Last year’s drought is the most likely reason producers are seeing more grasshopper, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service expert.

High grasshopper populations are tied to hot, dry weather for a number of reasons, said Dr. Chris Sansone, associate department head and AgriLife Extension program leader for entomology, San Angelo.

“The drought damaged range and pasture grasses thus creating areas with no to little grass,” Sansone explained. “Hatching grasshoppers use these areas to warm up in the spring.

Entries are now being accepted for the 2012 Ozark Empire Fair (OEF) Hay Show. The entry deadline is July 10 and entry forms are available online or at the nearest University of Missouri Extension center.

Eligible hay must be raised in Missouri and harvested in 2012. Both small, rectangular and large, round packages are eligible to enter. 

The dry conditions in March and April have given way to extremely wet areas in some parts of Minnesota. Since alfalfa stands got an early start this year there were a few concerns popping up early in the southeastern part of the state on areas of fields yellowing. While there may have been some effects due to the cool weather in April a couple of nutrients could be of concern.

Valent U.S.A. Corporation announced that RyzUp SmartGrass Plant Growth Regulator has been registered by the EPA for use on corn grown for silage.

RyzUp SmartGrass accelerates plant growth early in the growing season, resulting in more dry matter production and increased silage yield at harvest.

The settlement of a lawsuit against Syngenta related to the herbicide Atrazine ensures that corn farmers who depend on the important product continue to farm efficiently and safely, the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) said.  While NCGA is concerned about the longer term impacts of unmerited class-action lawsuits against agricultural production, it is important that this case was resolved with an acknowledgement of the safety of atrazine.

An ongoing forage project conducted by Ohio State University Extension offers livestock producers detailed information on how fast pastures are growing statewide to help them make better management decisions.

The Ohio Pasture Measurement Project uses weekly pasture growth reports from more than 32 producers statewide to create a database that can help graziers estimate the amount of forage in their pastures, said Jeff McCutcheon, an OSU Extension educator and co-creator of the project.

The goal is to measure pasture growth to provide producers more detailed and accurate information during the grazing season. This can help them make better feed and pasture management decisions, he said.

Little rain and unseasonably hot weather in May left part of northern and southwest Indiana in drought just a few weeks after farmers got off to a fast start by planting their crops earlier than normal. Most of northern Indiana except for the far northwestern counties was abnormally dry, and 11 counties were worse off – either entirely or partly in moderate drought, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor released May 31 by the USDA. Seven counties in extreme southwest Indiana were in moderate drought, and others in the area were abnormally dry.

Sarah Dinsdale of Grants Pass, Oregon, is the first president of the Southwest Oregon Hay Growers Association (SWHGA). Dinsdale was elected during an April 16 organizational meeting that was facilitated by Shelby Filley of Oregon State University. In addition, Richard Lounsberry became the new vice president, Jerry May is the secretary and Mel Ashland will serve as treasurer.

A new video series produced by Ohio State University educators (OSU) offers livestock producers detailed information about a wide variety of grazing management techniques taught by OSU Extension livestock and forage experts.

The videos, which were produced this spring as part of OSU Extensions' "Pastures for Profit" grazing school, offer an in-depth look at ways livestock producers can improve their management of their pastures.

Many eastern Corn Belt fields planted in mid-April when farmers got off to an early start have started to show symptoms of seedling blights. Symptoms include uneven stands, stunted seedlings or reduced plant vigor. They can be caused by a number of scenarios, such as damage from cold temperatures, nutrient deficiencies, herbicide or anhydrous ammonia injury, wireworms or "wet feet," but also could be caused by seedling blights from fungi or fungal-like organisms. "Seedling blights are prevalent when cool, wet soil conditions persist after planting," said Kiersten Wise, an associate professor of plant pathology at Purdue University.