April 2026 | Volume 17, Issue 1
Inside this Issue:
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Regional Crop Reports
Regional Crop Reports -
Weather Outlook
Weather Outlook -
University of Maryland Agriculture & Food Systems Faculty Directory
University of Maryland Agriculture & Food Systems Faculty Directory
Second Annual University of Maryland TAPS Crop Competitions Sign Ups are Open
Queenstown, Md. – Researchers at the University of Maryland are enrolling participants in the second annual University of Maryland – Testing Ag Performance Solutions (UMD-TAPS) crop competitions. This farm simulator put participants in the driver’s seat to make lucrative management decisions which are executed in a head-to-head plot level competition with prize money awarded in multiple categories after harvest. These competitions are supported by the Maryland Soybean Board and the Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board in 2026.
The UMD-TAPS competitions are part of a national network of TAPS competitions, which originated at University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2018 and has expanded to nine locations across the U.S. in 2025. This farm simulator provides participants with a zero-risk opportunity to make novel or even extreme management decisions and experience the in-field outcomes of those decisions without risking personal field space or profitability. The management decisions participants make are executed in replicated small plots at the Wye Research and Education Center in Queenstown, Md. This competition framework means anyone can participate – no field space is required for participation.
UMD researchers are offering an irrigated corn and irrigated soybean competition where participants must make decisions about variety selection, seeding rate, fertility, pest management, irrigation management, and grain marketing throughout the growing season. We encourage producers to take advantage of the grain marketing component of the competition as grain marketing is often an under-utilized management strategy to increase farmer profitability. The goal of the competition is to identify which suite of management decisions will result in the most profitable team, most nutrient efficient team, and highest yielding team, who will all receive prize money at the results reveal dinner following the growing season.
The irrigated corn and soybean competitions are limited to 24 teams each. Due to limited availability, researchers urge individuals and teams to sign up as soon as possible. Interested applicants can sign up at go.umd.edu/UMDTAPS2026 or by scanning the QR code below. For any questions, please reach out to Dr. Nicole Fiorellino at nfiorell@umd.edu.
IPM Lunch and Learn Webinar
Date: April 16, 2026 | Thursday
Time: 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Speaker: Dr. Kurt M. Vollmer
Registration: go.umd.edu/ipmwebinar
Note: MD/DE Pesticide CEUs available
End of Gramoxone: What Growers Should Know
By, Kurt Vollmer, Ph.D., Extension Specialist, Weed Management, University of Maryland
Syngenta recently announced it will stop manufacturing Gramoxone at the end of June. The product contains paraquat, a widely used herbicide for controlling weeds before planting, at planting and post-directed after crops emerge. Paraquat is an important tool for managing tough weeds, including herbicide-resistant weeds such as Palmer amaranth.
Only the Gramoxone brand of paraquat will be discontinued. Based on current estimates, Gramoxone supplies should be adequate for 2026, but growers may want to begin exploring alternative brands. Other paraquat brands may not be labeled for all the applications listed on the Gramoxone label. For example, only certain formulations allow post-directed applications in cucurbit crops such as watermelon. Because labels vary, fruit and vegetable growers should carefully review each paraquat label and follow all state requirements before applying.
| Product | Manufacturer | Cucurbits | Orchards/Vineyards | Solanaceaous |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Axil Solutions Paraquat 3SL | Axill Solutions LLC | No | Yes | Yes |
| Better Choice Brands Paraquat 3SL | Better Choice Brands, LLC | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Devour | Invictus Crop Care, LLC | No | Yes | Yes |
| Gramoxone SL 3.0 | Syngenta Crop Protection, LLC | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Helmquat 3SL | Helm Agro US, Inc. | Yes | See label | See label |
| Paraquat Concentrate | Solera Source Dynamics, LLC | No | Yes | Yes |
| Para-Shot 3.0 | Sharda USA, LLC | No | Yes | Yes |
| Parazone 3 SL | AMVAC Chemical Corporation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Quick-Quat | Drexel Chemical Corporation | No | Yes | Yes |
| Willowood Paraquat 3SL | Generic Crop Science, LLC | NO | Yes | Yes |
Download Agronomy News, April 2026, Volume 17, Issue 1 (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.