Increases in fertilizer prices add to the cost of growing forage for grazing. This leads farmers to ask if they should buy hay or fertilizer, says University of Missouri Extension nutrient management specialist John Lory. Comparing the benefits of buying hay vs. applying fertilizer for better yields is complicated, but it is crucial to the […]
Tag: soil
EPA renews Enlist product registrations with new control measures, providing growers with certainty for the 2022 growing season
The EPA is issuing seven-year registrations for two herbicide products, Enlist Duo and Enlist One, to ensure growers have access to effective pesticide tools for the 2022 growing season. The new product labels, which incorporate robust control measures to protect non-target plants and animals, meet Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act standards and comply with […]
New online Master Gardener training begins on January 19
Gardening is an activity with many rewards, said David Trinklein, state horticulture specialist for the University of Missouri Extension. “One of them is the satisfaction of sharing your plant knowledge with others. The Master Gardener program was initiated to do just that,” Trinklein said. Its motto, “helping others learn to grow,” emphasizes service to others […]
New funds and strategy may boost “massive task” of reducing lead exposure for Missouri kids
(Missouri Independent) – It’s clear that lead exposure is a problem for Missouri’s children. An estimated 4.5% have elevated levels of lead in their blood, more than almost any other state in the country. What’s far more difficult is figuring out where children are getting exposed to lead, said Carlton Waterhouse, President Joe Biden’s pick for […]
Managing potassium and phosphorus when prices are high
Farmers understand fertilizer prices fluctuate with time. “We are living through a substantial shift in potassium and phosphorus prices, from low prices in the 2020 growing season to the highest prices in the past decade for fertilizer purchased now for the 2022 growing season,” says John Lory, University of Missouri Extension nutrient management specialist. A […]
Crop Management Conference returns November 30 through December 1
The University of Missouri Crop Management Conference returns as an in-person event Nov. 30-Dec. 1, 2021, at the Stoney Creek Hotel in Columbia. MU Extension specialists in weeds, pests, and plant diseases, nutrient management, economics, cover crops, drainage, and wildlife management will speak. Other presenters include a climatologist from Purdue University and an industry representative […]
Uncertain nitrogen prices and supplies may affect application timing
Rising nitrogen prices, uncertain spring supplies, and unseasonably high temperatures may push farmers to apply nitrogen outside of their normal application windows, says University of Missouri Extension nutrient management specialist John Lory. “We may be in unprecedented times with respect to nitrogen management decisions for the 2022 growing season,” says Lory. “Nitrogen pressures for 2022 […]
NRCS announces november 19, 2021 application deadline for financial assistance
The Missouri USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service announced November 19, 2021, as the cut-off date to apply for the Fiscal Year 2022 funds through the Environmental Quality Incentive Program. EQIP allows farmers, ranchers, forestland managers, and landowners an opportunity to conserve natural resources by making available financial assistance to improve soil, water, air, plants, animals, […]
Test for soybean cyst nematodes after soybean harvest
The best time to test for soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is right after soybean harvest, says University of Missouri Extension plant pathologist Kaitlyn Bissonnette. Missouri farmers can submit two free tests to SCN Diagnostics through county University of Missouri Extension centers or directly to the SCN Diagnostics laboratory, Bissonnette said. SCN Diagnostics is a plant […]
Gallatin Board of Aldermen approve bid for work at old water plant, address numerous agenda items at Monday meeting
The Gallatin Board of Aldermen approved a bid for cleaning out the old water plant backwash basin and an animal abatement permit request on September 27, 2021. The bid for cleaning the backwash basin was from Red Rock for $25,000 and was the only one received. The animal abatement permit request was from Matt Pottorff […]
Grundy County Commission accepts bid for work on streambank stabilization project
The Grundy County Commission September 28, 2021, accepted a base bid and two add alternates from Binder Irrigation of Table Rock, Nebraska for work on the streambank stabilization project near the Thompson River Bridge on Highway 6. The total cost is $616,944.40. It was previously reported the base bid is $575,030.40, add alternate one is […]
Tricia Burkhardt announced as Executive Director of Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation
The Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation Board of Directors unanimously approved the appointment of Tricia Burkhardt as the executive director of the nonprofit devoted to advancing the conservation and appreciation of Missouri’s natural resources, including fish, forest, and wildlife. Burkhardt replaces Kevin Roper, who retired June 30, 2021, after serving as executive director for five years. […]
Grundy County Commission receives update on streambank stabilization project
The Grundy County Commission received an update on August 31st on the streambank stabilization project near the Thompson River Bridge on Highway 6. Shannon Howe with the Howe Company reminded the commission they had opened bids on August 3rd, and the bids were good for 60 days. No action was taken on bids that day. […]
University of Missouri Extension: Fall armyworms showing up in area pastures and hayfields
Infestations of fall armyworms have shown up recently in area pastures and hayfields. Be sure to scout your fields in the coming weeks, as a second generation is likely to appear in September. Fall armyworms are a periodic pest in Missouri that feed on over 100 plant species but prefer lush, green pastures and fields, […]
USDA accepts 2.8 million acres for the Conservation Reserve Program
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has accepted 2.8 million acres in offers from agricultural producers and private landowners for enrollment into the Conservation Reserve Program in 2021. This year, almost 1.9 million acres in offers have been accepted through the General CRP Signup, and USDA’s Farm Service Agency has accepted over 897,000 acres for enrollment […]
A dozen northwest Missouri counties experience drought conditions
More than a dozen northwest Missouri counties are experiencing slight drought conditions, according to the drought monitor map released Thursday, August 18, 2021. The map is developed based on soil conditions as of Tuesday. Each of the counties mentioned is in the category called abnormally dry. The only county within the Green Hills Region that […]
Missouri Department of Conservation to host free Prairie Day event September 11 at Dunn Ranch near Bethany
A free Prairie Day event on Saturday, Sept. 11, at Dunn Ranch Prairie and Pawnee Prairie west of Bethany in Harrison County. Bison tours and grassland conservation exhibits will be among the activities hosted by the Missouri Department of Conservation, The Nature Conservancy, and the Loess Hills Missouri Master Naturalists. Prairie Day celebrates the grazing […]
Mizzou weed science shares Seed Terminator research
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 […]
USDA announces dates for Conservation Reserve Program Grasslands signups
Agricultural producers and landowners can apply for the Conservation Reserve Program Grasslands signup from today until August 20. This year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) updated signup options to provide greater incentives for producers and increase the program’s conservation and climate benefits, including setting a minimum rental rate and identifying two national priority zones. […]
University of Missouri Extension to offer Master Gardener course
Gardening offers many rewards, according to David Trinklein, state horticulture specialist for the University of Missouri Extension. One of them, he said, is the satisfaction of sharing plant knowledge with others. The MU Extension Master Gardener program has a motto of ‘helping others learn to grow. Trinklein notes it emphasizes service to others as the program’s […]