BY GREG DOERING
Kansas Farm Bureau

There’s something about humans–we always use past events and people to give context to current experiences. Every political scandal, no matter how large or small, is compared to Watergate. Every so often the terminology changes as there become fewer people who lived through an event. When I grew up, the Great Depression was the economic event by which all others were judged. I suspect my grandchildren will come to view the Great Recession in a similar manner. Every basketball star is still judged by the standard of Michael Jordan.

While these provide a reference for people on a national scale, this past month two others have been on the top of my mind. First is the Flood of 1993, which happened before I was old enough to truly understand the devastation it wreaked on the Midwest and in Manhattan where I now live.
In July of that year, rain pounded the watershed of Tuttle Creek Lake, filling the basin to the point that the Corps of Engineers opened the emergency gates on the spillway. The release of some 60,000 cubic feet per second flooded entire neighborhoods.

The “bomb cyclone” that caused so much pain along the Missouri River this spring also contributed to the Corps holding water in Tuttle, which dumps into the Kansas then Missouri and finally the Mississippi. Then May hit and round after round of storms filled the lake to just inches from having to open the gates for a second time. Tensions rose along with the water and by Memorial Day some had evacuated their homes. Thankfully sunshine and controlled releases averted another disaster, but every rain still puts people on edge.

The other event I’ve heard repeated mentions of recently is the 1980s farm crisis. It came up at the Agricultural Relations Council’s annual meeting in Kansas City last week as part of a session on “hot topics” in ag. The ’80s farm crisis featured record production, trade problems, soaring prices for inputs and other factors present today. Panelists said a repeat of the 1980s is unlikely.

The University of Missouri’s Scott Brown noted that while some factors may be similar, farms are structured differently today, and bigger operators have more options when they get in trouble.

Kansas State University professor and agricultural economist Mykel Taylor admitted that two years ago she believed farmers were on the verge of a similar event, but she’s changed her mind. “It’s complicated, but not the same,” Taylor said. “We have our own special drama going on.”

Taylor said debt is increasing and lenders are seeing demand for loan restructuring, but government payments, like the Market Facilitation Program, helped inject cash into farmers’ hands to service their debt. “Those are floating us,” she said. Land prices also have fared better than expected with demand from investors and recreational buyers, giving owners breathing room. And interest rates have stayed low.

Taylor and Missouri Director of Agriculture Chris Chinn both said agriculture will see blue skies again, though neither offered a date. Chinn believes genetic engineering will limit the disease risk not only for crops, but livestock as well. Taylor said big data will help farmers and ranchers make better decisions.
I do know one thing that does not change throughout the ages.

No matter what problem or crisis arises, farmers and ranchers will continue finding ways to stay in the game. It’s what they were made to do.

“Insight” is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state’s largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service. 

By STACY CAMPBELL
Cottonwood Extension District

A new weed control publication from the Department of Agronomy and K-State Research and Extension is now available. This publication, MF3448 “Integrated Pigweed Management” aims to assist producers in developing an integrated strategy to manage pigweed in summer crops and fallow periods. Used in conjunction with local expertise, this guide can help tailor a targeted strategy for each field.

Pigweed is a summer annual broadleaf that emerges from April through October in Kansas with the majority emerging in May and June. Although there are numerous pigweed species, this publication focuses on Palmer amaranth and waterhemp. Pigweed can cause drastic yield losses and harvesting difficulties in summer crops. Controlling emerged pigweed can be challenging due to its rapid growth rate, which can easily exceed 1 inch in height per day. Pigweed is a prolific seed producer with large plants capable of producing nearly one million seeds.

What is “Integrated Pigweed Management”?

An integrated approach combines many different control tactics such as crop rotation, herbicides, tillage, and row spacing to manage pigweeds in a cropping system and has three main purposes.

1. Decrease the risk of selecting for resistant biotypes to an herbicide or other management practice.
2. Reduce pigweed seed population.
3. Increase long-term profitability and sustainability.

With enough selection pressure, it is possible to select for pigweed resistant to cultural or mechanical practices. For example, shifting crop planting date earlier may select for a biotype that emerges later in the season after POST herbicides are applied, or by implementing sequential tillage operations in fallow, a shift toward alternative seed dormancy mechanisms could occur. With an integrated approach, it is less likely for these types of shifts to occur because the selection pressure is shared among various tactics.

When developing an integrated pigweed management plan, consideration should first be given to cultural control tactics. It is not always possible or applicable to implement all strategies in certain systems; therefore, consideration must be given to how each tactic fits in combination with the other goals of the cropping system (Figure 1).

Figure 1. When developing an integrated pigweed management strategy, cultural practices should be considered first. Too often, it is easy to place all consideration on herbicide and neglect the potential benefits of cultural and mechanical tactics. Graphic from MF 3448, Integrated Pigweed Management, K-State Research and Extension.

Cultural practices are discussed in more detail in the full publication. They include: crop rotation, crop cultivar selection and planting date, cover crops, row spacing, field border maintenance, and seed transfer.

Building an Integrated Strategy

Combining control tactics yields the best results. When developing these recommendations, have realistic expectations and make considerations from a cropping systems point of view. It can be difficult to see direct economic profit from some cultural practices such as narrow row spacing, cover crops, or crop rotation; however, long-term gain will be realized through delaying the onset of herbicide resistance and reduced weed seed production.

Developing Herbicide Recommendation for Pigweed Management

A common pitfall when trying to justify the cost of integrated strategies is through a reduction in herbicide use. This concept is not supported with research, and all integrated strategies still must be combined with a comprehensive herbicide program. Research shows herbicide programs targeting pigweed must have three key components (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Three key components that should be found in every pigweed herbicide program.

More information about each of these three components can be found in the publication.

The full publication, “Integrated Pigweed Management”,  is available online at: https://www.bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/MF3448.pdf.

Information provided by Dallas Peterson, Extension Weed specialist, and Marshall Hay.