Air December 29, 1999

Thank you Mark, and good morning everyone. Well, just a couple more days and the 1900’s are history. As we roll into a new year I always have problems writing down the right year for a couple of weeks. I wonder how many times I’ll write 19 something on checks that I’m writing?

With a midrange forecast of dry and warm this will be a great chance to get a few things done that you may not have gotten around to earlier in the fall. If you did not get bromegrass fertilized December and January have often shown to be the best time to do this. The ground isn’t frozen so that fertilizer can get right down with the next rain or snow. We have had enough cold weather that most weeds have shut down for the winter. About the only herbicides that could be applied now are soil active product such as Tordon. Subsequently it’s too early to be applying standard wheat herbicides like 2,4-D and Banvel, but if you are going with some of the soil active products, like Glean you could probably roll now. But to be right honest I would be a little nervous about applying any herbicide until we know how that wheat survives the next two months. We’ve got a lot of wheat fields that look like they may or may not be wheat fields come March or April. Maybe we just need to wait and see on those.

Not too far away, two weeks from tomorrow in fact, we will be having a great workshop meeting at the 4-H/Sr. Citizens Building. K-State Specialists Dale Blasi and Rodney Jones will be discussing forage testing and cowherd nutrition. Dale has a lot of experience in ration balancing and diagnosing forages, Rodney brings a lot of practical economic theory and helps it make sense to all of us non-economists. Some of his figures may shock you, and may very well help explain why those cows haven’t made you as much money as you thought they should. The meeting is January 13th, starting at 7:30 in the evening and we’ll be meeting at the 4-H/Sr. Citizens Building on Spring Valley Road. If you need more details, give me a call. And if you have received one of those little letters from FSA advising you that you need to take a class, I’ve got a listing of where those are being held - call me if you need more information.

This is Chuck Otte, Geary County Extension Agent, with Ag Outlook ’99 wishing everyone a very Happy New Year.

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