Lining up the Defense for Md Ag vs. Bird flu, Palmer amaranth

By Secretary Joe Bartenfelder

As football season gears up and defensive strategies are being practiced on the gridiron, Maryland farmers need to tackle two major opponents on their farms to ensure Maryland Agriculture comes out on top. High Path Avian Influenza has the potential to devastate the poultry industry and Palmer amaranth, a new aggressive weed, threatens Maryland’s cropping systems. Time for farmers to put their game faces on because we cannot afford to lose either of these two battles.

 High Path Avian Influenza

Because High Path Avian Influenza (HPAI) could have a catastrophic impact on our state’s poultry industry, the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) is taking the threat as seriously as possible. As Secretary of Agriculture, I recently issued an order, effectively immediately, that directly impacts your poultry and/or laying operation. The order and its requirements are designed to limit the risk of any poultry premise from contracting HPAI this fall. The complete order can be read on our website (mda.maryland.gov)

Highlights of the order include the following:

Biosecurity and sanitation requirements governing all growers:

Each grower shall maintain a sanitary, bio-secure premise for poultry. At a minimum, each grower shall:

 Restrict access to poultry by posting a sign stating “Restricted Access,” securing the area with a gate, or both.

• Take steps to ensure that contaminated materials on the ground are not transported into the poultry growing house or area.
• Provide the following items to anyone entering or leaving any area where poultry are kept:
  • Footbaths and foot mats with disinfectant;
  • Boot washing and disinfectant station;
  • Footwear change or foot covers.
• Cover and secure feed to prevent wild birds, rodents or other animals from accessing it.
• Cover and properly contain poultry carcasses, used litter, or other disease-containing organic materials to prevent wild birds, rodents or other animals from accessing it and to keep it from being blown by the wind.
• Allow MDA to enter the premises during normal working hours to inspect biosecurity and sanitation practices.

Importation requirements governing hatching eggs and poultry:

You cannot move poultry into Maryland unless:

 It originates from a clean NPIP flock (or state equivalent), whether or not the poultry is going to immediate slaughter; OR

• The poultry originates from a flock that was tested and found negative for Avian Influenza (HS and H7) within 10 days before entering Maryland.
• For flocks with more than 30 birds – a minimum of 30 birds, three weeks of age or older, must be tested and found negative.

To move poultry into Maryland, you must:

• Include a completed Official Certificate with the shipment and, if applicable, a copy of the laboratory report documenting Avian Influenza testing; OR
• Include a statement that the owner of the flock(s) shipping the poultry participates in and meets the requirements of the NPIP (or state equivalent); AND
• Submit a copy of the Official Certificate to the State Veterinarian within seven days of movement.

If you are in a HPAI Control Zone:

 You must have MDA approval before you can move poultry, baby poultry, or hatching eggs into Maryland.

• The poultry to be moved must meet all additional testing, biosecurity requirements, and epidemiological assessments as determined by MDA

This order has the well-being of poultry operations at heart and has been issued to protect the backyard flock owners, family farms and large integrators from economic hardship. A quarantine order may be imposed on anyone in violation of this order. In addition, violations are subject to criminal and administrative penalties as provided under Maryland law.

New Aggressive Weed

 Palmer amaranth (a member of the “pigweed” family) is now establishing itself more and more in Maryland and has the potential to threaten Maryland’s cropping systems. It is one of the most troublesome weeds that we know in cropping systems all over the South and the Midwest and it is spreading fast throughout the United States. Aggressive steps are necessary to minimize its impact and delay the spread and development of herbicide resistance. No longer can Maryland growers settle for the easiest, least expensive, or short-term (single-season) control strategies. Growers must assume that all Palmer amaranth in Maryland’s fields are resistant against Roundup® and ALS inhibitor herbicides.

This weed can grow vigorously – more than two inches a day – therefore, the window for successful destruction by herbicides is short. Soybean weed management must quickly become a carefully planned and integrated control program that preserves herbicide and genetic (i.e. Roundup Ready®) technologies. According to the University of Maryland, residual herbicide programs (pre- and post-emergence) that keep the weed controlled until the grower has complete canopy closure in the field are crucial for success with Palmer amaranth control. This can also be supported also by planting soybean in narrow rows (up to 15 inches), which cuts down on the period for canopy closure by a few weeks. It has been shown that narrow rows help establish the stand of soybeans as well as shade out germinating weed seedlings.

For effective and long-lasting Palmer amaranth control, one needs to look three to five years into the future and not focus solely on herbicides. Best weed management practices for prevention and control of Palmer amaranth include integrating crop rotation and herbicide site of action rotation, diversifying in-season herbicide sites of action, closely monitor fields before and after herbicide application, using timely herbicide application schedules, completely controlling weeds in non-crop areas, and cleaning harvest and tillage equipment to avoid spread of Palmer amaranth to non-infested fields.

For more information, or assistance with identifying or controlling Palmer amaranth, please contact your local extension agent, or Dr. Burkhard Schulz, Assistant Professor, University of Maryland, bschulz1@umd.edu or 301-405-1317.

I hope you have a safe and profitable harvest season.