EPA stop-sell orders on tainted herbicide

Several companies have been ordered to stop selling and distributing herbicide because of a batch the EPA believes is responsible for damaging eight-thousand acres of soybeans in northeast Kansas. Samples indicated the herbicide – Warthog 2 EC – was tainted with another herbicide, Dicamba, which is used to combat broadleaf weeds and can be harmful to legumes, including soybeans.

According to an EPA news release, EPA Region Seven issued the stop sale-use-or-removal-orders to HPI Products of St. Joseph, Missouri ; Pony Express Warehouse in St. Joseph, which received the product from HPI; and to the pesticide’s registrant, J. Oliver Products of Hernando, Mississippi.

During the week of July 12th, the Kansas Department of Agriculture responded to “multiple complaints” from farmers near Beattie, Kansas who said their soybean crops had been damaged after an application of Warthog 2 EC that was purchased from Frontier Chemical, a dealership in Beattie.

On July 20th, the Missouri Department of Agriculture launched an investigation of HPI Products in Missouri which showed stocks of Warthog 2 EC tainted with the other herbicide, Dicamba.

Kansas and Mississippi Agriculture Departments have placed state stop-sale-distribution orders on Frontier Chemical and J. Oliver products.

Further, the EPA says it has “encouraged J. Oliver Products to consider issuing a broad recall of any quantities of the product that may have already been distributed.”

ISU agronomist says crops look good

While Iowa has had its share of too much rain in places, ISU agronomist Brian Lang in Northeast Iowa says most areas have been able to absorb the excess moisture.

Cropland has been lost in spots that received heavy rains, four to 11 inches, earlier this month. “Still,” Lang says, “The crop conditions here look very good, both the beans and the corn. And, we’re hoping, anticipating for an excellent crop.”

Lang tells Brownfield significant foliar fungicide application is going on now. “We always wonder about some of it being justified. However, with the wet weather we do have a lot more leaf disease, particularly in corn.”

In the northeast corner, he says they’ve had some issues with army worms, detected in Chickasaw County earlier this week.

As for soybeans, Lang says application is a tough call. Even though it’s been wet, he says soybean brown spot has been “behaving itself.” Frog-eye leaf spot is coming in right now and is a good one to control with foliar fungicides – although he says most soybean crops are not susceptible to it.

AUDIO: Interview with Brian Lang (4 min. MP3)

Tour predicts strong wheat yields, higher protein

Strong wheat yields and potential for higher protein levels are among the conclusions of the 2010 Hard Spring Wheat and Durum tour through the Dakotas and Minnesota. DTN and Dow Jones newswires report the overall wheat average from the three-day tour is 45.2 bushels per acre, down slightly from last year’s 45.7. The averages for Hard Red Spring wheat, 46 bushels… and hard red winter, 48.4, are down slightly from last year. Durum, however, is up from last year at 38.4 bushels an acre.

Extra fertilizer applications and heat stress are two of the factors scouts say could raise wheat’s protein grade this year to the 13.5 to 14 percent protein range. Last year’s wheat had weaker protein levels.

Insect pressure this year has been light.

Harvest has begun in some areas but wheat planted later because of excessive spring rain won’t be ready for harvest for about another month.

Disease problems showing up

Due to the varied weather conditions this growing season, Jason Bond, plant pathologist at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale says in all likelihood there are going to be problems showing up.

“With the heat we’ve had, we’re having problems with things like charcoal rot, which is a drier year kind of thing, but we’re finding a lot of it in some of our roots,” the SIU plant pathologist said. “Everywhere else in the state we’re seeing conditions leading to have more sudden death syndrome, more foliar diseases like frogeye leaf spot and septoria brown spot, we’re getting those anywhere from 10 days to a month earlier than we did even last year, when we had all that rainfall in many parts of the state.”

While there may not be much that can be done any more this growing season, Jason Bond suggests taking notes and refer to those when making variety selections for next year.

AUDIO: Jason Bond, SIU at Carbondale (2:35 MP3)

Heat and humidity help Iowa crops

Widespread rain in Iowa last week – at times heavy rain – led to ponding and some flooded fields in low lying areas but no significant crop damage was reported. The Iowa Ag Statistics office says the high heat and humidity helped crops progress last week.

Ninety-four percent of the corn in Iowa had tassled as of Sunday, 85 percent had silked and 21 percent reached the milk stage – all ahead of last year and the five-year average. Only 10 percent of the corn crop is rated poor to very poor. The rest is fair, good or excellent.

Eighty-two percent of the soybean crop had bloomed, just ahead of last year and the average. Forty-four percent of soybean acres have set pods, also ahead. Seventy-one percent of the crop is in good to excellent condition.

Second cutting of alfalfa is just ahead of last year, but below the five year average, at 70 percent. Alfalfa’s third cutting has just begun. Fifty-nine percent of the hay condition is good to excellent.

Corn and soybeans ahead of ‘09 in Illinois

Rain and above normal temperatures were the norm last week in Illinois,  slowing down progress of spraying and mowing. Corn is 96 percent silked ahead of last year’s slow progress – which at this time – was 49 percent silked. Dough corn reached 41 percent, well ahead of last year and the five year average. Most of the crop, 89 percent, is in fair, good or excellent condition. Area agronomist, John Kultgen, for Northern Illinois, “Pollination is fairly well complete in the corn,” says Kultgen. “Most corn is at the blister to melt stage. On sight application for foliar disease continues on fields that are most susceptible for foliar diseases, such as gray leaf spot, common rust, and eye spot in some northern corn leaf blades.”

Soybeans are 79 percent blooming, ahead of last year and the average.

36% of soybeans are setting pods. Ninety-percent of the Illinois soybean crop is in fair, good or excellent condition. Kultgen recommends continued scouting.

“Continue to scout soybeans for leaf defoliating insects such as Japanese beetles, green clover worm, and bean leaf beetle,” Kultgen tells Brownfield.

He says northern Illinois, which was below average on rainfall for July, got anywhere from a quarter of an inch of rain to six inches on Friday.

Monsanto technologies receive EU approval

The European Union has given regulatory approval to two of Monsanto’s corn technology combinations—Genuity VT Double PRO and YieldGard VT Triple. 

The decision covers the import, processing and food and feed use of grain and processed products.  The final step in the approval process is publication of the decision by the European Commission.

Monsanto says the YieldGard VT Triple technology is estimated to be on nearly 30 percent of corn acres in the U.S. this year.

Spring wheat tour projecting lower yields

Participants in the first day of the 2010 Hard Spring Wheat and Durum Tour say wheat yields could be down from 2009 levels.

According to a DTN report, the overall average yield estimate from the first day of the tour through parts of North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota was 42-point-seven bushels per acre.   The compares to a 45-point-nine bushel average in 2009. 

The executive director of the Wheat Quality Council, Ben Handcock, told DTN that with plenty of rain and mostly good growing conditions, he expects yields to be very similar to last year.  But Handcock says the big question is where protein levels will be, which won’t be answered until the harvest gets rolling over the next few weeks.

The tour continues through Thursday afternoon.

DuPont gains in seed market share

DuPont says it has increased its North American market shares in both corn and soybeans.

According to a company news release, DuPont’s Pioneer Hi-Bred business increased its corn market share in North America by two points and its soybean market share by four points.  The company says those gains were equally split between the Pioneer brand and other brands distributed through its PROaccess business strategy.  

For the first half of the year, Pioneer’s global seed sales increased 14 percent on eight percent volume gains.

Russia suffering worst drought in 40 years

Russian officials say that country is experiencing its worst drought in nearly 40 years.

Russia’s presidential advisor on climate says Russia has not seen such an overwhelming drought since 1972.  The USDA has confirmed that all of Russia’s major spring wheat producing districts, including Siberia and Volga, have been subject to severe and persistent drought.

According to a report on agrimarketing.com, about 20 percent of Russia’s wheat crop has been lost to the extended heat wave.  A private Russian analyst now sees wheat production at less than 75 million tons versus the official forecast of 85 million tons.

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