Features,  Honors & Awards,  Ag Announcements

Ag News Elsewhere  (fresh daily from the Web)

Features

[AUG. 13, 2001]  The past two weeks have created holes everywhere. They exist in yards and tree leaves. Of course we have been "run over" by anthracnose creating holes in tree leaves for a few months, but these holes are caused by insects.

There are huge numbers of defoliators (things that eat leaves) working on just about every kind of tree leaf that is left on the tree at this time. Telltale signs that you might have this occurring would include tree nests, stripped leaves (often leaving the vein of the leaf) and the many droppings from what were once your leaves.

We have had large numbers of caterpillars throughout the spring and summer. Conditions must have been right. The ones eating tree leaves include walnut caterpillars, eastern tent caterpillars, tussock moth larvae and fall webworms. This is just to name the more prominent ones. In this grouping, the ones that are easy to single out are the fall webworms. They expand their nest and continue to feed inside the webbing. The others leave a nest or cocoon and feed on leaves individually or in groups. Most noticeable are the eastern tent caterpillars that tend to work on a branch at a time and do it as a group.

The question most often asked is, "Will they kill my trees?" and the answer is, "Probably not." If we think about it, these insects exist every year in wooded areas, and very few of the trees die. If you’ve ever been to Wildlife Prairie Park during a bad year, you can really appreciate the numbers of the eastern tent caterpillars you can come in contact with in a short period of time. Yet, those trees do come back year after year.

If you can’t stand the sight of the caterpillars, don’t want to look at naked trees any earlier than you have to, or want to get even with the larvae of the Lepidoptera order, you can control them to a certain extent. Most insecticides will provide control of the larvae. Insecticides included would be Sevin, diazinon, Orthene, Dursban, and B.t. as an organic control. For fall webworm, you can also clip off the nest area and burn it.

[to top of second column in this article]

The other types of holes that I referred to are in the ground. Some are exit holes (such as for cicadas) while others are entrance holes (as in June bugs and cicada killer wasps). Recently, both groups have been active. The cicadas can be heard regularly now. The wasp is a very formidable-looking insect approaching two inches long, but it is a relatively timid wasp that is not easily provoked. You will have to weigh the benefits of the wasp against the risk of getting stung. The wasp is actually killing the cicada, burying it and then laying eggs in it. A drench of liquid diazinon in the hole area or a general grub treatment would control the wasp.

That brings me to grubs. June bug, Japanese beetle and green June bug numbers have been very high in some areas. First places to check for grubs would be along walks, driveways and patios, as well as under security lights. If you’ve kept your yard lush with water, you’ll probably get more than your share of grubs. The beetles lay their eggs in the best-looking grass. Green June bugs are a little different. They tend to lay their eggs in organic matter such as gardens and flower beds. The treatment is best done with granular products of diazinon or Grubex.

[John Fulton]

[AUG. 10, 2001]  College scholarships were presented to seven Logan County 4-H members at the Logan County Fair last week.

[Joan Crabb]

[JULY 26, 2001]  Logan County has become a varied picture in agriculture over the past few weeks. With critical timing from the first week of July to date for corn, much-needed rainfall fell in some areas. Other areas were virtually shut out. Pictured below is an ear of corn with poor pollination due to heat stress at a critical time.

Also noticeable in area cornfields was the firing of lower leaves due to the heat and moisture stress, as plants protected themselves and continued filling kernels on the ear.

Insect damage was also seen, with rootworm beetles causing some silk clipping and corn borers riddling some stalks.

Soybeans have a critical point approaching as they start the pod-fill period. They continue to bloom, set pods and begin to make the seeds grow.

[to top of second column in this article]

Many insects, such as bean leaf beetles and grasshoppers, have caused some minor defoliation in the soybean leaves.

For the horticulturalist in us, we have seen the wilt virus transmitted by beetles in the cucurbits, such as pumpkins and cucumbers.

And lastly we have a problem we can take care of. That is damage by potato leafhoppers. It is indicated by a brown or black "V" at the tip of leaves. A simple spray treatment of diazinon or carbaryl will prevent further damage. This picture happens to be a rose.

Not all is bad, but it does make for some more dramatic pictures. If weather could be custom-ordered, it would involve about an inch of rain a week (and more than a tenth or two at a time would be nice), high temperatures of about 85 degrees and lots of sun.

The next items coming to Lincoln Daily News from the Extension office will be fair photos. The Logan County Fair will officially open on July 31 and will run through Aug. 5. The 4-H shows have already begun, with foods and clothing exhibited before the fair. Dogs will show on the Saturday before the fair, and most project divisions will be shown on the Monday before the fair. Hope to see you there!

[John Fulton]

Honors & Awards

• 4-H Food and Nutrition Show results

• 4-H Home and Family Show results

• 4-H Dog Show results

• 4-H Home Beautification Show results

• 4-H Vegetable and Fruit Gardening Show results

• 4-H Crops Show results

• 4-H Miscellaneous Show results

• 4-H Visual Arts Show results

• 4-H Poultry Show results

• 4-H Rabbit Show results

• 4-H Dairy Goat Show results

• 4-H Cat Show results

• 4-H Dairy Show results

• 4-H Breeding Hogs Show results

• 4-H Horse Show results

• 4-H Market Hogs Show results

• Department J Agriculture Products

• Department M Photography

• Department M Fine Arts

• Department M Textiles

• Department B Dairy Cattle

• 4-H Sheep Show results

• 4-H Beef Cattle Show results

• 4-H fair auction results and summary

• Class A Beef Cattle

• Class F Sheep

• Class G Swine

• Class L Floriculture

• Class O Dairy and Culinary winners

Ag Announcements

[AUG. 20, 2001]  The Logan County Commercial Corn Plot Field Day is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 29, at the Fort farm two miles west of Beason on Route 10. The field day will start at 4 p.m. with inspection of 30 corn varieties.

At 4:30 p.m. Mark Fricke, FSA county director, will give a short presentation on government programs. A pork chop dinner will be served at 5 by the Beason Ag 4-H Club.

Reservations are due on or before Aug. 23 to Susan Hurley at the State Bank of Lincoln, 735-2326.

The commercial corn plot is sponsored by University of Illinois Extension, State Bank of Lincoln, Fort Trust Farms and cooperating seed corn companies.

[John Fulton]

[AUG. 14, 2001]  When’s the last time you got a chance to go to a real ag equipment field day sponsored by a local dealer? Remember? Equipment shows in a neighbor’s field, a complete lineup of shiny new models ready for you to climb in and drive, tillage demonstrations, maybe an ag personality you might bump into, easy parking, a short drive from home — and it was all free?

Central Illinois Ag is hosting a pair of these "old style" field days during the fourth week of August. The events will be Wednesday, Aug 22, north of Havana, and Friday, Aug. 24, south of Pekin. Demonstrations begin at 9 a.m. and end at 3 p.m. both days.

Mark McLaren, show coordinator recalls, "Most of us remember that sense of awe or excitement we felt when we saw that first new combine or tractor — maybe at the fair, maybe being delivered to the neighbors or at the dealers."

"Farmers in the Atlanta, Farmer City and Clinton areas have known us for generations," says Steve Schmidt, president of Central Illinois Ag. "At Pekin, we’re still the new kid. We chose the Pekin area for the events so farmers in that area could get to better know us and what we have to offer."

According to Schmidt, Central Illinois Ag has grown dramatically in the past year. The company is the result of the merger of George H. Dunn, Inc. and Schmidt-Marcotte.

Those who plan to attend the field days are asked to call (800) 762-2325 by Aug 17. Your RSVP will help in planning the noon meal. Those who would benefit from attending the events include farmers and agri-business people.

Visit the Central Illinois Ag website at www.centralilag.com or call 1 (800) 762-2325 for more information.

[News release]

Back to top