October 17, 2017

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Hello,

Soybean harvest stopped this past week as the rain caused several operators to switch to corn harvest.  Rainfall coming in mid-September and early October helped with early wheat emergence and growth.  During the month of September, Extension volunteer rainfall reporters received an average of 1.77 inches of rain. The most rain for this month, 2.92 inches, fell in Goshen Township, as measured by Brien Brothers Farm. The least rain reported during the month, 0.95 inches, was reported in Hale Township by Travis Ramsey. During the same month last year, an average of 3.12 inches of rain fell. The rainfall recorded in September over the past ten years averaged 3.37 inches.  To read more about the September rainfall, see the attached news release.

The Ohio ARC-County 2016 per base acre commodity program benefits have been released.  For Hardin County, corn was set at $60, soybean $0, wheat $32, and oats $17.  See the attached form for more information or contact the FSA office (trevor.kerr@oh.usda.gov or 419-673-0456) with questions.  Hardin County Auditor Mike Bacon spoke at a Farm Bureau Council meeting this past week about the CAUV adjustments that are taking place.  One of big adjustments made statewide was for conservation lands.  Hardin County has over 900 landowners with conservation land which amounts to 8300 acres.  If you are one of these landowners that has land in conservation programs, you need to contact the county auditor’s office to make sure they have the proper documentation in order to adjust your property taxes to reflect the new changes in the CAUV formula.  See the attached letter from the Ohio Department of Taxation for more details.  I have also attached both an initial application and renewal application for land enrolled in Current Agricultural Use Valuation.  Copies of your conservation contract with dates, parcel numbers with acres in conservation, and maps showing the locations of the conservation lands will be required by the deadline on the form.  Contact the county auditor’s office (hcaudit@co.hardin.oh.us or 419-674-2205) for any questions you may have about this process.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced Friday, November 17, 2017, as the deadline to submit applications for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) in Ohio.  EQIP is a voluntary conservation program that helps agricultural producers protect the environment while promoting agricultural production. With EQIP, NRCS conservation experts provide technical assistance to implement environmentally beneficial conservation practices on working agricultural land.  See the attached news release provided by Megan Burgess (Megan.Burgess@oh.usda.gov or 419-673-0456) from the Hardin County NRCS. 

Upcoming local events include a Soil and Water Conservation District meeting Thursday, October 19 starting at 7:30 am at the SWCD office; Forestry Field Day, Sunday October 22 from 1:00-4:00 pm at the McBride Woods (3963 County Road 135, Dola).  There will be horse-drawn wagon rides, a coloring contest with prizes for the children, ham & bean soup cooked over an open fire, corn bread, hot dogs and s’mores.  As usual, I have included some agronomy articles below that you may be interested in reading.

Mark

Good harvest weather this week with worsening harvest weather next week – Jim Noel

The warmer than normal weather pattern will continue. However, it appears we will get a burst of colder weather next week. Confidence in the temperature forecast is high. We will be slowly transitioning from the drier first half of fall to a wetter pattern over the next 1-2 months that will persist into next spring. Lake effect precipitation will be increasing starting next week in northern and northeastern Ohio. Confidence in the rainfall forecast is moderate. As forecast months ago…we expect a later than normal freeze this autumn, likely 1-2 weeks late. There has been some patchy frost to this point but nothing real significant. Typically we see our first freeze about now. It appears the first freeze may come sometime next week at least to some of the area which again will be3 1-2 weeks late. Confidence in the first hard freeze being late is high.  To find out more about the weather, go to https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2017-35/good-harvest-weather-week-worsening-harvest-weather-next-week.

 

Field drying and harvest losses in corn – Peter Thomison

According to the USDA/NASS (https://www.nass.usda.gov/) as of Sunday, Oct. 15, 21 percent of Ohio’s corn was harvested for grain, compared to 34 percent for last year and 32 percent for the five-year average. Wet weather delayed corn harvest across the state and is not helping with field drying. Some growers are delaying harvest until grain moisture drops further. However, these delays increase the likelihood that stalk rots present in many fields will lead to stalk lodging problems. Some serious stalk rot and lodging problems have already been reported, as shown in the image submitted by Curtis Young in Van Wert County. Leaving corn to dry in the field exposes a crop to unfavorable weather conditions, as well as wildlife damage. A crop with weak plant integrity is more vulnerable to yield losses from stalk lodging and ear drop when weathering conditions occur. Go to https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2017-35/field-drying-and-harvest-losses-corn to finish reading this article.

 
Marestail Control in Wheat and Some Other Weed Stuff – Mark Loux
There are several methods for management of marestail in wheat, and following any of these will take care of most winter annual weeds as well. Keep in mind that where wheat will be planted following soybeans, the large marestail that may be present in soybeans are not a concern since they are finshing their life cycle anyway. The plants of concern are the seedlings that emerge in late summer into fall, which can overwinter. A few options to consider follow. This is not an all-inclusive list of herbicide options, but some that make the most sense to us. It’s possible that some of the newer broadleaf products for wheat also have a fit, although none have residual activity.  To read more about marestail control in wheat as well as controlling poison hemlock and burcucumber, click on https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2017-33/marestail-control-wheat-and-some-other-weed-stuff.
Harvest Safety Tips while Travelling Ohio Roadways – Dee Jepsen
As urban development expands into the rural countryside, so too does the need to practice safety on public roadways. During harvest season there is an increased traffic flow on rural roads with agricultural implements and grain trucks. Protecting property and saving lives – of both the farm family and the general public – are the underlying goals for roadway safety. Understanding rules of the road is a shared responsibility between the farm machinery operators and the motoring public. Oftentimes blame falls on either party, when in fact it may be a mutual misunderstanding for the Ohio Revised Code. For harvest safety tips including lighting and marking, weight limits, restricted parking on highways, dimension limits, as well as tips for the motoring public, go to https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2017-33/harvest-safety-tips-while-travelling-ohio-roadways.

Application of Manure to Newly Planted Wheat Fields – Glen Arnold, Sam Custer

Several livestock producers have inquired about applying liquid dairy or swine manure to newly planted wheat fields using a drag hose. The thought process is that the fields are firm (dry), there is very little rain in the nearby forecast, and the moisture in the manure could help with wheat germination and emergence. The manure nutrients could easily replace the commercial fertilizer normally applied in advance of planting wheat. The application of fall-applied livestock manure to newly planted or growing crop can reduce nutrient losses compared to fall-applied manure without a growing crop. To read more about application of manure to newly planted wheat fields, go to https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2017-33/application-manure-newly-planted-wheat-fields.

Mark A. Badertscher

Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator

OSU Extension Hardin County

1021 W. Lima Street, Suite 103, Kenton, OH 43326

419-674-2297 Office

hardin.osu.edu

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