The U.S. Department of Labor announced last week an extension of the public comment period for proposed changes to the regulations governing employment of youth on farms and agricultural enterprises.
Experts from Ohio State University Extension's Agricultural Safety and Health program will host a webinar to discuss the proposed changes and answer questions from the public Wednesday, Nov. 9, at 3 p.m.
"The proposed changes to the Agricultural Child Labor Laws are bringing about many questions for safety professionals, agricultural businesses who hire youth, and agricultural educators who teach farm safety to youth audiences," said Dee Jepsen, program leader and assistant professor in the Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering. "Due to the impact this topic will make on many small farms and agribusinesses, the public comment period has been extended for another 30 days." <Read More>
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Friends of Spiders Please Stand Up
Most people don't harbor fond feelings for the creatures known as spiders. In fact, as a group, spiders are probably the least-liked of all arthropods. And that is saying something. None of the other common arthropods - insects, ticks, mites, scorpions, lobsters, crayfish and pillbugs - rank very high on the human likeability scale either. <Read More>
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Evergreen Needles Don't Last Forever
Rosie Lerner, Purdue Extension Consumer Horticulture Specialist
Evergreens provide green color all year long but that doesn't mean that the individual needles live forever. Evergreens shed their older needles to make room for new growth, but what makes them evergreen is that they retain some foliage all year long instead of shedding all of the leaves at once.
Evergreen needles have varying life spans, depending on the species. Arborvitae and pine needles live for 2 years while spruce needles live 3-10 years. Some species of evergreens have a more noticeable leaf drop than others. In autumn, arborvitae and white pine will drop their 2-year old needles all at once, which can be quite alarming if you don't realize that it's perfectly normal.
On other species, needle drop occurs gradually with a small number of needles falling at one time. The older needles of yew shrubs will turn yellow and drop in late spring or early summer. Broad-leaved evergreens such as rhododendrons drop their 2- to 3-year-old leaves in late summer and early fall.
The hot, dry weather experienced over much of the region appears to be causing many plants to drop needles early. Inner and lower needles that are hidden from light are usually the first to drop. Pruning excess growth and dead limbs can help open the plant to more light. But for most plants, there's no need to worry; they are just doing what comes naturally.
Evergreens provide green color all year long but that doesn't mean that the individual needles live forever. Evergreens shed their older needles to make room for new growth, but what makes them evergreen is that they retain some foliage all year long instead of shedding all of the leaves at once.
Evergreen needles have varying life spans, depending on the species. Arborvitae and pine needles live for 2 years while spruce needles live 3-10 years. Some species of evergreens have a more noticeable leaf drop than others. In autumn, arborvitae and white pine will drop their 2-year old needles all at once, which can be quite alarming if you don't realize that it's perfectly normal.
On other species, needle drop occurs gradually with a small number of needles falling at one time. The older needles of yew shrubs will turn yellow and drop in late spring or early summer. Broad-leaved evergreens such as rhododendrons drop their 2- to 3-year-old leaves in late summer and early fall.
The hot, dry weather experienced over much of the region appears to be causing many plants to drop needles early. Inner and lower needles that are hidden from light are usually the first to drop. Pruning excess growth and dead limbs can help open the plant to more light. But for most plants, there's no need to worry; they are just doing what comes naturally.
Harvesting, Drying, and Storing the 2011 Corn Crop
High temperatures and lack of rain this past summer have taken a toll on a portion of Indiana's 2011 corn crop. Some regions of the state are reporting that corn is more susceptible to lodging than usual and there are also reports of poor kernel fill and small kernels. Higher moistures and poor kernel development can mean lighter test weight corn and/or grain storage challenges for some farmers and elevators. More detailed information on drying low test weight corn and properly managing foreign material can be found on Purdue's Grain Quality website http://www.grainquality.org under the Extension Publications tab on the left side of the screen (for example, see GQFS-27 found under Extension Publications, Grain Drying, Conditioning and Aeration). Below is a summary of basic principles along with some references to specific publications. <Read More>
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