COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State University’s annual Conservation Tillage Conference is well-known for providing research-based agronomic information for farmers that helps increase their operations’ financial bottom lines.
The conference, which is sponsored by the university’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences and held each March in Ada, Ohio, offers the latest research, insight, tips and techniques on conservation tillage, including cover crops, no-till, soil quality, seeding technology, water quality and nutrient management for growers, crop consultants and agribusinesses.
But the two-day CTC conference also funds mini-grants for researchers who in turn are able to present their findings at the following year’s event, according to...
WOOSTER, Ohio – With fields beginning to dry out from the excessive rains experienced throughout the state and as temperatures begin to warm, crop growers should look to scout their fields for insects that have the potential to cause economic losses, an entomologist with Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences said.
In addition to cereal leaf beetle, alfalfa weevil and black cutworm, crop growers need to be on the lookout for slugs, especially in fields with a history of slug damage, said Andy Michel, an Ohio State University Extension pest expert.
The region is likely entering into a period of heavy slug feeding, so corn and soybean growers need to be out inspecting their crops for the slimy pests, said Michel, who also has an...
JEFFERSON, Ohio – Agroterrorism may be a term many farmers haven’t heard of, but it’s one they need to understand in order to combat it, according to an expert with Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
Farmers are prepared to respond to natural disasters, but in an age where the risk of human-caused disasters such as agroterrorism is an issue, farmers must be vigilant and know what to look out for, said David Marrison, an Ohio State University Extension educator. OSU Extension is the outreach arm of the college.
“It’s one of those things that we hope never happens, but based on the reality of how the world is today, it’s best to be prepared,” Marrison said.
According to the Federal Bureau of...
WOOSTER, Ohio – With Ohio wheat nearing the critical flowering growth stage, it’s important for growers to use a regional online assessment tool to determine their risk for Fusarium head blight development, according to a wheat expert from Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
Fusarium head blight, also called head scab, is of particular concern for growers now as wheat heads are most susceptible to the scab fungus during flowering, and infection is favored by warm, wet or humid conditions, said Pierce Paul, an Ohio State University Extension wheat researcher.
Much of the state has experienced cooler conditions this week, thus reducing the risk of head scab for wheat flowering, said Paul, who is also a plant...
WOOSTER, Ohio – Wheat in Ohio is nearing the critical growth stage, and with recent heavy rainfalls and the forecast calling for cooler temperatures over the next few days, growers should scout their fields for any indication of disease development, said a wheat expert from Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
The rainy weather helps to create conditions favorable for foliar disease to develop, producing spores and new infections, said Pierce Paul, an Ohio State University Extension wheat researcher.
The amount of moisture experienced recently favors significant foliar diseases that impact wheat crops near critical growing stages, said Paul, who is also a plant pathologist with the Ohio Agricultural Research and...
COLUMBUS, Ohio – If you see even one of this notoriously damaging weed in your field, pull it up – fast!
Otherwise it could be the worst mistake you’ve ever made in your farming career, according to a researcher from Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
Palmer amaranth, a glyphosate-resistant weed also known to many cotton and soybean farmers in the South as a “pigweed on steroids,” has already begun showing up in Ohio fields, said Mark Loux, an Ohio State University Extension weed specialist. OSU Extension is the statewide outreach arm of the college.
Because of its fast growth, herbicide resistance and ability to destroy entire crops, Ohio growers are going to have to take a zero...
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Working fast to get crops in to beat incoming weather is just one instance in which farmers increase their risk of injury, a safety expert with Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences said.
Knowing some simple safety precautions to take during spring planting is critical for farmers to reduce the potential for injuries, said Kent McGuire, an Ohio State University Extension agricultural health and safety professional. OSU Extension is the outreach arm of the college.
Spring planting is a time when farm workers are continually moving from one piece of equipment to another and climbing on equipment to fill with seed or make repairs, McGuire said. This is a time that farmers should take extra precautions to prevent...
EDITOR: This news release, originally sent May 5, contained an incorrect date in the 16th paragraph. The date is now corrected. The Non-Profit Urban Farm Tour in Toledo is Aug. 9. We apologize for any inconvenience this error has caused.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Hops production, aquaponics and urban agriculture are hot topics in agriculture today -- so much so that they are among the topics featured in the 2014 Ohio Sustainable Farm Tour and Workshop Series.
From increasing consumer demand for fresh, locally grown, healthful foods, to the growing demand for local hops production to feed Ohio’s rapidly expanding and increasingly lucrative craft brewing industry, the demand from producers and growers for information and resources on these agricultural options is huge, said Mike...
PIKETON, Ohio – A new set of how-to videos that teach beginning aquaculturists the ins and outs of fish farming is now available online.
The five-part video series offers an in-depth look at key issues in fish farming in a short, succinct, easy to understand format. It was produced by the Ohio Center for Aquaculture Research and Development at Ohio State University South Centers as part of its yearlong Aquaculture Boot Camp program. The boot camp, offered in 2013 and 2014, provided new and beginning fish farmers a hands-on approach to aquaculture and the business of fish farming, giving participants the opportunity to study the technique at the Piketon facility.
The videos are designed to provide information on getting started for those interested in learning more about or going...
WOOSTER, Ohio – A migrating moth that can cause significant stand loss in corn is just one of the pests growers should be on the lookout for as they gear up for spring planting, an entomologist with Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences said.
Black cutworms have been reported in the neighboring states of Indiana and Pennsylvania in significant numbers in traps set up by entomologists to determine the number of moths migrating up from the south, said Andy Michel, an Ohio State University Extension pest expert.
That means Ohio growers should be prepared to begin scouting their fields for this insect, he said.
The pest, while not a widespread problem throughout Ohio, tends to prefer to infest fields with significant ground cover and...
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State University Extension will host a free viewing of a film next month that examines urban agriculture and the ways growers are increasing food production in urban settings.
"Growing Cities: A Film About Urban Farming in America" is a documentary that examines urban agriculture as a way to help growers develop local food systems, said Mike Hogan, an OSU Extension educator and sustainable agriculture coordinator.
OSU Extension is the outreach arm of Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
Hogan said the viewing is part of the college’s overall efforts to help expand agriculture into more urban areas and to help promote the understanding of how to create or expand agriculture-related business...
COLUMBUS, Ohio – John Albert is keeping an eye out for a new winged pest in Ohio that, while it looks like a common vinegar fly, instead has the potential to wipe out entire fruit crops because of its propensity to attack healthy ripening fruit.
Although the spotted wing drosophila hasn’t reached his 50-acre Ruffwing Farms produce and livestock farm in Lancaster, Albert is ready to tackle the harmful insect should it come seeking his blueberries and black and red raspberries.
“It would be devastating to my crops,” he said. “For example, black raspberries have a very short harvest, maybe a two-week window to harvest.
“So if I had spotted wing drosophila on my farm, I would have to shut down the harvest for a week, potentially resulting in a 30- to 50-...
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- As Ohio State University Extension celebrates the 100th anniversary of the nation’s Cooperative Extension Service on May 8, its leaders hope the occasion provides the opportunity to broaden people’s understanding and awareness of what today’s Extension organization has to offer.
“I firmly believe Extension is needed more today than it was in 1914,” said Keith Smith, director of OSU Extension and associate vice president for agricultural administration at Ohio State University. “With so much information that’s hitting the public these days and coming at us so fast, people have to ask, What’s true? What can I rely on? What’s going to be best for me?
“People need an unbiased, research-based foundational source...
PIKETON, Ohio – An innovative fish farming program offered by the Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences is offering monthly tours of its facilities, including its fish hatchery.
The Ohio Center for Aquaculture Research and Development at Ohio State University South Centers is offering new and beginning fish farmers and anyone else interested in aquaculture an opportunity to tour fish farming operations at the Piketon facility.
The free tours are designed to be a mini-workshop to provide information on getting started and what resources are available, said Laura Tiu, OSU Extension aquaculture specialist.
OSU Extension is the outreach arm of the college. The OSU South Centers also are part of the college.
“We were constantly...
WOOSTER, Ohio – With the warmer weather that’s finally hit the region, growers in southern and central Ohio need to start scouting for alfalfa weevil at the end of the week (May 2), while field crop growers in northern Ohio should prepare to start scouting for the pest later next month, said an entomologist with Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
While the extended cold conditions felt in the region this winter may have had some negative impact on the alfalfa weevil, growers still need to prepare for scouting their fields for this insect, said Andy Michel, an Ohio State University Extension pest expert.
The pest, known to cause significant alfalfa damage in its larval stages, typically starts showing up in southern Ohio...
WOOSTER, Ohio – As growers get their corn crops out, there is potential for insecticide drift from planters that could impact pollinators, said an entomologist with Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
Insecticide seed treatments used on corn seed produce an insecticidal dust when they are planted, said Reed Johnson, an entomologist with the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC).
OARDC is the college's statewide research arm.
“Depending on conditions, this insecticidal dust can settle on the flowering trees and weeds frequented by bees,” Johnson said. “The dust can be packed up with the pollen and then be transported back to the colony where it can have the potential to poison...
COLUMBUS, Ohio – All farm field test sites have been selected and soil samples from fall testing dates have been collected as part of an ongoing three-year project by an Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences researcher to revise an agricultural tool used by farmers statewide to better predict phosphorus runoff, offer them more management options and improve Ohio water quality.
The On-Field Ohio project, now in its second year, seeks to revise the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Service Ohio Phosphorus Risk Index to be more useful in predicting the risk of phosphorus moving off farm fields, said Elizabeth Dayton, a soil scientist in the college’s School of Environment and Natural Resources, who is...
CALDWELL, Ohio – Growers and producers can learn the latest tips and techniques in forage harvesting and forage handling machinery as well as how to save money during a field day offered by educators from Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
Participants can learn new raking, baling, mowing and tedding techniques during the field day, said Breanna Pye, an Ohio State University Extension educator.
The field day will be held June 19 from 4 to 8:30 p.m. at the Eastern Agricultural Research Station,16870 Township Road 126 in Caldwell. The station is part of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC).
OSU Extension and OARDC are the outreach and research arms, respectively, of the college.
In addition to the...
WOOSTER, Ohio -- A new soil fertility specialist with Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences is looking for a few good growers to help update fertility recommendations for Ohio soybeans.
Steve Culman, a newly hired Ohio State University Extension specialist in soil fertility, is part of a team of college experts seeking soybean growers to participate in a project to look at phosphorus and potassium in soybeans as part of an overall effort to update the Tri-State Fertility Recommendations (Ohio, Michigan and Indiana) for soybeans.
“The project, which is sponsored by the Ohio Soybean Council, involves casting a broad net to collect data from a large number of farms across the state to determine updated phosphorus and potassium...
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Attorneys with Ohio State University Extension's Agricultural and Resource Law Program will offer a day-long legal conference May 16 designed to offer attorneys insight into key issues that affect farmers and agribusiness, organizers said.
From helping attorneys understand the new provisions of the 2014 farm bill to considering how legal tools can reduce the impact of nursing home costs and Medicaid for family farmers, the Ohio Agricultural Law Symposium is set to offer attorneys detailed information and updates on issues significant to the agricultural community, said Peggy Hall, director of OSU Extension's Agricultural and Resource Law Program.
OSU Extension is the statewide outreach arm of Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural, and...
Editor: Two Ohio State University experts are available to discuss the potential impact of the anticipated sudden drop in temperatures forecast for tonight on home gardens. Denise Ellsworth, director of the Honey Bee and Native Pollinator Education Program, can be reached at 330-495-1284 or ellsworth.2@osu.edu. Dan Herms, professor and department chair of entomology at Ohio State, can be reached at 330-202-3506 or herms.2@osu.edu.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Just when Ohioans finally experienced springtime warmth with temperatures in the 80s in some areas on Sunday, winter’s long reach is back in the headlines with cold temperatures and snow showers forecast Tuesday.
Experts with Ohio State University's College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences can offer insight...
ARCHBOLD, Ohio – Vegetable crop and specialty fruit producers wanting to learn more about the use of high and low tunnels can attend a workshop and farm tour April 24 held by educators from Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
The day-long workshop will feature small group discussions on the basics of integrating tunnel systems into fruit or vegetable operations, said Eric Richer, an Ohio State University Extension educator. OSU Extension is the outreach arm of the college.
The workshop is geared toward new low tunnel/high tunnel producers as well as those who want a refresher course on this effective production system, Richer said. The use of these tunnels can benefit crop production and increase farm profits, he said.
“...
PIKETON, Ohio – Specialty fruit or vegetable crop producers looking to gain a better understanding of how to use high tunnels to boost profits can apply for a new training opportunity April 28-30 from Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
The Ohio State University South Centers will host the three-day high tunnel training on basic and advanced high tunnel techniques, including production and usage, said Brad Bergefurd, an Ohio State University Extension horticulturist based at the centers in Piketon.
OSU Extension is the outreach arm of the college. The South Centers also are part of the college.
The training, which is for farmers and educators, will allow participants to work in-depth on a one-on-one basis with horticulture...
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Growers who want to get their corn crop off to a good start this year should make sure they get it planted during the optimal corn planting time, which in some parts of Ohio typically starts as early as the first week of April, an Ohio State University Extension expert said.
Getting corn planted in southern Ohio between April 10 and May 10 and in northern Ohio between April 15 and May 10 -- the historically optimal planting times for corn in Ohio -- is just one of several key measures growers can take to better ensure they avoid irreversible mistakes that could result in lower yield potential, said Peter Thomison, an OSU Extension agronomist.
OSU Extension is the statewide outreach arm of Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and...
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Educators, farmers, food producers, businesses and anyone else interested in beginning or expanding a Farm to School program or other related activities can learn how to do so from the experts during a series of Farm to School workshops April 29, 30 and June 10.
Ohio State University Extension will present the Farm to School workshops as part of its goal to expand the successful program, which works to increase students’ access to healthy foods and to help them learn more about food, health, nutrition and agriculture, said Carol Smathers, an OSU Extension field specialist and the program’s director.
Farm to School is a national program, which in Ohio is led by OSU Extension and is supported by numerous agencies, foundations and industry...