It takes a lot of soybeans to make enough oil to produce 18 million gallons of biodiesel. Delta BioFuels, a Mississippi company, is using soybean oil as the main ingredient for the process. And, it's going to take plenty more, as the Natchez company ramps up production to 80-100 million gallons of biodiesel by the end of 2007.
To read more, click here.
This week’s drought monitor map – released today by the Joint Agricultural Weather Facility – shows not appreciable effect from rains brought last weekend by tropical depression Barry.
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Parts of the Southeast that were in the extreme range last week remain largely unaffected. And the extreme zone has actually widened slightly in the Midsouth, mainly in central Mississippi.
An area in central Alabama has slipped into the exceptional range.
The map is based on data from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. The cutoff for the data was 8 a.m. Tuesday.
We have included this week’s map and maps for the 2 previous weeks in a stacked grouping. Click here to see a enlarged view.
Georgia: River levels in May some of the lowest on record 6/06
Alabama Economist: Some Drought Relief Soon? 6/06
Georgia Cotton Newsletter, 6-4, Good rains from Barry in east Ga.; how much it will change prevented planting unknown; glyph-resistant Palmer amaranth map update; irrigation management in drought.|
Points for Justification for Prevented Planting Decisions on Cotton, 5-1. S. Brown.|
Documentation Issues For Prevented Planting, June 1. D. Shurley, N. Smith.|
Clarification on 72 hour Notice for Prevented Planting, D. Shurley, N. Smith.|
Drought is playing havoc with row crop production in the Southeast, especially in dryland fields, but the weather is producing a bumper crop of fresh-market corn in places. Howard Small Jr., a crop consultant in Colquitt, Ga., said producers in his area are packing over 700 crates of sweet corn per acre in some locations.
“Years ago, 300 crates was a good yield in this area, then it edged up to 400 to 450,” said Small. “But this year, I don’t know of anyone at less than 500.”
Sweet corn yields tend to be better in drought years in that part of south Georgia and northern Florida, Small added, if growers start with good stands and have ample water for irrigation.
“There’s no disease, and you don’t get the kinds of rain that wash out fertilizer,” he said. “There’s some good tasting corn out there this season.”
Asian soybean rust (ASR) was confirmed today on kudzu in Louisiana’s St. Mary Parish. This is the second parish in south Louisiana where ASR has been found in 2007.
The following notation appeared on USDA’s soybean rust web site:
“This kudzu was being observed very carefully due to its proximity to a soybean field. The distance is only 30 feet. Continued scatterd showers have occurred lately. Although no other ASR has been found in Louisiana, conditions are favorable.”
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Jeremy Greene, South Carolina Extension Cotton Specialist, pointed out this morning that the approval for "natural" refuge for Bollgard II cotton has implications for anyone who's been delayed with cotton planting.
"The approval for natural refuge is effectively immediately, so growers who have not planted or may be replanting may choose to plant Bollgard II without a structured cotton refuge," Greene said in a memo. "The other potential ramification...would be that, where they currently have the 5% unsprayed or embedded option for their Bollgard II, they are no longer required to manage it as refuge. This not-Bt cotton may now be managed (treated) as the growers see fit.
"Please note that the natural refuge applies ONLY to Bollgard II and that planting Bollgard still requires a 20% sprayed, 5% embedded or 5% unsprayed non-Bt cotton refuge to be planted."
As Greene noted, there are additional regional restrictions, mainly relating to areas in Texas.
For the complete Monsanto announcement with regional restrictions, click here.
After posting the report from the Field Crop Newsletter about rust being found near Lorman, I received a call from Ernie Flint, Area Extension Agronomist, telling me that he had misunderstood an initial report and that rust, in fact, had not been found in Mississippi as the newsletter stated.
Samples were taken by a veteran plant pathologist who has identified soybean rust in the past. He thought it was rust but, in fact, the DNA tests were negative. They will be rechecking the site.
I apologize for any confusion.
Owen
Asian soybean rust (ASR) has been confirmed in kudzu under a bridge north of Dayton in Liberty County, Texas, which is between Houston and Beaumont. Rust was found in this location last fall, and the kudzu had died back over the winter, according to a posting on USDA’s soybean rust web site late Saturday night.
The incidence of rust was ranked as low.
The Dayton area was the first place where soybean rust was found in Texas - in November 2005.
The initial find in the Dayton area in 2006 was reported on August 20, 2006.
For our regular visitors who don't often stray onto our web site, the following is a list of Southern Extension bulletins and advisories that were posted on our site when we closed out the week. There may be items of interest:
ALABAMA:
Southeast Alabama Cotton Report, 5-31. W. Birdsong. Still potential for a normal crop if it rains soon._
ARKANSAS:
Arkansas Cotton, 5-31, Many different stresses appear to be affecting the crop depending on location; cotton looks "thrippy"; upcoming IPM meetings._
Soybean Notes, 5-30, Soil moisture decreasing; early beans being irrigated; statewide market average climbed 21 cents from Tuesday through Friday last week._
FLORIDA:
Peanut Herbicides: Quick Reference Guide, 2007. E. Jowers. Ratings on weeds, application tips and recommendations._
GEORGIA:
Georgia Cotton Newsletter, 5-30, How Late is Too Late to Pursue a Crop?_
Georgia Cotton Marketing News, 5-25. D. Shurley. Market attempts a comeback._
LOUISIANA:
Crawfish White Spot Syndrome Virus Update, 6-1, M. Shirley, SW Regional Aquaculture Specialist, Latest developments regarding WSSV. Management Practices and WSSV Fact Sheet._
Vermilion (Parish) Rice News, 5-27, Some younger rice at or near green ring; herbicide application; "mystery malady"; decisions about treating brown leaf spot; rice fungicide timing._
Louisiana Cotton Insect Report, 5-31, Pre-Bloom Treatment for Plant Bugs with Neonicotinoids._
Rice Field Notes, 5-29, J. Saichuk, Fungicide as insurance against 2nd crop Narrow Brown Leaf Spot disaster; identifying the rice leaf miner._
A.M.S. Ag Report (E. Central La.): , 5-27. Some aphid treatments starting; hard-to-control pigweed; reports of heavy thrips pressure on soybeans._
Louisiana Cotton Bulletin, 5-25. Thrips or symptoms of disease, slow growth?; mites building, picking the right material._
Mississippi Farm Bureau Region 1 Report, 6-4, MFBF farm bill committee convenes to discuss policy issues._
Rice Report, 6-1, N. Beuhring, Rice water weevil pressure building over past week; post-flood grass control treatments._
Mississippi Farm Bureau National News Update, 5-31, Ag disaster assistance spending measure passed the House and the Senate._
Mississippi Crop Situation, 5-30, Insect gallery update; mite treatments and thrips pressure continue; scout schools; soybean verification and rust monitoring updates; trap counts._
Field Notes (Central Miss.), 5-28. Mild temperatures helping corn._
NORTH CAROLINA:
North Carolina Pest News, 6-1, Thrip situation not likely to improve much until we get significant rainfall._
SOUTH CAROLINA:
Cotton Insect Newsletter, 5-31, J. Greene, DRY!!! I am amazed at how well some of our cotton is doing under the dry conditions. Reports on Thrips, False Cinch Bugs, Burrower Bugs with photos._
TENNESSEE:
Tennessee Market Highlights, 6-1, E. Rawls and D. Gerloff._
IPM Newsletter, 6-1, Thrips pressure beginning to ease up; giant ragweed once again showing up; southwestern corn borer will pose a threat to non-Bt corn in some areas; grain bags as storage for corn._
TEXAS:
Texas Crop & Weather Report, 5-31, Livestock and crop conditions are improving in many regions following a series of slow-moving weather systems bringing rain._
VIRGINIA:
Ag Pest Advisory, 5-31, Thrips hit double peak, with second larger than first._
RELATED MATERIAL:
USA Rice Federation Daily, 6-1, Weekly Net Sales Doubled, Exports Decrease; Thai Export and Domestic Prices Increase._
Arkansas Farm Bureau Bi-Weekly Market Briefings, 6-1, Improved export activity stimulating cotton gains; lack of fresh business keeping rice market quiet; soybeans rally near the brink; corn crop off to good start._
Arkansas Farm Bureau Market Report, 6-1, Covers Major Commodities._
Rice Advocate, 6-1, Farm bill debate; Agri-Business Conference in Cuba; very little price movement in the rough rice futures market._
Riceland Daily Market Review, 6-1, Every time the market attempts to go down, new money steps in to get the markets back to the plus side._
Peanut Prices, 6-1, from NASS._
The Japonica Report, 5-31, J. Zwinger. The question really comes down to corn, as this leads all the grain markets._
Jurgens Bauer's Morning Cotton Comments, 6-1, Technically the market shows itself preparing for a challenge to the 5500 level on the continuation charts._
Agricultural Prices, 5-31, from NASS._
Peanut Stocks and Processing, 5-31, from NASS._
Vegetables: Usual Planting and Harvesting Dates, May 2007, from NASS._
Keith Good: GMF Journalism Study Tour, 5-31, “Perspectives From Participants”._
Weather and Crop Bulletin, 5-30, from NASS._
Mississippi Farm Bureau Market Summary, 5-25. J. Quinn, Signs that there is still a pulse in the cotton market so the rally may not be far off._
Crop Progress, 5-29, from NASS._
Weekly Outlook, 5-29, D. Good, U of Ill., New marketing year highs have been established for soybean prices, but not for corn prices._
Keith Good's Farm Policy News, 5-28. Developments in EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). See also: Keith's blog entry: Small Farms, New EU Member State._
A group of Alabama Extension workers toured the San Joaquin Valley of California in May to learn about irrigation technology used in a region that often gets less than a foot of rainfall a year. With a full-fledged drought back home in the Southeast, the agents absorbed all they could about how Californians water their crops. A couple of Extension workers who went on the trip said that it was an eye-opening experience.
We've posted a report on our web site. Click here to read more.
We received a Georgia drought update today from David Emory Stooksbury, Georgia state climatologist and a professor in the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Here's how it begins:
An extremely dry May is setting low rainfall records across Georgia. May is traditionally one of the drier months, with rainfall normally averaging 3 to 4 inches across the state. No rain was recorded in May in many places from near Macon to south of Albany.
For his complete report today, click here.
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FIRST BOX OF TOMATOES: Chase (L) and Logan(R) Ferrell, grandsons of Billy Joe and Yvonne Ferrell of the Johnsville community, show off Bradley County’s first box of vine-ripened tomatoes. Billy Joe and Yvonne, tomato farmers since 1961, have about 30 acres of mainly Amelia variety tomatoes. John Gavin, county extension staff chair, says the Ferrells reported the first box on May 26.He estimates the county’s tomato crop will be 40% short because of the mid-April freeze, but there will still be enough for Warren’s Pink Tomato Festival June 8-9. (Photo by John Gavin, University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service)
Thrips continue to be the main pest across much of the area we cover with our Midsouth and Southeast cotton reports. The latest word comes from Louisiana, which is having the highest populations seen in the 4 years Extension workers have been tracking aphid numbers. They've also seen a double peak, with the second peak higher than the first.
Here are 2 links, one to an Extension report by Ames Herbert and the other to a report by Johnny Parker, agronomist with Commonwealth Gin in Windsor, Virginia:
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