Area Farm & Ranch News
Sooty molds in wheat makes harvest a dirty job
Heavy late spring rains have triggered reports of sooty molds in wheat from eastern and central Kansas, according to Kansas State University plant pathologist Erick De Wolf.
"In most situations sooty molds are considered to be a cosmetic problem and will not result in any reduction in yield," said De Wolf, who specializes in wheat diseases for K-State Research and Extension.
"However, if wet weather persists, the fungi can begin to colonize the kernels, resulting in small dark lesions known as black point.
Black point symptoms can reduce grain quality." No management of sooty molds is possible or needed, he said. Fields with an abundance of sooty molds will make harvest operations a dirty job, because the black spores are disturbed and blown into the air by the combines. Individuals with severe mold allergies should take precautions to minimize exposure to the dust and spores produced during harvest.
Symptoms of sooty mold include a dark olive green or black fungal growth on the heads of mature wheat. The small mold patches are superficial and randomly distributed on the glumes, chaff and awns.
The fungi that cause sooty molds are common. They specialize in the decomposition of plant debris and are often among the first to colonize the dead tissues of mature plants.
"Interestingly," De Wolf said, "the distribution of sooty molds can provide insights into other production problems that were previously unidentified. For example, when sooty mold is found in patches within a field it suggests that these plants matured earlier and have weathered longer than the other areas of the field. Clearly, many things can cause wheat to mature early including standing water, dry soil conditions, fertility problems, or diseases such as barley yellow dwarf. In many cases, plants that matured early will have smaller kernels. In most cases, however, the sooty mold was not responsible for the reductions in grain fill, but is simply an indicator of other earlier problems."
- Area Farm & Ranch News
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Low-stress cattle management can increase profits and consumer confidence
Low-stress management is an option which meets the consumer and the producer needs.
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Grandin to speak at OSU seminar
Temple Grandin coming to Oklahoma State University on September 15 to speak to the students and public about animal welfare.
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Weather encourages menagerie of insects
There's quite a collection of insects being found in Arkansas due to the hot weather: armyworms, bollworms, grasshoppers, stinkbugs, tobacco budworms, salt marsh caterpillars, wooly bears, loopers and three-cornered alfalfa hoppers.
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SW Center Field Day set Sept. 10
Fences, particularly those used in management-intensive grazing systems, will be discussed at the upcoming Southwest Center field day on September 10.
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OBC field days aim to educate producers
The Oklahoma Beef Council through the beef checkoff program, in conjunction with the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, is hosting field days in four districts throughout the state to educate beef producers about topics including beef quality, cattle production and handling, consumer demand and methods to increase profitability.
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Wheat production and preserving water quality discussed at recent meeting
Area producers learned about the 2010 wheat crop and how to plan for next year, as well as how to properly handle poultry litter.
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Advances in beef productivity have reduced carbon footprint
Jude Capper’s research revealed improvements in nutrition, management, growth rate and processing weights, significantly have reduced the environmental impact of modern beef production and improved its sustainability.
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August is Kansas Farmers’ Market Month
In support of the state’s farmers’ markets, Governor Mark Parkinson signing a proclamation declaring August Kansas Farmers’ Market Month and August 1 to 7 Kansas Farmers’ Market Week.
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Kansas ranch family wins environmental stewardship award
Sproul Ranch, owned by Bill and Peggy Sproul, Sedan, Kansas, is a 2010 regional Environmental Stewardship Award winner.
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Missouri beef tour slated August 28
The 2010 University of Missouri Extension 14th annual Beef Tour is slated for August 28.
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