Kill Poison Hemlock Now!

– Christine Gelley, Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator, Noble County OSU Extension

Poison hemlock has already emerged in a vegetative state around Noble County and beyond. Soon it will be bolting and blooming on stalks 6-10 feet tall. All parts of the plant are toxic to all classes of livestock if consumed and is prevalent along roadsides, ditches, and crop field borders. It is a biennial weed that does not flower in the first year of growth but flowers in the second year. The earlier you can address poison hemlock with mowing and/or herbicide application, the better your control methods will be.

Poison hemlock is a concern in public right of ways, on the farm, and in the landscape!

Poison hemlock is related to Queen Anne’s lace, but is much larger and taller, emerges earlier, and has purple spots on the stems. Another relative that is poisonous is wild parsnip, which looks similar to poison hemlock, but has yellow flowers. Giant hogweed is another relative of poison hemlock that is also toxic. All of these plants have umbel shaped clusters of flowers.

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Proper tractor tire pressure saves fuel and time

Updated from an original article written by Michael Staton and Tim Harrigan of Michigan State University Extension

With diesel fuel prices hovering above $5 per gallon and weather-related planting delays, producers are looking for ways to improve tractor performance and fuel efficiency. One of the best ways to accomplish this is to inflate radial tires to the lowest recommended pressure for the load they carry before performing field work.

Tire inflation demonstration at MSU’s Ag Expo. Photo by Tim Harrigan, MSU Extension

A survey conducted in Oklahoma found that only 45% of the tractor tires were within the recommended tire inflation ranges. The benefits of proper tire inflation are clearly depicted in Photo 1. This photograph was taken during a field demonstration at Michigan State University’s Ag Expo where identical tractors were hitched with a cable and pulley system to a third tractor pulling a high-draft tillage tool. The front tractor with properly inflated tires consistently performed better than the trailing tractor with slightly over inflated tires. The tractor with the properly inflated tires will consume less fuel and perform field operations in less time. Continue reading