Latest on Head Scab Risk in Kentucky

(FHB Risk Assessment - 05.13.2013) The FHB risk in much of central and west KY continues to be moderate. Risk is higher in east KY. Dry weather today through Wed will allow some fields to be sprayed with a scab fungicide, assuming you are not more than 5 days past the beginning of crop flowering (anthesis). If your crop has been flowering for more than 5 days, harvest restrictions for individual products will preclude you from spraying. Plus, results would be very iffy. Research has shown that Caramba, Proline and Prosaro are the preferred products for suppressing FHB symptoms and DON contamination of grain. Tebuconazole products used alone will not perform as well as the recommended products. Any product that contains a strobilurin should not be applied when there is a significant FHB risk due to the potential to increase DON in harvested grain above that of non-treated wheat. Fungicides containing a strobilurin do not have Fusarium head blight (head scab) on the product label.

--Don Hershman, Extension Plant Pathologist, University of Kentucky

For more details, go to the FHB Risk assessment tool at http://www.wheatscab.psu.edu

Precision Technology Seminars July 29-30, 2013 Cost: $25.00 per person (meals included) Pre-Registration Required; Space is Limited To register, contact Adam Andrews at (502) 974-1121 or email your name and phone number to adam@kycorn.org. Read more

Farmers Challenged to Support University of Kentucky Wheat Research via Grain Donation

KySGGA will match funds

The Kentucky Small Grain Growers Association (KySGGA) established a research fund at the University of Kentucky (UK) last year to ensure the advancement of production research crucial to Kentucky’s grain farmers. The fund has received $18,000 to date from grower and private company contributions and matching funds from KySGGA.

Chris Kummer, a Simpson Co. grain farmer, was the first to make a contribution because he believes in the success of the UK’s wheat research programs.

“Wheat and small grain production in Kentucky has made tremendous strides the past few decades due to the talent and dedication of UK’s research staff and their cooperation with farmers and professionals,” said Kummer. “I wanted to invest in the program to see that success continue for decades to come.”

The KySGGA has directed nearly $2 million in checkoff toward small grain research. While annual research project grants to several institutions remain a priority of KySGGA leadership, establishment of a permanent research fund will guarantee that small grain research will continue to be a priority at the University of Kentucky.

“Our leadership has been extremely pleased with the quality of research conducted at UK, and growers have benefited greatly from the results,” said Kentucky Small Grain Promotion Council Chairman Don Halcomb. “The fund will work only to improve our successful partnership.”

Individual growers and businesses may donate to the fund, and KySGGA will match the sum of donations up to $50,000. In addition to cash, growers and businesses may make an above the line deductible donation of grain. The fund must reach $50,000 before it can become an endowment, which is a goal of the association.

“I’m hoping others will see the value of the UK small grain research program, and I’m encouraging others to make that investment in our future production,” challenged Kummer.

Donations of any size should be made directly to the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture for the Kentucky Small Grains Growers Association Research Fund.

Checks can be mailed to:

UK College of Agriculture
Marci Hicks, Director of Development
E S Good Barn
1451 University Drive
Lexington, KY 40546-0097

For more information on how to make a gift of grain, contact Marci Hicks at 859.257.7200. For more information about the fund, please contact KySGGA Executive Director Laura Knoth at 800.326.0906 or by email at laura@kysmallgrains.org. 

Call for Research

KySGGA is now accepting research proposals for the 2013-2014 growing season through July 12. Projects should be geared to research of small grain crops (wheat, barley, oats, rice, rye, triticale) or of production/marketing issues and methods that may benefit all Kentucky crop growers.

KySGGA leadership met in March to discuss research they would be most interested in seeing. Suggestions included: swath control for air seeders, irrigation, cover crops/crop mix, chemical resistant weeds (i.e. chickweed), wheat growth regulators, improvements in late-planted wheat, and crop modeling such as water needs.

All interested investigators should click here  for instructions and application forms. Any questions should be directed to Jennifer Elwell at 502.921.2625 or jennifer@kysmallgrains.org. 

Agricultural Land Prices, Supply, Demand and Current Trends

Assistant professor Cory Walters and Ph.D. student John Barnhart in the University of Kentucky department of Agricultural Economics recently released the following article regarding land value research funded by the Kentucky Small Grain Growers Association and Kentucky Corn Growers Association. This is the first article of three that will be released this spring.

Farmland market price discovery is difficult due to many factors influencing farmland market price (for example: parcel production capabilities, size and shape) plus the fact that a majority of transactions take place behind closed doors. What we do know is that, over the past decade, average U.S. farmland values have more than doubled (NASS, 2012). Particularly for corn and soybean producing regions, farmland prices have risen largely because of increased demand from market participants attempting to capture financial gain through expected future production profits and asset appreciation. Changes in factors influencing farmland market values influence buyer and seller decisions. The purpose of this article is to describe the incentives faced by farmland buyers and sellers in a supply and demand framework explaining the reasons why farmland values are relatively high. Read more

Financial Impacts from Farmland Value Declines by Various Ownership Levels

Assistant professor Cory Walters and Ph.D. student John Barnhart in the University of Kentucky department of Agricultural Economics recently released the following article regarding land value research funded by the Kentucky Small Grain Growers Association and Kentucky Corn Growers Association. This is the second article of three that is being released this spring.

Long-term farm financial strength stemming from investment decisions is a primary concern of
all producers, bankers, and the entire agricultural industry. Farmland in Kentucky represents the
primary resource for producers to accumulate wealth and represents, on average, 75% of producers’ assets (KFBM, 2012). There are large differences in farmland as a percent of assets across Kentucky producers, with a minimum of 13% and maximum of 99% (KFBM, 2012). Declines in farmland values have the potential to reduce long-term farm financial strength (causing liquidation in the extreme case) as well as producing negative indirect impacts throughout the entire agricultural industry. In this article, we examine farm financial impacts from farmland value declines by various farmland ownership levels through key financial ratios.

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Kentucky Farm featured on America's Heartland TV Show

Peterson Farms of Loretto, Ky were featured on a recent episode of America's Heartland, showcasing their wheat, soybean and corn operation. America's Heartland is in its 8th season and airs on local PBS stations and RFD-TV. View the episode.

Is Wheat a Chronic Poison?

From Best Food Facts "Food for Thought" Blog

A recent episode of The View focused on a report from Dr. William Davis that claimed wheat is a "perfect chronic poison" that stimulates our appetites and ultimately, on average, makes us consume 440 more calories per day. In an age where paying attention to calorie intake is essential, this is something that made our ears perk up.

The basic idea is that over the last 50 years, hybridization of the wheat grain has taken place to increase crop yield and lengthen shelf life. To do this, a protein called gliadin was added to the grain. The theory is that the higher concentration of this protein has made wheat less digestible, which causes an allergy.

According to Dr. P. Stephen Baenziger, professor in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, wheat is relatively higher in protein than other cereal grains such as rice and corn and therefore, lower in carbohydrates. In addition, Dr. Baenziger says that wheat from 100 years ago exhibited the same qualities as modern wheat, so the assumption that today’s wheat varieties create gluten sensitivity is unfounded.

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Kentucky Wheat Featured in UK mAGazine

Wheat seed is not very big, but what it helps produce is huge. Kentucky farmers, like the Hunts in Hopkinsville, plant that tiny seed in their fields in mid-to-late October. By June, it has developed into grain that helps fuel economies, create jobs, build corporate partnerships, and most importantly, provide nourishment to countless numbers of people every day in Kentucky and across the nation.

When many people think about Kentucky agriculture, horses and tobacco quickly come to mind, but the state boasts a significant amount of wheat production. Kentucky ranked 16th in the nation in winter wheat production in 2010, with growers producing 16.5 million bushels of the soft red winter wheat that provides flour for cookies, cakes, pastries, breads, and crackers.

Kentucky producers started growing more wheat when double-cropping it with soybeans became popular in the 1970s, giving them the chance to get two crops from a field in one growing season.

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