Extension Update is a weekly summary of news from Extension, government, and other attributable sources, focused on marketing, farm management, and other issues that are of interest to Midwestern farm owners and operators.

With 2006 precipitation 22% above normal, the IL State Water Survey has closed its books on the 2005 drought. ISWS still considers portions of northern, western, and southwestern IL abnormally dry, but say the drought label can be removed. Survey says the wet spring has allowed for significant recovery in those areas. Read the report.

“Last year’s drought and this year’s high gas prices could put struggling farmers out of business,” says IL Sen. Durbin. He is urging Ag Secy. Johanns to support $4 bil. in emergency funding for agriculture, since Johanns designated 101 IL counties as disaster areas last year. Sen. Durbin also said a 30% increase in production costs since 2002 is a direct result of higher fuel, fertilizer and pesticide costs for farmers across the state.

Are you really reducing corn acres? Iowa State’s Bob Wisner says “In 2000, DEC corn futures in mid-April were around $2.54 while NOV soybeans were about $5.63, for a soybean/corn price ratio of 2.22. That compares with the current NOV soybeans/DEC corn ratio of 2.24. Since 2000, costs of planting corn have gone up more sharply than soybeans. In 2000, farmers planted 2.1% more corn than the March intentions.”

If weed control is next on your priority list, follow a good strategy on glyphosate use:
1) For most weeds, the traditional use rate is 0.75 pounds of acid equivalent per acre
2) Spray annuals at under 6 inches, giant ragweed up to 10 inches, larger for perennials.
3) Spray perennials at the bud to early flowering stage of development for good control.
4) Consider a second application, even if the first application was not totally effective.
5) Apply between 9 am and 6 pm on a sunny day when plant nutrients are moving best.
6) 30 minutes may not be enough time before a rain to ensure good glyphosate results.
7) Drift control agents plus nozzles may give too big of a droplet for good coverage.

Asian rust can be more quickly identified with a $93,000 upgrade of Extension’s Digital Diagnostic system to microscopically photograph suspected infestations. The system will transmit those images over the Internet, so plant pathologists at the U of I can analyze leaf samples dropped off by farmers at any of one of the 95 local Extension offices. The funding is a joint project of Extension and the Illinois Department of Agriculture.

If U of I pathologists suspect any leaves to be Asian rust, the sample is then sent to the U of I plant clinic for further testing. The Illinois Soybean Association is providing funds for shipment of the suspect samples. Read more.

Beware of mixing herbicides and 28% UAN says Extension Specialist Aaron Hager. He says high rates of UAN itself can cause corn injury, and a postemergence herbicide “can greatly increase corn injury.” While UAN is generally restricted as a carrier, some labels may allow lower rates, but it is Hager’s advice to not apply postemergence corn herbicides in a liquid fertilizer carrier, because of the potential for severe injury to corn.

How is your crop of volunteer corn coming? It is usually easy to control in soybeans with several soil-applied or post emergence herbicides, but the latter sometimes has difficulty with clumps of corn because of application problems. There are control options for volunteer corn.

Meat prices are weakening says Purdue’s Chris Hurt. First quarter 2006 beef, pork, and poultry supplies reached a record of 21.6 bil. pounds, 4% higher than last year . Export problems for beef and broilers also meant more meat for domestic consumers. Beef production is expected to be up about 5% for the rest of 2006, pork production by 3% and broiler production by 2%. Chris Hurt says supply pressures are expected to keep finished steer prices about $5 per hundredweight lower than during the same period last year.

Dairy producers are invited to Dubuque on June 14-15 where Extension dairy specialists from IL, IA, MN, WI and industry professionals will address hoof care, dry period length, calf feeding economics, reproduction, milk fever prevention, rumensin feeding tips, long day effect on heifers and 1st lactation cows, and feeding heifers efficiently. Find registration information.

Cultivation and transportation details are still pending, but U of I researcher Stephen Long says some of the US energy needs can be provided with miscanthus, a 14 foot high grass convertible to biofuel. Currently, IL consumes five bil. gal. of liquid fuel per year. Long says that if just 10% of Illinois’s 35.6 mil. acres of farmland were dedicated to growing miscanthus, it would yield enough dry mass to provide four bil. gal. of fuel.

Only your fuel supplier knows for sure. A recent producer survey funded by the soybean checkoff showed that one in two soybean farmers currently uses soy biodiesel. Those who are not using biodiesel say the biggest reason is lack of availability.

Speaking of diesel fuel, the American Petroleum Institute says state and federal taxes are a substantial part of the cost. IL, NY, and CA have the highest taxes on diesel. Federal tax is 24+ cents.

Ethanol production hit 302,000 barrels per day in February, says the Dept. of Energy, as the MTBE phase-out continues. Current corn demand for ethanol is 1.63 bil. bu., compared to USDA’s projection of 1.6 bil. Ethanol plants under construction will produce 2.2 bil. gal. and push corn demand to 2.15 bil. bu. by the summer of 2007.

Stu Ellis