Last year was a dry growing season for many, and while we can’t turn on the spigots run by Mother Nature, there are some practices that can help growers take advantage of the moisture that is available
Since 2016, Miner Institute has collected edge-of-field surface and tile drainage samples from corn silage fields in northeastern New York that receive annual applications of dairy manure
Composted animal manure has been used as a soil amendment for years. When done well, its benefits include plant disease suppression, pathogen destruction, manure volume reduction, and improved soil health....
Each region has its own weather pattern and thus, its own cropping schedule. In late February I was talking to a dairyman down in Louisiana who was gearing up for corn planting the next week
“Roots, roots, roots, and more roots. I want roots.” That was the message soil scientist Jamie Patton shared loud and clear during her presentation at the Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin’s...
Farmers should have soil analyses done on all their fields on a regular basis. Most nutrient management plans require soil testing at least once every three years
There’s a lot of interest in sulfur fertilization these days. Environmental efforts to reduce air pollution have been highly successful, and much less sulfur is now deposited on cropland via precipitation
With all the exciting advances in forage and field crops, including reduced-lignin alfalfa, drought-resistant corn hybrids, and shredlage, agricultural lime seems like a boring topic
A field covered in black soil looks good, but there's much more to soil quality than what meets the eye. Soil testing can help farmers properly manage nutrients, saving both money and the environment....
Fertility isn't just for cows by Amanda Smith, Associate Editor is vital, noted Eric Young, in a recent Miner Institute Farm Report. As in the cow, achieving maximum soil fertility requires a balanced...
Agronomists say that for all the plant growth you see above ground, there is an equivalent root mass found underneath the soil's surface supplying plants with life-giving nutrients. This living, breathable...
Soil sampling do's and don'ts. A soil analysis is only as good as the sample on which it was based. Therefore, sampling should be done by either the farm's crop consultant
For most of the summer, major portions of the U.S. have experienced drought conditions. With the plants most of us bank on as a feed source under stress, our risk of harvesting forages that have excessive...
Four million soil samples reveal fertility shifts Soil fertility rises and falls in response to crop removal rates. At the same time, nutrient surpluses raise soil test levels, while deficits draw them...