WOODSFIELD, Ohio – Farmers looking to grow highly productive pastures and hay fields still have time to fight weeds in their fields to prevent reduced forage quality and quantity, an Ohio State University Extension expert said.
Fall can be a good time to eliminate hard-to-control perennial weeds because many of the plants are feeding their root systems, which allows applied herbicide to reach the root system to effectively kill the weeds, said Mark Landefeld, an OSU Extension educator in Monroe County.
“Farmers should monitor their fields regularly to identify weeds in their hay and pasture fields and deal with them in a timely manner,” he said. “Not only can weeds decrease forage quality, but some can be invasive and reduce the tonnage of the forage that...
PIKETON, Ohio -- Learn the tricks of the trade for growing quality pumpkins during Ohio State University South Center’s Pumpkin Field Night Oct. 18. Whether you are a backyard grower or a commercial producer, this event offers the latest information for all pumpkin growers, an Ohio State University Extension expert said.
The event is from 6 to 9 p.m. at OSU South Centers’ Endeavor Center, 1862 Shyville Road, Piketon. Registration is $5 per person. The tour is part of OSU South Centers' Third Thursday Horticulture and Business Training Series.
OSU Extension horticulturist Brad Bergefurd will walk attendees through pumpkin fields and provide tips and techniques for growing and managing pumpkin production. Ohio State’s new Pumpkin and Floral Strip trial is...
MANSFIELD, Ohio -- Ohio State University President E. Gordon Gee liked what he saw at the Mansfield, Ohio, factory: a syrupy mixture made from crop and biodiesel-processing wastes being turned into polyurethane foam. But he was more fascinated by the story of how this factory came to be: an Ohio State scientist’s lab idea transformed by an Ohio startup into local jobs and a new green industry.
Gee toured the manufacturing facility of Bio100 Technologies on Wednesday (10/3) to celebrate the success of a partnership in which university knowledge and entrepreneurship have found the right balance -- just like the formula that yielded a chunk of bio-foam right in front of his eyes. He was joined by U.S. Rep. Pat Tiberi (Ohio...
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The 2008 Farm Bill expired this week, a move that was not unexpected by many in the industry, an Ohio State University farm policy expert said.
It’s not surprising the 2012 Farm Bill didn’t pass before the current farm bill expired in such a politically divided Congress, which in turn reflects a divided country and a divided farm bill constituency, said Carl Zulauf, an agricultural economics professor at Ohio State and a farm policy expert.
And the drought of 2012,which is one of the worst in the last 50 years, may have played a role in the bill’s failure to pass, he said.
“The drought didn’t begin until relatively late into the (farm bill debate) process,” Zulauf said. “Disagreement may exist as to what kind of disaster...
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Here are upcoming events involving Ohio State University's College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences as of Oct. 3:
October
NEW: Oct. 3: “Climate Change: Glaciers, People and Options.” Web-based seminar, noon to 1 p.m. Speaker is Lonnie Thompson, Distinguished University Professor in the School of Earth Sciences and senior research scientist with the Byrd Polar Research Center, both at Ohio State. Sponsored by Ohio State’s Climate Change Outreach Team. Free. Information, registration: http://changingclimate.osu.edu/webinars/.
NEW: Oct. 3: Fruit and Vegetable Safety Program, 6 to 9 p.m., Urban Community School, 4909 Lorain Ave., Cleveland. Food safety and Good Agricultural Practices, or GAPs, for fruit and vegetable production are...
COLUMBUS, Ohio – No need to go hog wild.
Despite a report from Britain’s National Pig Association last week predicting a worldwide shortage of bacon due to drought, the U.S. is not experiencing a pork shortage, an Ohio State University Extension specialist said.
But consumers can expect to pay higher prices at the grocery counter next year thanks to a decrease in pork supplies as a result of the drought of 2012, which has been the worst in decades, said Steve Moeller, an OSU Extension swine specialist.
The drought, which severely impacted growers and producers nationwide, particularly in Midwest states including Ohio, is resulting in a 13 percent drop in corn production, the lowest production since 2006, according to the U.S. Agriculture Department.
As of Sept. 25, the...
WOOSTER, Ohio –Ohio growers may find that after they’ve harvested their corn, there still may be some value left in the residue, an Ohio State University Extension educator said.
With forage supplies tight this year, the cornstalks and grain residue that remains in the field after harvest can provide feed for livestock, said Rory Lewandowski, an agricultural and natural resources educator for OSU Extension.
Considering that an estimated 50 percent of the total corn plant yield remains in the field after harvest, those acres harvested for corn can represent a potential forage source that is often overlooked, he said.
That is significant, since the drought of 2012 has been one of the worst on record in Ohio, leaving many livestock producers short on...
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Eating an apple a day might in fact help keep the cardiologist away, new research suggests.
In a study of healthy, middle-aged adults, consumption of one apple a day for four weeks lowered by 40 percent blood levels of a substance linked to hardening of the arteries.
Taking capsules containing polyphenols, a type of antioxidant found in apples, had a similar, but not as large, effect.
The study, funded by an apple industry group, found that the apples lowered blood levels of oxidized LDL -- low-density lipoprotein, the "bad" cholesterol. When LDL cholesterol interacts with free radicals to become oxidized, the cholesterol is more likely to promote inflammation and can cause tissue damage.
"When LDL becomes oxidized, it takes on a form that begins...
Update: To see a video of the Eco-Bot Challenge, click on the video link button below.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Using inch-long "Eco-Bots" made from the head of a toothbrush, a small vibrating motor and a watch battery, thousands of youths around the nation will devise ways to clean up a simulated toxic spill on Oct. 10 in the "Eco-Bot Challenge," the 2012 experiment selected for this year's National Science Experiment for 4-H National Youth Science Day.
The experiment is designed to get the engineering juices flowing among the participants, said Bob Horton, Ohio 4-H specialist who created the challenge.
"We're getting them to think like engineers," said Horton, who is a professor and 4-H Extension specialist in STEM (science, technology,...
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- “At this point, we have just one planet to share.”
So said David Hanselmann, a lecturer in Ohio State University’s School of Environment and Natural Resources, in announcing a new Ohio-based professional network for people whose work helps keep the planet green.
The Environmental Professionals Network, which launched on Aug. 7, “is for a broad range of people who are professionally engaged in managing, protecting and using our environment and natural resources -- people who really should be connected but often are not, and sometimes are even at odds,” said Hanselmann, who is the network’s coordinator.
Participants will be better able to serve clients, community and society. -- David Hanselmann, Coordinator, Environmental...
