Raising the Bar on Forage Production
When you want to take your Forage crops to the NEXT LEVEL, we have 2 options for your consideration that have consistently worked well to improve yield and quality. The 1st option is a FOLIAR application, that works best when good fertility levels are already in place. These applications often increase the yield and quality of the next cutting or grazing by 10-20%. Typically, these applications include 3-6 gallons per acre of nutrient product or mix and 1-2 gallons per acre of a biological like SP-1. In total, these applications add up to a spray volume of 15-25 gallons per acre. If you're an
Sidedressing with Less Nitrogen
Two questions keep resurfacing... How can I grow a high-yielding crop with less nitrogen? Aside from crop insurance, what else can I do to protect my crop from environmental challenges? Too much rain, not enough rain, late planting, not planted, the list goes on. Wherever you fall on the spectrum, we’re here to help! Crop nutrient status throughout the growing season plays a big role in determining the yield of your crop, especially at critical times of crop growth, Growers expect their sidedress applications to enhance the uptake of nitrogen and other nutrients. This effectively reduces the need for nitrogen inputs while increasing crop protection. A
Early Foliar Applications
For some growers, the planting is done... and the planter discs are shiny to prove it. Regardless if you're done or not, no one ever expects a grower to say, "Job Well Done" until there's evidence of uniform emergence and the promise of a productive growing season. When you're done with planting, and your crop is in the V-2 / V-5 stage, it's a good time to consider the value of early foliar applications. Early Foliar Applications Over the years, we've seen consistent success with early season foliars... and here's a few recommendations to consider. For conventional growers... Accelerator has
TRACE Minerals… and WHY your plant needs them.
The root uptake of the trace elements. . . IRON (Fe), ZINC (Zn), MANGANESE (Mn), and COPPER (Cu) is governed by three basic principles. 1. Their presence in the soil. Many ag soils have very low levels of native Zn, Mn, and Cu and they need to be added as fertilizer to maximize crop production. There are also soils where one or more of these trace elements is abundant but they are tied up by the soil. 2. Their presence in the soil solution. It is the soil solution (the water in the soil) that delivers all nutrients taken up by
Golf Superintendents Brave and Best COVID-19 Challenges
While golf courses contract budgets and personnel due to the coronavirus, superintendents rally to utilize smaller teams, observe safety precautions and drive forward. “We got lucky,” said Jake Mink, Golf Course Superintendent at Brasada Ranch, a resort in Bend, Oregon. “In our company, a lot of people were laid off. But on the golf and landscape side, nobody was. We just didn’t rehire any seasonal employees for a while.” With 20 years in the industry, Mink caretakes the resort’s 18-hole, 90-acre course with a crew of 10, five of which are yearlong staff. Until recently, he worked with
Frost Damage: Regain The Momentum
Damaging frosts have pillaged much of the country, impacting crops that have already been planted. In response, farmers may light smudge pots, run windmills and use irrigation water. Other practices, such as foliar applying Osmotech or Drammatic Fish to lower the freezing point of plant tissues, may be used if a grower has these products on-hand. Regrettably, often a grower can’t do much but wait for the freezing temperatures to pass, then assess the damage and decide whether or not to replant. These decisions are usually well guided by extension and local expertise. Replanting corn may be an
NEW PODCAST: GROWING PERSPECTIVES
Introducing a Douglas Plant Health podcast: GROWING PERSPECTIVES. Hear the full audio below.Born and bred as a row crop and dairy farmer, Dan Denman, 23, is a rising Precision Ag Specialist. His expertise includes agricultural technology such as robotic milking and satellite imagery, agronomy and animal science. His Ohio dairy farm was named a Top Voluntary Milking System (VMS) Producer in the region’s Robotics World Series event. Dan runs a 1,500-acre farm with his family and owns T.A. Precision, an agricultural consulting company.We spoke with Dan about the impacts of COVID-19 and how farmers are adapting.
COVID Concerns: DHS Amends H-2A Requirements
On April 20, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a “temporary final rule” easing requirements on the growing H-2A program. The program, instituted in 1952, allows foreign nationals to work in the U.S. in temporary or seasonal agriculture jobs. The Department of Labor (DOL) certified more than 270,000 H-2A petitions from American farmers last year. The new flexibilities allow short-staffed, tight budget farmers to breathe easier, restoring access to these previously displaced workers. The final rule will be in effect through August 18. Its terms include: Temporary Change Current Regulation H-2A certified employees may
Rebounding From Reduced Nutrient Levels
As a result of the wet spring conditions the last 2 years, many growers are concerned about the lower nutrient numbers on their soil tests. A Nebraska grower is seeing water soluble calcium and potassium numbers that are half of what they were 2 years ago. Does this mean he is doing something wrong, or “mining the soil”? Not necessarily. There is much documentation about what the effects of very wet seasons have on soil nutrient levels, especially the soluble portion, and we can offer practical suggestions on how to overcome this issue and grow a great crop
Farmer Relief: Where to Apply and How Consumers Can Help
Farmers, we see your sacrifice. We see your bravery. We see the way this pandemic has stretched you financially and emotionally, and we want to help. As advocates for the global Ag community, we’ve compiled a list of resources helping farmers in need amid the Coronavirus crisis. We’ve also shared donation links and ways that you can help critically impacted farmers. Farmers need our support now more than ever. To those who work tirelessly to make sure we’re fed, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts and stand arm-and-arm with you through this difficult time.
All Hands to the Pump: CARES Act Offers Relief to Impacted Farmers
In times of crisis, Mr. Rogers taught us to “look for the helpers.” Now, as the Coronavirus compromises industries nationwide, growers continue to face the day. They wake before dawn; seed, till, and plant until dark; and happily do it all again the next day. We should look for the helpers, but we must help them in return. As declining market prices threaten the farming industry, relief efforts are underway. President Donald Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief & Economic Security Act (CARES Act), a $2 trillion aid package, March 27. The CARES Act includes billions in
COVID-19 Upsets Supply Chain: How Farmers Can Meet Heightened Food Demand
Amid the Coronavirus pandemic, U.S. farmers toil, sweat and sacrifice to feed our nation. As “panic buying” surges, crop and dairy products disappear from shelves and farmers face pressure to meet the growing demand. Spikes in global demand further stretch domestic production. On March 20, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that Chinese buyers have purchased roughly 12.5 million bushels of U.S. hard red winter (HRW) wheat for the 2020-21 marketing year. U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) President Vince Peterson called the trade “very good news,” adding this volume is the largest since China set retaliatory tariffs