C.O.R.N. Newsletter: 2017-03

 Given the warmer than normal winter and large amounts of rainfall received in areas, some livestock producers will be looking to apply manure in February when farm fields are frozen enough to support application equipment. Permitted farms are not allowed to apply manure in the winter unless it is an extreme emergency, and then movement to other suitable storage is usually the selected alternative. This article is for medium and small livestock operations.

In the Grand Lake St Marys watershed, the winter manure application ban from December 15^th to March 1^st is still in effect. Thus, no manure application would normally be allowed in February.

In the western Lake Erie basin watershed, the application of manure to frozen and snow covered soils require there to be a growing crop in the field. This could be a pasture, alfalfa, clover, ryegrass or rape crop. There must be enough vegetation visible to provide 90% cover of residue and growing vegetation, Radishes and oats would not qualify as a growing crop as both are typically winterkilled.

The state-wide rainfall rule for surface manure application is a weather forecast saying “not greater than a 50% chance of a half inch or more of rain in the next 24 hours”.  It is advisable to print out the weather forecast when you start applying manure so you have the needed proof if an unexpected storm drenches the area. Weather.gov is the accepted website for this forecast.

Small animal operations (those with less than 37,500 laying chickens, 200 dairy cows, 300 finishing cattle, 750 finishing hogs, 3,000 sheep, or 150 horses) can still be exempt from the growing crop requirement for this winter if they have completed the Application for Exemption from Ohio Revised Code 939.08(A). The form can be accessed at: http://www.agri.ohio.gov/public_docs/forms/SWC/Exemption%20Application%20Form%2020160212e.pdf and will only be good through July 3rd of 2017.

Winter manure application should also follow the NRCS 590 standards, which limit solid manure application to five tons per acre and liquid manure application to 5,000 gallons per acre. These have 200 foot setback distances from ditches, streams and creeks and must be on slopes of less than 6% and less than 20 acre areas without additional buffers.

So you think you are ready to make an effort to improve soil health?  Wondering how to produce corn in the most profitable and environmentally safe way?  Do you want to know how to fit cover crops into your operation?  Maybe you are looking for ways to apply manure to make the most efficient use of your nutrients.  Ready to find a way to make better use of the technology integrated into your tractor, combine, planter, or sprayer?  Will the new herbicide management programs give that bump in soybean yield you’ve been looking for?  Are you ready test your ideas with on-farm research, develop a nutrient management plan, or make that move to a no-till system?

These are all questions you might have asked yourself, but have struggled to find an answer.  This year’s Conservation Tillage Conference (CTC) has the answers to these questions and many more.  The McIntosh Center at Ohio Northern University will once again be the location were about 60 presenters, several agribusiness exhibitors, and approximately 900 participants will come together March 7th and 8th in Ada, Ohio.  Add value to your operation by learning new ideas and technologies to expand your agronomic crops knowledge.

A general session with ag engineer Paul Jasa from the University of Nebraska discussing a Systems Approach to No-till and Soil Health, Corn University, Advanced Cover Crops, Manure Nutrient Management, and Technologies to Support On-Farm Decisions are the sessions that make up day one.  On the second day, conference participants will be able to choose from Soybean School, Quantifying Soil Health, Conducting On farm Research: Does it Really Work?, Conservation Assessment and Planning, and Transitioning to No-till. For more information and a detailed Schedule visit CTTC website Online registration can be found Here.