservation website: http://www.cotton.org/tech/quality/index.cfm

Trade Aid Details of the Market Facilitation Program for Producers (Liu)

U.S. Department of Agriculture released details about the spending plans for $12 billion in trade aid package for farmers. The main component of the aid package is the Market Facilitation Program (MFP). MFP is authorized under the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) and administered by Farm Service Agency (FSA). MFP provides a direct payment to help producers who have been negatively impacted by foreign governments imposing tariffs on U.S. agricultural products. 

MFP payment rates will consist of two announced payment rates. The first rate is announced on September 4, 2018 for the first payment rate and applies to 50% of the producer’s 2018 actual harvest production. On or near December 3, 2018, if applicable, the second payment rate will be announced and will apply to the remaining 50% of the producer’s 2018 production. For each commodity covered, USDA has set the first payment rates for the 50% of the producer’s 2018 actual harvested production as follows:

• Cotton – $.06 per pound, estimate total payments of $277 million
• Corn – $.01 per bushel, estimated total payments of $96 million
• Soybeans – $1.65 per bushel, estimated total payments of $3.6 billion
• Sorghum – $.86 per bushel, estimated total payments of $157 million
• Wheat – $.14 per bushel, estimated payments of $119 million
• Hogs – $8 a head, estimated payments of $290 million
• Milk – $.12 a hundredweight, estimated payments of $127 million 

The signup started on Tuesday, September 4, 2018 until Tuesday, January 15, 2019. For cotton producers, you can sign up with FSA now and update later to FSA with your production record, e.g. ginning records.
MFP payments are capped per person or legal entity at a combined $125,000 for corn, cotton, sorghum, soybeans and wheat, and another $125,000 for dairy and hogs. This payment cap applies to MFP only. The $125,000 payment cap for Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) payments is a separate cap. Eligible applicants must have an ownership interest in the commodity, be actively engaged in farming and have an average adjusted gross income (AGI) for tax years 2014, 2015 and 2016 of less than $900,000. Producers will have the option to submit CCC-910’s and report production in person, by mail, or electronically to FSA.
 
Late-season Disease and Nematode Management Considerations for Cotton Growers (Kemerait)
 
With the arrival of October, cotton growers in Georgia have either already begun to harvest their crop or will start very soon.  Understandably, most of the focus and effort now is on defoliation and in getting the cotton out of the field and to the gin.  While it is too late to further protect the 2018 crop from diseases and nematodes, there are important steps that should be taken now in preparation for the 2019 crop.  Later in the season, especially while leaves are still on the cotton plants, is a good time to identify problems that have led to “weak”, stunted spots in the field, premature leaf drop and even boll rot.  While there is very little that can be done to protect a cotton crop against fungal boll rots, it is still helpful to identify the important pathogens that were responsible for the damage to the bolls in a field.  Below are signs and symptoms that may be visible now in a cotton field and what can be done for next year.

1. “Weak spots” in a field, often characterized by stunted and even dead plants, are frequently associated with plant-parasitic nematodes (southern root-knot, reniform, Columbia lance and sting).  Submitting soil samples collected directly from the root zone now, or shortly after harvest, and submitting them to a nematode diagnostic lab allows the grower to A) determine if indeed nematodes are the culprit and B) what type of nematodes are present.  Such information is critical for 2019 in that it helps to determine best crop rotation, best variety choices and need for nematicides.  Fusarium wilt is also of increasing importance in Georgia and can be best assessed by collecting a soil sample for nematode analysis AND by examining the interior of the lower stem of the affected plants for characteristic “vascular” discoloration.  Fusarium wilt can best be managed through crop rotation and use of an effective nematicide.  Lastly, dead and dying plants occurring in spots in a field may also be caused be a disease known as “charcoal rot” caused by the fungus Macrophomina phaseolina.   Charcoal rot can easily be confirmed in a disease diagnostic clinic.  While there is not much that can be done to manage this disease during times of crop stress, identifying the problem can help growers avoid other treatments, such as use of nematicides, that will not help.
2. Premature defoliation has been caused by several important diseases in 2018.  These include target spot, areolate mildew, Stemphylium leaf spot, Cercospora leaf spot and bacterial blight.  Premature defoliation does not always cause a loss of yield, but these diseases can, when they occur early enough and are severe enough, can increase losses at harvest.  Stemphylium and Cercospora leaf spot diseases are a direct result of insufficient nutrients IN the plants, especially potassium.  They typically occur in the same spots in a field year after year.  Efforts to better manage soil fertility and irrigation in those areas can reduce the risk to both diseases.  Target spot and areolate mildew can both be managed with timely and judicious use of fungicides. When they occur late in the season no treatment may be needed as the defoliation is too late to affect yield and may also improve air circulation and reduce bolls rots.  Growers are encouraged to identify the cause of foliar diseases in the field so that a) they can scout for them early in the 2019 season and B) so they can deploy effective and appropriate management strategies.  For bacterial blight, this would be selection of resistant varieties.  For fungal diseases it would be wither use of appropriate fungicides or greater attention to soil fertility issues.
3. Boll rots are a challenging problem, especially when rainfall has been abundant later in the season.  Boll rots are especially frustrating to farmers because there is very little that can be done to protect against them.  A first step in management of 2019 is to identify the causes of boll rot in a field.  If the boll rot is primarily caused by bacterial blight (Xanthomonas citri pv. malvacearum) then it is important to consider planting a resistant variety next season.  Impact of all boll rots, whether caused by bacteria or fungal pathogens, can be reduced by managing the cotton crop to increase air flow and reduce humidity within the canopy and to manage insects, such as stinkbugs, that can damage the boll and allow introduction of pathogens and organisms that further rot the bolls.

Attention now to troubled spots and problems in the field may not make more cotton in 2018, but such efforts could significantly increase yields in subsequent seasons.

Colquitt County Beef Cattle and Forage Update

If you would like information on the current beef cattle market, setting up your grain drill for winter annual forages and also winter annual seed rates you can go to the like below….

Colquitt County Beef and Forage Update 10-3-18

Dealing with Forage Diseases

I have been getting txt messages, pictures and phone calls about hayfields and pastures.  One cause of hayfields and pastures that turn brown could be diseases.  Below is great information on Helminthosporium, rust and other forage diseases that can get into local hayfields and pastures. 

DEALING WITH FORAGE DISEASES

Have a great day…

Jeremy M. Kichler

County Extension Coordinator

Colquitt County

Moultrie, Georgia

Cell.  229-921-1977