HOME:
Current Soil Health News from
Hoorman Soil Health Services

Phosphorus (P) runoff has long been blamed for excess harmful algae blooms in Lake Erie. While most experts blame agriculture, humans are also a significant source of P runoff in the form of human sewage. The City of Maumee by Toledo is an example. US EPA recently announced that the City of Maumee has been dumping 150 million gallons of raw sewage into the Maumee River for the last 20 years. The problem occurs because during heavy rains, relatively clean water from downspouts, sump pumps, and other sources of stormwater is mixed with raw sewage, and the sewer system can not handle that much water so it is dumped into the river. Cities are now required to have two piping systems, one for raw sewage and one for relatively clean stormwater. However, the cost is very expensive to replace and update all those sewage systems. It is not only problems in major Cities, it is also rural home systems that need updating. So, everyone needs to do their part to keep water clean. Another new developm

  Upcoming Field Days  Crops are growing and field days are sprouting up all. Farmers have an opportunity to take a break and learn some new information at these events. Drainage Technology and Water Management Field Day at Ohio State Lima, July 24th.  Drainage installation, drainage water recycling, and soil health will be the focus of a field day being held on Wednesday, July 24, 2024, beginning at 9 a.m. at The Ohio State University at Lima. Registration is required to attend. The event and registration details are available at go.osu.edu/limadrainageday .  Field demonstrations will be conducted by the Ohio Chapter of Land Improvement Contractors of America in an open house-style format throughout the day and a variety of conservation practices will be on display, featuring Extension and industry experts. The event is free and open to the public and parking will be available on site.  The field day will take place at the Ohio State Lima Regenerative Farm, which started in 2020 and p

Glyphosate is an herbicide and the main ingredient in Roundup, a popular brand of weedkillers. Research shows a potential link between prolonged and high levels of exposure and an increased risk of certain cancers. Roundup has been the subject of thousands of lawsuits, many of which are ongoing.   What Is Glyphosate? Glyphosate is the active ingredient in herbicide products, including Bayer’s Roundup. Glyphosate herbicides are widely used for weed control in U.S. agricultural settings, schools, public areas and home gardens.  Article: https://www.consumernotice.org/environmental/pesticides/roundup/glyphosate/

Research suggests a link between the popular glyphosate weed killer Roundup and cancer. The World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer concluded glyphosate is “probably carcinogenic,” but the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency maintains more evidence is needed. Roundup and Glyphosate Roundup is the brand name for an herbicide containing the active ingredient glyphosate. Glyphosate is a nonselective weed killer, meaning it can kill most plants on contact within days or weeks. Agricultural workers often apply glyphosate by spray to large areas of crops. Article: https://www.consumernotice.org/environmental/pesticides/roundup/

  One issue that is arising in Ohio and North America are invasive species of insects. A number of new invasive insects (and some old ones) are causing problems including the Spotted Lantern Fly, Asian long-horned beetle, the Box tree moth. Older invasive insect species like the gypsy moth (Spongy Moth) and emerald ash borer are still around. Due to expanded world-wide trade, many of these insect species come from Asia and have few natural predators but they can cause economic damage to crops, various plants, and trees.  The Spotted Lantern Fly is an invasive plant hopper native to China and it’s preferred host is another invasive plant called the Tree of Heaven. Tree of heaven is a weedy invasive tree that looks like black walnut. Spotted lanternfly also feeds on over 100 species of plants including grapes, fruit trees, ornamentals and timber. Spotted Lantern fly damage includes oozing sap, wilting, leaf curling, and then dieback and it also promotes sooty mold (a fungus) which attrac

  Wheat harvest is progressing depending on rainfall. Both yields and quality appear to be good this year. Some farmers are wondering what to do with the wheat straw? Should they keep the straw on the field to build soil organic matter (SOM) or should they sell it? What is the value of the wheat straw and how many nutrients are being lost? Does straw residue hurt the next crop?  Straw is a valuable resource in high demand for bedding or mulch and livestock farmers even use straw to add fiber to their livestock rations Some farmers chop it and let it lie on the field, others bale it. If planting double crop soybeans or cover crops, removing the straw may be beneficial. High carbon straw may slow down plant growth (especially chaff) and it also attracts pests like slugs and voles.  If selling straw, make sure to sell it for what it is worth. Straw has value as bedding but it also contains soil nutrients. At a minimum, straw sellers should consider the value of nutrients leaving the farm

Agriculture is changing quickly as farmers integrate new technology. Drones, robotics, sensors, and AI are just a few of the new innovations that are taking place. Small farmers are starting to use a new system called vertical farming, and even bee keepers have a new vaccine to help bees survive a devastating disease called American foulbrood.  Drones are quickly being adopted by farmers to monitor and improve crop performance. Drones can fly above crops and through thermal imaging and multi sensors, capture information on crop health, pests, environmental stresses (drought, excess moisture, heat stress, etc.) and nutrition needs of crops. Drones can map soils, check on crop variability, and help farmers make decisions about how to fix issues in the field. Real time information helps farmers respond quickly to improve crop performance. Often, farmers save money because nutrients or pesticides (herbicides, insecticides, fungicides) are only applied to areas that need attention. This sav

  A wave of Bird Flu (Avian Influenza or H5N1 virus) is crossing the country, infecting both birds and bovine (dairy and beef cattle). So far, there is no evidence that the virus is being spread from mammal to mammal, only from birds or cattle. Poultry (chickens, turkey, ducks) and wild birds like Canadian Geese, pigeons, starlings, and sparrows may all be vectors or spreaders of this disease. Humans in China and Hong Kong have contacted the disease but it is not common in the USA. Milk pasteurization has been shown to be an effective way to keep the virus from infecting humans.  The Bird Flu virus has infected poultry and wild flocks of birds in the USA, Europe, Africa, and Asia. About 15 million poultry birds have died from Bird Flu in 1.5 years. More than 193 million birds have been culled to stop spreading the virus. Now Bird Flu has also been found in bovines or dairy cattle and even beef cattle. Usually milk production drops by 25% or more. Bird flu has been found in several poul

Farmers are finishing up planting, but some crops have been slow to emerge. Cooler nighttime temperatures may be delaying emergence. In most cases, moisture has been adequate but highly variable. However, summer has arrived and very soon hotter and drier weather conditions may prevail. The last two years plus this year look like a hot June. Last year, moisture was very short in May. This year, farmers have some moisture at the surface, however, subsurface moisture is very low. When it gets hot and possibly dry this early in the growing season, what can a farmer do? Crops' roots are still shallow and the crop is not well developed yet. Early planted crops appear to be in better condition to survive higher temperatures and possibly drier soil conditions because they have more developed roots. First, try to terminate cover crops and weeds quickly to save moisture. Second, reduce or avoid tillage because each tillage pass dries out the soil .5-1.0 acre-inch of water. Dry soil tends to

  Most farmers have finished planting for the first time but may be looking to replant. Replanting corn can be a difficult decision. Young plants can recover especially if the damage is above ground. However, below ground damage from insects, disease, compaction, saturated soils, or fertilizer injury are more difficult for corn to recover. With the cold nights lately and cloudy days, sometimes sunshine and warmer temperatures allow your crops to recover, making that decision easier to make. First, determine how widespread the damage is and how healthy the plants are that are remaining on the whole field. Aerial Drones can help cover a large area but you still need to inspect the remaining plants to determine their health.  Dr Robert Nielson, Purdue University offers these suggestions on corn replant decisions. Most modern corn varieties are fairly tolerant of both low and high populations. Based on 10 years research, populations ranged from 23,500 to 40,000 seeds per acre. Based on tho

  A week of good weather has helped most farmers get crops planted. However, there are issues dealing with fast-growing cover crops (e.g., cereal rye). Due to a warm winter and spring, most crops, including wheat, are 2-3 weeks ahead in maturity. Fall-planted crops are all headed out and getting tall. How viable is the seed, and how do you manage those situations? On seed viability, cereal rye seed is viable 30 days after heading and flowering. Some cereal rye has been headed out for 2 weeks, so it’s time to get it terminated. Some rye is 4 to 6 feet tall, so shading is becoming another issue to consider. Balansa clover seed can remain viable in the soil for 3 years and reseed itself. Balansa and Crimson clover seed is viable 30 days after blooming. Hairy vetch seed can remain viable for 5 years in the soil (hard seed) and starts to mature around July 10, which may be July 1st this year. For all cover crops, terminating cover crops once they are 10-20% blooming reduces the chance of re

  Farmers are starting to make progress on planting, but it's quite variable. Warmer temperatures and humid conditions are expected. Both the winter wheat and weeds are growing quickly. Not only weeds, but also many insects and diseases are becoming a problem this year. Wet soils tend to compact and create poor soil structure, which is a major problem if soil dries off. Farmers have a lot of things to worry about when it stays wet and it's time to get crops planted. On fast-growing weeds, corn has more restrictions for post applications of herbicides. Higher rates of herbicides will be needed along with post-emergent herbicides to control the weeds. Higher rates of Glyphosate (Roundup), Liberty Link corn, and Extend corn can help control most weeds but it is more difficult when weeds get big. The weeds are much easier to terminate when they are small. On insects, watch for wireworms and seed corn maggot. Seed corn maggots are often a problem early with the larva feeding on the

It’s a typical Ohio spring. Sporadic rains, followed by a few days of sunshine, then more drizzle. Farmers are trying to get crops planted, but progress varies. Under these conditions, cereal rye is growing fast which can help dry out soils but tends to shade newly planted crops. Second, with a warm winter and fairly warm spring with rain, slugs and voles (field mice) are flourishing. Weeds are also growing because it is too wet to spray all the fields. Here are some tips to deal with these problems.  Cover crops, especially cereal rye, outcompete many troublesome weeds but the cover crop needs to be terminated. Most farmers will kill the cover crop with herbicides but crimper crop rollers can terminate naturally and if the crop is tall, get it on the ground. Once it is on the ground, it will hold moisture and keep soil temperatures cooler going into summer. Cereal rye is a natural fit for soybeans but is more difficult to manage with corn. Soybeans thrive on the nutrient

Rain is again slowing down spring planting. April and May showers are saturating fields causing nutrient runoff and soil organic matter (SOM) losses. While most scientists say phosphorus (P) is the main culprit, harmful algae blooms (HAB) or cyanobacteria need a variety of nutrients. If rains continue into summer combined with warm weather and not much wind, HAB can multiply quite rapidly. Farmers have planted cover crops and applied a variety of best management practices to reduce HAB in Lake Erie, will it be enough?  Where is the P coming from, what is the source? Human wastes account for roughly 16%, livestock manure 17%, and the biggest source is still from agriculture, from the soil. Considering the large acreage (4.2 million acres in the Maumee River basin) it takes only a small amount of P loss to cause HAB in Lake Erie. Farmers generally apply about 35-40# of P on corn and maintain about 95% of what is applied. HAB need only 1/10 as much P as corn (1# P = 500# of HAB), so now f

Farmers are starting the busy planting season as the soil both warms up and dries out. Spring is a hectic time as farmers try to plant their crops quickly to optimize crop yields. However, planting season can be dangerous, for both farmers, their spouse and children, hired hands, and non-farm people. Agriculture is a dangerous profession, averaging 100 injuries per day and around 410 deaths per year (2019) or 19.4 deaths per 100,000 workers. Let’s try to make this a safe year.  Let’s start with the children. Farm children, grand kids, and even city kids love to be on the farm and they are fascinated by tractors, wagons, sprayers, fertilizer equipment, you name it. Children do not realize the danger this equipment can pose. Take some time and educate them if they visit. Children need adult supervision and need to stay a distance away. Most children love to ride on the tractor and that can be quite dangerous. Children riding on a fender and not buckled up can easily fall off

  As spring planting gets underway, farm stress is high. When seeds germinate quickly that farm stress goes away. Getting new seeds and plants off to a vigorous start increases the potential for a healthy crop with abundant yields. However, when seeds germinate slowly because of challenging soil or weather conditions, early stress on young seedlings is likely to produce a yield drag.  When seeds germinate quickly, corn seed maggot feeding decreases. When root systems develop quickly, wireworm or rootworm larvae is greatly reduced. When seedlings grow very rapidly, and have balanced seed nutrition, they can resistant slugs and flea beetles feeding. However, none of these positive effects occur when seeds germinate slowly or when seeds are of poor quality.  Planting conditions are not always ideal. Poor weather conditions means that often planting occurs under less-than-ideal conditions. Farmers typically have only about 9-10 days or less to get most crops planted on time. I

  It's Mid-April and as May approaches, farmers are gearing up for planting season. Early planted crops generally have a yield advantage over late planted crops. Most crop yield is related to moisture at pollination in both corn and soybeans. Good yields are possible if there is adequate summer moisture. Usually, July rains have a big impact on corn yields, while August rains have more of an impact on soybean yields. There is about a 3-week window in Ohio for optimal planting. In Southern Ohio, April 10-May 10, and in Northern Ohio April 25th and May 10th. For crop insurance coverage, May 5th in southern Ohio and April 10th in northern Ohio. Planting after May 10th, on average, results in about a 0.3% yield loss per day when corn planting is delayed and by the end of May, this loss increases to 1% per day. However, it pays to plant when weather and soil conditions are fit. Mudding crops in can be a disaster if it gets dry. Shallow rooted crops in compacted soils often result in poo

This spring has been warmer than normal but Ohio’s subsoil moisture has been dry due to last year’s drought. Recent rains may have helped depending upon how much rain actually soaked in. Last year, adequate subsoil moisture allowed farmers to get decent yields, however; what about this year? According to the National Weather Service, there is a 83% chance for a transition from El Niño to La Niña during April-June and a 62% chance for La Niña to develop by June-August. Typically, El Niño years are drier while La Niña years tend to be wetter in the Midwest.  For Ohio, the 60-day weather forecast is for temperatures to be above normal in our area but perhaps drier than normal conditions around the Great Lakes. April may be wetter, but May is expected to turn dry. Farmer’s may be planting earlier than normal depending upon the weather. What about terminating cover crops? That depends upon soil moisture.  When dry conditions are expected, terminate cover crops early when they

Winter and early spring has been warmer than normal. The lawns are green and so is the wheat. Is this due to adequate nitrogen? More likely it’s adequate iron and magnesium. In warm springs, iron is more plant available to make chlorophyll and magnesium is the central element for chlorophyll. If your wheat is yellow, even after spring nitrogen applications, it may be due to a lack of iron, especially on fields with poor soil structure. Soil tests may show high iron, but its in the wrong form. Golf courses often use iron to green up grass.  Looking ahead, what changes in fertility might enhance wheat disease resistance or simply enhance wheat growth and yield. Often, when scouting wheat, white leaves may be seen which is a sign of nickel deficiency. Nickel (Ni2+) activates the urease enzyme that allows plants to use external and internal urea as a nitrogen source. Nickel (2+) is one of the least toxic metals and stimulates microbial growth.  Adequate nickel improves wheat growth and yie