Grazing, Disease Management, Opportunities for Involvement, and so much more! |
Happy February from all of us at the UW–Madison Extension Crops and Soils Program! Get ready, because this month's newsletter is full of resources, tools, datasets, surveys, and more that our educators, specialists, and researchers have developed this offseason. As always, we hope to connect with you at one of our many upcoming events!
- Dan H. Smith, Nutrient and Pest Management Program Manager
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Timely Articles and Resources |
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Silvopasture is an agroforestry practice that integrates trees, forage, and livestock on the same site and manages the system to protect the environment. Like any agricultural system, silvopasture requires careful management to provide economic benefits and prevent ecological damage. Read more here.
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Preventing mycotoxin contamination in corn silage requires a multi-pronged approach, including field management, proper harvesting, ensiling techniques, and strategic feeding practices. Regular testing and proactive adjustments can help maintain silage quality and safeguard animal health and performance. By following these guidelines, farmers can minimize the risks posed by mycotoxins and ensure a healthier, more productive livestock feed supply.
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One of the most common questions that grazing planners and technical service providers get is “What should I plant in my pasture?” The forage base is the foundation of successful managed grazing, and building a robust pasture should be a high priority for every grazing operation.
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In 2023, a grazing farmer network in northwestern Wisconsin was asked to identify the greatest needs for research. At the top of their list was the practice of winter bale grazing. We designed a research project that sought to answer some of their questions about the practice.
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Planting soybeans in the same field consecutively is generally not recommended. Most growers avoid this practice due to lower yields, increased disease prevalence, and the desire to capture the rotational credits available to a subsequent corn crop. Research on growing soybean following soybean is limited; therefore, our goal is to develop best management practices (BMPs) for cultivating second-year soybean.
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This proposed research's goal is to take a holistic view of soybean planted into a cereal rye cover crop by testing the effects of various treatments on soybean seed yield and cover crop biomass. Read the preliminary results here.
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Each year the Wisconsin Field Crops Pathology Program conducts a wide array of fungicide and disease management tests on alfalfa, corn, soybeans, and wheat. These tests help inform researchers, practitioners, and farmers about the efficacy of certain fungicide products on specific diseases and how to pair them with other disease management strategies. We hope you find this report useful in making decisions for the 2025 field season. Access the 2024 Wisconsin Field Crops Fungicide Test and Disease Management Summary here.
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The purpose of this report is to share the results of corn, soybean, and bareground herbicide evaluation research trials conducted by the Wisconsin Cropping Systems Weed Science (WiscWeeds) Program during the 2024 growing season.
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Rue Genger joined the UW–Madison Division of Extension as the new Emerging and Specialty Crops Program Manager in the Crops and Soils Program. They look forward to working with outreach specialists and regional crops educators across the state to serve producers across a wide range of production systems.
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Podcasts from the Crops and Soils Program |
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Will Fulwider, Regional Crops Educator, hosts Field Notes, where specialist guests, farmers, and industry reps collaborate with them to combine their skills, knowledge, and experience to help farmers and agronomists develop research-based solutions to issues facing agriculture in Wisconsin. Subscribe where you listen to podcasts or check out the episodes here!
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Join the UW-Madison Division of Extension as they search for new crops for Wisconsin growers, processors, and consumers on The Cutting Edge. The strength of Wisconsin’s agricultural economy is its diversity…something that doesn’t just happen by chance. It is a product of the relentless drive of researchers and farmers to innovate, explore, and experiment. Join us for a glimpse into the exciting new research and development bringing new crops and diversity to Wisconsin. Subscribe where you listen to podcasts or check out the episodes here!
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When: Feb. 19, 21, and 24 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Where: Eau Claire (Feb. 19), Arlington (Feb. 21) and Appleton (Feb. 24)
UW–Madison Extension’s on-farm research team is excited to bring you three regional meetings that will explore on-farm research and how it might inform our nitrogen management decisions. Sessions are free, and registration is required to guarantee lunch.
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Feb. 12: Focus on Corn Silage
Feb. 26: Focus on Forage Cover Crops
March 5: Focus on the Alfalfa Toolbox
Focus on Forage is a FREE, 4-part webinar series highlighting research-based information and farmer strategies to optimize forage yield, quality, and profitability in Wisconsin. Webinar speakers include forage industry experts, UW–Madison Specialists, and Extension Educators. Certified Crop Advisor CEUs and ARPAS credits are available for each webinar.
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Feb. 20 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Fond du Lac County Highway Department
This workshop is designed to give farmers and landowners (and those who install their own tile systems) an introduction to laying out and designing your system to succeed, an understanding of the regulations (both Wisconsin water law and agency regulations impacting drainage activities), and knowledge of how to find existing tile systems in a field. Registration fees per person before noon Feb. 17 are $30 and $40 after the deadline/at the door.
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Feb. 27 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
UW Whitewater University Innovation Center
The workshop features Dr. Luiz Ferraretto, assistant professor & extension specialist – ruminant nutrition from UW–Madison Department of animal and dairy sciences, Dr. Marta Moura Kohmann, assistant professor & extension specialist in forage systems agroecology from UW–Madison department of plant and agroecosystem sciences, Josh Kamps, regional crops educator from Jefferson, Rock and Walworth Counties, and Alison Pfau, M.S., bilingual regional dairy educator from Dane, Jefferson, Rock and Walworth Counties.
The cost to attend is $10, which includes dinner and all workshop materials.
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Feb. 27, March 13, and March 27 from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. live via Zoom
Whether you’re new to or experienced with on-farm research, this three-part webinar series has something for everyone! Join UW-Madison Extension as we explore fundamentals in on-farm research (Feb. 27), technology considerations (March 13), and UW on-farm research findings and opportunities (March 27).
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March 7–8
Chula Vista Resort, Wisconsin Dells
Join UW–Madison Extension and the Upper Midwest Hazelnut Development Institute (UMHDI) for the 2025 Upper Midwest Hazelnut Growers Conference March 7-8 at the Chula Vista Resort, Wisconsin Dells!
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To continue the quality of presentations and innovative ideas shared, UW-Madison Extension invites you to submit a proposal for a breakout session at our next Wisconsin Water and Soil Health Conference held in December 2025 in the Wisconsin Dells. More information is available here. 2024 WWASH Conference details are here.
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Clare Dietz, a PhD student, is looking for 10-15 row crop farmers in Wisconsin who may be interested in helping her identify unprofitable areas in their fields, as well as understanding how management decisions for those areas are made and the potential environmental benefits of improvements in management. She plans to do this work using yield monitor data and expense records, so a yield monitor is necessary in order to participate.
If you’re interested or have questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Clare via email cdietz2@wisc.edu or phone: (563) 599-7631.
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Daniel Zhu, a graduate student in the WiscWeeds Research & Extension program, is conducting a survey to document 2024 herbicide programs used in different Wisconsin corn production systems and could use your help! Find the survey here.
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| CCA Board Nominations Open
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The Wisconsin Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) Board is now accepting nominations for up to three positions on the WI CCA Board. The nominee must be a CCA in good standing and submit a short biography (up to ½ page) by Friday March 7, 2025. Please consider nominating yourself or another qualified CCA with their approval. The board meets 3-4 times/year and each term lasts three years. There is a two term limit.
Anticipated election timeline:
Nomination deadline: March 7, 2025
Electronic Ballot emailed: Approximately March 14, 2025
Voting Deadline: April 7, 2025
Notification of results: mid-late April, 2025
Biographies should be submitted by the March 7, 2025 deadline to Daniel Smith, dhsmith@wisc.edu. Please email or call Daniel (608-219-5170) if you have questions.
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Hear from us and our partners more often! |
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| Veggie producers, sign up to receive tailored updates from the Gevens Lab (vegetable entomology).
Sign up by sending a blank email with any subject line to: vegcropupdate@lists.wisc.edu
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Fruit producers, sign up to receive tailored updates from the UW–Madison Fruit Program. Each newsletter is full of the latest news and resources from UW researchers.
Sign up and read more here.
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Sign up to receive pest monitoring data and maps, current articles on economically important plant pests affecting Wisconsin's field crops, fruits, vegetables, nurseries, and forests. Sign up on DATCP's website or read newsletters on the web here.
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UW–Madison Division of Extension Crops and Soils Program
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Partially supported by National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Crop Protection and Pest Management-Extension Implementation Program award number 2024-70006-43559.
An EEO/AA employer, University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension provides equal opportunities in employment and programming, including Title VI, Title IX, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act requirements. Please make requests for reasonable accommodations to ensure equal access to educational programs as early as possible preceding the scheduled program, service, or activity. For communicative accommodations in languages other than English, please contact oaic@extension.wisc.edu. For communicative accommodations based on a disability, please contact Heather Lipinski Stelljes at: heather.stelljes@wisc.edu for the public.
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