Purdue Extension Greene County Agriculture & Natural ...

M A Y / J U N E 2 0 1 5

Greene County Residents,

Since beginning my career as the Agriculture & Natural Resource Purdue Extension Educator for Greene County in August 2014, I have had the opportunity to meet and work with many of the community members and have gotten involved with organizations and programs both locally and around the state.

Growing up in Greene County, I have always loved the diversity that our county brings to Indiana. Ranking 5th in the state for beef cows and 4th for turkeys, we provide a huge impact in the Indiana Livestock Industry, along with being 6th in the state for forage-land. Greene County is continuously providing needed food supplies and natural resources for both our state and nation.

My passion for agriculture stems from my experience of growing up on a family farm, being a 10-year Greene County 4-H member and 4-year White River Valley FFA member. I am excited to further my involvement with our community and to be any assistance to those seeking help.

Should you have any questions pertaining to agriculture and/or natural resources, please do not hesitate to contact me at 812-659-2122.

Sincerely,

Sadie Davis Greene County ANR Educator

Important  Upcoming  Dates:  

Purdue Extension

Greene County Agriculture & Natural Resource Newsletter

2015  FAMACHA  Workshop,  June  2,  6-­‐9  PM,  Putnam  County  Fairgrounds  Goat  Barn    Code  Red  Program,  June  9,  8:30-­‐10:30  AM,  Southwest  Purdue  Ag  Center,  Vincennes,  IN    Grazing  102,  June  9-­‐10,  1-­‐6  PM,  Southern  Indiana  Purdue  Ag  Center,  Dubois,  IN    Southwest  Purdue  Ag  Center  Field  Day,  July  9,  8  AM-­‐12  PM,  Southwest  Purdue  Ag  Center,  Vincennes,  IN    *For  more  information  on  these  events,  please  visit  https://extension.purdue.edu/greene  for  further  details.  

Extension  App  Records  Horse  Body  Condition  Score    2015  Year  of  the  Sweet  Pepper        Website  Helps  Farmers  Identify,  Respond  to  Corn  Ear  Rot    May  Yard  &  Garden  Calendar    Topping-­‐  The  Unkindest  Cut  of  All  for  Trees  

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In  This  Issue:  

HOW  LONG  IS  A  LIFE?  I  have  wondered  what  is  the  life  span  of  a  cow  could  

be.  If  given  the  chance  to  live  past  the  productive  years,  how  long  would  a  cow  live?  As  we  do  these  days,  I  checked  the  Internet  for  the  answer.  I  found  several  references  to  cows  living  into  the  teen  years  if  allowed.  I  would  like  for  you  to  meet  Sammy.  She  is  a  

Herford  cow  born  April  1988  on  the  Robert  Gastineau  farm.  She  and  her  half  sister  were  purchased  by  me  on  October  25,  1988  to  start  again  a  herd  on  the  Howell  farm.  The  previous  herd  was  sold  after  the  death  of  the  farm  owner  at  that  time.  Her  first  calf  was  born  March  8,  1990  and  the  last  of  17  calves  was  born  August  30,  

2008.  Sammy  serves  as  the  lead  cow  for  the  herd  making  it  easy  to  move  cattle  from  one  field  to  another.  If  Sammy  comes,  the  herd  will  follow.  The  winter  of  2013-­‐2014  was  so  harsh  for  the  livestock  and  me.  I  separated  Sammy  

from  the  herd  to  feed  her  as  she  seemed  less  able  to  fight  at  the  feed  bunk  for  her  share.  Also  I  fenced  off  an  area  for  Sammy  to  walk  to  the  horse  barn  to  eat  alfalfa  hay  that  was  feed  to  the  horses.  She  had  eaten  grass  during  the  warm  months  but  seem  to  have  difficulty  eating  the  coarser  round  baled  hay.  The  only  other  thing  I  have  done  to  take  special  care  of  Sammy  was  to  trim  her  front  hooves  as  they  were  beginning  to  grow  long.  Sammy  turned  27  years  old  in  April  of  this  year.    The  question  remains.  How  long  could  a  cow  live?  How  long  will  Sammy  live?  Only  a  

higher  power  that  has  allowed  me  to  know  Sammy  and  to  care  for  her  knows  the  answer.  Sadly,  some  day,  I  will  know  the  answer  too.  

Writer:  Martha  Jackman,  a  Native  American  farmer  from  Greene  County,  Indiana  and  a  member  of  the  Lower  Eastern  Cherokee  Nation.  

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MAY/JUNE  2015  GREENE  COUNTY  AG  &  NATURAL  RESOURCES  

Extension  App  Records  Horse  Body  Condition  Score  Extension  horse  specialists  from  Purdue  University  and  the  University  of  Nebraska  have  developed  an  app  that  enables  

smartphone  users  to  calculate  a  horse's  body  condition  score  and  record  the  score  with  a  photo  of  the  horse.  The  Horse  BCS  app  will  be  helpful  for  any  horse  owner  or  other  trained  equine  professional.  Law  enforcement  

personnel  also  will  benefit  from  the  app,  along  with  4-­‐H'ers  and  their  leaders,  as  they  learn  the  proper  technique  of  caring  for  a  horse.  "It's  a  numerical  system  where  you  assign  a  number  based  on  some  physical  parameters  that  measure  how  much  fat  is  

covering  the  horse's  body,"  said  Colleen  Brady  of  Purdue  Extension.  "Body  condition  scoring  is  a  vital  part  of  monitoring  your  horse's  health  and  assessing  your  feeding  program.  Changes  in  body  condition  can  be  indicators  of  other  health  issues,  as  well."  Brady  partnered  with  University  of  Nebraska-­‐Lincoln  Extension  specialist  Kathy  Anderson  in  developing  the  app.  In  

additional  to  the  mobile  app,  there  is  also  a  desktop  application  that  syncs  with  the  mobile  device  and  allows  the  user  to  print  their  condition  score  records  or  save  them  with  their  other  horse  management  files.  For  more  information  about  Horse  BCS,  visit  www.tinyurl.com/horsebcsapp.  The  app  is  available  at  iTunes  and  Google  

Play  for  $1.99.           Writer:  Carlee  Glassburn,  Source:  Colleen  Brady;  Purdue  Horse  Extension  Specialist  

2015  Year  of  the  Sweet  Pepper  The  National  Garden  Bureau  has  declared  2015  to  be  the  

Year  of  the  Sweet  Pepper!  Sweet  bell  peppers  are  cultivars  of  Capsicum  annuum.  Sweet  peppers  are  called  sweet  because  they  lack  the  gene  that  produces  capsaicin  -­‐  the  chemical  that  gives  hot  peppers  their  heat.  While  the  3-­‐4  lobed,  blocky,  

bell-­‐shaped  peppers  are  most  common,  sweet  peppers  come  in  many  shapes,  sizes  and  colors.  Other  shapes  of  sweet  peppers  include  elongated  banana,  round  cherry,  tapered  horn  and  flattened  "cheese"  types.  Most  all  peppers  are  green  in  color  when  they  are  immature  but  ripen  to  red,  yellow,  orange,  white  or  purple  as  they  mature.  Some  cultivars  may  show  all  of  these  colors  at  various  stages  of  ripening.  And  many  cultivars  are  both  ornamental  and  edible!  In  the  garden,  pepper  plants  thrive  in  full  sun  and  well-­‐

drained  soil.  You  want  plants  to  concentrate  first  on  growing  healthy  foliage  and  roots;  flowers  and  fruit  will  follow.  Give  the  plants  adequate  space  to  grow  with  good  air  circulation,  a  minimum  of  18  inches  between  plants.    Sweet  peppers  can  be  harvested  early  while  still  

immature  green,  which  encourages  the  plant  to  produce  more  peppers.  However,  full  flavor  and  color  require  waiting  until  the  fruits  ripen,  thus  signaling  the  plant  to  slow  down  production  of  flowers  and  subsequent  fruit.  Sweet  peppers  can  be  stored  for  2-­‐3  weeks  in  the  warmer  part  of  the  refrigerator  in  plastic  bags.  Peppers  can  also  be  frozen  or  dried  for  longer  storage.  

Writer:  B.  Rosie  Lerner;  Editor:  Olivia  Maddox  

Website  Helps  Farmers  Identify,  Respond  to  Corn  Ear  Rots  

A  website  developed  by  plant  pathologists  from  Purdue  University  and  a  nationwide  partnership  of  research  institutions  could  help  farmers  better  understand  and  respond  to  the  threat  of  mycotoxins  and  ear  rots  in  corn.  The  website  also  provides  information  on  how  to  properly  store  moldy  grain  and  the  characteristics  of  various  types  of  mycotoxins.  Ear  rots  occur  when  certain  fungi  infect  corn.  Several  of  

those  fungi  produce  mycotoxins,  which  accumulate  in  grain.  Mycotoxins  can  be  harmful  to  livestock  and  humans  if  contaminated  grain  is  used  in  livestock  feed  or  human  food  products.  Mycotoxins  are  natural  chemicals  that  are  very  stable  and  not  easily  eliminated  from  contaminated  grain,  said  Charles  Woloshuk,  professor  of  botany  and  plant  pathology  and  member  of  the  website  development  team.    "Prevention  is  the  most  effective  management  

strategy  to  reducing  the  impact  of  ear  rots  and  mycotoxins,"  Woloshuk  said.  "We  created  the  website  to  make  management  information  readily  accessible  to  farmers  and  agribusiness  personnel  so  they  can  take  appropriate  precautions  to  prevent  ear  rots  and  manage  mycotoxins  if  they  occur  in  the  grain."  Woloshuk  said  the  team  will  regularly  update  the  

website  with  new  information  based  on  research  results.  To  view  the  website,  go  

to  https://www.purdue.edu/mycotoxin/.           Writer:  Darrin  Pack;  Source:  Charles  Woloshuk  

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MAY/JUNE  2015  GREENE  COUNTY  AG  &  NATURAL  RESOURCES  

May  Yard  &  Garden  Calendar    

HOME  (Indoor  plants  and  activities)  • Many  indoor  plants  can  be  moved  to  shady  

locations  outdoors  but  only  after  danger  of  frost  is  past.  Plants  will  dry  out  more  often  outdoors,  so  keep  a  close  eye  on  soil  moisture.  Sinking  the  pots  in  soil  will  help  slow  down  moisture  loss.  

• Now  is  a  good  time  to  take  cuttings  of  houseplants  to  increase  a  collection  or  share  with  friends.  Root  cuttings  in  media,  such  as  vermiculite,  perlite  or  potting  soil.  Roots  grown  in  water  tend  to  be  weak  from  lack  of  oxygen  and  do  not  adjust  well  to  planting  in  soil.  

• Fertilize  houseplants  according  to  label  directions.  Foliage  plants  require  relatively  high  nitrogen  fertilizer;  flowering  houseplants  respond  best  to  fertilizer  high  in  phosphorus.  

YARD  (Lawns,  woody  ornamentals  and  fruits)  • Prune  early  spring-­‐flowering  trees  and  shrubs  

after  flowers  fade.  • Follow  a  spray  schedule  to  keep  home-­‐orchard  

crops  pest  free.  While  trees  are  in  bloom,  use  fungicide  sprays  without  insecticide  to  avoid  injury  to  bees.  Follow  label  directions.    

• Thin  fruits  of  apple  trees,  if  needed,  about  three  weeks  after  petal  fall.  Apples  should  be  about  8  inches  apart.  

• Apply  fungicides  to  roses  to  control  diseases,  such  as  black  spot.  

GARDEN  (Vegetables,  small  fruits  and  flowers)  • Pinch  chrysanthemums  and  annual  flower  plants  

to  keep  them  compact  and  well-­‐branched.  • Thin  seedlings  of  early  planted  crops  such  as  

carrots,  lettuce,  spinach  and  beets  to  their  proper  spacing.  

• Harvest  early  plantings  of  radishes,  spinach  and  lettuce.  

• Harvest  asparagus  by  cutting  or  snapping  spears  at  or  just  below  soil  level.  

• Harvest  rhubarb  by  cutting,  or  grasp  the  stalk  and  pull  it  up  and  slightly  to  one  side.  

• Remove  blossoms  from  newly  set  strawberry  plants  to  allow  better  runner  formation.  

• Remove  unwanted  sucker  growth  in  raspberries  when  new  shoots  are  about  a  foot  tall.  

Source:  B.  Rosie  Lerner;  Purdue  Consumer  Horticulture  Specialist  

Topping-­‐  The  Unkindest  Cut  of  All  for  Trees  

If  a  bad  haircut  were  fatal,  you  would  be  very  choosy  about  your  hairstyle.  However,  each  year  hundreds  of  homeowners  have  their  trees  pruned  by  topping;  a  horticultural  “bad  haircut”  that  shortens  the  life  of  the  tree  and  leads  to  greater  expense  later.  Tree  care  professionals  and  university  experts’  cautions  tree  owners  that  topping  a  tree  is  the  kiss  of  death  in  many  instances.  This  damaging  pruning  practice  can  shorten  the  life  span  of  trees  significantly  and  the  damage  is  long-­‐term  where  in  some  instances  the  beheaded  tree  will  die  within  a  few  years,  if  not  less.  The  haircut  analogy  breaks  down  when  you  look  at  what  

happens  after  the  tree  topping  occurs.  Whereas  hair  just  continues  to  grow  out  from  the  same  follicle,  branches  do  not  continue  to  grow  out  from  the  same  growing  point.  Tree  limbs  sprout  from  previously  dormant  buds  just  below  the  internodal  pruning  cut.  These  weak  limbs  are  easily  ripped  from  the  tree  in  

storms  causing  damage  and  creating  a  liability  for  property  owners.  It  has  been  long  known  that  tree  topping  is  harmful  to  trees  yet  the  practice  of  tree  topping  continues.  Reputable  arborists  will  work  with  a  tree’s  natural  growth  habit  when  pruning  and  understands  the  importance  of  pruning  and  tree  health.  Proper  pruning  can  extend  the  life  of  a  tree  and  reduce  ongoing  homeowner  expense,  however,  once  a  tree  is  topped,  it  will  require  much  more  frequent  pruning  to  prevent  branch  failure,  costing  the  owner  more  money.  The  best  advice  is  to  hire  reputable  tree  care  companies,  

which  have  recognized  qualifications  and  insurance.  Ask  the  company  for  credentials  from  professional  organizations  such  as  the  International  Society  of  Arboriculture  and  the  Tree  Care  Industry  Association  to  prove  their  knowledge  and  abilities.    

Source:  Lindsey  Purcell;  Purdue  Urban  Forestry  Specialist  

Pesticide  Applicator  Recertification  Program  (PARP)    PARP  is  the  pesticide  and  manure  application  continuing  education  program  for  Indiana’s  growers.  For  those  individuals  needing  to  take  the  initial,  CORE  exam,  you  can  find  more  information  at  the  following  site:  https://ag.purdue.edu/extension/ppp/Pages/Exam-­‐Opportunities.aspx    

Purdue  University  Cooperative  Extension  Service  Greene  County  Office  4503  W  State  Road  54  Bloomfield,  IN  47424  

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Please  indicate  which  topics  you  would  like  to  read  more  of  and  stay  informed  on:    

Field  Crops     Pesticide  Applicator  Small  Farms   Organics                                      Fruit/Vegetables   Livestock:      

Sadie  Davis  Purdue  Extension  Greene  County  

Ag  &  Natural  Resource  Extension  Educator  4503  W  State  Road  54  Bloomfield,  IN  47424  [email protected]  Office:  812-­‐659-­‐2122  Fax:  812-­‐659-­‐9155  

https://extension.purdue.edu/greene  

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