Cereal rye as a cover crop can reduce waterhemp
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Cereal rye as a cover crop may reduce waterhemp populations without yield loss in soybean, according to a three-year study at the University of Missouri.
Hitchhiking spotted lanternfly threatens state's wine industry
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Your mother probably warned you about picking up hitchhikers. University of Missouri Extension entomologist Kevin Rice says your mom was right, especially when it comes to spotted lanternfly, an invasive species that creates severe economic losses in grape. With more than 130 wineries in Missouri, this poses a significant threat to the state’s tourism economy, says MU Extension viticulturist Dean Volenberg.
Youth anglers compete at 2021 State 4-H Sportfishing Event
COLUMBIA, Mo. – 4-H members practiced their angling skills July 24 at the Little Dixie Lake Conservation Area during the University of Missouri Extension 2021 State 4-H Sportfishing Event.Nearly 20 registered 4-H youths competed to catch the most and largest fish. They also tested their knowledge of species and tackle identification, aquatic ecosystems and fish anatomy in the sportfishing “skill-a-thon,” said state 4-H agriculture and…
Sally Williams Selected as 2021 Missouri SBDC State Star
Williams’s colleagues have described her as having a deep dedication to her work and her clients as well as delivering quality and caring, one-on-one counseling and training facilitation that makes a difference.
Taking Missouri small businesses to the next level: CARES Act enables 12 to ‘Elevate’
Twelve Missouri small businesses accepted the challenge to take their businesses to the next level at the beginning of 2021.
Grow now, graze later to reduce winter feed costs
COLUMBIA, Mo.
Q&A with Sam Polly
What do you do in your current role with the University of Missouri?
Cattle losing adaptations to environmental stressors, MU researchers find
As a fourth-generation cattle farmer, Jared Decker knows that cattle suffer from health and productivity issues when they are taken from one environment--which the herd has spent generations adapting to--to a place with a different climate, a different elevation or even different grass.
Weed electrocution research sparks interest as herbicide resistance impedes current methods
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Move over, herbicides. There’s a new sheriff in town. And he’s toting some powerful guns loaded with electricity to kill weeds. This shocking new method of weed control was demonstrated at the 2021 Pest Management Field Day at the University of Missouri Bradford Research Center in Columbia.
Q&A with ag engineering specialist Shirin Ghatrehsamani
Shirin Ghatrehsamani, left, with other MU Agriculture and Environment Extension team members at a demonstration of drone applications at a University of Central Missouri farm.
Afterschool, extension professionals learn fundraising sustainability at Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
COLUMBIA, Mo. – More than a dozen working professionals from the afterschool field and University of Missouri Extension recently completed training from The Fund Raising School at Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, learning important fundraising principles and strategies for sustainability.
Watermelon: The food of angels
COLUMBIA, Mo. – July, National Watermelon Month, is the time to celebrate this thirst-quenching, vitamin-rich garden delight.Mark Twain wrote that one who has tasted watermelon “knows what the angels eat.”“Aptly named, watermelon is 92% water,” said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein. It is part of the gourd family, which also includes cucumber, squash, pumpkin and muskmelon.
Q&A with livestock specialist David Hoffman
What do you do in your current role with the University of Missouri?
Mizzou Weed Science shares Seed Terminator research
COLUMBIA, Mo. – In the 1984 film “The Terminator,” a robotic assassin played by Arnold Schwarzenegger warns, “I’ll be back.” If waterhemp could talk, it might say the same thing. Waterhemp can’t be bargained with. It can’t be reasoned with. The prolific producer of seeds is the state’s No. 1 weed, robbing Missouri agriculture of millions of dollars each year.
Celebrate Christmas in July with painted leaf poinsettia
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Plant lovers who can’t wait until December for Christmas poinsettias can celebrate in July. Although not as splashy as its winter relative, painted leaf poinsettia is a mid-year gift, says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist Michele Warmund.
Plawking Could Benefit Your Neighborhood
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Sunni Purviance is president of the Southeast Neighborhood in Roanoke, Virginia. She has worked hard to improve the reputation of her neighborhood. "Our reputation is based on our worst neighborhoods in the quadrant, which unfortunately are riddled with slums and blight and littered and all that comes along with that," said Sunni.
Being a Good Neighbor is a Choice
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Researchers and authors have used a variety of terms to describe the state of neighboring in America. “Some now refer to American neighborhoods as having a smile and wave culture,” said David Burton, county engagement specialist with University of Missouri Extension. “Others have said that we have moved away from neighboring because we have developed a culture of privacy.”
Helping communities become digitally connected
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Adoption of broadband has the potential to boost a community’s economic growth and quality of life. But in much of Missouri, especially rural areas, the high-bandwidth wirelines to connect households and businesses don’t exist.
The Export Plan: Market Research
Now that you have confirmed there are no export restrictions on your product or service, you are ready to develop your strategy to export your product. The effectiveness of the export plan you develop will hold the key to whether the international marketplace becomes a significant revenue stream for your business. While there are different opinions on the nature of the export plan, the following eight areas capture those topics that…
Mother Nature's drenchings damage crops
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mother Nature has not been kind to Missouri agriculture in 2021, says University of Missouri Extension soybean specialist Bill Wiebold.Spring rains delayed corn and soybean planting well beyond the best date for yield, says Wiebold. Then the rain stopped and hot, dry weather slowed growth. Frequent heavy rains added to the misery in Missouri fields.
Q&A with agronomy specialist Pat Miller
What do you do in your current role with the University of Missouri? I work with ag crop and forage producers, home gardeners and commercial produce growers to reach our #2xAg2030 goals. How long have you worked in this position? Thirty-two years. What is your favorite part about the work you do?
Check ash trees for emerald ash borer
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The invasive emerald ash borer may eliminate the ash tree from North America. In Missouri, EAB is present in 89 counties and the city of St. Louis.“Just like the Dutch elm disease that killed our native American elm trees, EAB is capable of eliminating all ash trees from our forests and cities,” says University of Missouri Extension entomologist Kevin Rice. “This makes it one of the most serious threats now facing North…
Warriors on the business automation front, Mora Technologies - Warrensburg, MO
In ancient Sparta, a mora was a unit of about 600 well-trained soldiers that moved as one. In modern Warrensburg, Missouri, Mora Technologies is a business automation startup with an ethos that echoes that of the Spartan warriors: professionalism and excellence.
$2,000 in scholarships awarded at MU Animal Sciences Leadership Academy
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Four participants in the University of Missouri Division of Animal Sciences 2021 Leadership Academy took home $500 scholarships to MU’s College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources.MU Extension swine nutritionist Marcia Shannon said winners were selected by their peers based on group presentations on current topics.
Spring rains bring root rots to Missouri field crops
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Frequent spring rains in Missouri set the stage for seedling and root rotting diseases that can lower yields.Pythium species usually infect the roots of corn, soybean and wheat, especially in the northern half of the state, says University of Missouri Extension plant pathologist Kaitlyn Bissonnette.