Survey of Italian Ryegrass in Delaware and Maryland

Kurt Vollmer, Extension Weed Management Specialist | kvollmer@umd.edu
University of Maryland Extension

Italian ryegrass seedheads. If seedheads are smaller than shown here, increase the number collected.

Problem: Control of Italian ryegrass is becoming more difficult in Delaware and Maryland.

Objective:

  • Understand why Italian/annual ryegrass is so widespread in 2023
  • Is herbicide-resistance part of the issue?
  • Which herbicides are involved in local resistance?
  • How wide-spread is resistance in DE and MD?

How you can help:

  1. Collect 50 ryegrass seedheads from the field (only seedheads are needed).
  2. Put in paper bag or paper envelope (do not use plastic bags).
  3. Write the nearest crossroads on bag or envelope.
  4. Write the crop on the bag/envelope.
  5. Note if any of the following herbicides were sprayed since last fall:
  • Glyphosate (Roundup)
  • Axial
  • Powerflex
  • Osprey
  • Select
  • Assure II
  1. Store in dry area.
  2. Deliver to nearest county extension office OR contact Mark VanGessel or Kurt Vollmer for collection or pickup.
  • Mark VanGessel: (302) 542-8160
  • Kurt Vollmer: (443) 446-4260

Specific farms or individuals will not be identified in any reports or summary.

Earn a gift card by telling us about your thoughts on nitrogen management in the Chesapeake Bay watershed

What are your thoughts on nitrogen management in the Chesapeake Bay watershed? What can we do to reduce nitrogen pollution in the Bay while meeting the demands for nutritious food and economic development? Your thoughts are very important for us to identify barriers and opportunities for improving the Bay’s health! Thanks to our farmers, we have made progress in reducing nitrogen pollution reaching the Bay in the past few decades, but there is still more work to do.

If you live/work in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and are over 18 years old, we would like to invite you to take a quick online survey (password: cafe2021) to share your thoughts. Our research team at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science developed this project to help understand and increase the region’s capacity to efficiently and profitably manage nitrogen across the food system, from crop and animal production, to distribution, to consumer waste treatment! Reducing nutrient loss depends on all parts of the food system, and participation of all different stakeholders like you!

This survey will take about 20 minutes. We will email the first 100 participants a $20 e-gift card. This survey is part of an NSF-funded project and it is approved by the University of Maryland Institutional Review Board ([1864028-3]. Sustainable nitrogen management across spatial and system scales). Please find more details about the project in the document attached. Any questions, please let us know. You can contact us via this email cafesurveys@umces.edu. Thank you in advance for your contribution to the research project and the Bay’s health!

Best regards,
The CAFE Team
cafesurveys@umces.edu
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science

Estate and Succession Planning Survey

Paul Goeringer, Agriculture Legal Specialist
University of Maryland, Agriculture Law Education Initiative 

The University of Maryland Extension receives requests for educational resources related to estate and succession planning, but often when those resources are made available, only some agricultural operations take advantage of the resources. Researchers from the University of Maryland are surveying the estate and succession planning needs of Maryland agricultural operations. All agricultural producers, service providers, and anyone working with operators may participate in the survey.  

“We often hear from agricultural producers that estate planning is something they struggle with and is a top legal concern for many of them. But when we hold workshops or offer other outreach related to estate planning, we often get few participants. This survey will help us consider the needs of Maryland agricultural operations and how best to address those related to estate planning,” said Paul Goeringer, a senior faculty specialist and Extension specialist in agricultural law with the University of Maryland.  

Goeringer encourages all agricultural operators and those working with agricultural operators to participate in the survey. “The more results we get the better we will be able to understand the needs in this topic. We can develop better programming that fits needs in this area.”

The information gathered will help Extension develop new resources and tools to support agricultural operations as they consider estate and succession planning. Participation is voluntary and confidential. Anyone that completes a survey will be given the option to enter a raffle for 1 of 8 $50 gift cards. Funding for the gift cards was provided by Horizons Farm Credit.

If you are interested in participating, please visit this website to complete the survey: go.umd.edu/estatesurvey. We anticipate the survey will take 30 to 45 minutes.

For more information, contact Paul Goeringer (lgoering@umd.edu).

Crop Insurance Research Survey

Participate in Crop Insurance Survey and Earn $50+

Row crop farmers are needed to take a research survey on crop insurance, that covers some basic questions about their operation and hypothetical crop insurance decisions. The survey only takes about 30 minutes and does not ask invasive questions. Producers will receive an Amazon gift card of at least $50 and as much as $99 (average of $71).

The purpose of the survey is to better understand farmers’ crop insurance preferences and support efforts to improve crop insurance. The survey is a collaboration between researchers at Kansas State University, Iowa State University, and Michigan State University.

To complete the survey, please visit:

https://www.card.iastate.edu/survey/CropInsuranceSurvey/

Please contact Dr. Jennifer Ifft, jifft@ksu.edu, if you have any questions.

Reminder: 2023 Custom Rate Survey Open

Extension services in Maryland and Delaware will be collecting custom survey rates this fall. We need your assistance in securing up-to-date information about farm custom work rates, machinery rental rates, and hired labor costs in Maryland. Custom rates are used widely by farmers across the states, so we need the best information available.

Please respond even if you know only a few rates. We want information on actual rates, either what you PAID TO HIRE work or what you CHARGED TO PERFORM custom work. Custom Rates should include all ownership costs of implement & tractor (if needed), operator labor, fuel and lube. Reported rates will be summarized in the Custom Rate Survey to show a range and averages for the states. NO individual names or rates will be published in the Custom Rate Survey.

The results will be available at local Extension Offices and will be available online at https://extension.umd.edu/grainmarketing. We hope this publication will be beneficial to you as a custom farm operator and thank you for your cooperation with this effort.

The survey can be completed online at: https://go.umd.edu/customrate2023 or to get a blank survey call the Talbot County Extension office at 410-822-1244. Please complete the survey by December 31, 2022.

Mid-Atlantic 4R Farmer Survey

Queenstown, Maryland (December 8, 2021) – The Mid-Atlantic 4R Nutrient Stewardship Association is discovering barriers to 4R (right Source, Rate, Time, and Place) practice adoption. In the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, 2,700 randomly selected farmers will receive a mailed survey from the University of Delaware. The overall goal of this survey is to inform outreach efforts and communication strategies about the 4Rs to better serve farmers like you. By understanding the barriers you face in making nutrient management decisions, the survey will also inform voluntary state and federal agricultural cost-share programs. We ask that if you receive this voluntary survey, that you complete and return the survey.

The survey consists of questions about your farm and your experience with nutrient management and has an estimated completion time of 20 minutes. Responses are completely confidential! Those who complete the survey by January 15th will be eligible to enter a drawing for a $250 Visa gift card (10 available), a $100 Visa gift card (20 available), or a $50 Visa gift card (99 available).

The study is being conducted by the University of Delaware and the Mid-Atlantic 4R Nutrient Stewardship Association (the parent organization for the Pennsylvania 4R Alliance and the Delaware-Maryland 4R Alliance).

For more information about the survey, feel free to contact the project manager, Dr. Kelly Davidson at 302-831-8034.

Maryland Farm Well Water Quality Project and Survey

The University of Maryland will be conducting drinking well water educational programming for Maryland farms in 2022. We request your input by completing a short survey to provide Extension Educators more information about drinking water wells on farms in Maryland, and to develop education programming to assist farmers in ensuring safe, good quality drinking water. In addition, the project will be providing reduced cost well water testing for up to 75 farms that have wells of varied type and are located in varied regions of the state.  We appreciate your time and feedback by completing this survey: https://ume.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0uFvsZKANHrpVH0. Your personal identifiable information is strictly confidential.  Thank you!

Retrofitting Safe Entry Technologies and Grain Bins

Grain entrapments and engulfment are preventable hazards associated with grain storage. In 2019, there were 38 reported entrapment incidents of which 23 were fatal. ASABE standard S624, recommends that all grain bins produced after August 2018 have anchor points for a lifeline and harness rated to 2000 lbs. of vertical pull.  There are more than 260,000 exempt grain handling facilities across the U.S. where most of these incidents occur. Unfortunately, about 1 in 5 of these grain-related incidents involve children. 

Through the Northeast Center for Occupational Health and Safety, Penn State is conducting a 2-part research project related to retrofitting safe entry technologies on farm grain bin structures. The first part of the project is doing non-destructive grain bin tests to determine feasibility of retrofitting on-farm grain bin structures with anchor points for a lifeline and harness system. The second part is a survey to learn more about agricultural producer’s awareness about grain bin hazards and safety as well as their willingness to implement new safety practices into their operation. 

Anyone who works around or owns a grain bin is eligible to participate in the survey. Survey participants can enter a drawing for a chance to win 1 of 3 $75 Visa gift cards. To participate in the survey, click on the following link and complete by March 15, 2021: https://pennstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_b8D15JcDC4uKShf

Reminder: Custom Rate Survey

Shannon Dill, Principal Agriculture Agent
University of Maryland Extension, Talbot County

Attention Custom Rate Operators or those who use custom farming services!

We need your assistance in securing up-to-date information about farm custom work rates, machinery rental rates and hired labor costs in Maryland. This information is being updated and published by the University of Maryland Extension. It is widely used by farmers across the state, so we need the best information available.

Please respond even if you know only a few rates. We want information on actual rates, either what you PAID TO HIRE work or what you CHARGED TO PERFORM custom work. Custom Rates should include all ownership costs of implement & tractor (if needed), operator labor, fuel and lube.

Reported rates will be summarized in the Custom Rate Survey to show a range and averages for the state. NO individual names or rates will be published in the Custom Rate Survey.

You can complete this survey online at: https://go.umd.edu/customrate2021. Please complete the survey by January 15, 2021.

The results will be available online at www.extension.umd.edu/grainmarketing. We hope this publication will be beneficial to you as a custom farm operator and thank you for your cooperation with this effort.

2020 Custom Farming Rate Survey

Shannon Dill, Principal Agriculture Agent
University of Maryland Extension, Talbot County

Attention custom farming operators!

We need your assistance in securing up-to-date information about farm custom work rates, machinery rental rates and hired labor costs in Maryland. This information is being updated and published by the University of Maryland Extension. It is widely used by farmers across the state and the region, so we need the best information available.

Please respond even if you know only a few rates. We want information on actual rates, either what you paid to hire work or what you charged if you perform custom work. Custom Rates should include all ownership costs of implement & tractor (if needed), operator labor, fuel and lube.

Reported rates will be summarized in the Custom Rate Survey to show a range and averages for the state. NO individual names or rates will be published in the Custom Rate Survey.

You can complete this survey online at: https://go.umd.edu/customrate2021 or you may request a hard copy from Shannon Dill (sdill@umd.edu). Please return by: December 31, 2020. We hope these publications will be beneficial to you as a custom farm operator as well as farmers who use custom operators to perform various tasks on their farm.

The results will be available online at www.extension.umd.edu/grainmarketing. We hope this publication will be beneficial to you as a custom farm operator and thank you for your cooperation with this effort.

If you have any questions or comments regarding the survey please contact me at 410-822-1244 or sdill@umd.edu.