Tractor and Machinery Safety Certification Program for Youth

         The Fond du Lac County UW Extension Office will be offering the Wisconsin Tractor and Machinery Safety Certification Program beginning on Saturday, January 9th from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at UW-Fond du Lac in Room 205 Administration/Extension Building.  Any youth who plans to participate in the program must pre-register by Monday, December 28th.  This can be done by calling the UW Extension office at 929-3171 or 748-7565.  The participant's name, address, phone number, social security number, and date of birth will need to be provided. 

        Wisconsin law dictates that youth must be at least 12 years of age to enroll in this program.  Completing all requirements of the program enables youth working for their parents to legally drive tractors on a public road and 14 or 15-year olds working for a non-parent employer to drive tractors and operate machinery as a job related activity.  In addition to tractor and machinery safety, the program also addresses many other farm safety topics including safe work habits around livestock, fire safety, electrical safety, and silo/manure gases.  The first two program meetings are on Saturdays, January 9th and 23rd.  These are followed by four evening meetings in February and March.  Both written and driving examinations are required for successful completion of the course.  A complete schedule of program meetings will be mailed to participants following the pre-registration period.  Cost for the program is $30 per person.

UW-Extension Ear Mold Survey 

        As it became brutally obvious that molds and mycotoxins would be a primary issue with the 2009 corn crop, UW-Extension initiated a statewide ear mold survey to document the types of mold being found.  A random sample of ten ears per field was submitted to the UW Plant Disease Diagnostic Clinic.  Here's what was found in the first three samples submitted from Fond du Lac County:

Sample 1:  Trichoderma, Cladosporium, Fusarium, and Penicillium

Sample 2:  Cladosporium, Nigrospora, and Penicillium

Sample 3:  Cladosporium and Fusarium

Of these, Fusarium and Penicillium are possible mycotoxin producers while the others are not. 

Consider Aphanomyces When Choosing Alfalfa Varieties 

        Aphanomyces root rot is an alfalfa disease that doesn't appear to be going away anytime soon.  Over this past summer, three confirmed cases from Fond du Lac County fields were documented through the UW Plant Disease and Diagnostic Lab.  It most often is evident during the seeding/establishment phase of alfalfa and results in poorly developed stands; necrotic roots and hypocotyls; chlorosis and purpling of leaves; severe stunting of seedlings and plant death.  In established stands, plants exhibit reduced vigor and yields. 

        Aphanomyces is troublesome on several levels.  There are currently two different races (strains) identified, but there is evidence that there could be more.  The test for Aphanomyces is somewhat primitive and involves growing resistant and susceptible alfalfa varieties in soil from suspect fields (hence, testing involves sending in a soil sample).  Finally, plant symptoms are not always readily apparent. 

        Recently, a large sampling and testing project was completed to document the presence of aphanomyces in Wisconsin alfalfa fields.  A total of 227 samples were submitted for testing.  Of these, 75 tested positive for aphanomyces and 80 percent of those tested positive for Race 2.  There are currently many alfalfa varieties on the market with Race 1 resistance.  Unfortunately, there are far fewer varieties with resistance to Race 2.  Nevertheless, if alfalfa establishment is a problem on your farm (or in a particular field), consider aphanomyces as a potential cause and choose varieties with resistance to both Race 1 and 2.     

Nutrient Management Plan Computer Software Training  

            Developing a nutrient management plan (NMP) that is both economically and environmentally sound has been made easier with computer software. Both crop consultants and farmers have used the SNAP+ software to develop plans throughout the state of Wisconsin. To meet the growing interest in development and implementation of the NMP, a training session is being offered for farmers and agronomists on Friday, December 18th in Room 205/206 of the Administration/Extension Bldg. at UW-Fond du Lac.  To register for this free training, please call Fond du Lac County LWCD (920) 923-3033 Ext. 3 before December 15th.