C.O.R.N. Newsletter: 2025-41
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Register Today: 20th Annual Northwest Ohio Corn-Soybean Day
WAUSEON, Ohio — The Ohio State University Extension Office in Fulton County is excited to invite you to the 20th annual Corn-Soybean Day, scheduled for Friday, January 16, 2026. This premier agronomic event will kick off at 8:00am from Founder's Hall in Archbold. This regional agronomy meeting is a key event for producers, agronomists, and industry professionals seeking the latest row crop insights and research. Additionally, over 30 exhibiting businesses and industry leaders will be on-site for networking and engagement.
Speakers and topics include:
- Kendall Lovejoy, OSU Extension - MC & Stored Grain Pest Management
- Amber Emmons, OSU Extension - Management of Ohio's Weed Seed Banks
- Sarah Noggle, OSU Extension - Pesticide Safety & Regulation Updates
- Panel of Ohio Corn & Wheat Board Members - An Ohio Corn & Wheat Update
- Christopher Winslow, PhD, Director, Ohio SEA Grant - HABs and Nutrients: Where We Are and Where Data Suggests We Need to Go
- Andy Vickers, Research Agronomy Manager, POET - Managing Vomitoxin: The Path to Clean Corn
- Barry Ward, OSU Extension - Economic View from the Farmgate
- Kayla Wyse, OSU Extension - Livestock Pest Management
The cost to attend this event is $40 through January 5th. Late registrations will be accepted until the day of the event for a cost of $50, space permitting. Registration includes coffee and doughnuts, lunch, and speaker materials for the day. On top of that, participants will be offered Ohio Private and Commercial Pesticide and Fertilizer credits. Michigan Pesticide and CCA credits will also be available to attendees who stay throughout the duration of the event.
You won't want to miss out on this opportunity for networking and development as we reflect and prepare for another growing season. Find more information and register today at www.go.osu.edu/cornsoy26. For further information, media or sponsorship inquiries, or registration, please contact Kendall at Lovejoy.59@osu.edu or Maddie at Newcomb.84@osu.edu.
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Certified Crop Adviser Exam Preparation Class
Individuals looking to become a Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) should consider attending the Ohio CCA Pre-Exam Preparation Class offered by Ohio State University Extension. The session will be January 13-14, 2026, at the Shelby County Ag Building, 810-820 Fair Rd, Sidney, Ohio 45365.
This in-depth class will better prepare participants for the Tri-State CCA exam with a review of the four Performance Objective Competency Areas. These include nutrient management, soil and water management, integrated pest management, and crop management. Even if you are not considering the CCA program, this class is a great basic agronomy course that any farmer, ag retailer, or anyone working with field crops will find valuable. A detailed agenda for each day’s topics is below. Â
The cost for this two-day class is $250/person which includes the publications listed below, lunch both days, and other program materials. Don’t wait to register as class size is limited to 25. The deadline to register for this course is December 31, 2025.  You can register at: https://bit.ly/OhioCCAExamPrep2026.
Publications included with registration:
- Ohio Agronomy Guide
- Ohio, Indiana & Illinois Weed Control Guide
- The Ohio Corn, Soybean, Wheat and Forages Field Guide
- 2020 Tri-State Fertilizer Recommendations
The Local and International Exams are proctored online tests. You must pass both exams to obtain Certified Crop Adviser status. Tests are offered four times a year with registration opening January 7, 2026 for the next exam. You can learn more about the exam dates and sign up for reminders at https://www.certifiedcropadviser.org/exams.
For more information about the CCA program, visit https://www.certifiedcropadviser.org/about-program
Course contact:
Lee Beers, CCA
Ohio State University Extension
330-638-6783
Tuesday, January 13
Registration and Welcome - 8:30A.M. – 9:00A.M.
Soil & Water Management - 9:00A.M. – 12:00P.M.
- Soil Properties
- Soil Water
- Surface and Ground Water
- Soil & Wind Erosion
Provided Lunch – 12:00P.M. – 12:45P.M.
Nutrient Management – 12:45P.M. – 3:45P.M.
- Soil pH and Liming
- Primary Nutrients
- Secondary Nutrients
- Micronutrients
- CECÂ
Day 1 Wrap Up and Q&A - 3:45P.M. – 4:00P.M.
Wednesday, January 14
*Optional* CCA Program Overview - 8:30A.M. – 9:00A.M.
Integrated Pest Management - 9:00A.M. – 12:00P.M.
- Weeds
- Insects
- Diseases
- Fertilizer & Pesticide Math
Provided Lunch – 12:00P.M. – 12:45P.M.
Crop Management – 12:45P.M. – 3:45P.M.
- Crop Production
- Photosynthesis
- Crop Physiology
- Variety Selection
Day 2 Wrap Up and Q&A 3:45P.M. – 4:00P.M.
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Green Fields Green Dollars Wraps Up Season 2!
The final episode of 2025’s Green Fields Green Dollars series has been released for your viewing pleasure. This episode dives into Controlled Drainage, a conservation practice gaining traction in Northwest Ohio for its wide-ranging benefits. Cohosts Clint Schroeder and Rachel Henry are joined for this episode by Dr. Vinayak Shedekar, Assistant Professor of Agricultural Water Management at The Ohio State University. The group discusses the practice of controlled drainage, benefits associated with it, and some preliminary economic data on the practice. This episode was filmed at the OSU Lima Campus, which is home to an innovative agricultural water retention pond that is used for irrigation of the fields around it. Controlled drainage is an integral part of this system, which was funded by US EPA and received partnership from Allen County SWCD, Ohio Department of Agriculture, and 7M farms.
More information about the OSU Lima site can be found by visiting this link. Season 2 episode 5 can be viewed on YouTube by visiting this link, or by visiting the OSU Agronomy Team YouTube Channel’s Green Fields Green Dollars Playlist, linked here.
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Overview of Ag Outlook and Policy Meeting Offered in 2026
In 2026, Ohio State University Extension will be hosting our annual Regional Agricultural Outlook and Policy Meetings across the state. There will be five meetings held in January and February, which will address topics of interest on state and national levels.
Economists from the Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics, Extension specialists, and invited guests will present on their expertise. Programs will include presentations covering topics like crop input decisions, weather outlook, grain marketing, dairy and beef outlook, farm business analysis, and A.I outlook. The agenda will differ for each meeting so be sure to check with the county on what topics they will be covering.
The outlook meetings are hosted by Wayne County, Defiance County, Allen County, Pickaway County, and a joint meeting is hosted by Union, Madison, and Delaware Counties.
Jan. 20, Wayne County: Secrest Welcome and Education Center 1680 Madison Ave. Wooster, Ohio from 8:30 am – 12 pm. Registration: RSVP by January 19th. Call the Wayne County office at 330-264-8722.
Jan. 29, Defiance County: Jewell Community Center 7900 Independence Road Defiance, Ohio from 5:30-8:00 pm. Registration: RSVP by January 16th. Visit go.osu.edu/26defianceoutlook or call the Defiance County office at 419-782-4771.
Feb. 10, Allen County: Youth Activities Building on the Allen County Fairgrounds. 2750 Harding Hwy, Lima, Ohio from 9 am – 3 pm. Registration: Call the Allen County office at 419-879-9108.
Feb. 27, Union, Madison, and Delaware Counties: Der Dutchman, 445 Jefferson Ave, Plain City, Ohio from 8:30 am- 12:00 pm. Registration: RSVP by January 20th. Registration coming soon.
Feb, Pickaway County: More information to come.
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New Alfalfa Enterprise Budget
Enterprise budgets are a useful tool for understanding typical expenses and potential revenue and profits from different crops. Recently, our writing team posted a new spring-planted alfalfa budget for 2026, which is available here: https://farmoffice.osu.edu/farm-management/enterprise-budgets
Notable updates in the 2026 version include changes to the chemical program assumptions, updated assumptions regarding nutrient management, and updated prices for all inputs, labor, and machinery costs. The ranges of yield potentials have remained the same, and the general layout of the budget has also remained unchanged. The previous budget version, posted in 2022, is still available on the OSU Farm Office website in case you’d like to make comparisons.
The calculation methods and assumptions in the enterprise budgets are listed in footnotes at the bottom of the page. Budgets are provided as downloadable Excel files so that farmers can substitute their own costs of production if desired. Alfalfa hay production has so many variables in general, so customizing these budgets can be useful for estimating best- and worst-case scenarios for your farm.
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2025 Soil Health Tour Focuses on an Emerging Conservation Practice: Two-Stage Ditches
The OSU Extension Water Quality Team has just released their 2025 edition of the Soil Health Tour, an interactive StoryMap utilizing ArcGIS maps, photos, videos, and discussions with farmers and experts to illustrate an important tool for improving water quality.
A two-stage ditch is a type of ditch that is gaining popularity for its ability to slow water moving from farm fields, allowing sediment and nutrients to settle out and be removed by vegetation growing in the ditch. In contrast to a conventional trapezoidal ditch, a two-stage ditch has a thin, shallow channel at the bottom for low flow, which occurs for much of the year. Sitting just above the low-flow channel are two vegetated benches, which provide extra surface area and act as a mini floodplain during high flow events that can be seen after heavy rain events. Two-stage ditches are generally wider at the top than trapezoidal ditches due to their more gently sloping ditch banks, which are less prone to erosion and allow for vegetation growth. See Figure 1 below for an illustration of the ditch types.
To learn more about this practice from experts in the field, see case studies of different two-stage ditches across the region, and hear feedback from producers who have installed this practice, be sure to check out the 2025 Soil Health Tour StoryMap at go.osu.edu/25StoryMap! If you are interested in learning more about cost share or the process of installing a two-stage ditch on your property, reach out to your local Soil and Water Conservation District office. Questions about the StoryMap can be directed to waterqualityassociates@osu.edu.
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 an accessible format of this publication, visit cfaes.osu.edu/accessibility.