WEEKLY AG UPDATE BY NED BIRKEY MSU EXTENSION EDUCATOR EMERIUTUS SPARTAN AG Meteorological Spring is here and off to a fast start as the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center’s outlook to March 17 is calling for leaning below normal temperature and very likely above normal precipitation. The updated U.S. Drought Monitor, released Feb. 26, 2026, shows our area of the Midwest, including parts of southern Michigan and northern Ohio and Indiana, as having one of three of the five-drought impact types, ranging from abnormally dry to severe or extreme drought. Aaron Wilson, field specialist, Ag Weather and climate state climatologist for Ohio, in looking back at winter 2025-26, said it was cold, with our winter average temperatures ending 2-5°F below normal (1991-2020) for December-February. Despite quite snowy areas, this did not translate into wetter conditions overall, as precipitation ran well below normal. In fact, northwest Ohio counties generally received less than half of what was expected over the three-month winter period. However, the March weather shift is opening the pathway for ample moisture from the Gulf to surge northward with periods of rain showers, occasionally moderate to heavy. Pesticide training and review classes continue in March as a core review class and core testing will be offered by Michigan State University and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development on March 24 in Ann Arbor, or Michigan Bulletins Live! Classes will be offered in Hillsdale on March 17, Adrian on March 19 or Jackson on March 27. Contact Korede Olugbenie at 517-264-5306 for any of these MSU classes. 2026 Soybean on-farm trials in Michigan this year will include 11 projects that farmers can try out on their farm, with their equipment, soils and management. Projects include pre-plant sulfur, planting rate, planting date, residual herbicide, MicroStrike foliar micronutrient, Cobra for white mold, BW Fusion’s BioBoost planter box treatment, Trevo P fungicide for plant health, using Agroptimizer for planting date and seeding rate and Nexta Supply foliar treatment. Interested farmers can contact Madelyn Celovsky at 248-385-7886 or Korede Olugbenie at 517-264-5306. Lawn and Garden Workshop for the Monroe County Community College, Whitman Center, is fast approaching on March 21, 2026. Offered by the MCCC lifelong Learning program, this morning program will offer nine different lawn and garden topics to interested homeowners, gardeners and others. The cost is $40, or $28 for senior citizens, with registration by calling 734-384-4229. Topics include tree planting tips, garden diseases, growing tomatoes and peppers, raised bed and soil amendments, invasive species, MSU Hidden Lake Gardens, starting seeds, soil testing and lawn mower maintenance tips. For more specific information about the topics, contact Ned Birkey at birkey@msu.edu. |
