Farms & Agribusiness
Soils & Fertility
2024 Corn & Soybean Field Guide
The 2024 edition of this pocket-size, in-field reference provides detailed and descriptive information for corn and soybean producers. Other topics include identifying and managing insect, disease, and weeds; diagnosing ...
2024 Corn & Soybean Field Guide (25/box)
This is a box of 25 copies of our popular in-field reference. The 2024 edition of this pocket-size, in-field reference provides detailed and descriptive information for corn and soybean producers. Other topics include id...
Agricultural Fertilizer Applicator Training Manual
*** To be notified when the hardcopy Agricultural Fertilizer Applicator Training Manual is available for purchase, please
Animal Manure as a Plant Nutrient Resource
Manure is no longer a liability; it is an asset to be stored and applied in a way that maximizes nutrient value. Land application of animal manure provides a hedge against the high price of commercial fertilizers. Thi...
Applied Weed Science for the Field Scout (2021)
This fully illustrated publication is a resource for identifying weeds and understanding herbicide injury to crops. It provides photos and identification tips for 50 weed species found in Midwest agronomic production sys...
Applied Weed Science for the Field Scout (2021) - Box of 25
This is a box of 25 copies of the guide. This fully illustrated publication is a resource for identifying weeds and understanding herbicide injury to crops. It provides photos and identification tips for 50 weed species ...
Applying Plant Growth Retardants Pocket Reference
This brochure is a general reference to help greenhouse producers make basic decisions about applying plant growth retardants (PGRs) in greenhouse settings. The full version of this publication, Commercial Greenhouse and...
Building Soils for Better Crops, 3rd Edition
Building Soils for Better Crops is a one–of–a–kind, practical guide to ecological soil management, now expanded and in full color. It provides step–by–step information on soil&ndas...
Calculating Manure and Manure Nutrient Application Rates
This publication describes how to estimate the capacity of 3 types of manure spreaders: liquid tank, V-bottom, and a box. ...
Commercial Greenhouse and Nursery Production: Alkalinity Management in Soilless Substrates
Growers often do not have a clear understanding of the underlying causes behind increased substrate pH—water alkalinity, rather than water pH, is typically the source of the problem. This publication helps growers ...
The U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agriculture Statistics Service (USDA-NASS) released the 2007 Census of Agriculture on February 4, 2009. State and federal policy makers, researchers, extension personnel, growe...
Commercial Greenhouse and Nursery Production: Controlling Algae in Irrigation Ponds
Because water is so essential, commercial greenhouse and nursery operations need to maintain water supplies of sufficient quantity and quality to produce plant material profitably. This publication is not a comprehensive...
Commercial Greenhouse and Nursery Production: Flower Induction of Annuals
If annual bedding plants have even just a few flowers, customers get an idea of what the plant looks like in full bloom, which can increase impulse purchases. However, to be able to deliver to retailers annual bedding pl...
Commercial Greenhouse and Nursery Production: Lowering Soil pH for Horticulture Crops
Soil pH is important because it affects the availability of nutrients a plant needs to grow and thrive. This publication explains when lowering soil pH is important for commercial producers and recommends practices to sa...
Commercial Greenhouse and Nursery Production: Soil pH
Plants obtain nearly all their nutrients from the soil, but not all the nutrients present in the soil are accessible to plants. That's because soil pH affects the form and, therefore, solubility of nutrients. This public...
Commercial Greenhouse Production: Applying Plant Growth Retardants for Height Control
Controlling plant size is one of the most important aspects of greenhouse crop production. An alternative, effective strategy for controlling plant height is to use chemical plant growth retardants (PGRs). The goals of t...
Commercial Greenhouse Production: pH and Electrical Conductivity Measurements in Soilless Substrates
Monitoring the pH and electrical conductivity (EC) of growing substrates is a way to correct issues before they become problems that damage crops. This publication recommends best practices for establishing a pH and EC t...
Cornstalk Testing to Evaluate the Nitrogen Status of Mature Corn: Nitrogen Management Assurance
Studies have demonstrated that the nitrogen (N) status of a corn crop can be determined by measuring the nitrate concentrations in the lower portions of cornstalks at the end of the growing season. Evaluation of the t...
Determining Nitrogen Fertilizer Sidedress Application Needs in Corn Using a Chlorophyll Meter
Getting the correct amount of Nitrogen needed for optimal corn yields can be difficult. However, using a chlorophyll meter can help determine the amount of Nitrogen a corn plant has been able to accumulate. This publi...
Drainage and Wet Soil Management: Drainage Recommendations for Indiana Soils
This publication provides information about surface drainage, tile drains, and ditches for the soils of Indiana. The publication focuses on three main areas: soil drainage associations, descriptions of soil drainage asso...
Drainage and Wet Soil Management: Wet Soils of Indiana
This publication covers the hydrological and ecological importance of wet soils. It covers the basic characteristics of wet soils, how they function in their natural state, and how they might react to drainage for agricu...
Earthworms and Crop Management
Earthworms are an important component of many healthy, productive soils; they improve soil porosity and tilth by their feeding, casting, and burrowing activity. Earthworms may be particularly important in no-till or othe...
Economic Factors of Drainage Related to Corn Production
This publication discusses the likely effects of drainage improvements, the yield value of those improvements, the factors determining the economics of drainage, and how to calculate returns to a drainage investment. T...
Estimating Corn & Soybean Residue Cover
This publication shows corn and soybean producers who use conservation tillage methods how they can estimate and manage crop residue cover....
Estimating Manure Spreader Capacity
This publication describes how to estimate the capacity of three types of manure spreaders: liquid tank, V-bottom, and a box....
Forage Field Guide, fourth edition
The new fourth edition of this guide contains 324 pages of information for forage and livestock producers and the agricultural industries that serve them. This new edition features updates and changes throughout, includi...
Forage Field Guide, fourth edition (25/box)
This is a box of 25 copies of our popular in-field reference. The fourth edition of this pocket-size, in-field reference provides information for forage and livestock producers and the agricultural industries that serve ...
Fundamentals of Soil Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC)
Explains how to determine the relative ability of soils to store the group of nutrients called cations....
How to Make Miniature Soil Monoliths
This publication presents a step-by-step procedure for making miniature monoliths. The information in this publication discusses the materials required and how to properly collect and mount the soil horizon samples....
Fundamentals of the modulated spraying nozzle control (MSNC) system, a technology which can significantly improve the performance of both new and existing spraying equipment....
Implementing Site-Specific Management: Controlling Application Rate On-the-Go
Fundamentals of the construction and function of spraying systems, from simple fixed-rate units to state-of-the-art variable-rate systems. ...
Implementing Site-Specific Management: Liquid Manure Application
The value of manure in crop production is directly related to how it is managed. There is now the ability to document the amount of manure applied, where and when it was applied, and to avoid application in areas that mi...
Implementing Site-Specific Management: Map Versus Sensor-Based Variable Rate Application
This publication discusses two different site-specific management approaches for the variable rate application of crop production inputs (i.e., fertilizer, pesticides, etc.) and the benefits of each....
Indian Creek Watershed Project: Key Takeaways for Success
The Indian Creek watershed project focused on improving water quality in a small agricultural watershed in central Illinois. The project encouraged local landowners to voluntarily adopt conservation practices and systems...
Indiana Cover Crop Recipe: Post Corn, Going to Soybean: Use Cereal Rye
The recipe in this document provides an introductory approach to integrating a cover crop into a corn-soybean rotation. Planting a cover crop ahead of a soybean cash crop is often the easiest way to introduce cover cr...
Indiana Cover Crop Recipe: Post Soybean, Going to Corn: Use Oats/Radish
The recipe in this document provides an introductory approach to integrating a cover crop into a corn-soybean rotation. Often the easiest place to begin is to plant a cover crop ahead of a soybean cash crop following ...
Indiana Soil and Landscape Evaluation Manual
This publication presents methods for describing soils and landscapes. Its goal is to foster better communication between soil scientists who write soil and landscape evaluation reports and the environmental specialists ...
Indiana Soil and Water: Four Strategies to Improve Your Field's Soil Health
This publication provides four basic strategies to help improve the health of your soil: (1) Practice no-tillage or strip-tillage, (2) Add more crops to your rotation, (3) include cover crops, and (4) manage nutrient...
Indiana Soil and Water: How to Understand and Interpret Soil Health Tests
This publication describes four common laboratory soil health tests that we evaluated. The publication also discusses the challenges of using these tests in Indiana croplands.
Format: PDF and ...
Indiana Soil and Water: The Effects of Late-season Nitrogen Applications in Corn
In recent years, high-clearance fertilizer application equipment make it feasible to apply nitrogen (N) fertilizer to corn later in the growing season. This publication explores the potential uses of late-season N app...
Indiana Soil and Water: Tips for Environmentally Friendly Phosphorus Applications in Indiana
There is no single and universal answer to the question of how and when to apply P fertilizers. However, this publication does propose four basic P application management tips.
Indiana Soil Evaluation Field Book
This field book is a condensed version of Indiana Soils: Evaluation for Agriculture and Home Sites, which is the basic publication for teaching soil science and conducting soil judging contests.
The intent for...
Indiana Soils: Evaluation for Agriculture and Home Sites
This publication is the guide used to teach soils and land use in high schools and to conduct soil judging contests.
F...
Interpreting Nitrate Concentration in Tile Drainage Water
Monitoring nitrate nitrogen in field drainage tile outlets has important implications for water quality and efficient production agriculture. This publication provides some general guidelines for interpreting nitrate ...
Landscape Plants for Acid Soils
This publication lists and briefly describes landscape plants that are suitable for the specific site conditions of acid soil. These lists can serve as a guide, but are not intended to be exhaustive. ...
Landscape Plants for Sandy Soils
This publication lists and briefly describes landscape plants that are suitable for the specific site conditions of sandy areas. These lists can serve as a guide, but are not intended to be exhaustive. Many other plants ...
Management Tips for Spring Manure Applications
As plans for planting and getting into fields accelerate in spring, preparing ahead for manure application will help to streamline the process, insure proper nutrient application rates to support anticipated crop yields,...
Managing Cover Crops: An Introduction to Integrating Cover Crops Into a Corn-Soybean Rotation
This publication outlines an introductory approach to integrating cover crops into a corn-soybean cropping system and is intended to help farmers who are new to growing cover crops. It also offers a basic cover crop r...
Managing Cover Crops: Checklist for Integrating Cover Crops Into Your Cropping System
This publication is a checklist of things growers should do as they plan for using cover crops in their operation. It is a companion to Managing Cover Crops: An Introduction to Integrating Cover Crops Into a Corn-Soyb...
Managing Cover Crops: Cover Crops for Modern Cropping Systems
This publication is an introduction to cover crops — it describes cover crop benefits, how to select appropriate covers, common seeding methods, and how to terminate them. It is a companion to Managing Cover Cro...
Managing Cover Crops: Cover Crops for Prevented Planting Acres
This publication briefly describes the benefits of growing cover crops on prevented planting acres and provides guidance for selecting and seeding cover crops on these acres.
Language: English...
Managing Crop Residue With Farm Machinery
This guide is a planning tool to help producers develop a residue management program using selected tillage machines...
Measuring Daily Light Integral (DLI)
This brochure provides basic information about measuring Daily Light Integrals (DLI) in greenhouses, including DLI requirements for certain crops.
4-page publication explaining the consequences of and compromises involved in planting more corn after corn for ethanol production....
Muskmelon Problems on Acid Sandy Soils: Manganese Toxicity and Magnesium Deficiency
This leaflet discusses diagnosis, identification, and correction of acid soil problems. Pictures are included of problem plants. ...
On-Farm Soil Monitoring for Water Resource Protection
This publication includes farmer tested monitoring methods for five soil quality indicators that affect field productivity and environmental quality. Methods covered include water infiltration rate, earthworm counts, soi...
This publication presents research that shows how plant height uniformity influences yield in continuous corn using conservation tillage systems. This publication discusses some real causes of yield loss in no-till corn...
Pasture Assessment for Water Resource Protection
Using the Quick Check and the Action Plan included in this publication can help determine, and prevent, high risks for possible water contamination associated with pastured animal production. It also includes local organ...
Plant Analysis-A Diagnostic Tool
This publication discusses the essential elements, definition, use, soil testing, limitations, and interpretation of plant analysis. Tables are included listing the critical nutrient values or sufficiency ranges for co...
Dado que el agua es un elemento esencial, invernaderos comerciales y operaciones de viveros necesitan mantener el abastecimiento de agua en cantidad y calidad suficiente para producir plantas de manera rentable. Esta pub...
Productores de invernaderos y viveros muchas veces asumen que la presencia de hojas amarillas o pálidas son signos de deficiencias nutricionales. A veces, sin embargo, el problema se debe a la ausencia de nutrientes...
En la producción comercial bajo invernadero varias estrategias pueden emplearse para manejar de manera adecuada los niveles de luz a lo largo del día y según las temporadas del año. Esta publicaci...
El monitoreo del pH y la conductividad eléctrica (CE) de medios de crecimiento nos da la habilidad de corregir este tipo de inconvenientes antes de que se conviertan en problemas que pudieran perjudicar a los cultiv...
Role of Micronutrients in Efficient Crop Production
Provides information on micronutrient needs of common Indiana field crops and how to prevent deficiency problems....
Soil Acidity and Liming of Indiana Soils
Outlines the causes or sources of acidity in soils, defines how to measure such acidity, and discusses how to determine soil liming needs and appropriate rates of application. Also discusses quality characteristics of ...
This publication deals with the scope and nature of soil compaction and its remedies....
Soil Erosion in Indiana An Overview
Soil erosion on agricultural land is a significant problem in Indiana. Not only is yield decreased, but sediment (the end product of erosion) is a major source of water pollution. This publication discusses the erosion...
For many years, N recommendations in the Midwest were based on achieving a specific corn yield goal (if you want so many bushels per acre, apply so much N). This began to change in 2006. As growers consider adopting thes...
Soil Hydraulic Conductivity and Septic System Performance
Central to septic system performance is soil hydraulic conductivity, or the rate water flows through the soil. This publication focuses on hydraulic conductivity in septic system absorption fields, and its importance in ...
Soil Sampling for P, K, and Lime Recommendations
Land is one of a producer's highest-priced assets. To get the most return from your investment, you need to insure adequate fertility. Thus, soil testing should be a key part of your crop production program. ...
Soil testing is an integral part of a soil fertility management program. Effective soil testing provides information on the fertility status of soils within a field that can be used for making fertilizer or lime appli...
Some Soil Fungi Are Beneficial to Tree Seedling Growth
This publication examines types of mycorrhizal fungi and how they are beneficial to tree seedling growth. ...
Sulfur deficiency in corn, soybean, alfalfa, and wheat
Sulfur deficiency is occurring more frequently in Indiana and Michigan field crops due to decreased sulfur deposition from the atmosphere, increased crop removal due to higher yields, and adoption of cropping practices t...
Swelling Clays and Septic Systems
Shrinking and swelling soils can damage homes, roads, utilities, and septic systems, so it's important to investigate and consider soil characteristics for land use planning. This publication describes the causes of shri...
The Presidedress Soil Nitrate Test for Improving N Management in Corn
Nitrogen fertilizer is essential for profitable corn yields, but is also a major production cost and can contribute to environmental degradation. This publication provides information about soil nitrate tests, collect...
Tri-State Fertilizer Recommendations for Corn, Soybeans, Wheat & Alfalfa
In this cooperative effort, Extension experts from The Ohio State University, Michigan State University, and Purdue University revamp the original Tri-State Fertilizer Recommendations for Corn, Soybeans, Wheat and Alfalf...
Types and Uses of Nitrogen Fertilizers for Crop Production
The purpose of this publication is to answer questions concerning types and uses of nitrogen fertilizers for crop production. It is hoped that the information presented will help Hoosier farmers more accurately assess ...
Types and Uses of Soils Information in Indiana
Good decisions about soil and land use can only be made with the right information. AY-215 is a guide to that information, including where to get it and how to use it. AY-215 includes details about the value of soils...
Wind Erosion Concerns in Indiana
This publication contains information on soil types by counties in Indiana, a map of Indiana graphically demonstrating soil parent materials of the 13 regions and considerable discussion on conditions that influence wind...
