PPAT available on-line Farmers who need to be recertified for private pesticide applicator training can now do so in the comfort of their home. Dean Herzfeld, who coordinates the program at the U of M has loaded all the materials on a Web site that includes instructions, a manual, and the test. Herzfeld is in the process of updating the material and should have it ready by Jan. 1. The Web site is located at www.extension.umn. edu/pesticides/. Growers also have the option to pick up the materials at our office. We are located on the second floor of the Family Services Building in Litchfield. This year, we will offer a training in Litchfield at 1 p.m. Feb. 18. For growers who apply their own pesticide, I have a limited supply of a nice pesticide record keeping manual available at no charge. This will meet all requirements of USDA if growers are spot-checked and will serve as a useful reference in case growers have crop injury and need to look back on weather conditions or other application details. Consider seed quality when selecting soybean varieties Yield has by far been the number one factor growers consider when selecting soybean varieties. Profit is mainly determined by yield, so the highest yielding varieties are most profitable. The Minnesota Soybean Growers recently hosted a meeting in Willmar to encourage growers to consider not only yield but seed quality as well. Protein and oil are the two components that are valued by processors. One bushel of soybeans will typically produce 44 pounds of soybean meal, 11 pound of oil, and four pounds of hulls. We are at a disadvantage in the northern corn belt as our overall seed quality is lower than soybeans grown in states farther south. Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota normally have the poorest quality soybeans in the country. It has nothing to do with the way growers manage soybeans here, but rather our climate of cooler temperatures and a shorter growing season. Soybeans in Minnesota and the Dakotas usually have protein levels less than 35 percent, while fields in the southeastern portion of the United States have protein levels higher than 36 percent. From a processed value standpoint, our beans have 20 to 25 cents less value than soybeans grown in the south. It is estimated that our soybeans are discounted at least 10 cents per bushel in the market. As more and more soybeans are grown in the Red River Vally and North Dakota, we can expect the overall protein value of U.S. soybeans to drop below the current level of 35.65 percent unless growers begin selecting varieties with high protein. The bottom line is that we need to consider protein as well as yield when comparing soybean varieties. When growers are purchasing seed and have narrowed the field down to five varieties, be sure to take protein levels into consideration before making your final decision. Keep Christmas trees fresh You can’t beat the smell and appearance of a freshly-cut Christmas tree. I grew up in a family where we grew our own spruce trees to be used for Christmas. My family has continued this tradition and hope to always have a “real” tree. What can be done to keep Christmas trees fresh? If trees are purchased in a lot, be sure to cut the trunk an inch or more up from the original cut and put the tree in water as soon as possible. Trees store best if located outside the sun and away from heat registers. Try to keep the tree as cool as possible. Aspirin may be good for headaches, but it has no effect on the tree’s ability to take up water. Just make sure the stand is full of water at all times.
