It is rumored that the Nebraska Department of Agriculture may have plans to audit many private applicator records this season.

Top Hat is also concerned that NDA/EPA officials will be visiting the farm much more in the future without warning due to high safety and security concerns. Therefore we have gathered some facts for you about RUP recordkeeping for private applicators.

RUP records must be recorded within 14 days of application. Nebraska requires that those records must be kept for three years.

RUP Record Keeping Requirements include:

· Brand / Product name

· EPA Reg. Number

· Total Amount of the RUP Applied

· Crop / Site Treated

· Field Location

· Acres Treated

· Application Date

· Name of certified applicator and their certification number

“Spot Applications” (application of a RUP made on the same day in less than 1/10 of an acre) must be recorded also. Records including:

· Brand / Product name

· EPA Reg. number

· Total Amount Applied

RUP records may be handwritten, consist of invoices, be computerized, and/or maintained in recordkeeping books. Although these records must be accessible for copying quickly in case of a medical emergency.

Top Hat has compiled this information from the UNL Pesticide Education Resources website and the UNL IANR website.

· http://pested.unl.edu/privrup.htm

· http://ianrpubs.unl.edu/pesticides/index.htm

· http://ianrpubs.unl.edu/pesticides/ec2540.htm

You can also find links to these sites on tophatag.com under Grower Links. If you do not have access to the web, come to one of our offices and we will give you the form made by the extension service to use as a record keeping guideline.

Stay informed and prepared.

NICK'S NOTES: FERTILIZER MEETING RECAP

As you all know, fertilizer prices have not been in our favor. Top Hat understands that we all have to become as efficient as possible. Somebody once told me that a $100 bill is like pennies when it comes to farming a pivot of corn, and in some cases I can see why they may think that way. Yet there is something false to that statement, personally there were days when $100 meant I could pay rent or fill up a vehicle with gas. I am sure most of us would rather have a $100 vs pennies any day. That is why at our last meeting we tried to make prevalent that we can help you find new ways to become more efficient.

Tom Broz with the Kugler Company was one of the two featured speakers at the meeting. You may have seen much of his presentation before but I guarantee that you will always pick something up that you have missed before. Tom explained some of the KQ products that have been around for a while and some new ones too. One that stood out for me was the KQ342C, which is explained in detail below. Tom also stressed KQ quality and the time that Kugler puts into their product line. A good clean product is very important these days.

Bob Stewart of Helena Chemical was our second speaker. I asked Bob to explain the reasons that we have adjuvant and what they do for the mixture. Adjuvant is as important if not more than the main chemical in the tank mixture. Adjuvant makes water more applicable and easier for plant up take and uniformity. Try to think of it as a water conditioner. I hope those of you who were in attendance were able to see the importance of using a good quality adjuvant thru Bob’s presentation.

IMPROVE WHEAT POTENTIAL WITH SOUND TOPDRESS FERTILITY

You can take charge of wheat yields right now with a top-dress application of Kugler 342C Kugler 342C is an outstanding multi-nutrient grade of nitrogen, potassium, Sulfur, Zinc and Chloride-specially formulated for easy application in cold soils and cool weather.

Chloride bumps up wheat yields. Recent university studies have shown that adding chloride to a sound wheat fertility program can increase yield by as much as 23 bu/A (Kansas State University 1998). Adequate chloride also appears to help wheat plants resist fungal leaf and root diseases. The most dramatic response occurs when chloride levels in soil (0-24 inches) are less than 20 lbs/A.

Urea is not a good choice for topdress application. While urea may appear cheaper, the fact is that using urea can make your fertilizer investment disappear into thin air. According to several University studies, urea hydrolyzes on the soil surface, releasing ammonia gas into the atmosphere. The result is a 30% to 70% loss.

See Top Hat Ag LLC your authorized Kugler dealer about 342C for your wheat topdress.