Plants or Crops
All Plants or Crops Content
Ash Tree Issues
Ash flower galls are appearing on the twigs of ash throughout the state. The brown to black “balls” hang in clusters beneath the branch shoots. The galls are due to the feeding activity of the ash flower gall mite (Eriophyes fraxiniflora) and this mite only feeds on the male flowers of ash.
Aphids On Trees
Aphids are appearing on many trees at this time of year and their activity is generally noticed by the abundance of honeydew they excrete on the lower leaves and any plants or objects beneath the tree.
Cottonwood Galls
Just about every year I receive samples of fallen cottonwood leaves with a “bump” at the base and the first one for this year was from Winner. This is the cottonwood petiole gall formed by the feed activity of a very small green aphid.
Kentucky Coffeetree
Kentucky Coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioicus) is a medium-sized tree that will fit into many landscapes and provide interest all year with its bark, leaves, flowers, fruit and even great fall color, if weather conditions are right.
Baptisia
The plant for this week is Baptisia a.k.a. “false indigo”, “white indigo” and “yellow indigo”. This is a hardy perennial for the Northern Great Plains that is easy to grow, has multiple seasons of interest and lives for many years. They are actually native to the US but usually are found in somewhat warmer climates.
Backyard Biodiversity: Nest boxes for native bees
Many of our native bee species are solitary. In order to ensure that these kinds of bees spend more time in our yards and gardens, it is important to make sure we include places for them to nest.
How to Prevent Iron Deficiency in Spring Greenhouse Plants
At this time in the growing season, Iron (Fe) deficiency symptoms are appearing among bedding plants and other spring greenhouse plants. The main symptom of Iron (Fe) deficiency is Chlorosis or yellowing, usually starting at the shoot tip and newly developed leaves.
Check Your Houseplants for Pests
Houseplants are susceptible to a variety of pests. The following article outlines some of the more common household pests, including: spider mites, mealybugs, and scale. We will discuss strategies for scouting out and managing these pests to avoid prolonged damage to your houseplants.
Grain Merchant and Processor Consolidation, Concentration, and Competition
A general trend in the last century has been for greater consolidation among Grain Merchants and Oilseed Millers and Processors. The U.S. Census Bureau tracks the number of firms and/or establishments and value of sales (market size) by industry sector every 5 years as a part of the Economic Census. In addition to the number of firms and sales, the Census Bureau publishes concentration ratios for each sector. One concentration ratio they publish is the amount of sales attributed to the four largest firms in that sector. The percentage of sales of the 4 largest firms is a measure that aids in identifying the type of market structure that exists.
Farm Size and Efficiency
Growth is a common denominator of various business objectives. A business may want to grow profits, sales, market share, etc. The growth of a business itself usually refers to growth in equity, or growth in assets after debts have been paid. Farms, from a business perspective, are no exception. Farmers seeking to grow equity need to be willing and able to retain earnings and cannot be overleveraged.