 |
|
|
IPM Stuff Newsletters: Issue
1 - February 18, 2009 IPM Stuff Classics Corn
Planting Depth - 3/5/99 SWROC Pages: Home Page Other Cropping Newsletters: Minnesota Crop eNews - Regional Newsletters Minnesota Fruit and Vegetable IPM News The Bulletin - Other States IPM Newsletters
|
Integrated Pest Management Newsletters and Information IPM Stuff Print this newsletter using Acrobat Reader Table of Contents: If you receive these newsletters as forwards and would like to be on the mailing list subscribe send a request to Molly Werner. You get what you pay for. This is a free newsletter.
Crop WeatherTo keep up to date on all the crop weather details during the growing season visit the SWROC website.
Much of Minnesota is struggling to get the crop in as a result of the abnormally wet and cold October.
The following letter to the editor by a farming friend pretty much sums up the frustration. Here's to hoping November is more pleasant.
From The New Ulm Daily Journal October 22, 2009 reproduced with permission.
To the editor:
October, ahh glorious October: The squish, squish of autumn leaves underfoot as we plod through the grayness. The sucking, slurping, schlepping sounds as we slog wearily through the quagmire, hoping our boots don't abandon us. The iridescent reflection of the harvest moon on the water-filled ruts left by yesterday's harvest. The random patterns of mud globs deposited on roadways, waiting to be driven into oblivion by passing traffic. And so, on and on it goes: October, ahhh glorious October.
Frederick Juni Farmer, Milford Township
Mold in Corn
The cool, wet weather has caused fungi to flourish on corn ears. The mere mention of corn ear molds is enough to get the jungle drums going in rural Minnesota.
Most corn producers understand that some species may (but do not always) produce mycotoxins. The most sinister examples include Aspergillus flavus producing aflatoxin and Fusarium/Gibberella producing vomitoxin and zearelenone. Ear molds can cause storage problems and mycotoxins produce health risks to livestock and humans. These ear molds raise the specter of docked grain, feeding problems, crop insurance issues and fear driven behavior.
The problem species are relatively easy to identify and an internet search on corn ear molds will produce numerous identification guides. Color is part of identification for corn ear molds. Those of you who are colorblind you may need to get help with ID. Mycotoxin producing ear molds would be a cause for concern if they were present. From the information I have available, they do not seem to be common in SW Minnesota.
The only ear mold fungus that I have observed in samples dropped off at my office, corn fields that I have been in, or verbal descriptions over the telephone is a dark green fungus growing between kernels and scattered on the surface of kernels. This mold is quite common and widespread in SW Minnesota. Last Friday, Dean Malvick, University of Minnesota Extension Plant Pathologist and I looked at representative ears under good magnification. The fungus appears to be Trichoderma. My barely functional Latin translates the genus name to hairy skin - strangely appropriate. The Trichoderma fungus is growing superficially on, not in the seed surface and easily rubs off. It flakes off the seed when dry. The mycelium (fungal strands) starts out white (left side of colony on the ear in the photo) but turns dark green as it develops. Fungal growth seems to be greater where corn was less mature when it froze. I have not seen any significant injury to harvested kernels or mycelium on kernals when corn with this fungus is combined.
Most importantly, I have found no references to this genus producing toxins. Trichoderma ear mold is not a problem.
We do not have the same problems as some areas in the Corn Belt. Elevators, insurance adjusters and corn producers need to relax.
Department of Entomology |
