Welcome to Crop Update for September 16, 2005. Call us with comments at (217) 782-4617 or at (217) 632-7491. E-mail us at mpmontgo@uiuc.edu.

In This Issue:

• HARVEST UPDATE
• POND MANAGEMENT SEMINAR – A CCA OPPORTUNITY
• SANGAMON-MENARD EXTENSION AUTHORS NEW FUNGICIDE RESOURCE
• AREA PRIVATE APPLICATOR TESTING DATES
• MANAGING MY FARM IN TODAY’S MARKETPLACE

REMINDER: The Sangamon county fly free dates are October 1 – 5. The Menard County fly free dates are September 30 – October 2.

HARVEST UPDATE

Following is our harvest update, via windshield survey, as of Friday, September 16, 2005.

• Oakford to Petersburg: 10-15% of the corn had been picked.
• Petersburg to Springfield: A quarter of the corn had been picked.
• Springfield to Auburn: Just under 50% of the corn had been picked.
• Cut bean fields stand at about 3-5% in the unit as a whole.

POND MANAGEMENT SEMINAR – A CCA OPPORTUNITY

In need of some Soil and Water Credit before your CCA term comes due? Have problems with weeds in your pond this year? Want to know how to stock a pond for great fishing? A pond management seminar will be held on November 9 from 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm, and/or November 15 from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm which will give you plenty of time to prepare for managing your pond in 2006. Topics to be covered by Extension Educators in Natural Resources Management will include managing aquatic vegetation, fish management, and basic pond ecology. Handouts will be provided, and time will be allowed for questions. A half hour of Soil and Water Credit is anticipated. To register for this seminar, contact Sangamon-Menard Extension at (217) 782-4617 or (217) 632-7491.

SANGAMON-MENARD EXTENSION AUTHORS NEW FUNGICIDE RESOURCE

Discuss pesticides with those involved in agriculture and they will state that they “have access to good resources related to field crop oriented herbicides and insecticides.” Those interested can secure “nut and bolt” information related to these materials along with more “in-depth” information related to application methods for these products. They can also easily secure information about the mode of action at work within these products. However, many involved in agriculture would state that resources are “few and far between” when the pesticide focus shifts to the topic of fungicides. While “nut and bolt” fungicide information can be secured (i.e. how much material should be applied for a specific pest), information related to fungicide characteristics, fungicide application, fungicide terms, and fungicide mode of action are much more difficult to locate. In an effort to address this need, Sangamon-Menard Extension recently teamed up with campus based staff at the University of Illinois to develop and offer a new fungicide resource for producers, agronomists, students, and industry professionals.
A 2005 addition to the University of Illinois’ “Report on Plant Disease” library, the resource is entitled “Report on Plant Disease Number 1002: Characteristics Of Fungicides Used In Field Crops.” The document provides information regarding foliar and seed treatment applications, foliar and seed treatment limitations, fungicide terminology, resistance management, common fungicide families, and fungicide mode of action. It is intended to supplement the pest biology and treatment recommendations found in other U of I Extension publications such as the Illinois Agricultural Pest Management Handbook, Field Crop Scouting Manual, Pesticide Applicator Training
Manuals, Report on Plant Disease Fact Sheets, and various newsletters.
The eighteen page periodical, co-authored by Sangamon-Menard Extension, can be found at the University of Illinois’ VISTA website. This website contains publications written by faculty and staff of University of Illinois Extension and faculty and staff of the University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences. Documents in this library exist in HTML and PDF formats and can be accessed at be entering the following url: http://www.ag.uiuc.edu/~vista/rpd.html. The specific url for “RPD Number 1002” is http://www.ag.uiuc.edu/~vista/abstracts/a1002.html.

AREA PRIVATE APPLICATOR TESTING DATES

Producers intending to apply restricted use pesticides on their own property or property that they lease must have a Private Applicator License in order to both purchase and apply those materials. In order to be licensed, producers have to pass a Private Applicator Test administered by the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA). If the individual producer successfully passes that IDOA administered test, he or she then pays a fee to the Illinois Department of Agriculture and a license, expiring in three years, is mailed to them.
While U of I Extension does not administer the test and does not administer the distribution of licenses for restricted use products, Extension does assist producers in two important ways. First, U of I Extension provides study material, for purchase at the local unit office, allowing producers to better prepare for the test. Second, U of I Extension helps IDOA secure “training and testing” sites. At these locations, Extension provides a general review in preparation for the Private Applicator Test. Following are Sangamon-Menard Extension’s Training and Testing sessions for 2005 and 2006:

Date Location Time Training Provided
December 13 ISFG 1:00 p.m. Yes – Via Teleconference
December 13 ISFG 6:00 p.m. Yes – Via Teleconference
January 11 ISFG 1:00 p.m. Yes – Trainers On Site
February 8 ISFG 6:00 p.m. Yes – Trainers On Site

(ISFG – The Illinois State Fairgrounds)

Those attending training and testing sessions this year will be charged $10. This cost does not include the Illinois Department of Agriculture’s private applicator licensing fee. Producers intending to take the test are strongly encouraged to review the Illinois Private Pesticide Applicator Manual, available at the local Extension office, previous to the testing date. For more information or to pre-register for Sangamon-Menard Extension Private Applicator Training and Testing sessions, contact Sangamon-Menard Extension at (217) 782-4617
Those unable to attend one of Sangamon-Menard Extension’s Private Applicator Training and Testing sessions may wish to attend a review session in one of our neighboring Extension unit’s. Nearby training and testing locations, also charging $10, include:

December 8 – Morgan/Scott Extension Unit (217) 243-7424
December 9 – Christian County Extension (217) 287-7246
December 12 – Macoupin County Extension (217) 854-9604
December 20 – Mason County Extension (309) 543-3308
December 20 – Logan County Extension (217) 732-8289
January 9 – Cass/Schuyler Extension Unit (217) 322-3381
January 18 – Morgan/Scott Extension Unit (217) 243-7424
January 23 – Montgomery County Extension (217) 532-3941

Contact the appropriate Extension office for information related to location and time.

MANAGING MY FARM IN TODAY’S MARKETPLACE

Those producers serious about understanding their farm financial condition may want to attend “Managing My Farm In Today’s Marketplace,” an ongoing series offered by U of I Extension. The series, to be held at the Sangamon-Menard Extension office in Springfield, is designed to assist the producer in improving their management skills by starting with a series of basics that then builds on that solid foundation.
Taught by Kevin Brooks, Farm Business Management and Marketing Educator in the Effingham Extension center, these programs are only for those serious about looking at their financial condition and future. Those unwilling to be challenged in their approach need not attend. The first of this three-part series will begin this fall & winter The total cost for the three-part session is $50.00 per person. Session one will be held on November 8th. Series I Topics will include:

Appraising My Financial Condition – Where am I Now? – How secure is my financial foundation?

Analyzing My Investments – Am I Making a Profit on This?

Can I take a Financial Punch? – How Can I Minimize My Risk Exposure?

Those interested in obtaining a pamphlet pertaining to this program and/or those interested in attending the session, may contact the Sangamon-Menard Extension office at (217) 782-4617. Seating is limited.

U of I Extension Sangamon-Menard Unit Crops 9/16/05
Matt Montgomery, Crop Systems
P.O. Box 8467
Springfield IL 62791
(217) 782-4617