Burke County Extension
Report Livestock Losses/Glyphosate Reduces Yields?/ Private Applicator Recertification
The Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) is designed to help producers deal with major weather related losses.
County Agent News
Dan Folske
March 21, 2011
Report Livestock Losses
The Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) is designed to help producers deal with major weather related losses over and above normal annual mortality rates. It is important that producers report all livestock losses within 30 days of the loss, not just storm or other weather related losses. The program reimburses livestock owners only for weather related losses but non weather related losses are important because the LIP does not kick in until your losses exceed normal mortality rates for each class of livestock. Keep good records and verify and report losses to FSA within 30 days of the loss.
Glyphosate Reduces Yields?
I’ve recently seen some articles suggesting that repeated use of glyphosate (Roundup or generics) has a negative effect on soil microbial activity and may be affecting nutrient uptake. While chemistry and biology hypothesis suggest that there may be a possibility of this occurring, field research has not supported or proved that occurrence. Most of these articles fail to take into account any other possibility for the observed yield reductions and the one set of research results which shows an increased corn yield when applying manganese along with glyphosate compared to glyphosate alone did not have an application of manganese without glyphosate which may have shown that the increased yield was simply a basic lack of soil manganese and the increased yield was simply a response to the manganese and was unrelated to the glyphosate application.
Anytime you see articles claiming positive or negative effects from herbicide or fertilizer products always look for additional research supporting those claims from sources other than the author alone or from the company selling the product. Some claims may be very difficult to prove or disprove while others can be easily analyzed through replicated research.
Private Applicator Recertification
A final private applicator recertification meeting is scheduled for 8:30am, Thursday, March 24th at the Burke County Courthouse. If your certification expires April 1, 2011 this will be your last chance to recertify without retaking the exam. Remember, an applicators license is required to purchase and use Restricted Use Pesticides which include most insecticides and some herbicides.
