Spring is always a fickle thing when it comes to weather. Late March and April weather was more like May and May was more like April even March at times. The difference this year is cold, wet, and windy are common themes. Some farmers have a lot planted, some a fair amount planted, some for the first time. Others are already replanting. Although a week old, USDA's crop progress report is probably fairly accurate but behind for the weekend plantings. Estimates at that time were 34% of corn acres are planted in Ohio (much higher by now), with 20% of corn emerged. For soybeans, 34% of soybean acre were planted and 16% of soybeans emerged. Planted and emerged acres are probably much higher by now and warmer weather is expected. After a drought last year which lasted most of last fall and winter, most areas have recharged but that is highly variable. Along US 30, rain has been steady since March 10th with over 26 inches reported. Some areas North are less than half that amount. On cor...

  Several dairy farmers have been asking the question: Does improving soil health improve dairy cow health and dairy cow performance? Either higher milk yields, higher components, or just overall herd health? It’s a tough and complicated question to prove definitely, but the answer appears to trend in the direction of YES to all of the above. Milk is about 87% water and 13% solids. As it comes from the cow, the solid portion is about 3.7% fat and 9% solids not fat. Milk has fat soluble Vitamins A, D, E, K. The solids not fat portion is protein, carbohydrates (primarily lactose) and minerals including calcium and phosphorus. Milk is a good rich, dense food source especially for young growing children but also for older adults to avoid calcium deficiency. Researchers at Cornell University compared three fields, one unmanured and two that were manured at three different locations. The number of sites is low so our confidence in the data is rather limited. This was research conducted b...

  Seed imbibition is the process by which dry seeds absorb water, swell, and start germinating. A corn seed will absorb 30% of its weight in water while a soybean seed absorbs 50% water by weight to start germinating. Water moves into the seed coat, to the embryo, and the endosperm which greatly expands the seed and softens the seed coat. Soon radical roots start growing which are the first seed roots. For corn and soybeans, the soil temperature needs to be above 500F but 600F to 700F is much better. Seeds can take 18-20 days to germinate at 500F, but only 8-10 days at 600F and 1-5 days at 700F. This measurement is taken 2 inches deep in the soil. Generally, the soil temperature and moisture are a little more uniform when seeds are planted at least 2 inches deep or deeper. Corn can be planted 3 inches deep to get a more uniform emergence or at least down to moisture. Most areas have received adequate moisture this spring, but there are still areas with much less moisture due to thi...