Happy Saint Patrick’s Day Irwin County Extension 107 West Fourth Street Ocilla, Georgia 31774-1401

Office Phone: (229) 468-7409 Cell Phone : (229) 424-2863 E-mail: pedwards@uga.edu

Webpage: https://extension.uga.edu/county-offices/irwin.html

IRWIN COUNTY EXTENSION AGRICULTURE NEWS - Vol. 8 Tue. Mar 17, 2020

Phillip Edwards Irwin County Extension Coordinator In this issue: Current Situation, Recent, Meetings/Events, Free Webinar on Forage Management, GA Peanut Achievement Club, Paraquat Required Training, Vegetable Planting Chart, Pecan Fungicide Program Examples, Wheat Concerns, Looking Back, A Few More Photos Recent

Good turn out at Ext. Pecan Meeting Lori Hancock teaching 4-H poultry judging Early planted wheat at full flag leaf Current Situation All group meetings related to our programming efforts in agriculture or 4-H Club are suspended at this time. Our Extension Pond Meeting Scheduled for April 1 is also canceled, but we may try a web-based program effort. We will keep you posted. The UGA Campus is closed but we are open for normal business. We have been told to follow the direction of our local county government so we will remain open until they tell us differently. No matter what decisions UGA or our county government makes, I will be available to assist with planting decisions, variety selection, herbicide decisions and any other needs from our agricultural community. Our diagnostic labs and soil lab are remaining open as of today. Our state leaders and department of agriculture are working to find a solution for training growers who still need the Using Pesticides Wisely training. The Citrus Meeting is also canceled. There are several trainings scheduled across the state that have been put on hold for now. I assure you that a solution will be determined to get the training to those who are in need. If you have questions, as always, just call our office or my cell phone by simply calling the numbers listed at top of this newsletter. Next week is Ag Week so please check out the information in the upcoming Ocilla Star. Meetings and Events – Please call our office at 468-7409 for more information Meeting/Events Date Location ____________________ 4-H Club Coke Fundraiser Pickup Day March 18, 2020 1-4 pm Irwin County Extension Office Cloverleaf, Junior, and Senior 4-H Camp Sign-Up Now Irwin County Extension Office FREE Webinars on Forage Management Thanks to The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association has a series of FREE webinars this spring focused on forage management. March 3 Soil - The Foundation of Your Enterprise March 10 Forage Systems – Finding the Right Fit March 17 Grazing – Balancing Animal and Forage Performance

March 24 Managing Drought - Effective Mitigation Strategies March 31 Optimizing Your Operation - Legumes, Crop Residues and Cover Crops

Watch the first video now on Soil: The Foundation of Your Enterprise! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtLospaUFeU&list=PLsDMBXSb2jYcUGaCNrQ09f0JxDJXJQu24&index=2&t=0s For more information and to register for future events, please visit: https://www.ncba.org/cattlemenswebinarseries.aspx

Attention Peanut Farmers: 2020 Georgia Peanut Achievement Club Rules and Guidelines It is time to prepare entries for the 2020 Georgia Peanut Achievement Club (GPAC). We are expecting some very worthy entries with outstanding yields from the 2019 growing season. There will be 15 winners chosen in this manner:

State Winners (1) One state-wide winner that produced the highest average yield in Georgia in 2019 on 100.0 to 299.9 acres. (2) One state-wide winner that produced the highest average yield in Georgia in 2019 on 300 to 699.9 Acres (3) One state-wide winner that produced the highest average yield in Georgia in 2019 on 700 or more acres

District Winners One winner from each of the four GPAC districts for the following three acreage categories:

1) 100 to 299.9 2) 300-699.9 3) 700 and up Acreage planted must be certified by CFSA smart card printout of each farm. Acreage entered must include total acreage on all farms and farm numbers farmed by a producer/operator in Georgia. This means every acre that a producer/operator is involved in producing, including those acres in which the producer is listed as a co-producer. The exception would be if the other individual(s) listed as co-producer(s) entered the Georgia Peanut Achievement Club and included that acreage in their entry. If peanuts are produced in more than one county, the producer will decide to which county his entry will be submitted. Minimum acreage required for entry is 100 acres. The overall state winner in the 100 – 299.9, 300 – 699.9, and 700 plus acreage categories will be determined first. The district winners for the 100 – 299.9, 300 – 699.9 and 700 plus acreage categories will be determined after determining the three overall state winners. Any producer averaging 4000 pounds per acre on all farms can be entered into the Georgia Peanut Achievement Club and can receive a certificate. The minimum yield requirement for acreage category 3 (700 acres plus) is 3500 pounds per acre. In the event that an acreage category within a district does not produce a yield of 4,000 pounds per acre or more (3500 lbs/A for the 700 plus acreage category), then the highest yield in that acreage category from all entries statewide will be declared the winner, provided it exceeds 4,000 pounds per acre. If there are no statewide entries with a yield of 4,000 pounds per acre within that acreage category, then the next highest yield statewide will be declared the winner if it meets the minimum acceptable yield as determined by the rules committee. The reported peanut production will not be separated by peanut market type (runner, Virginia, Spanish, Valencia). For the purpose of the Peanut Achievement Club, market types are not treated separately. Acreage and poundage entered must be listed with the County Agent and acreage certified by CFSA. Records for District and State awards must be received in the by 5:00 PM, Friday, March 27, 2020 to be eligible. A State Peanut Committee reserves the right to check any yield thought necessary. A complete application is available at our office. Training Requirements for Paraquat Usage Prostko We had a farmer visit the office to complete the paraquat online training on Friday. It will take some time to get signed in and go through the various modules. At the completion and passing of the test you will receive a certificate that you will need to print and keep. You must go online and compete training and pass the test and keep and print 1) New Gramoxone 3SL label: http://www.syngenta-us.com/current-label/gramoxone_sl_3.0 https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-worker-safety/paraquat-dichloride-training-certified-applicators 2) Current bulk handling systems already meet the new closed-system packaging requirements. A video of the new closed system for 2.5 gallon containers can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/XNxHq_asxXg. Tank adapters for 2.5 gallon containers should be available from dealers and/or manufacturers????? In my opinion, this headache will likely push more growers to bulk handling systems. 3) EPA-Approved Paraquat Training Information: https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-worker-safety/paraquat-dichloride-training-certified-applicators

Vegetable Planting Chart

Pecan Fungicide Program Usually this time of year, as bud break is nearing (I began to see budbreak on Cape Fear last week), I send out an example fungicide program. Again, there are many such programs that one could put together. Based on Dr. Tim Brenneman’s research results, I feel that the following would be good choices. You will see one program for highly scab susceptible varieties (think Desirable, Pawnee, Cunard) and another for more moderately susceptible varieties.

The important thing to remember is to rotate chemistries and use the fungicides to their strengths. Group 3 + Group 11 materials are excellent on leaf scab when combined and work well on nut scab too. Phosphites make a great leaf scab material and can be used alone at the 2 qt rate. Miravis Top is a superb new material that provides an additional chemistry to throw in the mix and should be focused on nut scab. Elast and Tin both work better on nut scab than on leaf scab and when combined are an excellent choice for nut scab. Program for Highly Scab Susceptible Varieties Absolute Phosphite (2 qt/acre rate) Absolute Phosphite (2 qt/acre rate) Miravis Top (this should be about the time nut sizing begins) Elast/Tin Miravis Top Elast/Tin Miravis Top Elast/Tin

(Continue with Elast/Tin or rotate with Absolute if additional sprays needed beyond this point.) Moderately Susceptible Varieties Phosphite (2 qt rate) Absolute Phosphite (2 qt rate) Group 3 +Tin Absolute (or Miravis Top if pressure is high) Tin (full rate) Group 3 + Tin (or Elast/Tin if pressure is high) Tin (full rate)

Wheat Concerns I’ve been out looking at wheat today and our early planted wheat is at heading while other fields are approaching full flag leaf. Below are so important and timely information related to aphid thresholds and fungicide choices to address Fusarium Head Blight. Other disease issues may be of concern, but none noted on this visit. Another interesting tool for the management of FHB is the Fusarium Head Blight Prediction Model. This model helps wheat producers predict the severity of this disease in their area. The model can be seen at http://www.wheatscab.psu.edu/

Looking Back – Way Back The 2020 Irwin County Junior Market Hog Show and State Show is in the rear-view mirror now. This year was the 30th anniversary of the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agri-Center. Below was the most unbelievable hog show results I have ever experienced as a county agent here in Irwin County, and it was the last year the state market hog show was in Macon. This article appeared in the Jr Livestock Circle in May 1989. Although the pages have yellowed the memories are still bright and clear.

A Few More Photos

Coke Products Ready for Pick-Up Wednesday Field visits with Gary Paulk and Agent Jeff Cook advisor to GA Strawberry Growers Association Thank You, Phillip Edwards Irwin County Agent

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