Hello,
The rainy weather has put the dampers on the grain harvest this week. According the October 29 Ohio Crop and Weather Report, 75% of the soybeans and 64% of the corn has been harvested in Ohio. Seventy-nine percent of the winter wheat is in good to excellent condition, with only 16% not planted at of this late date. For more information about crop status, see the attached USDA report. Hardin County is mostly done with soybeans except for double crop fields and a few others that were held off on after switching to corn for better harvest conditions. There remains several corn fields in the county to be shelled, and storage has been an issue in some locations. Because rainfall is a current issue, I have also attached an article that includes information about a new weather app that OSU has developed to help farmers know when it is okay to spread fertilizer and manure.
With the help of fifteen volunteer rainfall reporters, the Hardin County Extension office has collected unofficial township rainfall data for the past twenty-six consecutive years. The 2018 growing season began with an April rainfall that allowed a good start to the planting season. Rains were spread out through the month which set the tone for the growing season. See the attached Season Rainfall Summary for more information about monthly rainfall totals and their effect on the crops. Has the cooler weather brought stink bugs into your home? If so, I have attached an article about dealing with these pests in the home after they have spent the late summer feeding on soybean pods and other crops.
This coming Tuesday, November 6 is election day. One of the issues on the Hardin County ballot will be the OSU Extension Levy. This renewal levy provides the local funding for the Hardin County OSU Extension office which is then added to with state and federal funds to provide the services of Agriculture and Natural Resources, 4-H and Youth Development, and Family and Consumer Sciences (including SNAP education) program areas. For more details, see the Levy Fact Sheet before you head to the polls. We hope you exercise your right to vote on Tuesday.
Upcoming events include a West Central Ohio Dairy Luncheon Series starting November 21 in New Bremen. See the attached flyer as the November topic will be Parturition Management by Mark Hardesty. Beef Quality Assurance Training will be held at the Hancock County Agriculture Service Center, November 29, 7:00 – 8:30 pm. Garth Ruff, Henry County ANR Agent and certified trainer, will be the instructor for the evening. Any individual attending this class will complete the certification process to sell to local markets such as Producers. Ag Council breakfast will be held tomorrow morning, Friday, November 2 at Henry’s Restaurant in Kenton starting at 7:00 am. The Hardin County Ag Society will be holding their reorganization and annual meetings on Saturday, November 3 at the fairgrounds Arts & Crafts Building starting at 7:30 pm. Farm Bureau will be meeting Tuesday, November 6 at the Christian Missionary Alliance Church in Kenton starting at 6:30 pm. The Fairboard will also be meeting Wednesday, November 7 at the fair office starting at 7:00 pm. See below for ag crops articles that you may be interested in reading.
Mark
Wet Weather Ahead – Jim Noel
The weather pattern will support wet weather into the middle of November with a series of storms now every several days. With clay type soils and reduced evaporation this could lead to standing water in fields in the next few weeks. We expect a wet weather system for the middle of this week followed by another next week. November will be marked with above normal rainfall and temperatures trending from near normal to above or much above normal for the second half of the month. Read more at https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2018-37/wet-weather-ahead.
Premature Sprouting of Corn Kernels – Pierce Paul, Peter Thomison
We have received several reports of premature corn kernel sprouting across Ohio. The ear in the picture exhibiting premature sprouting was sampled from one of the Ohio Corn Performance Test plots at the NW Research Station and was associated Trichoderma ear rot. In this particular case, the fungus that causes the ear rot produces compounds that stimulates early germination. However, not all ear rots are commonly associated with premature sprouting. In fact, under the right set of conditions, this phenomenon may occur in perfectly healthy ears, without visual disease symptoms. In addition to ear rots, a combination of other factors, including erect ears, bird damage, and wet weather, may contribute to premature sprouting. Finish reading this article at https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2018-33/premature-sprouting-corn-kernels.
All Yield Results Available – Laura Lindsey
Yield results from all three regions (north, central, and south) are now available online as a pdf at: https://stepupsoy.osu.edu/soybean-production/variety-selection/ohio-soybean-performance-trial Grain quality results and sortable tables will be available in November. Average yield for the Ohio Soybean Performance Trials by location and trial (early and late) for 2017 and 2018 is shown in the tables. Soybean yield in the north region (Henry and Sandusky County) was much greater in 2018 compared to 2017. (Yield from Henry County was not reported in 2017 due to extremely wet weather causing yield to be variable.) In the central region, soybeans in the early trial yielded greater in 2018 compared to 2018. However, in the late trial, soybean yield slightly decreased in 2018 compared to 2017. Yield in the south region was variable with Preble County yielding less in 2018 compared to 2017 while Clinton County yielded greater in 2018.
Properly Winterizing Sprayers Can Help Mitigate Costly Problems Next Spring – Erdal Ozkan
This is a busy time of year for many farmers, but taking time to winterize your sprayer now can payoff in avoiding problems next spring. Without proper winterizing before the temperature falls below freezing, you could end up with a pump that is cracked and/or not working at its full capacity. Here are some important things you need to do with your sprayer this time of the year. Continue reading this article at https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2018-36/properly-winterizing-sprayers-can-help-mitigate-costly-problems.
Check Beans for Stink Bug Damage and Plan for Next Year – Kelley Tilmon, Andy Michel
As farmers progress with soybean harvest we encourage you to take a quick look at your grain quality, especially Stink bug damage in soybean at field edges. We have been receiving reports of the deformed and discolored beans typical of stink bug damage. If your beans show signs of stink bug damage (or even if they don’t!) consider incorporating stink bug scouting into your management next year, beginning around pod set or early fill. Stink bugs are scoutable and treatable before damage occurs, and we will provide timely information next season in the CORN newsletter on when and how to monitor for this insect in soybeans. A quick guide to Ohio stink bugs and their management can be found at https://aginsects.osu.edu/sites/aginsects/files/imce/Stink%20bug%20ID%20card%20ID%209_21_18.pdf.
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
