Livestock Manure and Weed Field Day is July 12

June 27, 2017
Palmer amaranth weed

BELOIT, Ohio — Weeds have come back this summer in full force and farmers are again learning the best ways to wage war with these green invaders.

Ohio State University Extension’s Mahoning County office is hosting a field day on July 12 from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. focusing on how to properly manage weeds and manure on farms.

OSU Extension is the outreach arm of The Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.

Jeff Stachler, OSU Extension agriculture and natural resources educator, and Glen Arnold, OSU Extension educator and field specialist in manure nutrient management systems, will discuss how to best manage livestock nutrients and control invasive weeds, such as Palmer amaranth.

“Despite the best efforts of farmers and herbicide dealerships, weeds such as Palmer amaranth continue to be found in more locations across the state of Ohio,” said Arnold. “Palmer amaranth has arrived here through various pathways including through used equipment brought to Ohio from the South and through cottonseed used in cattle feed. One of the keys for farmers to control this weed is early detection.”

The field day will be at Martig Farms, 10210 state Route 534 in Beloit, which is a dairy operation housing approximately 1,000 dairy cows. The large size of the dairy herd and therefore the large amount of manure it generates are the reasons this farm was chosen for the event.

“Livestock manure management has never been more important,” said Haley Drake, program coordinator for farm business analysis in the Mahoning County Extension office. “It’s every farmer’s job to ensure that the nutrients their livestock produce are managed properly and efficiently. We’re hoping participants can see what manure management is like on a large-scale farm and take this knowledge and apply parts of it to their own farms.”

Registration for the event is $5 per participant, which covers the cost of lunch and program handouts. Registration information can be found at go.osu.edu/manurefieldday or by calling the Mahoning County Extension office at 330-533-5538.

Writer(s): Katerina Sharp sharp.378@osu.edu 614-292-2011 Source(s): Glen Arnold arnold.2@osu.edu 419-422-3851, ext. 25 Haley Drake drake.362@osu.edu 330-533-5538