Farmers have relied on fertilizer to improve crop yields, harvesting crops and losing nutrients from the soil year after year, then tilling the soil. This cycle often leads to severe soil degradation, topsoil loss, and nutrient depletion. While modern synthetic fertilizers offer a quick, short-term boost to plant growth, they fail to sustain the long-term vitality of the soil. Incorporating animal manure into agricultural fields is widely recognized as one of the most effective and sustainable ways to restore and maintain overall soil health. Soil health is defined as the soil's capacity to function as a vital living ecosystem. Animal manure bolsters nutrients, enhances the microbes and organisms in the soil, the biology; and improves the physical soil aspects like soil structure, drainage, and water holding capacity. From a chemical perspective, animal manure is an outstanding, multi-nutrient fertilizer. Synthetic alternatives typically focus strictly on the primary macronutrients...

  Traditional soil testing was never designed with biology in mind. Conventional soil tests may not be telling the full story about your soil. Soil testing isn’t just about nutrient levels; it’s about understanding which organisms are being selected. Traditionally growers use standard soil tests to guide fertilizer decisions. They collect soil samples, receive numerical results, and apply fertilizer based on the results. In biologically active soils, these conventional tests may not be telling the whole story. Chuck Schembre, a soil scientist who has spent more than two decades studying soil fertility, says classic soil testing was never designed with biology in mind. Most conventional soil tests just show pH and your nutrients (N-P-K) and maybe some micronutrients. The methods, developed before and refined after World War II, were built to support fertilizer recommendations, not to capture the dynamic, living processes happening in the root zone. That gap matters more than ever as...

Due to a late spring planting and wet variable weather this fall, fall grain planting and harvest are behind schedule. Soil moisture levels in Ohio are adequate to surplus. This week, the weather looks to be mostly favorable, so expect a lot of farm activity with harvest. However, some farmers may still be considering planting wheat or small grains (cereal rye as a cover crops, or even barley). Here are some guidelines. It is generally too late to plant winter wheat in Ohio once you pass 3 to 4 weeks after your county's Hessian fly-safe date (typically pushing into late October or early November). The optimal start time to plant wheat is the 10-14-day window starting immediately after the Hessian fly-safe date (which spans late September through early October depending on whether you are in northern, central, or southern Ohio). The late window is 3–4 weeks post-fly-safe date. Planting this late increases risks of reduced fall growth and lower winter hardiness, though yields can st...

Grain harvest has started but not without problems. Late planting, and a wet summer, especially with the wettest August on record; is causing grain problems in both soybeans and corn. Harvest lately has been delayed due to slow dry down and wet weather. In soybeans, farmers are reporting black soybeans. Black discolored soybeans at harvest can is often linked to dry and wet soybean growing stress and fungal diseases affecting the plants during their growth cycle. Saprophytic fungi can colonize dead plant material, leading to black dust clouds during harvest.  Fungi like Cercospora or Diaporthe can cause discoloration and some viruses may cause discoloration. Enlist soybeans also has a trait that causes soybean coat discoloration which is not related to fungi or virus infection. A drying (drought like) cycle followed by repeated wet cycles can cause seed discoloration and mold, particularly in areas with late rains in August and September. While primarily causing purple discoloratio...