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Prairie Ramblings He’s Back! By Tracy Sayler Oh, nothing like spring and the sweet smell of burning die Q: Is there any type of fertilizer you recommend to help keep my crop nutrient costs down this spring? A: Consider applying manure. Since it’s an election year in the U.S., there should plenty of it to go around. Q: I’m thinking about air seeding, but I’ve never tried it before. Any tips? max.emerge@coleoptile.net A: Don’t count on frequent flyer miles or free peanuts. Ha! Ahem. You Americans just don’t have a sense of humor. One thing you might want to watch if you’re no-till is hairpinning. No, Curly, not your scalp residue, your field residue. Hairpinning occurs when residue is not cleanly cut, but simply pushed into the ground. Properly calibrated equipment makes a difference, as do residue managers or “trash whippers” to clear residue away from the coulters. Q: Should I worry about thrips in my barley? A: The economic threshold is 7-8 adult barley thrips per plant before the crop is fully headed, according to North Dakota State University, and once the crop heads, the insect’s damage is done and no treatment is advised. Personally, I think you have bigger challenges to worry about, such as how fast you can say this tongue twister: Thirsty thrips thrash thriftly through the thick thorny thistle thatch. Q: How did canola get its name? A: It’s a combination of two words, Canadian and oil. According to the Canola Council of Canada, Canadian scientists in the early 1970s turned rapeseed into canola, using traditional crossbreeding methods. They virtually eliminated the high erucic acid levels that were a concern in rape oil and lowered the glucosinolates in the meal that were a problem for livestock. It’s a good thing we Canadians beat you to the punch in developing this crop - Americola just doesn’t have the same ring to it. Q: What’s your take on using vinegar as a herbicide? granolajoe@organicfanatic.org A: USDA-ARS crop scientists have tested vinegar’s effect on certain weeds, including common lambsquarters, giant foxtail, velvetleaf, smooth pigweed and Canada thistle. They found that 5 and 10% concentrations killed the weeds during their first two weeks of life. Older plants required higher concentrations of vinegar to kill them. At higher concentrations, vinegar had an 85 to 100% kill rate at all growth stages. A bottle of household vinegar is about a 5% concentration. Interestingly, Canada thistle proved the most susceptible; the 5% concentration had a 100% kill rate of the perennial’s top growth. The crop scientists stress that more research is needed (come to think of it, don’t we always say that?) Cost would seem to be the biggest issue. Broadcast applications of 20% acetic acid would cost over $65/acre, though banded or spot applications would reduce that cost to about one third of the broadcast rate. A side benefit is that you wouldn’t have to pack a lunch when you’re applying vinegar. Tank mix in a veg oil adjuvant and some lemon pepper, and you’ve got a fresh field-size salad! Q: I like my hired man, but his health isn’t the best (bad ticker). Plus, his employment history includes heading a company with a bad rap and questionable business practices. He’s got good experience,
and even worked for my dad, but could now be a liability to my operation. Any advice? A: The Integrity Center Inc offers tips from outplacement experts on how to fire people. They say a performance-based let-go should begin with a warning or probationary period. If you let employees know they’re on the bubble, they just might turn things around. Then, document their every task and interaction. If that still doesn’t work, then time the boot right. Fire early in the day and early in the week. Have termination paperwork completed; remaining pay and any unused benefits should be delivered on the spot. Be brief and give a good send-off. “Always offer words of encouragement and confidence in the employee’s future career,” offers Integrity. “Thank the employee for his service. But don’t be surprised or hurt if the employee declines to thank you for firing him.” Then cross your fingers and hope he doesn’t go postal on you. Q: What’s the difference between shamrock and clover? dannyboy@kissmyblarneystone.com A: Shamrock and clover are both used to refer to plants of the genus Trifolium, from the Latin meaning “having three leaves.” Four-leaf clovers are considered “lucky” since they are so rare amongst the predominant three-leaflet plants. Shamrock is derived from the Irish word “seamrog” meaning “little clover.” Thus, some refer to smaller Trifolium species as “shamrocks” and larger species as clover, though such classification is subjective. Which brings me to one of my favorite Irish proverbs: Drink is the curse of the land. It makes you shoot at landlords and lawyers. Or worse, it makes your shots miss. OK, maybe I added the bit about the lawyers. |
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sel in the air. And
with the return of another growing season is Dr. Fred Feeblemind to answer your questions on all things ag. A highly extinguished professor of agronomy, Dr. Feeblemind
heads the endowed chair of rutabaga and radish research at Addlebrain University, based in one of those obscure Canadian provinces, we’re still not sure which.