Seeds of the Midwest

1
Seeds of the Midwest
2
(No Transcript)
3
Corn
4
Corn History

• Maize is a grass and in the United States it is
  known as corn.
• It is a direct descendent from teosinte which is
  native to Mexico.
• Maize is widely grown in many countries with the
  United States being the top producer in 2007.
• It has been hybridized over the years and serves
  many purposes including animal food, human food
  and fuel for vehicle engines.

5
Corn Seed
Plant
6
Corn

• There are several forms of maize including
• Dent (field corn for animal feed and human food)
• Sweet (human food)
• Popcorn (human food)
• Indian (decorative or ornamental)

7
Dent Corn
8
Sweet Corn
9
Popcorn
10
Indian Corn
11
Corn

• The plant material known as fodder is also used
  for animal feed.

12
Planting Corn

• Planting is done using a corn planter that plants
  many rows at a time.
• The planting depth is very important and needs to
  be between 1 ½ and 2 inches deep.
• If too shallow the seed may dry out before
  germinating and if too deep may not come up
  through the ground.
• Farmers space the seed about six to eight inches
  within the row. However, this spacing can vary
  from area to area of the country.

13
Corn Growing Season Requirements

• Maize doesnt like cold conditions.
• Planting takes place in the spring when soils are
  warm enough to support seed sprouting.
• The plant generally grows between six to twelve
  feet tall with an average of one ear per plant.
• Corn must mature the grain on the ear before the
  first killing frost in the fall.

14
Corn Hybrids (Varieties)

• Different corn hybrids require a different number
  of days to mature.
• Earlier hybrids require fewer days to mature and
  are used in more northern areas where the growing
  season is shorter.
• Later maturing hybrids require more days to
  mature and are therefore used further south where
  the growing season is longer.

15
Corn Soil Requirements

• Maize does best on soils with good soil fertility
  and good water availability.
• It can do well on soils with poorer water
  availability if irrigated by the farmer.
• The better the soil fertility the more productive
  maize is likely to be.
• Lower yields can be expected on soils that are
  not as good.

16
Insects That Attack Corn

• Many insects can harm maize. A few of these
  include
• Seed corn maggots eat the seed after planting
• Wireworms eat the seed after planting and the
  young plant below the soil surface
• Armyworms eat the foliage of the plant after
  emergence
• European corn borer feed on the plant foliage,
  seeds in the ear and inner stalks

17
Seed Corn Maggots
18
Wireworms
19
Armyworms
20
European Corn Borer
21
Corn Diseases

• Stalk rots, can cause the plant to fall down
  prior to harvest due to rotting of the inner
  portion of the stalk.
• Once the stalk becomes too weak to hold up the
  ear it will fall down and make it very difficult
  for the mechanical harvester, called a combine to
  pick up the ear.
• Most of the organisms that cause stalk rot are
  fungi.

22
Corn Diseases

• Ear rots can rot the kernels prior to harvest and
  make the grain useless or even toxic for animal
  and humans
• These diseases are likely to be worse when the
  grain doesnt mature correctly or there is insect
  damage to the ear.

23
Corn Weeds

• There are many grass and broadleaf weeds that can
  reduce plant growth and grain yield.
• They compete with maize for water and fertilizer
  nutrients and can reduce the grain and plant
  yields.
• Weeds must either be controlled mechanically
  (cultivation) or with chemicals (herbicides).

24
Harvesting Corn

• Grain harvest is generally done using a combine.
• It shells the grain off of the ear and leaves the
  plant and corn cob in the field.
• The entire plant can be harvested and fed to
  animals by using a silage chopper. It harvests
  the plant including the ear.

25
Soybeans
26
Soybean History

• The soybean began in East Asia
• It is an annual type plant.
• It has been cultivated in China for at least 5000
  years.
• The soybean spread to many other countries over
  the years and is one of the leading crops in the
  United States.
• The soybean plant has been used in the past for
  hay but is used now mainly for seed.

27
Soybean

• Seed Plant

28
Soybeans

• The seed is high in protein and oil and can be
  consumed by both humans and animals.
• Biotechnology has created a better soybean that
  can better tolerate herbicides (weed killers)
  that would have killed the soybean plant while
  trying to control some weeds.
• There is also ongoing research to enhance the
  protein and oil content of the seed.
• In 2006 the United States was the top producer of
  soybeans in the world.

29
Planting Soybeans

• Planting in the United States generally is done
  with a tractor pulling a planter in the spring.
• The planting rate can vary a great deal and can
  be anywhere from 40 pounds of seed per acre up to
  90 pounds of seed per acre.
• Planting rate depends on seed size and row width.
  

30
Soybeans

• When the seeds are small, fewer pounds are needed
  per acre.
• The narrower the row the more seeds per acre are
  needed.
• Planting depth is best accomplished at about 3/4
  to 1 ½ inches.
• Sometimes planting slightly deeper is required in
  some soils that tend to dry out quickly.
• Less acid soils are preferred.

31
Soybean Growing Season Requirements

• The soybean doesnt like cold conditions at
  planting because sprouting of the seed can be
  very slow or the seed can rot and not sprout at
  all.
• It must be grown where it can mature before the
  first killing frost in the fall.

32
Soybeans

• The soybean plant can grow to a height of as
  little as one to two feet up to a height of four
  or five feet.
• It is a legume (produces nitrogen nodules on the
  roots) and is sensitive to the number of hours of
  sunlight/darkness each day.

33
Soybean Soil Requirements

• The soybean prefers a high fertility and well
  drained soil.
• If it is in soil that is too wet, it can wilt and
  die if exposed to this condition too long.
• A less acid soil is best for higher yields and
  better plant health.

34
Soybean Insects and Diseases

• There are several insects and diseases that are
  troublesome to soybeans.
• The insect pests include
• foliage feeders
• pod feeders
• root feeders
• stem feeders
• bacterial, fungal
• viral diseases.

35
Soybean Foliage Feeders

• Green cloverworm

36
Soybean Foliage Feeders

• Bean leaf beetles

37
Soybean Foliage Feeders

• Mexican bean beetle

38
Soybean Foliage Feeders

• Japanese beetle

39
Soybean Foliage Feeders

• Grasshoppers

40
Soybean Pod Feeders

• Corn earworm

41
Soybean Pod Feeders

• Brown stink bug

42
Soybean Root and Stem Feeders

• Grape colaspis

43
Soybean Root and Stem Feeders

• Soybean stem borer

44
Bacterial, Fungal, and Viral Diseases of Soybeans

• Pod and stem blight

45
Bacterial, Fungal, and Viral Diseases of Soybeans

• Bacterial blight

46
Bacterial, Fungal, and Viral Diseases of Soybeans

• Bacterial wilt

47
Bacterial, Fungal, and Viral Diseases of Soybeans

• Soybean mosaic

48
Soybean Weeds

• Weeds in any crop can reduce yields and crop
  health.
• They can compete for plant nutrients and water.
• Generally, since the soybean is a broadleaf
  plant, broadleaf weeds have been more difficult
  to control because broadleaf weed chemicals would
  also kill the soybean.
• However, with biotechnology, the soybean can now
  tolerate broadleaf weed killers.

49
Soybean Harvesting

• Soybean seed is harvested using a combine to
  separate the seed from the plant.
• The seed is hauled from the field in a truck or
  wagon and later processed into human and animal
  food and feed.
• The seed pods must be dry enough for the combine
  to separate the seed from the pod.
• If there has been a heavy dew or rain the pods
  may take several hours to dry out enough to
  harvest.

50
Wheat
51
Wheat

• Seed Plant

52
Wheat History

• Wheat originated in the Middle East.
• It is the second most produced crop around the
  world after maize.
• The grain is used in bread, cookies, pasta and
  cereal in addition to many other products.

53
Wheat

• It first was cultivated somewhere between 9500
  and 7500 BC.
• It finally made its way to the United States and
  us used extensively for animal and human
  consumption.
• The plant can be grazed or fed to animals in
  various ways.

54
Wheat Planting and Development

• Winter wheat is planted extensively in the United
  States.
• The seed can be broadcast over the field or
  planted with a wheat drill.
• Most wheat is planted with a drill pulled by a
  tractor.
• Seeding rates can vary considerably but in areas
  with good rainfall it usually is planted at a
  rate of 75 to 150 pounds of seed per acre.

55
Wheat

• Seed size varies a lot. Because of this there
  are many more seeds per pound with small seeds
  than with large seeds.
• This helps explain the large differences in pound
  seeding rates per acre.
• The seed is planted in the fall, sprouts and
  emerges above the soil surface.
• The plant grows several inches before cold
  weather stops its growth.
• The plant then lies dormant during the winter
  months and begins growth again in early spring.

56
Wheat Growing Season Requirements

• The seed heads that form in late spring form at
  the top of the plant.
• Seed normally matures in the head in late June or
  early July in the Corn Belt states of the
  United States.
• Too much moisture will cause plant and grain
  disease problems and early plant death.
• Too much moisture leads to leaf diseases that
  reduce yield and grain quality.

57
Wheat Soil Requirements

• Wheat can grow on many soil types. Like most
  crops, it always does best on well fertilized
  soils but can also do well on less healthy soils.
  
• Wheat has fewer disease problems where there is
  less rainfall but still enough for good growth.

58
Wheat

• Western states in the United States have less
  rainfall and generally fewer disease problems.
• These states are better suited to wheat
  production. States east of the Mississippi River
  usually have more rainfall and more plant and
  grain diseases.

59
Wheat Insect Pests

• Fall Armyworm

60
Wheat Insect Pests

• Aphids

61
Wheat Insect Pests

• Hessian Fly

62
Wheat Disease Pests

• Pink Seed

63
Wheat Disease Pests

• Bacterial Mosaic

64
Wheat Disease Pests

• Anthracnose

65
Wheat Disease Pests

• Common Root Rot

66
Wheat Disease Pests

• Ergot

67
Wheat Weeds

• There are several grass and broadleaf weeds that
  must be controlled for good plant growth and seed
  yields.
• Some weeds can contaminate the seed at harvest
  time for processing purposes.
• These include wild garlic and wild onion. If
  they are not controlled with herbicides the crop
  could be ruined.

68
Wheat Wild Garlic and Wild Onion
69
Wheat Harvest

• Harvest is accomplished with a combine and
  usually occurs in later June or early July.
• It separates the grain from the plant and leaves
  the straw (plant stems) in the field.
• The grain is then stored or transported to a
  grain elevator to be sold to processors to make
  bread and pasta

70
Wheat

• The straw is usually baled and used on the farm
  for animal bedding.
• It can also be sold to landscapers for mulching
  over newly seeded grass or around landscape
  plants.
• Some farmers plant soybeans in the wheat field as
  soon as the wheat is harvested. This allows two
  crops to be grown on the same acre in one growing
  season.

71
Alfalfa
72
Alfalfa History

• Alfalfa is a cool season plant that can re-grow
  each year.
• Being a legume means that it can make, or fix,
  nitrogen on the root system.
• The United States is the largest alfalfa producer
  in the world.
• The top producing alfalfa states are California,
  South Dakota and Wisconsin.

73
Alfalfa

• Seed Plant

74
Alfalfa

• Wisconsin has a lot of dairy cattle and therefore
  is a top milk producer.
• Alfalfa is very well suited to feed to dairy
  cattle because of its high protein content.
• Many other states including Indiana, Ohio,
  Kentucky, Missouri and several eastern states
  also produce alfalfa.

75
Alfalfa

• It is used for forage for cattle and is usually
  harvested as hay.
• It can also be chopped, grazed and made into
  silage.

76
Alfalfa

• Alfalfa is also used for beef cattle, horses and
  sheep.
• Humans also eat some alfalfa in the form of very
  young sprouts in salads and sometimes on
  sandwiches.

77
Alfalfa Planting and Growth

• Alfalfa can be planted either in the fall or
  spring. In the corn belt states it goes
  dormant in the fall and begins regrowth in the
  spring.
• The seeding rate can vary from 15-30 pounds per
  acre and depends on variety used, soil type, area
  of the United States being planted, how moist the
  soil is and the method of seeding.
• Seeding depth is shallow and must be in a very
  firm seedbed.

78
Alfalfa

• Alfalfa is a very small seed and it does not have
  much food storage in the seed.
• It must not be planted too deep because it
  doesnt have enough food reserve to nourish it
  long enough for the shoot to reach the soil
  surface.
•  

79
Alfalfa

• Alfalfa can grow up to about three feet tall
  before harvest.
• It can be cut three to five times during the
  growing season in the northern states and as many
  as eight to ten times or more in more southern
  areas with great soil and plenty of water.
• At harvest, farmers can get 2-3 tons per acre up
  to as high as 14-16 tons per acre.

80
Cutting Alfalfa

• Some varieties initially grow faster and recover
  faster after cutting for harvest.
• These varieties allow for more cuttings per
  growing season.
• If alfalfa is managed correctly it can last for
  as long as 10-12 years.

81
Alfalfa Growing Season Requirements

• Alfalfa can grow in cooler climates like the
  northern plains to climates similar to the
  Mediterranean.
• For top yields it needs good soil moisture.
• A continuous soil moisture supply either through
  irrigation or rainfall is needed for good yields
  and lasting plants.

82
Alfalfa Soil Requirements

• Alfalfa has roots that can go into the soil up to
  12-15 feet. Therefore, it requires a deep soil
  to do well.
• Deep roots allow it to survive dry conditions
  very well.
• It prefers a soil pH of 6.5-7.5.
• Because it can be harvested several times during
  the growing season it requires high fertility,
  especially potassium.

83
Alfalfa Insects and Diseases

• Leafhopper

84
Alfalfa Insects and Diseases

• Alfalfa weevil

85
Alfalfa Insects and Diseases

• Pea aphid

86
Alfalfa Insects and Diseases

• Phytophora root rot

87
Alfalfa Insects and Diseases

• Rhizoctonia

88
Alfalfa Weeds

• Weed control is critical in alfalfa especially as
  the seeds begin to grow.
• There are several herbicides used to control
  weeds at this stage of growth.
• Once a good stand of alfalfa is established it
  competes well with weeds.

89
Alfalfa Harvesting

• The main use for alfalfa is hay.
• It is generally harvested as round or square
  bales.
• After the crop has been cut and dried in the
  field it is raked into windrows.
• Then a tractor pulling a baler collects the
  alfalfa and packs it into bales.
• Alfalfa can also be chopped for silage or grazed
  by livestock.

90
Alfalfa Harvesting
91
Alfalfa

• This is a bale of alfalfa

92
Other Seeds of the Midwest
93
Clover

• Used to feed livestock and a cover crop.
• Seed Plants

94
Oats

• Used as livestock and human foods and a bedding
  for livestock.
• Seed Plants

95
Hay

• Used for animal feed, especially those that graze
  like cattle.
• Seed Plants

96
Flax

• Used for canvas, towels, cigarette paper and
  insulation.
• Seed Plants

97
Tomato

• Used for ketchup, juice, topping on hamburgers,
  and soup.
• Seed Plants

98
Barley

• Used for animal feed, soups and stews.
• Seed Plants

99
Apples

• Used as human and livestock food.
• Seed Tree

100
Pears

• Used as human and livestock food.
• Seed Tree

101
Cherries

• Used as human food such as pies and on the top of
  sundaes.
• Seed Tree

102
Timothy

• Used for pastures and livestock feeding.
• Seed Plants

103
Kentucky Blue Grass Sod

• Used to get grass growing quickly on lawns.
• Seed Plants

104
Fescue Sod

• Used for grass, lawns and pastures.
• Seed Plants

105
Pumpkins

• Used for human and livestock food,
  jack-o-lanterns and fall decorations.
• Seed Plants

106
Gourds

• Used for decorations such as an herb planter, a
  purple martin home holiday table decoration.
• Seed Plants

107
Grain Sorghum/ Milo

• Used for livestock and human food.
• Seed Plants

108
Cantaloupe

• Used for human and livestock food.
• Seed Plants

109
Watermelon

• Used for human and livestock food.
• Seed Plants

110
Peas

• Used for human and livestock food.
• Seed Plants

111
Vetch

• Used for improving soil along roadsides, to
  stabilize banks, cover crop for green manure, for
  pasture and forage.
• Seed Plants

112
Tobacco

• Used to kill insects (nicotine), cigarettes and
  other tobacco products.
• Seed Plants

113
Sunflower

• Used for salad oil, cooking oil, margarine,
  livestock and human food. Some types are used
  for wild bird food.
• Seed Plants

114
Walnuts

• Trees are used as windbreaks and furniture the
  nuts are used as human and livestock food the
  shells are used for dying fabric.
• Seed Tree

115
Hickory Tree and Nuts

• Trees are used for tool handles, bottom of skis,
  walking sticks, and curing meats the nuts are
  used for human and livestock food.
• Seed Tree