Ag & Natural ResourcesNOBLE COUNTY NEWS

Ann Kline, Purdue Extension - Noble County ANR Extension Educator

F A L L 2 0 1 9

Due to the detection of EEE activity in the area and the occurrence of

human EEE cases in nearby Michigan counties, health officials

performed targeted mosquito control Wednesday night, Oct. 2,

utilizing aerial spraying to help protect residents from EEE. On

Thursday evening, Oct. 3, a second treatment was made in LaGrange

and Noble counties to complete the application.

While rare, EEE virus can cause serious illness and has a fatality

rate of about 33 percent in people. Mosquito control professionals

applied an approved pesticide, Dibrom, as an ultra-low volume (ULV)

spray. ULV sprayers dispense very fine aerosol droplets that stay

suspended in the air and kill adult mosquitoes on contact. Dibrom

immediately begins to break down upon release of the spray droplets

in the open air and breaks down rapidly in water and in sunlight.

Protecting public health is the primary goal of the decision. The

spray area is centered around the area where equine cases have been

confirmed. This activity is not expected to pose a risk to

humans. While the spraying is expected to kill 90 percent of

mosquitoes, residents in the area are urged to continue to take

precautions until the first hard freeze.

For more information about EEE, visit the CDC’s website.

This article is from the Indiana State Department of Health website.

Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus (EEE)Eastern equine encephalitis detected in northern Indiana

The Elkhart, LaGrange and Noble county health departments and the Indiana State Department of

Health (ISDH) have been working together to monitor eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) activity. As of

Oct. 1, 11 cases have been confirmed in horses, nine in Elkhart County and two in LaGrange County.

Zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) are invasive

mollusks native to the Black and Caspian Seas. Named

for their black and cream striped shells, these

freshwater shellfish likely arrived in the Great Lakes

in the 1980's in ship ballast water. They are less than

two inches long. Females reproduce up to a million eggs

annually. They are found throughout the Great Lakes

and in rivers, lakes, and bodies of water in many states

across the US.

The mussels attach to hard surfaces like rocks, docks,

boats, propellers, and even native mussels. Ecosystems

are impacted when zebra mussels out-compete native

species for food and resources. The mussels attach to

machinery and can enter while very small; millions of

dollars are spent by power plants to manage zebra

mussels. Their sharp edges are a hazard for those

enjoying the water as well.

Once found in a body of water, little can be done to

eliminate the mussels. Therefore, prevention is the

most powerful tool to management.

To keep from spreading the mussels, boaters should

drain boats, motors and live wells before leaving

infested lakes or rivers, wash their boat and trailer

thoroughly with soapy water, and allow to dry five

days (the amount of time a zebra mussel can survive

out of water) before taking the boat out again. Never

transport bait water or live wells from an infested body

of water.

Featured Invasive Species: Zebra Mussels

Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) is a woodland plant

related to touch-me-not flowers (Impatiens pallida).

You can find this self-seeding annual in wet, semi-shady

areas throughout our area. Wet forest edges are a

favorite area for these plants. It is an aggressive

competitor in favorable areas and has been known to

out-compete the non-native and invasive garlic mustard,

which threatens native forest landscapes.

The plants grow 2 to 5 feet tall. Hummingbirds and

pollinators love the bright orange showy flowers. The

mature fruit pops open at a slight touch.

Native Americans used jewelweed as a topical ointment.

The sap was purported to relieve itching and pain as well

as have anti-fungal properties.

Featured Plant: Jewelweed

Picture from USDA's US Forest Service website

photos from Amy Benson, US Geological Survey

Don’t Let Thin

Livestock Happen –

Sample, Test,

Allocate & BalanceReprint of article by Keith Johnson, initially published

in the Indiana Forage Council Newsletter, Sept 2019

What a year it has been so far! Was there

mud as livestock were fed this past

winter? Did winter-damaged alfalfa fields

occur and did pastures where livestock

spent the winter look like a mud

volleyball tournament had been played?

What about delayed seedings or fields

where Prevent Planted acres were

declared? And what about harvesting hay

for the first time in late June or as

Independence Day was being celebrated?

One thing in common about all of these

matters is that there was little control

over them.What about the first time

harvested cool-season grasses and

legumes in late June or early July?

Forage quality is going to be impacted in a

big way. Protein levels will be lower and

fiber levels will be higher. Forage intake

and digestibility will be compromised. If

livestock producers don’t take control of

the matter, there will be livestock losing

body condition as the winter progresses.

Severe loss of body condition will impact

offspring and reproduction. It doesn’t need

to be this way. What should be done?

Sample, test, allocate and balance.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Forage testing is a “Best Management

Practice every year”. But, with the very

common late first-harvest of hay and

silage in 2019, it is a necessity to analyze

forages this fall so proper

supplementation can occur. Being

proactive and wise will keep livestock in

good condition.

Sample

Detailed information about sampling hay and silage can be found at

the website www.foragetesting.org. A sample will be from a field of

similar forages and harvested within a day having similar

environmental conditions. Collecting a representative hay sample

will require use of a hay probe. Many Purdue Extension offices have

a hay probe that can be loaned for collecting a sample. At least

twenty probings will comprise a sample. For large round bales, take

a probing on each side of the circumference of the bale from each of

ten bales. From each of twenty small rectangular bales, take one

probing on a butt end. If large rectangular bales are being used, take

a probing on each butt end from ten bales. If baleage is being

sampled, tape the hole made by the probe with repair tape from a

plastic wrap provider. Do not use duct tape. Immediately, place the

probings in a ziplock plastic bag and identify the forage types, date

of harvest, and identification words (example: alfalfa-orchardgrass,

30 percent alfalfa, 6/28/19, 20 acres north of barn). As you sample

the bales, do a sensory analysis of each hay type and record this

information for later referral, too (examples: musty, moldy, trace of

Canada thistle, poor leaf retention).

Test

Send the samples, preferably, to a certified testing laboratory. These

laboratories are listed at www.foragetesting.org. A basic test would

include moisture, protein, adjusted crude protein, acid detergent

fiber, neutral detergent fiber, and minerals. Each laboratory will

have their own submission sheets that need to be filled out and

included with the samples when shipped or delivered. A reasonable

fee will be assessed. Analyses will likely be completed and results

received within ten days.

Allocate

When results from all hay and silage samples are returned, arrange

results from low to high forage quality. Use Relative Feed Value or

Relative Forage Quality terms as a starting point to arrange the

results. Higher quality hay or silage would be best allocated for use

when livestock are lactating and need higher forage quality as

compared to mid-gestation when nutritional requirements are less.

Balance

To get the most from the time taken to sample and test the forages,

it is important to enlist the help of a trained livestock nutritionist

that can fine tune rations with the addition of protein, energy and/or

mineral supplements along with the hay and silage being fed. Purdue

Extension Specialists and Educators trained in animal nutrition as

their specialty, feed company personnel, and livestock nutrition

consultants can be helpful in balancing rations for different classes

of livestock.

YOU are invitedto our Annual

Meeting!Join us for supper and learn howAgrAbility assists agriculturalworkers with disabilities. And, ofcourse, enjoy updates from yourfabulous Noble County ExtensionEducators!See you on the 14th!

The vision of AgrAbility is to enhance the quality of forfarmers, ranchers, and agricultural workers with disabilities,so they, their families, and their communities continue tosucceed in rural America. "Success" may be defined byparameters including: gainful employment in productionagriculture or a related occupation; access to appropriateassistive technology; evidence-based information related tothe treatment and rehabilitation of disabling conditions; andtargeted support for family caregivers. AgrAbility addressesa wide variety of disabling conditions in agriculture, includingarthritis, spinal cord injuries/paralysis, back impairments,amputations, brain injury, visual impairments, hearingimpairments, disabling diseases, cerebral palsy, respiratoryimpairments, head injury, and more.

NACAA Meeting Activities

MG Christmas BanquetAugusta Hills Community Center

Wednesday, December 115:30-8:00 pm

Food, fun, and fellowship! Plus education and door prizes.

Don't miss it this year!

In September, Noble County Master Gardeners

supported the National Association of County

Agricultural Agents annual meeting, held in Fort

Wayne.

The group hosted a poster session, where Indiana

Master Gardener groups (including Noble County)

showcased community projects.

A few ladies organized an event for the 'Sons and

Daughters' program. Children of attendees enjoyed

a relaxed afternoon making plant-related crafts.

The final day of the meeting was Tour Day. One of

the tours included a stop at Chain O' Lakes State

Park to see the efforts of the men at the

Department of Corrections. The Noble County

Master Gardener Association is proud to be a key

component in this partnership.

Sons & Daughters Program

Poster Session

Chain O' Lakes Correctional Facility

Garden TourMaster Gardener Basic Trainng

The Master Gardener class is underway and having agreat time with in-class and hands-on teaching.

Ann Kline

ANR Extension EducatorPurdue Extension Noble County2090 N State Road 9, Suite D

Albion, IN 46701260.636-2111 or 1-800-601-5826

kline60@purdue.edu

November

4 Beef 101 course begins, Kosciusko Co

13 Master Gardener meeting, Albion Public Library

14 Purdue Extension - Noble County Annual Meeting, 6 pm

December

5 Produce Safety Inspection Workshop, LaGrange Co

6 Cookie Festival, 8 am - 1 pm

11 MG Christmas Banquet, 5:30 pm

19 DeKalb/Steuben PARP

19 Manure Management PARP (Fertilizer and Pesticide credits)

January

8 Indiana Beef Cattle Association meeting, Columbia City, IN

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