Field Crop Updates Ahead for Southwest Michigan

Jan 08, 2025

By Nicolle Ritchie

The southwest Michigan Crop and Pest Management Update will be held Wednesday, Feb. 5 at the Dowagiac Conservation Club, 54551 M-51 North, Dowagiac, MI 49047. The cost is $40 per person and includes a light breakfast and lunch. Attendees will receive an updated copy of the Michigan State University Extension bulletin E-434 “Weed Control Guide for Field Crops”. Three restricted use pesticide (RUP) credits are available (private, 1A), and 3.5 certified crop advisor (CCA) credits have been requested (0.5 NM, 1 SW, 2 IPM).

Pre-registration is open through Jan. 27. Register online or contact the St. Joseph County MSU Extension office at 269-467-5511 for assistance.

Agenda

8:30 a.m. Check-in/Registration

9:00 a.m. Welcome and commodity update, Kristin Poley

9:30 a.m. Management options for SCN and SDS, Eric Anderson

10:00 a.m. Soil and crop fertility Q&A, Kurt Steinke (submit questions ahead of time)

10:30 a.m. Break

10:45 a.m. Weed update (corn) and grass control, Erin Burns

11:30 a.m. Weed update (soybean) and pigweed management, Christy Sprague

12:15 p.m. Lunch

1:00 p.m. Early insect pests, Chris DiFonzo

1:30 p.m. How drainage can protect your crop, Ehsan Ghane

2:15 p.m. Irrigation topics, Younsuk Dong and MSU Extension irrigation educators

3:00 p.m. Wrap-up, evaluation and credits

Source : msu.edu

Video: Our Own On-Farm Research Is the Best Source - Managing White Mold in Northeast Nebraska

If you assumed Nebraska was too hot and dry for white mold to be a problem in soybeans, think again.

This week we're featuring Galen Samuelson, a farmer and dealer from Wakefield, Nebraska, who knows all too well how devastating white mold can be.

"We don't have it consistently every year, but with our temperature and humidity, it can hurt us quite bad," Samuelson says. Looking for alternatives, he explains, "What I like about Heads Up is that it's non-harmful to the beneficial fungal colonies in the soil." Galen has been using Heads Up for several years now, after first hearing about it through a small ad in a regional newspaper. Watch below to hear about his journey.

When asked to write about Samuelson Seed, Galen said the following:

"Samuelson Seed is a 4th-generation, family-based company. It started with my grandfather, and I'm now starting to pass the torch to my son, Caleb."

"In the early 1990s, I started working with a company whose focus was on plant and soil health before those benefits were widely known. I've continued to keep plant and soil health the main focus in our farming operation decisions."