Area Farmers Performing Fall Field Work
SPRINGFIELD - Harvest progress and post-harvest chores were aided by 5.7 days suitable for fieldwork during the final week of October, according to the October 31 Illinois Weather & Crops report issued by the USDA-NASS/Illinois Field Office.

“Corn harvested now stands at 89 percent, compared to the five-year average of 71 percent. Soybeans harvested are at 94 percent, compared to the five-year average of 80 percent,” the report stated, in part. “Many producers are also busy with fall tillage activities, along with fertilizer and lime applications and seeding winter wheat.”
Statewide temperatures averaged 50.4 degrees, or slightly below normal, though some parts of the state-- including some areas of central Illinois-- received moderate to heavy frost.
Winter wheat seeded is also above the five-year average of 81 percent, with 89 percent, as is winter wheat emerged (64 percent, 5 yr./avg. 56 percent).

Kirchhofer: N Apps Should be Stabilized
PEORIA - Nitrogen (N) is currently being applied to farm fields in Peoria County, but farmers are being cautious to stabilize the chemical while soil temperatures fluctuate around the 50 degree mark in the area. “N-Serve is a N stabilizer that is being put on with anhydrous ammonia which helps keep N in a form that will stabilize it and prevent it from leaving the soil profile,” said Patrick Kirchhofer, manager of the Peoria County Farm Bureau, when contacted on November 2nd. “When the soil warms up the next spring, the anhydrous ammonia will convert to a form of N that is available for the corn plant to take up.”
Kirchhofer stressed that soil temps must have dropped to 50 degrees F or less at a four-inch depth in order for the N to achieve stabilization. Warmer soil temperatures do not protect against conversion to nitrate. Jim Angel, state climatologist with the ISWS, agreed that the threshold for applying fall fertilizer is a soil temperature of 50 degrees.
“What you want to do is wait a little beyond the first day when soil temperatures reach 50 degrees. Sometimes it will swing back and forth before the colder weather of late November settles in,” Angel said.
Farmers applying chemicals to their fields during the fall is a common sight, save during years such as 2008 and 2009, when prolonged poor weather pushed the harvest back until the first snows and fieldwork was postponed until the spring. “N in the form of anhydrous ammonia that is often applied on farm fields in the fall in preparation for next year’s crop,” said Kirchhofer. “Corn is a grass and requires N fertilizer to maximize yields.”
According to the ISWS’ Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring Program, soil temperatures recorded at their Peoria Station averaged 50.3 degrees F on Saturday, November 4th. For more information about proper N applications, visit www.KIC2025.org.

It’s the Economy, Dummy...
SPRINGFIELD - During a conversation last week with Tim Maiers, communications director for the Illinois Pork Producers Association (IPPA), we discussed the opening of a new, 2,400-head hog facility in LaSalle County in late October-- specifically, how such events have become more rare over the past few years in Illinois. When asked what role environmental groups have had in quashing plans by producers and investors to expand or bring new facilities online, Maiers cited other extraneous factors at work.
“The main (factor) has been the uncertainty and volatility in grain markets. Expansion ideas have been put on hold,” said Maiers. “Even under a contract situation, (investors) want to see where things are going. Looking at the corn crop we’re projected to have, there is a little different mind set than even a year ago.” In other words, environmentalists have limited targets in Illinois and elsewhere these days because investors are skittish about developing new projects anyway. Once the projects are announced, environmental groups are poised to object to the plans, such as is the case with a planned swine production facility encountering opposition in Livingston County.
The uncertain market has caused many of the select few who have expanded or started new in the hog industry to enter into business under a contract agreement with outside suppliers, Maiers explained, pointing to John and Kate Hagenbuch’s new grow-to-finish operation near Utica as an example. “(The Hagenbuchs’ two) barns will be contracted with Illini Swine, with the feed coming from JBS United through the Graymont Co-op facility. The family will basically be raising gilts that will be fed through the Illini Swine system to farmers around the area,” said Maiers. “It’s not uncommon to see young families having a contract arrangement to help with risk management for their huge investment.”

EAB Seminar Slated for Wyoming
SPRINGFIELD - With the emerald ash borer’s arrival in Stark County, the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) and the University of Illinois Extension have announced an EAB Management Seminar for landowners, tree care professionals and municipal leaders for December 8 in Wyoming, Illinois. The program, which is free to the public, will be held at the Wi-Fi Community Center at 405 N. Galena Road from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
By burrowing their larvae into the trunks of ash trees, the green “emerald” ash borer, a beetle, has caused the death of thousands of trees across the Midwest. It’s migration to Stark County, as well as McLean County in central Illinois, was noted by the IDOA this summer.
The seminar’s focus will include the topics “How did EAB get here and what can we do?,” “EAB lookalikes,” “Ash tree identification” and “Ash tree and wood disposal,” among others. Advance registration is required for the seminar, and lunch will be provided. To register call the Rock Island Extension office at (309) 756-9978 by December 5. Online registration is offered at http://web.extension.illinois.edu/hmrs/. (IDOA news release)

Illinois Farm Fact:
As per the Senate’s non-vote on the issue, applicators of pesticides on or near water will be required to obtain a NPDES permit from the EPA after January 9, 2012. Pesticides commonly used by farmers could also be in line for such unnecessary, burdensome and costly regulations, according to the Illinois Fertilizer & Chemical Association and others.


(Tim Alexander is a freelance reporter who writes agriculture, news and feature articles for the News Bulletin, Farm World and many other publications.)