Agronomy and Farm Management

We ran out of time last week with guest Dr. Horacio Lopez-Nicora so we doubled up our releases to cover soybean red crown rot, an emerging and increasingly concerning disease in Midwest production systems. He explains how the pathogen develops, the environmental conditions that favor infection, and why red crown rot can be difficult to distinguish from other soybean wilts and root diseases in the field. Dr. Lopez-Nicora also highlights current research and management options, including the role of resistant varieties, crop rotation, and integrated disease management practices aimed at reducing risk and limiting yield loss. Listeners will come away with practical guidance on scouting, diagnosis, and proactive strategies to stay ahead of this potentially devastating soybean disease. Watch the C.O.R.N newsletter for the latest updates. For more on Soybean Cyst Nematode management go to: https://www.thescncoalition.com/. For more information and disease forecasting tools, please visit: https://cropprotectionnetwork.org/ A big thanks goes out to the United Soybean Board and Ohio Soybean Council for their support.

We continue our discussion with Eric Richer, OSUE Field Specialist, by digging into more hurdles of organic grain production. From nitrogen sources to paperwork, we take a realistic look what farmers can expect in an organic system compared to conventional. To dive deeper into this topic, we recommend attending the 2026 Ohio State Organic Grains Conference January 7-8. For more details, visit: https://offer.osu.edu/events/2026-OrganicGrainsConference.

To renovate or not to renovate? That is the question many pasture managers face, especially after two dry summers. With a large commitment of time and money, it is a question that should be carefully considered. To help us do so, Dr. Emma Matcham, State Specialist for Integrated Forage Systems, walks us through the process from start to finish. We consider stand evaluation, timing, seeding methods and more as we discuss the nuances farmers face in making this decision. Additional resources: Giving new life to tired pastures: https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/anr-0159 Forage management after drought and a tough growing season: https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2025-36Ohio Agronomy Guide: https://extensionpubs.osu.edu/ohio-agronomy-guide-16th-edition/

We continue our discussion with Dr. John Fulton on how to increase the reliability of harvest data. This time we focus on the in-field practices. With bigger machines, it is getting more difficult to collect high res data. Tune in for recommendations on things such as how long passes should be and more to increase the quality of your yield data. For more resources on harvest data, visit: https://digitalag.osu.edu/precision-ag/research-focuses/harvest-technologies.

Farmers write some big checks based on harvest data. How confident are you in the quality of that data? We’re getting into the weeds with Dr. John Fulton about how to ensure confident decisions can be made based on what is collected in the field this fall. In the first of this two part series, we talk about how yield measurements are collected in the combine, provide advice on calibration and discuss how unintentional mistakes can lead to big missteps with input decisions. For more information on calibration, visit: https://digitalag.osu.edu/precision-ag/research-focuses/harvest-technologies.

Tar spot concern continues to grow across Ohio as it shows up in more and more fields each year. Each year farmers and researchers wonder if this will be the season it really explodes, causing widespread economic damage. For a background on Tar Spot, check out episodes 123 and 101. In this episode, Dr. Stephanie Karhoff updates us on the latest research and treatment recommendations for managing not only Tar Spot but Gibberella ear rot and the vomitoxin it causes. Each disease has certain weather conditions and infection timing that are critical components to successfully managing it in field. The Crop Protection Network’s disease forecasting tool can afford insight into what to look for during scouting: https://cropprotectionnetwork.org/crop-disease-forecasting.