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News from the Minnesota Association of Wheat |
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EFFECT ON YIELD AND BOTTOM LINE DETERMINES SPRAY TECHNIQUE SUCCESS
"We've done a considerable amount of research on ground and aerial application equipment by measuring the area of spray coverage of leaf surfaces," says Vern Hofman of the NDSU Extension Service. "Some
people may have misinterpreted this to mean that higher coverage translates into higher yields. That's not correct, and producers should be aware that the study did not contain any method of measuring pesticide
performance or the effect on yield." The NDSU research to measure the coverage on plant surfaces was done by using a fluorescent dye mixed with water that was applied to potato and sugarbeet leaves and wheat
heads. After spraying, leaves or grain heads were collected from plants and exposed to an ultra-violet light that caused the dye to glow. A low light camera captured an image for analysis by computer which calculated
the percentage of leaf area covered with spray. "One of the key issues for producers is that the research only measured differences in initial coverage, not product performance," Hofman says. "The
trials only measured the area of coverage on the leaves, not the amount of active ingredient." Why is that distinction important? Consider the concentration of the spray for example, Hofman says. When comparing
droplets of equal size, a 5 gallon per acre (GPA) droplet will contain four times more active ingredient than a droplet produced at 20 GPA. The 20 GPA application must therefore place four times more droplets on each
leaf to deposit the same amount of active ingredient as a 5 GPA application. The trials did not find that 20 GPA consistently provided four times the amount of coverage as 5 GPA. "Delivery of the active ingredient
is vital to maximize performance," he says. "Timing of a pesticide application also is extremely important," Hofman says. Maximum economic performance is achieved with the proper timing of an
application. Delaying a pesticide application for too long may reduce performance and may not generate an economic return. "Irrespective of the type of equipment used, the application needs to be done during the
most effective time period." To compare performance between application equipment, replicated yield trial results may be best. In 1999, NDSU researchers applied Folicur to a field by aircraft, by conventional
ground equipment and with a modified front and back nozzle arrangement. While there were measurable differences in initial coverage, no significant difference was found in harvested yields. "One year's trial
does not constitute conclusive evidence," Hofman says. NDSU has committed to additional trials this year to compare the performance of various types of application equipment as measured by harvested yields.
"Until the research is complete, growers need make decisions based on proven techniques and their own experience," Hofman says. "Producers need to make sure their applicator is competent and is using
equipment that produces a good spray pattern. If equipment is in good condition, calibrated and operated properly, both ground and aerial application can be accomplished with good success."
CANADIAN GRAIN STOCKS REPORTED
HOUSE COMMITTEE OKAYS U.S. FOOD SALES TO CUBA At present, food sales are allowed to non-governmental groups in Cuba, a small market.
Read the article at
KOREA BUYS NON-GM U.S. NO.1 SOYBEANS-TRADERS South Korea said last November it would label GM corn, soybean and bean sprouts beginning in March, 2001 and GM potatoes from March 2002. It also plans to label GM processed foods from July 2001.
Meanwhile, AFMC was considering inviting monthly tenders this week to buy 25,000 tonnes of edible soybeans for later this month, traders said. But AFMC has not decided on whether to tender for
another 25,000 tonnes of non-GM edible soybeans, traders said.
LEBANON SEEKS U.S. HARD RED WINTER WHEAT The ministry set May 11 as the deadline to receive price offers, the official said. Wheat is mainly imported by private businesses in Lebanon while the government
imports about 50,000 tonnes annually. Consumption is over 400,000 tonnes.
SCLEROTINIA RESEARCH INITIATIVES
SEEK STATE, NATIONAL FUNDING North Dakota State University is seeking close to
$100,000 in state funding for its white mold research proposal, which would involve several NDSU departments, including plant pathology, plant sciences, agriculture and biosystems engineering, and involve federal
researchers as well, says Glen Statler, an official in NDSU's agricultural department. A national white mold research initiative including sunflower, soybeans, canola, and other broadleaf crops susceptible to the
disease is seeking $2 million in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, according to Maureen Kelly, who is involved in the effort on behalf of the United Soybean Board. The National Sunflower Association
and other national organizations representing crops affected by the disease are involved as well. The national initiative, if successful in securing $500,000 in annual research funding over a four-year-period, would
get underway October 1, 2000, and involve 10 to 15 states affected by white mold. Anne Dorrance, a plant pathologist at Ohio State University, would be the lead coordinator of the national research project.
"Sclerotinia is the reason they don't grow sunflower in Ohio anymore," says Kelly. Indeed, the disease has been crippling to sunflower and other broadleaf crops in many crop production areas of the U.S.,
largely due to the ability of the pathogen to survive in the soil as sclerotia, and environmental conditions during the 1990s that favored inoculum buildup in the soil. USDA Agricultural Research Service national
program staff rank white mold among the top of their priority list, notes NDSU. Losses from sclerotinia in 1999 are estimated at nearly $100 million in North Dakota alone. Sclerotinia head rot affected more than 80
percent of sunflower fields in eastern N.D. last year, reaching epidemic proportions not reached since 1986, according to NDSU. There are no sclerotinia-resistant cultivars in beans, canola, or sunflower, but some
cultivars are more susceptible to others. Other crops such as potatoes, safflower, flax, lentil, mustard, and crambe can also be infected if conditions favor the disease. An integrated management approach is needed to
get the disease under control, according to NDSU, requiring multi-faceted, multi-crop research in 1) genetics/breeding (screening for resistance); 2) fungicides (chemical control strategies); 3) production (rotation,
tillage); 4) biological control; and 5) disease forecasting. (By Tracy Sayler, for the National Sunflower Association) |
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