Agronomy and Farm Management

Tar spot concern continues to grow across Ohio as it shows up in more and more fields each year. Each year farmers and researchers wonder if this will be the season it really explodes, causing widespread economic damage. For a background on Tar Spot, check out episodes 123 and 101.

In this episode, Dr. Stephanie Karhoff updates us on the latest research and treatment recommendations for managing not only Tar Spot but Gibberella ear rot and the vomitoxin it causes. Each disease has certain weather conditions and infection timing that are critical components to successfully managing it in field. The Crop Protection Network’s disease forecasting tool can afford insight into what to look for during scouting: https://cropprotectionnetwork.org/crop-disease-forecasting.

Join Bruce and Josh as they introduce Ellen Essman, who recently joined the OSU Extension’s Agricultural and Resource Law Program. Ellen Tells us about herself and what she is looking forward to helping with in her new role.

Dr. Aaron Wilson is back online to share exactly where this spring came out in the rankings. It might surprise you! We also provide an outlook on what we can expect from Ohio’s weather for the rest of the growing season season and what that means for crop health.

Sign up to receive monthly and quarterly updates from the State Climate Office: climate.osu.edu. Check out mrcc.purdue.edu/ to find useful tools such as the GDD calculator and freeze predictor. You can also reach out to Aaron at [email protected].

Trevor Corboy is the current Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator for OSU Extension Brown County.  Trevor resides in Brown County with his wife Rachel on his family’s which was establish in the 1850’s farm.  Here he is active in raising Angus cattle, Boer and Nubian goats, hay, and grain products. Trevor currently provides leadership as one of the four co-leaders with the small farms team for OSU Extension. In this episode, Trevor will give you a peak at what the Small Farm College consists of through OSU Extension.

Each planting window brings the same question- Should I plant corn or soybeans first? Perhaps you have heard it referred to as the Battle for the Belt. Dr. Osler Ortez joins us for an update on his research based competition with soybean specialist Dr. Laura Lindsey to determine when the best windows are for planting corn and soybeans. They are also looking at where the largest yield losses occur when planting is delayed. These results can help farmers make decision on when to switch between corn and soybeans based on the calendar, maturity and conditions.

Follow updates on YouTube, the C.O.R.N. Newsletter and X (Dr. Ortez and Dr. Lindsey).

Bruce Clevenger is an OSU Extension Field Specialist in Farm Management which is a state-wide position teaching and conducting research as a member of the OSU Farm Office Team.   His background was 28 years as a county Extension Educator in NW Ohio focusing in field crop, farm management and specifically farm drainage and drainage water management.

Bruce’s Email is: [email protected]

Additional Resources: https://u.osu.edu/hshw/

We are once again joined by Dr. Aaron Wilson to share an outlook on what we can expect from Ohio’s weather for the spring planting season. We reflect on drought recovery, the heavy rains over the first weekend in April and what the summer is shaping up to look like.

For drought resources, visit: go.osu.edu/Ohio_drought. Sign up to receive monthly and quarterly updates from the State Climate Office: climate.osu.edu. Check out mrcc.purdue.edu/ to find useful tools such as the GDD calculator and freeze predictor. You can also reach out to Aaron at [email protected].

Kendall Lovejoy, OSU Extension Educator for Fulton County, joins the podcast to discuss some research he has been doing related to the starter phosphorus fertilizer on yield and economics. In this podcast, Kendall will share his findings and locations to discover more information about his various studies.

Additional Resources:

Dr. John Fulton and Alex Thomas share the latest on utilizing drones to seed cover crops. They have done extensive research evaluating seeding capabilities, timing and stand establishment and share the results with us. We also talk about what it takes to become a licensed UAV operator, the challenges and advantages of seeding with UAVs and the future of availability considering tariff restrictions.

For more information, find research results in the 2023 and 2024 eFields reports: https://digitalag.osu.edu/efields. You can also visit the Digital Ag homepage: https://digitalag.osu.edu/home and check out their social media: https://digitalag.osu.edu/connect/social-media.

Christie Welsh currently serves as direct Marketing specialist with the with OSU South Centers in Piketon, Ohio to provide education training for Ohio’s producers and farmer. Christie has a strong interest in the economic development of rural Ohio and is especially interested in family farms and agribusinesses with this region. To connect with Christie, email her at [email protected]