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USDA has expanded Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) to reach a greater share of farming operations and improve USDA pandemic assistance. CFAP 2 has reopened through May 31, 2021 and will continue to accept applications. CFAP updates include additional payments for eligible cattle and row crop producers, and the processing of payments for certain applications filed as part of CFAP Additional Assistance. Eligible producers include those who applied in Round 1. Producers who already applied in Round 2 (September-December 2020), are not eligible to apply again.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, enacted December 2020 requires USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) to make certain payments to producers. This includes:
Producers should work with their local FSA office to apply. Visit farmers.gov/cfap to learn more about CFAP and farmers.gov/pandemic-assistance for additional information about the USDA Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative.
Source: Karisha Devlin, Ag Business Specialist
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The 49th Annual Northeast MO Performance Tested Bull Sale was held in Palmyra on March 27. The overall average on twenty-six bulls was $4,467. The high breed average was Angus at $4,675. Other breed averages were Polled Hereford $3,638, and SimAngus $4,050.
The high selling bull in the sale was Angus consigned by Hudson Angus Farm, Jefferson City, Mo and sold for $6,500 and was purchased by Larrick Farms, Shelbina, Mo. Two other bulls sold for $6,250 consigned by Tyler Haerr and Meyer Cattle Co. they were purchased by Sunsetview Farm, Center, Mo and Ed Jackson, Frankford, Mo. Nine other bulls sold for $5,000 or higher.
Bulls offered in this sale met certain predetermined standards to meet eligibility. Bulls must be in the upper 50th percentile in two out of four EPD (Expected Progeny Difference) traits: CE or BW, WW, YW, or Milk, yearling height 49 inches or above, weight at a year 1100 pounds or above, semen tested and examined for breeding soundness and to be found satisfactory potential breeders. As well as meeting health requirements: tested and found negative for Brucellosis and BVD-PI, vaccinated against Leptospirosis, and must follow state requirements for trichomoniasis.
The sale is a cooperative effort between the Northeast Missouri BCIA (Beef Cattle Improvement Association) and University of Missouri Extension. For details on participating, contact your nearest Extension Livestock Specialist. The next sale will be March 26, 2022 at F & T Livestock Market, Palmyra, Mo.
Source: Daniel Mallory, Livestock Specialist
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Ornamentals
The average frost-free date for northeast Missouri is April 21. This is only an average, so frosts can still be expected after this date. Be prepared to cover tender plants. Early to mid-May is the best time to plant warm-season annual flowers, which grow best when the soil has warmed, days are sunny, and the air temperature is above 70 degrees. There are many flowers to choose from in wide variety of colors, shapes and forms. Rose moss, lantana and zinnias have good heat and drought tolerance. They grow well in the summer heat, thrive on little care and attract butterflies to the garden. Begonias, impatiens, coleus and torenia are shade tolerant annuals. They do well in morning sun and afternoon shade. All annuals may require deadheading (removal of spent flowers), fertilizing with a water-soluble fertilizer and regular watering. The showy blooms provide beautiful color and gratification to gardens and landscapes.
Perennial flowers can be planted during the month of May. Native plants tend to grow well in a wide range of soils, and often attract many types of pollinators like flies, bees, butterflies and even birds. Consider helping restore the monarch butterfly population and plant milkweed. Monarch populations have been in decline for several years due to loss of habitat and the use of pesticides. By planting their larval host food, milkweed, gardeners can help restore monarch numbers in their area. The Grow Native! website at https://grownative.org/ lists many perennial natives for sun, shade, dry and moist areas. Garden design plans can also be found on the website. Consider a mix of sedges, grasses and flowering plants in a native plant garden.
Spring blooming shrubs such as the forsythia and lilac should be pruned after bloom. It is best to prune a third of the shrub at one time removing the old or dead branches. Then remove another third the following year and the remaining third the year after that. Pruning will encourage plant vigor by removing weak, overcrowded growth. Thinning a shrub in this way often improves the visual balance or symmetry of the plant. It can also allow for better air circulation which is important for lilacs which are susceptible to powdery mildew. Trees and shrubs that flower during the summer or early fall, should be pruned in winter or early spring before new growth begins. These plants develop flower buds during the spring of the flowering season. Examples would be Rose-of-Sharon and Butterfly Bush.
Fruits and Vegetables
Cool-season crops like radishes, peas, cilantro, spinach, lettuce and kale should still be producing well into late May. By June, they tend to bolt (set flowers), then die with the warmer days of summer. Remove what is left of the plants, compost them, and plant another crop like green beans. After the beans are harvested and plants are spent, plant a cool-season crop again for fall. This is called succession planting, and it allows a gardener to grow a wider variety of vegetables in a small space. It is a great way to maximize production of a garden. Succession planting can also be used to extend the harvest by staggering planting times for a single crop. For example, a gardener can make a planting of sweet corn, then make another planting two weeks later and a third planting two weeks after that.
Plant flowers such as marigolds and nasturtiums among vegetables not only for color but for natural insect control. These flowers are companion plants to some vegetable crops and help repel insect pests.
Perennial crops like asparagus and rhubarb are ready for harvest in May. Harvest asparagus spears when they are 6-8 inches long. Snap the spears off at the soil surface. When the majority of spears are the diameter of a pencil or less, allow them to develop into ferns. A pre-emergent herbicide like PREEN® can be used after harvest for control of grassy weeds like foxtail and crabgrass. Rhubarb is ready to harvest when the stalks are about 8 inches long. Remove the leaf and discard. Do not harvest rhubarb the first year after planting. Holes bored into rhubarb stalks could be the work of the rhubarb curculio. It is a snout beetle that bores into the stalks, crowns and roots of rhubarb plants. Apply a recommended insecticide to the base of the plant. Rhubarb leaves get leaf spots, and at the end of the season, sanitation is really important to control them. Remove all dead leaves from the plant and discard.
Strawberries are ready for harvest in May. Be prepared to protect strawberry plants in early May if danger of frost is present as cold temperatures can damage flowers. A row cover made of lightweight material can be applied. They can also be covered with straw, then remove it when the weather warms. Holes and bite marks in strawberries are usually from voles, mice or birds. This is often difficult to prevent. Gray mold or botrytis is a common fruit rot disease of strawberries. Symptoms are brown, rotting fruit with gray, fuzzy mold. Frequent rain, high humidity and moderate temperatures are prime conditions for botrytis.
Diseases and Insects
Warm, rainy and humid conditions in mid to late May, typically promotes diseases on fruit trees and ornamentals. Fireblight, anthracnose, cedar apple rust and peach leaf curl are common fungal diseases this time of the year. Learn the symptoms and control methods for each of these diseases. Fungicides can be purchased at most garden centers or farm supply stores that can be used to help control the spread of the disease. Some insects to watch for this time are bagworms, aphids and tent caterpillars. Bagworms can be hand-picked from small trees and shrubs. The bags of tent caterpillars which form in the crotch angles of trees can be torn open for predators to consume. Aphids can be sprayed off of plants with a strong stream of water or use an insecticidal soap.
| Spring | Summer | Fall |
| Radish | Zucchini | Lettuce |
| Peas | Sweet corn | Kale |
| Lettuce | Cucumber | Collard greens |
| Spinach | Bush beans | Lettuce |
| Succession planting chart for spring, summer and fall planting. | ||
Source: Jennifer Schutter, Horticulture Specialist
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Alfalfa weevil is one of the insect-pests that can significantly reduce alfalfa yield and in worst cases, may thin the stand. Alfalfa weevil goes through four growth stages in their life cycle. Adult weevils generally lay eggs inside alfalfa stems during warm days in fall, winter or spring. Eggs hatch from early to late spring with first stage larva crawling to the top of alfalfa plant stems to feed inside plant terminals. Larva continues to feed inside plant terminals through development of the second instar. Third and fourth instars feed on foliage outside of the plant terminals often causing substantial decreases in forage yield and quality. Heavy defoliation also reduces alfalfa competition with weeds and may result in increased weed populations.
Producers are encouraged to scout alfalfa fields starting in late April to determine weevil numbers. Proper scouting is the key to obtaining good estimates of weevil numbers. Scouting for alfalfa weevil is best accomplished using a 3-5 gallon bucket and a sharp knife. Producers are encouraged to sample 6 alfalfa stems at five random locations in a field for a total of 30 stems per field. At each of the five locations, carefully cup the terminal end of each alfalfa stem, to prevent larva from falling off, and then cut the stem off near the soil surface. Put the stem carefully inside the bucket and vigorously tap to dislodge any larva present. Most weevils found will be in their third or fourth larval stage of growth. If the alfalfa weevil population reaches the economic threshold treatment is justified (Table 1).
Several management options are available, although application of a foliar rescue insecticide is the most common management strategy. In addition to insecticides, early harvest, grazing, and biological control are other viable options depending on larval numbers, plant growth stage, and field conditions. One alternative to insecticide is early mechanical harvest if the alfalfa is within 7-10 days of the normal harvest stage of 10 percent bloom. Early cutting will cause the death of most alfalfa weevil larva through mechanical crushing by hay conditioners, or dehydration from the sun, following the removal of the alfalfa canopy. After forage removal, the field should be monitored to detect a possible resurgence in larval numbers.
Grazing is being used by some producers to reduce the numbers of alfalfa weevil eggs and larva. Grazing is initiated when weevil numbers reach or are approaching the economic threshold and the alfalfa plants are more than 6-8 inches in height. Grazing is generally accomplished using a management intensive grazing method in which a large number of cattle are placed on a small number of acres and quickly remove the alfalfa growth. As the alfalfa is grazed to normal harvest height, eggs and larvae present are destroyed. University of Missouri research has found that about 98 percent of the weevils can be reduced with mechanical harvest and about 90 percent can be reduced by grazing cattle in an intensive grazing system. These reductions in larval numbers can effectively eliminate the risk from alfalfa weevil as long as most spring laid eggs have hatched. Risks of grazing alfalfa include damage to the crowns from trampling during wet conditions and cattle bloating from grazing wet foliage. Producers should continue to scout alfalfa after grazing to determine whether larval or adult alfalfa weevil numbers again reach economic levels and require further control.
Table 1. Economic thresholds (# of larvae) for alfalfa weevil on plants of different sizes. If the number of weevil larvae from 30 stems exceeds the number in the table for plants of the appropriate height, the value of hay, and insecticide cost, a treatment may be warranted. Source: Penn State University
Source: Dhruba Dhakal, Agronomy Specialist
Publishing Information
Ag Connection is published monthly for Northeast and Central areas of Missouri producers and is supported by the University of Missouri Extension, the Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station, and the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources. Managing Editor: Mary Sobba.
Send comments and suggestions to:
Mary Sobba, Agriculture Business Specialist
101 N. Jefferson St., Rm 304
Mexico, MO 65265
(573) 581-3231
sobbam@missouri.edu
