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Drones draw interest to crop scouting and other new farm uses
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.The sensors of most interest at an agriculture technology fair, July 17, were on an unmanned aerial vehicle, or drone, that looks like a toy helicopter. Farmers and agribusiness came to see, learn and do.
Building beef cow herd requires quality management and genetics
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Rebuilding a beef cow herd to capture record-setting high prices is more than saving heifers to breed.Dave Patterson, University of Missouri Extension beef specialist, said heifers need management – and new breeding technology.Producers who do it right benefit in the long term. Patterson spoke to a national meeting of the American Society of Animal Science in Kansas City, July 23.
Don’t turn up your nose at turnips
COLUMBIA, Mo. – You may not be able to squeeze blood from a turnip, but you can easily grow this tasty and nutritious vegetable.Turnip is an ancient vegetable that’s been cultivated for thousands of years. While turnips can be found in European cuisine, David Trinklein, horticulture specialist for University of Missouri Extension, says turnips don’t often show up in American cuisine.“Turnip is an underappreciated and under used fall…
Aid for ailing plants
COLUMBIA, Mo. – If you have the sniffles or a bad infection, a visit to your doctor can usually put things right. Plants can get sick too and the University of Missouri Plant Diagnostic Clinic is where you can turn for help.
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Teachers learn energy lessons to pass on to students
Columbia, Mo. – Sara Johnson, a biology teacher at Montgomery County High School, has some new lessons about energy for her students this fall.
How much rent should I get for my farm?
LINNEUS, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension’s upcoming Farm Lease Program helps landowners and renters make decisions about renting farm ground.
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Wear a helmet when horseback riding
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Horse trainer Zane Volkmann calls his riding helmet an “anti-watermelon cracker.” Volkmann, who suffered a brain injury two years ago while riding, spent part of his summer college-related internship encouraging horseback riders to wear a helmet. His most recent appearance was at a safety expo sponsored in part by University of Missouri Extension. He also talked about helmet protection in the agriculture safety booth…
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Crop sensors improve nitrogen application
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Sensor-guided nitrogen application can save corn producers money and increase yields, says Peter Scharf, University of Missouri Extension soil scientist.Scharf showed how crop sensors diagnose variable nitrogen needs at a recent farmer technology field day at MU’s Bradford Research Center. In the last decade, on-farm demonstrations have been carried out in more than 100 cornfields and a dozen cotton fields in Missouri.
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Power take-off devices can rip safety out of a farm
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Donnie Summers of Lathrop, Missouri, distinctly remembers the day his father’s overalls got caught in a power take-off (PTO) of a silage cutter. The revolving device ripped his coveralls off and even pulled one sock out of his work boots.
Different distillers grains may change feed rations
COLUMBIA, Mo.– Ethanol plants are getting more efficient at extracting fuel from corn, and that can affect the quality of distillers grains, a byproduct of ethanol production often used as an economical feed alternative for hogs and poultry.“They are doing some further extraction to get more of the corn oil out of distillers grains,” says Marcia Shannon, University of Missouri Extension swine specialist. “So we’re getting a little bit…
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Can the woolly bear caterpillar predict the weather?
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The woolly bear caterpillar (Pyrrharctia isabella), often called the “weather worm,” is said to predict what Old Man Winter has in store. Folklore says the narrower the reddish-brown band on the caterpillar, the more severe the winter. But the width may be a better indication of the previous winter and spring than a prediction of the upcoming winter.
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Prevent insects from infesting stored grain
COLUMBIA, Mo. – As corn yields exceed commercial storage space, farmers will likely store some of this year’s crop in on-farm bins and in unconventional ways.Stored grain attracts insects, and producers should take measures to protect their investment from insect damage, says Wayne Bailey, University of Missouri Extension entomologist.
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Armed to farm
FULTON, Mo. – Cody Waters of Fulton is armed to farm. He is one of 300,000 veterans expected to return to Missouri in the next decade, according to University of Missouri Extension state health and safety specialist Karen Funkenbusch. She works with the growing number of veterans who want to return because of the quality of life in rural Missouri.
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Using GPS tracking to improve pastures
In this video news story, University of Missouri researchers use GPS technology to understand the complexities of a cow's appetite. This knowledge may help livestock producers graze cattle more efficiently.
Free online tool helps growers with nitrogen application decisions
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.
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Picking pretty poinsettias
COLUMBIA, Mo. – No flower says Christmas like the poinsettia. Now is the time of year when these colorful plants adorn mantels, tables and hallways across the country.Originally from Mexico, poinsettia is the most popular potted plant in the United States. Every year poinsettia sales contribute more than $200 million to the U.S. economy, and in a very short time.
Tiptoe through the history of mistletoe
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Hanging mistletoe is a holiday tradition around the world. But have you ever wondered why we steal a kiss because we’re standing under some shrubbery?
Harvesting timber can provide multiple benefits
COLUMBIA, Mo.– Selling timber can be very profitable. While it depends on the quality of the timber, prices are higher than they’ve ever been.“A standing tract of timber can bring anywhere from $300 to $700 per acre when it is harvested,” says University of Missouri Extension forestry specialist Hank Stelzer.
Back-to-back soybean: Don’t do it
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 nematodes also increase.Falling corn prices and steady production costs tempt some farmers to choose continuous bean over a soybean-corn…
Don’t guess on garden fertilizer
COLUMBIA, Mo.– Don’t add fertilizer to your garden unless you know what the soil needs.
Sanitize tools for good garden hygiene
COLUMBIA, Mo.– Just like surgeons and dentists, gardeners should work with clean tools.
Start running fans in grain bins
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Raise the temperature and run fans in grain bins now to avoid condensation and mold.Keep your stored grain in condition by increasing the temperature inside the bin to the outside monthly average temperature in May, says University of Missouri Extension entomologist Wayne Bailey.
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Coleus: Garden color without flowers
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Coleus, which produce exquisite leaves that come in a wide variety of colors and patterns, can add sparkle to any landscape. Coleus plants are easy to grow and durable in the garden.
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Gaillardia: Drought-tolerant color in the garden
COLUMBIA, Mo. – While not a leading star on the ornamental stage, gaillardia can comfortably fill the supporting actor role in your garden.
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Growing sweet peppers
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The colorful sweet pepper is the Christmas ornament of the vegetable garden, bearing fruit that ranges from red, orange, yellow and white to purple and chocolate black. Growing A member of the nightshade family, the sweet pepper is a relative of potato and tomato. Like its cousins, it is easy to establish if started using plants rather than seeds. It can’t tolerate cool weather, so wait until the danger of frost has…