As a young agronomist, one of the first things I learned was that when assessing corn emergence and stand establishment following planting, is that it is always important to have a shovel with you.
331 articles tagged "Agronomy Tips".
Mechanical conditioning the crop with rubber rollers (shown in picture) or steel rollers reduces hay drying time Harvest of cool-season perennial grasses and perennial legumes is beginning soon. Getting a standing forage crop that measures 75 percent moisture or more to a safe baling moisture of 18 to 20 percent moisture is “easier said than done”. Changing weather fronts pass through every third or fourth day making it a challenge to quickly dry hay. Research has shown that properly conditioning forage crops is the single most effective way to reduce curing time. Making the proper settings on your mower-conditioner will ensure the best economic return. When conditioning a forage crop, the goal should be to have 90 percent of the crop’s stems show some signs of a cracking or limpness. No more than 5 percent of the leaves should show signs of bruising or blackening from the conditioning process —[Read More…]
Grazing Schools Provide an Opportunity for Hands-on and Visual Learning WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – From the Indiana Forage Council and Purdue Extension, the Indiana Grazing School program returns this June. Livestock producers will have the opportunity to gain hands-on training in implementing improved grazing systems. The program is also hosted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service and the North Central Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program. Topics to be covered include soil fertility, water delivery, fencing, grazing system options, animal health and plant identification. The program will offer two training sessions. The registration fee is $75 and covers the cost of management information and a meal and refreshments on the program’s second day. Additional attendees from the same operation can attend for a reduced $50 fee. Dates and locations for the Indiana Grazing School sessions are as follows: June 9-10, Southern Indiana Purdue Agricultural[Read More…]
Early planted corn always involves the risk of cold weather in the weeks after planting.
Hemp producers struggle to manage weeds and have very few herbicide options available, with no conventional herbicides registered for use prior to April 2023.
Once the corn seed is planted, the waiting game for the first corn plants to emerge begins, which also means assessing (or worrying) if any issues had occurred.
As spring approaches and farmers and agronomists begin to get anxious as corn planting approaches, the question that often arrives each year is when is the best time to begin planting?
The hemp industry is familiar with boom-and-bust cycles, with a surge in production acres in 2019 followed by a decline in the following years. According to Hemp Benchmarks, planted acres decreased by 42% from 2021 to 2022 in the United States. The report also showed a shift in the industry with an increase in fiber production acres from 2021 to 2022 (Hemp Benchmarks, 2022). According to the NASS report, Indiana hemp producers planted 255 acres in 2021 (Cornell University, 2022). Indiana hemp producers planted 646 acres in 2022 (OISC, personal communication). Most of the planted acres in 2022 were for grain and fiber hemp. There are 710 acres of hemp expected to be planted this season in Indiana. Over half of the planned acres are for grain and fiber hemp. The difficulty farmers face when growing this crop is not going unnoticed. Senator Braun (R-IN) and Senator Tester (D-MT) introduced[Read More…]
With Dr. Grant Burcham’s permission, the paper he authored and was part of the proceedings shared with attendees of the recently held “Heart of America Grazing Conference” follows.
Historical yield trends offer a glimpse into the future.
