03.06.2015

USA - Growers face tough decisions

On a day that would otherwise have been perfect to be in the field, more than 50 local farmers Monday gathered at the Nodaway County Administration Building to discuss how to make the best out of what has been a very wet, cool planting season.Even after representatives from University of Missouri Extension, Farm Service Agency and FCS Financial all presented details and deadlines, uncertainty still floated across the room.One point was perfectly clear, however.With frequent rainfall, planting season has been significantly delayed.The Nodaway County FSA office recorded nearly 10 inches of rain during May. That number both increases and decreases significantly around the county, but is an average.According to the US Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, only 67 percent of corn acres are planted in the northwest region of the state, compared to 87 percent statewide.This time last year, 99 percent of corn acres were planted and 95 percent is the five-year average for this week. Furthermore, only 56 percent in this corner of Missouri is emerged, compared to 81 percent statewide.Soybeans are even further behind.Statewide, only 23 percent of soybeans have been planted, which is far above the minimal 11 percent in northwest Missouri.Little to no progress was made last week, with only a half a day suitable for fieldwork in this area; less than one day statewide.Due to water standing in fields and non-ideal conditions, most corn is in the fair-to-good range, with very little attaining an excellent rating.Those conditions have growers, both locally and statewide, wondering how to make the most of their situation.Nodaway County FSA executive director Tim Dreier explained what the Farm Bill offers in situations like this.“Long story short, there is no disaster program built into the Farm Bill for row crops,” Dreier said.The recent restructure of the legislation offers three options: Price Loss Coverage, Agricultural Risk Coverage – County, and Agricultural Risk Coverage – Individual. Only the last one deals at all with prevented planting.“I’ve had 1,900 farmers sign up over the last few months, and only six of those chose that option,” he said.Prevented planting, or failure to plant by the deadline, was the big topic at the growers’ meeting because crop deadlines are quickly approaching, if not already passed.The final planting date for corn was May 25, and the late planting period includes the following 20 days, which end June 14.For soybeans, the final planting date is June 15, with a 25-day late planting window. Sorghum’s final planting date is June 20, with a 25-day late-planting period.FCS Financial’s Corey Neill said growers facing these deadlines have three primary options. The first is to continue into the late planting period and experience a 1-percent-per-day loss in crop insurance coverage.The second option is to switch to another crop and insure according to the appropriate deadlines. The third is to file for prevented planting.Both Dreier and Neill stressed that growers should stay in constant communication with their FSA office and crop insurance adjuster throughout their decisions to make sure everything is recorded and approved in the necessary order.Dreier said farmers have 14 days after the final planting date — until June 9 — to report that they were unable to plant by the May 25 deadline.“If you reported prevented corn and then decide to plant beans, report both,” Dreier said.Neill referred to the “20/20 rule” when it comes to reporting prevented planting.“You have to have 20 acres, or 20 percent of your unit acres, to qualify for prevented planting,” Neill said. “These don’t have to be contiguous, but ask your agent what your eligible acres are.”Other options include replanting, planting a second crop planting and planting cover crops approved by the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Planting first and second crops, destroyed crops and abandoned crops must all be authorized from respective crop insurance adjusters to be covered.“A lot of guys I’ve talked to don’t know what they’re going to do, and some can’t even get in their fields to see the options they have,” Neill said. “The bottom line is, ‘call your agent now to get things started and review options.’”MU Extension agronomist Wayne Flanary addressed the effect of planting dates on corn and soybean yields in northern Missouri, based on historical figures.Corn planted by May 1 can be expected to yield 94 percent of what’s planted. The approaching June 5 date reduces potential yield to 75 percent, and it drops even further, to 65 percent, by June 15.Soybeans have a later window, with 99 percent expected to yield on May 8; 89 percent expected to yield around June 5; 79 percent at June 19, and 54 percent on July 10.Flanary said compaction can have significant impact on wet soil and that growers should be taking into consideration machine weight, tire size and inflation pressure, controlled traffic, and reduced field operations.“In years when soil moisture is plentiful, there is no impact,” Flanary said. “However in dry years, if we had a dry year next year, a yield loss is likely.”Growers may also consider switching from their normal, full-season maturity hybrids to shorter-maturity hybrids.“Ask yourself, what will be the impact, and will it dry,” he said. “I would be thinking about drying down, but that’s my opinion.”He said risks include the crop’s not reaching physiological maturity before a killing fall freeze, high grain moisture content at harvest, and others.Planting sorghum is an option because it has a later final planting date, but Flanary noted that it has a limited market. He suggested having a contract in place.“If you’re going to spray weeds in grain sorghum, know that there are limited options for herbicides available,” Flanary said.Growers should also be thinking about nitrogen loss, he said.“With the large precipitation we’ve had, we’ll experience nitrogren losses,” he said. “So to maintain our yields, we’ll have to apply supplemental nitrogen.”Whenever soil is saturated, nitrite gas can go off into the air.“If corn is turning yellow, they’ll need to apply more nitrogen.” Flanary said. “I hate to see them lose yield potential if they have a good crop.”Another key at this point in the growing season is to start weed-free.“Some weeds — like marestail and waterhemp — are getting so large, some herbicides are not effective anymore,” he said. “Once you get a crop planted, you may not have the option to go back in and get rid of all the weeds. The solution to that is to start with killing weeds before you plant.”Source - http://www.maryvilledailyforum.com/

03.06.2015

USA - Texas Crop Report 2015

Central: Soil moisture, rangeland and pastures, and livestock were all in good condition. Overall crop conditions were rated as fair. Much wheat had some degree of sprouting. All cropland soils were saturated and far too muddy to get into. Most corn was still doing all right, though some was yellowed from too much moisture. Cotton planting had not begun yet; neither had the planting of grain sorghum. Stock-water tanks were full. There was some soil erosion caused by runoff. Pastures were greening up. Cattle were in good condition.Coastal Bend: Subsoil moisture remained excessive. Most crops handled the wet conditions well, but yellowing was seen in many corn fields, and some crops had limited growth due to the number of days soils had been saturated. Wet weather hampered wheat harvest. Cattle were in excellent condition due to surplus of forage but were troubled by swarms of mosquitoes. Some cattle were evacuated due to the flooding of the Colorado River, which was expected to crest 5 feet above flood stage.East: Soils were saturated. Flooding was a big problem in most of the district. Many counties were declared disaster areas because of high winds and flooding. Many trees, with their root systems weakened by soggy soils, were toppled by winds. Trinity County received 6 inches of rain in 3-4 hours that caused flash flooding. Erosion was becoming a big problem. Livestock were moved to higher ground where possible. Some producers were grazing hayfields to remove some of the winter forages that were shading out the summer grasses. Applications of herbicide on forage crops were delayed due to the wet conditions. Most producers should have been able to take the first cutting of hay by the end of May but weather conditions did not allow them to do so. Vegetable crops were also suffering from too much water. Wet conditions were making it hard for producers to gather cattle for working or selling. Horn fly and mosquito numbers increased.Far West: Glasscock, Hudspeth, Pecos, Presidio, Ward, Winkler, Loving, Reagan and Upton counties all had 1-2 inches of rain. Crops in most counties had slow growth due to the heavy rains. Alfalfa neared being ready for the third cutting. Pasture and rangeland were in fair to good condition. Topsoil and subsoil moisture was adequate to short.North: Topsoil moisture was mostly surplus after many areas received 3-4 inches of rain. The Red River continued to be well above flood stage, forcing the relocation of many head of cattle and pieces of farm equipment to higher ground. Many acres of crops flooded. All three highways in Cooke County that cross the Red River into Oklahoma or Arkansas remained closed. With ground beyond being merely saturated, farmers couldn't get equipment into fields. The wet weather prevented most hay bailing. The saturated soils and cloudy days also adversely affected pasture growth. Disease and fungal problems increased. Wild hogs continued to cause damage.Panhandle: Temperatures were below average most of the week. From a trace to as much as 5 inches of rain fell in some areas. Soil moisture was rated mostly adequate. Collingsworth County farmers were able to start getting back into fields as conditions dried out somewhat. Dallam and Hartley counties received another 1-2 inches of rain, and corn planting was still behind schedule. Harvesting wheat and alfalfa hay was also delayed. Cool, wet weather extended the grazing period for wheat. Rangeland was improved significantly by the rains. Stocker cattle and cow-calf herds were moved to grass from wheat and will be left there for the next several weeks. Weeds were a problem in much rangeland. Cattle were in good shape despite being pestered by horn flies. Deaf Smith County planting conditions were poor; another 2-5 inches of rain halted the planting of any crop. Very little cotton had been planted — perhaps 500-800 acres total — in Deaf Smith County. Wheat was holding on, with good prospects for this year. However, there were weeds in thinly planted wheat. Some fields had wheat at two stages of maturity; the early emerged crop and the crop that tillered and came on later with the rains. Producers were considering early maturing corn, grain sorghum, hay crops and sunflowers — if they have a contract for them. Randall County received another 1.5 inches of rain with some hail. Crop damage had yet to be determined.Rolling Plains: Conditions remained favorable for producers with the soil moisture profile saturated and ground temperatures high for cotton planting. However, the saturated soils also made it a challenge to get equipment into fields to begin planting. Wheat received several more inches of rain during the past two weeks and was ready to cut, but fields were too wet for combines. Some wheat was already sprouting in the head, and more wheat was expected to sprout before fields dried enough to harvest. Pastures were in excellent condition. One county reported rainfall totals for May were from 25-30 inches, which caused flooding and damaged fences, roads and crops. Peaches and pecan orchards still looked good.South: The region had windy, hot weather, often interrupted by scattered showers. Rangeland and pastures benefited from the persistent rain, but many row-crop fields remain saturated, further delaying field activities. In the northern part of the region, peanuts were planted, and other row crops, such as corn, sorghum and wheat, were doing well. Wheat, sweet corn and potato harvesting continued. Some areas had extensive summer annual and perennial weed pressure. Cattle were in good condition, the best in many years. Soil moisture was mostly adequate throughout the northern tier of counties. In the eastern part of the region, the windy, hot days dried out some areas, but many fields remained in standing water. Crops in those fields will probably not be harvested. Row crops in well-drained fields were progressing well, and good yields were expected. Kleberg and Kenedy counties received more than 2 inches of rain, adding more water to fields that had been saturated for quite some time. Because of the wet soil conditions, more aerial chemical spraying was being done. Soil moisture remained mostly adequate to surplus throughout the eastern counties. In the western part of the region, wheat fields remained too wet to harvest. In Maverick County, webworms were striking pecan orchards due to high humidity levels. Corn, cotton and sorghum responded well to the rains, but wheat fields were not harvested due to wet conditions. Onion losses were expected also due to the wet field conditions. Soil moisture remained adequate in the western counties. In the southern part of the region, row crops were progressing well, and saturated fields were drying out. Producers were spraying to control slight fungus problems on grain sorghum. In Hidalgo County, citrus harvesting wound down, and sugarcane harvesting remained a continual battle with wet field conditions. In Starr County, some hay baling was done, as well as some cantaloupe harvesting. Willacy County fields remained too wet for any field activities. Soil moisture was 100 percent adequate in Cameron, Hidalgo and Starr counties, and surplus topsoil moisture was reported in Willacy County.South Plains: The region received more rain, keeping producers out of the fields. Hale County cotton acres were expected to be severely limited as many producers opted to plant corn instead. Swisher County had a few dry days that allowed for planters to run, but not much cotton was planted. If drier weather arrives as expected, farmers will be rushing to plant before the June 5 insurance deadline. Wheat looked good from the road, but at closer inspection many acres were found to be infected with striped wheat rust, and it was too late to apply fungicide. Cochran County subsoil and topsoil moisture remained adequate. Higher moisture levels improved pasture, rangeland and winter wheat. Corn and peanuts were planted and in good condition. Cochran County producers were finishing planting cotton. Crosby County had heavy rains, and cotton planting there was behind. Producers were taking advantage of any dry hours to plant. Hockley County also had delayed cotton planting due to rains. Lubbock County had heavy rains too, causing flooding of 75 homes in the city of Shallowater and soil erosion in fields. Lubbock rain for May totaled 12.12 inches, almost 65 percent of the average annual rainfall. In Garza County, approximately 5 percent of the county's intended crop acreage was planted.Southeast: The region remained very wet. Soil moisture throughout the region was mostly in the surplus range; Lee County had 100 percent adequate levels. Rangeland and pasture ratings varied widely too, mostly from excellent to good, with good ratings being the most common. Cool-season pasture grass quality was declining because of delayed harvesting. The changeover to warm-season forages began but was held back by unharvested ryegrass or clovers. In Brazos County, it was unlikely small grains would be harvested. Many corn, soybean, sorghum and cotton fields had been in standing water for extended periods of time. Montgomery County producers have not been able to apply herbicides or harvest any hay. Many fields were too wet to safely graze. Animals were moved from many areas. Waller County corn was doing well despite the saturated soils, but more rain was forecast. Rangeland and pastures continued to benefit from the rains. However, wet pastures were hosting high mosquito populations that were stressing livestock. Horn fly populations were also high. Brazoria County corn began to look overwatered with yellowing on the lower leaves. Most fields had a general yellowing. In Chambers and Jefferson counties, the continued rains made the rice planting progress impossible. Continued rains delayed herbicide spray applications and made fertilizer applications impossible. Farmers were concerned of potential yield loss. More rains in Fort Bend County meant producers were not able to plant cotton. Some cattle had to be moved to higher ground because of flooding. In Galveston County, more rain meant low-lying areas had standing water for several days.Southwest: The area had heavy rains and flooding. Losses included downed trees, damages to homes and laid-down wheat and oats. Wheat not lost to the storms promised excellent yields, but the wet conditions prevented its harvesting. Most wheat producers were expecting losses. Fungus problems cropped up in home gardens, commercial vineyards and orchards. Pecan, forage and grain crops needed drier conditions. Some crops were in standing water. Some mature pecan trees were falling over due to saturated soils and high winds. Wildlife and livestock were in excellent condition, but there was concern about internal parasites becoming a problem because of the wet conditions. Producers were shearing of sheep and goats.West Central: Days were warm with mild nights. Continued rain resulted in soggy fields that were impossible to access. Little to no fieldwork was done. Wheat harvesting and cotton planting were delayed for several more weeks. Some crops were destroyed by hail and high winds. Wheat remained in mostly excellent condition. Rangeland and pastures were also in excellent condition and continued to improve due to the wettest May the region has had in several years. Stock-water tanks and ponds were filled by runoff. Rivers were overflowing banks and flooding out some areas. Livestock were in good condition. Pecan orchards were in good condition.Source - http://www.mysanantonio.com/

03.06.2015

USA - Steady rainfalls may be behind drop in aphid infestations

Researchers suspect steady rains and other factors may be responsible for a drop in a tiny bug's infestation of a grain crop so far this year.The Valley Morning Star reports that farmers in the Rio Grande Valley had feared the sugarcane aphid would again invade their sorghum crop this year.Experts last year had warned that sorghum growers who didn't spray their fields with insecticide would face heavy crop losses after the pest's population erupted across the region. But researchers think rains and humidity may have helped stop the insect from gnawing away at the plants this year.Entomologist Raul Villanueva at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service calls the decrease in the pest's infestation an "enigma."Source - http://www.ktxs.com/

03.06.2015

USA - Impact of Texas flooding limited to blueberries

“The Houston area was most severely impacted by heavy rains and flooding during the Memorial Day weekend,” says Brent Erenwert with Brother’s Produce. “It received 11 inches of rain in just a few hours,” he added. The Rio Grande Valley, the main fresh produce growing region in Texas, escaped the worst of the rainfall.“The rain that came down in Rio Grande Valley did not affect much produce as we are nearing the end of the produce season,” said Erenwert. “It’s almost 95⁰F here and too hot for most produce crops like broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. However, if the heavy rainfall would have happened late April, the impact would have been much more significant,” he said.According to Erenwert, blueberries were most hit. The Texas blueberry season runs from early/mid-May through the first half of June. It is a very short season and the heavy rainfall caused two weeks of shipment to be lost out of the five-week season. “We weren't able to get Texas blueberries for about a week,” said Erenwert.Erenwert noted that the heavy rains delayed shipping as some trucks couldn’t move to the urban areas. “I had already scaled back on trucks because of the holiday weekend, but we basically lost two days of shipping instead of one. As of this week, we should be back to shipping as normal,” he finished.Source - http://www.freshplaza.com/

03.06.2015

USA - Oklahoma's rain ravages, revives wheat crop

Crop damage from May’s deluge in southwest and central Oklahoma should be balanced by gains elsewhere, Oklahoma Wheat Commission official says.This year, Oklahoma wheat farmers were expecting a record crop, not a record rain.Caleb Fourkiller, grain elevator manager in Granfield, said heavy rain “has cut the harvest in half.” Granfield received 18 inches of rain during the growing season, leaving muddy fields and limp wheat stalks, said Fourkiller.But Mike Schulte, executive director of the Oklahoma Wheat Commission, is confident that the damage caused to crops by rains in southwest and central Oklahoma will be balanced by gains elsewhere.“The late freeze on Good Friday made us write off the crop in northwest Oklahoma,” Schulte said. “But the rain we got soon after that revived that crop. Now, the gains in northwest Oklahoma can offset the losses from excess rain in southwest and central Oklahoma.”The U.S. Department of Agriculture last month estimated 118.9 million bushels would be harvested this year in Oklahoma, and Schulte doesn’t see any reason why that wouldn’t happen.“We have not seen any sprouted wheat taken into elevators at this point in time,” Schulte said. “This is much welcomed, considering we have had the wettest May on record in regions of southwest Oklahoma. We have also had concerns of the heavy rains impacting test weights. However, the test weights being reported so far are favorable.”Test weight is a good indicator of milling yield for the crop and for flour extraction purposes, Schulte said.Rain wilts cropMay was the wettest month in recorded state history, and the deluge was too much for some plants, Fourkiller said.“Once the wheat is mature, all of the weight is in the head of the stalk,” Fourkiller said. “When it rains, the wheat lies down, and then comes back up with the sun. But when we have constant amounts of heavy rain, it’s hard for that wheat to stand back up.”Fourkiller said Granfield can expect about 600,000 bushels. Their process got off to a slow start Monday, harvesting 10,000 bushels of wheat.“Good days will see anywhere from 70,000 to 80,000 bushels,” Fourkiller said.Fourkiller estimates harvesting could be finished in 10 to 12 days — if heavy rains stay away.Tillman Production Coop CEO Jimmie Franklin is just happy the harvest is not a repeat of last year’s.“(There’s a) good side and a bad side with the rain we’ve seen this year,” Franklin said. “The good is we have a better crop than we did last year when we had a drought. But the amount of rain has affected the quality of our crop.”The 2014 harvest was the lowest it’s been since 1957, yielding just 47.6 million bushels with drought paralyzing production across Oklahoma. This year, Tillman County saw about 17 inches of rain in a six-week period. Now, the excess moisture affects the stalks’ ability to stand, which in turn affects the farmers’ ability to harvest the crop.“We’re expecting about 1.25 million bushels, which will take about 14 days to harvest,” Franklin said. “Good days, we see 90,000 bushels harvested.”In 2014, Oklahoma made nearly $300 million in wheat production. That is about half what it usually averaged in previous years. From 2009 to 2011, Oklahoma wheat generally contributed $673 million, on average, to the state’s economy. As harvesting begins for this year, Schulte is hopeful the economic impact of the wheat industry this year will be more than $600 million.Source - http://newsok.com/

03.06.2015

India - Scarce rains ahead, Khadse turns to cloud seeding

After prediction of a deficient rainfall by the Indian Meteorological Department, the state relief and rehabilitation minister Eknath Khadse has announced a contingency plan to cope with water shortage.According to the revised rainfall forecast, the IMD has predicted deficiency of rainfall from 93 per cent to 88 per cent. Mr Khadse thus announced in Mantralaya on Tuesday that cloud seeding would be introduced on a trial basis. The method attempts to change the amount of rainfall by dispersing substances into the air that serve as cloud condensation. It will be used in the state for the first time.“In the countries where the method was used the results were fruitful and we are expecting the same for the state this monsoon,” said Mr Khadse.The site where the method will be introduced is to be decided by the IMD, but as of now drought-hit areas from Vidharbha, Marathwada and Khandesh would be chosen for the trial of the project.The total cost of the project is being estimated to be Rs 10 crore and advertisements for the same have already been released. The tenders are to be floated by the government soon.Mr Khadse also said that the project would be continued based on its success as this would help the government save money that is to be given for crop loss, apart from helping the farmers in saving their crops.According to K.H. Govindraj, secretary, relief and rehabilitation department, the state government has floated tenders for cloud seeding, which will be kept ready if the monsoon fails or is below the required levels.“According to the IMD prediction, rainfall will be more or less normal. But if the monsoon fails, we need to have a contingency plan ready to make water available. Thus, we are not only looking at domestic, but also international agencies that can help us with cloud seeding,” Govindraj said.Asked to elaborate on the costs, he said, “The cost may run into a few crores, but money is not the only factor. The state anyway had to announce a package of Rs 4,000 crore to help distressed farmers...The costs involved in inducing artificial rains will be much less compared to this.”Source - http://www.asianage.com/

03.06.2015

USA - California faces $2.7 billion hit from drought

This summer’s fourth year of drought could cost California farmers $1.8 billion in lost crop production and groundwater pumping expenditures, or about 4 percent of the state’s agricultural economy, University of California, Davis, researchers said Tuesday.When accounting for its indirect and induced impacts on other economic sectors as well, “the total cost of this year’s drought on California’s economy is $2.7 billion and the loss of about 18,600 full- and part-time jobs, the university’s Center for Watershed Sciences said.On average, California farmers face a loss of 33 percent of their normal water supplies, according to the estimates presented to Tuesday’s meeting of the state Board of Food and Agriculture.That should cause 564,000 acres of farmland to go fallow, compared to a normal year. Farm revenue losses from crops could hit $856 million, dairy income will drop by $250 million and livestock losses will amount to $100 million.But those impacts are uneven, with San Joaquin Valley farmers taking the worst hits. Some growers will lose all their irrigation supplies, while some will have all the water they need.For affected farmers, it will be devastating, said John Kautz, Lodi area vineyard and orchard crop grower and Ironstone Vineyards owner. He addressed the state board following its formal discussion of the UC report.To the board he said the lessons of the current drought is the state’s failure to create new reservoirs or groundwater recharging facilities in recent decades.“We have to build storage and we have to prepare for the next drought,” he said. “I’ll guarantee you we’ll have another drought.”Without that resource today, farmers will have to do what they can to adapt to having a lot less water.“You going to dry up, fallow and otherwise underutilize quite a bit of ground in our area,” he said after the meeting.Kautz said farmers with multiple crops, like himself, will forego less-valuable field crops in favor of more valuable tree and vineyard plantings.“The lesser crops will be the first to go, not get planted,” he said. “That’s all going to affect your tax base, your workers’ wages, on and on and on.”Stockton economist Jeffrey Michael, who has also weighed the drought’s impact on the state and regional economy, said the UC Davis estimates were well considered.“This seems to me to be a reasonable estimate of substantial drought impacts,” he said.“Based on what we we’re hearing from most people, we’re expecting a 20 percent higher impact this year compared to last year. These estimates are pretty close to that.”Michael, director of the Center for Business and Policy Research at University of the Pacific, generally agreed with the UC Davis estimates for fallowed land and crop losses, but said they may have overstated the potential job losses.“I would be a little bit more cautious,” he said.There is a bit of well-educated "guesstimating" involved, Michael allowed.“Making a forecast like this is something like a three-combination pool shot,” he said.Source - http://www.recordnet.com/

02.06.2015

USA - Frost advisory raises concerns for Northern Michigan farmers

Frost damage continues to hurt Northern Michigan farmers."It's a nerve racking time for apples and cherry farmers. We don't know what were going to do."Nervous is how the owner of Orchard View Farms, Paul Hubbell feels about the frost advisory issued for Monday night."If it gets below freezing and stays there for five to six hours-- then it's going to take this apple off the tree or freeze cherries on the trees again," said Hubbell.He's already lost about half his crops and hundreds of thousands of dollars this year."It makes you worry about where the money is going to come from," said Hubbell. "This is one of those years I wish I would've bought all the insurance you could buy."The frost Northern Michigan experienced in May already significantly damaged his crop.Nikki Rothwell with MSU Extension says it's been a rough year for many fruit growers."It seems like we've had years where there has been a lot of freezes or frost, but so far this year we've only had one that did a lot of damage," said Rothwell.And there is the possibility the damage could get worse."If it gets really cold out there-- we can get frost scars on our cherries and apples," said Rothwell."I am already looking forward to next year," said Hubbell.Source - http://www.9and10news.com/

02.06.2015

Africa - Maize disease relief in sight?

Five years since the first case of the deadly Maize Lethal Necrosis (MLN) disease was reported in Kenya in Bomet county, researchers say they are on the brink of a major breakthrough that could prove vital in containing its spread.The scientists—operating from two confined field trial sites at Kiboko in Makueni county and Naivasha in Nakuru county—have expressed optimism they are on the verge of what they say could be a “short-term to medium-term solution” to containing the disease.MLN is responsible for a sharp drop in maize yields with up to 100 per cent crop loss having been reported where it has been identified.The scientists are hopeful, some 20 materials achieved over the last three years since they embarked on the journey to solve the MLN puzzle, will soon be submitted for national performance trials at Kenya Plant and Health Inspectorate Service (Kephis) before being declared fit for release to farmers.“In the short-term, we have concluded that, some hybrids showing certain levels of resistance at about 40-50 per cent will be out by the end of the year. We feel that farmers should start interacting with these materials,” International Maize andWheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) regional representative for Africa Dr Stephen Mugo told People Daily recently during a visit to the MLN screening facility in Naivasha.The materials screened at the two sites were hybrids obtained from local seed production companies. Mugo said the materials contain a combination of resistant varieties that have good characteristics to ensure food security in the country.He said they are far much better than what farmers are currently using. “MLN has to be fought from all fronts. We have seen progress using various strategies. We have successfully done it at Kiboko research station and in adjacent farms, where we have encouraged farmers to observe a maize-free period, and noticed that maize planted five kilometres apart have no MLN,” said Mugo.Water Efficient Maize for Africa’s (Wema) national coordinator for Kenya Murenga Mwimali said research work started with 1,700 parent lines selected from hybrids already available in the maize seed market, and subjected to artificial screening at the MLN facility in Naivasha for two seasons.“From about one per cent of the 1, 700 hybrids, we got 170 lines that showed tolerance. We repeated screening, and established 20 new lines, which presented good sources of MLN tolerance that gave us a further 800 others with promising traits.We saw that they have good yield, are early maturing, tolerant to stem borers and other diseases,” he said. Some of the material hybrids to be submitted for further artificial screening include the SC 403 series.Mwimali said: “CIMMYT has developed five hybrids with good MLN tolerance under artificial inoculation, which have either been released or recommended for release in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Thirteen hybrids are currently under national performance trials in the three countries.”Source - http://www.mediamaxnetwork.co.ke/

02.06.2015

USA - USDA crop progress report: Corn at 74% good/excellent

Corn planting is nearly complete and the 84% that has emerged is off to a healthy start with the condition unchanged at 74% good to excellent, USDA's latest weekly crop progress report showed.Soybean planting advanced to 71%, compared with 75% a year ago and the 70% average. The season's first soybean condition ratings will be released next week.Corn's 84% emergence compares with 77% last year and the 79% average. Soybeans at 49% emerged compared with 46% a year ago and the 45% average.In top corn producer Iowa, 90% was emerged and was rated 80% good to excellent. Illinois corn was 79% good/excellent and Indiana's was 79%.In Iowa, Illinois and Indiana soybean planting was 78%, 82%, and 80% respectively. Illinois and Indiana are ahead of the averages, while Iowa trailed.The nation's winter wheat rating slipped slightly to 44% good/excellent from 45%. Harvesting percentages will be released next week. The Kansas rating was unchanged at 30%.The Kansas report said the state had another week of widespread rainfall that may cause some corn to be replanted. Concerns continued about disease in wheat because of the wet conditions. Corn there was rated 50% good to excellent, 38% fair, 10% poor and 2% very poor.Texas received widespread rainfall, with up to 10 inches in parts of the eastern third of the state. Wet conditions delayed harvesting of wheat and oats, plus wind and flooding caused lodging in many fields in that region.Spring wheat emergence was 91% from 64% a year ago and the 69% average. Top producer North Dakota was 83% emerged, well ahead of the 47% a year ago and 58% five-year averages.Spring wheat was rated 71% good to excellent, up from 69% a week earlier.Sorghum was 43% planted, compared with 55% a year ago and the 55% average.Cotton was 61% planted, behind last year's 72% and the 78% average. Also 3% was squaring, versus 5% a year ago the 6% average.Topsoil moisture was plentiful in the Midwest and the Plains. Iowa was 98% adequate to surplus, Illinois 98%, Kansas 91%, Nebraska 87%, Oklahoma 85% and Texas 96%. North Dakota registered 95%.Source - http://farmfutures.com/

02.06.2015

USA - USDA packages disaster protection with loans to benefit producers

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) State Executive Director, John W. McCauley, announced that producers who apply for FSA farm loans also will be offered the opportunity to enroll in new disaster loss protections created by the 2014 Farm Bill.The new coverage, available from the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP), is available to FSA loan applicants who grow non-insurable crops, so this is especially important to fruit and vegetable producers and other specialty crop growers.“FSA is opening its doors wider so that more specialty farmers know of our array of services,” said McCauley. “And new, underserved and limited income specialty growers who apply for farm loans could qualify for basic loss coverage at no cost, or higher coverage for a discounted premium.”The basic disaster coverage protects at 55 percent of the market price for crop losses that exceed 50 percent of production. Covered crops include “specialty” crops, for instance, vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, floriculture, ornamental nursery, aquaculture, turf grass, ginseng, honey, syrup, hay, forage, grazing and energy crops. FSA allows beginning, underserved or limited income producers to obtain NAP coverage up to 90 days after the normal application closing date when they also apply for FSA credit.In addition to free basic coverage, beginning, underserved or limited income producers are eligible for a 50 percent discount on premiums for the higher levels of coverage that protect up to 65 percent of expected production at 100 percent of the average market price.Producers also may work with FSA to protect value-added production, such as organic or direct market crops, at their fair market value in those markets. Targeted underserved groups eligible for free or discounted coverage are American Indians or Alaskan Natives, Asians, Blacks or African-Americans, Native Hawaiians or other Pacific Islanders, Hispanics, and women.FSA offers a variety of loan products, including farm ownership loans, operating loans and microloans that have a streamlined application process.Growers need not apply for an FSA loan, nor be a beginning, limited resource, or underserved farmer, to be eligible for Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program assistance.Source - http://www.ocmonitor.com/

02.06.2015

USA - Recent flooding could pose problems for pecans

At Royalty Pecan Farms, this season appears to be a little soggier than most. Water from recent flooding still covers the 560-acre farm."We have had a lot of rain this spring which is, really it's a good thing," said Orchard Manager Andy Sherrod. "We need the water and we need it in abundance, but we also need some periods of dry. We could start to see fruit abortion and that would be the worst case scenario. I don't anticipate that, but it's a possibility," said Sherrod.If the soggy conditions persist, they can put stress on the trees. The wet grounds also prevent caregivers from spraying nutrients on the trees.Water in the soil can also deprive the roots of oxygen. This could potentially harm next year's crop."If they perceive they're stressed in the later part of the year, then it effects next year's crop," said Sherrod. "They won't set the fruiting buds that are essential for another crop the following year."There is also an issue when it comes to demand."If we don't have enough pecans to satisfy that demand, then we lose customers, they move onto somebody else and we really rather they didn't do that," said Rebekah Stallsworth with Royalty Pecan Farms.Especially when pride is taken in producing the pecans."We throw our heart and soul into it during growing season and we make sure everything we have is the highest quality," said Stallsworth.Source - http://www.freshplaza.com/

02.06.2015

USA - Guava fruit flies found in Florida

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has positively identified the presence of two guava fruit flies, Bactrocera correcta, collected during routine trapping activities. The origin of the flies, collected in the Boynton Beach area, has not been determined.“Though disturbing, this find confirms that our early detection system for pests and diseases is among the best in the nation. Our staff, working closely with our federal partners, has begun intensive delimiting trapping in the area around the positive finds,” Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam said today.The department, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, launched an intensified trapping program in a 55-square-mile area surrounding the fruit fly finds. Staff will check traps on a daily basis for one week to determine if there is a reproducing population of this invasive pest. If staff does not discover additional flies, traps will be checked every week for three life cycles of the fly – approximately 60 days.The department has detected the guava fruit fly several times in Florida since 1999, but the fly has not become established. The fly is considered a threat to much of Florida agriculture and attacks fruit and vegetable varieties, including guava, peach, mango, fig, date, tropical almond, sapodilla, roseapple, jujube, castor bean and sandalwood. This species of fruit fly is being detected with increasing frequency in new areas of the world. The fruit flies lay their eggs in host fruits and vegetables. In a few days, the eggs hatch and maggots render the fruits or vegetables inedible.Source - http://www.freshplaza.com/

01.06.2015

USA - EPA proposing temporary pesticide-free zones for honeybees

U.S. environmental regulators on Thursday proposed a rule that would create temporary pesticide-free zones to protect commercial honeybees, which are critical to food production and have been dying off at alarming rates.The restrictions are aimed at protecting bees from "pesticides that are acutely toxic" to them, and would cover foliar applications when certain plants are in bloom and when commercial honeybees are being used to pollinate crops, the Environmental Protection Agency said in an 18-page outline of the rule. In foliar applications, the pesticide is put on the plant.Honeybees pollinate plants that produce roughly a quarter of the food consumed by Americans, and beekeepers travel around the country with managed hives to help the process.The rule, due to be published in the Federal Register on Friday, would apply to pesticide applications to blooming crops where bees have been contracted to pollinate and would cover 76 active ingredients used in pesticides, including a popular class of insecticide known as neonicotinoids.Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said that honeybees had disappeared at a staggering rate over the last year. Losses of managed honeybee colonies hit 42.1 percent from April 2014 through April 2015, up from 34.2 percent for 2013-2014, and the second-highest annual loss to date, according to the USDA.Source - http://www.freshplaza.com

01.06.2015

India - Heavy rain lashes Koppal, Ballari; horticultural crop damaged

Heavy rain, thunder and lightning on Saturday night caused extensive loss of horticultural crop, especially banana and betel leaves in Koppal district.Koppal received an average rainfall of 13.5 mm.The highest rain of 84 mm was recorded in Koppal hobli, causing severe damage to banana and betel leaves grown in large tracts in Dombralli, Katralli, Bisarahalli, Hyati, Mudargi.Lodging of cotton and bajra in several acres of land in Betageri and Mornal village has been reported.There were also reports of Kushtagi taluk experiencing heavy rain.The actual loss of crop and property damaged is yet to be ascertained.Shortage of staffOfficial sources informed that there was shortage of staff to take up joint survey as majority of them have been drafted for gram panchayat election duty.Even Ballari district experienced heavy rain on Saturday night. The average rainfall recorded in the district was 22.1 mm.Highest rainfall was recorded in Hadagali taluk 64.6 mm followed by Ballari taluk 45.8 mm, Sandur 20.4 mm, Hagari Bommanahalli 8.8 mm, Sirguppa 8.4 mm, Hosapete 3.8 mm and Kudligi 3.1 mm.The extent of loss due to heavy rain is yet to be ascertained.Source - http://www.thehindu.com

01.06.2015

Armenia - Good year for crops

Crops in Armenia are expected to be rich this year, Armenian Deputy Agriculture Minister Samvel Galstyan said on Friday without mentioning particular figures.He told journalists that unlike 2014, this year was marked by very favorable for agriculture, and therefore rich harvest is expected in the country this year, especially apricot and grape crops. In his words, cropland is expected to be increased by 15 or 16 hectares."It means cropland will grow from 332,766 hectares to 338,600 hectares," the deputy minister said adding that cropland in Armenia is growing by 13-15 hectares every year, and it grew by 49.2 hectares over the last four years.Galsyan also stressed the importance of the programs of import of fertilizers, under which fertilizers are brought to the country and provided to farmers at low prices.Speaking about indicators in 2014, the deputy minister said only apricot crop fell in 2014 because of freezing weather, but other crops increased instead.According to the Armenian agriculture ministry, 296,100 tons of fruits and berries were produced in the country in 2014. This is by 42,000 tons less than the 2013 result.The decline was mostly due to the damage inflicted by retarded frost to apricot and nut trees.But despite that, crops of other fruits were larger in 2014 than in the previous year – the country had 258,000 tons of grapes in 2014 against 240,800 tons in 2013.Source - http://www.freshplaza.com