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Articles by James DeDecker
Exploring alternative field crops
An alternative field crop could be defined as an agronomic crop not usually grown in a geographic region, selected for use due to potential high sale value or specialized benefit to the farming system. The concept of alternative crops greatly interests some growers as an opportunity for innovation or entrepreneurship, while for others it represents a source of risk to be avoided.
New MSU podcast focuses on agriculture and wildlife interactions
Erin Lizotte and James DeDecker, Michigan State University Extension - October 12, 2021 The MSU Ag and Wildlife Podcast explores the complex nature of agriculture and wildlife interactions in Michigan. Join us as we talk to leading researchers and experts about some of the complex topics related to balancing agriculture and wildlife in Michigan. The Michigan State University Extension Ag and Wildlife Podcast includes four episodes in its first season.
Why farm in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula?
Michelle Sweeten and James DeDecker, Michigan State University Extension - May 02, 2023 Updated from an original article written by James Isleib. Low cost land and a laidback lifestyle may seem appealing, but the basics of successful farming in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula are the same as everywhere else: careful planning, efficient use of resources, adaptability, commitment and good luck. Farms in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula often face many challenges.
Upcoming Field Crops Virtual Breakfast Series will explore wildlife damage in Michigan field crops
Michigan is blessed with abundant wildlife. People love watching deer and birds, and hunting is a leading recreational activity in the state. As an agricultural community, we respect and enjoy wildlife that make use of farmland but must also manage the devastating effect they can have on our crops. A 2020 study by McKee, Shwiff and Anderson estimated that losses of corn, soybean, wheat and cotton in the Eastern and Southern U.S. totaled nearly $600 million.
Midwestern Hemp Database Project seeks grower participation
Land-grant universities team up with Rock River Laboratory and hemp growers to develop a public hemp database. Are you a new hemp grower? Curious about hemp variety performance across the Midwest region? Would you find value in a publicly accessible variety evaluation tool? What about receiving significantly discounted cannabinoid testing in exchange for data sharing via university and private partnerships?
Michigan Soybeans: Can Deer Repellents Prevent Yield Loss?
Deer eating soybeans. In 2019, Michigan State University Extension trialed DeerProSpring & Summer and Plantskydddeer repellent products on two production soybean fields in northeast Lower Michigan (Metz, Michigan) and the south-central Upper Peninsula (Cooks, Michigan). Damage to soybeans by white-tailed deer depredation is a common problem in these areas of the state. Research conducted in the region by MSU Extension in 2015 recorded early-season defoliation in soybeans ranging from 0 to 87.5%.
Visit Israel, Learn about Dairy with an MSU Twist
The Israel Dairy School has a special session planned for US dairy farmers January 5-11, 2020. ( Michigan State University ) An intriguing opportunity to combine your interest in dairy management with a visit to historic Israel. The Israel Dairy School has a special session planned for US dairy farmers January 5-11, 2020. What if you could go to school to learn more about dairy, and do it in a place that may be on your bucket list?
Midwest: New Wildlife Management Resource Available for Farmers
White-tailed deer. Photo: Scott Bauer, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Bugwood.org The last national United States Department of Agriculture survey of U.S. wildlife damage to agriculture took place in 2001 and estimated $944 million in losses. At the national level, primary wildlife species resulting in losses to field crops included deer, turkeys, raccoons and waterfowl (collectively 75 percent of the reported losses), with 22 percent attributed to other species.
How to keep your field from becoming a wildlife food plot
WILDLIFE DAMAGE: Deer damage to corn and soybeans predominantly is in the form of grazing tender leaf shoots or feeding on immature grain. Free webinar on March 22 will educate growers on how to manage wildlife populations to protect crops. Mar 20, 2019 By Eric Anderson and James DeDecker Many farmers enjoy recreational hunting, and opening day of gun season for white-tailed deer is something just short of a national holiday in Michigan. Others enjoy seeing wildlife out the back window at home.
Michigan: Protecting Crops from Wildlife Feeding - Webinar, March 22
Evidence of late-season pod feeding by deer. Photo: James DeDecker, Michigan State University Many farmers enjoy recreational hunting, and opening day of gun season for white-tailed deer is something just short of a national holiday in Michigan. Others just enjoy seeing wildlife out the back window at home—deer, wild turkey, pheasant, Canada geese, sandhill cranes and many other species provide hours of entertainment through the lenses of cameras and binoculars.
Northern Michigan Soybeans: Early Maturity Variety Trial Results from 2018
Extension soybean variety trial plots. Photo: Monica Jean, Michigan State University Editor’s Note: For accompanying tables see original article at Source Link at the bottom of the page. Northern Michigan is a large geographic region stretching roughly from 44.5 to 47 degrees N latitude, including Michigan’s northern Lower Peninsula and Upper Peninsula. Soybean production has been common in the northern Lower Peninsula since the 1990s but is still uncommon in the Upper Peninsula.
Michigan Corn: Western Bean Cutworm Nears Peak Flight
Western bean cutworm is a pest of dry beans and corn that first migrated into Michigan from the western United States in 2006. Adult western bean cutworm moths emerge from the soil in July and early August to mate, laying their eggs on the leaves of dry bean and corn plants. In years when corn has yet to tassel during western bean cutworm flight, eggs masses are first deposited in corn before the moths eventually move on to dry beans.
Industrial hemp re-enters U.S. ag
Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) was historically an important fiber and oil crop in the U.S., but for over a half century, it has not been legal to grow in the country due to its perceived link to marijuana and the psychoactive drug tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Industrial hemp is classified as cannabis with less than 0.3% THC; levels in marijuana range widely from 5-25% with average concentrations reportedly being higher now than a few decades ago.
Bovine TB: It takes a community
As sure as the fact that apples draw deer, is the reality that, in general, farmers are independent people. They have acquired skills that enable them to do a great many things on the farm, both in production and maintaining various aspects of the business. It is this independence that draws many producers to agriculture, and can often keep them on the farm when times get tough. Yet, some problems are bigger than one man, one woman or one family.
Deer cause 10 percent of soybean loss, study says
Research has suggested that crop losses to deer greater than 10 percent-15 percent of the total crop or $20 per acre are viewed as significant and requiring remedy by Michigan producers and hunters (Fritzell et al., 1995). Northeast Lower Michigan has been identified as a region of special concern for white-tailed deer management due to current deer population densities above DNR goals, high incidence of crop depredation and the presence of bovine tuberculosis infected animals in the deer herd.
Soybean response to gypsum is dependent on soil quality
Take the Extension and AgBioResearch Survey to Sharpen Our Focus in English or in Spanish Gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O), a soft mineral recognized today as the primary ingredient in drywall and plaster, is also one of the oldest known agricultural soil amendments. Scientists first studied and promoted “plastering” the land in the mid-1700s.
Pesticide applicator recertification credits now available online
In Michigan, people who wish to purchase or apply Restricted Use Pesticides (RUPs) must pass an exam to become a certified pesticide applicator. Once achieved, individual certifications are valid for a period of three years, at which point the applicator can retake the appropriate exams to maintain their status.
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