Sericea, brush control clinic April 26

One of the most common, most perplexing, and most expensive problems found on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres this past year was the ever worsening infestation of sericea lespedeza. This plant seems to be aggressively invading most fields in eastern Kansas including the CRP fields.

A good number of participating Bourbon and Linn County CRP producers worked diligently on this problem last summer. A good number still have some more work to do this year toward achieving sericea control.

A "Sericea lespedeza, Weed and Brush Control" seminar featuring Gary Kilgore, SE Area Extension Agronomist, is planned for 6 p.m., April 26, at the Greenbush Gazebo (7 miles west of Girard on hwy 47). Mr. Kilgore, set to retire soon after many years of service to SE Kansas farmers and ranchers, is a very valuable resource on this subject, and is set to share his knowledge with those in attendance.

There is also a sponsored meal planned for those interested. For meal reservations, please call (620) 724-8233 by Friday, April 20. This session is being sponsored by Crawford County Extension and Crawford County USDA agencies.

Changing the subject: Freeze damaged wheat could be a result of the cool nights of the past two weekends. Those with wheat planted are reminded that fields of wheat initially planted for harvest as grain should be reported to the appropriate FSA office as "failed" if the wheat will be destroyed or harvested for other than grain, i.e. hay or silage. This report should be made prior to disposal of the crop.

Why is this necessary? Why not just report the spring planted crop of corn, milo, or soybeans that is planted later? This does not replace the need to work with your crop insurance agent to get crop appraisals completed and to file an insurance claim; but I would site three reasons for this revised report: 1) This permits the maintenance of wheat crop history for the farm for use in future farm programs as applicable. Wheat often times pays more in program benefits than, for example, soybeans. The option of using the wheat history could be important to take advantage of program benefits in the future.

2) If an ad hoc disaster program is legislated later, this filing will need to be on record for those with an interest in the crop to claim disaster benefits for this planting. Of course, we do not know if this will eventually develop; but we do know it has occurred at times in the past. In fact, disaster assistance is currently under consideration for the years 2005 and 2006 in the present Congressional budget proposal.

3) And, though not required by FSA procedures, most crop insurance companies ask their insured customers to make certain the FSA record matches their own record concerning insured crops and crops for which a claim has been filed.

For questions involving either the sericea lespedeza control meeting, or the process of reporting failed wheat to FSA, contact your local FSA office.