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 IN THIS ISSUE... April 2002

Corn Profit Tips-Nutrient Needs
Base nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) recommendations on yield potential. Thus, a realistic yield goal is the first critical step in nutrient management. For N, observe all credits for previous crops and manure. If the previous crop was soybeans, a N credit of 30 lbs/acre may be taken. Depending on population density, perennial legumes, established more than one year, may have N credit between 40 and 140 lbs/acre. Grass sod/pastures (set-aside program) also may receive a 40 lb/acre N credit. Manure credits may be taken, depending upon application method and time of application.

A split application of N (at planting and sidedress) is the most efficient method for N management. This system allows later adjustments to nitrogen rates depending on the growing season. Fall N applications are the least efficient for N management. For fall applications, only well-drained soils should be considered, and the N material should be anhydrous ammonia with a nitrification inhibitor. A nitrification inhibitor should also be used with anhydrous ammonia-N on early preplant applications for wet soils. Incorporating or applying N in bands may minimize losses. Fertilizers with urea-N are susceptible to volatilization losses unless incorporated.

Phosphorus and potassium are relatively immobile in the soil (what a crop has not removed will generally accumulate for future crops). A soil test is the best way to determine if P and K levels are in excess, adequate, or deficient. Soil P levels above 40 ppm (80 lbs/acre) are in excess and should not need additional amounts. Phosphorus applications should match crop removal if soil levels are 15 to 30 ppm (30 to 60 lbs/acre). Crop removal rates equal the yield goal multiplied by 0.35. Between 30 to 40 ppm, amounts less than crop removal would be recommended depending on yield goals. If P soil levels are below 15 ppm, then applications would include crop removal and a buildup program. Potassium recommendations follow the same philosophy as P, except consideration is given for soil cation exchange capacity (CEC). Since applied K may be held more tightly by soils with high CEC, rates increase as the soil CEC increases. Regardless of CEC and yield goals, yields would not respond to additional K at soil levels above 200 ppm (400 lbs/acre). Corn grown on soils that have a CEC <10 would not respond to additional K when the soil test level >150 ppm (300 lbs/acre). These fertilizer recommendations are available on line at: http://ohioline.ag.ohio-state.edu/e2567/inde.html.

-CORN Newsletter 2002-6

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Using Total Quality Management to Organize Labor and Work
The three hallmarks of a successful dairy (or any business) are: knowing the quality goals of the dairy, understanding the system so that work can be described and organized to meet the dairy's goals, and managing the herd and workers so that goals are met. These three processes are interdependent so that quality goals dictate how work is organized which results in a management tool for the producer and dairy consultants. One method for doing this is Total Quality Management.

What is Total Quality Management?
Total Quality Management (TQM) is an approach to managing a business, including a dairy business. The approach is directed at attaining quality in both production and process. Although in the dairy industry quality is often thought of as an attribute of the milk produced and sold, quality also includes all parts of the farm and the people that make up the farm. TQM is not just a change in process. Rather, it represents a commitment to continual improvement of quality. The success of TQM is dependent on identifying and communicating your quality goals, understanding the systems on your dairy, defining the processes and work to achieve your quality goals. In addition, it is necessary to collect information and monitor the process to verify that you are meeting your quality goals, and making changes in processes and goals to reflect your progress toward quality. The obvious benefit of TQM to a dairy producer, regardless of herd size, is that it simplifies your work life because it defines the important farm quality goals, how they will be achieved, and what needs to be done to produce the quality product. The following example may help illustrate the use of TQM in a dairy farm business.

Organizing work
John and Heather are third generation dairy producers milking 75 cows. They raise their own heifers and grow forages and corn. John and Heather are hard workers, but are experiencing problems. Production is not as high as it could be, the reproductive program is not working well, and improvements could be made to the facilities.

Heather and John knew they were ready for a change and saw the most important area as the reproductive program. Too many cows were open more than 120 days and John knew it was because he made the program too complicated. As John and Heather met with their veterinarian to begin work on correcting the problem, they developed a flow chart describing the breeding and conception process. They also developed goals they wanted to achieve and recorded those goals on paper.

Monitoring for success
As they developed their plan for improving reproductive performance, John and Heather made sure to build in several areas where they could simply and effectively monitor progress. Simple graphs were used to chart progress toward achieving goals. The monitoring and records that were kept resulted in positive changes to the work process and improvement in reproductive performance. The continuous improvement through monitoring and evaluation is the essence of TQM.

TQM and hired labor
Some people believe that employee motivation to do a quality job is more a function of providing the tools an employee needs to accomplish the tasks or work and less a matter of psychological efforts. A good employee will fail if they do not understand what they are trying to achieve and how they should do the work to meet the goals. TQM provides structure to the job so employees can function successfully with less frustration. To make this work it is essential that employees become part of the planning team for the systems they are responsible for and receive the feedback and guidance for accomplishing their job. This TQM structure changes attitudes on the dairy farm from simply working to finish a job to working to achieve an outcome.

If you hire a person to manage your dairy's reproductive program, or any other program, it will be easier for you and the hired employee if you can agree on the goals of the program, how the program will be done, and how it will be monitored. A TQM plan will establish exactly who is responsible for work and the approach allows constant feedback on job performance.  Importantly, the employee becomes part of the team and can provide important insights on the day-to-day operation which you as a supervisor may not appreciate. The TQM plan becomes part of an employee's job description and is the standard operating procedure for the dairy.

Effectively hiring and supervising employees is more complicated than developing a TQM plan but the implementation of TQM short circuits a common failure in employer-employee relationships: poor communication of job expectations. The approach helps everyone on the dairy focus on the important issues of defining and achieving outcomes.

TQM and dairy production
Total Quality Management is an effective tool to help you simplify and organize your dairy. It requires that you as manager (whether you own 40 or 4000 cows) define your enterprise goals and organize the dairy into systems. When you define your dairy systems, then you and your employees (this includes your veterinarian, AI technician, nutritionist, crop advisor, and anyone else you contract or pay for services) will define the processes and work to meet goals. Once the programs are implemented you must have records and monitors to follow your progress. The process is continual with constant feedback and communication with all members of the team. The most difficult part of the program is setting up the time to plan and outline the approach. Ultimately the time spent will result in a more satisfying experience for both owner and employees.

-Chris Zoller
OSU Extension Agent, Tuscarawas County

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Ohio Performance Tested Bull Sale
The 35th Annual Ohio Performance Tested Bull Sale will be held on Saturday, April 20, 2002 at 1:00 p.m. at the EORDC Bull Test Station in Belle Valley. A remote site tele-auction hookup for the sale will be held at the Carroll County Extension Office for producers who do not wish to drive to Belle Valley. Bulls purchased through the remote site tele-auction will be trucked to Carrollton free of charge the day of the sale.

A videotape showing all of the bulls to be offered in the sale will be available for loan approximately one week before the sale. If you are interested in viewing the videotape, or would like to receive a copy of the catalog, contact your local Extension office. Photographs and complete performance data for all of the bulls may also be viewed online at www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~bulltest/.
 

Sustaining the Beef Cattle Industry - Extraordinary Opportunities...and Challenges
Genetic improvement, resource management, reproduction, health management, and marketing are all vital keys to the sustainability of the beef cattle industry well beyond the "good times" we are presently enjoying. Yet, to pull all these essentials together, data management becomes the connecting link that allows for coordination of all these components of a well managed beef cattle operation. Regardless your position in the beef cattle industry, as the saying goes, "You can't manage what you don't measure."

In 1996, a group of industry leaders from Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Michigan met in Indianapolis to explore ways to positively affect change for the beef cattle industry. Their goal was to address how all these issues might be handled collectively by the many smaller sized 

beef cattle operations within the area. From that meeting, the Five State Beef Initiative (FSBI) was created. From it's inception, the FSBI has become a cooperative effort of land grant universitites, state departments of agriculture, cattlemen associations, livestock marketing organizations, Farm Bureau, and post-harvest partners.

One of the missions of the FSBI is to train and "certify" cattlemen in each of the critical components of beef cattle management described above, while providing a forum that allows for the efficient collection and management of essential data. Over the next several months, cattlemen throughout the five state region have the opportunity to participate in this comprehensive beef cattle management training and certification process.

A FSBI certification meeting will be held locally on Tuesday, April 30, 2002 at 7:30 p.m. at Carrollton High School. Plan to attend this meeting to learn how you can improve the profitability and sustainability of your beef operation.

All interested cattlemen are invited to this progam and will leave having completed the first step of the FSBI Certification program. The other two components for full FSBI Certification include completion of the Ohio Beef Quality Assurance program and an Ohio LEAP program.

Regardless if you goal is to be an FSBI Certified cattle producer or simply explore the opportunities that genetic improvement, resource management, reproduction, health management, marketing, and data management can play in your operation, you will walk away from this program with an exciting new perspective on the business that you are in – efficient production of consumer safe and satisfying beef.

The goal is to strengthen economic opportunities for the Eastern corn belt beef industry by providing added value to the consumer, while profit opportunities are developed by FSBI for all stakeholders. This can be accomplished by coordinating genetic change, health and production management practices, marketing, and information sharing within a segmented industry.

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Winter Annual Weed Control in Late March and Early April
A primary goal in management of dense winter annual stands is to control them early enough in spring so that 1) they do not interfere with seedbed preparation or crop establishment, and 2) so that they do not go to seed and increase in population next fall (chickweed is already flowering and producing seeds). OSU research shows a number of herbicide programs are effective in the fall for winter annual control, and the speed of plant death is not a critical factor in fall applications. However, for herbicide applications at this time of the year, dense winter annual stands may require use of relatively fast-acting herbicides so that plants die and dry out well ahead of planting.

The cool temperatures in March and early April often result in slow herbicide activity, compared to application later in spring when temperatures can be considerably higher. The rate of activity of glyphosate in winter annual plants can be extremely variable at this time of the year, depending upon environmental conditions and plant size and growth stage. While glyphosate can control chickweed rapidly under favorable conditions, control can also be slow enough to prevent the chickweed from interfering with crop establishment. Purple deadnettle appears to be even more tolerant of glyphosate than chickweed.

In OSU research trials, treatments containing Sencor (metribuzin) were among the most rapid of the spring-applied herbicides. Combining Sencor with Gramoxone Max can result in even more rapid control. Products containing metribuzin include Sencor, Domain, Axiom, and Boundary. We suggest using products/rates that provide the equivalent of at least 6 oz per acre of Sencor (at least 8 oz in dense stands), and applying with crop oil concentrate and 2,4-D ester. These treatments will most likely provide the most complete control when applied in higher spray volumes – 20 GPA is likely to be a more effective volume than 10 GPA. The Canopy XL/Express treatment also controlled winter annuals fairly rapidly in the spring, but Express must be applied at least 45 days before soybean planting. Canopy XL will not control chickweed unless it is mixed with a herbicide that has activity on chickweed, which is a primary reason for tank-mixtures with Express. Valor will help control winter annuals in spring also, but has been somewhat variable in OSU research unless mixed with glyphosate and 2,4-D ester.

In corn, atrazine plus 2,4-D and crop oil concentrate was effective on chickweed and deadnettle when applied in early spring in OSU research trials. The addition of other products did not appear to be necessary for control of these weeds. For late-spring applications when chickweed is large and rapid activity is essential, consider a mixture of Gramoxone Max plus atrazine plus crop oil concentrate. Be cautious of 2,4-D ester application around the time of corn planting, since it can injure corn if applied to close to planting with significant rainfall events soon after application.

-CORN Newsletter, 2002-6

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Fertilizing Wheat More Important This Year
Because many wheat fields broke dormancy earlier than normal this year, some plants may have depleted root reserves and may benefit greatly from spring applications of nitrogen fertilizer. Early March to early April is the preferred time to topdress wheat. Application rates should be based on yield potential, not soil tests, so be sure to get out in your fields and look closely to see how plants have survived the winter.

Spring application of nitrogen should be the total nitrogen rate minus any starter fertilizer applied last fall. Use the chard below to match your yield potential with the recommended total amount of nitrogen which should be applied.
 

Yield Potential (Bu./Acre)    Nitrogen Rate (lbs/Acre)

                     60                                     60

                     70                                     75

                     80                                     90

                     90                                    110

                    100                                   130
 
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Wildlife Habitat Management Field Day
A wildlife habitat management field day titled Forested Flyways will be held in Carroll County on Saturday, May 4, 2002 from 9:00 a.m. - 
2:00 p.m. at Burnt Ridge Tree Farm near Sherrodsville. Registration is $10 which includes a pig roast for lunch. Registration is due by 
April 29. 
 
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Spring Around Your Pond
Spring is a time of renewal around a pond. Certainly, mating is on the minds of virtually every aquatic animal that live in ponds. By April, many species of frogs, toads, and salamanders have mated and laid their eggs in shallow water. Many amphibians prefer to lay their eggs in temporary ponds rather than permanent ponds. Certainly, fish predation on young would be a good reason to use temporary ponds. Quite often, the noise associated with frog and toad mating activities can be almost deafening.

Largemouth bass and bluegills typically don't build nests and mate until May, although largemouth bass will spawn in late April in warm springs or in small ponds that warm up quickly. Bluegills are particularly interesting in their spawning activities. They are colonial nesters, meaning that in favorable bottom areas, numerous nests can be seen in a small area. It is quite entertaining to watch the male bluegill defend his individual nesting territory. The large-mouth bass, on the other hand, is a solitary nest builder. You have to look hard to find their nests as they tend to spawn deeper than bluegills. The female's job is easier in both these species. She provides no nest defense nor parental care. Indeed, females are in the nesting areas only long enough to mate and lay their eggs. Then they disappear to the deeper areas of the pond.

It is tough to catch spawning bass, especially males. They will defend the nest and young vigorously, but prefer not to eat the intruder unless necessary. Bluegills, however, are quite easy to catch while on their nests. They will gladly eat the intruder if they can. Many pond owners prefer not to let people fish when spawning is occurring. Catching a male bass during spawning almost assuredly reduces the number of young that survive his mating. Just in the few minutes it takes to catch, unhook, and release the bass allows egg predators or fry predators to decimate his offspring.

Aquatic vegetation grows vigorously in May and June. Coinciding with this growth is the appearance of many species of damselflies and dragonflies. Many are strikingly colored and are entertaining to watch as they cruise the shoreline. Many children, including mine, have chased these winged insects. Catching a dragonfly takes skill, damselflies are easy to catch.

Bill Lynch – Program Specialist
OSU Extension, Natural Resources

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Are There Specific Liability Concerns for Activities Involving Horses?
Activities involving horses and other equine create unique liability questions due to the dangerous nature of equine activities. Is a provider liable for injuries to a person taking horseback riding lessons or a trail ride? What liability exposure does a landowner have when leasing out barn stalls for boarding horses? As a result of the often unavoidable dangers inherent with equine activities, Ohio enacted an Equine Activity Statute. Under this law, a provider, sponsor or organizer of a facility for "equine activities", or an operator, promoter, or instructor at an equine facility is immune from liability for injuries that result from the "inherent risk" of the activity.

Two definitions are important to understanding the law's application. The injury must occur during an "equine activity", which the statute broadly defines to include events such as equine shows, fairs, competitions, performances or parades (but not horse races); training and instructing activities; equine rides, trips, hunts, roundups, and cattle drives; providing veterinary or maintenance care, and breeding and boarding of equine. The injury must result from the "inherent risks" of the activity, which the law defines as the unpredictability of equine, an animal's propensities to react to sounds or other animals, or collisions with objects or other animals.

Note that there are two exemptions in the statute. First, the law does not apply if a sponsor or provider fails to try to determine a participant's level of ability. The sponsor fulfills this duty by asking the participant to represent his or her ability to safely engage in the activity or manage the equine. If it is apparent to the provider that the participant may not be able to complete the activity without injury, the sponsor has a duty to prevent the participant from participating in the activity. Second, the law does not exempt injuries caused intentionally or willfully, or injuries resulting from a landowner's provision of faulty equipment or failure to properly maintain the premises.

See O.R.C. 2305.321 for the full text of the Equine Activity Statute.

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What is Adverse Possession?
Historically referred to as "squatter's rights", adverse possession is the acquisition of real property by hostile possession of the property for a certain period of time. In Ohio, a party can make a legal claim to property if the party continuously possesses the property for a period of 21 years and does so openly, without the landowner's permission, and adverse to the landowner's interests. In effect, the theory of adverse possession cuts off a landowner's right to assert his or her rights to his or her land if the landowner does not assert the rights within 21 years of the time that another party takes possession of the land.

While a party may claim title to land by adverse possession, the claim is not legally recognized unless declared valid by a court of law. However, Ohio courts disfavor the doctrine of adverse possession because it forces a landowner to forfeit ownership of the land. For this reason, the burden of proof upon a party claiming rights by adverse possession is rigorous. The court will agree with the claim only if the party clearly proves that each of the following elements existed for a period of 21 years: 1) exclusive possession of the land, 2) open use of the land, 3) notorious use (i.e., notable to others), 4) continuous possession of the land, and  5) adverse possession of the land (i.e., adverse to the landowner). As stated by the Vermont Supreme Court, "[t]he tenant must unfurl his flag on the land, and keep it flying so that the owner may see, if he will, that an enemy has invaded his dominions and planted his standard of conquest."

If a claimant does establish the required elements of adverse possession, the legal title to the property transfers when the court makes its entry declaring that adverse possession exists. A written deed transferring the property is not necessary.

See Grace v. Koch (1998), 81 Ohio St. 3d 577, a recent decision by the Ohio Supreme Court describing the requirements for adverse possession in Ohio. 

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Are you looking for a new enterprise for the farm? Are you thinking about starting a new farm? Do you own a small farm which needs to generate additional income? If you answered yes to any of these questions, we have just the place for you to start your search for information!

Small Farm-New Farm is a newer OSU Extension website which contains information and links for hundreds of different topics related to alternative enterprises, alternative production systems, and alternative marketing systems. The website can be found at http://newfarm.osu.edu The website is divided into seven different sections: Livestock, Crops, Enterprise Budgets, Value-Added, Management, Agritourism, and Water Resources.

So, if you'd like to see an enterprise budget for ginseng cultivation, raspberry production, or yellow perch production, learn how to start a home-based business, download the 2001 Ohio Wheat Performance Trials, or access the latest information about West Nile Disease and horses, this site is for you!

And don't forget that our OSU Extension website, Ohioline also has lots of information which can be of help to you as you look for ways to make your farm more profitable and sustainable. Ohioline can be found at http://ohioline.osu.edu .
 
 
 

Sincerely,
 

Mike Hogan Extension Agent Agriculture & Natural Resources  Community Development

Ken Simeral Extension Agent Agriculture & Natural Resources Community Development

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Trade names are supplied with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by Ohio State University is implied.

All educational programs conducted by Ohio State University Extension are available to clientele on a non-discriminatory basis without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, gender, age, disability or Vietnam-era veteran status.

OSU Extension will provide accommodations to handicapped persons needing assistance to participate in Extension programs. If you require some type of assistance/accommodations to attend programs, utilize written materials or visit the Carroll, Harrison, or Jefferson County Extension Offices, please contact that office or TTD#1-800-589-8292.

Visit Ohio State University Extension’s WWW site “Ohioline” at: hhtp:/www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~ohioline/
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Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Keith L. Smith, Director, Ohio State University Extension.
TDD # 1 (800) 589-8292 (Ohio only) or (614) 292-1868