Soil & Water News
April 2008
Help Pollinators Help You
Prairie Plant Species- Yarrow
Spring Burning- Are You Ready?
Reporting 2008 Crop Acreage
Prescribe Burning Workshop
Help Pollinators Help You!For most Americans, pollen means allergies and bees mean stings--but to farmers, when one out of every three bites of food people take is made possible by a pollinator, bees and pollen mean much more. Pollinators play a tremendous economic role. The problem is, too many people see the pollination process as a free service from nature; most people don’t know the unprecedented threats facing wild and managed pollinators worldwide. The role of pollination of U.S. crops is not small potatoes. From almonds to alfalfa to apples, pollinators are key to production of 150 food crops worth $10 billion each year. The honey bee is the most valuable pollinator, only 15 percent of the crops are pollinated by domestic bees; 80 percent are pollinated by wild bees and other wildlife, including butterflies. More broadly, about 218,000 of the world’s 250,000 flowering plants, including 80 percent of the world’s species of food plants, rely on pollinators to reproduce. Managed honey bee colonies have shrunk by 25 percent since 1990, and there are fewer bee hives now in the United States than at any time in the past 50 years. For more than a decade, biologists have documented declines in populations of migratory pollinators including butterflies, bats, and birds. Habitat loss and excessive exposure to agrichemicals, as well as spread of diseases, parasitic mites, invasion of Africanized honey bees, and elimination of government subsidies for beekeepers are most often mentioned for what has been called an impending pollination crisis. Pollinators are particularly important to fruit, vegetable, and nut growers with crops valued in the billions. California producers rent half a million bee hives a year for almond trees alone. On your land, there are several things you can do to help pollinators. Don't disturb wild areas. For instance, bumblebees nest in grass in old mouse nests and other bees nest in dead wood. Plant pollinator friendly crops. Clovers, alfalfa, trefoils and other legumes enrich and protect the soil and are pollinator favorites. Use conservation buffers. Current U.S. Department of Agriculture programs offer annual rental payments to plant grasses or trees on qualifying cropland. These contour strips, grassed waterways, hedgerows, filter strips, and windbreaks offer some of the best habitat to pollinators, and they can be within the crop field that needs their pollination service. Let plants bloom. Try to time mowing, tilling, or grazing management decisions so that plants have the opportunity to bloom. Time pesticide application. Your pesticide label lists bee toxicity and residual time. For more information, please contact your local Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office or conservation district office located at your local county USDA Service Center or visit the NRCS Wildlife Habitat Management Institute’s Web site at www.whmi.nrcs.usda.gov or the NRCS Web site at www.nrcs.usda.gov. Clyde F. Mermis District Conservationist
Prairie Plant Species
Yarrow
Achillea millefloium
By Coleen Davison, Soil Conservationist
Yarrow, Achillea millefloium, is a hardy perennial and a member of the Sunflower/Aster Family. The species is native to Europe and Asia, but is widely naturalized in North America as well, common is grasslands and open woods, especially in areas of mild disturbance. The somewhate rounded terminal cllusters of flower heads are on erect stalks and either solitary or loosely clustered with few branches. The flowers are normally white, cream-colored or pinkish and have an extended bloom period from May to September. The leaves are a grayish green color and spaced alternately along the stem. The edges of the leaves are very deeply divided giving it a fern like appearance. The foliage is very fragrant when crushed. Yarrow is a food source for bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelope, and deer. Sage grouse, especially chicks, and other upland birds rely heavily on the foliage of as a food source. Domestic sheep and goats derive a fair amount of forage value from yarrow, while cattle and horses mostly graze the flower head. It has been reported that a bitter flavor in the milk results from dairy cattle grazing yarrow. The plant has a long history as a powerful 'healing herb' used topically for wounds, cuts and abrasions.. The genus name Achillea is derived from the mythical Greek character, Achilles, who carried it with his army to treat battle wounds. This medicinal action is also reflected in the common name Soldier's Woundwort. The species name millefolium translates to " a thousand leaves" and refers to the leaf's fern like appearance. The plant is a highly aromatic herb and has been used medicinally for centuries, primarily for its astringent effects. The plants were used almost identically by Indians in North America and folk practitioners in Europe before the two cultures had contact. Used to stop bleeding and to treat coughing and throat irritations, yarrow has also been used as an antispasmodic, fever reducer, blood pressure reducer and perspiration inducer. It also has a mild stimulant effect, and has been used as a snuff. Decoctions from the plant have been used to treat inflammations, the oils used in chest rubs for colds and influenza and in massage oil for inflamed joints. Yarrow has been used as a salad green and the leaves used as a seasoning (similar to sage). Yarrow is also used in beverages, for example as flavoring for beer instead of hops. It is often true that the differences between food, medicine, and poison are a matter of dosage, and all plants should be treated with respect and used sparingly. Well adapted for use in the landscape, yarrow grows 1-3 foot tall and is drought tolerant. The soft, lacy foliage makes an interesting and beautiful groundcover. The plant can be propogated by seed, but once established, the plant spreads by rhizomes and can become aggressive for some gardens. Horticulturists have created, selected and hybridized many outstanding cultivars that have branched flowering stems and larger flower clusters. Some are selected for stronger stems that don't require staking. Among the many cultivars of A. millefoilum, include colors such as vivid pink, cream yellow, red, snow white, lavender, orange-red, purple pink or red flowers with yellow centers. The flowerheads are used in floral arrangements, both fresh and dried. If picked at their peak and dried quickly, they will retain their color. The flowers are also good in potpourri. Spring Burning….Are you Prepared? The Douglas County Conservation District has four drip torches, six flappers and two backpack sprayers available for Douglas County landowners to borrow for prescribe burning. Only one drip torch, one backpack sprayer, one flapper can be checked out to one individual at a time. You can use the equipment for three days / two nights. The drip torch must be returned with no fuel in the container. Before for you start to burn, place a courtesy call to the Douglas County Sheriff Department at 785-841-0007 or your local township fire department.
| DEPARTMENT NAME | TELEPHONE | | Baldwin City Fire Dept | 785-594-3678 | | Clinton Township Fire Dept | 785-760-2671 | | Eudora Fire Dept | 785-542-3653 | | Eudora Township Fire Dept | 765-542-2800 | | Kanwaka Township Fire Dept | 785-887-6511 | | Lecompton Fire & Rescue | 785-887-6221 | | Osage County Fire Dist #4 | 785-665-7649 | | Pslmyra Township Fire | 785-594-6944 | | Wakarusa Township Fire | 785-843-2226 | | Willow Springs Township Fire Dept | 785-594-6686 | |
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| | Allen Craig | 785-594-3713 / 785-979-6822 | | Dan Hardtarfer | 785-748-9839 / 785-979-2120 | | Randy Ates | 785-542-1865 / 785-423-0105 | | Barry Larson | 785-542-2587 / 785-423-5998 | | Chris Lesser | 785-887-6607 / 785-887-6511 | | H Wayne Riley | 785-887-6525 / 785-256-5182 | | Walt Bingham | 785-453-2389 | | Randy De Mersserman | 785-594-3332 / 785-423-4463 | | Chris Moore | 785-843-1897 / 785-423-7897 | | R Lyle Bowlin | 785-594-6542 | Reporting 2008 Crop Acreage Producers are reminded that small grain acreages must be reported to the Farm Service Agency by June 2. The filing of an accurate and timely acreage report for all crops and land uses, including failed acreage, is required to prevent loss of benefits for a variety of Farm Service Agency programs. Acreage Reports must be filed to receive benefits for farm programs, marketing assistance loans, Loan Deficiency Payments and Non-insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP). When reporting acreages, producers will also need to provide planting dates. In addition, acreage reports filed after the deadline will require a late filing fee. Please call 785-843-4260, Ext. 2 to set up an appointment to report crop acreages. Johnathon Alley, County Executive Director Prescribed Burning Workshop Tuesday, April 1, 2008
5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Building 21 North
Douglas County Fairgrounds
2110 Harper St., Lawrence Program
5:30 p.m.—John Henry, NRCS Grassland Mgt Specialist - Benefits of Burning for Brush Control and Livestock Production.
6:00 p.m.—Scott Thomasson, KDWP Wildlife Biologist - Benefits of Fire for Wildlife, and KDWP Upland Bird Initiative. 6:20 p.m.—Soup Supper sponsored by Quail Unlimited- Jayhawk Chapter. 6:50 p.m.— Johnathon Alley, FSA- CRP Compliance- Your Responsibility. 7:00 p.m.—Walt Fick, KSU Range Management - Prescribed Burning: Planning, Conducting, and Safety. 8:00 p.m.—Rich Barr, Lawrence Douglas County Fire and Medical Division Chief, and Chris Lesser, Kanwaka Township Fire Department Chief- Burning Laws: Permitting and Notification. 8:15 p.m.—Mike McFadden, KDWP Wildlife Biologist - Planning a Prescribed Burn Demonstration. Field Site Demonstration 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 2 Rain Day - Friday, April 4. Please-pre-register to help with the meal count and supplies by March 28 to Douglas County Extension, 785-843-7058. |
