Plant health and production

gardener with tomatoes, carrots, radishes and other veggies

Planning for next year

Cold months are a great time to plan for spring and summer gardening. From building high tunnels to Master Gardener, these publications will jump start your efforts.

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Tree pests

Whether you have a single tree or acres of woodlands, this site is for you.

Know your pests

bean sprouts sprouting from soil progressively

Funding for GAP certification

For a limited time, MU Extension has USDA GAPs cost share funding available for Missouri produce growers, which will pay for up to half the cost of USDA GAP certification.

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Events

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Woodland Steward Webinars: White Oak, Whiskey and Wine

Event date: April 20, 2021 - May 11, 2021

All sessions start at 7:00pm and run until 8:30pm4/20 – White Oak & Wine: Learn the difference between barrels made of French vs American white oak and how toasting influences flavor profiles. 4/27 – White Oak & Whiskey: Learn how ...

Forage and Livestock Lunch & Learn

Event date: April 23, 2021

Event time: | 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

West Plains, MO

Join Sarah Kenyon, Ph.D., field specialist in agronomy and Elizabeth Picking, field specialist in livestock for an informative one hour seminar. Sarah will discuss Spring Weed Control and Grazing Native Warm Season Grass. Elizabeth will discuss ...

Extension Master Gardener Trainee Meet & Greet - MGGKC chapter

Event date: April 26, 2021

Event time: | 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Come meet your fellow Extension Master Gardener (EMG) trainees and the program leaders! Watch the orientation videos (listed below) before our meeting and ask questions, or stay afterward to watch the orientation videos as a group. This event is for ...

Increasing Utility of Native Persimmons by Bark Grafting

Event date: May 3, 2021

Event time: | 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm

This online presentation will describe grafting of native stands of persimmons (Diospyros virginiana) with known and improved varieties with commercial value. The Persimmon is a North American native tree found in patches scattered by wildlife on ...

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News & articles

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MU Plant Diagnostic Clinic is now open

Published: Wednesday, April 7, 2021

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Like humans, plants can get sick and need someone to diagnose their illnesses, says Peng Tian, the new lab director of the University of Missouri Plant Diagnostic Clinic.The Plant Diagnostic Clinic has served Missourians since 1965 ...

Patience is lawn owner's friend in March

Published: Monday, March 15, 2021

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Be mellow until the forsythia turns yellow.That’s the advice from University of Missouri Extension plant pathologist Lee Miller for applying crabgrass pre-emergent herbicides to lawns.“The forsythia bloom has been used as a ...

Pansy: Not just another pretty face

Published: Friday, March 12, 2021

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Nothing says spring like the shining faces of pansies.But pansies aren’t just for spring, says David Trinklein, University of Missouri Extension horticulturist.“If ever there was a plant that deserved the title of the flower for ...

MU Extension offers online vegetable gardening course in Spanish

Published: Monday, March 8, 2021

STE. GENEVIEVE, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension specialists continue to produce materials with Spanish-speaking Missourians in mind. Huerta Sostenible Familiar: MU Sembrador, a weekly series of online vegetable gardening classes, begins ...

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Publications

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Soybean Gall Midge

Publication date: April 1, 2021

Soybean gall midge (Resseliella maxima) is a newly described insect species that attacks soybean creating severe economic damage. Isolated sightings were first reported in Nebraska during 2011. Soybean gall midge is currently established in 114 ...

Taxation of Crop Insurance and Disaster Payments

Publication date: March 1, 2021

Figure 1. A weather event such as a drought can impact crop production, farm income and taxation situations.Weather variability is one of the largest sources of risk in agricultural production (see Figure 1). Congress has recognized the impact of ...

Elderberry Insect and Disease Management

Publication date: Feb. 1, 2021

This guide is the first known spray schedule to be developed for insect and disease control for field-grown elderberry in Missouri. Pesticide products labeled for greenhouse or high-tunnel-grown plants differ from those labeled for field-grown ...

Selling Strategies for Local Food Producers

Publication date: Jan. 1, 2021

Figure 1. Fresh, local produce sold at a farmers market.Bill McKelveyProject Coordinator, Division of Applied Social SciencesMary HendricksonAssociate Professor, Division of Applied Social SciencesAlice RoachSenior Research Associate, Division of ...

Pricing Corn Silage

Publication date: Dec. 1, 2020

Figure 1. Agricultural producers should consider the current price of corn and inputs for pricing corn silage. Silage is the harvest of whole corn plants at 60 to 70 percent whole plant moisture. Optimal harvest occurs when kernels are at 1/2 milk ...

Industrial Hemp Pesticides in Missouri

Publication date: Nov. 1, 2020

This guide lists approved pesticides for industrial hemp production in Missouri. Approved pesticides have received U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approval and are registered for use by the Missouri Department of Agriculture. Information ...

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Online courses

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The Beginning Gardener-Getting Started with Vegetables 2021

Feb. 27, 2021 - April 17, 2021

online $40.00

Thank you for enrolling in the The Beginning Gardener Series. This course is designed to give you just enough information to plant your first vegetable garden, without overwhelming you with too much detail. This is a self-paced course designed for ...

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