We have attached the most recent edition of Sangamon-Menard Extension’s “Crop Update” for your use.

Welcome to Crop Update for July 27, 2005. Call us with comments at (217) 782-4617. E-mail us at mpmontgo@uiuc.edu.

In This Issue:

• RUST REPORT – Three new finds that are far, far, away.
• SOYBEAN APHID SPEED SAMPLING – Just in case.
• GRAIN MARKETING WORKSHOP SET FOR FARM WOMEN – August 11 and 12.
• SPRINGFIELD AG. CHAMBER’S “LUNCH ON THE FARM 2005” – August 24.
• AGRONOMY DAY 2005 – August 18.

REMINDER – The time to place yellow sticky traps in bean fields to monitor those fields for 2006 first year corn rootworm pressure has already come. Contact Sangamon-Menard Extension if you have interest but have not yet secured traps. In this case, late scouting is better than no scouting.

RUST REPORT
Three new soybean rust locations were added to the “ASR positive” list over the last week and a half:

• George County, Mississippi – This marks the first positive find for soybean rust in that state during 2005. The location is approximately 50 miles due west of Baldwin County, Alabama (one of the two counties that make up the boot heel of Alabama, over which Hurricane Dennis passed). Just across the state line from Alabama, this county’s “rust positive find” was in a monitored sentinel plot.
• Tift County, Georgia – Another “rust positive” find for the state of Georgia was made in a sentinel plot located approximately 70 miles north east of Seminole County (the extreme south west county in Georgia which was the first positive rust location in that state this year). The discovery of rust in that county marks a movement of rust into the heart of that state.
• Escambia County, Florida – Confirmed in a sentinel plot, soybean rust is now found in this county which is the western-most county in the Florida panhandle. The location is approximately 30 to 40 miles due east of Baldwin, County Alabama (mentioned earlier).

Note: All noted “new” locations for soybean rust are at least 500 miles from central Illinois. Since the first “positive rust find” in Florida during the month of February, soybean rust has only been confirmed within a radius of about 350 miles of that initial location.

SOYBEAN APHID SPEED SAMPLING
Some concern has been raised over the “soybean aphid situation” in area fields during the past week. While our area still has not experienced many/any noteworthy problems with soybean aphids, a few individuals have correctly noted that a change to 80 degree temperatures just might be enough to seed problems with aphids in coming weeks (remember that soybean aphid populations seem to express stalled development when temperatures near 90 degrees). As always, producers will have to take a “wait and see” approach and scouting will play an important role in that “patient vigilance.” Readers may recall that Sangamon-Menard Extension has mentioned the following guidelines when evaluating soybean aphid pressure:

• R1 to R4 (3/4” pod) – Treat when aphids reach 250 per plant (Sangamon-Menard Extension addition “and populations are increasing three days later”).
• R5 (1/8” seed) – Yield benefits after R5 are deemed questionable (Sangamon-Menard Extension addition “Treat when aphids reach 500 per plant up to R5.5 and populations are increasing. Treatment after R5.5 is questionable.”)
• R6 (Full green seed) – No treatment recommended.

Many producers have correctly noted that counting 250 or 500 aphids/plant is difficult at best (some term counting such populations “near impossible”). Producers have therefore asked if another option exists for scouting bean fields for soybean aphids. “Speed scouting.” a scouting technique developed by the University of Minnesota, represents such an alternate plan for soybean aphid evaluation.

Producers utilizing this technique need to remember the number “40.” Soybean aphid populations equaling or surpassing 40 per plant are deemed “infested” when utilizing this protocol. Eleven plants are initially scouted with the producer marking a “minus sign” on a worksheet for those plants displaying less than 40 aphids (i.e. non-infested) or with the producer marking a “plus sign” for those plants displaying 40 or more aphids (i.e. infested). If six/fewer than six “plus signs” are recorded when 11 plants are examined, Minnesota’s speed scouting worksheet notes that the field should “not be treated.” If 11 “plus signs” are recorded on the worksheet, the field is said to be “worthy of treatment.” If 7 to 10 “plus signs” are recorded, the worksheet states that the current situation is not clear and five more plants should be evaluated in an attempt to “clear up” the current soybean aphid situation. One of these same three responses are stated (using different “plus sign totals”) following the evaluation of five more plants (i.e. the recommendation is given to treat, not to treat, or to sample five more plants). If the situation in the field continues to appear “foggy,” an additional five plants are sampled until the situation is clarified or a total of 31 plants have been examined. If such counts still dodge absolute “treat” or “don’t treat” recommendations, the recommendation is made to reexamine the field in 3 to 4 days.

Speed sampling is, of course, designed for Minnesota producers, but the technique might be worth experimenting with should soybean aphids make an appearance during 2005. Sampled plants should be 30 paces/30 rows apart and should be selected from various, representative, locations throughout the field. Regardless of the recommendation, every field should be reexamined in 7 to 10 days. The University of Minnesota notes that the speed sampling sheet works best when utilized “pre pod fill.” A “speed scouting” worksheet is available from the University of Minnesota at

GRAIN MARKETING WORKSHOP SET FOR FARM WOMEN
Farm women who want to improve their marketing skills are invited to the “Women Marketing Grain Workshop” offered by University of Illinois Extension. The program is set for August 11 and 12 at the Northfield Conference Center in Springfield. Special guest instructors from “Annie’s Project” in Iowa will present two programs that have been well received by farm women in that state.
The August 11 program runs from 2 to 8 p.m., with dinner provided. The focus of the first day will be grain storage. Participants will gain a greater understanding of the seasonality of post-harvest grain prices, learn to evaluate grain storage opportunities, and explore marketing tools to capture post-harvest “carry” premiums.
Participants will then test their grain marketing skills with a fast-paced game that simulates a complete year of grain marketing after harvest. Results are provided for that year’s marketing as well as for 15 years of actual market prices. Imaginary celebrity players will set the mark for how well a post-harvest strategy works.
The August 12 program runs from 8:30 a.m. to noon. The focus of the second day is on forward pricing strategies. Women will combine crop insurance, target prices and decision dates in a plan to improve an average price. The fun begins when participants implement their new plans in a market simulation game. The realistic game gives grain marketers a feel for how marketing plans work and how they can react to real-life market situations.
Participants may register for the first day only, the second day only, or both sessions. Single-day registration is $10 per person. Two-day registration is $15. Pre-registration is required as space is limited. Payment will be collected at the door.
There are three ways to register: via phone at 618-242-9310; via email at; or via post mail in care of Ruth Hambleton, 4112 N. Water Tower Place, Mt. Vernon, IL 62864.
Potential participants should include their name, address, phone, and the days they plan to attend.
This program is sponsored by U of I Extension and the Illinois Risk Management Agency. If you need dietary or disability accommodations to participate in this program, please call
618-242-9310 by August 8.

SPRINGFIELD AG. CHAMBER’S “LUNCH ON THE FARM 2005”
The Ag. Chamber’s Agribusiness Committee has scheduled this year’s “Lunch on the Farm” for Wednesday, August 24 at 11:30 a.m. This year’s lunch event will be held at Johnson Grain, LLC’s shuttle facility near Waverly (12500 State Highway 104, located between Auburn and Waverly along Route 104).
Participants will have the opportunity to tour one of the state’s few rail-loading terminal elevators. The facility is equipped to load 110 rail cars with over 400,000 bushels of corn to be shipped primarily to Texas and Mexico along the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad. Cost for the event is $15 before August 19 and $20 thereafter. For more information, or to reserve you tickets, contact The Chamber at 525-1173 or go online to http://www.gscc.org.

AGRONOMY DAY 2005
U of I Agronomy Day will be August 18, 2005 at the University of Illinois South Farms. Starting at 7:00 a.m. and ending in the early afternoon, Agronomy Day will feature several tours (tours A, B, C, and D) dealing with such topics as insect pest management, soil fertility, weed science, general crop production, plant pathology, sprayer technology, and much more. Certified Crop Advisor CEUs will, once again, be available. For more information about Agronomy Day 2005, contact the University of Illinois’s Crop Science Department at 217-333-4424.

U of I Extension Sangamon-Menard Unit Crops 7/27/05
Matt Montgomery, Crop Systems
P.O. Box 8467, Springfield IL 62791
(217) 782-4617