Author: Linda Geist
10 Tips to Bulletproof Your Beef Operation
Beef producers can use a window of profitability to make their farm business more bulletproof. University of Missouri Extension agricultural economist Joe Horner said successful beef producers can make small changes in three areas to make their farm less vulnerable to risks: plants, animals and business. Being good in just […]
Mowing Hay Low May Cost Money, Time
There are many reasons to avoid cutting low when mowing hay, but money is the main one, said University of Missouri Extension agronomist Tim Schnakenberg. Schnakenberg recommends a height of 4 inches for cool-season grasses like tall fescue, bromegrass, orchardgrass and Timothy and 8 inches for native warm-season grasses. Typically, […]
Weeds Adapt to Fight Back Against Herbicides
Weeds today aren’t like “what Mom used to make,” says University of Missouri Extension weed scientist Kevin Bradley. Today’s weeds know how to fight back against long-used herbicides and adapt in ways that spell trouble in production agriculture, says Bradley. Officially, Missouri already has 11 different herbicide-resistant weed species. Waterhemp […]
Farmers Should Prioritize Health, Seek Help if Needed
Farmers know that well-maintained equipment is key to success. Yet they often do not listen to the “check engine” warning signs of stress, says Sean Brotherson, family science specialist for North Dakota State University. Brotherson was the keynote speaker at the recent University of Missouri Crop Management Conference. “Ag has […]
Test for SCN, soybean’s silent killer
Data from MU researchers shows soybean cyst nematode (SCN) field populations are becoming more virulent on commercial soybean cultivars, says University of Missouri Extension plant pathologist Kaitlyn Bissonnette. Testing fields for SCN is typically conducted once harvest is completed; however, spring is not too late to send soil samples for […]
Farmers Needed for Missouri Strip Trial Program
Ten years ago, not many farmers were talking about cover crops. That is not the case now, says Greg Luce, University of Missouri Extension corn specialist and research director for the Missouri Soybean Association and the Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council. He invites farmers to take part in MU’s Missouri Strip […]
Herbicide-resistant Palmer amaranth confirmed in Missouri
University of Missouri Extension weed scientists report the first confirmed case of multiple-herbicide-resistant Palmer amaranth in Missouri. It likely is the wave of the future. MU Division of Plant Sciences research specialist Mandy Bish says this has weed scientists concerned because of Palmer amaranth’s competitive and aggressive nature. “As the […]
Trickle-Down Effect
Rain goes beyond farm community In 45 years of farming, Boone County farmer Robert Brown has never seen anything like the flood of troubles Missouri faces this season. “This year is the worst year of my life as far as soybean planting goes,” he says as he shakes his head. […]