IPM Notes from October 17th 2013

Notes: IPM for October 10th was rained out.  This will be the last official field day and crop report. It is likely that next Thursday will be harvest day for the popcorn, and harvest for the peanuts is still several weeks away.  Winter annuals are germinating and sprouting in the fields.  Deer are actively grazing the soybeans and peanuts.

Pheromone Traps

Trap #1 - Black Cutworm
1 possible lygus bug

Trap #2 - Corn Earworm
1 fly, 1 mystery moth (still unidentified), 1 noctuid, 1 Fall Armyworm moth, 1 beetle, 1 lygus bug.

Trap #4 - Fall Armyworm
10 Fall Armyworm  moths, 1 mayfly

Traps were retrieved for storage.

Field Corn Field
It has not yet been harvested. The word is that it was such a small field that they didn’t get a round tuit. (a round to it) The stalks are very dry and the ears are folding down. This is prime trouble if there were turkeys around. When the ears drop it is exactly at the right level to be picked clean. Yield should be around 170 bushels (our estimate was 177.25).

Popcorn Field
The tops of the ears have been heavily eaten by the birds. Where the tops have been eaten mold is forming. Moisture content is still too high to harvest without the need for further drying. Perhaps by next week we will be able to harvest.

Cover Crop Field

• Buckwheat is reseeding.  
• Soybeans are showing pod and stem blight.
• Sweet Corn Field
• The rye is up.

Hay Field
Winter wheat has been planted and is now coming up.

Soybean Field
Fully defoliated. Pod and stem blight is showing up, but will not affect crop yield due to maturity of crop and lateness of season. Moisture content still too high for harvest.

Wheat/Soybean Field
Foliage is turning and beginning to drop off. Stinkbug population is a concern due to their numbers, piercing of the pods, and the effect of keeping the soybeans green – delaying maturation of the plants.

Demonstration Plots

Tomatoes have been harvested and the plot cleared.

Peppers have been harvested and the plot cleared.

Groundhog radishes (Daikon) have germinated in the compost, quinoa, and cover plots.

Peanuts still exhibit potassium deficiency. Peanuts have grown in size, but the covering inside the shell is pink showing that they are not yet mature. We have noted that something is boring into the peanuts underground. We have not found the culprit.



A very special thank you to Roger Arnold for compiling this season's field notes and reports.