Farm & Agriculture

MU Extension specialists are seeing signs of ergot in Missouri grasses. Ergot bodies look like mouse droppings, as seen in this 2013 file photo. The toxic fungus infects grasses and cereal crops and can cause severe illness and death in livestock. Photo by Kent Faddis.

Be on lookout for ergot

Source: Craig Roberts, 573-882-0481; Tim J. Evans, 573-884-9270 COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri livestock and forage specialists are reporting ergot infestations that can cause major losses in livestock, said MU Extension state forage specialist Craig Roberts. Ergot can cause severe illness...

Rising feed prices call for cutting the fat in cow-calf operations

Source: Eric Bailey, 573-884-7873 COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension beef nutritionist Eric Bailey says beef producers can offset rising feed prices with changes in their operations. “It’s time to literally cut the fat from cow-calf operations,” says Bailey. Rising corn and soybean...

Gooseberry: Small but mighty

Source: Michele Warmund, 573-882-9632 COLUMBIA, Mo. – “Gooseberry grows as a small deciduous shrub with edible fruit,” says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist Michele Warmund. Gooseberry clubs once popular The European gooseberry is an ancient fruit that became popular in Europe and...

'Up to test' – what does that mean?

NEVADA, Mo. – “I brought it up to test.” University of Missouri Extension agronomist Pat Miller often hears that when farmers talk about crop fertilizer applications. “I do not think it means what you think it means,” Miller says, quoting the movie “The Princess Bride.” According to Miller, people...

Peonies thrive on neglect, can live more than 100 years

Source: David Trinklein, 573-882-9631 COLUMBIA, Mo. – Peonies serve as the traditional flower of Memorial Day. Their huge, lavish blossoms stand as fragrant sentinels in country cemeteries, conjuring memories of times and people past. In the 1800s, when the holiday was called Decoration Day,...

Beef heifer efficiency: Data-driven decisions for your herd

MOUNT VERNON, Mo. – Beef producers look at their developing heifers and wonder which one will make them the most profit over her life. With tightening margins the past few years, producers must look to data-driven decisions for their breeding stock, says Reagan Bluel, interim superintendent of the...

MU research shows fungicides in soybean at R3 boost yield, reduce disease

Source: Kaitlyn Bissonnette, 573-882-9106 COLUMBIA, Mo. – Three years of research in the “MU Certified” Strip Trial Program shows that applying fungicides to soybean at the R3 growth stage reduces foliar disease and increases yield. University of Missouri Extension plant pathologist Kaitlyn...

MU Extension in Ste. Genevieve is home to the first of three demonstration plots in the state to help develop standardized practices for growing lavender in Missouri. Pictured, from left: MU Extension horticulturists and project researchers Patrick Byers, Kelly McGowan and Kate Kammler.

Helping growers make lavender thrive in muggy Missouri

University of Missouri Extension is about to take some of the guesswork out of growing lavender in Missouri. The first of three lavender demonstration plots in the state was planted May 14 at the MU Extension center in Ste. Genevieve. Two others — at the Springfield Botanical Gardens and the Adair...

Consider feeding pigs to higher weights when feed costs, hog prices go up

Source: Marcia Shannon, 573-882-7859 COLUMBIA, Mo. – When feed prices go up, swine producers usually see profits go down. That’s not the case in 2021. This gives producers an opportunity to look at feeding to heavier weights despite higher feed costs, says University of Missouri Extension swine...

It pays to know what your farm liability insurance covers

Source: Raymond Massey, 573-884-7788 COLUMBIA, Mo. – Without regular policy checks, farm liability insurance might be like a hospital gown – not enough coverage where you need it most. Thoroughly read your policy regularly and check for gaps and needed updates, says University of Missouri Extension...