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$100 offered to Barton County farmersKansas What would you do (not for a Klondike bar), but for $100? An opportunity for Barton County farmers to win $100 from 10 pounds of wheat right out of the combine is being offered. If the sample of wheat for the Barton County wheat quality contest wins first in the overall market wheat show at the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson and it was shown at the county fair by a Barton County farmer or landowner, we'll pay that farmer $100. These samples will be exhibited at the Barton County Fair in July. I need the samples to me by July 1, so I have time to get them tested. Wheat growers should bring 10 pounds of combine-run wheat in a sack or jar to the county extension office. Samples are not to be run through a cleaner or sifter nor be hand- picked. We want good samples but they should be straight out of the combine and must have been grown in 2009. Two entry forms are necessary. An entry form with the name, address and telephone number of the producer along with the variety name and list of production practices must be filled out. These will be available at the local elevator or at the county extension office. Farmers may enter up to 3 different varieties. Entries will be evaluated for protein and test wheat. For more information, stop by the Barton County Extension Office, 1800 12th Street in Great Bend or give me a call at 620-793-1910. Market alfalfa samples neededI mentioned a couple of weeks ago about the market hay show. We are offering the same deal on the market alfalfa show as on the wheat. If you win at the state fair and you got the sample in on time for lab analysis for the Barton County Fair, we will give you $100. Again, you do have to be from Barton County to get the extra $100, but both the wheat and alfalfa shows are open to anyone from Kansas at our county fair. All you need to do is either bring in a flake of hay or a representative core sample from several bales in a plastic bag to the extension office as soon as possible. I will still accept samples through 5 p.m., June 22. We need you to stop by the extension office with your sample and fill out an open class entry form for the market alfalfa class. This is a good opportunity to get a free analysis on RFV (Relative Feed Value) and protein even if you don't think you have a winner. More on summer annual foragesA couple of weeks ago, I promised to give more tips on nitrate hazards in summer annual forages like sorghum-sudan hybrids. I think it is wise to get a nitrogen (N) profile soil test prior to planting these forages or at least before you apply any fertilizer. On the other hand that doesn't mean you just don't apply any nitrogen because that brings stress to the plants if there is insufficient N present in the soil. To adequately do this, you need to take a top soil sample from several areas in the field from the 0- to 6-inch depth. Then go back in those same holes, 6- to 24-inches deep. When you are done, you should have a mix of several samples 0- to 6-inch, which we will call a top soil sample. Then a sample of several from 6- to 24-inch mixed, for a sub-soil sample. We only need a pint of soil from each field. You can bring them to our office. We have soil test bags. We send them to K-State for analysis and I make the recommendations. Nitrate levels in the plant go up rapidly when a severe moisture stress is first broken by a rain shower. Nitrate uptake can be very rapid as growth first takes off, and can stay high for several days until photosynthesis catches up with the demand for fixed carbon for protein conversion and growth. Delaying harvest for a few days in this situation allows time for the plant to convert that nitrate to protein. In summary, will adjusting fertilizer applications for the amount of N in the soil guarantee there will be no problems with excess nitrates in forage? No, because nitrate accumulation in forage is primarily a physiological problem (drought conditions limiting the conversion of nitrate to protein) and not a fertilizer problem. However, reducing the amount of nitrate available to a drought-stressed crop can reduce the risk of excess nitrate accumulation. Tomato cagesWe like to put tomatoes in a cage--not because they might escape but since it is an ideal way to support the sprawling vines without having to prune to remove branches. Tomato cages should be about 20- to 24-inches in diameter. A 5-foot length of wire formed into a circle makes about the right diameter cage. We usually prefer to use cement reinforcing wire since it is very rigid (self supporting) and the large 6-inch spaces between wires allows harvesting through the wires. It is always a good idea to provide a stake or post along side each cage to prevent it from blowing over in the wind. Standard vined or indeterminate tomato varieties will usually require a tall cage--5 feet or so high. Most newer compact or semi-determinate varieties can use a shorter cage--2 1/2 to 3 feet tall. These shorter cages are less expensive to construct and are more stable in the wind (don't blow over as easily). At the end of the season, remove all vines from the cages, wash the cages with a dilute bleach: water solution (1 part bleach to 10 parts water) and store them for use next year. Cages should last for 20 to 30 years--even stored outside.
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