Our Northwest Crops & Soils Team has been busy this fall harvesting research trials, collecting samples, and crunching stats on all the data we’ve collected. Now that it is officially winter, we are busy writing reports for all of the trials conducted during the 2015 research season. The first of our reports are ready — …
Category Archives: Uncategorized
It’s Autumn: Time for Cover Crops, Manure Management, and RAPs
As the harvest season winds down, folks have turned their attention to post-harvest cover cropping and manure application. The corn harvest was several weeks late (again); delays in getting field work done (due to equipment failures and busy custom operators) has slowed some operators getting corn harvest done in a timely manner. However, although the …
Continue reading “It’s Autumn: Time for Cover Crops, Manure Management, and RAPs”
Upcoming Field Day Focuses on Soil Health
On Friday, August 21, we will hold a day-long field day focused on soil health. The Summer Soil Health Field Day will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Gervais Family Farm #2 on Davis Road in Enosburg Falls. The day will feature Joel Myers, a private consultant in continuous no-till systems …
Continue reading “Upcoming Field Day Focuses on Soil Health”
School may be out for Summer but the Testing Lab is In Session!
The University of Vermont Extension Cereal Grain Quality Testing Laboratory is run by our NWCS team. Since it opened in 2011, we have tested hundreds of grain and hop samples from our research plots as well as commercial samples from farmers throughout the region. The lab is now back open for the season and ready …
Continue reading “School may be out for Summer but the Testing Lab is In Session!”
Annual Field Day This Week! 7/23
Join us this Thursday, July 23, 2015 from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for our annual Crops and Soils Field Day at the Borderview Research Farm in Alburgh. The day will include our infamous tour where you will see many of the research trials we are conducting, including those on heirloom beans, silage corn, flax, …
Be on the Lookout for Armyworms
Armyworms have been spotted in Addison, Franklin, and Grand Isle Counties of Vermont, as of July 9, 2015. 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 …
Using the Penn State Interseeder to Plant Cover Crops
Cover crops can add organic matter, increase soil fertility, and reduce erosion, among many other benefits. However, our short growing season makes getting covers established after corn harvest challenging. As an alternative, farmers and researchers alike are looking at ways to establish cover crops as the corn is growing. The first window to establish covers …
Continue reading “Using the Penn State Interseeder to Plant Cover Crops”
Recent Rain Creates Stress on Crops
Recent intense rainfall events have caused flooding, ponding, and soil saturation in many of our corn and hay fields. What are the prospects for these crops? Corn Fields Beautiful and dry spring weather allowed most folks to get corn planted in a timely fashion. We’ve seen corn around the state that is just about knee …
Be on the Lookout for Loose Smut!
As winter grains start to head out and flower, it’s time to start scouting your fields for Loose smut (Ustilago nuda, U. avenae, U. tritici). Loose smut is found in winter and spring spelt, barley, and wheat, as well as oats. Spelt and barley are particularly susceptible to infection. Loose smut is one of the …
Just Drill It
Now that spring is in full swing, corn is going in the ground and farmers are evaluating their pastures and meadowlands. Rumor has it that winter kill was substantial this past winter, and now is the time to mend your pastures and meadows. UVM Extension has 4 drills available for rent throughout the Champlain Valley. …
You must be logged in to post a comment.