Water Quality Wednesday Webinar — Economics of Conservation Webinar Coming on January 31st

Have you ever considered implementing conservation practices in your operation, but wanted to learn more about the economic side of doing so? Join OSU Extension on January 31st from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for the first Water Quality Wednesday Webinar of 2024: The Economics of Conservation.

Three speakers will provide insight into the economic benefits of utilizing different conservation practices, including cover crops and the use of manure as a nutrient source. Katie Wilts Johnson, Extension Economist, Center for Farm Financial Management at the University of Minnesota, will use FINBIN data to discuss short and long-term cash flow positions and how this relates to utilizing cover crops. OSU Extension’s Farm Business Analysis Program Manager Clint Schroeder will discuss how OSU can help you figure out exactly how different management practices can benefit your farm economics.  Glen Arnold, Field Specialist in Manure Nutrient Management at The Ohio State University will wrap up the session by discussing the yield and financial benefits of utilizing manure in-season as a nutrient source.

Certified Crop Adviser CEUs will be available during the live session. Register to receive the connection link at go.osu.edu/WQW24. Can’t join live? The recording of this webinar will be posted to the OSU Agronomy YouTube Channel’s Water Quality Playlist following the event. Questions can be directed to Rachel Cochran, cochran.474@osu.edu or (567) 344-5016.

Water Quality Wednesday Webinar Series Flyer

January 2024 Water Quality Wednesday: The Economics of Conservation

Soil Health Specialist Says Dry Conditions Have Complicated Cover Cropping

From Brownfield Ag News:

Click here to listen to the 5-minute interview with Dr. Anna Cates, University of Minnesota Extension Soil Health Specialist and Brownfield Ag News.

Some farmers new to cover crops might be having second thoughts after another dry growing season.

University of Minnesota Extension soil health specialist Anna Cates says cover crops generally take up a lot of water in the spring and fall.

“At a time when we have a lot of water. It rains a lot (and) the soil is holding a lot of water (so) it’s great to have something growing and reducing that a little bit. But the last couple years that reduction has kind of left us short for cash crop water supply, and that’s been a real hardship (and) we’ve seen poor stands because of it.”

She tells Brownfield farmers who have been using cover crops for several years or more don’t seem too concerned.

“For people who have seen the benefits over time, they say it’s 100 percent worth it. But if this is your first year and you barely saw any stand and then you had trouble terminating it in the spring, and then you saw a cash crop yield drag, that was not a great experience.”

Cates says early termination of the cover crop and lower seeding rates can help mitigate the challenges dry weather presents.

Farm Science Review is just around the corner!

LONDON, Ohio – More than 50 companies will join the ranks as exhibitors for the 61st Farm Science Review Sept. 19-21 at the Molly Caren Agricultural Center. The new exhibitors represent various sectors in the agriculture industry including livestock handling, equipment advancements, agronomic technology, agricultural policy, and more.

Paulding County Extension Office has tickets for sale at a discounted price total of $10 per ticket. Tickets will be for sale until Monday, September 18 at noon. Continue reading

Ag Outlook – Great Lineup for Speakers on Tuesday, February 14

Join Defiance and Paulding County OSU Extension in Jewel, Ohio for the next Ag Outlook meeting on Tuesday, February 14 from 5:30 – 9:00 PM at the Jewell Community Center, 7900 Independence Rd., Defiance, OH 43512.

Agenda:

  • Welcome & Dinner—5:30 p.m. – Country-style dinner.
  • Commodity Grain Market Outlook, Seugnki Lee, PhD., Ohio State University, Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics
  • Long-Term Care: Is the Farm at Risk? — Robert Moore, JD., OSU Extension, Attorney, OSU Agricultural & Resource Law Program
  • 2023 Weather Outlook – Aaron Wilson, PhD., OSU Extension, Assistant Professor and Field Specialist, Ag Weather, and Climate

Registration is preferred online @ https://go.osu.edu/23DefianceOutlook or call the Defiance County Extension office at 419-782-4771
RSVP by February 13. NO LATE REGISTRATIONS.
CCA Credits Applied For and the Cost: $10.00/person

Check out the Official Flyer Here

Summer Ag Events in NW Ohio

 

Hi all,

I wanted to share the upcoming events in NW Ohio Extension related to Agriculture to get those events on your calendar. Here is the link https://go.osu.edu/summernwohio22 or you can download the PDF of the newsletter 2022 Summer NW Ohio Newsletter PDF Version. I hope to see you at these summer events.

Tri-County Soil Health Workshop to be Held March 18

Join Fulton and Williams Soil and Water Conservation Districts and Hillsdale Conservation District for a Tri-County Soil Health Workshop on Friday, March 18 at the Kissell Community Building, 509 N. Main Street, West Unity, OH. Presenters will include Rick Clark, a 5th generation farmer and 2022 National No-Till Conference presenter, and Dr. Aaron Wilson, Atmospheric Research Scientist with the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center and Climate Specialist with OSU Extension. The workshop will also feature a local farmer panel moderated by Rick Clark.

CCA credits include 3 Soil & Water Management CEUs and 1 Crop Management CEU. MAEAP Phase 1 and MI RUP Credits are also available. The workshop cost is $20, which includes lunch and refreshments. Registration is required by March 11 at either www.hillsdalecd.org or by submitting a completed registration form and payment to Williams SWCD, 11246 State Route 15, Montpelier, OH 43543.

Tracking Rainfall Across Ohio

NW Ohio and NE Indiana CoCoRaHS map of monitored locations.

What farmer doesn’t love to record the weather for their area of the county? Many of you are recording this daily but why not help give our county more.  The Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow (CoCoRaHS) Network is comprised of volunteers who track rainfall across the United States. This is an excellent way to ground-truth radar predictions and track precipitation across the rural landscape. We currently only have one consistent reporter in Paulding County near the Hedges area. Wouldn’t it be awesome to see how much rainfall each part of the county got? When you join the reporting network, you get a weekly newsletter containing reporting tips and weather stories. View the most recent newsletter linked under the Resources section. It does require a specific rain gauge which can be purchase on Amazon or at these websites. To learn more about the network, click here. If we have enough interest, I have been asked to host a training in November or December.  Please let me know if you are interested in the training by emailing me at noggle.17@osu.edu.  This training would be open to the public.

Agronomy and Farm Management Podcast – Winter Impact on Cover Crops

Hosted by: Amanda Douridas and Elizabeth Hawkins, Ohio State University Extension

Agronomy and Farm Management PodcastAbout the Podcast:  Stay on top of what is happening in the field and the farm office. This podcast takes a bi-monthly dive into specific issues that impact agriculture, such as weather, land value, policies, commodity outlooks, and more. New episodes released every other Wednesday, subscribe at go.osu.edu/iTunesAFM or go.osu.edu/StitcherAFM

Episode 72 – Winter Impact on Cover Crops

April 14, 2021, (20 minutes)

Listen on: iTunes Stitcher

We have been monitoring different species of cover crops throughout the winter to see how each one breaks down or survives. If you are interested in planting cover crops but concerned about what spring planting conditions may be like, this is the podcast for you. Jason Hartschuh, Crawford County, and Mary Griffith, Madison County, join us as we hit a variety of cover crops and what they look like in April after the 2021 winter. To see the cover crops, visit youtube.com/c/OSUAgronomicCrops under the Cover Crops playlist. Let us know what you think about the podcast and suggest episode topics at go.osu.edu/afmsurvey

Decent Harvest Weather Likely to Continue into October

By Aaron Wilson, OSU Extension

Weather Summary

Ohio’s weather has been dominated by the high pressure of late, bringing with it a pattern of warm, sunny days and cool nights for the last couple of weeks. During this time, little to no rain has fallen across the state. As daylight hours are growing shorter, evaporation is not as strong as it is during the summer. Therefore, drought conditions are not rapidly expanding across Ohio. However, persistent dryness is evident across areas of northwest, southwest, and far northeast Ohio, where soils remain dry. The latest U.S. Drought Monitor indicates about 18% of Ohio is still experiencing abnormally dry to moderate drought conditions (Fig. 1). For more information on recent climate conditions and impacts, check out the latest Hydro-Climate Assessment from the State Climate Office of Ohio.

Figure 1: U.S. Drought Monitor for Ohio as reported on Thursday, September 22, 2020.

Continue reading

Labor Day Rainfall Eases Drought

Figure 1: U.S. Drought Monitor for Ohio as reported on Thursday, September 10, 2020

Weather Summary

Summer (June – August) 2020 ranks as the 11th warmest and 29th driest summer on record for the state of Ohio since 1895. Temperatures averaged 1-4°F above average (1981-2010), with 5-10 inches of rainfall across the northwestern half of the state and 10-15 inches across the southeastern half. Particularly dry this summer has been the northwestern counties, a few counties in central and southwest Ohio (e.g., Madison, Pickaway, Ross, Fayette, and Greene), as well as Richland, Ashland, Wayne, and Stark Counties.

Though too late for most crops in the state, recent rainfall is helping to recharge soil moisture. A slow-moving boundary draped across the state on Labor Day brought significant rainfall to much of northern Ohio. Most locations along and north of about I-70 (except NW Ohio) received 2-7” of rain. There was also a confirmed EF0 tornado a few miles east of Delaware with estimated winds to 80 mph and a few reports of large hail across the state. As of Thursday, September 10, 2020, the U.S. Drought Monitor indicates about 19% of Ohio is experiencing abnormally dry to moderate drought conditions, down from about 37% the prior week (Figure 1). For more information on recent climate conditions and impacts, check out the latest Hydro-Climate Assessment from the State Climate Office of Ohio. Continue reading

We Now Turn Our Attention to Autumn Harvest Season

Map of Pacific Ocean

Map of Pacific Ocean

Article from CORN 9-1-2020, Jim Noel, National Weather Service

The cooler than normal blob of water in the eastern Pacific Ocean near the equator tends to push the first autumn freeze later than normal in our region. Therefore, there is no indication of an early freeze in September this year. It appears the first freeze for Ohio will not come until October either on schedule or a bit later than normal.

September looks to have the first half start cooler than normal followed by a return to normal temperatures for the second half of the month.  Precipitation will be normal or slightly above normal for September. Normal rainfall is currently 1-1.5 inches per two weeks dropping to about an inch per two weeks for the second half of September. Even though we expect rainfall at or slightly above normal in September, there is a great deal of uncertainty due to the tropics and where those systems will travel. So you will want to pay attention to later outlooks at https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov

Rainfall for the first half of September will average 0.50-2.00 inches. The heaviest rains will likely surround the state of Ohio in most directions.

16 day precipitation forecast

16 day precipitation outlook

October into part of November looks to resume the above-normal temperatures which should create an extended autumn this year. Rainfall remains highly uncertain but it appears near normal is the most likely outcome for October and November as we have some climate models showing above normal and some below normal rainfall.

The early outlook for winter calls for above-normal temperatures the first half and below normal temperatures second half. Precipitation is likely to become above normal with potential influences from the tropical Pacific Ocean.

Derecho Devastates the Midwest While Ohio’s Dry-Weather Pattern Continues

By Aaron Wilson

Midwest Derecho

On Monday, August 10, 2020, a powerful weather system is known as a derecho (pronounced “deh-REY-cho”) impacted nine states from South Dakota to Ohio (Figure 1). The National Weather Service defines a derecho as a long-lived windstorm that produces widespread damage like a tornado but in one direction along a straight path or “straight-line wind damage.”  Last week’s derecho was exceptionally damaging to agricultural interests, particularly in Iowa. Numerous reports of winds stronger than 70 mph were noted with an unofficial gust to 106 mph at Le Grand. According to the Iowa Soybean Association, the latest USDA reports suggests 14 million impacted crop acres with $6 billion in liability losses. Only minor damage was reported in northwest Ohio as the derecho weakened below severe limits Monday evening, but it brought a decent round of rainfall to the area. The last major derecho to occur in Ohio was on June 29, 2012, which brought 22 fatalities from Illinois to the Mid-Atlantic and $2.9 billion in losses.

8-10-20 Derecho Map

8-10-20 Derecho Map

Figure 1:  Preliminary storm reports associated with the August 10, 2020 derecho.

Continue reading

Climate and Hydrology Pattern to Relax in August

16-day Mean PrecipitationThe overall drier pattern in many but not all places in Ohio this summer appears like it will relax closer to normal in August. The greatest uncertainty with the outlook will center around how the tropical moisture impacts the eastern United States.

The August outlook for temperatures indicates 1-2F above normal but a lot closer to normal than what we have seen this summer with the heat. The last time we have seen this much hot weather was 2015 and 2012. The good news is the worst of the heat for 2020 appears over. What this means is we should see a lot more maximum temperatures in the 80s with some 90s thrown in. Expected minimum temperatures mostly in the 60s to lower 70s. Continue reading

Application of Manure to Double Crop Soybeans

By Glen Arnold, OSU Extension

Wheatfields have been or will be harvested in Ohio soon and some farmers will plant double-crop soybeans. In recent years there has been more interest from livestock producers in applying manure to newly planted soybeans to provide moisture to help get the crop to emerge.

Both swine and dairy manure can be used to add moisture to newly planted soybeans. It’s important that the soybeans were properly covered with soil when planted to keep a barrier between the salt and nitrogen in the manure and the germinating soybean seed. It’s also important that livestock producers know their soil phosphorus levels, and the phosphorus in the manure being applied, so soil phosphorus levels are kept an acceptable range. Continue reading

National Ag Statistics Service (NASS) Updates

Sometimes this information is helpful in your farm management decisions. The National Ag Statics Service (NASS) sends different updates throughout the year.  This week was a big week of updates for the Great Lakes Region.  I am including those PDF updates links below.

Ohio Weekly Crop Progress & Condition Report

Ohio Acreage Summary

Ohio June 1 Grain Stocks

Ohio May Agricultural Prices

Ohio Biotechnology Varieties

Grain Market Summer Update June 30 – 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM

State Climatology Field Specialist, Aaron Wilson, and Ben Brown, Assistant Professor of Professional Practice in Agricultural Risk Management, both with The Ohio State University will give summer weather and grain market update after the release of the 2020 Acreage and Grain Stocks Reports from the United States Department of Agriculture. Due to the Coronavirus, economic conditions for corn changed rapidly after the Prospective Plantings Report with likely changes in acreage for the Eastern Corn-Belt. Weather, as always, during July and August will play a major factor in final yields and production in 2020.

June 30, 2020, from 2:00 PM until 3:30 PM

Registration link at https://osu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_C-NDZU3IRya0SYMkMKlC0A

Warmer and wetter, Ohio’s climate is shifting

By Alayna DeMartini

COLUMBUS, Ohio—Little snow, warmer days. It’s been an unusual winter.

Or has it?

For the past four decades, Ohio’s winters have been warming twice as fast as its summers. And the state is getting more rainfall as well. 2019 was the sixth wettest year in Ohio and the 12th warmest, said Aaron Wilson, climate specialist for The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES).

“It was certainly our wettest decade on record,” Wilson said.

On average, Ohio’s annual rainfall has increased 5%–15% since the early 1900s, with the largest increases in areas such as north-central Ohio where fall rainfall has risen by 31%, Wilson said. Continue reading