MAES News
July 1, 2005
- Soybean Rust: Stay Informed, Don’t Panic, Reference Guide Available
- MAES Faculty Members Named Distinguished Professors
- Sustainable Irrigation -- Sometimes Less Is More
- MSU Land Policy Program Acquires Statewide Aerial Imagery
- Increasing Yield is Goal of Soybean Project
- MAES Scientist Appointed to Michigan Food Policy Council
- Michigan Integrated Food & Farming Systems Names New Executive Director
- Field Days and Special Events
Soybean
Rust: Stay Informed, Don’t Panic, Reference Guide Available
The best defense against Asian soybean rust is to stay informed, scout fields and follow Web sites that document known incidence and the projected spread of the disease.
Asian soybean rust (SBR), a serious fungal disease that affects the foliage on soybean plants, has the potential to cause significant soybean yield losses. Michigan growers produced more than 75 million bushels of soybeans in 2004 with a farm gate value of $380 million. So far this year, Asian soybean rust has been found on kudzu in four Florida counties and on volunteer soybeans in one Georgia county. Field agents are scouting areas north of there in anticipation of the disease’s arrival.
It is possible that the disease could still spread into the Midwest this year, but farmers should not alter their successful growing practices. Instead, they should stay abreast of the latest information and track the known incidence of the disease and its projected spread. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is helping growers track soybean rust and recently changed the format of the maps on its public soybean rust monitoring Web site, www.sbrusa.net, by combining two of the three existing maps into one and making it easier to call up individual state commentaries.
The spread of soybean rust depends on several environmental factors -- wind currents, temperature, humidity and amount of rainfall -- and requires a source from which to spread. The right combination of these factors would be necessary for soybean rust to move into the Midwest.
To detect SBR early and monitor its spread, sentinel soybean plots have been established in 35 states, including Michigan. Ray Hammerschmidt, MSU Department of Plant Pathology chairperson and coordinator of MSU Diagnostic Services, explained that the soybean rust pathogen can not overwinter in Michigan and has to move up from the South.
“There has been a lot of scouting done this year for the disease in the South,” he said. “Fortunately, there have been few positive soybean rust detections, and that is good news for the Midwest.”
Farmers should have an action plan ready to put in place should SBR reach Michigan, but stockpiling fungicides is unnecessary and can represent added cost, especially in that most Section 18 fungicides are non-refundable. Patrick Hart, MSU plant pathologist, advised growers to wait for official confirmation of SBR from MSU Extension field crop specialists before applying fungicides to control soybean rust.
“Spraying for soybean rust when the disease isn’t present can be a significant waste of both time and money,” he said.
Growers and agribusiness professionals wanting to learn how to control the spread of Asian soybean rust also can turn to a reference guide available from MSU. “Using Foliage Fungicide to Manage Soybean Rust” is designed to help prepare producers, Extension field agents, crop consultants and others involved in soybean production in identifying and controlling the spread of this harmful plant disease. It is available free of charge from county Extension offices.
Michigan soybean producers are encouraged to scout their fields for SBR even though 30 sentinel plots have been strategically placed across the state. If growers detect suspicious symptoms, they should contact their county Extension agent, who can assist them in submitting a plant sample to MSU Diagnostic Services. The usual cost to analyze a sample is $20, but there will be no charge for analyzing samples for soybean rust. Details on how to submit samples to MSU Diagnostic Services are on the Web site.
“It's important to remember that soybean rust may not make it to Michigan in 2005, or it could come in so late in the season that it won’t present an economic problem,” Hart said. “For these reasons, growers should follow their normal agronomic practices for soybeans.
“This is especially true when it comes to buying fungicides,” he adds. “Chemical companies are assuring us that we will have more than adequate supplies of fungicides available for Michigan in 2005, so early stockpiling is not necessary.”
The spores that produce SBR travel on air currents, so farmers should monitor occurrences of the disease along the Mississippi Valley, the path that Michigan-bound spores would travel. Scouting fields and following Web sites that document incidence of the disease are also important.
Christine DiFonzo, MAES entomology researcher, explained that scouting for rust and soybean aphid can be done at the same time.
“The more times someone is in a field to scout for rust, the more opportunities there are to look for aphids,” she said.
To learn more about Asian soybean rust, visit the MSU Field Crop Advisory Team Alert Web site. The site provides current articles on the disease and links to other Web site resources.
MAES Faculty Members Named Distinguished Professors
Four MAES scientists were named university distinguished professors in recognition of their achievements in the classroom, laboratory and community. The designations, recommended by President Lou Anna Kimsey Simon, were approved in June by the MSU Board of Trustees.
This is one of the highest honors that the university bestows on a faculty member. Those selected for the title have been recognized nationally and internationally for the importance of their teaching, research and community service accomplishments.
University distinguished professors receive, in addition to their salaries, a stipend of $5,000 per year for 5 years to support professional activities.
Newly named university distinguished professors who are affiliated with the MAES are:
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Sustainable Irrigation -- Sometimes Less Is More
According to a study conducted by MSU, using improved irrigation practices can help save water, reduce pollution and increase crop yield. An MAES researcher, other MSU scientists and MSU Extension (MSUE) agents, in partnership with farmers in southwestern Michigan, duplicated this finding in two consecutive growing seasons under different rainfall and heat conditions.
The study, conducted by Mathieu Ngouajio, MAES horticulture scientist; Ron Goldy, MSUE district vegetable agent; Jeff Andresen, associate professor of geography; and Jon Bartholic, director of the Institute of Water Research, showed that it is possible to save 40 percent of drip irrigation water inputs and increase tomato yields by up to 15 percent at the same time.
“Our findings over a two-year period indicate that withholding water post-transplant for tomatoes was beneficial, and we saw similar results over the two-year time period. However, there isn’t a simple recipe that works the same everywhere,” explained Goldy, project coordinator. “Farmers will need to consider the type of soil, heat, rainfall and crop stage.”
Though drip irrigation is more efficient than most other irrigation methods, Goldy believes that this method is often overused. Drip irrigation can then waste water, wash away soil nutrients and potentially add nitrates to groundwater.
Goldy designed a program to test plant response to various water inputs. Results were consistent with his theory – withholding or limiting irrigation inputs for a few weeks after transplanting actually increased crop yields while decreasing water inputs. The exact duration of the period of limited irrigation depended primarily on weather conditions and ranged from approximately three weeks in dry conditions to five weeks when rainfall was adequate.
Although the study indicates that withholding irrigation immediately after planting may save significant amounts of water while increasing fruit yield, it is critical that the soil be moist at planting and that farmers monitor soil moisture, especially during excessively dry seasons.
“Some technology is required to use this system,” Goldy explained. “We put a series of tubes in the fields and then measured soil moisture by putting a probe attached to a monitor and data logger into the tube. Information from the data logger is then downloaded into a computer, which generates a printout that provides farmers with the information they need to target their irrigation needs.”
The research is continuing. Preliminary tests by Ngouajio with pepper plants have shown similar results.
MSU Land Policy Program Acquires Statewide Aerial Imagery
The Michigan Aerial Imagery Partnership was recently established to acquire statewide aerial imagery for the first update of statewide land cover/land use information since 1978. As a result of MSU Land Policy Program (LPP) and Remote Sensing and GIS Services (RS & GIS) leadership and extensive cooperation among seven state agencies, local and state planners and decision makers will soon have access to current statewide aerial imagery for the first time in a decade.
“We want to empower Michigan decision makers and stakeholders by providing critical spatial land use information,” said Soji Adelaja, Hannah professor in land policy, director of the Land Policy Program and MAES-affiliated scientist. “Many planners and decision makers are concerned that they are compelled to make decisions without current land use and land cover information. As a result, too many critical land use decisions that have irreversible impacts on our quality of life and natural environment are made without this critical spatial information and without an understanding of the full extent of future impacts of these decisions. We are acting now to fill this critical gap in our current state land use information infrastructure.”
Responding to urgent needs from across the state, the MSU Land Policy Program successfully brokered a $1.2 million deal with the U.S. Farm Service Agency. The deal for acquisition of statewide imagery is funded by $800,000 in federal contributions and $400,000 from six state agencies and MSU. Acquisition of the statewide imagery is being made through the Farm Service Agency’s National Agriculture Inventory Program.
“Successful cooperation among our state agencies and MSU has resulted in positioning this partnership to deliver outstanding information benefits to local and state decision makers and stakeholders across the state,” stated Eric Swanson, director of the Michigan Center for Geographic Information.
In addition to the Michigan Center for Geographic Information, the Michigan Aerial Imagery Partnership includes six other state agencies: the departments of Environmental Quality, Agriculture, Transportation, Labor and Economic Growth, and Natural Resources, as well as the Michigan State Police. MSU entities involved are the LPP and RS & GIS.
Obtaining current, high-quality imagery for the entire state addresses a key Michigan Land Use Leadership Council (MLULC) recommendation made in 2003: “The state should…update its 1978 Michigan Resource Information System current use inventory by completing a new round of aerial photography and land classification. This data will be an invaluable tool for local planning as well as understanding the changes in land use over time and the effects of those changes on Michigan’s land resource-based industries and the environment.”
Increasing Yield is Goal of Soybean Project
The number of soybean acres in Michigan has increased to more than 2 million in the past decade, but crop yields have declined during the same period.
MAES researchers and MSU Extension (MSUE) specialists will attempt to determine the reason for this decline and identify strategies for increasing Michigan soybean yields by the year 2010 with a new research project called Soybean 2010.
The idea for this project surfaced when the Michigan Soybean Promotion Committee (MSPC) contacted the MSUE Field Crop AoE (Area of Expertise) team expressing concerns about the declining trend in soybean yields in the state. Together with Project GREEEN (Generating Research and Extension to meet Economic and Environmental Needs, Michigan’s plant agriculture initiative at MSU), Michigan Farm Bureau, the Michigan Department of Agriculture, the Michigan Agri-Business Association and growers, MSU and MSPC partnered to create Soybean 2010.
“Over the past 10 years, soybean yields have dropped by 3.2 bushels per acre,” said Dennis Pennington, MSUE West Central Region educator. “We hope the Soybean 2010 project will give us some answers to why yields have fallen.”
To help find those answers, a 30-question survey was distributed to producers early this year as phase one of the program. The survey included questions about soybean growing conditions and crop management.
“The survey was mailed to a random sample of 1,500 soybean growers to identify their current production practices,” Pennington said. “We want to uncover the causes for the decline in soybean yields and then develop research and education programs to address these issues.”
“By reviewing the surveys, we hope to be able to compare growing and management practices between top growers and average growers,” said Kurt Thelen, MAES crop and soil sciences researcher. “We hope to find out what successful soybean producers are doing differently than producers whose crop yields have fallen.”
In phase two, set to begin later this year, survey data will be compiled into information that can be distributed to soybean growers. Researchers are hoping to present the data in flyers, manuals, MSUE bulletins, electronic communications and meetings to help growers increase yields.
Soybean 2010 is modeled after the Wheat 2000 program, in which wheat growers, MAES researchers and MSUE educators worked to identify crop management skills that would contribute to increased production.
“Over a 10-year period, wheat yields increased by 35 percent following the Wheat 2000 program,” Pennington said.
MAES Scientist Appointed to Michigan Food Policy Council
To offer recommendations on ways to increase economic development opportunities in Michigan's food sector while improving agricultural production, community well-being and public health across the state, Gov. Jennifer Granholm created the Michigan Food Policy Council.
Mike Hamm, MAES scientist, who holds the C.S. Mott Chair of Sustainable Agriculture, was one of 12 people appointed to the council.
The council's goals include expanding businesses and jobs across food-related sectors in the state; increasing access to fresh and healthy Michigan-grown foods for school children, low-income families, at-risk seniors and inner-city residents; promoting the purchase and consumption of Michigan-grown and Michigan-processed foods; and identifying strategies to enhance connections between Michigan growers and Michigan food outlets. (An op-ed piece by Hamm promoting the benefits to the state economy of purchasing locally grown produce was featured in the May 31 Detroit Free Press.)
The council will consist of 21 members, including 15 gubernatorial appointees. The directors of the departments of Agriculture, Community Health, Environmental Quality, Human Services, and Labor and Economic Growth, as well as the superintendent of public instruction, will serve as ex officio members of the council.
Others appointed were:
- Wayne Wood, Sanilac, president of the Michigan Farm Bureau.
- Jim Byrum, Onondaga, president of the Michigan Agri-Business Association.
- Cheryl Kobernik, Frankfort, co-owner of North Star Organics.
- Leland Wheaton, Charlotte, principal at Charlotte High School.
- Mattie Jordan-Woods, Kalamazoo, executive director of Northside Association for Community Development.
- Dennis West, Marquette, president of Northern Initiatives.
- Jane Marshall, Lansing, CEO of the Food Bank Council of Michigan.
- Giancarlo Guzman, Detroit, southwest community facilitator at Racial & Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) and board member of the Detroit Agriculture Network.
- Justin Rashid, Petoskey, owner of American Spoon.
- Jim Herbert, Lansing, CEO of Neogen Corporation.
- Todd Wickstrom, Ann Arbor, owner of Heritage Foods, USA, and managing partner of Zingerman's Deli.
Michigan Integrated Food & Farming Systems Names New Executive Director
Elaine M. Brown has been named executive director of the Michigan Integrated Food & Farming Systems (MIFFS) organization.
“Elaine brings a breadth of experience in Michigan agriculture and food systems which will serve her well as she leads the organization to the next level of success,” said Michael DiRamio, MIFFS council vice president.
Brown’s work experience includes more than 30 years in various positions in state government, non-profit organizations and the private sector. Most recently she was MIFFS programs manager and acting executive director.
She is one of 28 agriculture innovation counselors across Michigan, she represents non-profit organizations on Rural Partners of Michigan, and she is the former partners outreach coordinator for the MSU Product Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources.
She previously served on the state water quality trading rules working group and the siting and odor control generally accepted agricultural management practices committee. Brown received her master’s degree in resource development, with a specialization in resource economics, from Michigan State University in 2000, and she has written publications relating to agriculture and food systems and environmental conservation.
“I envision a MIFFS organization that is dynamic and growing and that leads diverse collaborations with broad visions and processes that excite and ignite creativity and innovation,” said Brown, a former farmer and a lifelong Michigan resident. “With the good work of our staff and council and assistance from our partners, we will continue to cultivate this organization to enable small and medium-sized farmers to find markets and opportunities, work to identify and break down barriers to healthy, locally grown food for all groups and communities in Michigan, and implement well-funded, long-term operational strategies that include non-grant-based funding mechanisms.”
Elaine replaces founding executive director Tom Guthrie, who unexpectedly passed away in February.
MIFFS, which is housed on the MSU campus, has a strong history of partnering to achieve its mission and of creating new collaborations to advance food and farming systems. Key partners have included the Michigan Department of Agriculture (to implement the Select Michigan program), multiple U.S. Department of Agriculture agencies, and MAES and MSU Extension sustainable agriculture and value-added agriculture programs.
Clarksville
Horticultural Experiment Station
Sweet Cherry
Variety Showcase
July 7, 2005
1 p.m.
Attendees will be able to view and discuss the new high tunnel covering
a block of trees producing Rainier and Sweetheart cherries. The tunnel
will be used to study the feasibility of high tunnels for sweet cherry
production in Michigan. The showcase also will feature sweet cherry
samples from Michigan, New York, Washington and Oregon. For more information,
call International Plant Management at (800) 424-2765.
Grand Opening of
the Ernie and Mabel Rogers Research Reserve
July 12, 2005
8072 S. Jackson Road
Jackson, Michigan
4-7 p.m.
The Rogers Reserve, donated to Michigan State University by Ernie and
Mabel Rogers, is a 116-acre property consisting of farm, forest and
wetland environments in Jackson County. It will be used for research
and teaching and will specialize in research on nut trees with commercial
and ecological roles that are practical for small-farm alternative agriculture.
Montcalm
Research Farm
Thursday, July 28th
Lakeview, MI
Muck
Soils Research Farm
Annual Field Day
August 4, 2005
4-5:15 p.m.: Field Tour (Part A)
5:30 p.m. Meal
6:15-7:30 p.m. Field Tour (Part B)
Michigan
Nursery and Landscape Association 2005 Summer Field Day
August 17, 2005
MSU Horticulture Teaching and Research Center
9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Northwest
Michigan Horticulture Research Station
Open House and Equipment Show
August 25
Early afternoon: educational sessions and equipment demonstrations
Late afternoon: wine tasting and dinner
Saginaw
Valley Bean and Beet Research Farm
Annual Field Day
August 30, 2005
Registration starts at 8:30 a.m.
The field day runs from 9 a.m. to noon. Lunch is included.
