WOOSTER, Ohio – Despite the summer sun, excessive heat and fewer rains typically associated with Ohio summers, producers can take steps to increase summertime productivity in pastures composed of grasses that typically grow best in cooler conditions, said a forage expert from Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
To lessen the summer slump in cool-season grass pastures, producers can follow the 4 Rs for summer grazing, said Rory Lewandowski, agriculture and natural resources educator for the college's outreach arm, Ohio State University Extension.
“Producers need to be looking and planning ahead,” Lewandowski said. “Even though we’ve gotten a lot of rain in recent days, we will get to...
COLUMBUS, Ohio – With harmful algal bloom forecast to increase this summer in western Lake Erie, experts with Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) continue to work with farmers statewide to offer steps agriculture can take to continue to lessen the potential for runoff from farmlands.
Farmers are concerned about nutrient loss, believing that it is likely to have a negative impact on water quality and profit potential, said Greg LaBarge, an Ohio State University Extension field specialist and one of the leaders of the OSU Agronomic Crops Team. The team also includes scientists from the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center.
OSU Extension and OARDC are the outreach and research arms,...
LANCASTER, Ohio – Producers and growers looking to add an alternative forage may want to consider planting oats as a double-crop after wheat as a good way to add extra forages during a time when hay inventories are down and grain values are high, a forage expert from Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences said.
With hay inventories on May 1 in Ohio down 55 percent compared to the same time last year and at their lowest point since 1950, producers looking to add a crop after wheat harvest can consider adding oats, which can produce high yields with one cutting, said Stan Smith, an OSU Extension program assistant in agriculture and natural resources.
OSU Extension is the outreach arm of the college.
Since wheat in...
WOOD COUNTY, Ohio – Growers interested in learning more about the impact of tillage on phosphorus loss and other crop production factors that influence crop yields can attend a Nutrient Application Field Day July 18, offered by experts with Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
The field day is designed to offer information on three common tillage systems used in Ohio and discuss where the tillage implement incorporates phosphorus into the soil profile, said Steve Prochaska, an Ohio State University Extension field specialist and member of the university’s Agronomic Crops Team. OSU Extension agronomists and industry equipment personnel will lead the discussions.
OSU Extension and OARDC are the outreach and...
WOOSTER, Ohio – A new method of injecting poultry litter into the soil allows growers to reap the extensive benefits of this type of manure while promoting water quality by lessening the potential for agricultural runoff. Ohio growers will have the opportunity to view the technology firsthand during Ohio State University’s 2013 Manure Science Review Aug. 6.
The new subsurfer injector will be demonstrated at the Review, an educational program for farmers, livestock managers, certified crop advisers, professional engineers and others. The Review features speakers from industry, livestock groups, conservation agencies, and Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, including Ohio State University Extension and the ...
PIKETON, Ohio – Commercial growers looking for ways to diversify their farming operations can gain new tips and insight on blueberries, blackberries and wine grapes at a workshop July 18 offered by horticulture and viticulture experts with Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
The program is from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Ohio State University South Centers’ Endeavor Center, 1862 Shyville Road, in Piketon.
The workshop will allow participants to get an up-close look at some new varieties of blueberries and blackberries to get an idea of how they taste, how they grow and how much they can produce, said Gary Gao, an Ohio State University Extension specialist and associate professor of small fruit crops at OSU South Centers....
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The defeat of the U.S. House farm bill on Thursday (6/20) over disagreements in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and costs associated with crop insurance and other farm subsidies could lead to another extension of some provisions of the 2008 Farm Bill, similar to what happened last year after Congress could not agree on a new 2012 farm bill, an Ohio State University farm policy expert said.
A new farm bill likely won’t pass until legislators are able to cobble together a majority coalition in a politically divided Congress, which in turn reflects a divided country and a divided farm bill constituency, said Carl Zulauf, an agricultural economics professor in Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences...
SOUTH CHARLESTON, Ohio – Drought tolerance, planting dates, planting depths, weed management and phosphorus management are just some of the topics corn, soybean and wheat growers can gain insight and updates on during a Western Agronomy Field Day July 17, offered by experts with Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
The field day is designed to offer information on some of the pressing issues growers are dealing with now, including concerns with late-season insects and aphids, foliar diseases and seed corn maggot management, said Harold Watters, an Ohio State University Extension agronomy field specialist and coordinator of the university’s Agronomic Crops Team.
“We’ve had some growers who’ve reported...
CALDWELL, Ohio – While producers may find it challenging to get hay dry in early June due to changing weather conditions, there are steps producers can take to get hay up quickly and reduce the potential for rain damage, said a forage expert with Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
“Proper tedding, raking, and equipment care are just some of the steps producers can take to reduce drying time and produce high-quality hay, said Clif Little, an educator with the college’s outreach arm, Ohio State University Extension.
Although drying time for hay is impacted by forage species, environmental conditions, cut height, conditions and swath width, a good management plan can make a big difference in hay quality,...
CALDWELL, Ohio –A workshop to teach sheep and goat farmers how to quickly and easily identify which animals to treat for a damaging internal parasite will be offered June 28 by livestock experts with Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
The course will focus on how to use the FAMACHA diagnostic system to identify sheep and goats infected with the Haemonchus contortus parasite, also called the barber’s pole worm, said Clif Little, an Ohio State University Extension educator.
Using a FAMACHA score card, producers can determine which sheep and goats infected with barber’s pole worm need to be dewormed, which not only saves producers time and money but also can protect livestock from this devastating parasite that can...
WOOSTER, Ohio – Now’s the time to be on the lookout for the potato leafhopper, a pest that can cause a significant economic impact to alfalfa growers by reducing yields and quality, said an entomologist with Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
The bright-green, wedge-shaped insects can cause hopper burn on leaves, which can result in stunted alfalfa plants, said Ron Hammond, an Ohio State University Extension entomologist.
That can result in yellowing of alfalfa leaves and could cause significant yield loss and impact the plants’ nutritional value, said Hammond, who also has an appointment with the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center.
OSU Extension and OARDC are the college...
CUSTAR, Ohio – Variety development, fungicide and insects will be among the topics discussed by experts from Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences during Wheat Field Day June 20.
The event is from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at the Northwest Agricultural Research Station of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC), 4240 Range Line Road, in Custar. The event is free and open to the public.
The program will include demonstrations on wide-row wheat management practices, said Laura Lindsey, an Ohio State University Extension soybean and small grain specialist.
OSU Extension and OARDC are the outreach and research arms, respectively, of the college.
Lindsey’s research on wide-row wheat...
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Cool, wet, muddy conditions in May slowed planting and crop growth for soybeans in much of Ohio, while hot, dry soil conditions this month have contributed to uneven soybean emergence, said a field crops expert with Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
But, unless growers with uneven soybean emergence are able to determine that their seedlings are dead, they may want to hold off on replanting decisions as forecasted weekend rainfall could help more soybeans begin to break through, said Laura Lindsey, a soybean and small grains specialist with the college’s outreach arm, Ohio State University Extension.
“When considering replanting soybeans, make sure to take into account the existing stand, yield loss...
WOOSTER, Ohio – Experienced sheep producers or anyone interested in starting up a sheep farm can tour a series of successful Amish farms July 12 led in part by a group of livestock and forage experts from Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
The tour will offer both beginning and experienced farmers tips on everything from sheep grazing management to sheep marketing, said Rory Lewandowski, an agriculture and natural resources educator for Ohio State University Extension.
OSU Extension is the outreach arm of the college.
The tour is designed to provide participants a “unique opportunity to spend time on four Amish farms to get a first-hand look at their operations,” said Lewandowski, who is also helping...
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- An agricultural tool as small as a thumb can mean the difference between a 25 to 50 percent increase in yields or a 25 to 50 percent decline, according to an expert from Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
Choosing the right type of sprayer nozzle can make a huge difference in how effective pesticides are during a growing season and whether growers have to re-spray their fields or in some cases, replant, said Erdal Ozkan, an agricultural engineering professor and spray technology expert with Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC).
OSU Extension and OARDC are the outreach and research arms, respectively, of the college.
Not only do farmers...
WOOSTER, Ohio – With hay stock levels at record lows in several Midwest states, including Ohio, beef producers looking to supplement their forage options could turn to summer annuals, which are known to thrive in summer heat, are drought tolerant, and can be grazed or stored as feed, according to a forage expert from Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
Viable examples include sorghum, sudangrass, sorghum-sudangrass hybrids, millet, teff grass and corn, said Rory Lewandowski, an agriculture and natural resources educator for Ohio State University Extension.
OSU Extension is the outreach arm of the college.
These plants have the capacity to produce up to five tons of dry matter over summer months, and a...
WOOSTER, Ohio – Crop growers should take extra care to scout their fields this spring for insects and invasive pests, including a relatively new pest that has shown up in unexpected areas across Ohio that has the potential to cause significant economic losses for growers, according to an entomologist with Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
In addition to cereal leaf beetle, alfalfa weevil and black cutworm, crop growers need to be on the lookout for Asiatic garden beetle grubs, which are especially aggressive in their feeding habit, said Ohio State University Extension entomologist Ron Hammond.
Thanks to rains that kept many growers out of their fields later than in a typical year, many corn crops are smaller at this stage,...
WOOSTER, Ohio – Some wheat growers in Ohio are reporting outbreaks of cereal leaf beetle in numbers that could cause economic losses in grain, according to an entomologist from Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
Some growers have reported adult cereal leaf beetles in their fields along with larvae in large enough populations to potentially cause losses of up to 40 percent in both wheat and oats, said Ohio State University Extension entomologist Ron Hammond.
With wheat nearing or reaching the flag leaf emergence and the boot stage, the crop is coming into the susceptible period where significant feeding on the flag leaf can cause a major reduction in yield,said Hammond, who also holds an appointment with...
COLUMBUS, Ohio – From tractor safety to grain bin rescue and ATV rollovers to livestock injuries, the June 23-27 International Agricultural Safety and Health Conference is designed to provide insight into key safety issues in the agricultural community.
The overall goal of the conference is to promote agricultural safety and health as part of an effort to reduce injuries and save the lives of farmers and ranchers, said Dee Jepsen, Ohio State University Extension's state safety leader and a conference organizer.
OSU Extension is the statewide outreach arm of Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
“On average, there are 26 fatalities and over 1,400 serious injuries on Ohio farms every year,”...
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- U.S. Agriculture Acting Deputy Secretary Michael Scuse will meet with Ohio State University researchers at the Wilma H. Schiermeier Olentangy River Wetland Research Park on Thursday, May 30.
Acting Deputy Secretary Scuse will tour Ohio State’s Wetland Research Park and discuss the importance of maintaining a firm commitment to soil conservation and wetland protection. Continued research and innovation in the preservation of Ohio natural resources will help preserve wildlife habitats and build strong local economies related to hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation.
Who:
Michael Scuse, USDA acting deputy secretary
Bruce McPheron, Vice President for Agricultural Administration, and Dean, College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences...
WOOSTER, Ohio – Wheat in Ohio is nearing the critical flowering growth stage, and with rainfall and drastic temperature changes forecast for the next few days, some growers are concerned about disease development, according to a wheat expert from Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
While wet, humid conditions during flowering can lead to head scab development, the forecast for cooler temperatures over the next several days should help to slow down this disease, said Pierce Paul, an Ohio State University Extension wheat researcher.
At this point, much of Ohio’s wheat is in good shape and likely to continue flowering during the last week of May, which is the critical stage when people are concerned about disease...
FINDLAY, Ohio -- Legal issues regarding manure hauling, as well as issues surrounding equipment inspections and highway safety, will be discussed by Ohio State University experts and others during a joint workshop and meeting of the Midwest Professional Nutrient Applicators Association June 11 in Findlay.
The workshop is targeted toward livestock producers, growers, professional nutrient applicators, crop consultants and Extension educators to offer information on nutrient application, management and stewardship, said Amanda Douridas, an Ohio State University Extension agriculture and natural resources educator.
OSU Extension is the outreach arm of Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
“The goal is to touch on the key...
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Interested in learning more about how sustainable agriculture in Ohio works?
Ohio State University’s Sustainable Agriculture Team will host seven tours this spring and summer on the plasticulture strawberry growing method, hops production, agritourism, organic farming and urban agriculture, as part of the 2013 Ohio Sustainable Farm Tour and Workshop Series.
The series is a unique opportunity for growers and other interested people to experience what sustainable agriculture is all about directly from farmers, said Mike Hogan, an Ohio State University Extension educator who is also the coordinator of Ohio State’s Sustainable Agriculture Team.
OSU Extension is the outreach arm of the university's College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental...
PIKETON, Ohio – Growers wanting to learn how to improve soil health and increase crop yields while reducing operating and input costs may want to consider using multi-functional cover crops, which can also improve water quality, reduce soil erosion and lower greenhouse gas emissions, a soil scientist from Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences said.
Rafiq Islam, who holds joint appointments with Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, will discuss soil health, no-till and cover crops during a June 8 workshop on these issues at the Ohio State University South Centers in Piketon.
OSU Extension and OARDC are the outreach and research arms, respectively, of the college. The...
WOOSTER, Ohio – Ohio State University entomologists are trying to determine how many “homegrown” lady beetles are in Ohio compared to the number of exotic lady beetles in the Buckeye state and are asking Ohio farmers, gardeners and homeowners for assistance.
Mary Gardiner, an entomologist with Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, is conducting the Buckeye Lady Beetle Blitz as part of an effort to recruit some 200 Ohio farmers, gardeners and homeowners to volunteer to collect data on lady beetles in their farms, gardens and backyards and report their findings to use for research efforts.
“Many types of native lady beetles are declining in Ohio, while the introductions of exotic non-native species of lady...
