Purdue Ag News Roundup
Purdue Ag News RoundupJanuary 9, 1998
Acting state climatologist Ken Scheeringa said January thaws are a regular occurrence, but the recent warm spell was on the extreme side.
"We saw a steady climb to the 50s, and now a downward slide in the 40s and then to the 20s," Scheeringa said. "This instance is rare. We've had thaws before, but not like this."
According to Purdue Extension horticulture specialist Rosie Lerner, early flowering bulbs will have the most dramatic response. Plants such as tulips, daffodils and crocus may be showing a bit of foliage above ground, especially if planted near buildings or other warm, protected locations, she said.
Those leaves may be nipped back when temperatures drop below freezing again, but in most cases, the flower buds should still be protected inside the bulb below ground. If flower buds have broken out, they too could be nipped by a hard freeze, but the bulbs themselves will survive and come back next year, even if the flowers don't make it this year, Lerner said.
There's not much a gardener can do to prevent this turn of events except let nature take its course. Mulching over the plants now might smother them and would only serve to warm the soil further, causing continued growth, she said.
The mild temperatures should not cause much damage to dormant fruit and ornamental plants either, said Bruce Bordelon, associate professor of horticulture. In general most perennial plants need between 800 and 1,000 hours of cold temperatures before they would break dormancy. "We have not accumulated enough 'chilling hours' for crops and plants to break dormancy even if the weather is warm," Bordelon said. "It's like they won't wake up if they haven't had enough sleep."
Cold hardiness, or the lack thereof, is a greater concern, he said. At this time of year, plants usually are at their maximum level of cold hardiness and are capable of surviving temperatures below zero. However, exposure to several days of warm temperatures can cause plants to lose that protection. Plants will recover cold hardiness as temperatures gradually return to normal, but the plants could suffer cold injury if temperatures fall too quickly, Bordelon said.
No matter how warm or cold it is this time of year, said entomology Professor Tom Turpin, the insects are here to stay.
"People are hoping against hope that something will happen in winter and the bugs won't be here this year," Turpin said. "With the majority of pests, you don't really know, but major pests adapt to winter."
One false hope, he said, is that the warm temperatures will drive insects out of hibernation, and then they'll die off when the cold weather returns.
"Insects are cold blooded and can't function in winter. But a lot of insects survive the cold through hibernation, such as caterpillars in cocoons, butterflies in chrysalis and eggs in the soil," Turpin said. "They've been around for three hundred million years, and they'll continue to be here."
CONTACTS: Bordelon, (765) 494-8212; Turpin, (765) 494-4568; Scheeringa, (765) 494-8105; Lerner, (765) 494-1311
"Our main purpose is to increase knowledge and to educate people on the use of forages and developments that have occurred. We want to provide a networking opportunity for people to get to know each other and utilize their strengths," said Keith Johnson, secretary-treasurer for the Indiana Forage Council and professor of agronomy at Purdue University.
According to Johnson, a broad audience is expected to attend the March 8-10 conference. Producers, university and government specialists, agribusiness representatives and anyone interested in forages are welcome to attend and bring family members, he said.
"We think one of the strengths of the organization is that it's not been one that focuses strictly on universities alone, or agribusiness alone. This is open to the public," he said.
Several presentations will be given by Purdue educators, including Jay Akridge, associate director of the Center for Agricultural Business; Ron Turco, director of Purdue's Environmental Sciences and Engineering Institute; Brad Joern, environmental specialist; Jeff Volenec, forage physiologist; and Janet Ayres, assistant director/program leader of community development and leadership for the Purdue Cooperative Extension Service.
Other experts will conduct workshops on the environment, production and utilization, and wildlife issues as they relate to forage crops. It will be the first time workshops have been part of the American Forage and Grassland Conference.
"The workshop attendees will have more opportunities to interact with the speaker, and the speaker has more of an opportunity to interact in a student/teacher relationship instead of a lecture," Johnson said. "The whole point is to bring forth new developments and topics that are a reflection of what people feel are important today."
In addition to workshops, a panel discussion on "Intensive Grazing -- Hope, Hype or Hysteria" is planned, as well as sessions on forage management and utilization, the economics of forage utilization, soil fertility and plant nutrition, the genetic improvement of forages, and more.
The conference also will introduce the participants to the sights and tastes of Indianapolis. Tours of the city, the Children's Museum, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Indianapolis Zoo, Amax Coal Co., Claas Equipment and the Kelsay Dairy will be offered. Visitors also will have the option to sample Indiana cuisine at a "Taste of Indiana" dinner.
Registration prices vary, depending on the activities each participant signs up for, and should be paid before Feb. 7. For more information on the prices and the conference, contact Johnson at (765) 494-4800; e-mail, kjohnson@dept.agry.purdue.edu, or Dana Tucker at (800) 944-2342.
"This is geared for the commercial audience, the large-scale grower, and also for the small grower. A congress like this gives them an opportunity to increase training, meet other growers, meet the Purdue Extension staff and find solutions to common problems and concerns," said Jim Simon, conference organizer and a professor of horticulture at Purdue University.
The conference will be held Jan. 27-28 at the Adam's Mark Hotel in Indianapolis, with concurrent sessions each day:
The Jan. 27 sessions include:
The Indiana Horticultural Society, small fruit associations, the Indiana Vegetable Growers Association and the Indiana Farm Marketing Association will hold joint sessions on the vegetable and fruit industries the morning of Jan. 28. A morning workshop on marketing opportunities will be held for organic growers.
The afternoon sessions include:
Members of societies which sponsor the congress can register for $25. These include the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service, Indiana Horticultural Society, The Indiana Vegetable Growers Association, the Indiana Farm Market Association, the Indiana Raw Products Conference, the Hoosier Organic Marketing Association, and the Indiana Center for New Crops and Plant Products.
Nonmembers can register for $35, and registration must be done before Jan. 15. To register, contact Jane Carter, (765) 494-1293; fax, (765) 494-0391.
CONTACT: Simon, (765) 494-1398; e-mail, simon@hort.purdue.edu
The Eagle Creek Watershed Protection Project includes both the landowners whose actions can affect the quality of the water in the Eagle Creek Reservoir and those who use the water. The goal is to reduce soil erosion and contaminant runoff, habitat degradation and other environmental concerns in the watershed, which spans parts of Hamilton, Boone, Hendricks and Marion counties.
Led by Indiana Farm Bureau Inc., Indianapolis Water Co., Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service, Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the effort also includes developers, environmentalists, elected officials and community leaders.
"The intent is to identify and change practices that hurt or impair the watershed and the reservoir it supplies," said Matthew Dickey, coordinator for the Eagle Creek Watershed Protection Project.
A kick-off reception will be held at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20, at the Lion's Club Community Building in Zionsville, just off State Road 334. The event is free and open to all interested residents.
"Anyone who wants to participate in learning more about the watershed and working constructively to help protect it should attend," Dickey said. "We have farmers, water company employees, educators and technical specialists all working together to make sure the watershed will thrive." There still is room on the task force for anyone interested in the water quality of the Eagle Creek Reservoir, he added.
CONTACT: Dickey, (317) 844-2289.
Compiled by Chris Sigurdson, (765) 494-8415; home (765) 497-2433; E-mail, sig@ecn.purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu
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