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Posts From Larry Oldham, Extension Soils Specialist

Improving Corn Response to Nitrogen Fertilizer

Improving Corn Response to Nitrogen Fertilizer Updated

๐Ÿ•”10:35, 30.Apr 2022

Nitrogen is a hot topic for corn growers due to extraordinary fertilizer prices. Fortunately, there are methods we can employ to improve nitrogen efficiency. This article gives recommendations to improve corn response to nitrogen fertilizer and reduce risk in our Midsouth environment.

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2022 Nitrogen Fertilizer Recommendations for Wheat

2022 Nitrogen Fertilizer Recommendations for Wheat Updated

๐Ÿ•”11:42, 29.Jan 2022

Our moist climate challenges our ability to fertilize wheat. This article outlines best management practices for nitrogen application timing, fertilizer sources, rates and other important practices which can greatly enhance wheat productivity.

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The Topic of the Times: Fertilizer Prices and What to Do

The Topic of the Times: Fertilizer Prices and What to Do Updated

๐Ÿ•”15:11, 12.Nov 2021

The fire-starter for 2022 crop input discussions is fertilizer prices. Without getting into the why for the current volatility, first recall this situation is not entirely unique. Potash at the farmgate was about 14 cents per pound for years, if

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Calcium and Magnesium Management for Plant Growth

Calcium and Magnesium Management for Plant Growth Updated

๐Ÿ•”14:16, 13.Oct 2021

Calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) are essential โ€˜secondaryโ€™ plant nutrients. Plants need less Ca or Mg than nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium, but require more of them than micronutrients. Should Ca and Mg be in the fall soil nutrient management portfolio?

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Fall is For Soil Carbon Market Preparations

Fall is For Soil Carbon Market Preparations Updated

๐Ÿ•”16:52, 10.Sep 2021

Participating in the soil carbon (C) market requires baseline information about the producerโ€™s inventory to offer potential buyers. This fall is the time for the soil carbon-curious growers to begin establishing their benchmarks. Surveys show the number of farmers participating

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Soil Management After Hurricane Ida

Soil Management After Hurricane Ida Updated

๐Ÿ•”14:42, 2.Sep 2021

Hurricanes harness enormous wind or water energy that uproots or shreds trees, destroys buildings and signs, erodes coastlines, and otherwise creates havoc on the landscape. Safety is the primary consideration following natural disasters. This is a review of what we

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Special Agents (Lime Version)

Special Agents (Lime Version) Updated

๐Ÿ•”10:07, 31.Jul 2021

Acid pH in many Mississippi soils challenges plant growth regardless of scale, from a 400-acre row crop field to the back yard. While alkaline pH soils present some issues in the Blackland Prairies and some salt-impacted areas in the state,

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Lessons learned from on-farm cover crop trials & strategies for planning fall stewardship

Lessons learned from on-farm cover crop trials & strategies for planning fall stewardship Updated

๐Ÿ•”11:26, 12.Jul 2021

Title: Lessons learned from on-farm cover crop trials & strategies for planning fall stewardship Location: Webinar Link out: Register Here Description: Learn about managing cover crops in the Midsouth. Reduce risk when getting started with cover crops by learning from the

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Soil Carbon Market Questions

Soil Carbon Market Questions Updated

๐Ÿ•”11:04, 26.Jun 2021

The best business managers have long-term, pro-active strategies to achieve their goals. Soil carbon (C) may not appear on the top, or even near the top of pressing concerns at this point in the season for growers. But this crop

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Estimating Nitrogen Loss in Corn from the June Flood

Estimating Nitrogen Loss in Corn from the June Flood Updated

๐Ÿ•”11:35, 19.Jun 2021

The recent extraordinary rainfall and flooding has generated substantial concern about nitrogen (N) loss in corn. This yearโ€™s event is very unique because it occurred much later in the season than we normally experience. Therefore, we will discuss how this timing affects estimating losses and associated nutrient management.

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Strategies to manage and measure soil carbon

Strategies to manage and measure soil carbon Updated

๐Ÿ•”15:59, 15.Jun 2021

Title: Strategies to manage and measure soil carbon Location: Webinar Link out: Click here Description: Drs. Beth Baker, Larry Oldham, and Keri Jones with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, will discuss practical strategies for managing and measuring soil carbon

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Immediately After the Flood Soil Management

Immediately After the Flood Soil Management Updated

๐Ÿ•”14:47, 11.Jun 2021

All photos courtesy of Tucker Miller Flooding is challenging Mississippi families, homes, and farms again, hence, this should be a review for many readers. The first Mississippi Crop Situation post about flooded soils was published in May 2011. There is

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Trapping Nutrients in the Landscape

Trapping Nutrients in the Landscape Updated

๐Ÿ•”16:56, 4.Jun 2021

Photos courtesy of Dr. Mary L. Tagert The third part of Avoid, Control, and Trap agricultural environmental stewardship practices for nutrients and sediment is trapping them, literally keeping them on the land, reducing excess inputs to water bodies. Best Management

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Controlling Nutrient Movement in Landscapes

Controlling Nutrient Movement in Landscapes Updated

๐Ÿ•”13:33, 28.May 2021

The greatest challenges for agricultural water management are getting water on fields, and then getting water off fields in the warm humid mid-South. Exiting water contains dissolved nutrients and sediments that may pose issues. Controlling the nutrient (or sediment) movement

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Avoiding Nutrient Movement in the Landscape

Avoiding Nutrient Movement in the Landscape Updated

๐Ÿ•”15:54, 21.May 2021

We studied using โ€˜programmed decisionsโ€™ in a long-ago business management class to streamline responses: if this happens, then do X, Y, and Z. Of course, nothing ever happens according to plan. Planning reduces problems down the road however, we cannot

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The Nutrient Stewardship Entrance Exam for Production Agriculture

The Nutrient Stewardship Entrance Exam for Production Agriculture Updated

๐Ÿ•”16:58, 14.May 2021

The ACT, a standardized test used by colleges for admission decisions, covers English, mathematics, reading, and scientific reasoning. These categories may be unfamiliar if you are a little older as they were revised in 1989. Another ACT concept uses Best

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Practical steps to improve on-farm soil and nutrient stewardship

Practical steps to improve on-farm soil and nutrient stewardship Updated

๐Ÿ•”09:43, 13.May 2021

Title: Practical steps to improve on-farm soil and nutrient stewardship Location: Webinar Link out: Click here Description: Join Dr. Beth Baker and Dr. Larry Oldham with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, along with Mr. Parker Frew from Delta F.A.R.M.

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Optimizing Corn Response to Nitrogen Fertilizer

Optimizing Corn Response to Nitrogen Fertilizer Updated

๐Ÿ•”11:52, 8.May 2021

Corn is very responsive to nitrogen fertilizer, but this is a dynamic situation that can become extremely challenging in our rainy environment, when wet soil restricts field operations and saturates soils. This article gives recommendations to improve corn response to nitrogen fertilizer and reduce risk in our Midsouth environment.

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Return on Investment, or Testimonials?

Return on Investment, or Testimonials? Updated

๐Ÿ•”16:06, 7.May 2021

Newspapers were all paper and sometimes quite thick when I was younger. I trained myself to ignore almost all the advertisements in them to speed things along, particularly with Sunday editions. It may chagrin the business community to learn that

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Get to Know Your Soil

Get to Know Your Soil Updated

๐Ÿ•”11:39, 16.Apr 2021

Get to Know Your Soil The soils in Mississippi are diverse, reflecting parent material differences, the warm, humid climate, very active soil biology because of the warm, humid climate, and the unique topography. Agriculture in each part of the state

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Read the Fertilizer and Lime Labels!

Read the Fertilizer and Lime Labels! Updated

๐Ÿ•”09:28, 9.Apr 2021

  To read and follow pesticide labels is common knowledge and accepted practice in agriculture. It should be practiced more for fertilizers, lime, and soil fertility enhancement products. Fertilizers: Why read these labels? The agriculture sector knows the three numbers

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2021 MSU Row Crop Educational Programs โ€“ Irrigation Update

2021 MSU Row Crop Educational Programs โ€“ Irrigation Update Updated

๐Ÿ•”08:47, 2.Apr 2021

Due to restrictions limiting public gatherings related to the pandemic, the MSU Row Crops Team are releasing some virtual educational programs to help prepare for the upcoming growing season. These programs offer Continuing Education Units for Certified Crop Advisors who

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Fundamental Fertilizer Management for 2021 in the Mid-South

Fundamental Fertilizer Management for 2021 in the Mid-South Updated

๐Ÿ•”09:50, 31.Mar 2021

  Fertilizer prices are a trending topic of Plant 2021. Many, if not most row crop farmers in Mississippi and surrounding states address basic soil fertility needs either via fall applications of phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), and/or booking preseason

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Itโ€™s a Matter of Chemistry

Itโ€™s a Matter of Chemistry Updated

๐Ÿ•”11:02, 26.Mar 2021

The presence or amount of various non-nutrient elements in foodstuffs has been in the media recently. What have been called โ€˜heavy metalsโ€™ and their neighbors, the โ€˜metalloidsโ€™, are factors in, and are influenced by soil chemistry, nutrient management, and soil

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Planning to Lime for the 2022 Crop

Planning to Lime for the 2022 Crop Updated

๐Ÿ•”09:35, 20.Mar 2021

Wait a minute, arenโ€™t we just now planting the 2021 crop? True, however, some fields being planted now will suffer from soil acidity issues this year. There may be short term band-aids available, but long-term solutions will be necessary. One

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