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Louisiana:
Time for corn burndown - but also for other crops;
still plenty of questions about soybean, cotton seed for 2010
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A. M. S.. AG REPORT
(East-Central Louisiana)
January 24, 2010
FROM AGRICULTURAL MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC.,
Tim White, Walter Myers, Wil Miller,
Matt Myers, Lydia Ellett, Roger Carter and Chase Skipper
WEATHER – Cool
for three days, then rainy. Time to get some burndown out now.
RICE TECHNICAL WORKING
GROUP – Doreen Muzzi asked that we remind folks of the Rice
Technical Working Group meeting to be held Feb 22-25 at the Beau Rivage
Resort in Biloxi, Miss. Farmers and consultants are invited to attend.
 BURNDOWN –
Farmers now have the opportunity to burn-down corn ground, but it is also
within the window to burn-down fields to be planted to cotton, rice and
early-planted soybeans. Products and prices and programs are changing,
therefore by the time we print one recommendation for burn-down another may
be more enticing. Call us for your burn-down recs.
WHEAT – Some
fertilizer applied – 50-50 mixture of ammonium sulfate (50 lbs) + urea (50
lbs) on lighter soil types and plain urea (80 lbs of 46-0-0) on silty clay
loams and heavier.. Fertilizer being applied after the 1st of February
should contain higher rates of nitrogen - 45 or so units.
Wheat starting to turn around from the cold that bit it
back. Fields now appear to be green.
Wheat herbicides being applied this week for ryegrass,
etc.
COTTON – Our
current recs for newer varieties include Stoneville 5288 B2RF, DP 1032 B2RF,
DP 1034 B2RF, and Phytogen 565 WRF. Some folks have had luck with PHY 485 WRF……it
usually does not hit the top of the yield trials, but seldom hits the
bottom. Farmers should not plant the majority of their acres in any one of
these varieties. There is not enough data to substantiate that their
performance the past year will hold. Of course, if 515 or 555 is an option,
then stay with it. This is one time we can honestly say that riding a “dead
horse” will get you further down the road than getting on a fresh one.
SOYBEANS – Have
you laid eyes on your seed yet?Have you had the state test your seed?Frankly,
we are still worried about soybean seed supply. Supposedly there was no
shortage and yet last week we heard that one or two varieties are suddenly “short”. We
have been assured repeatedly from all companies there is no shortage, but
yet when we ask for certain varieties, they are “non-available due to
demand”.
Seed quality and soil fertility are the two most
important controllable items that affect soybean yields. At least start with
an even chance by getting your seed tested by the state.
Potash fertility is paramount in soybean production. It
could be more important in fighting Cercospora than any fungicide
available. And soybeans remove a tremendous amount of potash from soils. It is
hard to recall the last time we saw a potash tender in a soybean field. If
we cannot afford the potash, then we cannot afford to raise soybeans..
Landowners should be participating in all programs
involving mixed fertilizer. It is difficult for farmers to pay for 100% of
mixed fertilizers and lime without landowner participation. Both long and
short-term leases should have provisions that if the producer applied a
soil-building rate of mixed fertilizer or lime, then a pro-rated amount of
that investment will be returned to the producer if he no longer farms that
particular piece of land with a 2-5 year period..
CORN – Corn
planting is less than three weeks away. Is your burndown out yet? Call us
for recs.
We don’t think that corn seed availability is an issue,
therefore many farmers are waiting until they are within a week of planting
to decide. However, if you want to get the best corn seed treatment farmers
must order now. Make certain that all corn seed is treated with the heaviest
rate of insecticide available for our area. Most corn seed sold last year
had far less insecticides present on the seed than were needed for adequate
protection.
RICE –It is
getting near time to consider burndown on fields to be planted to rice this
year. Call us for a recommendation.
Hybrids only available in a couple of varieties.
Supplies very tight.
Dermacor in our local area paid big dividends last year..
Adult water weevil etchings could be found in most local rice fields.. We
have not observed the new Cruiser-type treatment to determine if it is as
good as Dermacor on RWW, but hope to observe it this year.
Many fields to be planted to rice again this year are in
very poor shape.. Some have been rolled and ruts “covered”, but they are
still not ready for planting. Many will have to be disked several times to
have a seedbed worthy of accepting seed..
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