October 2024 | Volume 15, Issue 7
Inside this issue:
- Grazing Corn Residue
- Mycotoxin Testing
- Preparing for 2025: Small Grains Disease Management
- 2024 Mid-Atlantic Crop Management School
- Reducing the Risk of Prussic Acid Poisoning
- Cost-Share Grants Available for Fall Manure Transport and Injection
- MDE Seeks Public Input On Animal Feeding Operations Permit
- Extended Enrollment Period for 2024 Conservation Buffer Initiative Begins October 1
- SARE Farmer Grants Due November 12
Mycotoxin Testing
The Maryland Department of Agriculture and the University of Maryland Extension is reminding Maryland farmers Mycotoxin (aflatoxin, fumonisin, vomitoxin, etc.) testing is offered at no cost to farmers for corn, wheat, oats, rye and other grains. Screening includes testing for nitrate and prussic acid in forage and mycotoxins, all of which can have negative effects on livestock growth and performance. The program is a cooperative effort between the Department and Extension and testing is conducted by the department’s State Chemist Section. “The department offers many services to farmers through our programs, including this test that screens for these toxins,” said Maryland Department of Agriculture Secretary Kevin Atticks. “I encourage farmers to take advantage of this testing to assist in assuring grains being sold in Maryland are safe” Farmers interested in testing should contact their local Extension office for assistance to ensure proper protocol for sample collection and preparation. Farmers will submit samples to Extension, who will facilitate transportation to the department. The State Chemist Lab will then analyze for aflatoxin, fumonisin, ochratoxin, T2H2 toxin, vomitoxin, and zearalenone and forage samples for either nitrates or prussic acid. Results from the department will then be sent by Extension to farmers with guidance for interpreting the findings. For more information please contact the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s State Chemist Tom Phillips at (410) 841-2721 or via email, tom.phillps@maryland.gov.
SARE Farmer Grants Due November 12
Farmers in the Northeast can apply for up to $30,000 in funding for sustainable agriculture projects starting in 2025. These projects can range from experiments to on-farm events and demonstrations or other educational activities.
The Call for 2025 Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Farmer Grants is now available. Approximately $850,000 has been allocated to fund projects. Awards of up to $30,000 are available and proposals are due no later than 5:00 p.m. EST on November 12, 2024.
Q&A Sessions are taking place alternating Tuesdays and Wednesdays in October. Register once to attend any of the sessions.
Sessions will take place on: Oct 8, 16, 22, 30. from 12 to 1 EST How to Identify a Farmer Grant Project video: https:// youtu.be/Q_ovYIkO7V
Farmer Grants are designed to be a strong starting point for farmers interested in pursuing grant funding for projects. Since Farmer Grants are intended as a starting point, applicants must identify a Technical Advisor who can provide expertise in areas such as research design, troubleshooting, and promotion. The Technical Advisor acts as a go-to support person throughout the grant project, making it easier on first time grantees and forging new relationships in agricultural communities across the Northeast.
Northeast SARE funds projects in a wide variety of topics, including marketing and business, crop production, raising livestock, aquaculture, social sustainability, climate-smart agriculture practices, urban and Indigenous agriculture and more.
Download Agronomy News, October 2024, Vol. 15, Issue 7 (pdf)
Agronomy News is a statewide newsletter for farmers, consultants, researchers, and educators interested in grain and row crop forage production systems. This newsletter is published by the University of Maryland Extension, Agriculture & Food Systems Agronomy Team every month during the growing season and will include topics pertinent to agronomic crop production. The subscription is free.