The weather has been conducive to making progress in the planting process and the rains have been welcomed to help get the crops off to a good start for the new growing season. Hopefully, we will continue to receive moisture on a timely basis.

The long hours spent in planting the new crops, coupled with the pressures to get as much accomplished as possible during every good weather day, can lead to a person not being as careful as they should be in order to prevent an accident. We would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone to keep safety uppermost in your thoughts and actions.

A new resource will be available for producers to keep informed of emerging issues and concerns related to crops. More specific information is included later in the newsletter.

Also, the workshops and seminars available for your use continue during the summer. Check out the listing at the end of the newsletter under Educational Opportunities.

Feel free to contact us if we can be of assistance to you.

Sincerely,

Earle Mailand

County Extension Director

Boone County Extension

Ellen Phillips, Extension Educator - Crop Systems, Countryside Extension Center 708-352-0109, ephillps@uiuc.edu

The infiltration rate is a measure of how fast water enters the soil. Measuring the infiltration rate can give an indication of soil structure and the presence of soil compaction. Running an infiltration test is quite simple and uses tools that most of us already have. The materials needed are a six-inch diameter ring about 6 inches deep, plastic wrap, distilled water and a watch or stopwatch.

When to measure infiltration? The tests should be done when the soil is at field capacity or between 12 and 48 hours following a saturating rain or irrigation.

Where to sample? Make sure the sampling area is free of residue and weeds. Any vegetation present should be trimmed to the soil surface before inserting the ring.

The first step is to gently press the ring three inch into the soil. Then firm the soil surface only around the inside edges of the ring to prevent extra seepage. Minimize disturbance to the rest of the soil surface inside the ring. To prepare the ring, place a sheet of plastic wrap completely over the soil and ring. This will prevent the soil surface from being disturbed when the water is added. Gently pour one inch of distilled water into the plastic in the ring. Very gently pull the plastic wrap out, leaving the water in the ring. Record the time. Stop recording time when the soil surface is just glistening. If the soil surface is rough, stop timing when half of the surface is exposed.

Soil Permeability Classes

Infiltration Rate (minutes per inch)	Infiltration rate (inches per hour)	Infiltration Class
<3	>20	Very rapid
3 to 10	6 to 20	Rapid
10 to 30	2 to 6	Moderately Rapid
30 to 100	0.6 to 2	Moderate
100 to 300	0.2 to 0.6	Moderately slow
300 to 1,000	0.06 to 0.2	Slow
1,000 to 40,000	0.0015 to 0.06	Very Slow
>40,000	< 0.0015	Impermeable

One more time: For the most accurate data, repeat all of these steps. Because the first inch of water may be wetting the soil as it penetrates, the second infiltration test gives a more accurate infiltration rate.

Understanding Infiltration: How fast water enters a soil depends on the soil type, soil structure and the soil water content. The infiltration rate on dry soil is faster than wet soils since water will be pulled into the soil. This is why the initial soil moisture content should be similar at all sites you are taking an infiltration rate. It will make comparisons between cropping systems and soils more accurate.

Soil texture affects the infiltration rate. Sandy soils normally have the most rapid infiltration rates. Soil texture interacts with structure, influencing the movement of water into the soil. The infiltration rate of heavier soils is influenced by the degree of structure and the size of pores at the surface. Large continuous pores at the surface can cause rapid infiltration. Infiltration decreases when the size or amount of pore space decreases due to structure breakdown, clogging of pores by particles, or saturation of pore when water deeper in the profile reaches dense subsoil layers.

Soil use and management influence soil infiltration rates. Tilling wet soils can create compaction layers deeper in the soil. Compacted soils have less pore space, resulting in lower infiltration rates below and a wetter surface soil. Wet spots that were tilled to dry them out faster, often end up showing the most moisture stress later in the season, due to reduced infiltration and increased subsurface compaction.

Multiple tillage trips can quickly reduce the moisture stored in a soil. In a silt loam soil, 1 to 2 inches of soil moisture can potentially be lost with each tillage pass. This can dry the seed zone enough to negatively impact germination and emergence of the seed, despite having adequate moisture below the seed zone.

Surface crusts seal the soil surface, rapidly decreasing the infiltration rate. Tillage that breaks up surface crusts or compaction zones will increase infiltration. However, excessive tillage can break apart aggregates, increasing compaction and creating conditions for even greater surface crusting to occur by disrupting pore continuity.

Cropping systems that increase plant roots or earthworms may have a higher infiltration rate due to the number and larger size of pores left behind at and near the surface. Continuous no-till will, over time, improve soil structure resulting in better infiltration and reduce runoff. Increased rates of stable organic matter from additions of residues or use of cover crops can increase the aggregate stability and result in increased infiltration. Residues also absorb the impact of raindrops, slowing runoff and allowing more time for infiltration. As a result there is usually less erosion and crusting.

1401 W. St. Mary's Road, Urbana, IL 61802, 217-333-0519 http://plantclinic.cropsci.uiuc.edu/

The University of Illinois Plant Clinic has served as a clearinghouse for plant problems since 1976. Services include plant and insect identification, diagnosis of disease, insect, weed and chemical injury (chemical injury on field crops only), nematode assays, and help with nutrient related problems, as well as recommendations involving these diagnoses. Microscopic examinations, laboratory culturing, virus assays, and nematode assays are some of the techniques used in the clinic. This multidisciplinary venture is managed through the Crop Sciences Department but relies on input from many departments, including both research and extension components. Most of the diagnostic work is done at the Plant Clinic, but specialists are consulted as needed in the areas of botany, entomology, horticulture, mycology, plant pathology, soils, soil fertility, and weed science, among others.

To submit a sample to the Plant Clinic, check the website or call your local Extension office to request Sampling Guidelines and a fee schedule.

Grain-Forage Crop Rotations Seen Boosting Soil Quality

Luis Pons, ARS News Service, ARS-USDA, 301-504-1628, lpons@ars.usda.gov

Farmers looking to maintain soil quality may want to get back to planting extended rotations of grain and forage crops. The study--headed by soil scientist Douglas Karlen of ARS' National Soil Tilth Laboratory in Ames, Iowa--found that crop rotations covering a minimum of five years, including at least three years of forage crops interspersed with corn and soybean, resulted in higher soil-quality ratings than either continuous corn or a two-year corn-soybean sequence. The longer-term rotations also had an additional benefit: They were more profitable than continuous corn production.

According to Karlen, the study shows the need to create new markets and new uses for forage crops so that producers will have financial incentives to diversify their crop rotations. Larger farm size, specialization, and separation of agricultural crop and animal enterprises--along with pressure to maximize short-term profit throughout the nation's corn and soybean belt--have decreased implementation of long-term crop rotations over the past 50 years. The result, according to Karlen, has been crop rotations that leave land bare for nearly six months each year, spurring organic-matter decomposition and erosion if the soils are tilled.

The researchers collected soil samples from three long-term crop rotation studies and one long-term organic study in Iowa and Wisconsin. They analyzed the samples for several physical, chemical and biological soil-quality indicators that were then used to develop an overall soil-quality index (SQI). Soil samples from extended rotations that included at least three years of forage crops such as alfalfa or oats scored the highest SQI values. The lowest SQI values were associated with continuous corn.

Deep Rooted Alfalfa

Alfalfa has long been known for its drought tolerance. There are few plants that match alfalfa's deep roots. Gary Lacefield, University of Kentucky forage specialist, found that in a good growing season, alfalfa roots could grow as deep as five feet in six months. He also looked at historical studies to confirm his findings. The literature often discussed active roots penetrating between four to twelve feet. The most interesting report was from the early 1900's. During an investigation of a mining tunnel in Nevada, a USDA scientist observed alfalfa roots from the alfalfa field 129 feet above the tunnel.

Higher Yields with Manure Applied Before Alfalfa
Research, done by Bruce Anderson, University of Nebraska forage specialist and reported in the University of Nebraska Crop Watch Newsletter, shows that applying manure to alfalfa fields prior to planting. Manure is rich in nutrients that alfalfa needs such as phosphorus, potassium, sulfur and many micronutrients. Manure can also improve soil tilth and encourage soil microbial activities that could increase nitrogen availability. Up to 12,000 gallons of liquid manure or 50 tons of dry manure per acre resulted in higher alfalfa yields than commercial fertilizers at the same nutrient levels. Alfalfa yields were higher on both low- and high-fertility soils. Manure should be tested to know how much to apply. Anderson cautions producers to also keep an eye out for weeds since manure can increase weed growth as well.

Pig Feeding Strategies Impact Manure Gases

O. Grant Clark, Soenke Moehn, Ike Edeogu, Jason Price, and Jeremy Leonard

http://jeq.scijournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/34/5/1461

Pig manure emits odorous (hydrogen sulfide) and greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide). Changing pigs' diets can alter manure gases. One way to slow gas is to closely match feed nutrients to pigs' requirements. A study, published in Journal of Environmental Quality, tested feeding strategies. When pigs were fed less protein, manure emission of carbon dioxide and methane increased. Greenhouse gases decreased when enzyme was added to high-protein diets, but increased with low-protein diets. High-protein diets resulted in manure with more sulfur, but odor wasn't impacted. Manure from diets with more nonstarch polysaccharides contained less nitrogen; manure odor didn't change.

Locations of Soil Organic Carbon Dramatically Alter Soil Structure Strength

Eun-Jin Park and Alvin J. M. Smucker
http://soil.scijournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/69/6/1912

The more stable soil aggregates are, the less soil erosion will occur. No-till alters soil structural components of porosity, stability and their spatial distributions of carbon contents that in turn alter carbon sequestration and soil erosion. In the Soil Science Society of America Journal, researchers identified twice as much soil organic carbon and increased porosity within soil aggregates that had not been tilled for 35 years. These changes significantly improved aggregate stability. The overall mechanical strength of the aggregates was affected by the type and quantity of clay.

Publications Plus –University of Illinois Agricultural and Horticultural Publications

Call 1-800-345-6087 or order on the web www.PublicationsPlus.uiuc.edu

It's a one-stop shop for a current catalog of research-based information (Mastercard and VISA accepted)

Identifying Soybean Rust Guide- Spanish Version

A free pocket-sized soybean rust ID card, published last year for soybean growers throughout the country, is now available in Spanish. Funded through Ohio Soybean Council soybean check-off dollars and federal grants, is the result of a collaborative effort between the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food and 22 land-grant universities, including Ohio State University Extension. Both English and Spanish versions of the ID card can be obtained by contacting Ohio State University research and Extension plant pathologist Anne Dorrance at (330) 202-3560, or e-mail dorrance.1@osu.edu

Raising Poultry on Pasture: Ten Years of Success

Editor: Jody Padgham

This complete text has over 130 illustrated articles. It's divided into fourteen chapters and is fully indexed for ease of reference. Broilers get the most attention in the book, but egg production has an entire chapter to itself, and another chapter covers turkeys, ducks, and geese. To order contact the American Pastured Poultry Association, 36475 Norton Creek Road, Blodgett OR 97326 or contact grit@apppa.org, 541-453-4557.

The Bulletin: Pest Management and Crop Development

http://www.ipm.uiuc.edu/bulletin/

During the growing season the Bulletin is published as a weekly newsletter and contains crop scouting reports, prediction of pest problems and management recommendations. A key advantage of the web is immediacy.

Costs and Fuel Use for Alternative Tillage Systems

http://www.farmdoc.uiuc.edu/manage/newsletters/fefo06_07/fefo06_07.html

Recent increases in fuel and new equipment prices have again focused attention on alternative tillage systems. In this paper, costs are examined for two systems that have little tillage and two systems that rely on tillage. One of the "low" tillage systems is strip tillage, a system in which a strip is cleared when nitrogen is applied, thereby allowing the strip to warm-up faster in the spring and allowing earlier planting than a no-tillage system. One of the "tillage" systems relies on a v-ripper to perform primary tillage. The ripper performs deep tillage, thereby mixing organic matter in the hopes of increasing yields. Results indicate that the two "low" tillage systems have about $9.50 per acre less costs and between 1 and 2 gallons less fuel use than the two "tillage" systems.

"Frequently Asked Questions About the World Trade Organization"

http://www.farmdoc.uiuc.edu/policy/ag_policy_briefs/abp_06-01/apb_06-01.html.

The article addresses a broad range of issues from "What is the WTO and why is it important for the U.S. to follow the WTO trade rules?" to "How does the WTO relate to Illinois?" Learn how the future of corn and soybean programs be affected by the link between the Doha Round and the 2007 Farm Bill

Pricing Performance of Market Advisory Services in Corn and Soybeans Over 1995-2004

http://www.farmdoc.uiuc.edu/agmas/index.html

The purpose of this research report is to evaluate the pricing performance of market advisory services for the 1995-2004 corn and soybean crops. Five basic indicators of performance are applied to advisory program prices and revenues over 1995-2004. Results show that advisory program prices fall in the top-third of the price range relatively infrequently. There is limited evidence that advisory programs as a group outperform market benchmarks, particularly after considering risk. The evidence is somewhat more positive with respect to farmer benchmarks, even after taking risk into account. For example, the average advisory return relative to the farmer benchmarks is 8 to $12 per acre with only a marginal increase in risk. Even though this return is small and mainly from corn, it nonetheless represents a non-trivial increase in net farm income per acre for grain farms in central Illinois. Test results also suggest that it is difficult to predict the year-to-year pricing performance of advisory programs based on past pricing performance. However, there is some evidence that performance is more predictable over longer time horizons, particularly at the extremes of performance rankings.

Fungicide Application Technology for Soybean Rust-2006 http://www.ipm.msu.edu/cat06field/pdf/sbr_aptechnology.pdf

The keys to successfully using fungicides to control soybean rust are applying the fungicide at the right time, achieving good canopy penetration and good leaf coverage. The fact sheet gives guidelines for selecting the correct spray volume, droplet size, ground speed, nozzle pressure, boom height and nozzle type to achieve good penetration and coverage of the soybean canopy.

The First Decade of Genetically Engineered Crops in the United States

www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/EIB11/

The USDA Economic Research Service report focuses on GE crops and their adoption in the U.S. over the past 10 years. Three major stakeholders of agricultural biotechnology are examined and find that (1) the pace of R&D activity by producers of GE seed (the seed firms and technology providers) has been rapid, (2) farmers have adopted some GE varieties widely and at a rapid rate and benefited from such adoption, and (3) the level of consumer concerns about foods that contain GE ingredients varies by country, with European consumers being most concerned.

Soybean Backgrounder

http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/OCS/apr06/OCS200601

This report addresses key domestic and international market and policy developments that have affected the U.S. soybean sector in recent years. It provides an analysis of the competition between crops for domestic farmland and the international supply and demand for soybean products. Also covered are domestic and trade policy, farm program costs, and a profile of operating and financial characteristics of U.S. farms producing soybeans.

Prevention: A Young Person's Guide to Keeping Animals Safe and Healthy

www.vet.ohio-state.edu/1985.htm

This on-line booklet teaches youth how to protect animals from disease by keeping their environment hygienic and sanitary. This four-chapter booklet The publication covers controlling external biosecurity sources, such as the movement of animals, people and equipment, as well as the construction of buildings, and how to keep animals separated by species and age; keeping animals clear of pathogens through sanitation and hygiene; identifying threats to the animal, from external and internal parasites to predators to bacteria and viruses to toxins; and safeguarding animal health. It was written by Ohio State University Extension-Veterinary Preventive Medicine and the University of Maryland.

This year a new resource for producers will be available to keep informed of emerging issues and concerns related to crops. This new resource will replace the previous "Tips for Crop Watchers".

The alerts will be written by Jim Morrison, Crop Systems Educator at the Rockford Extension Center and Dave Feltes, Integrated Pest Management Educator at the Quad Cities Extension Center. The goal of the alerts will be to "provide practical, timely, and useful filed crop information" for producers. The issues will be published on an "as needed basis" as conditions warrant.

The alerts will be available to producers electronically so as to reduce the time between when the alert is published and when they will be in the hands of producers. You will be able to access the alerts in any one of three methods. They are:

1) Log on to http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/rockfordcenter/cropandpestalert/

2) Go to the Boone County Extension web page at www.extension.uiuc.edu/boone , select the Ag & Natural Resources button, the link to the alert will be located under Additional Resources.

3) Get on a list to receive the alerts automatically. To subscribe for this service, send an email to emailand@uiuc.edu with the request to be included on the subscription list.

For the best service, subscribing to the automatic forwarding of the alerts to your email address is recommended.

County Agricultural Calendar

New programs are being confirmed every day. Keep in touch with Boone County Extension Office area programs by checking the Boone County web site at: http://www.extension.uiuc.edu/boone or by calling our office at 815-544-3710.

Area Educational Opportunities:

June 5 Sustainable Ag Tour- Heartland Meats, Mendota,

June 7 "Soybean Rust Status & Nematode Update" Shabbona

June 21 Dairy Tour & JoDaviess/ Pasture Walk, Carroll Counties

July 6 Weed Science Field Day, Shabbona

Aug. 1 N. IL Agronomy Research Center Field Day, Shabbona

Aug. 9 Sustainable Ag Tour - Green Earth Institute, Naperville

Aug. 25 "Illinois Forage Expo" Boone County

Statewide University of Illinois Extension Calendar Website

http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/cie2/offices/calendar.cfm

To search for programs throughout the state, check out Extension's searchable calendar. Search by location, topic or date to find a program of interest to you.

2006 Sustainable Agriculture Tours Scheduled

The Agroecology/Sustainable Agriculture Program at the University of Illinois promotes research and provides outreach opportunities of a wide spectrum of alternative farming practices as well as ways to provide an adequate and dependable farm income. This year's schedule of sustainable agriculture tours sponsored by the program represents this diversity of topics.

"These tours provide a rare opportunity for a behind-the-scenes look at Illinois farms and businesses that approach sustainable agriculture creativity," said Deborah Cavanaugh-Grant, University of Illinois research specialist who coordinates the tours. "The owners are passionate about what they do and that passion really comes across on their faces as they talk to visitors. But they are also quick to share the pros and cons of their operation – the joys and frustrations of trying to run a certified organic farm, for example," she said.

Boone County area tours include Heartland Meats ( www.heartlandmeats.com ) in Mendota on June 5. The company specializes in Piedmontese beef that is free of added growth hormones. The next tour in the area is to Green Earth Institute in Naperville on August 9. Green Earth Institute ( www.greenearthinstitute.org ) is a non-profit organization established in 2002 to promote nutritional health and environmental sustainability.

A fee of $20 per person is charged for each tour. The fee includes lunch. Registration at least one week in advance is required. Visit www.aces.uiuc.edu/asap/topics/tours.html to register and for more details about these and other tours including maps and agendas or contact Deborah Cavanaugh-Grant at (217) 968-5512 or cvnghgrn@uiuc.edu