Crops : article
COLUMBIA, Mo. – There is a simple, inexpensive way to reduce errors in herbicide applications and limit off-target chemical drift, says a University of Missouri Extension weed management specialist.Kevin Bradley supports the “Flag the Technology” program by the University of Arkansas Cooperative…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – In May of 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called American Association of Universities leaders for help to assist Ukrainian universities during the war with Russia.
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – Beef producers can use a window of profitability to make their farm business more bulletproof.
Missouri cattle producers can capture great value for their operations by attending grazing schools offered by University of Missouri Extension and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, says Tim Schnakenberg, MU Extension agronomy field specialist.
The 40th SW MO Spring Forage Conference will be held Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024, at the Oasis Hotel and Convention Center, 2546 N. Glenstone Ave., Springfield, Missouri.
BELLFLOWER, Mo. – You won’t find grass growing under 81-year-old Russel Winter’s feet. While many farmers his age are retired, Winter still likes to lead the way in trying new farming technology and methods.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Despite suspending all face-to-face programming due to COVID-19, University of Missouri Extension recognizes the continued need to provide university research and knowledge to help farmers and consumers alike.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Ways to replace toxic tall fescue pastures keep improving as renovations move across the Fescue Belt from Missouri to Georgia.Five grazing schools in five states in March will clarify a complex system, says Craig Roberts, University of Missouri Extension forage specialist.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Widespread drought conditions during the 2018 growing season in most of Missouri resulted in hay and forage shortages, says University of Missouri Extension agronomist Dhruba Dhakal.Dhakal offers some alternative/emergency forage options to feed beef cattle during fall, winter and…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Alfalfa fields fading from green to yellow may mean too much water. Farmers see the change after record-setting rains.Waterlogged soil kills nitrogen-fixing bacteria on roots, says Craig Roberts. The University of Missouri Extension specialist alerted area specialists of the…
COLUMBIA, Mo.–Atrazine, presently used on more than 85 percent of the corn acres in Missouri, is considered one of the most effective and least costly herbicides in use. University of Missouri Extension is helping farmers and communities manage atrazine runoff so the herbicide remains available.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – More farmers are looking at a practice long frowned upon: planting back-to-back soybean.Don’t do it, says University of Missouri Extension soybean specialist Bill Wiebold. Expect lower yields and higher erosion if you don’t rotate soybean with corn. Risk of disease, insects and…
SEDALIA, Mo.—Many Missouri producers are asking if it is safe to use soybeans for livestock forage. The topic was brought up repeatedly by attendees at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Farmers often struggled during the drought of 2023 to identify what was happening in their soybean as plants showed similar symptoms with different causes.
COLUMBIA, Mo.—Bioenergy crops can be a good match for areas of fields that have lost productivity.
WARRENSBURG, Mo. – Citrus greening is a devastating disease affecting trees across the globe. Research by University of Missouri Extension agricultural engineering specialist Shirin Ghatrehsamani may provide the key to overcoming citrus greening.
ST. JAMES, Mo. – Cattle producers are invited to attend a field day at the Mingo Farm in St. James to learn how to use natural shade to improve their beef operation.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – A grower’s planting operation and crop stand establishment is the most critical event in every farmer’s calendar, said Andre Reis, University of Missouri Extension state soybean specialist.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension natural resource engineer Kent Shannon offers tips for collecting farm yield data prior to harvest.
This is part of an MU Extension series to help row crop and livestock producers manage drought.COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension agricultural economists recommend that you check with your crop insurance agent before cutting or grazing drought-damaged crops as relief forages.
Excerpted from the Environmental Impact of Missouri Crop Production report
COLUMBIA, Mo.—Wheat flooded before harvest brings questions from affected farmers. What do they do now?University of Missouri Extension field crops specialists said, “Wait and see.” During a weekly teleconference, field staff answered questions from farmers.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – It may be too early to think about replanting corn yet, but it’s a good time to look at guides from University of Missouri Extension or seed dealers, said MU Extension agronomy specialist Bill Wiebold.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – A winter cold snap arrives. Cow’s blood flow slows. Cows start limping. It’s time to check herds for fescue foot.The first report of the disabling disease has come to Craig Roberts, University of Missouri Extension fescue specialist.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – April’s cold start in Missouri has limited fieldwork and delayed planting for farmers and gardeners.
The persistent cold “was nothing short of amazing,” said University of Missouri Extension climatologist Pat Guinan.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension agronomists voiced concern during a teleconference that cool, dry conditions are causing delayed planting and slow forage growth statewide.
COLUMBIA, Mo.– Nutrient loads can cause problems with water quality. That’s why the Missouri Nutrient Reduction Strategy Committee is working to decrease the amount of nutrients that end up in the Mississippi River.
Wheat in southeast Missouri is near or at flowering, which suggest that wheat in many other regions of the state is roughly 1 to 2 weeks away. Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) (Figure 1) is a disease that can cause yield loss, reduced test weights, and reduced seed quality in wheat.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Cool-season grasses such as fescue that dominate pasture grass in Missouri need warm weather to grow.
The outlook for corn prices is more positive because corn is likely to experience a significant downward supply shock. Not only will planted area be reduced, but the yields will also likely be significantly lower.
TROY, Mo. – Row crop farmers have a Cover Crop Decision Tool to help them decide which cover crop will work best on their farms for potential fall/winter grazing.The free online tool simplifies decision-making and reduce risks for those wanting to plant cover crops, says University of Missouri…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Farmers who rely on surface-applied nitrogen may have difficulty if they apply to fields with high surface residue, says University of Missouri Extension nutrient management specialist John Lory.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – A newly released study shows that planting cover crops and reduced tillage could substantially lower the number of prevent plant (PPL) acres and subsequent federal crop insurance payments.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Sensor-guided nitrogen application can save corn producers money and increase yields, says Peter Scharf, University of Missouri Extension soil scientist.
Excerpted from the Environmental Impact of Missouri Crop Production report
COLUMBIA, Mo. – A flurry of calls and emails from homeowners about the brown marmorated stink bug to University of Missouri Extension specialists sounds a warning of what is to come in in the next two years.
EDITORS: June is Dairy Month. University of Missouri Extension offers a variety of news and feature stories on dairy operations in Missouri. These articles are free for you to use in any Dairy Month promotions or agriculture-related sections that you may have planned.
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- In the prolonged summer drought, farmers noticed that grass stayed green longer in their hayfields than in their pastures.While hayfields kept growing, pastures turned brown. Cows ran out of grass to graze.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Deep-six weed seeds to control pigweeds and other herbicide-resistant pests in soybean fields.“I’m not advocating a return of moldboard plowing,” said Kevin Bradley, University of Missouri weed scientist. “Burying weed seeds with deep tillage does provide one more tool in dealing…
NORBORNE, Mo. – The Missouri Soybean Hall of Fame inducted its first member, a Norborne farmer known as “Mr. Soybean.”The late Donald W. Heil, a lifelong farmer in the Missouri River bottoms of Carroll County, earned honors as an international promoter of soybean, said Bill Wiebold, University of…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Yield potential drops when corn is not planted at the right depth, says University of Missouri Extension corn specialist Greg Luce.The right planting depth improves the chance of a good stand, Luce says.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Remote sensors can play a big part of farming in the future. Those sensors can be on a 10-foot pole or a satellite 250 miles out in space.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – In dry weather with short pastures, Missouri cow-herd owners face tough culling decisions. One way to match cows’ needs to available grass is to sell cows.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Stunted, stemmy pastures unable to support grazing cattle have potential. Depend on fall rains to bring fall regrowth, says University of Missouri Extension forage agronomist Craig Roberts.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Extension agronomist talk was calm on the weekly teleconference. Few problems discussed on bugs, weeds, fungus or other pests. Then the weather hit the fan. Reports from across Missouri told of farmers’ concerns about lack of rain.
Most people don’t think of grass as poison, but dry weather and drought can turn a pasture dangerous.
JACKSON, Mo. – The warmer weather has prompted alfalfa weevil larvae to start feeding early, which means growers should be scouting the crop.
Anthony Ohmes, University of Missouri Extension agronomy field specialist, says now through April is the time to walk alfalfa fields to look for larvae…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Rain makes grass grow. That’s good for grazing livestock, but makes haying difficult.Craig Roberts, University of Missouri Extension forage specialist, sees unusual potential for cattle producers.
COLUMBIA, Mo.– New weeds were found in farm fields this spring. As producers rushed to plant their corn and soybean crops, cover crops planted last fall to provide erosion control were in the way.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – This is one of the most dangerous times of the year for farmers, says University of Missouri Extension safety specialist Karen Funkenbusch. Grain Bin Safety Week is Feb. 19-25.
Excerpted from the Environmental Impact of Missouri Crop Production report
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Tight crop profits cause farmers to plant more soybean acres. On April 4, growers can learn latest research at a soybean symposium in Columbia.
COLUMBIA. Mo. – Shortage of cattle forage forces some Ozark herd owners to chop trees to feed leaves. That method was used in big droughts of the 1930s and 1950s.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Newly made spring hay finally being baled in June may be toxic for cattle. Hold off on feeding new hay, says Craig Roberts, University of Missouri Extension forage specialist.The longer the hay can be stored after baling, the less toxic it becomes.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Farmers and ranchers have a new tool to find or list hay and co-product feedstuffs for sale: Feedstuff Finder, developed by University of Missouri Extension for individuals looking to buy or sell products.
Excerpted from the Environmental Impact of Missouri Crop Production report
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The first series of University of Missouri Extension Master Pollinator Steward classes begins mid-May in Jefferson City.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – A wet fall harvest and a cold winter might make conditions especially dangerous for grain producers emptying grain bins to fulfill commodity contracts and prepare for wheat harvest.
COLUMBIA, Mo.– The Useful to Usable (U2U) climate initiative recently launched a new online decision-making tool, Corn Split N, that helps farmers and crop advisers manage the application of in-field nitrogen for maximum crop yields and minimum environmental damage.
STOCKTON, Mo. – Add legumes to grazing pastures to improve cow performance, soil health and forage production, says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist in Cedar County.
NEW FRANKLIN, Mo. –It takes nature millions of years to turn organic matter into fuel. Technology can do the same thing in hours or even minutes using plants. But so far we still depend on fossil fuels to keep our cars—not to mention our entire civilization—running.
PORTAGEVILLE, Mo.—We visit doctors regularly to maintain optimal health and perform at our best. We need to do the same for our farm fields, too.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Five seconds. That is all it takes for flowing grain to trap a farmer. In 60 seconds, grain engulfs and suffocates the farmer.
Stored dry grain represents a substantial investment of time and money. Protect that investment by properly drying and storing grain. The basics of grain drying, storage, management and care are outlined below.
BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. — Recent rains have given producers hope that they will be able to plant wheat this fall. Producers may be looking to plant wheat not only for a grain crop but also to provide some fall and early spring grazing, says a University of Missouri Extension agronomy specialist.
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The 2018 Great Plains Growers Conference, Jan. 11-13 in St. Joseph, will offer the first hops workshop in Missouri and Kansas. Hops are a hot new Midwest specialty crop.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Rain-delayed haymaking leads to poor-quality feed for livestock next winter. Supplemental feed will be needed to make balanced rations, says University of Missouri Extension forage specialist Rob Kallenbach.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Temperatures drop, sunshine dims and pastures stop growing. That’s when cow nutrition becomes critical, says Justin Sexten, University of Missouri Extension beef nutritionist.More hay was baled in 2013 than in the drought of 2012. But quantity doesn’t equal quality. Much of the hay…
POTOSI, Mo. – Beginning farmer and 25-year Army veteran Eric Work’s calendar is full of educational programs offered by University of Missouri Extension.
Excerpted from the Environmental Impact of Missouri Crop Production report
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Drones are higher in quality and lower in price than they were just a few years ago when farmers began using them, says University of Missouri Extension natural resources engineer Kent Shannon.
COLUMBIA, Mo. — They have intriguing names such as hairy vetch, pearl millet and birdsfoot trefoil. Collectively known as cover crops or green manure, they've been used for years to increase soil productivity by fixing atmospheric nitrogen into soil, making it available for cash crops such as corn…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Use of in-season nitrogen on corn has increased in Missouri and surrounding states over the past 10 years. What used to be rare is now common. Some of these applications are planned, but others are to give corn yields a boost when wet weather causes nitrogen loss.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri Center for Regenerative Agriculture has announced that about $2 million in initial funding will be available for Missouri producers interested in using cover crops or silvopasture approaches on their farmland.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Soil tests can save farmers thousands of dollars, says Manjula Nathan, director of the University of Missouri Soil and Plant Testing Laboratory.
Excerpted from the Environmental Impact of Missouri Crop Production report
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Most Missouri lawns have had plenty of water during this year’s cool, wet spring, so homeowners may not be thinking of how to properly irrigate those lush, green lawns now that the year’s first summer heat blast has arrived.
NEVADA, Mo. – If you’ve sent a pasture or hay soil test through your University of Missouri Extension center, you’ve been asked what kind of forage you have.
BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. – If you’ve sent a pasture or hay soil test through your University of Missouri Extension Center, you’ve been asked what kind of forage you have.
Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) is a good, productive grass to include in forage mixtures in the Ozarks region, but having too much of this grass can limit production. Monitoring the amount of Kentucky bluegrass in the forage stand can be helpful to producers.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Adding poultry litter or nitrogen to toxic fescue pastures grows more grass, but also boosts toxins in the grass.
FAYETTE, Mo. – Left on their own, cows make a mess of grass they should eat. When managed by the farmer, pasture carrying capacity goes up by 25 percent. More cattle are fed on fewer acres.The why and how of management-intensive grazing will be taught at the University of Missouri Extension Center…
COLUMBIA, Mo.–Double-cropping soybeans after wheat provides the opportunity to harvest two crops in the same year from the same piece of land. But there are challenges and concerns with double-cropping, and a University of Missouri Extension agronomist says location is a big factor.
Excerpted from the Environmental Impact of Missouri Crop Production report
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Farmers understand fertilizer prices fluctuate with time.
BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. – Managing soil moisture is an important part of successful vegetable gardening in the Midwest, says a University of Missouri Extension horticulturist.
COLUMBIA, Mo. While tomatoes are the most popular choice for high tunnel production, many other vegetables, fruits and flowers flourish in the controlled environment of high tunnels, said University of Missouri Extension regional horticulture specialist James Quinn.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri 4-H and University of Missouri Extension will host a Crops Field Day on Wednesday, July 10, at MU Bradford Farm near Columbia.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension and Missouri 4-H will host a crop scouting event for 4-H and FFA members and volunteers July 18 at MU Bradford Research Farm near Columbia.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri farm income appears on pace for another record year, according to John Kruse, associate research and extension professor in agricultural and applied economics at the University of Missouri.
MOUNT VERNON, Mo. – Beef herd owners serious about improving fescue pastures—and their beef herds—can learn how in a March 6 meeting at the University of Missouri Southwest Research Center, Mount Vernon.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri native George Washington Carver was named the second member of the Missouri Soybean Center Hall of Fame during the third annual Soybean Symposium in April.“We can be proud that Missouri produced this great person. He was an agronomist with a mission,” said Bill Wiebold,…
PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. – This is peanut harvest time in the Missouri Bootheel. Interest in the versatile legume has grown among Bootheel farmers since 2018, says University of Missouri Extension soils and cropping systems specialist Justin Calhoun.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Most of Missouri remains in a drought, according to a map released Feb. 8 by the National Drought Mitigation Center.The drought affects livestock farmers facing dwindling hay reserves. Row crop farmers are eyeing the situation with caution as planting season nears.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mother Nature has not been kind to Missouri agriculture in 2021, says University of Missouri Extension soybean specialist Bill Wiebold.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Soybean growers can learn how University of Missouri Extension research can help them with next year’s crops.Many of the 29 sessions offered at this year’s MU Crop Management Conference center around soybean research, including one from MU Extension soybean specialist Bill Wiebold.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri agronomists found corn and soybean yields increase by 20 percent or more when they use drainage control systems, said Kelly Nelson, MU Extension agronomist at the Greenley Research Center, Novelty.
GALENA, Mo. – If there was ever a time to do a soil test, this is it, says University of Missouri Extension agronomist Tim Schnakenberg. Rising fertilizer prices make it too expensive to guess on how to apply nutrients, says Schnakenberg.