DATE: June 2012
This newsletter was developed by
your team of Area Specialists in
the Northeast District. Our goal is
the dissemination of researchbased information.
VOLUME: 6
What are the Miller Moths? – 1
Weed of the Month – 2
Blackspot on Roses – 3
Anthracnose on Trees – 3
Ocean Minerals and Liquid Plant Food for Forage and Crops – 4
It’s Blue-Green Algae Time Again – 6
Northeast Area Staff:
Specialists
Josh Payne*, Ph.D.
Animal Waste Management
Brian Pugh*
Agronomy
Dave Sparks*, D.V.M.
Food-Animal Quality &
Health
*Serves the NE and SE
Districts
Contact: 918-686-7800
Secretaries
Cheryl Ford
Sarah Bible
Randy Pirtle
There are several different species that are referred to as miller
moths but the one we are seeing so much of this year is the moth of the
army cutworm. These moths can seem to be everywhere; mailboxes,
homes, garages, outbuildings, shrubbery and vehicles. Though they cause
no damage, they can be an irritating nuisance. Keeping them out of places
you don’t want them is very difficult as they can invade through very
small openings. Also, control is virtually impossible as those killed will be
replaced by others migrating in. These moths have distinct, but variable
markings. There are five forms in addition to the males being brownish
and females more gray. These moths are not sexually mature yet and so do
not lay eggs. The miller moth is migratory and my colleagues in Kansas
say that they will soon leave as they travel to Colorado. They then fly to
higher elevations, feed and mature. Though bears eat them somewhat like
popcorn (40,000 moths a day), there are still many left to return to the
plains in the fall and lay eggs. Eggs hatch in the fall and partially grown
larvae overwinter. The cycle starts all over again in the spring.
(Information Source: Kansas State University)
The Oklahoma Cooperative Extension
Service does not discriminate because
of race, color, national origin, religion,
gender, age, disability, or status as a
Vietnam-era veteran, and is an Equal
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USDA  OSU  COUNTIES COOPERATING
Brian Pugh
Photos courtesy of Ryan Sproul, Delaware Co.
I have received calls from 6 counties wanting an ID on this weed. Not to mention everyone in
the Cow/Calf Boot camp found these during the pasture tour and wanted to know what they were and
how to kill them. The older leaves are similar to a dandelion and the younger leaves are shaped like an
arrowhead. The seed pods resemble canola, but hug the stem throughout its entirety. By now the
flowers are gone and the stems are turning purplish.
At the Cow camp, Chris Rice and I both answered it was a mustard (brassicas family) due to
the flower arrangement and that 2,4-D or Weedmaster sprayed early would have controlled them. But,
by this time of year the damage has been done and herbicide applications for this species alone are not
warranted. Scout next year in the March time frame for easiest control, but most populations rarely
inhibit forage growth.
So how did we know what it was? Plants in the mustard
family have 4 sepals and 4 petals comprising the flower. They also
have 6 stamens, 4 of which are tall and 2 are short. Flowers on this
plant are very small (~4 mm) and stamens require a hand lens to see
accurately. This is a quick field reference that will get you in the
ballpark with brassicas species.
So what are we looking at?
Sisymbrium officinale – Hedge Mustard
2
Randy Pirtle
A common disease of roses is blackspot, a
fungal disease that can cause defoliation of
susceptible plants. Look for dark, circular
lesions with feathery edges on the top
surface of the leaves and raised purple spots
on young canes. Infected leaves will often
yellow between spots and eventually drop.
The infection usually starts on the lower
leaves and works its way up the plant.
Blackspot is most severe under conditions
of high relative humidity (> 85%), warm
temperatures (75 to 85 degrees F) and six or
more hours of leaf wetness. Newly
expanding leaves are most vulnerable to
infection. The fungus can survive on fallen
leaves or canes and is disseminated
primarily by splashing water. Cultural
practices are the first line of defense.
1. Don't plant susceptible roses unless you
are willing to use fungicide sprays.
2. Keep irrigation water off the foliage. Drip
irrigation works well with roses.
3. Plant roses in sun in areas with good air
movement to limit the amount of wet foliage
time.
4. Remove diseased leaves that have fallen
and prune out infected rose canes.
If needed, protect foliage with a regular
spray program (10- to 14-day schedule) of
effective
fungicides.
Recommended fungicides include
tebuconazole (Bayer Disease Control for
Roses, Flowers and Shrubs), myclobutanil
(Immunox, Immunox Plus), triforine
(Funginex), thiophanate methyl (Fertilome
Halt) and chlorothalonil (Broad Spectrum
Fungicide, Garden Disease Control,
others).
Randy Pirtle
Oklahoma and Kansas are both starting
to see anthracnose on ash and sycamore.
Anthracnose is a fungal disease favored
by cool, wet weather. Young leaves may
wither and turn dark. On older leaves,
look for brown areas that could follow
the major veins of the leaves. If the
disease is severe, the tree will drop
heavily infected leaves. But new leaves
will be formed in response to
defoliation. Other types of trees that are
affected by anthracnose include birch,
elm, walnut, and oak. Anthracnose
seldom causes significant damage to
trees so chemical controls are usually
unnecessary. Also, fungicides do not
cure infected leaves but instead protect
the non-infected leaves.
3
Brian Pugh
Recently, I have received numerous questions about how well some of the “Ocean” fertilizer
products work. They seem almost too good to be true. So when considering the use of these products,
we must slow down and remember the science behind plant nutrition. When it comes to influencing a
change on our soils or plants, we live in a scientific world. This science tells us that 1 lb. of Nitrogen
equals 1 lb. of Nitrogen regardless of where we live, how fast we drive or how new our tractor is. In
other words, regardless of the product the amount of Nitrogen determines plant response.
In my opinion, sometimes producers believe sales hype that one little bottle replaces a whole
fertilizer buggy of product because they know it takes different amounts of fertilizer to meet our soils
requirements. Consider 13-13-13, Urea, Ammonium Nitrate, or Anhydrous Ammonia. They all
require different application rates to feed the soil an equal amount of actual N. However, it is not
possible to go from adding 150 lbs of fertilizer per acre to adding ½ cup of nutrient solution and expect
similar results. Improved forage and row crop yields are not free and the solution usually doesn’t
come in a bottle that will fit in your pocket.
As a graduate student in soil fertility, I had the opportunity to see the results of using these
products on various crops. They performed much as we expected based on their chemical analysis. So
how was the performance? I have dug up some of the info on an “Ocean Mineral” product and a foliar
fertilizer tested in forages by the University of Arkansas Extension Service.
This study was conducted in 2008 on Bermudagrass near Conway, Arkansas. Treatments I’ll
describe were urea, Monty’s Plant Food (8-16-8), Monty’s + Urea, Sea 90 Mineral, and Sea 90 + Urea.
Treatments were applied on June 27th and August 7th, harvest occurred on July 28th and October 17th.
All treatments were replicated four times. All plots received commercial P and K fertilizer according
to soil test for a 4 ton yield goal. Urea was applied at 75 lbs actual N/acre, whereas nontraditional
products were applied at their respective labeled rates (Monty’s @ 1.5 pts/acre ; Sea 90 @ 2 lbs/acre).
Table 1. Nitrogen content and total nitrogen applied for
tested fertilizer products
Treatment
Urea
Monty’s
Sea 90
%N
Lbs. N/unit
Lbs. N
applied/acre
46%
8%
0%
920 lbs./ton
0.9 lbs./gallon
0 lbs./ ton
75
0.2
0
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Table 2. Effects of traditional vs. non-traditional
fertilizers on Bermuda yield
July
Treatment
Urea
Urea + Monty’s
Urea + Sea 90
Monty’s
Sea 90
Untreated Check
2872 A
2919 A
2913 A
928 B
847 B
745 B
October
Dry Matter Yield (lbs./acre)**
3722 A
3412 A
3300 A
1526 B
1178 B
1127 B
Total Yield
6595 A
6332 A
6212 A
2455 B
2025 B
1873 B
**Treatments followed by the same letter are not significantly different at the 0.05 level.
Total Bermudagrass Yield
7000
Yield (lbs DM/acre
6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
Urea
Urea +
Monty's
Urea + Sea 90 Monty's Plant
Food
Treatments
Sea 90
Mineral
Untreated
Check
In summary, the use of a nitrogen fertilizer such as urea significantly increased yields when
compared to nontraditional products alone which were not statistically different from the untreated
check. Also, the use of urea plus Monty’s or Sea 90 did not show a yield benefit over urea alone,
adding unnecessary costs to the fertilizer bill. These products are clever marketing strategies intended
to make large profits on small amounts of product. Following label rates of these products add very
little or no macro-nutrients to the growing crop. Advise producers to remember the science, study the
label and realize there are no silver bullets when it comes to plant nutrition. If it sounds too good to be
true…it probably is!
5
Dave Sparks DVM
Blue-green algae, properly called Cyanobacteria, occur
naturally in many farm ponds throughout the Midwest. As the name
implies, it is not truly an algae but a bacteria that contains
chlorophyll and can convert sunlight to energy for its replication.
For most of the year, the concentrations are low and the organism
causes no problems, but under the hot dry conditions of late summer
reproduction of the organisms is very rapid resulting in high
concentrations called blooms. These blooms are usually visible as a
scum or paint on the surface of the water. Under normal conditions
Photo courtesy of
the organisms are homogenously suspended in the water, but as they
Nathan Anderson, Payne Co.
multiply rapidly, large numbers of dead organisms float to the surface.
Wind action causes them to be concentrated on the downwind side of the pond so that concentrations
can become extremely high in certain areas. This is not the algae that grow in mats of plant material
along the shorelines. When disturbed, the blue-green algae disperse in the water and do not hang
together.
Problems occur when livestock of any type, or wildlife, consume water from a bloom area.
The Cyanobacteria produce several different toxins, but the two main ones affect the nervous system
and the liver. Livestock affected by the nervous system toxin can present signs such as muscle
tremors, difficult breathing, and convulsions. In actual cases it is common to find dead animals in or
near the pond that have not had time to show any symptoms other than collapse and death. Animals
affected by the liver toxin show weakness, pale membranes, bloody diarrhea and usually death. If both
types of toxins are present, the nervous system toxins usually kill the animal before the signs of the
liver toxin can be manifested.
The signs above can help with the diagnosis, but most of
the time death is sudden and the animals are found dead before the
producer can observe any signs. Dead animals in or near the water
certainly suggest blue-green algae toxicity.
Since these toxins
are lethal to almost all animals, carcasses of small animals may be
found along the shore, especially on the downwind side of the
Photo courtesy of
water. Water samples can be submitted for examination to the
Nathan Anderson, Payne Co.
Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at Stillwater.
They suggest a sample size ranging from a pint to a quart of water containing at least some of the scum
present on the surface. This should be submitted in an unbreakable container such as a plastic water
bottle. It should not be frozen but if it is shipped, provisions should be taken to keep it cool and out of
sunlight. The cost for this test is $16.00. The lab can be contacted at 405-744-6623 for more
information.
Treatment of blue-green algae toxicity is seldom attempted and almost never successful. The
key to minimizing livestock losses is in preventative management. The following are practices that
will prove helpful. Check ponds for algae blooms in hot weather. Fence off downwind drinking
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areas. Pump water from deep in the pond to a nearby livestock tank.
Use other water sources, if available, when temperatures rise to high
levels and algae blooms are observed. Copper sulfate has been used
to prevent algae blooms but it is difficult to calculate dosages,
difficult to distribute evenly over the pond, and results are short lived.
While Cyanobacteria present a significant toxicity potential in
late summer, proper monitoring and management can minimize or
Photo courtesy of
eliminate the problem. The potential for problems occurs about the
Nathan Anderson, Payne Co.
time many producers are winding up their hay season or preparing for
planting fall crops. Don’t delay checking your pastures until you get an unwanted surprise.
Dates to Remember:
June 9 – Poultry Waste
Mgmt. Initial 9-Hour
Training, OSU Extension
Office, Stigler, OK
June 16 – Osage County
Ranch Tour, Pawhuska,
OK
Fertilizer Prizes
Northeast District
Fertilizer
Urea
DAP
Potash
(46-0-0)
(18-46-0)
(0-0-60)
Average*
$817
$602
$599
Range
$785 -$886
$575 -$656
$585 -$620
*Average of 4 dealers
June 26 – 4-H Animal
Science Field Day,
Johnson County
October 15-17 – OSU
Meat Goat Boot Camp,
Ada, OK
November 12-14 – OSU
Cow/Calf Camp,
Kellyville, OK
Oklahoma State University, in compliance with Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 11246 as amended, Title IX of the
Education Amendments of 1972, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other federal laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis of
race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, disability, or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices or procedures. This includes but is not
limited to admissions, employment, financial aid, and educational services.
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Robert E.
Whitson, Director of Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma. This publication is printed and issued
by Oklahoma State University as authorized by the Vice President, Dean, and Director of the Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources and
has been prepared and distributed at a cost of $4.10 for 10 copies. 0412
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