Crops
ASA pushing two critical measures for biodiesel
Now is a critical time for two American Soybean Association (ASA) biodiesel policy priorities. ASA is asking members to contact their members of Congress and urge them to support the retroactive reinstatement of the biodiesel tax credit. The biodiesel tax credit lapsed on December 31, 2011. Retroactive extension of the biodiesel credit is a top [...]
Crop insurance change coming in 2012
By Matt Reese The crop insurance industry is letting farmers know well ahead of time to expect an important change this year in the payment deadline. “For years, the crop insurance bill was sent out on Oct. 1 and as long as it was paid in 30 days, there was no interest attached. For 2012, [...]
Smelly cover crops are savory to soils
By Matt Reese While the odor of rotting oilseed radishes may not exactly be pleasant to wintertime passersby, the life in the soil finds these and the other cover crops in Bret and Gene Margraf’s Seneca County fields to be quite delightful. The farm has a corn-soybean-wheat rotation that generally includes planting annual ryegrass ahead [...]
Bayer product gets a name change
By Mark Loux, OSU Extension herbicide specialist Bayer recently made changes in the name, price, and some rates for glufosinate products. The product “Ignite 280SL” has been renamed “Liberty” (it’s deja vu all over again). The formulation has not changed — just the name. The price of Liberty has increased by about 20%, but there are [...]
2011 NW Ohio silage trials
By Rich Minyo, Allen Geyer and Peter Thomison, Ohio State University Extension In 2011, 50 corn silage hybrids representing 12 commercial brands were evaluated in a joint trial with Michigan State University (MSU). One Ohio location is combined with Michigan’s two southern (Zone 1) silage locations. The Ohio test site was located in our Northwest [...]
Research confirms benefits of crop rotation
Recent research add strength to the long held belief that corn grown in rotation with soybeans requires less nitrogen fertilizer and produces better yields than continuous corn. “Our research shows that corn residue acts like a ‘sponge’ immobilizing the fertilizer, making it temporarily unavailable to the corn plant,” said John Shanahan, Pioneer agronomy research manager. “Growers [...]
Tips for maximizing corn production in 2012
Farmers on the quest for record corn yields this spring may try to push the limits with higher seeding rates, narrower rows, more fertilizer and preventive applications of pesticides, but an Ohio State University Extension agronomist said the best way to optimize yields is to follow proven practices. “A more practical and economical way to [...]
Spray water quality matters in herbicide efficacy
A series of studies at Purdue University has shown that spray water pH and hardness can reduce the effectiveness of herbicides, making it vitally important for crop producers to test water sources. Hard water or water with pH values as low as 4 or as high as 9 have been shown to lower the efficacy [...]
Low-oil DDGS becoming increasingly available
Ethanol plants in the United States, which also produce the feed ingredient distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS), continue to upgrade equipment to extract non-food grade corn oil during the ethanol production process. While regular DDGS may contain 10-15 percent oil, the low-oil variety contains much less and has different characteristics and feeding values than [...]
Weed resistance an increasing problem
By Jeff Rectenwald, Monsanto territory agronomist Weed resistance to glyphosate is a growing problem. Making plans to incorporate residual herbicide chemistry into the upcoming season’s weed control strategy can be one of the keys to protecting yield potential. Adding diversity to weed management programs is key to reducing the development and spread of glyphosate-resistant weeds. [...]
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