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Mid-Atlantic Crop Management School
November 13-15, 2007
Princess Royale Hotel and Conference Center, Ocean City, MD
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Crop Management Sessions
Temperature-responsive polymer seed coatings for early planted corn - Cold, wet soils, coupled with a short growing season, create a narrow window of optimum time for planting corn in the northern US. Timely planting can be even more problematic for no-till soils than conventionally-tilled soils. Temperature-responsive polymer coatings designed to restrict water uptake by seeds until soil temperatures are more favorable for germination may allow earlier than normal planting of corn without compromising stand establishment and yield potential. Instructor: Dr. Russell Gesch, USDA-ARS-NCSCRL
Troubleshooting the Soybean Crop - Problems with soybean growth and development occur every year. Actions taken or not taken will reveal themselves. Unexpected problems arise, fertility deficiencies become evident, pests emerge, and the weather alters everything. Diagnosing these problems can be a challenge, but is always a learning opportunity. Keen observation and close attention to detail is essential. Yet, symptoms do not always follow the textbook and obvious patterns do not always exist. Visual diagnostic aids and pest identification guides are valuable, but most important may be the questions asked and how much attention is paid to the answers received. The solution is usually field-specific; historical field information may give solutions. In other cases, laboratory analysis will be required. By following simple field diagnostic guidelines, one can be quite successful at diagnosing problems with the soybean crop. Guidelines that will be discussed include: preliminary fact finding, the field visit, analysis of data, drawing a conclusion, and follow up. In addition, a seedling, vegetative, and reproductive diagnostic outline will be presented. Instructor: Dr. David Holshouser, Virginia Tech - Tidewater AREC
Mitigate the Downside Risks of Corn Following Corn - (pdf slides) Current ethanol-driven economics encourage many growers to favor 2nd year or continuous corn cropping systems over the more typical corn/soybean rotation. Agronomically, multiple challenges exist for a corn monoculture that often result in lower yields than for rotation corn. Awareness and judicious management of these challenges will minimize the yield “drag” of continuous corn and improve the likelihood of profitable returns from continuous corn.
Instructor: Dr. RL (Bob) Nielsen, Purdue University
Making Cover Crops Pay – (pdf of slides) Brassica cover crops are new to the mid-Atlantic, but offer numerous benefits: 1) capture N to reduce nutrient pollution; 2) rapid release of plant-available N from residue N; 3) alleviate subsoil compaction by root “bio-drilling”; 4) conserve soil water by mulching and enhanced infiltration; 5) suppress plant parasitic nematodes; 6) enhance free-living soil nematodes; and 7) suppress weeds, including some glyphosate –resistance weeds. Our experiments and on-farm trials have often shown higher soybean and corn yields following forage radish or forage radish + rye cover crops, but the mechanisms are still unclear. Instructor: Dr. Ray Weil, University of Maryland
Wheat Quality: What Is It and How Is It Attained? - (pdf of slides) Wheat quality – what is it? To a producer, it means high yield and test weight. To the miller, it means easily milled and high flour yield. To the baker its meaning is dependent upon the product baked and its acceptance by the consumer. The breeder’s task is to incorporate all these traits into a variety. A few years ago, a scab (Fusaium) outbreak re-introduced us to quality-oriented terms such as vomitoxin and DON. During 2006, unfavorable weather at harvest produced low falling numbers. This session will focus upon wheat quality from breeder to consumer highlighting production practices that can influence the quality traits.
Instructor: Dr. Bob Kratochvil, University of Maryland
Adjusting and Operating Forage Harvesting Equipment for Optimal Forage Quality and Yield - (pdf of slides) The harvesting of high quality forages can only be achieved with well maintained equipment that is properly adjusted for the crop and conditions. In this presentation, adjustment options and procedures for both hay and silage making equipment will be reviewed. Crop processing options to enhance forage quality reduced dry matter losses will also be discussed.
Instructor: Dr. James Glancey, University of Delaware
Deer Management for Agronomic, Vegetable, and Fruit Crops – (pdf of slides) Managing deer damage is a major challenge for farmers and needs to be addressed as a long problem and part of your farm operation. There are a variety of options such as fencing, repellents, and population management but typically a combination of approaches must be considered and the cost effectiveness of each must be assessed. This presentation will provide an understanding of the deer damage management options and the cost-benefit considerations of each. Instructor: Jonathan Kays, University of Maryland
Biomass Crops and Biofuels - (pdf of slides) To help reduce our energy dependency on non-renewable resources, we need to concentrate on growing our own renewable resource-feedstock for transportation and heating/cooling needs. Woody biomass is abundant in our rural and urban forests and is successful in plantations on marginal soils. Participants will gain knowledge of species selection and growth habits for different technology requirements.
Instructor: Dorothy C. Abbott, University of Delaware
Corn & Soybean Breeding: The Future - (pdf of slides) Where have we come from? Where are we now? Where will we be in the future? Who is buying? Instructors: Billy Rhodes, Schillinger Seed Inc.
Nutrient Management
Effective Nutrient Use Efficiency Improvement – The world’s population growth is projected to continue increasing demand for food, fiber and fuel. Fertilizer nutrients have helped spare millions of acres of land while sustaining crop production increases to meet the demand. Efficiency improvement is a key need for cropping systems as a whole, and for nutrient use within them Nutrient use efficiency improvements must always be evaluated in terms of their effectiveness in supporting cropping systems with increasing yields and diminishing nutrient losses. Instructor: Dr. Tom Bruulsema, International Plant Nutrition Institute
Enhanced-Efficiency Nitrogen Fertilizers: Tools or Toys? - (pdf of slides) “Enhanced-efficiency fertilizers” have been used for many years for effective N management in horticulture, but costs have been prohibitive for wide-spread use in agriculture. High fertilizer prices, regulatory pressures, and new cost-effective technologies are making these fertilizers more attractive for field crops. Demand for these products and information on their efficacy is increasing rapidly. An overview of the various products, modes of action, and potential benefits will be presented. Instructor: Dr. Alan Blaylock, Agrium U.S. Inc. and Agrium Advanced Technologies
Growing Bay Friendly Corn – How Good Can We Do? - (pdf of slides) Ethanol production has increased demand for corn and raised concerns that increased corn production will be harmful to Chesapeake Bay. Nutrient transport patterns have been studied at the Wye Research and Education Center since the early 1980’s under a wide range of management and weather conditions. The results of these studies will be discussed in the context of reducing sediment and nutrient losses through both surface and subsurface flow. Instructor: Dr. Ken Staver, UMD-Wye Research and Education Center
Soil Acidity and Ag Liming Issues - (pdf of slides) Everyone knows that liming is basic to good soil management, but soil test surveys consistently show that pH is often below optimum for crop production on many farmer fields. The causes and effects of soil acidity will be reviewed and liming management issues including: soil properties, tillage, liming rented ground, liming material quality and alternative liming materials will be discussed.
Instructor: Dr. Douglas Beegle, Penn State University
Manured fields and nitrogen fertilization: How to improve your guess at the correct N rate - (pdf of slides) Making an accurate N recommendation for corn on manured fields is almost impossible with the information currently provide to soil testing laboratories. A solution to this problem is to consider manured cornfields as biological organisms. Management of biological organisms is accomplished by the use of feedback loops and trends in data. A new N recommendation system using feedback loops and trends in data with time from field-by-field records of cornfields will be described. Instructor: Dr. Tom Morris, University of Connecticut
Manure injection in no-till - (pdf of slides) Land application of manure to no-till soils represents a perennial concern, particularly in areas where traditional manure injection methods have not been feasible, or with dry manures that do not lend themselves to incorporation in narrow furrows. This presentation examines some of the concerns related to manure application to no-till an describes on-going research to evaluate a variety of manure injection alteratives. Instructor: Dr. Peter Kleinman, USDA-Agricultural Research Service (co-author Doug Beegle, Penn State)
Moving towards Phosphorus Based Manure Management: Issues and Options -(pdf of slides) Regulations are driving manure management towards phosphorus based nutrient management plans. This raises many issues as less manure can be land applied under phosphorus based plans than more traditional nitrogen based plans. This presentation will cover many of the issues involved in moving manure management towards a phosphorus basis, from ways to meet phosphorus based plans, to long term effects on soil and crop productivity. Instructor: Dr Rory Maguire, Virginia Tech
N Loss Mechanisms and N Use Efficiency in Corn – (pdf of slides)
The likelihood of higher nitrogen fertilizer costs due to high energy prices and the predicted significant increase in corn acres due to the ethanol demand should encourage growers to critically evaluate their overall nitrogen fertilizer program. In addition to selecting an appropriate and economic application rate of nitrogen fertilizer, growers should become familiar with the mechanisms of nitrogen loss and their overall impact on the nitrogen use efficiency in their farming operations. Instructor: Dr. RL (Bob) Nielsen, Purdue University
Water Quality Credit Trading in the Mid-Atlantic State -(pdf of slides) Water quality credit trading is being promoted at the national, regional, state and local levels as a method to meet water quality goals more cheaply and quicker than through strict regulatory and voluntary programs. Can the proposed benefits of water quality credit trading programs be realized? This presentation will discuss the basics of water quality credit trading as well as the potential pitfalls. It will focus on trading program design in the Mid-Atlantic. Instructor: Dr. Doug Parker, University of Maryland
Remote sensing applications for nutrient management of Delaware crops - (pdf of slides) Plants subjected to adverse environmental conditions experience reduced photosynthesis levels and thus, emit different levels of energy than healthy plants. The direct monitoring of plant emitted energy, via remote sensing, has been used for a variety of applications in agriculture, ranging from assessment of water or nutrient status to simply detecting anomalies within the field. This presentation will highlight some uses of remote sensing for nutrient management of row crops here in Delaware. Instructor: Dr. Susan White- Hansen, University of Delaware
Advances in Nitrogen Management (pdf of slides) Recent advances in nitrogen management have the potential to greatly reduce fertilizer costs to producers, deliver consistent yields, and reduce the potential for environmental degradation associated with over-fertilization. The ramped calibration strip an easy to use, in-season and in-field method for determining side-dress N rates developed at Oklahoma State University will be discussed.
Instructor: Dr. Joshua M. McGrath, University of Maryland
Pest Management Sessions
Soybean Rust Update and Review for 2007. - Soybean rust continues to be a threat to profitable soybean production in the US. This session will review briefly the biology of the fungus and how this applies to control and forecasting the occurrence of the disease. Disease monitoring will also be reviewed as well as updates to the Legume PIPE (Pest Information Platform for Extension and Education) website. The Sentinel Plot system has continued to be the early warning system for detecting the disease and the changes to the system for 2007 will be explained in light of the disease progression this season and the efforts to detect it in sentinel plots. Fungicide updates for soybean rust control will also be presented and efficacy trial results will be presented if the data can be obtained in time for the presentation. Instructor: Bob Mulrooney, University of Delaware
Vegetable Disease Management Update – Over the past few years, few new fungicides for disease control in vegetables have been introduced. However, fungicides such as Revus, Adamant, and Presario will be introduced in 2007 or 2008. The usefulness and attributes of these new fungicides will be discussed. In addition, research conducted on the most severe vegetable diseases in the Mid-Atlantic region will be presented. Diseases discussed will include (but not limited to): bacterial spot of tomato, cucurbit downy mildew, general potato diseases, and pythium cottony leak of snap beans. Vegetable disease identification information will also be presented. Instructor: Dr. Steve Rideout, Virginia Tech
Everything You Wanted (or Didn’t Want) to Know About Weed Control in Ornamentals - The presentation will focus on weed management strategies for field and container grown ornamental production. Topics covered will include preventative weed management strategies, cultural controls, and the integration of herbicides into an overall weed management program. New herbicide developments for weed control in ornamental production will also be discussed. Instructor: Dr. Steve Hart, Rutgers University
Where did those weeds come from? Can we keep them out? - (pdf of slides) In the absence of human activity, weeds rely upon the same natural processes for dispersal as do other plants; by wind and water, adhesion to fur or feathers, and through food webs. However, farming, trade, and human migration usually amplify the impact of these dispersal adaptations. We will discuss the methods of weed dispersal, implications of dispersal, and highlight prevention strategies. Some undesirable traits in weeds (such as herbicide-resistance) can be carried by pollen and this will be discussed. Since 2000, glyphosate-resistant horseweed has been identified in many states east of the Mississippi River. The rapid dispersal of glyphosate-resistant horseweed will be illustrated. Instructor: Dr. Mark VanGessel, University of Delaware
Vegetable Update – What’s Old and New in Weed Control - (pdf of slides) Emphasis in the session will be placed on new herbicide labels and recommendations for weed control in vegetable crops. The impact of variety, production method, rainfall, and temperature will be discussed when relevant to weed control or crop safety concerns. Changes in the recommendations will be integrated into production practices and an overall weed control recommendation for the crop under discussion. Instructor: Dr. Brad Majek, Rutgers University
Field Crops Weed Control Update - A number of new products and package-mix herbicides continue to be developed. We will be discussing all of the new products; where they fit, and where they don’t fit. Specific weed problems will also be discussed, especially herbicide-resistant weeds. This session will include a look at weed management systems in corn, soybeans, small grains, forages and pasture. Instructor: Dr. Ron Ritter, University of Maryland
The Bread Basket – What Pesticides Are We Eating? - (pdf of slides) Most people recognize that there may be small amounts of pesticides in the foods we eat, but most do not understand what it means (or doesn’t mean) when a pesticide is detected in food. Dr. Brown will discuss the meaning of pesticide residues and tolerances, how (and by which agencies) foods are sampled, historical profiles of detections in various foods, and how to interpret the data. Instructor: Dr. Amy Brown, University of Maryland
Soil and Water Sessions
Balancing Biomass for Bioenergy and Soil Conservation - (pdf of slides) There is expanding interest in harvesting of crop biomass for energy. There are benefits to using crop biomass as an alternative to fossil fuels; however, there are also risks. The primary roles of crop biomass are to protect the soil from erosion, and provide organic inputs to support the below ground ecosystem and thus build and maintain soil organic matter /soil organic carbon. The big question is how much biomass must stay on the field to provide these ecosystem services. Instructor: Dr. Jane Johnson, USDA –Agriculture Research Service
Role of drainage ditches in managing agricultural nutrient losses – (pdf of slides) Agricultural drainage ditches are receiving increased attention as a key component of nutrient management systems in poorly drained landscapes. Historical trends toward maximizing drainage from soils, sometime referred to as “overdrainage,” facilitate nutrient transfers from fields to downstream water bodies. This presentation offers insight into the role of traditional and novel management practices in the fate of nutrients from ditch drained fields. Instructor: Dr. Anthony Buda, USDA-Agricultural Research Service
Ground-Water Resources of the Delmarva Peninsula- Quantity and Quality - (pdf of slides) In this session, the emphasis will be on water resources of the Delmarva Peninsula and interactions with the environment. Topics include where water comes from on the Peninsula (hydrologic cycle), ground-water recharge (how much water infiltrates into our aquifers), aquifers available for use and the hydrologic characteristics related to quantity of water available, and water quality, natural and man induced. Also covered will be potential conflicts between agriculture and other with respect to competition for water currently and in the future, and other potential water sources for irrigation. Instructor: Dr. John Talley University of Delaware
The New CAFO Regulations - What Has Changed? - (pdf of slides) Federal regulation of large animal operations has been a hotly-contested topic for a number of years. After considerable comment and litigation, the EPA is scheduled to release the “new and improved” guidelines for concentrated animal feeding operations in July 2007. What are these new guidelines and how will they impact animal operations in the Mid-Atlantic region? Instructor: John C. Becker, Penn State University
Improving management of agricultural drainage ditches for water quality protection pdf file of slides - This presentation is a synthesis of results from a field tour and symposium held on Aug. 22-23, 2006 in Princess Anne and College Park, MD and the proceedings of this symposium, which will be published as a special section in the Journal of Soil and Water Conservation. Topics will include: fundamental scientific concepts important for effective ditch management; innovative ditch management practices; scientific, technical, and socioeconomic barriers to the adoption of ditch management practices in the region; and county, state, and federal programs associated with ditch management. Through this presentation, we hope to elicit a discussion as to how we can move towards increased utilization and implementation of ditch best management practices to meet water quality objectives on the Delmarva Peninsula while improving agricultural efficiency.
Instructor: Dr. Brian Needleman, University of Maryland
Agronomic Implications of Biomass Energy Crop Production pdf of slides- The era of energy crop production has arrived. Since bioenergy production is derived from stored solar energy of photosynthesis, the agronomic implications are significant. Current commercial energy conversion technologies will be reviewed to set the stage for energy crop demand. Conditions that enhance and threaten natural resources will be discussed as well as the challenges of moving an entire crop canopy off the field and into a profitable energy market.
Instructor Dr. Mark Jenner, Biomass Rules
Ethanol, Crop Production and Water Quality in the Mid-Atlantic pdf of slides - The production of ethanol from grain and/or cellulosic feedstock is having major impacts on price as well as production and fertility decisions for grain crops. Expanded and intensified grain production or production of cellulosic feedstock has potential positive or negative water quality impacts. Management of Dried Distiller’s Grains from grain ethanol production also has implications for manure use that should be considered. The potential positive and negative impacts of ethanol on water quality and choices and measures that can alter those impacts will be discussed. Instructor Dr. Tom Simpson, University of Maryland
Remote sensing applications for environmental assessment pdf of slides- One of the many issues related to evaluations of environmental quality is the ability of sparse ground sampling to adequately quantify an area. Aerial remote sensing has the capability to characterize plant canopies efficiently and effectively. An aerial flyover can cover many hundreds of acres in a single day at a ground resolution of one square foot. This presentation will overview many established remote sensing applications used for environmental assessment. Instructor: Dr. Susan White - Hansen, University of Delaware
Alternative Sessions
New and Alternative Field Crops: An Updated View– (pdf of slides)Considerable attention in the last several years has been directed at developing alternative crops that can fit into the corn and soybean crop rotation not only to minimize pest problems, but also to increase crop diversity. Diversification of crop production can not only reduce a grower risks to market fluctuations, but also allow for the explanation of new markets. This talk will update the information presented in 2004 concerning the current breeding and production research programs aimed at introducing and developing alternative crops. Crops of particular interest include Cuphea for medium chain fatty acids and lubricants, common milkweed for industrial fibers and oils, and Niger for the birdseed industry. Instructor: Dr. Winthrop Phippen, Western Illinois University
New and Alternative Field Crops: Continued- In this portion of our discussion on alternative crops, we will examine the potential for other crops which have not yet received much research attention but still have potential. The drive for the development of alternative oil seed and energy crops that can be used to continue the expansion of the ethanol and biodiesel markets will have a large impact on what alternative crops are developed in the future. Instructor: Dr. Winthrop Phippen, Western Illinois University
Producing Ethnic Specialty Crops - (pdf of slides) The general objective of this USDA-NRI study is to document the available opportunities for east coast farmers to grow ethnic crops from a market demand and horticultural perspective. A survey based on random sampling was prepared for four major selected ethnic groups namely, Chinese, Indian, Mexican and Puerto Rican. Community maps pinpointed concentrations of recent ethnic citizens which help a grower determine local consumer preferences and decide their specialty crop production. This information was used to direct crop demonstration plots for growers and advisors along the east coast of the United States. Instructors: Dr. Bill Sciarappa, Rutgers Cooperative Extension
Hazelnuts and Heartnuts: Getting started with new crops for the Mid-Atlantic region – (pdf of slides) Hazelnuts and Heartnuts are showing great promise for production in the Mid-Atlantic region. However, as with any new crop, certain management and production issues need to be addressed before investing in full-scale commercial production. This session will discuss cultivar development, as well as important production and management aspects and challenges of these new crops. Instructor: Dr. Thomas Molnar, Rutgers University
Can Mini-Sized Vegetables Maximize Your Profits? - (pdf of slides) Are minis in your future? The introduction of personal sized fruit has presented new market opportunities for some growers. The mini-craze has been reinvigorated with the introduction of the personal size watermelon, and more recently mini-sized cantaloupes have gained in market popularity. Touted for their ease of storage and one-sitting serving size, these convenience oriented fruit may open new wholesale market channels and spur greater sales at farm markets. However being new and novel doesn’t always lead to long-term profits. This presentation will first review the available selection of mini-sized fruit as well as what may be coming down the pipeline, followed by an evaluation of their labor needs, production characteristics and potential profitability. Instructor: Mr. Ben Beale, Maryland Cooperative Extension
Tapping into Emerging Ethnic Markets - (pdf of slides) Economic opportunities have arisen in the last decade for specialty crop agriculture catering to the ethnically diverse consumers of the United States. The first generation ethnic composition of New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts and Florida are 18%, 21%, 11% and 17%, respectively. To better understand these emerging consumer markets, bilingual surveys of ethnic consumers have been developed identifying food crop preference and ranking from a potential list of over 100 fruits and vegetables. Targeting these preferences and regional distributions may allow specialty growers to more successfully market their produce. Instructors: Dr. Bill Sciarappa, Rutgers Cooperative Extension
Producing Teff as a Profitable Annual Hay Crop – (pdf of slides) Current recommendations for producing the annual grass hay crop Teff will be discussed. We will cover plant identification, planting date, seeding rates, seeding depth, weed control, nutrient requirements, and expected quality of hay from the crop. Depending on information available, we will discuss the production and marketing of the crop as horse hay. Dr. Richard Taylor and Dr. Les Vough, Universities of Delaware and Maryland
Crop Knowledge Challenge Bowl- (pdf of slides) Test and expand your knowledge of crop nutrient problems and pest management problems in a competitive and challenging format. The audience will be challenged to identify a wide range of nutrient disorders as well as pest management problems. Where appropriate, additional information will be provided to help the audience identify the particular problem. Come sharpen your crop diagnostic skills. The challenge bowl will run for 55 minutes to provide continuing education credits in two categories. Instructors: Dr. Richard Taylor and Dr. Cory Whaley, University of Delaware
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