Faulkner County Agriculture Update
September 18, 2020
General Conditions
Weather

We had another week of calm weather. Temperatures weren't too hot but it was humid. Today has felt really good and the rest of the forecast shows much of the same. We could have used some of the rain that was forecasted for this past Wednesday, but we didn't get any. There is another chance of rain next Wednesday with mild temperatures all week.
Arkansas River
Row Crop
Harvest

A few producers are starting rice harvest this week. Up until yesterday we only had one field harvested as moisture on most fields stayed a little high. Not much corn has been harvested either, but I have a feeling starting this weekend we will be in full harvest mode.
Soybeans

Soybeans range from R5.5 to R7. Leaves have really started turning color all across the county this week as we start the road to harvest. We are getting close to being out of the woods on insects and irrigation but we aren't quite there yet. Velvetbean caterpillars still worry me as they are starting to increase in numbers. We need to watch for 25% defoliation over the whole plant. We can see a majority of defoliation in the top of the plant and think that is more than 25%, but when you take the whole plant into the equation it is closer to 5 to 10%. Below is an example of what defoliation looks like on a leaf. Also keep an eye on green stinkbugs. I continue to see them right under threshold numbers.

SRVP (Soybean Research Verification Program) Field

The SRVP field is at R6.5. We have minimum damage from velvetbean caterpillars and green stink bug numbers remain low. We could really use one last rain to fill out some of the soybeans located on the top of the plant. We have a good hint of yellow leaves all across the field as we start to turn towards being done.
Moth Trap Counts for this week

Corn earworm moth counts really crashed this week. Corn earworms are hard to find in fields.
Beef & Forage
Pinkeye

Pinkeye generally refers to inflammation of the conjunctiva, which is the inner lining of the eyelids. In cattle, the term pinkeye (infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis) specifically refers to a highly contagious infection of the eye from the bacteria Moraxella bovis. This bacteria affects the conjunctiva of cattle and the cornea (the clear outermost covering of the eye), leading to painful corneal ulcers and possibly blindness. 

Several factors contribute to the onset of disease including UV light, face flies, tall pasture grasses/weeds and a dusty environment. These factors irritate the animal’s eyes, thus allowing an opportunity for the bacteria to cause disease. Increased irritation often leads to increased tears, which attract face flies. Flies move from animal to animal, spreading the bacteria that cause the disease. One or both eyes may be affected, and animals of any age are susceptible. Infected animals experience poor vision and pain, in turn causing a decrease in performance and weight gains. In the United States, pinkeye is estimated to affect 10 million head and cost producers over $150 million each year. The
losses are due to the decreased performance, treatment cost and handling cost associated with the disease.

For more information about Pinkeye click on the link to our fact sheet.
Winter Forages Links

Here are links to information about winter forages including planting rates and dates.
Fall Cattle Market Webinar

2020 has proven as unpredictable a year for cattle producers as for anyone else. An upcoming webinar from the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture aims to shed some light on the coming fall marketing season, taking into account aspects both perennial and (one hopes) unique to this year.

The hour long webinar is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 29, from 6:30-7:30 p.m., CDT. In addition to current market conditions, the webinar will cover factors that affect bid price, calf management, and supplemental feeding for preconditioned marketing and more.

Shane Gadberry, professor of ruminant nutrition for the Division of Agriculture, said this year’s event takes place in a notably different market environment from previous meetings and webinars dedicated to fall cattle marketing.

“Since August last year we've seen turmoil in the cattle markets,” Gadberry said. “The fall of 2019 was associated with a fire at a processing plant. This spring, markets were responding to the stock market and a backlog of cattle in feedlots as processors were working through employee illnesses and worker safety issues due to COVID-19.  

“With the uncertainty of what a combined flu plus COVID-19 season will look like, cattle producers will want to pay attention to cattle markets and evaluate if marketing sooner or later fits best,” he said.

James Mitchell, assistant professor of livestock marketing and management for the Division of Agriculture, will discuss likely market influences this coming fall and spring.

“We will talk through where cattle markets have been, where they are today, and where they might be going,” Mitchell said. 

He said a discussion of the current supply and demand situation for the beef industry will be followed by a look at supply and demand factors that will likely influence fall feeder cattle and cull cow markets, including drought conditions in the western united states, feeder cattle placements and the backlog of cattle in feedlots from COVID-19 related disruptions, cow-calf producer costs and returns and economic uncertainty from COVID-19. 

Mitchell and other panelists will also discuss multiple “sell versus retain” marketing scenarios, he said.

The webinar, which will be presented on the Zoom online conferencing platform, is free to attend, but registration is required. To register, visit http://bit.ly/FALL20CATTLEMARKETS
Hay and Pasture Insects

Armyworms continue their feast of Faulkner County grasses. I continue to talk to producers big and small that are spraying fields. I can't stress enough how important it is to scout any fall forages that have just been planted. Armyworms will eat newly emerged foliage and kill that plant before it can even come up. Continue to monitor pastures.
2020 Southeast U.S. Hay Feeding Survey

Extension forage specialists with the University Of Arkansas Division Of Agriculture and in the southeast U.S. would like your help in gathering information on hay feeding methods and time required for feeding hay to help develop more effective forage educational programs.
We would appreciate you taking the time to complete a survey regarding your hay feeding methods. If you do choose to participate, we appreciate your feedback and all information will be kept confidential to the extent allowed by applicable State and Federal law. By completing the survey, you are agreeing to allow the use of your responses for educational purposes. If you do not wish to complete the survey, your refusal to do so will have not any effect on your relationship with the University Of Arkansas System Division Of Agriculture. To opt out of taking the survey, simply do not complete the survey.
If you have questions or concerns about this study, you may contact John Jennings at (501) 671-2350 or by email at jjennings@uaex.edu. For questions or concerns about your rights as a research participant, please contact Ro Windwalker, the University’s IRB Coordinator, at (479) 575-2208 or by e-mail at irb@uark.edu.
Information gathered from the survey will provide direct insights into current hay feeding practices, and allow us to better develop forage educational programs. Additionally, the information provided will be used to prioritize research and Extension outreach efforts moving forward to more effectively address your needs.
Please click on the link below to access the survey. It should take approximately 10 minutes to complete.
Livestock Market Report

The weekly livestock market report is available on the Arkansas Department of Agriculture website.
Pesticide Applicator Training
Anyone that needs a private applicators license can use the online course as their required training to obtain a license. The Arkansas State Plant Board has made an exception and will allow producers that are certifying for the first time to be able to use the online training.

Upcoming Events
Fall Cattle Market Webinar - September 29 at 6:30 pm. Register at this link
Contact Kevin Lawson, County Extension Agent–Staff Chair, Faulkner County | www.uaex.edu/faulkner