The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service will conduct the next Census of Agriculture in 2022. Why participate? The Census is the only source of uniform, comprehensive, and impartial data on land use, operator characteristics, production practices, income, and expenditures of U.S. agriculture. Statistics from these data demonstrate the value of agriculture in this country and […]
Greater incidence of Phytophthora fruit rot as a result of this year’s extreme rain events was pointed out in a recent publication of the weekly Vegetable IPM update found on the Plant and Pest Advisory. The minimum 3-4-year crop rotation schedule recommended to reduce incidence of Phytophthora and other soil-borne diseases of pumpkin like fusarium, […]
Cover cropping season is in full swing. As you harvest your summer crops and shift your focus to winter cover, you may be interested in seed germination testing for cover crop seed. If you’re looking for a quick and easy germination test you can do at home, check out this bulletin from University of Maine. […]
The deadline to submit proposals for the Farmer Grant Program offered by the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program (NE-SARE) is Tuesday, November 16, 2021 at 5 p.m. Farmers with an innovative idea can seek financial support from the Farmer Grant Program to conduct a field trial, on-farm demonstration, marketing initiative, or other technique. […]
In July, a farmer called about a soybean field planted 5 weeks earlier seemingly stuck at the V2-V3 stage. Planning for a post emergence herbicide application was underway and the farmer wanted advice if anything could be done to help the beans such as additional fertilizer, a fungicide, or an insecticide. Would the better decision […]
Kate Brown, Program Associate in Commercial Agriculture, Burlington County
Conservation tillage practices allow crop residue to persist on the soil surface, minimizing winter erosion. The goal is to retain 30% or more soil coverage at planting (Figure 1) which, in turn, keeps nutrients on the farm, protects water quality, and preserves soil health. The amount of surface residue retained at planting is directly […]
Kate Brown, Program Associate in Commercial Agriculture, Burlington County
Have you heard of “planting green”? Planting green is the practice of planting your cash crop directly into a living cover crop – typically field corn or soybeans into fall-seeded cereal rye – and it’s a practice growing in popularity. Planting green was the topic of a moderated session at the Northeast Cover Crops Council […]
Introduction This series of articles will review what ‘ergonomics’ (also know as ‘human factors’) is and how it applies to gardening. I became interested in ergonomics when a co-worker’s chronic arm, neck, and shoulder pain was relieved by having her desktop lower: it had been four inches too high. The proliferation of personal computers, tablets, […]
Applying Ergonomic Principles to Common Garden Tasks
When Using Hand Tools Keep the wrists in a neutral position (wrist straight with thumbs up or wrapped around a tool handle to meet the forefinger) RI 9684 page 5 (PDF) Avoid bending or twisting the wrist to get that last weed or prune that last branch Cushioned grips and tools with grip handles may […]
Applying Ergonomic Principles to Common Garden Tasks
When Working Close to the Ground Bend from hips, not the waist. Keep the chin off the neck or chest. Keep the back straight. Work close to the body, the further away from the body the arms are, the rounder the back will be. Avoid twisting sideways: face you work area directly, for most people […]
