Publications

Authors: Benjamin Beale - Matthew Morris

Common Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) is a native summer annual weed of many cropping systems in the mid-Atlantic. It is often encountered as weed in agronomic crops as well as vegetable, orchards, roadsides, and abandoned fields. Common ragweed can thrive in lower fertility soils and is often more severe in reduced or no-tillage situations. In Maryland, populations of glyphosate resistant common ragweed were first confirmed in 2014. Resistance to ALS herbicides was also confirmed the same year. In most areas of Maryland, common ragweed has two-way resistance to both glyphosate and ALS chemistry. In 2017, pockets of three way resistant common ragweed plants were confirmed in parts of Delaware and the Eastern Shore of Maryland to PPO, ALS and glyphosate. Herbicide resistant common ragweed can be very difficult to control in agronomic crops, particularly soybeans. Authors: Benjamin Beale, and Matthew Morris; Title: Managing Herbicide Resistant Common Ragweed (FS-474)

Authors: Neith Little - Sarah Everhart

Farmers who use pesticide products must use the product in accordance with the label and are responsible for taking certain steps to prevent pesticide exposure and mitigate any pesticide related health consequences for themselves and their employees, co-owners, and family members working on the farm. The Worker Protection Standard requires that when farmers use a pesticide with a WPS-label, they take certain protective measures to reduce the risk of illness or injury associated with exposure to pesticides. Not only is complying with the WPS a legal requirement for farmers who use a WPS-labeled pesticide, but research has shown that the practices required by the WPS benefit the health of farmers, farmworkers, and their families. Organic farmers may not realize that they are subject to the WPS. To comply with federal law and reduce pesticide related risks, all farmers should follow pesticide label instructions and implement the recommended practices. The WPS responsibilities can be broken down into three categories: inform, protect, and mitigate. This factsheet includes a summary of the main WPS provisions.

Authors: Bryan Butler - Shannon Dill - Sherry Frick - Andrew Kness - Willie Lantz - Teresa McCoy - Matthew Morris - Jeff Semler

The University of Maryland Extension (UME) conducted an agricultural needs assessment for the seven counties in northern and western Maryland in 2017. This survey will help UME faculty and administration understand issues concerning regional agriculture, identify agricultural and educational needs and focus UME agricultural training and resources.

Authors: Matt Morris - Ben Beale

Palmer amaranth, Amaranthus palmeri, is a new invasive weed in the pigweed family that has become a major challenge for farmers across the U.S. for much of the last decade. Native to the Sonora Desert of Arizona and Northern Mexico, Palmer amaranth is well adapted to the hot Maryland summers. It was first discovered in Maryland during the mid-twentieth century, but the presence of herbicide resistant Palmer amaranth was not confirmed until 2014. Since then it has spread to most regions of the state including Eastern, Southern, and Western Maryland. The spread of Palmer amaranth has been hastened by the movement of contaminated equipment, feed, and seed from infested areas.

Authors: Doris Behnke - Nevin Dawson - Shannon Dill - Jessica Flores - Jim Lewis - Teresa McCoy - Jarrod Miller - Jon Moyle - Andrew Ristvey - Jennifer Rhodes - Virginia Rosenkranz

The University of Maryland Extension (UME) conducted an agricultural needs assessment for the nine counties on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in 2015. This survey will help UME understand issues concerning Eastern Shore agriculture, identify agricultural and educational needs and focus UME agricultural training and resources. The survey was conducted in 2015 and included four sections: 1) industry priorities, concerns and viability; 2) research and education needs; 3) education and training preferences; and 4) demographic and farm information. Results were received from 295 farmers through paper or online surveys.

Authors: Ben Beale - Shannon Dill - Dale Johnson - Ginger S. Myers

Planning is essential to any business, no matter how large or small your inventory, payroll and bank account. To be sustainable and profitable a farm operation must have a clear understanding of production, marketing, finances and labor. Having these plans mentally is not enough! Taking time to formulate thoughts, evaluate your business, devise a strategy, and anticipate possible problems will help your business be successful. The Farm Business Planning tools on this page will help put you on the right track.

Authors: Andrew Kness

Nematodes are an economically important pathogen of many crops in Maryland. Significant yield loss can occur if nematodes are not managed properly. This factsheet serves as a broad introduction to nematodes as plant pathogens and serves as a general guide for sampling and managing nematodes in Maryland. Title: General Recommendations for Managing Nematodes in Field Crops (FS-1082); Author: Andrew Kness

Authors: Paul Goeringer - Catherine Onumajuru - Dale Johnson - Mason Grahame

Determining the value of sweat equity can be both challenging and controversial for farm families. Sweat equity arises as an issue when an on-farm heir receives payment at below market rate, and the farm business grows in size due to an on-farm heir’s below-market labors. Land in the farm may also appreciate in value due to the work of the on-farm heir. It is important to note that the best solution for handling sweat equity is to agree early on to pay the on-farm heir at a market rate. Handling sweat equity early on may necessitate the on-farm heir also working off the farm for additional income if the farm cannot support an additional person full-time. It is important to discuss the farm succession plan and limit the possibility of sweat equity claims at an early stage of farm expansion. Authors: Paul Goeringer, Catherine Onumajuru, Dale Johnson, and Mason Grahame; Title: Valuing On-Farm Heir’s Sweat Equity Is Complicated and Agreements Should Be Developed to Fairly Compensate On-Farm Heirs (FS-1079)

Authors: Jonathan Moyle - Jennifer Rhodes - Tom Tabler - Stephen Collier

Poultry farmers work with many different types of electrical equipment daily. Harsh environments inside and outside the poultry house can affect the safety of electrical equipment and create hazards. Growers need to take steps to prevent electrical injury, including only using properly grounded equipment, keeping electrical panel free of dust and debris, and looking for problems with equipment and cords. This publication provides guidelines for poultry farmers to follow to avoid electrical hazards. Authors: Jonathan Moyle, Jennifer Rhodes, Tom Tabler, and Stephen Collier. Title: Poultry Farm Electrical Safety, Know How to Recognize and Prevent Potential Hazards (FS-1069).

Authors: Matt Morris

Dicamba tolerant soybeans, marketed under the trade name Roundup Ready 2 Xtend Soybeans are again available to Maryland growers for the 2018 growing season. This line of soybeans combines previous Roundup Ready technology with tolerance to the herbicide dicamba. While this new dicamba tolerance may be useful in combatting certain tough-to-control weeds including marestail and palmer amaranth, use caution when applying dicamba. Applications of dicamba may cause problems due to the sensitivity of certain crops to the herbicide. Exposure can occur due to drift, volatility, or a non-target application. This report provides recommendations for using new dicamba-tolerant technologies.