From Across the Field – Life Skills and Working Lands

This past weekend I jumped on the invitation to work as a ring man and take bids at a showpig auction for a longtime family friend. While I don’t get to as many pig sales as I used to, I do enjoy watching 4-H youth go through the process of selecting and purchasing their projects. Some of my favorite memories revolve around analyzing and sorting livestock with my father, something we still do today when we get a chance.

If 4-Her’s here in Henry County ever have questions about livestock selection, they should consider participating in the 4-H livestock judging team. This year’s team started practice this past week, and will compete at the state contest on July 26th. In addition, to becoming better stockpersons, team members learn life skills such as decision-making, critical thinking, and public speaking. If interested in the possibility of joining the team contact the office in the next week or so. Continue reading From Across the Field – Life Skills and Working Lands

Wheat Disease Monitoring

By: Harold Watters, Ohio State University Extension Agronomist

We are monitoring wheat disease in an effort led by OSU Extension wheat specialist, Pierce Paul.

We follow growth stages of wheat to know when to apply herbicides safely but also to know when, or if, we should apply fungicides. Growers who rely on the height of the crop as an indicator of crop development may miss Feekes Growth Stage 6, a critical growth stage for herbicide application, and Feekes GS 8, a critical stage for managing foliar diseases with fungicides. Do not rely on the height of the plants or calendar dates alone (especially this year) to make your management decisions. Continue reading Wheat Disease Monitoring

Beware of Thrips on Strawberries

By: Celeste Welty, OSU Extension Specialty Crop Entomologist

Although strawberries are not considered to be a vegetable crop, using VegNet is a good way to get information out to growers who have both vegetables and berry crops.

Strawberry fruit that have been injured by thrips are a dull or bronzed color, and are often small, hard, seedy, and fail to ripen. They can cause uneven maturity of fruit. When severe, their injury can make the strawberry crop completely unmarketable.

Figure 1. Typical appearance of a thrips. Continue reading Beware of Thrips on Strawberries

NW Ohio Producers Can Get Paid for Growing Perennial Forage

By: Mark Sulc, OSU Extension Forage Specialist

The Ohio Department of Agriculture recently announced a new conservation program entitled the “Ohio Working Lands Buffer Program” to establish year-round vegetative cover on eligible cropland in the Western Lake Erie Basin Watershed. 

This is a great opportunity to improve soils and conserve nutrients on the land while having two ways to gain income: first from the value of the forage produced and secondly from annual payments through the program. Continue reading NW Ohio Producers Can Get Paid for Growing Perennial Forage

Dealing with Winter Injured Forage Stands

By: Mark Sulc, Ohio State University Extension Forage Specialist

I’ve been hearing more reports from around the state of winter injured forage stands, especially in alfalfa. The saturated soil during much of the winter took its toll, with winter heaving being quite severe in many areas of the state. So, what should be done in these injured stands?

The first step is to assess how extensive and serious is the damage. Review the CORN issue of the week of April 2, https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2019-07/assessing-winter-damage-and-evaluating-alfalfa-stand-health). Continue reading Dealing with Winter Injured Forage Stands

A New Lake Erie Battle: Lucas County Sues U.S. EPA Over Western Basin Water Quality

By: Peggy Kirk Hall, director of agricultural law, Ohio State University Agricultural and Resource Law Program

Disagreements over how to improve the health of Lake Erie have led to yet another federal lawsuit in Ohio. This time the plaintiff is the Board of Lucas County Commissioners, who filed a lawsuit in federal court in April against the U.S. EPA. The lawsuit accuses the U.S. EPA of failing to enforce the federal Clean Water Act, which the county believes has led to an “alarming” decline in the water quality of western Lake Erie. Continue reading A New Lake Erie Battle: Lucas County Sues U.S. EPA Over Western Basin Water Quality

From Across the Field – Growing Grass

I had the opportunity to head to southern Ohio this past weekend, and help my brother build some fence. While it is a tedious job, I sure enjoyed the opportunity to get outside and swing the hammer for a couple of days, before we were rained out on Sunday afternoon.

This week I mowed the lawn for the first time and I enjoy doing that early in the season when the grass in dark green and growing. If you want to keep the lawn looking nice, there are up to four times a year you can fertilize. The first is early spring, then around Memorial Day, Labor Day, and before Thanksgiving. I think if you are only going to fertilize once or twice a year, the best times to do it is before Thanksgiving and/or around Memorial Day. Late in the season builds roots and color for the winter, and fertilizing around Memorial Day will help it through the summer. Continue reading From Across the Field – Growing Grass

ODA Announces Ohio Working Lands Small Grains Program and Other Updates of WLEB Programs

The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) is announcing an additional assistance program for producers in the Western Lake Erie Basin funded by the passage of Ohio Senate Bill 299.

The Ohio Working Lands Small Grains Program is a voluntary program that will encourage producers in the Western Lake Erie Basin to plant small grains such as wheat, barley, oats, or cereal rye on eligible cropland. As the “working lands” name implies, participants must plant and harvest small grains, land apply manure, and plant a cover crop to receive a cost-share payment to help offset operating costs. The program benefits the planting of small grains not only for the conservation benefits, but to provide livestock producers with a longer application window to land apply manure and nutrients. Continue reading ODA Announces Ohio Working Lands Small Grains Program and Other Updates of WLEB Programs

Here We Go Again: How Many Days Does It Take to Plant the U.S. Corn Crop?

By: Scott Irwin and Todd Hubbs, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics,University of Illinois

USDA’s release of the March Prospective Planting report indicated an increase in planted acreage for corn in 2019.  At 92.8 million acres, the report shows approximately 3.7 million additional acres of corn planted to be planted compared to last year.  Given the large acreage, corn planting progress in 2019 will once again merit considerable interest.  This is compounded by cold and wet conditions over large areas of the Corn Belt that have delayed early planting.  The potential for more significant planting delays or acreage adjustments depends on the rate that corn planting can proceed once the weather improves. Continue reading Here We Go Again: How Many Days Does It Take to Plant the U.S. Corn Crop?

Can Cattle Be Confined By A Virtual Fence?

By: Ohio State University, previously published by the Ohio Farmer

Animal science researchers with the Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) will be testing a virtual fence for cows and other livestock this summer. It’s akin to an invisible fence for a dog, triggering a harmless but attention-getting shock if the animal crosses an unseen boundary.

“It’s not a sharp pain. It’s like a mild punch,” says Anthony Parker, a professor of animal sciences and one of the CFAES researchers who will test the virtual fence.

Each cow or other animal will wear a smart collar guided by GPS. Then, using a device called eShepherd, the farmer will be able to remotely monitor the animals’ location at any time. Even when a farmer is a country away from the herd, he or she will be able to move the fence, redrawing the line on a laptop screen. Continue reading Can Cattle Be Confined By A Virtual Fence?