Invasion of the Japanese Beetles

Information provided by Jim Jarman, Central Missouri Extension Region Agronomy Specialist. (jarmanj@missouri.edu)

Just about everyone will benefit from monitoring prize plants in gardens and crops. Japanese Beetles (JB) feed on a wide number of plants. The most damaging feeding injury in vegetable gardens is probably feeding on corn silks. During hot, dry weather pollination can be a problem for corn even if something is not eating off the silks. They will also attack ripening fruit, flowers and leaves. The immature stage of growth is a grub which feeds on the roots of grasses and plants. The larvae prefer lighter, sandy soils so larger numbers may be found near creeks and river bottoms. In central Missouri more JB have been trapped in Jefferson City along the Missouri River than Fulton. 

Get to know what JBs look like and watch for them in ornamental and vegetable gardens. They are in the same family as the scarab or June beetles. Adults may be separated from other scarabs by their metallic green color, copper coloring across the back (wing covers), and six white short hairy tufts on each side of the abdomen. Most of the June beetle species in Missouri are larger. The Japanese beetle usually measures 3/8 to ½ inch in length. County Extension Centers have lists of the JB’s favorite host plants, but a partial list is provided below.

When JB are infesting, check pesticides on hand for the infested host plant and JB to be listed on the label. Extension specialists use traps to monitor the numbers and timing of when they occur. Traps are known for attracting more insects than they catch. It would take a high number of traps in a small area to control a localized infestation. Plus traps have to be emptied frequently and most of the beetles will still be alive. See the MU Extension web site: http://extension.missouri.edu/p/IPM1020-19 for photographs and more information. 

In vegetable gardens plants Japanese beetles like:

Japanese Beetles DO NOT like

Green beans and other beans Strawberries Tomatoes                                              Peach tree leaves Blueberries Peppers Grapes                                                   Hops Cherries                                                 Plums Pears                      Peaches Raspberries                                           Blackberries Corn Peas and others from  these general families

Chives Garlic Tansy Catnip

Landscape plants nearly always severely attacked by adult Japanese beetle.

American chestnut	Hollyhock
American elm	Horse chestnut
American linden	Japanese maple
American mountain-ash	Lombardy poplar
Black walnut	London planetree
Cherry, black cherry, plum, peach, etc	Norway maple
Roses	Crape myrtle
English elm(shrub Althea)	Rose-of-Sharon
Flowering crabapple, apple	Sassafras
Gray birch	Table grapes

Landscape plants relatively free of feeding by adult Japanese beetle.

American elderberry	Magnolia
American sweetgum	Persimmon
Black oak	Red maple
Boxelder	Red mulberry
Boxwood	Red oak
Butternut	Rhododendron
Common lilac	Scarlet oak
Common pear	Shagbark hickory
Evergreens (fir, spruce, pine)	Silver maple
Euonymus	Tuliptree
Flowering dogwood	White ash
Green ash	White oak
Hemlock	White poplar
Holly

Farm Women’s Involvement in the Farm

Farm women take on many roles on the family farm. She may be the caretaker of the children. She may work off the farm and not have an interest in the daily operation of the farm. She may be the principle operator, or could operate the farm in partnership with her husband. A woman’s role on the farm is not the same from one operation to another. The only similarity between every farm woman is that she needs to be aware and educated about operating the family farm.

A farm woman is tied tightly to the farming operation, whether she is a daily partner or not. Farm families depend on the farm as a source of income and a way of life. There are often misconceptions that if a family member does not work on the farm then they do not need to know anything about it. That is wrong. If something happens to the primary farm operator, the operation will still need to be managed and possibly be distributed to heirs. Crops will still need to be tended, harvested, and marketed. Livestock will need to be fed, cared for, and marketed. Also, if the operation is involved in any leases, those lease terms will still need to be honored.

Estate planning is often ignored because we all have a sense of “my partner will always be here.” The reality is that anything can happen when you least expect it, whether you are young or old. The state has a probate law that distributes property if one of the farm partners passes away. What happens if the state’s plan is not what you want? Every farm family should have a plan on how their farm and property will be distributed in the case of a death. There are many ways that property can be passed on to the next generation, but it takes time and planning to properly do this. It is important to consult a good attorney, financial counselors, and any other advisors that you trust in this process.

Another thing to consider is crop insurance. Crop insurance is confusing, but it is an important part of operating a farm. There are many types of crop insurance and the rules seem to be changing every year. It is important that those involved in the operation know where the policies are filed and learn about the type of coverage your operation purchases and why. It would also be helpful to develop a relationship with the operation’s insurance representative and to be involved in the conversations when decisions are made about what type to purchase.

University of Missouri Extension offers several programs throughout the year that target farm women to help them become better business partners on the farm. Agriculture Business Specialists have been offering a program called Annie’s Project across the state for several years. There have been hundreds of graduates that are now better able to help make decisions on the farm because of this program.

This conference will also be held on August 22nd in Carrollton, St. Joseph, and Mexico, MO. To find more about this program or the Annie’s Project program contact Randa Doty at (660) 582-8101 or check out the Women in Boots & BlueJeans website.

(by Randa Doty, MU Extension, Northwest Regional Ag Business Specialist)

Horticulture and Agroforestry Center Field Day set for June 30

The Horticulture and Agroforestry Research Center (HARC) will host a field day featuring multiple presentations on agroforestry and horticulture, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on June 30.

If you are interested in growing a few nut trees, or several acres, researchers from the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) at the University of Missouri will showcase varieties and discuss care and pest control. Looking to start or expand your fruit orchard, or considering trying to cultivate the famous black truffle? Johann Bruhn, associate research professor of plant sciences, has more than 10 years of research to share on the elusive and highly valuable mushroom.

The 665-acre center will offer two tours throughout the day. The first tour offers seven presentations on nut and fruit trees, small fruits, mushrooms and wine grapes.

The second tour features silvopasture, shade tolerance trials of warm-season grasses for forages in alley cropping systems and water quality and biomass research. Attendees will see the flood lab, where a research team is evaluating the flood tolerance of four biomass crops to simulate growing conditions along the Missouri and Mississippi river corridors.

Ray Glendening, superintendent
at HARC, scans the row of
pine needles ready for harvest

John Dwyer, associate professor of forestry, and Jimmy Houx, research specialist in plant sciences, will discuss multiple species of Missouri crops and their suitability for biomass production.

Chris Starbuck, associate professor of plant sciences, will share promising research that a pine straw industry can be developed in the Midwest.

In addition to the latest research in raising cattle and trees together, developing new fruit and nut cultivars and finding fuel for the future, is a look into the past. Tours of one of the oldest standing brick homes in Missouri, the Hickman House, built in 1819, will also be available. The home sits atop a hill at HARC.

All tours are free and open to the public. Lunch will be served 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

HARC is part of a network of research centers across Missouri, extending CAFNR’s research to nearly 13,000 acres to meet the regional research and demonstration needs of agricultural producers and natural resource managers.

For more information, contact Nancy Bishop at BishopN@missouri.edu or 660-848-2268.

(Mike Burden, MU Senior Information Specialist)

NRCS Elsberry Plant Materials Center Plans Field Day

The USDA NRCS Elsberry Plant Materials Center (PMC) invites you to attend their Field Day on Wednesday, June 20, 2012 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The open house begins at 10:00 a.m. with a welcome and introduction to the Elsberry Center.

A wagon tour will provide an overview of the facilities and specialized equipment for foundation seed processing, harvesting, cleaning, and the storage requirements for native seed. The tour will also view the Center’s production fields.

The Center has 19 active studies that directly relate to finding plant solutions to help respond to our natural resources challenges in the three states of Iowa, Illinois and Missouri that the Center serves.

So schedule June 20, 2012 Tuesday to come and spend a beautiful summer day at the Elsberry Plant Materials Center. Bring your lunch, picnic tables and shaded trees provided! An agenda will be e-mail out to field offices a month before the field day.

Please Confirm Your Attendance by calling the center at 573-898-2012 or email Ron or Jerry.

Cover Crop & Soil Health Workshop

A Cover Crop & Soil Health Workshop will be held on Tuesday, June 26, 2012 from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. at the Adrian Optimist Building in Adrian, MO.  (Directions:  From 71 Hwy, go west on Hwy 18 into Adrian, MO. At first stop sign, go south 3/4 mile on Old US 71. Building will be on west side of road. Call 660-853-9068 for directions.)
 
Topics:

* Improving soil health using no-till and cover crops

* Cover crop planting techniques, and management

* Integrating livestock grazing into crop rotation
* Utilizing mob grazing techniques
 
Guest Speakers include:

David Brandt
* Ohio row crop producer with corn, soybean, winter wheat rotation
* Utilizing no-till for 41 years & cover crops for 33 years

Gail Fuller
* Row crop and livestock producer in Eastern Kansas
*100% No-till since 1995
* Incorporates livestock, intensive grazing, and cover crops into his no-till system
 
Registration is required by June 15th by calling 660-679-6124 Ext. 3.  Lunch is offered by the Bates County Cattlemen's Association.

The event is sponsored by NRCS, MU Extension and Miller Seed Company.

2012 Farm Tour and Pasture Walk

In conjunction with Boone County Soil and Water attend the 2012 Farm Tour and Pasture Walk on June 12, 2012 at 6:00 pm on the Martz Farms in Columbia MO.

Directions to the Farm:  From the Hwy 63 and I-70 interchange take Hwy PP east 5.6 miles to Palmer Rd.  Take a left on Palmer Rd. and watch for the signs.  6787 Palmer Rd.

Dinner will start at 6:00 pm followed by a pasture walk (ride) through Martz Farms.  There are plenty of things to learn from the Martz family so be sure and attend this event.  It will be a great evening for learning and visiting with other cattlemen from the area.

For questions or to RSVP contact Phillip Brooks, President of the Boone County Cattlemen at 573-657-0572 or 573-819-0181.

Resources for Selling to Grocery Stores and Restaurants

Here are a couple of resources you will find handy when doing your research on markeing to grocery stores and restaurants.

Advertised prices of last week's produce nationwide and by region.

Chefs Collaborative network brings together chefs and the greater food community, including farmers, to celebrate local foods and foster a sustainable food supply.

Guide for Farms Considering Selling in Grocery Stores, and Is Selling to Grocery Stores Profitable for Farms or Processors? are reports from the Local Fare project based in Southern Wisconsin.

Product Lookup numbers (PLUs). A complete list is online.

Selling to Restaurants is an ATTRA publication that details how to successfully deal with chefs.

Selling Directly to Restaurants & Grocery Stores is a Small Farm Handbook from the Washington State Department of Agriculture.

Selling Produce to Restaurants: Marketing Guide for Small Acreage Growers by Diane Green, a farmer who has been selling herbs, flowers and produce to restaurants for over a decade. Book sales benefit Rural Roots, an Idaho nonprofit working to enhance local food networks. www.greentreenaturals.com

(from ATTRA News)