Mixing it Up (in the hay field or pasture!)

By:  Haley Zynda

A mixed stand of forage offers several benefits!

Pastures are really greening up in this area of Ohio and producers are antsy to turn livestock out to enjoy the lush greenery. Winter annual weeds are still thriving, patiently waiting for their summer counterparts to start germinating. Perhaps you also frost-seeded clover into pastures to improve feed quality and to cut down on nitrogen applications. If that’s the case, weed control this year will be a different story. Continue reading

Using Citizen Science to Improve Cover Crop Performance in the Great Lakes Region

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

CLICK HERE TO PARTICIPATE

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. Continue reading

Unusual Fall Armyworm Outbreaks are Taking Many by Surprise

fall armywormBy:  Kelley TilmonAndy MichelMark SulcJames MorrisCurtis Young, CCA

We have received an unusual number of reports about fall armyworm outbreaks particularly in forage including alfalfa and sorghum sudangrass, and in turf.  Certain hard-hit fields have been all but stripped bare (Figure 1).

True or common armyworm is a different species than the fall armyworm.  The true armyworm is the species that causes problems in cereal crops in the spring of the year. Fall armyworm migrates into Ohio during the summer and could cause problems into late summer. It is not or maybe we should say has not typically been a problem in Ohio. Also, unlike the true armyworm that only feeds on grasses (i.e., corn, wheat, forage grasses), the fall armyworm has well over 100 different types of plants upon which it feeds including many grasses but also alfalfa, soybeans, beets, cabbage, peanuts, onion, cotton, pasture grasses, millet, tomato, and potato. Obviously, a few of these crops are not produced in Ohio, but several of them are. As a result, we encourage farmers to be aware of feeding damage in their fields, especially forage crop fields that’s where a lot of the action seems to be right now. Continue reading

Event Notice – Soil Health Tour and Event Scheduled for Northwest Ohio

Paulding County Extension will be hosting two events in Northwest Ohio in August: a soil health tour and a follow-up event with a guest speaker. The soil health tour includes stops around Northwest Ohio showcasing different practices to help improve soil health. A map of tour stops can be found at go.osu.edu/soilhealthtour and will be updated as tour stops are confirmed. The tour stops will be accessible from Friday, August 13th to Thursday, August 19th. Following the close of the Soil Health Tour, Paulding County Extension will host speaker Shalamar Armstrong on August 19th from 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM to speak on cover crops’ effects on Nitrogen and Phosphorus cycling and fate. In addition, farmers that provided sites for the soil health tour will be present to discuss practices and ideas with attendees before and after our speaker. Certified Crop Advisor credits will be available for the event. See flyer and video below for details.

Continue reading

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 Continue reading

Track Cover Crop Species through the Winter

By:  Amanda Douridas, Jason Hartschuh, CCA, Elizabeth Hawkins, Mary Griffith

This summer we planted a variety of cover crops in the AgCrops Plots at Farm Science Review. We took some video before the killing frost a few weeks ago. Listen in as we discuss the species and benefits in this short video. Check back throughout the winter as we monitor how each species breaks down or survives until planting next spring. View a number of resources on species selection and management at http://go.osu.edu/covers.

Herbicide Residue Considerations for Fall Cover Crop Establishment

By:  Alyssa Essman and Mark Loux

Herbicides with residual that are used in corn and soybeans can affect the establishment of fall-planted cover crops, and should be taken into account when planning cover crop practices and selecting species. Soil characteristics and weather also play a role in the persistence of residual herbicides, which can vary by field and year. More information is needed on rotational intervals for many cover crop species, and this information is often not included on herbicide labels. University weed scientists have studied the effect of residual herbicides on some of the most popular cover crop species in order to provide this information to growers. In general, residual herbicides that control grass weeds can hinder establishment of grass cover crop species. Broadleaf cover crop species are most impacted by group 2 (ALS inhibitors), 5 (PSII inhibitors), 14 (PPO inhibitors), and 27 (HPPD inhibitors) herbicides (Purdue University). Continue reading

Event Notice – Hillsdale Conservation District Cover Crop Field Day

Join Hillsdale Conservation District on Thursday, September 3 for their 2020 Cover Crop Field Day hosted by Person Farms (19233 County Rd. 5.50, Montpelier, OH 43543; .5 mile South of W. Territorial Rd.). Please note, registration is required for entry. You may RSVP with names and numbers of guests to Allison Grimm at 517-320-3245; Cody Birdsell at 517-260-1276; or e-mail hillsdalecd@macd.org. Continue reading

Cover Crop Considerations After Wheat

By:  Jason Hartschuh, OSU Extension AgNR Educator, Crawford County (originally published in The Ohio Farmer)

Wheat provides many additional opportunities for your operation. These options include drainage improvements, weed-control timing, double-crop soybeans, double-crop forages, compaction mitigation, and soil building through cover crops. From the time wheat is harvested, there is about nine months for weeds to grow and soil to erode. If double-crop soybeans are not planted, the use of cover crops will protect the soil and assist with weed control. High populations of cover crops provide competition and soil cover to control weeds. Continue reading