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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
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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