Event Notice – Managing Prevented Planting Acres

Join us in one of two locations for an informational meeting on how to manage prevented planting acres. Topics will include weed control, options for annual forages, how to manage treated soybean seed, and a Q&A session with listed speakers and representatives from the cover crop and crop insurance industries.

2019 Prevented Planting Meeting Flyer

From Across the Field – Progress…Finally

With last Tuesday and Wednesday, being mostly suitable for field work, quite a bit of planting progress was made across the county. While the late planting date and wetter than average forecast made for some less than ideal conditions, it sure seemed like a now or never opportunity to get corn planted. In talking to farmers regarding planting progress, the range of progress made varies from around having 80 percent of their intended acres planted down to having no corn planted for the season. Going forward, I figure most of the corn to be planted will be for livestock feed, primarily silage for dairy and beef cattle. Continue reading

2019 Challenge: Forage Production Options for Ohio

By: Mark SulcBill WeissDianne ShoemakerSarah Noggle. OSU Extension

Across Ohio, farmers are facing challenges unimagined just four months ago.  Widespread loss of established alfalfa stands coupled with delayed or impossible planting conditions for other crops leave many farmers, their agronomists and nutritionists wondering what crops can produce reasonable amounts of quality forage yet this year. In addition, frequent and heavy rains are preventing harvest of forages that did survive the winter and are causing further deterioration of those stands.

With July 1st just around the corner, Mark Sulc, OSU Extension Forage Agronomist and Bill Weiss, OSU Extension Dairy Nutritionist, help address this forage dilemma.  If one is looking for quality and quantity, what are your best options? The article starts with a quick summary of options and then dig into some of the pros and cons of these options (listed in no particular order of preference). Continue reading

Forage Shortage and Prevented Planting Acres… think OATS!

By: Al Gahler and Stan Smith, OSU Extension

Last week, USDA released the declaration that a cover crop planted onto prevented planting acres can now be harvested as a forage after September 1st, rather than the normal date of November 1st, which provides a small glimmer of hope for some livestock producers and those equipped to harvest forages.  While Ohio is also experiencing a severe shortage of forages for all classes of livestock, weed control on prevented planting acres is a major concern, and with USDA’s declaration, we can now address both problems in one action – seeding cover crops that will be harvestable as a forage after September 1st. Continue reading

Soybean Prevent Planting Decisions in Middle June, Cover Crops, and MFP Payments (VIDEOS)

By: Schnitkey, G., K. Swanson, C. Zulauf, R. Batts and J. Coppess. “Soybean Prevent Planting Decisions in Middle June, Cover Crops, and MFP Payments.” farmdoc daily (9):114, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, June 20, 2019.

Farmers across the Midwest can now take prevent planting payments on soybeans, as final planting dates for crop insurance purposes have arrived. Our comparisons suggest that planting soybeans do not have higher returns than taking a prevent planting payment given a high coverage level on crop insurance. However, the risk for lower returns from planting as compared to taking the prevent planting payment is limited as crop insurance provides a floor on revenue.  These risks become greater the later soybeans are planted in the late planting period. The economic advisability of planting soybeans depends on receiving Market Facilitation Payments and no additional Federal aid for prevent planting acres.  Our current projections indicate that returns from either prevent planting or planting soybeans will not cover costs and working capital will be eroded. At the end of this article, links to YouTube videos provide the latest information on cover crops and the Market Facilitation Program as well as a general background on preventing planting. Continue reading

Is Silage Corn a Cover Crop?

By: Anna-Lisa Laca. Previously published by Drovers online

When USDA announced Thursday that cover crops grown on prevent plant acres could be harvested on Sept. 1 instead of Nov. 1, farmers breathed a sigh of relief. Many had serious concerns about having adequate forage for livestock this winter. When they saw that USDA included silage, haylage and balage as eligible forms of harvest for those crops, many wondered about the eligibility of corn. Is silage corn considered a cover crop? The short answer: it depends. Continue reading

Plan Now For The 2019 OCA Replacement Female Sale

By: John F. Grimes, OCA Replacement Female Sale Manager

The Ohio Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) is announcing an event of potential interest for both the buyers and sellers of beef breeding cattle. On Friday evening, Nov. 29, the OCA will be hosting their seventh annual Replacement Female Sale. The sale will be held at the Muskingum Livestock facility in Zanesville and will begin at 6:00 p.m.

The 2019 Ohio Cattlemen’s Association Replacement Female Sale will provide an opportunity for both buyers and sellers to meet the need for quality replacements in the state. Consignments may include cow-calf pairs, bred cows and bred heifers. Continue reading

From Across the Field – Don’t Know What We Don’t Know

This spring has really been a moving target with many pieces of the farming puzzle not wanting to fit together in a timely manner. The last couple of days have been as good as any to get into the fields, at least those that are fairly well drained. There have been many discussions among the agricultural community about some of these moving parts; prevented plant, disaster relief, trade aid/Market Facilitation Payment, and switching acres to soybeans. As of today here’s some of what we do know: Continue reading

Prevent Plant Decisions in Early to Middle of June

By: Gary Schnitkey, Krista Swanson, Jonathan Coppess, and Ryan Batts, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois and Carl Zulauf, Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics, Ohio State University

Many unplanted acres remain across the Corn Belt and in Illinois. As of the week ending on June 9, only 73% of the intended corn acres and 49% of the soybean acres have been planted in Illinois (Planting Progress, June 10, 2019). In this article, prevent planting decisions on intended corn acres are examined first. For farmers that have not incurred costs, prices must rise before planting corn in mid-June will return more than taking prevent planting payments, for those with that insurance option. In most circumstances, a corn prevent planting payment will have higher returns than planting soybeans. Continue reading

Ponding and Saturated Soils: Results of Recent Ohio Corn Research

By: Alexander Lindsey and Peter Thomison, Ohio state University Extension

Persistent rains during May and early June have resulted in ponding and saturated soils in many Ohio corn fields and led to questions concerning what impact these conditions will have on corn performance.

The extent to which ponding injures corn is determined by several factors including (1) plant stage of development when ponding occurs, (2) duration of ponding and (3) air/soil temperatures. Continue reading