The NY & VT Corn Silage Hybrid Evaluation Program 2023 results are in! With 5 locations across NY & VT, these 75 hybrids were put to the test across a wide variety of growing conditions. While it was wet and soggy across much of VT this summer, other parts of the region experienced severe drought …
Continue reading “Are you getting ready to order corn seed for 2024?”
In July, Vermont was hit hard by flooding. Farm fields and crops throughout the state were flooded with their fate unclear. We have posted flood related resources on our Northwest Crops & Soils webpage and just added a few more timely resources there on managing flooded corn silage at harvest and mitigating silt and microbe …
Vermont has been hit hard by this recent round of storms, as some know and have experience more closely than others. It has left a devastating mark on the agricultural landscape of our small state. As a Team, we have always helped our community through difficult times and this will be no different! If you …
Continue reading “Flood Resources and Help for the Farming Community”
It’s July already, and we wanted to share a few on-farm workshops coming up this month that UVM Extension Northwest Crops & Soils Program is organizing or collaborating on… Friday, July 14, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Ken Leach and Joanne Chickering, Pawlet, VT. Discussion of drought stress and management considerations for following year as …
UVM Extension invites farmers, technical advisers, agricultural providers, consultants, and others to attend the 2023 No-Till and Cover Crop (NTCC) Conference on Thursday, March 2, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Burlington, VT! This event is dedicated to no-till and cover crop systems for field crop growers. Visit …
Cover crops can retain nutrients, increase organic matter, and reduce erosion. In addition, cover crops may help to increase cash crop yields. Zeroing in on cover crop benefits, what happens to weed suppression and corn yield the longer the cover crop grows? Would more cover crop biomass suppress weeds better? Would that suppression of weeds …
Continue reading “Impact of Cover Crop Termination Date on Weed Suppression and Corn Yield“
Winter rye is a hearty cereal grain that is considered a “workhorse” and, although it is not the highest quality forage crop, it is often chosen for its reliability and versatility. It thrives on well-drained, loamy soil but it also performs adequately in heavy clay as well as droughty, sandy soils. It can grow in low-fertility soils; it prefers a soil pH of 5.0 to …
Continue reading “Winter Rye Cover Crop: When to terminate?”
Rain, rain, go away, we haven’t been able to harvest our hay…or plant our forages! If you’ve been singing this song, you are not alone. With this wet weather, farmers across the region have seen poor corn germination, challenging hay harvest windows, and field conditions making planting difficult. While it has been tough going so …
Continue reading “Rain Putting a Damper on Your Forages? Options Available”
Armyworms were spotted in Addison County Vermont on June 12, 2017. Please don’t panic but do scout your corn and grass fields for armyworm caterpillars. True Armyworm, Pseudaletia unipuncta, are typically spotted each year on some acreage in Vermont — crops most affected are grasses including field corn, grass hay and pasture crops. It is …
While the past weeks have brought some much needed rain to Vermont, above average accumulation of growing degree-days (GDDs) and droughty conditions for much of the growing season has impacted corn growth and development. We expect that we will start our silage corn harvest sometime this week. For more information, please refer to our 2012 …