By Mitch Greve, Technical Agronomist – Northwest Ohio, Channel
Why is fall an important time to think about soil fertility?
Fall provides an excellent opportunity to evaluate nutrient removal following harvest and prepare fields for the next crop. With corn, soybean, and wheat harvests complete, producers can assess soil fertility, collect soil samples, apply lime as needed, and apply phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) before spring fieldwork begins. Completing these tasks in the fall can improve efficiency and help ensure nutrients are available when crops begin growing the following season.
Should I soil test every fall?
While annual soil testing is not necessary for every field, sampling every two to four years is recommended. Fields with consistently high yields or variable productivity may benefit from more frequent testing. Soil test results provide valuable information about soil pH, phosphorus, potassium, and other nutrients, allowing fertilizer applications to be based on actual crop needs rather than estimates.… Continue reading
Late summer and early fall bring drier weather and slower growth of our cool-season forages throughout Ohio. This is also a great time of year to start controlling perennial weeds and make a plan for dormant-season applications.
Some of our top perennial weed issues in 2025 were hemp dogbane, milkweed, and Canada thistle, and we expect these to remain problematic in 2026. The root systems of perennial weeds allow them to regrow quickly whenever their aboveground structures are killed. Still, actions taken in fall can help reduce the amount of energy these plants store belowground and slow their regrowth next year. Frequent mowing is a great tool for denser patches of perennial weeds, and using a systemic herbicide in combination with mowing can further reduce the weeds’ ability to grow back in spring.
Many different products are effective for fall control of perennial weeds, especially in grass forage stands.… Continue reading
Modern farm equipment records an incredible amount of information every time it enters the field. Yield monitors, planter sensors, and other precision agriculture technologies continuously generate data, yet much of that information goes unused.
James Uphaus, Ph.D., instructor of agronomy and digital agriculture at Rhodes State College, believes this data holds tremendous potential to help farmers better understand field variability, improve soil health, and make more informed management decisions. During a presentation at the 2026 Conservation Tillage and Technology Conference this past spring, Uphaus shared how farmers can leverage existing digital resources and on-farm data to benchmark soil health and identify opportunities hidden within their fields.
Q: Why is understanding field variation important when evaluating soil health?
A: “Variation is critical because if you have no variation, you really have no opportunity to learn. If every acre in a field yields exactly the same, you don’t know where you can improve.… Continue reading
Kara Spicer is a certified crop adviser with B&B Ag-Vantages Inc. in Conover, Ohio, where she is the fourth generation in the family business. After earning a degree in agronomy with a minor in business from Wilmington College, Spicer returned to the business full-time in December of 2016. Today, she helps with in-office sales, customer service, daily operations, soil sampling, and cover crop planning for growers.
Q: What should farmers consider first when choosing a cover crop species? A: “No. 1 is what your real goal is. That can be anything from erosion control, weed suppression, organic matter, government programs, etc. We get growers that call in and say, ‘I just signed up for this government program. I don’t really know what I need, but I know I’m in this program.’ We can make sure they are putting on the mix to meet those requirements. The first thing is figuring out what you are really looking to accomplish by adding cover crops into the mix.”… Continue reading
By Wm. Bruce Clevenger, Ohio State University Extension, Field Specialist, Farm Management and Certified Crop Adviser
What is drainage water recycling (DWR)?
Two organizations, Transforming Drainage.org and the Environmental Defense Fund, provide practical descriptions for DWR. Drainage water recycling is the practice of capturing excess water drained from fields, storing it in a pond, reservoir, or drainage ditch, and using it to irrigate crops during periods of water deficit. These systems are typically comprised of three main components: pre-existing subsurface drainage, used to drain water from agricultural lands during times of excess water; a water storage system, used to capture and hold the excess water; and an irrigation system, used to resupply the stored water to agricultural lands during a water shortage. Since each component varies based on specific site characteristics and needs, drainage water recycling can take many different shapes and sizes.
What is the water supply for DWR, and how does water move about the system?… Continue reading
By Travis Kimmel, CCA, Director of Innovation, Advanced Agrilytics LLC
During the last two growing seasons, margins have become uncomfortably tight amid an increasingly uncertain market. Global market scares with unrest in the Middle East and Ukraine have put pressure on essential nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus. Two nutrients that are critical for corn, soybean, and wheat production. Here in the United States (more specifically, Ohio), many are coming off two of the driest growing seasons in recent memory. The local weather challenges, coupled with market uncertainty and high interest rates, have many of us putting our production costs under the microscope. With that said. How should we handle this while still putting together a solid plan for 2026? The short answer is, it depends.
Controlling input costs to maximize nutrient use efficiency
Working through where to cut and how much is especially hard when we don’t have great metrics on what the impact might be.… Continue reading
What is the Endangered Species Act, and why am I hearing more about it now?
The Endangered Species Act (ESA) was passed by Congress in 1973 to protect species classified as endangered and their critical habitat. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for ensuring the use of pesticides doesn’t harm endangered species or habitats via the pesticide registration process. In response to recent litigation, the EPA finalized new frameworks (called “strategies”) for pesticide labeling that seek to address this issue for the mitigation of off-target movement of pesticides, namely, spray drift, runoff, and erosion. The herbicide strategy was finalized in August 2024, and the insecticide strategy was finalized in April 2025. These frameworks will be used to create new guidelines on product labels as they are registered, or as existing products work through the reregistration process. This may include a description of the mitigation measures needed to reduce off-target movement, and/or the number of runoff mitigation points that need to be achieved using associated mitigation measures.… Continue reading
Winter manure application can be tricky, and the rules vary depending on location and operation size across Ohio. Glen Arnold, CCA, professor and manure nutrient management field specialist with Ohio State University Extension, shares practical insight on winter manure application, storage options, and regulatory considerations. Arnold works closely with livestock producers, crop advisers, and applicators across the state on manure management, nutrient utilization, and water quality protection.
Q: As we look ahead to winter manure application, what does the current regulatory landscape look like in Ohio? Arnold: It varies depending on location and operation size. For example, in the Grand Lake St. Marys watershed, there is a prohibition on manure application from Dec. 15 through March 1. That restriction has been in place for several years.
Permitted livestock operations across Ohio also face stricter rules. These include larger dairies, swine operations, beef feedlots, and poultry farms that meet size thresholds requiring a permit.… Continue reading
By Doug Billman, CCA, TSP, Twinbill Agricultural Services
Are you aware that your local USDA Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS) office has funding available to support your farming and conservation practices through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)? There are around 80 EQIP practices that you could be qualified for to receive funding!
For example, you could receive anywhere from $30 to $138 per acre to implement various EQIP practices such as grid soil test sampling (217), manure injection nutrient management practices (590), and pest management conservation systems (595). There are also many more farming and conservation practices that NRCS can assist producers in their operations.
If you need to make facility improvements, EQIP is here to assist with structural improvements for your farm, like various manure storage systems and water control systems, just to name a few.
I hope this sparked your curiosity enough to set up an appointment with your local NRCS District Conservationist (DC) from your county and visit with them about your conservation goals.… Continue reading
It is said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. “Because we’ve always done it that way,” in some cases, has merit and has allowed farming operations to continue from one generation to the next. At other times, however, repeating the same methods over and over again and expecting a better result has been a death sentence. Sometimes in agriculture, we can fall into the “insanity” trap when considering implementing a new practice. Adopting cover crops typically will fall into one of two camps. Either they are embraced by farmers and fit into the operation, or they are completely rejected because of a bad past experience or because of stories from others who had a bad experience.
In my personal experience as a farmer, cover cropper, and Certified Crop Advisor, I can say with complete confidence that there is no “silver bullet” when it comes to cover crops.… Continue reading
A: The award program is designed to recognize a highly motivated individual who delivers exceptional customer service for farmer clients in nutrient management, soil and water management, integrated pest management, and crop production. They will also have contributed substantially to the exchange of ideas and the transfer of agronomic knowledge within the Ohio agricultural industry.
Soil fertility is the foundation of every successful crop, and fall provides farmers with one of the best windows to evaluate and improve their fields. To explore the value of soil sampling, fertility management, and maximizing the benefits of fall applications, we sat down with James Falgner, CCA and precision ag specialist, to gain his insights on what farmers should consider this season.
Q: Why is fall such an important time for soil sampling and fertility management?
The biggest advantage of sampling in the fall is time management. Many service providers are heavily focused on fall fertility application. Once a field comes off, we can usually get samples pulled within hours. Those can be sent to the lab and results returned in just a few days, which means lime or fertilizer can be applied quickly. Fall weather also tends to cooperate more than spring. You don’t deal with as many big rain events or the frozen, muddy mess that complicates spring applications.… Continue reading
By Michael Watercutter, Conservation Agronomist Mercer Landmark & American Farmland Trust.
Q: What cover crops are recommended for farmers trying the practices for the first time, and why?
The use of cover crops on your field can unlock the true potential of your soil. Making your first cover crop plan can be intimidating, but starting easy and keeping it simple will help you find success. After corn harvest, I recommend using cereal rye. Cereal rye can help loosen up some surface compaction, make the ground mellow to plant soybeans in, provide some biomass for weed suppression, and conserve moisture through the summer. For wheat fields, planting a mix of oats and radish post-harvest lets you take advantage of the longer growing season for these winter-kill cover crops. Oats have a good fibrous root system, helping to loosen the top layer of soil, and radishes can penetrate deep into the soil profile to alleviate compaction and scavenge nutrients for the next cash crop.… Continue reading
August can be a busy time on the farm, but it can be a critically important time to be out scouting crops for disease and pest issues. August in Ohio can be a dynamic period for disease and pest pressure as both hot, dry heat and humid rainfallevents converge. This yields a mix of threats, from insect and mite flare-ups to bacterial and fungal pathogens.
The OSU Extension Wayne County Integrated Pest Management Program works with both agronomic and commercial horticultural crop production. By our guidelines and pest activity calendars developed by the OSU Extension – Wayne County Integrated Pest Management field scouting program, August begins a very busy scouting period.
Q. What are some key pests to be scouting for in row crops?
A. In corn and soybeans, several key pests are going to be on our radar. Specifically in soybeans, pests such as soybean aphids, spider mites, caterpillar pests (soybean looper, clover worm, salt marsh caterpillar, wooly bear caterpillar, silver-spotted skipper, thistle caterpillars, among others), various beetle pests (Japanese beetles, bean leaf beetle, Mexican bean beetle), and stink bugs should be frequently scouted for.… Continue reading
Q: What current research is being done on potassium recommendations for agronomic crops?
A current potassium (K) research project is examining how crop yields respond to K applications in corn-soybean rotations. In collaboration with the Ohio AgriBusiness Association, the 4R Nutrient Council, as well as agricultural retailers and consultants, we’re evaluating whether applying K within existing cropping systems on Ohio farms leads to yield improvements. With rising crop yields in Ohio, more K is being removed through harvested grain, raising concerns among farmers as soil K levels have been trending downward.… Continue reading
By Jason Hartschuh, Ohio CCA Board Chairman, OSU Extension Field Specialist, Dairy Management and Precision Livestock
When should you scout for insect management in forages?
Weather patterns have direct impacts on forage insect pressure. The first challenge to emerge is alfalfa weevil larvae, with peak feeding occurring when growing degree days are between 325 and 575. The larvae make a small hole in the alfalfa leaf. When plants are less than 12 inches tall, one larva per stem is the economic threshold for an insecticide application. After an insecticide application, be sure to scout for insecticide resistance. Pyrethroid resistance in alfalfa weevil has been found in numerous western states, with other states reporting decreased efficacy.
The next major insect challenge to alfalfa is the potato leafhopper (PLH). These insects blow in on southern winds, usually late into the first cutting or during second cutting regrowth. Potato leafhoppers rapidly reproduce, completing a generation in about three weeks, with multiple generations present simultaneously.… Continue reading
By Dusty Sonnenberg, CCA, Field Leader, a project of the Ohio Soybean Council and Soybean Check-off
What is red crown rot?
Red crown rot is an emerging disease that has not been detected in Ohio yet; but has been found in neighboring states. Carl Bradley, Extension Plant Pathologist from the University of Kentucky says red crown rot is not a new disease, but it is a new disease in some states. “Red crown rot is caused by a fungus called Calonectria ilicicola. That fungus lives in the soil. It is what we call a soil borne pathogen,” Bradley said. “This pathogen has a very extensive list of host plants, which means that there are other genera of plants that this pathogen can infect, in addition to soybeans. It is interesting to note that on some of these other hosts it may not cause a root rot or crown rot. It may cause a leaf spot, so it it’s kind of diverse in the symptoms that it can cause on these different hosts as well.”… Continue reading
By Alan Sundermeier, CCA Retired, Coordinator Conservation Action Project
The Ohio Department of Agriculture has been engaged in a variety of research efforts since the outset of the H2Ohio program. Phosphorus fertilizer usage and placement on agricultural soils in the Maumee River watershed may have an impact on algae blooms in Lake Erie. To better understand this impact, Farmer Phosphorus Plots were established.
What is the Farmer Phosphorus Plot Program?
In 2023, The Ohio Department of Agriculture H2Ohio division partnered with the Conservation Action Project to study and evaluate the agronomic, economic, and profitability impacts of phosphorus fertilizer application. This 5-year program will track 9 plots (within the Maumee River watershed) with 3 different soil test ranges of phosphorus. A portion of each plot will have no phosphorus applied compared to standard fertility applications. Soil and plant health testing will be conducted throughout the study. Data that is gathered will show how the soil and crops respond to various soil phosphorus levels.… Continue reading
By Luke Schulte, CCA, Field Agronomist, Beck’s Hybrids
There are advantages and disadvantages to each type of fungicide application method. In 2024, it was the second year we evaluated different application methods, and the results may surprise you.
In research from our Beck’s Practical Farm Research (PFR) locations, we can control every single variable, including soil type, because our fields are only about 400 feet long. We now have 2 years of data in multiple locations comparing ground applications at 20 gallons per acre versus a drone at 2 gallons per acre. Even though we were only utilizing 10% of the overall spray volume, the drone was nearly three times more profitable. The drone had significantly less coverage in terms of percentage, but even though there’s significantly fewer drops and those droplets are smaller, those droplets are also 10 times more concentrated, which may be contributing to the results.
Another factor may be the affect the more concentrated solution used by the drone has on pH of the solution.… Continue reading
By Alex Lindsey, CCA/CPAg, Associate Professor Ohio State University
Seed is arguably the most important input used on crop farms, as without the seed there will be no crop to harvest. It also tends to be one of the most expensive inputs of the year, regardless of the crop, so maximizing efficiency with this input is important to minimize losses. Seed industry professionals and farmers have grown accustomed to delivering and receiving high quality seed. This means there is an expectation for excellent performance in the field (genetic quality), high germination and good emergence (physiological traits), and that the seed is clean, free of weed seeds and inert matter, and contains intact seeds (high physical purity).
Is there reason for seed quality concerns in 2025?
This expectation for excellent seed performance each year comes, in part, from the legal requirement this information is printed on the seed tag. Seed tags for agronomic crops should contain the purity percentage, the germination percentage (and the date tested), and information about any noxious weeds found in the sample.… Continue reading
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