Good afternoon,
This past week I just returned to work from participating in a two-week Sheep and Agriculture Study Tour of New Zealand. As I write this edition of the Hardin County Agriculture and Natural Resources Update, soybean harvest is nearly done in the county and 89% complete statewide. Corn harvest is about halfway completed, with progress being slowed down by high moisture corn that needs to be dried. Statewide corn harvest is at 45%, and 76% of wheat has emerged. Wheat emergence in Hardin County is looking good, with decent stands. As of the end of September, rainfall for the growing season since April 15 average precipitation in the townships was 15.94 inches, ranging from 13.07 inches in Liberty Township, to 19.50 inches in Pleasant Township. After falling behind in seasonal rainfall this growing season, the average rainfall is 6.35 inches under the ten-year average for Hardin County without adding additional rain in the first half of October. See the attached Ohio Crop Weather report and September 2023 Rainfall Summary for more information. Soybean yields have been reported as above average this fall around the county.
September 2023 Rainfall Summary
Upcoming events that you may be interested in attending include the Climate Smart: Farming with Weather Extremes program coming up November 30 at Der Dutchman in Plain City and upcoming “Planning for the Future of Your Farm” workshops which will be taking place in nearby Celina on December 7 and Urbana on January 26. See the attached flyers for more information about these events and how to register. This program is also available through a Zoom webinar if you would rather participate in that manner. Recent attached articles that you may be interested in reading include Statewide Sheep Tour to Michigan, State Master Gardener Awards, Carcass Show Results, Children’s Program at the Friendship Gardens, Latest Innovations at the Farm Science Review, and Finish Line in Sight for Grain Farmers.
Planning Future of Your Farm Workshop – Celina
Farm Succession Workshops – Urbana
Make sure you save the date for the Hardin County Agriculture Hall of Fame Banquet, which is scheduled for Tuesday, December 5. Don’t forget that this coming Tuesday, November 7 the Hardin County OSU Extension Levy is on the ballot. This is a renewal levy for .35 mills that raises $209,000 per year for 5 years to support Agriculture and Natural Resources, 4-H Youth Development, and Family and Consumer Sciences Extension programs locally. I hope you exercise your right to vote. As has been the case in the past, I have included some recent CORN Newsletter articles that you may be interested in reading. Good luck with the rest of the harvest season and I look forward to hearing about your crop yields and other harvest information.
Mark
Considerations for Drying High Moisture Corn – Elizabeth Hawkins, Jason Hartschuh
Corn harvest progress in Ohio has been behind pace as field drying has been slower than expected. Currently only 29% of the corn crop has been harvested compared to a 5-year average of 49%. With the recent rainfall and colder temperatures in the forecast, it will become much more difficult to field dry corn creating a need to send high moisture corn to the dryer. As the weather turns cooler, it can become much more difficult to manage wet grain. It also becomes more difficult to determine moisture since most moisture meters are not accurate when grain temperature falls below 40 F. Read more at https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2023-38/considerations-drying-high-moisture-corn.
The EPA’s Proposed Herbicide Strategy and What it Means for Herbicide Use – Alyssa Essman
The Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973 was passed by Congress in an effort to protect endangered species and their habitats. In recent years the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been under fire for not meeting the obligations outlined within the ESA, which ultimately left them vulnerable to legal ramifications. In early 2022 the EPA released the ESA workplan to address this issue. The herbicide strategy is one part of this larger workplan to protect the 900 plant and animal species classified as endangered. The proposed herbicide strategy was released in July 2023 and outlined the EPA’s plan for meeting ESA obligations with respect to herbicide drift, runoff, and/or erosion. Continue reading this article at https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2023-38/epa%E2%80%99s-proposed-herbicide-strategy-and-what-it-means-herbicide-use.
Battle for the Belt: Episode 33- Wrap Up – Taylor Dill, Laura Lindsey, Osler Ortez
Episode 33 of Battle for the Belt is now available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4igcFhvU16k. In episode 33, we talk with our Soybean and Small Grain Specialist Laura Lindsey, and Corn Specialist, Osler Ortez about the season and upcoming winter extension programs. The season started out cold and wet at all three locations with emergence starting three weeks after planting the first planting date. This caused stand issues at the Wooster location in soybeans specifically. Early season disease presence at the Wooster location in soybeans was observed and sampled. The early season disease data will be shared in the near future. After this wet and cool period, all locations experienced very dry weather. Finish reading this article at https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2023-37/battle-belt-episode-33-wrap.
Fall-applied Herbicide Considerations – Alyssa Essman
Harvest is progressing in much of Ohio, though recent rains have slowed field activities in some areas. As crops continue to come off it’s a good time for a reminder about the value of fall-applied herbicides. Rains this past week may stimulate winter annual weed emergence to some extent. This is the best time of year to control winter annuals and some of the more difficult to manage overwintering weed species. Biennial and perennial plants are now sending nutrients down to the root systems in preparation for winter. Systemic herbicides like glyphosate and 2,4-D applied at this time will be translocated down into the roots more effectively than if applied in spring when nutrients are moving upward. This results in better control. In addition, the increasingly unpredictable spring weather patterns we have experienced in recent years can influence the timing and efficacy of spring burndown applications. Fall-applied herbicides can lead to weed free situations going into spring until early emerging annuals begin to appear in April and are an essential component in the control of marestail and other overwintering species. Click on https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2023-36/fall-applied-herbicide-considerations for more.
Register Now for the January 4-5 Ohio State Organic Grains Conference – Eric Richer
Registration is open for the 2nd annual Ohio State Organic Grains Conference, January 4-5, 2024 at the Maumee Bay Lodge and Conference Center near Toledo, Ohio. The 2024 conference offers programming for experienced organic growers, growers transitioning to or considering organic, and consultants or educators who support these growers. Featured speakers will include Klaas Martens from Lakeview Organic Grain in New York; Léa Vereecke from Rodale Institute; former Ohio State soil fertility specialist Steve Culman; and Eugene Law, currently of USDA-ARS, but soon to be an Ohio State assistant professor in weed ecology. Read more about this conference at https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2023-36/register-now-january-4-5-ohio-state-organic-grains-conference.
Mark A. Badertscher
Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator
OSU Extension Hardin County
1021 W. Lima Street, Suite 103, Kenton, OH 43326
419-767-6037
hardin.osu.edu
