WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Wet, cool conditions not only keep farmers out of the fields, but also favor moldy corn. One Purdue University specialist is getting calls from around the state about Diplodia and Gibberella ear rots in corn.

A pink mold that starts at the ear tip is characteristic of Gibberella ear rot. (Photo A. Robertson)

There’s a lot of Diplodia ear rot throughout Indiana, especially in the northeast and southeast, said Charles Woloshuk, a Purdue Extension pathologist who specializes in corn mycotoxins. Anywhere from a few percent to up to 30 percent of the ears are infected, he said.

Diplodia ear rot is characterized by a grayish or grayish-brown mold on and between the kernels on part of the ear. Gibberella ear rot, also known as Gib, is characterized by a pink to reddish mold, which begins at the tip of the ear and develops toward the base. Gib is easy to identify in the field on intact ears, but is more difficult to spot once the grain has been shelled.

Woloshuk encouraged producers and elevators to know what’s going on in their area. Producers need to walk their fields, pull 10 ears and determine if they have either Diplodia or Gibberella and the frequency, he said.

“If it’s Gib ear rot, then there’s concern about the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol, or DON, as well as zearalenone. If suspect, the grain should be tested, especially if it’s to be fed to livestock,” Woloshuk said.

Purdue Extension pathologist Charles Woloshuk holds one good corn ear and one infected by Diplodia ear rot. (Purdue Agricultural Communication photo)

Two grain inspectors in the central and north-central regions of Indiana who analyze grain for DON are East Indiana Grain Inspection Inc., located at 7020 N. Walnut St. in Muncie, and Titus Grain Inspection Inc., located at 1111 E. County Road 800 North in West Lafayette.

“If it’s Diplodia, there is no need to be concerned about mycotoxins. However, if you are feeding a high percentage of moldy grain, that’s still not good,” Woloshuk said. “In either case, the grain needs to be harvested as soon as possible and dried for storage. This grain should not be stored through the summer months.”

Farmers also are encouraged to adjust combines to reduce the amount of fine and small, shriveled or broken kernels.

Growers that have problems this year with either Gib or Diplodia can take steps to help prevent a reoccurrence.

Genetics are involved with Diplodia, Woloshuk said.

“If a producer had a problem this year with a specific hybrid, then I would not plant that hybrid again,” he said.

With either of the diseases, the crop residue should be tilled under because that’s where the pathogens can survive, Woloshuk said. He also recommended rotating to soybeans.

For questions and additional information about Diplodia or Gib, contact Woloshuk at 765-494-3450, woloshuk@purdue.edu

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The United Way of Greater Lafayette and the Indiana Nonprofit Resource Network will host a poverty simulation for community leaders, nonprofit boards and staff, and interested community members from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday (Oct. 14) at the Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds.

The simulator, presented by the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service, teaches participants what life in poverty is really like.

“One out of every eight people in Indiana lives in poverty – that’s almost 800,000 individuals,” said Hannah Ritchie, Purdue Extension consumer and family sciences operations coordinator. “The simulator is not a game. It is a great opportunity for community leaders and the general public to see what life is really like for people with low incomes. It’s a very eye-opening experience and one we hope will inspire participants to get out in the community and work to solve the problem.”

Simulation participants will use a kit to role-play the lives of low-income families and try to budget their resources to provide basic necessities and shelter over the course of four 15-minute “weeks.” During the simulation, they will interact with mock human service agencies, grocers, pawn brokers, bill collectors, job interviewers, police officers and more.

After the simulation, a facilitated discussion about the experience will allow the group to share insights with one another.

“The federal poverty level is $22,050 per year for two adults and two children. Indiana’s minimum wage is $15,080 annually,” Ritchie said. “There are so many people out there who have to just simply survive. We want to give participants a new understanding of what it means to live in poverty and a new perspective when working with the impoverished.”

Those interested in participating in the free poverty simulator are asked to register online by Monday (Oct. 12) at www.INRNWEST.blogspot.com

For more information about the Oct. 14 presentation of the poverty simulator, contact Jillian Miller with the United Way at 765-413-6049, jmiller@uw.lafayette.in.us. More information about the simulation itself is available by contacting Ritchie at 765-496-2489, hritchie@purdue.edu.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Indiana 4-H members and their peers across the nation created renewable energy in a Wednesday (Oct. 7) experiment.

Biofuel Blast helped 4-H’ers better understand the process for producing fuel from crops, and built on science education that’s a regular part of the 4-H program, said Renee McKee, assistant director and program leader for Indiana 4-H youth development. The experiment took place on 4-H National Youth Science Day.

“Our goal through this experiment, known as Biofuel Blast, was to allow young people all over the state to learn about science and how it can be fun and how it has a necessary role in everyday life,” McKee said.

The Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service and Indiana Corn Marketing Council co-sponsored Biofuel Blast in Indiana.

“Since this year’s experiment was corn-based, the Indiana Corn Marketing Council provided funding so that we could provide the base supplies to every county to help get them started,” McKee said. “It also allowed the youth to learn how corn products can be used as a source for alternative fuels,” McKee said.

During the experiment, 4-H members mixed yeast, corn syrup and warm water in a plastic bottle. They shook the mixture and placed a balloon over the bottle’s top. The balloon inflated with ethanol produced from mixing the yeast with the corn syrup.

4-H’ers also were able to try variations of the experiment by using other materials such as sawdust, dried leaves and cornmeal.

“The young people observed the variations on the experiment and recorded their results in a nationwide database,” McKee said.

Not only did Biofuel Blast allow participants to see how biofuels supply energy, but they also saw how they could learn about renewable energy through 4-H activities, she said.

“We hope 4-Hers left the Biofuel Blast experiment with the idea that projects like this can help further their education and possibly lead to a future career choice in the science field,” McKee said.

The Indiana Soybean Alliance is providing funding for a follow-up supplemental experiment for 4-H’ers in middle school and high school.

To learn more about 4-H National Youth Science Day, visit https://www.4-h.org/NYSD/

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A two-day workshop to help grant writers of all skill and experience levels learn how to write a grant proposal will be offered by the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service.

This workshop is for both beginners and experienced grant writers to develop ideas into winning proposals, target potential funders and understand the full proposal development, submission and review process.

The Beginner’s Guide to Grant Writing workshop will be offered Oct. 29 and Dec. 2 at locations across Indiana. The workshop, scheduled for 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on both dates, will teach participants how to get the most funding possible for their organizations.

“Participants from this workshop have been able to receive more funds for their projects than ever before. To date, participants have received $7.3 million in funded proposals,” said Sabina Calhoun, Purdue Extension program resource development officer.

This workshop is for both beginners and experienced grant writers to develop ideas into winning proposals, target potential funders and understand the full proposal development, submission and review process.

On the workshop’s first day, participants should come with an idea for a grant proposal, Calhoun said. By the end, they will have an outline and resources necessary to expand the outline into a full proposal.

When participants return the second day with a full written proposal, they will be put into the role of reviewers. Day two also will teach strategies for finding funding and provide an opportunity to polish proposals and submit them for professional review.

“This workshop is for participants to go back to their respective communities and have the chance to receive the funds for community growth, vitality and sustainability,” Calhoun said.

Site locations include:

• Aurora – City Building
• Bedford – Purdue Extension Lawrence County office
• Brookville – Franklin County Government Center
• Crown Point – Purdue Extension Lake County office
• Crawfordsville – Montgomery County Extension-Learning Network
• Danville – Hendricks College Network; 4-H Fairgrounds
• Elnora – North Daviess School Corp. and elementary school
• Frankfort – Purdue Extension Clinton County office
• Goshen – Purdue Extension Elkhart County office
• Greenfield – Purdue Extension Hancock County office
• Indianapolis – Purdue Extension Marion County office
• Lafayette – Purdue Extension Tippecanoe County office
• Morocco – Newton County Government Center
• Muncie – Ivy Tech Community College
• Newport – Vermillion County Courthouse
• Tipton – Purdue Extension Tipton County office

Registration deadline is Saturday (Oct. 10), and the workshop fee is $150 per person. The fee includes the “Beginner’s Guide to Grant Writing” workbook, lunch both days and follow-up technical assistance. Checks should be payable to Purdue University.

A workshop brochure with additional information and a registration form can be downloaded by logging onto http://www.pcrd.purdue.edu/documents/grant_writing/sf09_gww_brochure.pdf . Additional information also is available by contacting Peggy Hosea at 765-236-0955, phosea@purdue.edu

The workshop is sponsored by Purdue Extension and the Purdue Center for Regional Development.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Landowners wanting to try out their green thumbs and earn extra income are encouraged to attend the Natural Resource Enterprises Workshops on Sept. 2 and 3.

Small-scale biodiesel production is one of the new income avenues that will be showcased at the September 3rd workshop.

“The workshops will help landowners and farmers seek new and innovative ways to earn an extra income to help keep their family farm,” said Brian MacGowan, Purdue University Extension wildlife specialist. “They are designed for landowners interested in learning about developing enterprises from the natural resources on their property or simply learning more about wildlife and business management.”

Attendees will learn how to manage natural resources on their land, ways to market their enterprise, cost-share programs that are available and ways to reduce their liability. The workshops are co-sponsored by Purdue.

“Both of the workshops will allow people to learn everything they need to know about starting a natural resources-based business, and they will have the chance to see examples of successful ventures and speak with the hosts about what they learned,” MacGowan said.

Each of the workshops will feature three field tour stops relating to natural resources enterprises.

The workshop on Sept. 2 will be on the Wilkin’s Farm, located at 1935 W. County Road 1000 N., Linden, and will highlight small-scale lumber production, agritourism and timber management. The Sept. 3 workshop will be at the Woodling’s Farm, located at 7092 N. Shilo Road, Unionville, and will showcase small-scale lumber manufacturing, biodiesel production and hunting.

Registration for each workshop is $25, which includes a 600-page reference notebook, lunch and breaks. For more information about each workshop or to register, visit http://www.wildlifeworkshop.msstate.edu

“By hosting these workshops, we hope this will give landowners and farmers a jump-start to begin their natural resources-based enterprises on their own properties, while giving them the information and contacts to manage their property for wildlife and other resources,” MacGowan said.