Watch the CFAES video above for tips on telling your pigweeds apart: redroot pigweed vs. the now-invading Palmer amaranth, which some experts call “pigweed on steroids,” and not as a compliment. Accurate identification of pigweeds, you could say, is the first step to sending them squealing. Beating problem weeds is important because troublemakers like pigweeds can reduce how much food a farm produces, how much money the farmer makes, and the farm’s overall success and sustainability.
Month: May 2016
Watch: How Ohio farmers, with CFAES’s help, are doing even more to protect water
CFAES experts recently posted videos of the commercial fertilizer training they’re providing. Completing this training in person is required of anyone who applies fertilizer on more than 50 acres in Ohio. Watching by video can give you an idea of what the training is about if you haven’t taken it yet, can be a refresher if you’ve already taken it, or simply can show you, if you’re interested, some of the research-based, forward-moving steps being taken to keep Ohio’s water clean. You can watch an example above.
Zika spread? Probably not here. But Ohio’s mosquitoes carry other diseases, too
Could mosquitoes spread Zika in Ohio? “The chances are very low,” says Peter Piermarini, an insect scientist with CFAES, who’s shown here with a cageful of some of his subjects. But take steps if you travel, he says. And guard against the mosquito-borne diseases that are already here in the state. Read more. (Photo: Ken Chamberlain, CFAES.)
Seeking ‘students with a passion for sustainability and change’
CFAES’s Environment, Economy, Development and Sustainability major, says faculty member Sathya Gopalakrishman, teaches “students with a passion for sustainability and change to be drivers or agents of this change in the future.” Want to be one of them? Watch the video above.
Is water quality trading a solution?
Could water quality trading help solve Ohio’s nutrient issues? Farm and Dairy’s Chris Kick has the story, reporting on the recent joint meeting of the Water Quality Taskforce and the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee of the County Commissioners Association of Ohio. The meeting was at OARDC in Wooster, which is CFAES’s research arm, and had several speakers from CFAES.
Sounds good; or, wetlands calling from the underwaterworld
“It’s in the woods, is surrounded by some impressive swamp white oaks and has a grove of buttonbush growing in it. It’s also a breeding site for several species of woodland amphibians, including spotted salamanders and chorus frogs.” If you’d like to (1) visit this place (the chorus frogs may be calling) and (2) have a place like it on your own land yourself, sign up by May 27. (Photo: Western chorus frog, USFWS Headquarters.)
How to tell your trees apart
“Knowing how to identify your trees helps with diagnosing insect and disease issues,” says CFAES Forestry Program Director Kathy Smith. “It also allows (you) to better manage the tree.” Coming up, you have a great chance in a perfect place to learn how to do just that. Sign up by May 27.
Beans and bees
“Dozens of species of pollinators have been found in soybean fields around the country. This project is trying to get a handle on what’s out there in Ohio fields.” Here’s how you can help.
Helping Mr. Toad come home
You’re in luck — and being helpful — if your land has a wetland, says CFAES Wildlife Specialist Marne Titchenell. “Wetlands are rare habitats that many plants and animals depend on. Landowners who are willing to dedicate a portion of their land to a wetland are providing some much-needed homes for wildlife.” Learn more in a workshop she’s co-teaching June 3.
No mystery, it’s a magical tour
Six groups with interests in organic farming and sustainable agriculture, including OSU Extension’s Sustainable Agriculture Team, have announced this year’s schedule for the always informative Ohio Sustainable Farm Tour and Workshop Series. View or download the series brochure here. The series goes from June through November. OSU Extension is CFAES’s outreach arm.