All About Agriculture

Water is the most essential nutrient for life. The health of our livestock and their performance depends on access to clean, adequate water.

WQKT host Ron Hamilton and Wayne County Extension Ag Program Assistant Matthew Nussbaum discuss providing both the quantity of water that livestock require during the summer months as well as some management practices to ensure that the provided water is as clean and safe as possible. Livestock may drink more than you think, especially in the hot and humid days of Ohio’s summer. Listen in to learn more.

Tank mixing allows for the treatment of various pests, for example weeds and disease, in the same sprayer pass. Successful tank mixing can save time and money. However, when tank mixes are not compatible, dollars are lost due to decreased pesticide or product efficacy and in increased time needed to clean out a sprayer.

This podcast discusses common mistakes that lead to tank mixing errors and incompatible spray mixes and provides a protocol to use when considering tank mixes.

Moisture content drives what happens to forage after it is removed from the field, whether quality is maintained or degraded. Improper moisture content can reduce storage life. If the moisture content is not correct, hay can mold and spoil, baleage and silage will not ferment properly.

This podcast discusses tools available to help determine forage moisture content including microwave ovens, commercial forage moisture testers, vortex dryers, moisture probes and moisture sensors.

Baleage combines baling with ensiling. Forage is baled at high moisture content and wrapped in plastic. Baleage offers the rewards of producing a high quality, highly palatable forage under weather conditions not conducive to dry hay production. If not made correctly, there are increased feeding risks from botulism and listeriosis organisms.

This podcast covers practices that ensure high quality baleage, including moisture content, bale density, and wrapping. Risk factors of potential botulism and listeriosis are identified.

Pastures respond to management. Increase pasture productivity by following the four “R’s” of grazing management; Right beginning grazing height, Remove/Reduce seed heads, Residual leaf area and Rest period.

This podcast describes each of the four R management practices, concluding with a practical application of what is needed to apply these management principles.

Dairy cows have an optimal environmental temperature of 40-60 F, so heat stress is a concern during summer months. This podcast discusses heat stress in dairy cows, the consequences of heat stress and visible indicators of heat stress. Fans are an important component of heat abatement and managing dairy cow heat stress. Basic ventilation system maintenance is outlined in the podcast.

The alfalfa weevil is an early season pest that can cause damage to alfalfa in terms of both yield and quality reductions as weevil larvae chew on alfalfa plant leaves. This podcast describes how to identify the weevil larvae and their damage and the scouting procedure for alfalfa weevil. Economic treatment thresholds depend upon the number or larvae per stem and the height of the alfalfa plant.

Typically, farm biosecurity focuses on protecting livestock health, but the concern with COVID-19 is human health. Since farms, in particular farm labor, are not able to work remotely, this podcast discusses on farm biosecurity practices that can help to keep farm family members and farm employees safe during the COVID-19 coronavirus focusing on farm personnel behavior, modification of common practices and disinfection.

Protocols are defined as a set of steps or procedures that guide or define how a larger task is accomplished. They are useful because they lay out the details of a specific task. This podcast discusses common pitfalls of farm protocols and how to write protocols that will be followed by farm employees and that will produce positive results on the farm. Some specific protocol examples are included.

As we look towards the 2020 planting season, we don’t want a cover crop competing with a primary or cash grain crop. Therefore, the grower needs a plan in place to control or terminate the existing growth before the corn or soybean plant emerges. This podcast covers timing of cover crop termination and methods of cover crop termination including both mechanical and chemical termination. Mechanically, tillage, mowing and rolling/crimping are discussed. Chemical termination includes use of both systemic and contact herbicides.