Agronomy News September 2022 Cover
Updated: September 29, 2022

September 2022  |  Volume 13, Issue 6

Minimizing Combine Weed-Seed Movement

Mark Townsend, Ben Beal, and Kurt Vollmer, University of Maryland Extension

Harvest is fast approaching for grain producers; some of which have already begun shelling corn in recent days. Though this time of year often marks the end of the season, some decisions we make at harvest have lasting effects on subsequent growing seasons; one of which is...Read more about Minimizing Combine Weed-Seed Movement

2022 Maryland Cash Rental Rates

Paul Goeringer, Agriculture Law Legal Specialist, University of Maryland, Agriculture Law Education Initiative

Each year, USDA’s National Agricultural Statistic Service (NASS) collects data from 240,000 farms across the United States through the Cash Rent Survey. Once published, this survey will give farmers and renters a ball park range of what land is going for in their area....Read more about 2022 Maryland Cash Rental Rates

Scouting For Podworms

Emily Zobel, Senior Agriculture Agent Associate, University of Maryland Extension-Dorchester County

It's time to start scouting for podworms (Helicoverpa zea) in double-crop soybeans. There have been reports of high numbers of small and young pod worms and soybean loopers in double-crop soybean on the...Read more about Scouting for Podworms

SARE Farmer Grants Open

Grants is now available. Approximately $750,000 has been allocated to fund projects for this cycle of Farmer Grants. Awards typically range from $5,000 to $30,000, depending upon a project’s complexity and duration.

Farmer Grants help farmers try new things that could improve their operations, according to Grant Coordinator Candice Huber.

“Farmers are natural problem solvers,” Huber says. “They see something that needs to be done and build a solution. Northeast SARE provides an opportunity for farmers to try solutions that improve quality of life, profitability, and environmental impact.”

A wide variety of topics can be funded by Northeast SARE, including marketing and business, crop production, raising livestock, aquaculture, social sustainability, climate-smart agriculture practices, urban and Indigenous agriculture and more. Last year, the cap for Farmer Grants was increased from $15,000 to $30,000.

“We’re looking for people to pay a reasonable wage for their work on a grant project,” Huber says. "The additional funding is also more realistic for complex projects with more collaboration, education, and replication to increase the strength of results."

The online system for submitting proposals will open on Oct 1, 2022. Proposals are due no later than November 15, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. EST.

An informational webinar featuring multiple Farmer Grant recipient Tommye Lou Rafes will take place at 12:00 p.m. on October 4, 2022.

Rafes says the benefits of a SARE grant go beyond financial support. There's an emotional support to knowing that your problem is valid and worth spending time to study.

Click here to view the full request for proposals

Click here to register for the webinar

Tar Spot of Corn Confirmed in Maryland

Andrew Kness, Senior Agriculture Agent, University of Maryland Extension-Harford County

Tar spot, a foliar disease of corn caused by the fungal pathogen, Phyllachora maydis, was reported and confirmed for the first time in Maryland. Tar spot has been present just over the Mason-Dixon Line for a couple of years now where it was first discovered in...Read more about Tar Spot of Corn Confirmed in Maryland

Delmarva Woodland Stewards Training Program

Luke Macaulay, Wildlife Management Specialist, University of Maryland Extension

This educational program will teach forest and wildlife management practices and leadership skills to a select group of landowners and help support these individuals to be informed leaders in their community to enhance forest and wildlife stewardship. In exchange, participants are...Read more about Delmarva Woodland Stewards Training Program

Disease in Soybeans

Alyssa Koehler, Extension Field Crop Pathologist, University of Delaware

Across much of the region, 2022 has been a tough year for soybeans with heat and quite a few dry periods. Over the past few weeks, I have had multiple calls for fields with plants that may have stunting, leaf symptoms, or patches of dead plants. In most of these cases, root knot nematodes (RKN) have...Read more about Disease in Soybeans

Maryland Farming Success Online Course

Paul Goeringer,Agriculture Law Legal Specialist University of Maryland, Agriculture Law Education Initiative

This summer, the University of Maryland (UMD) is partnering with the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) and USDA to create a four-module online training course Maryland Farming Success. This course will allow traditionally underserved and socially disadvantaged audiences to logically...Read more about Maryland Farming Success Online Course

August 2022 Grain Market Report

Dale Johnson, Farm Management Specialist, University of Maryland Extension

Corn

This month’s 2022/23 U.S. corn outlook is for lower supplies, reduced feed and residual use, slightly higher food, seed, and industrial use, smaller exports, and lower ending stocks. Projected beginning stocks for 2022/23 are 20 million bushels higher based on a lower use forecast for...Read more about the August 2022 Grain Market Report

  • UME Agronomy Faculty Directory

  • Maryland Weather Outlook

  • Maryland Regional Crop Reports

Download Agronomy News, September 2022, Vol. 13, Issue 6 (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. 

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EDITOR

Andrew Kness
Agriculture Extension Agent University of Maryland Extension
3525 Conowingo Rd., Suite 600
Street, MD 21154
(410) 638-3255
Email: akness@umd.edu