Month: March 2020

Cover Crop Termination

By: Alyssa Essman and Mark Loux, Ohio State University Extension, Weed Science Specialist

The 2019 growing season came and went and left many fields in a state of disarray heading into 2020. Many growers that were unable to plant decided to use cover crops, to reduce soil erosion and provide some weed suppression during the extended fallow period. Terminating these cover crops using the right methods at the right time will be critical to ensure timely planting and prevent the cover crops from competing with cash crops. The three main methods of cover crop termination are natural (species that winter kill), chemical, and mechanical. Continue reading →

Rhizobia Inoculant Following the 2019 Season

By: Laura Lindsey and Stephanie Karhoff, OSU Extension

Following wet weather conditions and fallow fields, some producers are wondering if they need to inoculate their soybean seed with Rhizobia.

Soybean plants have a symbiotic relationship with bacteria in which the bacteria fix nitrogen from the atmosphere into a plant-available form of nitrogen. In soybean, nitrogen fixation is associated with Bradyrhizobium japonicum (commonly referred to as just Rhizobia). Generally, fields with a history of soybean production have an adequate population density of Bradyrhizobium japonicum. In our research trials, we have measured a yield increase of approximately 1.5 to 2.0 bu/acre when soybean seed is inoculated and the field has a history of soybean production. Continue reading →

Ohio Receives Malt Barley Endorsement

Source: Ohio Corn and Wheat

Ohio Corn & Wheat is excited to announce that efforts for Ohio to receive a Malt Barley Endorsement (MBE) have been successful. We are pleased to share that the Malt Barley Endorsement was voted on, and approved, by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation to include 35 counties in the state of Ohio. Eligibility begins starting with the 2020-2021 crop.

Counties included in the Malt Barley Endorsement include: Allen, Butler, Champaign, Columbiana, Crawford, Darke, Defiance, Delaware, Erie, Fairfield, Fayette, Fulton, Hancock, Hardin, Henry, Knox, Licking, Lorain, Lucas, Madison, Mahoning, Marion, Miami, Ottawa, Pickaway, Preble, Putnum, Ross, Sandusky, Shelby, Trumbull, Union, Wayne, Wood, and Wyandot. Continue reading →

Age of US Farmers: Is the Wrong Issue Being Addressed?

By: Carl Zulauf, Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics, Ohio State University

The older age of US farmers remains a topic of interest (Kurtzleben; Stone).  This article thus revisits the farmdoc daily article of October 23, 2013, updating it with 2017 Census of Agriculture data.  It is also a condensed, more focused version of a forthcoming article in the Handbook of Rural Aging.  A key point is that US policy should focus more on helping older farmers remain active, high performers.

Average Age:  As of the 2017 Census of Agriculture, US farmers averaged 57.5, 9.7 years older than the first average age reported in the 1945 Census.  The 2017 average is however 0.8 years younger than in the 2012 Census.  Only the 1978 Census also had an average age that was more than 0.1 years younger than the prior census (50.3 vs. 51.7 in the 1974 Census).  Both declines are associated with multiple-year periods of farm prosperity (1973-1980 and 2007-2013).  (See Data Note 1) Continue reading →