| Alfalfa Blotch Leafminer |
| New Alfalfa Publication |
| AFGC Dues Increase |
| Forage Related Sites on the World Wide Web |
| Select Software Available |
| Fourth Annual Wisconsin Forage Spokesperson Contest |
A new alfalfa insect pest has begun to show up in some Wisconsin alfalfa fields. This pest is known as the Alfalfa Blotch Leafminer. This insect pest was first detected in Sawyer county in 1996. This past year
reports were received from several eastern counties.
The Alfalfa Blotch Leafminer is native to Europe and was introduced into the eastern U.S. in 1968. The pest was reported in Minnesota in 1995. The source of that infestation is thought to be a load of hay purchased from Ontario.
The adult leafminer is a very small, black, humpbacked fly. The adults emerge from pupa overwintering on the soil surface. These flies lay eggs which produce small yellow larvae. These larvae drop to the ground when mature and pupate. A second generation of adults appears in about one week (mid-July and a third generation appears in mid-August.
Feeding by the adult leafminer results in numerous pinholes (a few to over 100) in the leaflets. Some of these pinholes are used for egg laying. As the larvae emerge they produce tunnels as they "mine" between the upper and lower leaf surface. This tunnel usually starts at the base of the leaflet and widens as it approaches the leaf apex. This results in the "blotch" appearance. The effects of this damage is primarily seen as decreased forage quality. The miners seldom decrease yield unless leaf drop occurs.
Biological control of the Alfalfa Blotch Leafminer is well established in the Northeast and will probably establish in Wisconsin as well. In the interim control measures include cutting management and insecticides. The first generation of the miner and first cutting of alfalfa are fairly synchronous so cutting is an option if damage occurs. The second and third generations often do not correspond as closely with cutting schedules.
Several insecticides are available for Alfalfa Blotch Leafminer control in alfalfa. These options are shown in Table 1. Insecticides must be applied during the "pinhole" stage to be effective. Treatment is suggested if 30-40% of the plants exhibit pinhole feeding injury.
Table 1. Insecticides to Control Alfalfa Blotch Leafminer
Insecticide Lbs. AI/A Days to Harvest
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A new Extension Publication entitled Alfalfa Germination and Growth is now available. This full color publication follows an alfalfa plant from germination through establishment. Development of crown buds, spring regrowth and regrowth after cutting are also discussed. Each topic is accompanied by full color photos of the various growth and developmental stages. Photos and a discussion of the effects of winter injury on alfalfa growth is also included. This publication makes an excellent companion to the Alfalfa Management Guide and our Stand Assessment publication. This publication costs $3.00 and may be obtained through you county extension office. The Bulletin Number is A3681.
The Board of Directors of the American Forage and Grassland Council voted at its last meeting to increase dues from $4.00 to $7.00. This increase reflects the greater cost of doing business. AFGC has not had a dues increase since 1994. A second increase will take place next year which will bring the total dues in 1999 to $10.00. This will allow AFGC to undertake many important projects aimed at promoting forage based agriculture.
The American Forage and Grassland Council is an important voice for forage based agriculture in the U.S. It provides an umbrella organization which most state forage councils including our own participate. AFGC sponsors a national meeting which features talks by producers researchers and other professionals involved in forage production. AFGC also conducts a National Hay Show, Photo Contest and Emerging Scientist Competition at its annual meeting each year. The AFGC Spokesperson Contest is an activity that representatives from WFC have participated in each of the last 3 years.
AFGC is also an important presence in Washington helping to promote forage issues. Without AFGC forage based agriculture would have little presence on Capitol Hill. AFGC provides an important national organization for forages and provides a forum for discussion of issues of importance to forage producers nationwide. As a more tangible benefit, AFGC now publishes a quarterly publication, The Forage Leader. This publication contains articles on research, legislative issues and other topics of interest to forage producers.
Wisconsin is nearly the only state in which membership in AFGC is optional and separate from membership in the state forage council. Most councils add the charge on to the membership fee for the state council. Currently about 300 of our nearly 1000 members choose to join AFGC. I would urge you to consider this option as you renew you WFC membership this year. Corn growers, wheat growers, dairy and most other producers have a national organization to promote and represent them. Without AFGC we would have none. AFGC like all organizations need funds with which to do its work. While the Board resisted this increase it was necessary and will help AFGC better serve its affiliate councils and other members in the future.
Many local councils are using WFC membership forms
which say the AFGC dues are $4.00. Please keep in mind this increase to
$7.00 when you sign up.
Forage Related Sites on the World Wide Web
I thought I would list a few forage related site on the World Wide Web that you might be interested in checking out.
Wisconsin Forage Council
http://www.uwex.edu/ces/forage/wfc.htm
This is the site for our forage council. It has a lot of information about our goals, projects, meetings and other things. Old issues (at least a year) of The Forager are also available.
UW Forage Extension and Research
http://www.uwex.edu/ces/forage/
Dan Undersander has done a great job pulling together all the many aspects of his forage program at Madison. If you have ever wondered why Dan is so busy take a look at his projects.
American Forage and Grasslands Council
http://web.css.orst.edu/organizations/forage/AFGC/index.html
A web page featuring information about AFGC publications, projects, meetings and lots more.
Forage Information Systems
http://web.css.orst.edu/
This is a great forage site containing information on many forage crops as well as production practices, storage, storage, pest management and just about anything else you can think of.
Minnesota Extension Service Haylist
http://www.mes.umn.edu/Haylist/
A hay marketing list for Minnesota and some surrounding areas.
Internet Hay Exchange
http://www.hayexchange.com/hay.htm
A national hay marketing page.
Morgans Hay Price Report
http://www.forage.com/hay/pricereports/index.html
Hay price reports from around the country.
There are certainly a great many more agricultural related sites out there but these are a few that are more specific to forages.
As the time for variety selection is upon us I would like to aquaint you with a powerful tool to assist you is these important decisions. A soft ware package called SELECT has been developed by Joe Lauer , Dan Undersander and others at UW-Madison to enable individuals to make more informed decisions concerning variety selection.
Select includes variety information for corn, soybeans and alfalfa The alfalfa database includes information not only from Wisconsin but from Minnesota Iowa and other surrounding states. It includes variety trial results from all locations in Wisconsin for many years of trials.
The software enables you to make head to head comparisons of two varieties over several locations and or years. It also allows you to select several varieties and compare them to a check variety of you choice. In addition, the Select software will choose varieties for you based on the criteria you select. For instance, you may wish to compare all alfalfa varieties which are classified as highly resistant to phytopthora root rot and are classified as very winter hardy. Select will then display variety trial results for all varieties matching these criteria. You may choose to compare just one site in Wisconsin, all sites in Wisconsin or include sites in other states.
The Select software is available free over the World Wide Web at: http://corn.agronomy.wisc.edu/SELECT/Index.htm or you may contact Joe Lauer at 608-263-7438.
Fourth Annual Wisconsin Forage Spokesperson Contest
The Wisconsin Forage Council will be holding the Forth Annual Wisconsin Forage Spokesperson Contest at the Holiday Inn in Downtown Eau Claire Wednesday, January 28. The winner will represent Wisconsin in the American Forage and Grassland Council Contest in Indianapolis, Indiana held March 8 - 10. First prize for the Wisconsin contest is $1000.00. There are also cash prizes for second, third and forth place. The contest is part of the Wisconsin Forage Council Annual Symposium. Contestants receive free registration and meals at the Symposium.
The contest is aimed at anyone producing forages in Wisconsin. Contestants are asked to describe their farming operations with special emphasis on forage production aspects. Each producer will speak for 15 minutes. The presentations will be judged based on the speakers enthusiasm, ability to communicate effectively, and implementation of innovative and sound farming practices. Presentations will be judged by a panel of producer, industry and education representatives.
This event has been an exciting addition to our symposium program. We have had excellent presentations in the past. Everyone in attendance learns more about forage production practices in Wisconsin.
The national contest is held in conjunction with the American Forage and Grassland Council Annual Symposium. This is a national meeting consisting of forage related presentations by producers, industry and university personnel as well as a national hay show and photo contest. Our winners have all been excellent representatives of Wisconsin agriculture at the national contest.
The Wisconsin contest is sponsored by Pioneer Hi-bred International and Cenex Land O’ Lakes. Anyone interested in participating in the contest should contact Dennis Cosgrove by January 1 at 715-425-3345.