Grain head diseases in cereal crops are critical to pay attention to as they can cause significant yield loss and lower the quality of the seed. Some pathogens, including Fusarium head blight (FHB) and ergot, are also highly toxic to both humans and livestock. Many of the head diseases covered in this blog are also …
Continue reading “What’s growing on your crop? Grain head diseases of cereal grains”
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 …
This winter, the Northern Grain Growers Association and University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crops and Soils Program brought our annual Grain Growers Conference to you! A virtual program was offered over the course of three weeks with presentations and hands-on activities, highlighting specific grain crops in the Northeast. Didn’t catch the live events? Don’t worry! …
In 2021, the University of Vermont Extension’s Northwest Crops and Soils Program evaluated 35 spring wheat varieties to identify varieties that perform well in production systems in northern Vermont. The trial was established at the Borderview Research Farm in Alburgh, Vermont. The 2021 growing season was slightly warmer and significantly drier than the 30-year average. …
The cool wet weather throughout the spring has created the ideal growing conditions for a plethora of fungal pathogens. Several leaf diseases have been observed in our grain trials this season. One of the more easily identifiable ones is powdery mildew. Powdery mildew is a common disease of grain crops and can be observed periodically …
Continue reading “Grain Growers Take Note of Powdery Mildew Alert”
This year, the University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crops and Soils team conducted an organic hard red winter wheat variety trial–both heirloom and modern day varieties–to determine those that perform best in our northern climate. The following provides harvest results from the trials at Borderview Research Farm in Alburgh, Vermont. The project evaluated 34 winter …
Continue reading “Preliminary Results from 2016 Winter Wheat Variety Trials Give Snapshot of Yields”
On the first official day of summer, a crowd gathered in the barnyard of Rogers Farmstead in Berlin, Vermont. The topic was to learn the ins and outs of small grain growing and processing from beginning farmers Nate and Jessie Rogers. This event was the first in a series on grain production offered in collaboration …
Continue reading “Getting Started in Grains: Recap of Field Day at Rogers Farmstead”
As winter grains are heading out and flowering, it’s time to start scouting your fields for loose smut (Ustilago nuda, Ustilago avenae, and Ustilago 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 …