With the amount of rainfall that we have seen in recent weeks, crops are stressed as much or more than the farmers. Well, I guess the crops being stressed may have led to some of the farmer’s stress.

The excessive moisture has greatly damaged hundreds or thousands of acres of soybeans, hay, and tobacco. Most of the corn looks pretty good from the windshield, except some of the later planted corn that is most likely planted for silage. The results of the excessive water will play out over the next couple of months. In some cases crops will not recover at all, in some a partial yield may be there in the end. In addition the water damage is the lack of weed control. Regardless if we are talking about herbicides or mechanical weed control, it just could not be done in the mud. Not even walking through with a hoe in a tobacco patch or a backyard garden for that matter.

So, you have water stressed, weedy crops, now what? Well, moisture and heat typically are a recipe for diseases. I have had calls about garden plants like tomatoes and vine plants for a couple of weeks, but the row crops are most likely dealing with disease issues, too. Be on the lookout for crop diseases by scouting closely. If fungicides are still an option, remember most all fungicides are more of a preventative than a cure. Now is a great time to scout crops closely. Timely applications can’t be stressed enough.

One good example might be a practice that has been recommended for the past few years with tobacco production. Target spot is a disease that appears most years once tobacco starts to close in and air flow and sunshine is limited. This disease can cause 200 to 300 pounds of loss if conditions are right and no preventative fungicide is used. A single application of eight ounces per acre when crop is too big to cultivate has proven to be very effective in controlling this issue. The same can be said for other crops, and other problems. Some insecticides can be applied early to prevent rather than rescue, but insecticides will control insect problems after an outbreak if you can get the product applied.

Pesticide Disposal Site and Date

The Ohio Department of Agriculture schedules several collection dates and locations each year for farmers to dispose of unwanted pesticides. This service is free of charge for farm chemicals only. The ODA currently has three disposal events scheduled. For more information, contact the ODA at 614-728-6987.

The date for the one that is closest to us is from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 18. It will at the Ross County Fairgrounds, located 344 Fairgrounds Road, in Chillicothe.

Master Gardener Training

Master Gardener Training will be offered in the coming months. If interested in knowing more about the Master Gardener Program with OSU Extension go to http://mastergardener.osu.edu.

If you are interested in the training this fall, contact me at dugan.46@osu.edu or call 937-515-2314. The program consists of 50 hours of training.

Southwest Corn Growers Field Day

The Southwest Corn Growers Annual Field Day will be held Aug. 11 at the Fayette County Airport and Demonstration Farm located just north of Washington Court House on state Route 38. The program is free and begins 9:30 a.m. and will run until about 3 p.m.

Presenters during the sessions will include Ohio State Crop Specialists and Industry Specialists from various companies. The topics will include: Nitrogen Uptake, Nutrient Management, Drought Tolerant Varieties, Nutrient Timing, Variable Rates of Nutrients, Cover Crops and much more.

Estate Planning

I posted a few stories in the past weeks concerning Estate Planning. I did that to spark some interest and I have had several calls. I am still working on it, but it is coming together a little slower than I had hoped. I hope to have final details soon. I will have it in the newspaper and on local radio once everything is set.

Dates to Remember

Aug. 1 -Brown County Farm Bureau Family Fun Night and Annual Meeting. Starts 4 p.m. and you must RSVP at 937-378-2212.

Aug. 10-Pesticide Testing at Old Y Restaurant at Noon. Pre-register at http://pested.osu.edu or call 1-800-282-1955

Aug. 11 -Highland County Farm Bureau annual meeting

Aug: 25- Adams County Soil and Water/ Farm Bureau annual meeting

Aug. 27 -Beef and Forage Field Night at Jackson Research Farm (OARDC)

Sept. 3- Adams County Junior Fair Beef Barbeque

Sept. 5-12- Highland County Fair

Sept. 14- Pesticide Testing at Old Y Restaurant at Noon. Pre-register at http://pested.osu.edu or call 1-800-282-1955

Sept. 22-24- Farm Science Review

Sept. 28- Oct. 3- Brown County Fair

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David Dugan is the OSU Extension Educator, Agriculture and Natural Resources agent, for Adams, Brown and Highland Counties, and the Ohio Valley Extension Education Research Area.