Corn nears harvest in central Louisiana
Jun 23, 2008 11:17 AM
The oldest corn in east central Louisiana will be harvested within two weeks, according to Roger Carter of Agricultural Management Services.
Rainfall can still help corn that has not reached the black ring stage, he says in this week’s AMS Ag Report. Isolated showers fell in east central Louisiana last week. Some fields got over 1.5 inches. Some less than 0.2 inch. Over 50 percent of the area got 0.5 inch or more, but the area will need much more in order to maintain crops.
Crop potential on dryland corn is declining daily (70 to 120 bushels per acre) with an average of 90). Irrigated is not much better at 150 bushels per acre or greater, according to Carter.
Disease in the area’s corn has been minimal this year, he says. Borer activity was up, but stink bug activity was down.
Other crop conditions included in the June 22 AMS Ag Report:
Grain sorghum
Most grains sorghum with emerged heads is being treated for midge and borers. Intrepid was granted a crisis exemption for treating borers in grain sorghum in Louisiana for a period of two weeks beginning today (June 23). Up to two applications at the 6 ounces-per-acre rate can be used. Thanks should be given to Roger Leonard (LSU AgCenter entomologist), Rusty Elston (consultant), Bobby Simoneaux (Louisiana Commission of Agriculture and Forestry), and Commissioner Mike Strain for obtaining the permit.
Intrepid is more efficacious on borers than the pyrethroids and will give up to 14 days control.
Borers have been found at treatable levels in grain sorghum as far north as Tensas and Franklin parishes. Young grain sorghum is especially susceptible and could be attacked at any stage of development. It will be expensive to protect late grain sorghum, but we have no alternative.
Dry weather has “yellowed” much grain sorghum to the point that farmers began to wonder if they lost their nitrogen. Actually, the nitrogen is in the field, but the plants cannot retrieve it in the dry soil. Therefore, nitrogen-deficiency symptoms are becoming more prominent.
Yield potential is still 90 to 100 bushels per acre or greater on the oldest grain sorghum.
Soybeans
Oldest soybeans are at R5 in east central Louisiana. Many more fields are at R3. Some fields are so dry that yield potential is limited and we have opted not to treat with a fungicide. Where there is enough moisture to justify a fungicide and due to the presence of Cercospora this week we are switching to a light rate of Quadris plus Topsin L. A second application of some fungicide (to be determined at that time) will be made in about two weeks.
Red-banded stinkbugs are present in most fields, but only a few have been treated thus far due to the very dry conditions. A few BLBs beginning to build.
Cotton
The oldest cotton in the region is in the 18th. Youngest is following wheat and is at the three-leaf to four-leaf stage. Some dryland cotton is at NAWF of 6 to 7. It is early enough in the season to “reboot” this crop if we catch numerous rains. Some foliar feed (22 percent) is being applied.
Plant bugs are present in most fields at treatable levels. We have been awaiting a rain to begin treatments in many fields.
Aphids are present at heavy numbers in many fields, but again, we have been awaiting a rain so that insecticides will move through the plant better. We have been finding a few salt marsh caterpillars, but they are causing only some minor leaf damage.
Stance is being applied at 2 to 3 ounces per acre on the rankest growing spots of fields. After this recent rain, many fields will be treated with Stance. We will switch to other PGRs after we receive enough rain to maintain this crop.
Laybys are being applied this week on many thousands of acres of east central Louisiana cotton. Most farmers are opting for Direx plus MSMA plus AIM or Valor plus MSMA or glyphosate. A few are applying Suprend plus MSMA under the row and Valor plus glyphosate in the middles.
One farmer is applying glyphosate plus 1.2 ounce of Staple per acre to Flex cotton and calling it a layby. If it rains no more, it may be. Otherwise, farmers should either drag out the “hoes” or more glyphosate, more Staple, and make several more trips through the field.
The region’s cotton crop still has excellent potential.
Tim White, Walter Myers, Wil Miller, Matt Myers, Lydia Ellett, and Roger Carter of Agricultural Management Services, Inc. are located in east central Louisiana, serving Catahoula, Concordia, northern Avoyelles, southern Franklin, and southern Tensas parishes.
