C.O.R.N. Newsletter: 2025-04
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Conservation Tillage and Technology Conference March 11-12
Don’t miss this year’s Conservation Tillage and Technology Conference March 11-12, 2025, (Tuesday-Wednesday) at Ohio Northern University, Ada, Ohio. Connect with other great farmers and CCAs, experience new ideas, and increase your net income.
The theme is “Getting More from Less.” Cutting costs is key following a year where corn and soybean yields were reduced for many farmers. And crop prices are barely breakeven. We don’t know what the weather will be in 2025, but commodity prices are projected to stay low.
Fred Yoder, no-till farmer at Plain City and former president of the National Corn Growers Association, will be the opening keynote speaker and will appear two more times on the program. He’ll discuss economic benefits of continuous no-till. Also, he will share insights into the new USDA leadership and the Farm Bill.
Jeff Duling, Putnam County, will discuss how he works with Mother Nature to increase yields with no-till and cover crops. Part of his farmland is Paulding clay, considered the worst soil in Northwest Ohio. He has increased corn yields on it by 50 to 75 bushels per acre. He is sponsored by Pioneer.
Connor Sible, Assistant Professor, University of Illinois, will share his research on various methods of “Managing Residue (from high-yielding corn): Mechanical, Chemical, and Biological.” He is sponsored by Calmer Corn Heads.
Etienne Herrick-Sutton, University of Missouri, will speak on the Regenerative Agriculture Outlook. Rodrigo Werle, University of Wisconsin, will present information on Managing Waterhemp in Soybeans. The full conference program is available at ctc.osu.edu
With about 60 speakers total, the Conservation Tillage and Technology Conference gives plenty of opportunities to gain valuable information. The program features four faculty from Midwest universities and more than 20 OSU Extension Educators and campus faculty.
The opening General Session will start at 8:30 a.m. March 11. Master Farmer Awards and the Ohio CCA of the Year will be announced. Four concurrent sessions will begin at 10:00 a.m. The Tuesday sessions include: Soil Health, Cover Crops and No-till; Nutrient Management; Agronomic Crops Management; and Precision Ag & Technology.
The four sessions on Wednesday will begin at 8:30 a.m. and end about 4:30 p.m. Sessions include: Soil Health, Cover Crops and No-till; Agronomic Crops Management; Water Quality; and Regenerative Agriculture. Take advantage of the opportunity to discuss one-on-one with speakers, exhibitors, sponsors, and other participants. Bring a friend and/or family members.
Registration will be a flat rate $100. Register online at https://www.allenswcd.com/cttc/ or call Albert Suniga at 419-222-0846 x1005. (Registration after February 25, or on-site, will be $150.) If you are planning to stay overnight, take advantage of available but limited rooms at discounted rates at “The Inn “at the Ohio Northern University. To take advantage of this promotion, call 844-535-2805. (When reserving, mention CTTC)
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Managing Frost Heave in Alfalfa
Winter’s freeze-thaw cycles can cause frost heaving in alfalfa and other winter crop fields. The colder than usual winter in Ohio this year could increase frost heave risk. This article covers the basics of identifying frost heave and planning for spring management if needed.
What is frost heave? Frost heave, also called heaving, is a lifting of the upper layers of soil and plants due to the expansion of water as it freezes, similar to how ice formation during freeze-thaw cycles expands potholes on roads. Frost heave can happen on soils regardless of whether they have crop or bare dirt, but it is generally only problematic when it damages the roots of cash crops.
Figure 1: Frost heaving in alfalfa. This photo in April shows unheaved plants with early spring growth, and heaved plants showing broken taproots (photo credit: Dave Barker)
Figure 2: Close-up of frost heaved alfalfa plants, showing i) exposed root and crown of damaged plants, and ii) partial recovery of less affected plants (photo credit: Mark Sulc)
How does frost heave impact alfalfa? Physical disturbance of the soil can move alfalfa crowns above the soil surface increasing the chance of winter injury and possibly breaking plant roots. If frost heaving is shallow, affecting only the topmost inch or so of soil, the impacts are typically minimal. Crown damage is more likely when very cold temperatures occur after heaving, since crowns and upper roots are less protected from extreme temperatures when they’re raised above the soil surface. Taproots are typically too deep to move with the crown, so they will break instead of moving above the soil surface. In many cases, the plants with broken taproots can be pulled out by hand, often revealing the tap root broken at deep as 10-12” below the surface. Taproots contain nutrients and starches that help alfalfa jumpstart spring growth, and spring growth will be sluggish when taproots are broken. In most cases, the crucial fine roots are broken from the taproot, and the plant is unable to recover. Alfalfa can typically only survive a few weeks with a broken taproot; plants will initially green up in the spring as normal but begin to die once water is depleted in the upper two inches of the soil profile and summer stresses take hold, since superficial roots cannot access deeper moisture.
What weather is associated with frost heave? Frost heave is more common when lightly snow covered or frozen soils thaw partially and then refreeze due to liquid water entering gaps in the soil profile and expanding as the water and soil refreeze. The weather patterns that contribute to expansion of potholes on the road are the same weather patterns that lead to frost heave in soils.
Can frost heave be prevented? Well-drained fields typically have less frost heaving damage, since snow melt drains and reduces freezing damage. Managing fall cutting to preserve stubble over winter can also reduce heaving, since more stubble helps retain snow cover and reduces standing water. Other management strategies like choosing well-adapted varieties and maintaining adequate soil fertility can improve root system health, which can reduce root damage if heaving does occur. In cases where interseeding with a grass is an option it can lower the risk of heaving but is not going to remove all instances.
How can frost heave be managed? Identifying fields affected by frost heave is important so that you can determine whether root damage was extensive enough to warrant replanting. Spring rains can cause some soil and plant settling, which helps plants recover but can also camouflage taproot damage. Be sure to assess root health in addition to stand density. If the damage was extensive (more than 10-20% of stems affected), terminating the stand and planting annuals may be necessary. In less severe cases, delaying first cutting and raising your cutting height is a management option that can minimize the risk of cutting the crown of heaved plants and promote root system recovery. Attempting to push heaved plants back into the ground with a roller or cultipacker will likely cause more damage than it fixes.
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2025 Corn College and Soybean School
Join us on February 27th for the 5th annual virtual Corn College and Soybean School presented by the Ohio State University Extension Agronomic Crops Team. The program will run from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM and feature OSU Extension specialists with updates and topics relevant for the 2025 growing season. CCA CEU credits will be available upon viewing the live presentations. Talks will also be recorded for later viewing on the Ohio State Agronomy YouTube channel, https://www.youtube.com/@OSUAgronomicCrops.
Please register by February 26th at noon. To register, visit https://osu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bKLRxGoOPaOkBka or scan the QR code below. There is a $10 registration fee for this event, which goes directly to support the activities and efforts of the OSU Agronomic Crops Team.
2025 Speaker and Topic Lineup
9:00 - 9:15 Introductions
9:15 - 10:15 Battle for the Belt - Osler Ortez & Laura Lindsey & Taylor Dill
10:15 - 11:00 Corn disease management - Steph Karhoff
11:00 - 12:00 Weather Outlook - Aaron Wilson
12:00 - 1:00 Lunch Break
1:00 - 1:45 Manure management for low grain prices – Glen Arnold
1:45 - 2:30 Water management considerations – Vinayak Shedekar
2:30 - 3:15 Weed management – Alyssa Essman
3:15 – 4:00 Soybean disease management - Horacio Lopez-Nicora
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Forage Resiliency Webinar Series
The Ohio State Integrated Forage Management Team will be offering a three-part Zoom webinar series on forage resiliency to cover information on how to remain resilient to a variety of environmental challenges in forage production systems. Webinars will be held from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of the month in March, April, and May. Details including registration information are as follows:
- Webinar 1: Weather Damage Evaluation- Tuesday, March 4. Register at: https://go.osu.edu/1forageweb2025
- Webinar 2: Options for Spring Planting- Tuesday, April 1. Register at: https://go.osu.edu/2forageweb2025
- Webinar 3: Emergency Forages- Tuesday, May 6. Register at: https://go.osu.edu/3forageweb2025
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OSU Corn Deoxynivalenol, DON, (Vomitoxin) Resistance Screening Program-2024
With support from Ohio Corn and Wheat through the Corn Check Off, OSU conducted its second year of corn deoxynivalenol (DON) hybrid susceptibility screening. The objective of this project was to identify hybrids with partial genetic resistance to DON. Use these results with caution as we were not able to evaluate the effects of all possible weather environments on DON production. This trial was conducted at three locations across the state that represent different production regions: Apple Creek, Bucyrus, and South Charleston. Hybrids varied in maturity, so weather conditions may not have been conducive for ear infection and DON production by the fungus Fusarium graminearum during each individual hybrid pollination window, despite using three different environments. All locations had low levels of natural infection across all maturity groups. To increase Gibberella ear rot (GER) development, and consequently, DON contamination of grain, plots were also inoculated at all three locations. DON levels were significantly different between inoculated and naturally infected plots at all locations. Results were summarized, and hybrids are compared, by location and if inoculated or naturally infected.
In 2023, a total of 80 hybrids from 8 seed companies were screened; the results are available at http://go.osu.edu/DON2023. While this was only a small subset of the hybrids that are planted in Ohio, the results demonstrated the importance of hybrid selection for achieving low DON levels. Twenty-one of the hybrids entered in 2023 were also in the 2024 screening. All companies that participated had hybrids
that showed potential DON resistance and others that were susceptible. In 2024, 89 hybrids were submitted from 11 seed companies. Although weather conditions were less favorable for GER development in 2024 than in 2023, statistically significant differences were still observed among hybrids in terms of average levels of DON contamination. These results can be used to select hybrids with natural partial resistance to DON, or at the very minimum, avoid highly susceptible hybrids. While only 21 hybrids were included in both years, comparing hybrid performance across years is encouraged as it represents a wider range of weather conditions. Keep in mind, hybrids with low DON in 2024 are not guaranteed to have low DON in future years or environments However, hybrids with consistently high DON across environments are likely susceptible and should not be planted when possible if DON contamination is a concern for your operation.
The weather conditions at all locations in 2024 deviated from normal. All locations had below-average rainfall during the growing season and above-average temperatures compared to the 10- and 30-year averages. In South Charleston, the month of September received above-average rainfall, with hurricane force wind and rain. Wooster rainfall was about a half inch above-average in May, August, and September, whereas at Bucyrus, rainfall was more than an inch above-average in April and May, but only slightly above average in September. Excessive rainfall in May in Bucyrus created a few emergence challenges. The full weather data for the growing season are summarized in Tables 2 through 4 below. The complete set of monthly weather data is available at: Ohio Corn Performance Test (osu.edu).
Weather conditions during pollination are critical, with infection typically occurring while silks are still wet, and relative humidity >80% with temperatures between 59°F and 86°F.
Table 1 below summarizes DON contamination (in ppm) by hybrid and inoculated and naturally infected treatments at each location. DON values with an asterisk (*) are not statistically different from the lowest average DON level at that location. DON levels at all locations were low, with 54 plots having contamination between the limit of detection (considered equivalent to 0 ppm) at Bucyrus, three at South Charleston and one at Wooster. Only four plots had greater than 1 ppm in Bucyrus, nine in Wooster, and 16 in South Charleston. At Bucyrus, the effect of hybrid on DON contamination was not statistically significant (i.e. contamination was comparable across hybrids) in inoculated plots. However, the hybrid effect on DON contamination was statistically significant in naturally infected plots, meaning that the average level of contamination varied with hybrid. While DON levels were low this year, there are a few trends to look for. For instance, two hybrids had significantly higher DON than other hybrids at all six inoculation treatment by location combinations, while another 8 had statistically higher DON at 4 of the 6 inoculation treatment by location combinations. Thirty-seven hybrids had comparable levels of DON to the least contaminated hybrid at all locations, while another 17 had low DON at all but one inoculation treatment by location combination. When using these results to help with your hybrid selection, look for trends where a hybrid consistently has low DON to increase your chance of selecting those that might have partial genetic resistance.
See full hybrid trial report here.
(Table 1) – DON contamination of 89 hybrids averaged across locations and across plots at each location.
Inoculated Average DON (ppm)
Natural infection Average DON (ppm)
South Charleston
Bucyrus
Wooster
South Charleston
Bucyrus
Wooster
Brand
Hybrid
RM
Augusta Seed
A2351
101
0.11*
0.00
0.34*
0.14*
0*
0.18*
Augusta Seed
A2252
102
0.27*
0.14
0.98
0.17*
0.09*
0.93
Augusta Seed
A2357
107
0*
0.09
0.29*
0.24*
0.03*
0.16*
Augusta Seed
A2359
109
0.12*
0.00
0.2*
0.22*
0*
0*
Augusta Seed
A2564
114
0.07*
0.05
0.59*
0.08*
0*
0.49
B&A Genetics
BA24-00 VT2P
100
0.42*
0.05
0.59*
0.57*
0.05*
0.61
B&A Genetics
BA24-03 PCE
103
0.12*
0.06
0.3*
0.16*
0*
0.17*
B&A Genetics
BA22-05 VT2P
105
0.28*
0.13
0.67
0.22*
0.04*
0.47
B&A Genetics
BA26-06 PCE
106
0.35*
0.00
0.16*
0.16*
0*
0.06*
B&A Genetics
BA25-07 PCE
107
1.65
0.04
0.6
0.46*
0.12*
0.37
B&A Genetics
BA26-08 PCE
108
1.2
1.17
1.9
1.6
0.18*
0.73
B&A Genetics
BA23-09 VT2P
109
0.8
0.14
0.17*
0.19*
0.17*
0.33*
B&A Genetics
BA26-10 PCE
110
0.27*
0.00
0.86
0.22*
0.04*
0.42
B&A Genetics
BA25-11 VT2P
111
0.17*
0.06
0.66
0.2*
0.03*
0.53
B&A Genetics
BA20-12 VT2P
112
0.36*
0.11
0.47*
0.58*
0.08*
0.43
B&A Genetics
BA23-12 AA
112
0.25*
0.15
0.59*
1.37
1.45
0.29*
B&A Genetics
BA25-12 VT2P
112
0.1*
0.06
0.3*
0.18*
0.04*
0.33*
B&A Genetics
BA26-12 PCE
112
0.41*
0.00
0.38*
1.1
0*
0.69
B&A Genetics
BA23-14 VT2P
114
1.7
1.07
0.69
1.65
0.06*
1
B&A Genetics
BA26-14 PCE
114
0.12*
0.00
0.35*
0.25*
0.06*
0.25*
B&A Genetics
BA25-16 VT2P
116
1.03
0.33
1.08
3.65
0.54
0.9
Beck's Hybrids
5413Q
104
0.28*
0.00
0.56*
0.18*
0.07*
0.33*
Beck's Hybrids
5794V2P
107
0.16*
0.00
0.04*
0.21*
0*
0.21*
Beck's Hybrids
6184V2P
111
0.09*
0.00
0.27*
0.19*
0*
0.26*
Beck's Hybrids
6216PCE
112
0.27*
0.50
0.77
1.1
0*
0.29*
Beck's Hybrids
6235D1
112
0.26*
0.16
0.54*
0.06*
0.04*
0.11*
Dekalb
DKC48-34RIB
98
0.11*
0.00
0.87
0.19*
0*
0.49
Dekalb
DKC099-11RIB
99
0.29*
0.17
0.2*
0.53*
0.08*
0.62
Dekalb
DKC101-35RIB
101
0.86
0.08
0.67
0.57*
0*
0.27*
Dekalb
DKC102-13RIB
102
0.27*
0.15
0.57*
0.29*
0.05*
0.55
Dekalb
DKC56-26RIB
106
0.37*
0.04
0.27*
0.12*
0.13*
0.11*
Dekalb
DKC56-65RIB
106
0.05*
0.00
0.4*
0.19*
0.05*
0.18*
Dekalb
DKC110-10RIB
110
0.18*
0.05
0.73
0.26*
0.07*
0.48
Dekalb
DKC110-41RIB
110
0.38*
0.05
0.61
0.22*
0*
0.68
Dekalb
DKC63-91RIB
113
0.22*
0.00
0.64
0.2*
0.15*
0.45
Dekalb
DKC64-22RIB
114
0.16*
0.00
0.23*
0.29*
0*
0.13*
Ebberts Field Seeds
7335PC
105
0.43*
0.05
0.31*
0.8
0.04*
0.23*
Ebberts Field Seeds
7557PC
107
0.9*
0.07
0.11*
0.22*
0.03*
0.06*
Ebberts Field Seeds
7209TR
109
0.07*
0.29
0.55*
0.22*
0.09*
0.6
Ebberts Field Seeds
7660PC
110
0.72*
0.05
0.46*
0.47*
0*
0.54
Ebberts Field Seeds
7993PC
113
0.13*
0.00
0.22*
0.33*
0.06*
0.33*
Golden Harvest
G00A97-AA
100
0.17*
0.08
2.27
0.74
0.07*
0.5
Golden Harvest
G00U71-D
100
0.38*
0.13
0.44*
0.18*
0.17*
0.59
Golden Harvest
G01U74-AA
101
0.05*
0.00
0.33*
0.07*
0*
0.25*
Golden Harvest
G03U08-D
103
0.19*
0.08
0.55*
0.44*
0.05*
0.8
Golden Harvest
G03B19-AA
103
0.43*
0.31
0.15*
0.36*
0.1*
0.07*
Golden Harvest
G05U86-DV
105
0.24*
0.00
0.18*
0.3*
0.05*
0.21*
Golden Harvest
G08U00-V
108
0.09*
0.00
0.32*
0.06*
0*
0.25*
Golden Harvest
G10L16-DV
110
0.35*
0.13
0.32*
0.21*
0.04*
0.38
Golden Harvest
G10U97-V
110
0*
0.05
0.24*
0.17*
0*
0.17*
Golden Harvest
G10B61-AA
110
0.13*
0.05
0.32*
0.17*
0.05*
0.24*
Golden Harvest
G11V76-AA
111
0.79
1.10
1.01
0.75
0.55
0.28*
Golden Harvest
G12S75-D
112
0.38*
0.05
0.3*
0.93
0*
0.22*
Golden Harvest
G12U11-AA
112
0.4*
0.13
0.55*
0.42*
0*
0.29*
Golden Harvest
G14B32-DV
114
0.12*
0.07
0.41*
0.17*
0.04*
0.52
Golden Harvest
G15U34-V
115
0.06*
0.00
0.63
0.12*
0*
0.55
LG Seeds
LG48C87VT2RIB
98
0.22*
0.05
0.38*
0.12*
0*
0.52
LG Seeds
LG51C62VT2RIB
101
0.16*
0.00
0.39*
0.15*
0*
0.18*
LG Seeds
LG53C44VT2RIB
103
0.06*
0.00
0.58*
0.08*
0*
0.08*
LG Seeds
LG58C73-3110
108
0.17*
0.04
0.69
0.16*
0.08*
0.28*
LG Seeds
LG59C72VT2RIB
109
0.59
0.18
0.27*
0.47*
0.15*
0.51
LG Seeds
LG59C72 - D
109
0.03*
0.00
0.4*
0.11*
0.05*
0.26*
LG Seeds
LG62C73VT2RIB
112
0.13*
0.05
0.06*
0.17*
0*
0.21*
LG Seeds
LG64C43VT2RIB
114
0.95
0.15
0.87
0.99
0*
0.53
NK Seeds
NK0252-D
102
0.37*
0.06
0.58*
0.17*
0.1*
0.65
NK Seeds
NK0880-V
108
0.04*
0.00
0.18*
0.13*
0*
0.17*
NK Seeds
NK0922-V
109
0.14*
0.06
0.37*
0.64*
0.16*
0.27*
NK Seeds
NK1056-V
110
0*
0.12
0.24*
0.14*
0.16*
0.15*
NK Seeds
NK1188-AA
111
0.61
0.12
0.31*
0.65*
0.77
0.17*
NK Seeds
NK1228-V
112
0.69
0.28
1.13
0.22*
0.24
0.3*
NK Seeds
NK1480-DV
114
0.18*
0.00
0.18*
0.13*
0*
0.26*
PC Seedco
PC 3305
105
0.19*
0.00
0.44*
0.15*
0.15*
0.2*
PC Seedco
PC 8407
107
0.29*
0.05
0.46*
0.23*
0.29
0.34
PC Seedco
PC 5510
110
0.28*
0.06
0.58*
0.89
0.07*
0.82
PC Seedco
PC 2212
112
0.82
0.19
1.03
0.6*
0.05*
0.59
PC Seedco
PC 6313
113
0.37*
0.00
0.49*
0.36*
0.06*
0.22*
Pioneer
P06391PCE
106
1.45
0.26
0.87
1.08
0.08*
0.65
Pioneer
P09312V
109
0.09*
0.05
0.11*
0.06*
0.03*
0.04*
Pioneer
P10811AM
110
0.87
0.16
0.57*
0.76
0.27
0.77
Pioneer
P1136AM
111
0.35*
0.09
1.24
0.36*
0*
0.43
Pioneer
P13777
113
0.99
0.42
0.54*
0.66*
0.36
0.67
Seed Genetics Direct
AGI 4106PWE
106
1.17
0.14
0.38*
0.36*
0.21
0.5
Seed Genetics Direct
AGI 4111PWE
111
0.2*
0.06
0.36*
0.35*
0.04*
0.38
Seed Genetics Direct
Direct 2111 AA
111
0.46*
0.33
1.22
1.95
0.42
0.38
Seed Genetics Direct
Direct 3111-3110
111
0.78
0.26
0.38*
0.79
0.07*
0.24*
Seed Genetics Direct
Direct 2113-3110
113
0.1*
0.10
0.32*
0.19*
0.09*
0.36
Check
Check B
109
0.28*
0.12
0.33*
0.27*
0*
0.35
Check
Check A-2
113
3.45
0.16
0.81
2.3
0.16*
0.6
Check
Check A-1
113
0.86
0.10
0.81
0.92
0.23
2.15
HIGH
3.45
1.17
2.27
3.65
1.45
2.15
AVERAGE
0.41
0.12
0.52
0.47
0.1
0.4
LOW
0
0
0.04
0.06
0
0
LSD .10
0.57
NS
0.55
0.71
0.21
0.33
CV
86.6
149.7
65.4
90.9
157.9
52.9
Numbers with an asterisks (*) are not significantly different from the lowest DON level at the location
Weather data Planting to Harvest
Table 2. Bucyrus weather data
Planting date: May 26th
Harvest date: Oct 20th
Table 3. Wooster (Apple Creek)
Planting date: May 31st
Harvest date: November 8th
Table 4. South Charleston
Planting date: May 30th
Harvest date: November 8th
Research sponsored by Ohio Corn Farmers.
Crop Observation and Recommendation Network
C.O.R.N. Newsletter is a summary of crop observations, related information, and appropriate recommendations for Ohio crop producers and industry. C.O.R.N. Newsletter is produced by the Ohio State University Extension Agronomy Team, state specialists at The Ohio State University and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC). C.O.R.N. Newsletter questions are directed to Extension and OARDC state specialists and associates at Ohio State.
Contributors
Disclaimer
The information presented here, along with any trade names used, is supplied with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement is made by Ohio State University Extension is implied. Although every attempt is made to produce information that is complete, timely, and accurate, the pesticide user bears responsibility of consulting the pesticide label and adhering to those directions.
CFAES provides research and related educational programs to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis. For more information, visit cfaesdiversity.osu.edu. For an accessible format of this publication, visit cfaes.osu.edu/accessibility.