Are you a farmer in Northwest Ohio who planted corn this year? The Water Quality Extension Associates are looking for partners to participate in an “End-of-Season Soil Nitrogen After Corn” study to help understand nitrogen use and efficiency and potential adjustments to N programs. OSU Extension will pay lab costs for up to two samples per farm.
For more information, please visit go.osu.edu/eosnitrogen or reach out to Rachel Cochran at cochran.474@osu.edu or Heather at torlina.1@osu.edu.
Thank you for your interest in responding to this survey.
Before proceeding, please review the following information related to the study and your rights. By completing the survey you will help us determine the average level of awareness and base knowledge of feed and water use efficiency in small ruminant livestock. This online survey will direct you through a set of questions. You can access the survey at https://go.osu.edu/2024smallruminantefficiency or this QR Code
Continue reading 2024 Small Ruminant Feed and Water Use Efficiency Survey
Do you or some you know have a field that regularly suffers from slug damage? Do you plant cover crops on your farm? If so, we have a great opportunity for you! Rachel Cochran, Water Quality Extension Associate for Paulding, Defiance, and Van Wert Counties is looking for fields to add to her on-farm research project. The project aims to address the question “Do radish cover crops deter slugs?”, and is a continuation of greenhouse and plot-scale research studies.
If you are interested or would like more information, reach out to Rachel at cochran.474@osu.edu or (567) 344-5016.
Share your thoughts on cover crops in an online survey at bit.ly/CoverCrop23. Why do you plant cover crops… or why don’t you? What do you want to know about cover crops? Where do you get your information about them? Your insight will help guide research, communications, seed development, and more.
This National Cover Crop Survey is the seventeenth since 2012 conducted by USDA-NIFA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program, Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC), and the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA), with the help of Informa/Farm Progress.
After completing the questionnaire, you may enter a drawing for one of three $100 Visa gift cards.
Join Paulding County Extension from 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM on Thursday, August 4th for a program titled “Agriculture and Water Quality: How do TMDLs and Edge-of-Field Monitoring fit in?”
Greg LaBarge, Field Specialist in Agronomic Systems from Ohio State University Extension and Josh Griffin, Lake Erie Programs Manager from Ohio EPA will speak at this event.
This program will focus on water quality, the agricultural practices that impact it, and the potential solutions for improving it by discussing edge-of-field research being conducted by The Ohio State University. Curious what practices could be improving and impeding water quality on your farm? Have you been thinking about how the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) process will impact farming in Northwest Ohio? Join us to hear what the process for TMDLs consists of, where the Maumee Watershed is in that process, and what farming practices can contribute to improved water quality.
Register for this free event at go.osu.edu/TMDL. CCA credits for Soil and Water management will be provided.
With planting season just starting to begin, now is a perfect time to think about partnering with Paulding County Extension for an on-farm research trial. If you’re looking to dip your toe into the ‘research’ pool for the first time, here are a few simple ideas for projects that can be planned right now!
For more information, see the 2021 eFields On-Farm Research Publication. A digital copy is available at digitalag.osu.edu/efields.
If any of these projects interest you, or you can call the Paulding County Extension office at 419-399-8225 and ask for Rachel or Sarah! Or email cochran.474@osu.edu or noggle.17@osu.edu.
By: Osler Ortez
Photo by Aaron Hird, USDA/NRCS
A working group from The University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Kansas State University, and The Ohio State University have partnered to conduct a multi-state assessment of farmers’ approaches to on-farm research, including its importance and motives to participate.
Understanding farmers’ perceptions of on-farm research will be vital for the long-term success of initiatives that promote agronomic research on field scales. The information will also be critical in helping to shape future extension programming efforts. The survey will close on May 23rd and it is open for responses before that date. The survey is short, and it should take about 5-10 minutes to complete. Your information/responses are voluntary and will be recorded anonymously.
Access the survey here: https://kstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_71iwM5FE0zhSW10
Questions can be directed to:
Carlos Pires, carlospires@ksu.edu or 785-770-6335
Osler Ortez, ortez.5@osu.edu or 330-263-9725
We appreciate your time and participation! Sent on behalf of:
By: Sarah Noggle
Northern Corn Leaf Blight Symptoms
Preventing significant yield losses from disease is likely on the forefront of growers’ minds following the 2021 growing season. A new product in our disease management toolbox is FMC’s fungicide Xyway™ LFR®. OSU Extension eFields program is partnering with growers to conduct on-farm trials evaluating the effect of an at-plant soil application of flutriafol (Xyway) on corn health and yield. Information from this trial will be used to improve corn disease management recommendations for growers throughout the state.
At each field site, an untreated control will be compared to plots treated with Xyway (applied in-furrow and/or 2×2). Additionally, growers also have the option to include a third treatment of Xyway (in-furrow/2×2) + VT/R1 Foliar Fungicide. For this study, a minimum of three replications is required, and four are preferred. Plots must also be randomized to eliminate bias due to plot order. Plots should be at least 500 feet long to ensure accurate yield monitor data.
If you are interested in hosting an on-farm trial, contact Paulding County ANR Extension Educator Sarah Noggle at 419-399-8225 or noggle.17@osu.edu or Rachel Cochran, Water Quality Extension Associate at cochran.474@osu.edu.
eFields is a program at The Ohio State University program dedicated to advancing production agriculture through field-scale research. To learn more visit digitalag.osu.edu.
We want YOU! – Call for On-Farm Research Cooperators
Now is the time to start thinking about the questions you have surrounding your farming operation. What is the ideal seeding rate for corn or soybeans on my different soil types? What rate of Nitrogen will give me the best bang for my buck? Do I really need Phosphorus starter fertilizer? Will interseeding cover crops increase my late-season water-holding capacity of my soil? What is the health of my soil? The good news is that there is a simple way for you to answer these questions: on-farm research!
The Ohio State University Extension eFields Publication has 5 years of these types of trials published for you to see at https://digitalag.osu.edu/efields. The eFields program allows farmers just like you to get answers to the questions you have about your unique operation. What works for others may not be the best option for you, so let’s work together to find the correct answer.
If you’re interested in talking about an on-farm research trial for this Spring planting season, contact Paulding County Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator, Sarah Noggle, or Water Quality Extension Associate, Rachel Cochran, to learn how we can help.
Need some more inspiration or ideas? Check out the 5th Anniversary 2021 eFields Publication at https://digitalag.osu.edu/efields.
Contact us!
Paulding County Extension Office, 503 Fairground Drive, Paulding OH – 419-399-8225
Sarah Noggle, noggle.17@osu.edu, 567-344-5013
Rachel Cochran, cochran.474@osu.edu, 567-344-5016
Collaborators: Etienne Herrick, University of Michigan; Tim Boring, Michigan Agriculture Advancement
Funding: USDA NIFA Predoctoral Fellowship, University of Michigan’s Rackham Program in Public Scholarship
In the Great Lakes region, overwintering cover crops can provide numerous agroecological benefits, such as soil conservation and nutrient cycling, weed and pest control, and climate resilience. However, these benefits largely depend on the successful growth of cover crops, which can be highly variable across farms due to a range of environmental factors and management practices (e.g., soil type, planting strategies) that influence cover crop establishment and growth in distinct conditions. This project will use a citizen science approach to improve understanding of cover crop performance across variable conditions and, in turn, help farmers better achieve the benefits they can provide. Specifically, we will partner with Great Lakes farmers to identify: i) the extent of variation in cover crop growth across the region, and ii) which environmental and management factors best explain this variation.
By sharing information about their farms and management practices in a short online survey, and conducting a brief field sampling protocol to estimate cover crop growth, farmers will serve as key collaborators in a data-driven effort to improve cover crop outcomes. Results from this project will inform context-specific recommendations for optimal cover crop management across different farming conditions. This community-based research links academic and practitioner knowledge to advance food system sustainability and resilience.
We are seeking participants for spring 2022! If you are currently growing overwintering cover crops in the Great Lakes region and would like to participate, please complete this quick survey or contact herricke@umich.edu.
Join the Digital Ag Team as they dive into research results from around the state of Ohio based on the 2021 eFields report. Registration is free but required. Have you been enjoying the 2021 fields Report and are excited to learn more? Join us to learn more about the eFields program and the results we are seeing across the state.
The program will happen on Tuesday, February 1 and 8 from 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM. The format will be the same but due to participants registered different 2021 eFields reports may be discussed. CCA and CEUs will be offered.
Register at http://go.osu.edu/AgTechTues
by: Chris Zoller, Extension Educator, ANR, Tuscarawas County & David Marrison, Extension Educator, ANR, Coshocton County
Dr. Gary Schnitkey, University of Illinois, and Dr. Carl Zulauf, Emeritus Professor, The Ohio State University, are conducting an online survey of soybean growers in nine soybean-producing states, including Ohio. The nine states represent 75% of U.S. soybean production.
The researchers intend to measure the impact of each communication channel – mass media, social media, and interpersonal meetings – on farmers’ decision-making to adopt new digital technology. This survey is focused on soybean producers in these states: Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Indiana, Nebraska, Missouri, Ohio, South Dakota, and North Dakota. The results will support new research and contribute in a practical way to increase knowledge about the most efficient communication channels for the dissemination of digital agriculture technologies.
The survey takes approximately five minutes to complete, and all data will be kept confidential. If interested, you can provide your email address to receive a copy of the final survey results.
If you are interested in participating in this survey, please click here: https://go.illinois.edu/farmdocsurvey
Investigating Ohio’s coyote population and its relationship with local livestockThe Ohio State University is initiating a multi-year, statewide study of coyote ecology and management, and we need samples from harvested coyotes. If you would like to contribute to our research by providing:
o Whisker
o Tooth
o Tissue samples
Please send us an email at OHcoyote@osu.edu, with your name, contact information, and county. We will provide additional information and instructions for specimen storage and recovery by our team. Thank you for the important role you play as citizen scientists in wildlife research in Ohio.
Principal Investigator: Dr. Stan Gehrt, Professor and Wildlife Extension Specialist
Questions? Email us! OHcoyote@osu.edu
The six water quality extension associates located in Northwest Ohio are gearing up for winter programming and need input from you! Continue reading Water Quality Extension Associates Planning Winter Meetings and Spring Research Need YOU!
By Rachel Cochran, Water Quality Extension Associate, and Sarah Noggle, Extension Educator
As we begin to approach Spring planting, it’s important to think about the intricacies of the growing season – what fertilizer to use, how much to apply, how to apply it, etc. If you’re unsure what rate would most benefit your crop while earning you the largest profit, on-farm research may be a good way for you to determine that. If you’re unsure what effects different management practices are having on the health of your soil, on-farm research may be a helpful tool. For almost any question you may have about your operation, an on-farm research trial may be a good way to better understand what the best practices may be for your farm.
This year, we plan to continue the eFields Soil Health Study that was started in 2020. In this study, soil samples are pulled from three depths: 0-4”, 0-6”, and 0-8” within a field. A variety of different tests are then performed on that soil, including routine nutrient analysis, pH, Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC), total organic matter, aggregate stability, and Permanganate Oxidizable Carbon (POXC). The results of these tests will be grouped with fields of similar management and published in the 2021 eFields book and will help to give you a snapshot of the health of your soil.
OSU Extension Paulding County is here to help you find out what’s best for your operation, whether it be through sharing of information or planning of research trials on your farm. Reach out to Sarah Noggle, Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Educator, or Rachel Cochran, Water Quality Extension Associate, if you’re interested in doing any type of on-farm research this growing season. We will be happy to set up a trial for you to get the answers you need.
Contact our office at (419) 399-8225, or email noggle.17@osu.edu or cochran.474@osu.edu for more information.
Is there a product or growing practice you want to test on your farm? If so, consider hosting an eFields on-farm research trial this year. eFields is Ohio State University’s on-farm research program. Each year, a publication is released with trial details and results. You may find the electronic version of the 2020 eFields Report by clicking here. Hard copies are also currently available at the OSU Extension Paulding County office.
Current eFields projects include the following:
You can also work with ANR Educator Sarah Noggle to develop a custom study protocol. If you have any questions or are interested in learning more about hosting an on-farm trial, call 419-399-8225 or e-mail noggle.17@osu.edu.
eFields represents an Ohio State University program dedicated to advancing production agriculture through the use of field-scale research. This program utilizes modern technologies and information to conduct on-farm studies with an educational and demonstration component used to help farmers and their advisors understand how new practices and techniques can improve farm efficiency and profitability. The program is also dedicated to delivering timely and relevant, data-driven, actionable information. Current projects are focused on precision nutrient management strategies and technologies to improve efficiency of fertilizer placement, enable on-farm evaluation, automate machine functionality, enhance placement of pesticides and seed, and to develop analytical tools for digital agriculture.
Check out the newest edition at https://digitalag.osu.edu/efields
