1) Using Credit Card Rather Than Debit Card Gives Time Advantage 

MANHATTAN, Kan. - Using a credit card rather than a debit card when making a mail-order or online purchase gives a buyer the advantage of time, said Marilyn Bischoff, Extension family economics specialist, University of Idaho, Boise.

If using a credit card, consumers will typically have the option of assessing product quality or fit before the bill arrives.

With either, check return policies before making a purchase, Bischoff said.

More information on money management is available at local Kansas State University Research and Extension offices and on the Kansas Extension Web site: www.oznet.ksu.edu/financialmanagement.


 

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2) Pruning Trees in Late Winter Has Real Benefits

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Pruning trees early – in fact, by March – is typical only of fruit tree growers.

Even so, shade, ornamental and even woodlot tree owners could find real advantages in adopting a late-winter deadline, said Kansas State University horticulturist Ward Upham.

“In most years, the deciduous trees around here are fully dormant by January. So, judicious trimming then won’t hurt them so long as temperatures are above 20 degrees,” said Upham, the Master Gardener program coordinator for K-State Research and Extension.

In turn, the chore will be done before gardeners and farmers alike have to face the pressures of getting the growing season started, he said. And, when the trees awaken from dormancy, they’ll be immersed in a spring environment, which fosters most plants’ best growth and fastest wound recovery of the year.

For appearances alone, early pruning also helps “bleeder” trees weep less sap from fresh-cut wounds. Freezing temperatures (32 to 20 degrees F) help limit sap’s flow without causing internal wood damage, Upham said.

“Bleeder trees can leak amazingly large amounts of sap from warm-season cuts. Apparently, this causes no long-term damage. Still, it can look like considerable damage, and it’s not too pretty,” he added.

Tree species vary in how easily and heavily they lose sap, Upham said. Central U.S. trees most apt to look like abused victims after a warm-weather pruning include any of the maples: amur, hedge, Norway, silver, sugar. Some other plant types, such as the grape vine, can also bleed, but additional trees that tend to flow with wound sap are the black walnut, pecan, birch, mulberry and Osage orange (also called hedge tree).

“One reason most fruit tree growers prune so early is that they need trees with the strongest structure possible for holding heavy fruit. Pruning while the trees are bare simply provides the clearest picture of which weak, rubbing or badly attached branches to remove,” the horticulturist said. “Besides, this timing still gives fruit growers time to apply dormant oil sprays without wasting any on branches bound for the woodpile.”


 

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3) Snow Cover Can Make a Difference in Nitrogen Applied to Wheat Fields

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas wheat growers often welcome a blanket of snow over their fields, but that snow cover may impede nitrogen effectiveness, according to Kansas State University scientists.

“We have observed in Kansas that when nitrogen (N) is applied on top of snow cover, wheat yields are sometimes not as good as when nitrogen is applied to fields without snow cover,” said K-State Research and Extension soil specialist Dave Mengel. “This applies to both dry urea and liquid UAN applications.”

Why this happens is not entirely certain, because there would be no cause for volatilization, said K-State agronomist Scott Staggenborg.

One possible reason is run-off, as N applied in this manner may sometimes move along the surface of the field as the snow melts, Staggenborg said. Nitrogen could be carried off the field or redistributed within the field, resulting in some areas of the field ending up with too much fertilizer N and some areas having an N deficiency. The end result would be an overall reduction in yield, compared to fields in which there was no snow cover when the N was applied.

The agronomists said further information on this topic is available in a recent article from South Dakota State University on the Plant Management Network Web site: http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/pub/cm/news/2007/SnowCover.


 

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4) Women’s Ag Conference Expanded - Deadline for Registration Approaching

HUTCHINSON, Kan. – A health fair and wine tasting are being added as pre-conference offerings for “Celebrating Ag Women,” the 2008 Women Managing the Farm Conference scheduled Feb. 8-9 at the Grand Prairie Hotel and Convention Center in Hutchinson, Kan. 

The women's conference typically highlights topics of interest to women who have chosen agri-business as their career, said Kristy Archuleta, conference coordinator, who is based at Kansas State University. 

Conference sessions will focus on topics such as managing a family farm or a farm partnership; planning and conducting a successful business meeting; evaluating insurance needs; managing time to balance work and family, reducing stress and improving health.

The conference will include more than 20 sessions, a resource fair and time for networking with others who share similar challenges and opportunities, Archuleta said. 

The health fair will begin Feb. 7 at 6 p.m. and include a blood pressure check and tips on managing weight and health (sponsored by Curves), a skin analysis/skin cancer screening (sponsored by Kansas Farm Bureau), and a tasting of Kansas wines (sponsored by the Kansas Department of Commerce).

The pre-conference events are included with registration for the two-day conference, which is $75 prior to Feb. 1, and $90 thereafter. Registration for one day is $50. For registration or more information, go to www.womenmanagingthefarm.info or call 1-866-FARM-KSU or
1-866-327-6578.