Corn Grain Harvest and Tar Spot
UW-Madison & Extension Field Crops Pathologist Damon Smith and Research Assistant Wade Webster converse about the impact of tar spot disease on the 2021 corn crop. Consequences of tar spot include: reduced yield, low test weight, and lodging. Damon also answers the question: Is it too late to make fungicide applications to this year’s corn crop? Find out the answer by viewing the video here.
Cover Crops after Corn Silage
Join a pair of NPM Program Regional Specialists, Kevin Shelley and Dan Smith, for another Bumper Crops conversation. This discussion addresses the establishment of cover crops after corn silage harvest. Tips on the timing of planting, cover crop species selection, and the challenges of fall manure applications are provided. The video can be viewed here.
Tar Spot: Performance of the Tarspotter Mobile Application
Dr. Damon Smith discusses the performance of the predictive mobile app Tarspotter during the 2021 growing season. Spoiler alert: the app worked great at predicting the need, number, and timing of fungicide applications! View Damon’s field trials and see the results here.
Download the Tarspotter app here (iPhone) or here (Android).
Video: Combine Cleaning to Prevent Spreading Weed Seeds
Harvest season is here! Equipment, such as combines, often carry unwanted weed seeds from field to field. This video demonstrates a top-to-bottom, front-to-back procedure for cleaning a combine to help prevent the spread of weed seeds. Kevin Jarek, Outagamie County Extension, and Dan Smith, NPM Program, talk through the steps for combine sanitation – including wearing protective gear, finding hidden weed seeds within access panels, and using compressed air to remove plant material both inside and outside of a combine. To view the video, click here.
A related publication, Weed Seed Movement via Combines: 2019-2020 Case Study summarizes an investigation of the prevalence and viability (i.e. emergence) of weed seeds collected within distinct areas of combines. Read the study results plus tips for reducing the spread of troublesome weeds here.
Publications: What is a Nutrient Management Plan? & Benefits of a Nutrient Management Plan
Nutrient management planning season is right around the corner. Here are two NPM Program publications that may entice interest among farmers for upcoming nutrient management planning workshops. What is a Nutrient Management Plan? is a two-page handout that describes the basic components of a nutrient management plan. Benefits of a Nutrient Management Plan discusses incentives for obtaining and following a nutrient management plan. These incentives include saving money, protecting water quality, and improving soil health.
Publication: Management Options for Farms with High Soil Test Phosphorus Levels
Management Options for Farms with High Soil Test Phosphorus Levels is an eight-page publication containing numerous nutrient management options for farms with fields that are high in phosphorus. Practices for balancing a farm’s phosphorus inputs with removals are featured, including: managing dietary phosphorus, following soil test recommendations, crediting all nutrient sources, wise use of starter fertilizer, and various land management practices. View and download the publication here.
Please note: The NPM Program has hard copy versions of the publication mentioned above. Please send requests to npm@hort.wisc.edu noting the number of copies you would like and a mailing address
