2019 eFields Report is Available

By Elizabeth Hawkins and John Fulton, OSU Extension

The spring planting season of 2019 was a season that many of us may want to forget, but the weather conditions we dealt with provided us an opportunity to learn how we can be more resilient in agriculture. Looking back at the lessons learned can help us be prepared for similar conditions in the future. The 2019 eFields Research Report highlights 88 on-farm, field scale trials conducted in 30 Ohio counties. Research topics include nutrient management, precision crop management, cover crops, and forages. Other information about production budgets, planting progress, and the 2018 Farm Bill is also included. Continue reading

The Other Fake Meat: Impossible Foods Unveils Pork, Sausage

Associated Press

After a big year for its plant-based burger, Impossible Foods has something new on its plate.

The California-based company unveiled Impossible Pork and Impossible Sausage on Monday evening at the CES gadget show in Las Vegas.

It’s Impossible Food’s first foray beyond fake beef. The Impossible Burger, which went on sale in 2016, has been a key player in the growing category of vegan meats. Like the burger, Impossible Food’s pork and sausage are made from soy but mimic the taste and texture of ground meat. Continue reading

2019 Planter Pre-Season Notes

By: John Fulton and Jenna Lee, OSU Extension Digital Ag Team

Spring planting is right around the corner and one wants to ensure the planter is at peak performance. Considering current seed costs and tight margins, getting seed placed right during planting is critical. Not getting it right at planting can impact yield, with university research on corn indicating: Continue reading

7 Ag Tech Advancements from 2018

By: Laurie Bedord, previously published by Successful farming

This past year was another banner year for ag tech advancements. From drones to blockchain, the myriad innovations developed by the seven companies that follow help farmers better manage their businesses now and into the future.

  1. AeroVironment Develops a Complete Drone Package

According to research firm Global Market Insights, the market for agricultural drones will top $1 billion by 2024, up from about $338 million in 2016. Continue reading

2019 Precision University: Ag tech for In-Season Management

By: Trey Colley, John Fulton, Jenna Lee, and Elizabeth Hawkins, OSU Extension Digital Ag Team

Digital agriculture technologies, connected devices, and sensor networks have enabled data-based decision making to be implemented at the farm level. The farm of the future will have increasing access to data and real-time analyses, allowing new insights related to in-season crop protection and nutrition management. Farmers of today already have many of these data sources at their fingertips through the use of connected smart phones. Continue reading

It’s almost that time of year … Don’t forget to calibrate your yield monitor!

By: John Barker, OSU Extension Educator Knox County
Previously published in OSU Extension’s C.O.R.N Newsletter

Remember the old adage … Garbage in = Garbage out.  Many of us use our yield data to make additional management decisions on our farms such as hybrid or variety selection, fertilizer applications, marketing, etc.  Data from an uncalibrated yield monitor can haunt us for many years by leading us into improper decisions with lasting financial affects.  In today’s Ag economy we can ill afford any decision with adverse financial implications. Continue reading

8 Tips To Extend Your Phone Battery During Long Days In The Field

By: Margy Eckelkamp
Previously on Farm Journal’s Ag Tech

It’s a mix of urban legend and science—how to maximize the battery life of your smart phone. iPhone, Android or other, all phones have their limits, and long-days in the field put the devices to their test—particularly when you forget the charging cord.

Here’s a curated list of some ideas to help give you that extra five minutes for a phone call.

1. Research in how your phone uses its battery Continue reading

Five High-Tech Farming Trends

By: JoAnn Alumbaugh, Farm Journal

“What one generation sees as a luxury, the next sees as a necessity,” said Anthony Crosland, British Labor Party politician and author, in his most cited sentence. History has shown this to be true: One need not look further than cell phones, televisions, hand-held devices and computers, for starters. Then look at how living conditions and diets have changed, as societies have become more affluent.

Dr. Lowell Catlett, a popular speaker and retired regents professor and dean emeritus from New Mexico State University, says achieving significant increases in meat production will require “continued applications of new and emerging technologies. Continue reading