Top Headlines

By Horacio Lopez-Nicora, Adapted from C.O.R.N. 2023-7

Dr. Travis Faske, prestigious nematologist from University of Arkansas, will visit the Department of Plant Pathology at Ohio State University and give a seminar titled: “Root-Knot Nematodes in Soybean: New Challenges from Old Pests”.

Several species of root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne spp.) can infect and reproduce on soybean in the U.S.  The southern root-knot nematode, M. incognita, is the most widespread species and therefore causes the greatest total damage to soybean production in the southern U.S.  Because of changes in crop production practices recent years this pest seems to be more problematic.  This seminar will cover the distribution and impact of the southern root-knot nematode on soybean and challenges with the use of host plant resistance, crop rotation, and seed-and soil-applied nematicides to mitigate yield losses.

The Department of Plant Pathology welcomes everyone to attend Dr. Travis Faske’s seminar in person or via Zoom. You can attend Dr.… Continue reading

By Doug Tenney, Leist Mercantile

USDA numbers today include U.S. Prospective acres and U.S. quarterly grain stocks as of March 1. 

Soybeans friendly with stocks less than expected.

U.S. acres: corn -91.9 million acres; soybeans – 87.5 million acres; and all wheat – 49.9 million acres. U.S. grain stocks: corn – 7.401 billion bushels; soybean stocks – 1.685 billion bushels, and wheat stocks – 946 million bushels. 

Note: The reports today did not include supply and demand tables which is normal on the days for U.S. quarterly grain stocks reports as well as the planting intentions report day. The next WASDE report will be on April 11. Some are already projecting that the April report will be a yawner with little changes. The recent string of 11 days or more of U.S. corn sold to China, means the threat of USDA reducing U.S. corn exports next month is drastically declining. 

Just after the noon report release, corn was up 5 cents, soybeans up 26 cents, and wheat down 10 cents.… Continue reading

By Joel Penhorwood

There was no shortage of policy to discuss during this year’s Ohio Farm Bureau County President’s Trip to Washington D.C. It took a group of Ohio farmers and ag professionals to the nation’s capital in early March to talk not only the latest issues in agriculture, but also give real-world perspective to lawmakers about policies important on the farm.

The farm bill is set for its five-year update in 2023 and dominated discussion over the three-day trip with a projected price tag of $1.5 trillion. Several other issues were also top of mind, including updates to Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS), ag input availability, tax policies, energy sources, market access, and much more.

Brandon Kern is the senior director of state and national policy for the Ohio Farm Bureau and helped to facilitate discussions around key ag topics.

“It’s really important for Congress to come together and get a farm bill done.… Continue reading

By Dan Armitage, Buckeye Sportsman

There are some 29.2 million registered anglers in the United States, with more than 52 million anglers of all ages wetting a line annually, according to the Outdoor Foundation’s 2022 Special Report on Fishing. A list of the states with the most registered anglers per capita was developed from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service data, which were ranked by fishing license holders based on 2021 data and American Community Survey population estimates, with fishing licenses, tags, permits, and stamps per capita serving as a tiebreaker.

What’s more, nearly 13 million kids under 17 went fishing in 2021 — 14% more than did in 2019 pre-pandemic. And while fishing has traditionally been considered a male-dominated activity, nearly 20 million women hit the water in 2021, and over 1.6 million of them did so for the first time.

And here’s an interesting coincidence: of the 50 states, Ohio is ranked 37th in both fishing and hunting categories.… Continue reading

By James Hoorman, Hoorman Soil Health Services

This year a common question is how to control common insect pests of crops and vegetables, a task that is becoming more difficult.  Farmers who use seed treatments and broad-spectrum insecticides to terminate pests generally also terminate the beneficial natural predators.  Some common Ohio corn and soybeans pests include soybean cysts nematodes, stink bug, wireworm, seed corn maggot, black cutworm, and true armyworm.

Soybean Cyst Nematode (SCN) damage soybean roots and has six life stages, 3-4 weeks apart.  Soybean damage looks like stunted yellow soybeans, generally in circular or oval areas where SCN egg populations are high. There are numerous predators to SCN including Endo parasitic fungi, predatory nematodes, mites, Collembola (jumping springtails), Enchytraeids (pot worms), rove beetles, and centipedes. Cover crops like cereal rye and annual ryegrass planted early in the fall when soil temperatures are above 50⁰F may reduce SCN levels 60-80%.   … Continue reading

Ohio State University Extension’s Ohio Agritourism Conference on April 1 is not an April Fool’s Day joke, but it does promise to be fun learning! If you’re thinking about adding or expanding agritourism activities on your farm operation, consider joining us as we learn more about what makes a successful agritourism operation. We’ll will visit two popular agritourism operations in southwest Ohio– Blooms & Berries Farm Market and The Marmalade Lily — with touring and talks planned at both locations.

Here’s the full agenda for the day:

9 a.m. – Registration at Blooms & Berries.

• Blooms & Berries, an Inside Look. Jeff and Emily Probst – Owners. Meet the team and take a closer look at how we serve about 100,000 guests a year by staying authentically true to our brand and our team!

Morning breakout sessions, featuring Blooms and Berries Farm Market personnel:

• Love Your Staff.  Erica Clayton – Retail and Events Personnel Manager. 

By Joel Penhorwood and Matt Reese

In the 35 years since its first installment, Ohio Beef Expo has made a place for itself on the national stage. The 2023 event had a packed trade show, full parking lots and broken attendance records with cattlemen of all ages coming to Columbus for the premier event for beef producers in the Midwest, and among the top in the country.

“It’s the 35th anniversary. It’s really hard to believe, but it is so gratifying to see how far it’s come in those 35 years,” said Elizabeth Harsh, executive director of the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association which coordinates the Ohio Beef Expo. “The Beef Expo does not have one big event, but we have multiple really great events and there’s no doubt about it that our trade show has become the envy of any Beef Expo anywhere. We really appreciate all those folks who think that it’s the most productive use of their time and their business of any trade show they go to, but it’s also the breed sales and all those breeding cattle.… Continue reading

By Matt Hutcheson, CCA, Soybean Lead/Field Agronomist, Seed Consultants, Inc. 

With spring planting right around the corner, it’s a good time to discuss key management practices and the impact they will have on the upcoming growing season. The crop starts the season with its highest yield potential. That yield potential can be lost throughout the season due to several factors. While many factors leading to yield loss are out of our control (weather, disease, insect pressure, etc.), it is important to properly manage the factors that can be controlled.

With the presence of herbicide-resistance weeds and the growing number of herbicide trait options, it is increasingly important for farmers to be well informed in their weed control decisions. Knowing what weeds are present and which herbicides will most effectively control them is crucial. In addition, growers should understand what herbicide products will be applied (either by themselves or commercial applicator), what level of control is expected, and any required application or plant-back restrictions.… Continue reading

By Alyssa Essman, Ohio State University Extension

Winter annual, biennial, and perennial weeds are starting to become more noticeable up as fields green up across the state. Identification of these species can help in planning for spring burndown programs.  

OSU weed science has resources to help with the identification and control of problematic overwintering weeds. Check out the YouTube page for 360 degree videos of common species such as marestail, common groundsel, field pennycress, henbit, and purple deadnettle. The wild carrot and poison hemlock videos are especially helpful as they can be difficult to tell apart in the seedling stage. More in-depth videos and fact sheets exist for dandelion, wild carrot, poison hemlock, and cressleaf groundsel. Identification of these and several other overwintering species are covered in the Common Ohio Winter Annual Weed Identification video. The Ohio State University Guide to Weed Identification and Identifying Noxious Weeds of Ohio are digital books available on iTunes or GooglePlay that can be helpful for ID and control recommendations on the go. … Continue reading

The 35th Ohio Beef Expo held March 16-19 at the Ohio Expo Center in Columbus, Ohio hosted nine successful breed sales. This year’s event was hosted by the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association (OCA). 

This year’s cattle sales flourished with 331 live lots sold at an average price of $3,739 with a live gross of $1,237,600. 

For more on the Ohio Beef Expo, click here.… Continue reading

By Dusty Sonnenberg, CCA, Ohio Field Leader, a project of the Ohio Soybean Council and soybean check-off.

The Clean Fuels Alliance, (previously known as the National Biodiesel Board) recently hosted a group of farmers on “The Big Apple Tour” to New York City.  While there, the participants learned about how biodiesel and renewable fuels, as well as other soybean-based products, are being used in that region.

Nathan Eckel is a soybean farmer from Wood County and member of the Ohio Soybean Council and serves on the Council’s Soy Demand Committee. Eckel was a participant on The Big Apple Tour and was able to gain valuable insights from the soy-based product users they visited, as well as what other needs are where soy could possibly be a solution.

One stop on The Big Apple Tour was with the Fire Department of New York (FDNY).

“We were able to tour the New York City Fire Department training facilities and visit with the firefighters about the biodiesel that they use in their fire engines and ladder trucks,” Eckel said.… Continue reading

By Ed Lentz, CCA, Laura Lindsey, Ohio State University Extension

Wheat has already reached green-up across the state so spring N may be applied anytime fields are fit. Keep in mind that research has shown no yield benefit to early N applications as long as the application was made by Feekes GS 6 (one visible node). (If you need a reminder on how to assess if wheat is at Feekes GS 6, see this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_f3VrqzV5c) Nitrogen applied early has the potential to be lost since wheat will use little N until after jointing. Urea-ammonium nitrate (UAN) or 28% has the greatest potential for loss and ammonium sulfate the least. Urea will have little potential for loss as long as it does not volatize. No stabilizer will protect the nitrate component of UAN, which is roughly 25% of the total N in UAN at application time. 

Ohio State University recommends the Tri-State Fertilizer Recommendation Bulletin for N rates in wheat.… Continue reading

Cory and Carl Atley from Greene County again topped the state in the National Corn Yield Contest, and also came out on top in their category in the nation. Cory turned in the highest yield in Conventional Non-Irrigated in the Corn Belt states with 366.3266 bushels from DEKALB DKC63-91RIB. Carl placed second in the nation in the Conventional Non-Irrigated Class with a yield of 365.5673 bushels per acre. The hybrid used in the winning field was DEKALB DKC63-91. 

The Atleys were among 27 growers — three from each of nine classes — who were named national winners, representing 12 states. There were also 538 state winners nationwide. The 2022 contest participation included 6,337 entries from 46 states. Of the state winners, 

Jim Dauch of Bellevue, placed first in Ohio in the No-Till Non-Irrigated Class with a yield of 300.9277 bushels per acre. The hybrid used in the winning field was Pioneer P1197AM. … Continue reading

By Jon Scheve, Superior Feed Ingredients, LLC 

Corn continues to see good export demand and is trading 37 cents off the lows posted only 2 weeks ago. If export announcements continue corn has upside potential.

Beans have the opposite problem with reports that Brazilian beans are priced low enough to be imported into the United States. The South American crop is the largest in history despite a record drought in Argentina. This is likely a major reason for a $1.20 per bushel drop in prices over the last month.

Stocks & Acreage Report

The upcoming March 31^st USDA report is highly anticipated for several reasons:

• It provides the estimated remaining stocks stored on farms and at commercial elevators.
• It shows how tight stocks are and if price rationing is necessary.
• It includes the first official planting intentions estimate for the upcoming year based upon surveys filled out by producers in early March.

Last month the USDA Economic Outlook Forum estimated 91 million corn acres and 87.5 million soybean acres would be planted in 2023. However,… Continue reading

On this week’s podcast Matt sits down with Kristin Flowers who is a marketing specialist at the Ohio Ag Net and Ohio Country Journal. Kristin talks about her role with the team and how she manages it on top of being a mom and a grain and flower farmer. Also, she discusses how her farm has evolved into a you pick flower and pumpkin farm. 

Joel also talks with Melanie Strait-Bok, Senior Vice President of Agricultural Lending at Farm Credit Mid-America, to discuss patronage week. Also, the CCA of the Year Alex Lindsey, talks with Dusty about this honor and the work he performs. Matt talks with Dave Rowe, general manager of Mid-States’ Wool Growers, about closing its doors after more than 100 years. Lastly, Dale Minyo returns and talks with Dusty about his health over the past couple of months. All this and more on this week’s podcast!

00:00 Intro and OCJ/OAN Staff Update

07:13 Melanie Strait-Bok – Farm Credit Mid-America

18:15 Alex Lindsey – CCA of the Year

21:26 Dave Row – Mid-States Wool Growers

36:21 Dale Minyo – Update

42:28 Back with Kristin… Continue reading

By Matt Reese

There is plenty of discussion about row crops and their ability to sequester carbon in the Corn Belt, but often overlooked in these conversations are the forests and pastures of rural southeastern Ohio. These land uses could be real winners in terms of payments derived from carbon sequestration.

“When it comes to carbon sequestration, you know trees are still it. They’re long lived, they’re permanent and they can sequester a lot of carbon,” said Mike Estadt, Pickaway County educator, Agriculture and Natural Resources with Ohio State University Extension. “And then I would rank grasslands and pastures right in there too for the same reason. Perennial grasses can sequester a lot of carbon if they’re managed properly.”

Estadt pointed out that scientists estimate grasslands contain 10% to 30% of the world’s organic carbon with the potential to store more with improved grazing practices sequestering carbon and reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases, primarily carbon dioxide (CO2) nitrous oxide, (NO3) and methane (CH4).… Continue reading

By Matt Hutcheson, CCA, Soybean Lead/Field Agronomist, Seed Consultants, Inc. 

Two aspects of stand establishment often discussed by agronomists are emergence and seed spacing. “Picket fence” spacing in corn helps plants grow efficiently and minimizes competition between them. Uniform spacing is an important part of stand establishment. More importantly, however, is uniform emergence. Plants that are just 1 leaf collar behind (due to uneven emergence) significantly reduce yield. According to Paul Jasa, University of Nebraska Extension ag engineer, “When a plant develops ahead of its neighbor, it hurts yield dramatically. It’s going to vary somewhat from year to year, but a plant lagging behind those around it becomes a weed.” To achieve uniform emergence, consistent planting depth is critical.

Field conditions, gauge wheel settings, unit down pressure, and planter speed all affect seeding depth. Set planter depth and check it regularly. A planter may have enough weight to apply the proper down force when full, but what about when it’s almost empty?… Continue reading