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  Soil testing methods are still about the same as they were 100 years ago and researchers and farmers are still struggling to interpret the numbers. However, a soil test is a good place to start to optimize crop yields. However, follow that up with scouting, tissue tests, and sap tests to verify and refine your analysis. Most standardized soil test report values for pH, phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg). Soil test values are reported in Parts Per Million (PPM) or pounds per acre. The PPM times 2 equal pounds per acre. Actual soil nutrient levels generally are much higher; however, not all soil nutrients are available for plant uptake. Soil pH measures the acidity of a soil. A soil that is neutral has a pH of 7, while an acid soil has lower values and a basic soil has higher values. The pH values can range from 1 (highly acid) to 14 (highly basic), although most soil range from pH 5.0 to 8.0. To improve soil productivity and the release of nutrients, a...

  Fall and Spring are usually the time when farmers or fertilizer dealers take most soil tests to make recommendations for fertilizer applications. In the last several years, most dealers now do that service for their farmer clients. A few years ago, looking at soil test collected over several years, there was a big jump of .5 to 1.0% increase in soil organic matter (SOM) on all this no-till farmers fields. I started asking questions. He was already a no-tiller and using cover crops. Had he done anything different? No really. Then I asked who took the sample? He said the dealer. Who took them before? He said he had. Is there that much sampling difference between dealers and farmers? The biggest difference is that dealers use a machine (a soil sampler on a four-wheeler) while most farmers use a shovel or a probe. The standard procedure for collecting a soil sample 10 years ago was to wipe the soil surface clean of residue, then probe the soil, taking at least 10-15 samples in a rand...

  After a late 2025 drought and lower crop prices, farmers are looking ahead to the 2026 crop year. High volatile fertilizer prices will be a major concern this next year. Currently, DAP retail price is $926 per metric ton up from $580 in January. DAP or diammonium phosphate is 18% nitrogen and 46% phosphate (18-46-0). The retail price for MAP (mono ammonium phosphate) is $921 per ton. Potash or potassium (60% potash or K, 0-0-60) prices are about 24% higher than last year at $483-485 per ton. Some global spot prices are $350-$360 per ton. Ammonia prices (NH3) are about $440 to $450 per metric ton. Why are prices too high? There are a number of factors but the major one are supply disruptions due to the Russia/Ukraine war, China cutting back on exports, high tariff costs, port disruptions, high global demand and competition for fertilizer, and still high energy costs which is used to make most nitrogen fertilizer. First, the Russian war with Ukraine has disrupted nitrogen (N) ferti...

Entering October, is it too late to plant small grains (wheat or possibly barley) and is it even profitable to do so? It is not too late but with wheat at roughly $4.50 to $5.00, it is difficult to make wheat profitable. Most can justify planting wheat at $6/bushel. However, $4.50 corn is not much better. Planting wheat helps improve the crop rotation, reduce weeds, and may increase other crop yields by 10%. Wheat and other small grain crops like barley, cereal rye, oats are alternative crops. The market for barley and oats are fairly limited. Due to high test weight oats grown in Canada and few breweries in Ohio, oat and barley markets are slim. At around $12/bushel for cereal rye as a cover crop, cereal rye can be profitable with good yields.  Wheat straw can be harvested to gain income and double crop soybeans are another option to add income. It’s the wheat roots that add most of the soil organic matter (80-90%), so harvesting the wheat straw is a good practice. Anything plante...

  Farmers are in a tough spot. Fertilizer prices are spiking and crop prices are not high enough to cover the costs. The bright spots are on the livestock and dairy side with much higher prices and profits. For grain farmers; with a late drought, yields and prices are not high enough to make much money. Usually, farmers benefit from free markets. The USA usually exports about 1 out of every 3 bushel of soybeans produced. A lot of corn is used to make ethanol for fuel but energy prices are moderating and coming down. Farmers need to export excess grain to stay in business. When grain exports decline, grain farm income tends to decline. USA grain farmers are losing market share to other countries or for political purposes (countries like China) are not buying our grain commodities. Even worse, many countries (especially European markets) have agricultural subsidies that prevent our grain from being sold and exported overseas. The average subsidy overseas is about 1.3% of Gross Nati...

  This was adapted from a Randall Reeder article, Retired OSU Extension Engineer at Ohio State University. Most farmers would like to leave their farm in better shape than when they started. The question is: What does that mean? You never hear a farmer brag about making their farm worse. What does it mean to make a farm better when you retire from farming? For some farmers, that means passing on a farm that is actively operating and growing in size. For some that means keeping the buildings freshly painted and the homestead looking attractive. On older farms, sometimes that means getting rid of old barns and fences. Others might say getting higher crop yields. For farms to remain sustainable, keeping soils healthy and productive is important. Are your soils getting darker or lighter in color? Dark colored soil indicate a gain in soil organic matter (SOM) and are more productive. Are the soils getting softer and is the water infiltrating? Often, farmers complain that their soils are...

August and September have been dry with higher-than-normal day time temperatures prevailing. Crops are drying down quick so harvest may be early. All that dry tinder may create fire hazards when harvest equipment starts rolling. Dry corn and soybean leaves, crop dust, and dry grass are all highly combustible for potential harvest fires. Hot equipment, especially engines and hot exhaust, plus friction from fast moving gears and belts, hot hydraulic hoses, or hot bearings; it’s no wonder harvest fire hazards are common. Here is a list several precautions from OSU Extension that farmers can take to protect their harvest equipment from starting fires. When combines get used for many hours, they get hot; so park them away from buildings and especially fueling stations. You might not only lose a combine, but also farm buildings or a fueling station. Regular maintenance is required. Check the machine daily for any overheated bearings or damage to the exhaust system. Grease the machine regular...

  Due to a lack of rain, the soil is getting hard. When soil gets dry and lacks adequate soil organic matter (SOM), clay particles set up like cement. Most farmers do a fall tillage, which will increase water infiltration short-term, but long-term the soil just gets denser as the soil compaction gets worse. Brian Doughtery, a consultant for Understanding Ag., says soil compaction is caused by three things: 1) too much heavy equipment, 2) not enough biology, and 3) nutrients and/or a lack of nutrient balance. Soil compaction is common on most farms, but it is not a natural or inevitable problem. On heavy equipment, when a piece of machinery crosses a field, the weight pushes the air or pore space out of soil. Without pore space, the soil compacts. If a field is wet, the soil particles get cemented together when the soil dries. Clay has a negative charge and when positive ions like magnesium (Mg) and potassium (K) get pushed together, the soil gets hard. Calcium (Ca) also has a pos...

  Migrating birds are already flocking together and some bird migration from the North has already started. The cicadas have been singing for several weeks. Are we due for an early frost? The first week of September has cold front from the north moving in and it is possible a few low-lying areas may see some light frost. Here is some data for first frosts in Ohio.  Frost dates are based on 1991–2020 climate data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This site uses a 30% probability threshold, meaning there is a 3 in 10 chance frost will occur before or after the given date. Microclimates vary, so this is a flexible guide, not a guarantee. For example, towns and cities tend to be 5-10°F warmer than farm land and surrounding areas. Lake Erie and large bodies of water tend to moderate temperatures. That means they are slower to warm up in the spring and slower to cool down in the fall. Here are some frost dates for various locations in Ohio.  At th...

  Some crop diseases are intensifying and being enhanced by current weather conditions. Cool night time temperatures (below 70°F), humid conditions, and wet leaves enhance tar spot in corn. Tar Spot is often helped by August and September weather conditions. Red Crown Rot in soybeans is also being found in Ohio.  Corn tar spot ( Phyllachora maydis ) is becoming a major corn disease. Tar spot fungus came from Central America and is spreading by wind into corn growing states. Tar spot grows rapidly when temperatures are 60-70°F and humidity is 75% or higher with rainy, foggy, cloudy summer weather spreading this disease. Corn will mature early with reduced ear weight, poor kernel fill, stalk rot, and lodging with yield losses ranging from 0-60 bushel per acre, depending upon disease severity.  Corn tar spot was spotted earlier this year at the OSU South Charleston research plots. Due to weather conditions at that time, it was at relatively low levels and mild. It was found ...

  On July 1, 2025, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed a new bill refunding the Ohio H2O Program. However, the 2024-2025 budget was for 270 million dollars. The new bill authorizes only $165 million dollars for the 2026-2027 time period, a 40% overall decrease. The Ohio H2O program will continue but expect major changes and possibly lower rates of compensation. Dr. Etienne Sutton, University of Michigan, at a recent field day shared some national research on cover crop varieties. This research was conducted in 12 states across the country. Ohio was not included; however, both Indiana (Purdue, West Lafayette) and Pennsylvania (Penn State, College Station) participated in the study. The goals were to evaluate performance of commercially available cover crop varieties, determine where they work the best, and try to get more cover crop diversity. Plots were very small (5 feet by 15 feet), replicated 3 times, and generally done on one soil type. In Ohio, it is not uncommon to have multip...

  Dr. Etienne Sutton, University of Michigan conducted cover crop research for 3 years. She got her PHD and she shared research results at a field day in Williams County on the Allen Dean farm. Her research centered on getting more cover crop biomass and either tying up nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) or creating more N. For the last 3 years (2022-2025), she monitored cover crop fields in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Minnesota. A total of 125 fields (2022), 138 in 2023, and 281 in 2025. The majority of the fields were cereal rye (121 fields) and cover crop mixtures (117) with the remaining being grass and legume or clover cover crop fields. Almost all the cover crops (88%) were planted after regular field crops with less than 10 percent after vegetable crops. About 52% were drilled, 32% broadcast, and the rest were aerially applied (drone or plain). Her major research centered around maximizing biomass and increasing N content or uptake in cover crop biomass (CCB). ...

  With less than a month to go before school starts, summer is winding down. Most farms have had plenty of moisture, so crops on the surface look good. However, there may be some hidden nutrient deficiencies, hidden yield losses, and even insect and disease issues starting to surface. On corn, sometimes too much rain at pollination may cause a problem. Tight tassels may occur which may limit or delay pollination of corn kernels. Sometimes the kernels get pollinated but at different times so the kernels grow at different rates. It creates different size corn kernels and funky looking corn. Some corn varieties are worse than others. Sometimes it is also caused by drought or nutrient imbalances. Yield losses may range from 15% to 40% depending upon how long and tight the tassel wrap occurs. On soybeans, too much moisture often causes poor rooting. Some areas have received twice as much moisture as usual and the soybeans are suffering due to anaerobic (lack of oxygen) soil conditions ...

After a somewhat late start, crops are starting to thrive. While the temperatures have been hot, most farmers having been getting some rain. Generally, rain (in moderation) makes grain! Overall crops are looking good but may be about 1-2 weeks behind in maturity. The first part of August may turn slightly cooler which helps crops grow and improve yields. To get the highest yields, crops require certain nutrients. Most plant nutrient nutrients are processed by soil microbes. Soil microbes thrive on fluctuating wet and dry periods. Right after a nice rain, you may notice crops have a more intense green color. That’s soil microbes supplying nutrients to your crops. In late July and August, these rains may be million-dollar events for the farmer. As far as temperature, crops grow best when day-time temps stay below 85-87°F with night-time temps around 70°F. Many farmers are now spraying their crops with fungicides to maintain or enhance yields. Some are adding micronutrients. Micronutrie...

  Last week, cash rental agreements were discussed and now crop share rental agreements.  For crop share rental agreements, both landowner and tenant share crop expenses and also the crop.  This involves much more involvement of landowners in the farming operation.  The landowner has the land while the tenant supplies the labor and the equipment for farming the crop.  Since the landowner has more risk, usually the return is expected to be higher, but they also have to have more cash  outlay.  For newer farmers or for cash strapped tenant farmers, this can be helpful, lowering the tenant cash outlay and risk, but the tenant should expect lower total returns.   Share crop agreements are much more contentious and require more time to manage.  It requires more trust and transparency into more farming decisions.  Since market conditions vary from region to region and from year to year, they often have to be renegotiated on a yearly basis...

  While the current 2025 agricultural crop season is still in full swing; farmers and landowners are thinking about renewing or making new rental agreements. In Ohio, about 39% of farmland is leased or rented. About 28% of all Ohio farmers rent exclusively and own no farmland themselves. About 13 Midwestern universities have developed a program called AgLease 101 offering descriptions and advantages and disadvantage to landowners and renters (tenants) of various rental arrangements. The most common rental agreements are cash rent. For the Landowner, the benefits include they do not need to provide much input to the farming operation. The landowner gets a cash payment that does not trigger landowner self-employment tax and does not reduce social security benefits at retirement. With less input, generally there is less disagreements between parties. The landowner does not need to worry about pricing the crop or yields or how to divide and market crops. The renter or tenant takes car...