Sustainable Agriculture
Growing agronomic crops sustainably means using methods that have a minimal effect on the environment, and finding a good balance between the need for food production and the preservation of the ecological system within the environment. Find information on sustainable agriculture of agronomic crops, including crop rotation and conservation tillage, soil health and conservation practices, extending the grazing season and interseeding.
Crop Planning in Sustainable Agriculture
Crop planning is essential for any agronomic producers. Optimizing agronomic crop production while also minimizing the effect of production methods on the environment requires careful planning. Penn State Extension’s Farming for Success workshops feature a wide range of crop production topics. These include disease, weed, and insect management, nutrient management, crops management, and alternative crops.
No-Till/Conservation Tillage for Agronomic Crops
No-till and conservation tillage are both production methods that are a fundamental part of sustainable agronomic crop production. They both provide several benefits such as soil conservation, reductions in crop establishment time and energy use, improved water retention, retention of soil organic matter, and improvement of soil quality at the soil surface.
Crop Rotation, Double Cropping, and Cover Crops
It’s possible to enhance many of the benefits of no-till and conservation tillage by planting cover crops, adopting crop rotation, and double cropping. However, complications can arise when trying to integrate all these systems. Three years of research by Penn State experts has provided answers to many of the pain points associated with sustainable agronomic production practices, such as planting green with corn and soybeans.
Crop rotation increases yields because they help to improve soil conditions and reduce weed and insect populations. A crop rotation system can also help producers successfully adopt conservation tillage.
Soil Health and Conservation Practices
Improving soil health is crucial for maximum agronomic crop yields. Soil compaction, in particular, can negatively affect soil productivity and environmental quality. It’s an issue that can be reduced or avoided by following sustainable agricultural practices such as no-till and conservation tillage.
Soil health also has an important part to play in water hydrology. If soil is compacted, for example, it can lead to compaction infiltration. This is one topic that’s covered in the Penn State Extension Agronomy Now: Soil Sampling, Compaction, and Water Hydrology workshop. More resources on soil fertility and health are available in the dedicated section.
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NewsDeadline Approaching for Farmer Grants
Date Posted 11/1/2022The deadline to submit a Farmer Grant is November 15, 2022 to Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) -
Articles¿Qué es el Carbono?
Se habla mucho de carbono y agricultura. ¿Te has preguntado qué es el carbono y por qué es importante? -
ArticlesSuccessful Transition to Organic at Banner Farm
On-farm example focuses on organic transition. -
NewsSoybean Sentinel Plot Report: September 27, 2022
Date Posted 9/27/2022With soybean fields maturing, our final reports find very low pest activity. -
NewsSoybean Sentinel Plot Report: September 20, 2022
Date Posted 9/20/2022Pest populations in soybeans remain low, but white mold is increasing in some places. -
NewsSoybean Sentinel Plot Report: September 13, 2022
Date Posted 9/13/2022Pest populations in soybeans remain low, but white mold is increasing in some places. -
NewsFall Armyworm Populations Much Reduced Compared to 2021
Date Posted 9/13/2022Last year at this time, fall armyworm damage was widespread. This year the risk is much lower but not zero. -
NewsSoybean Sentinel Plot Report: August 30, 2022
Date Posted 8/30/2022Japanese and bean leaf beetles and grasshopper remain common, and some diseases are becoming evident. Scout your fields to determine what’s active in your fields. -
NewsHessian Fly and Early Planted Wheat and Barley
Date Posted 8/30/2022Planting wheat and barley too early can unintentionally build populations of Hessian fly, an uncommon pest that can cause big problems. -
NewsThe Field and Forage Crops Team Is Here to Help
Date Posted 8/23/2022If you need help or advice related to agricultural production, the Agronomy Team is here to help. -
NewsSoybean Sentinel Plot Report: August 23, 2022
Date Posted 8/23/2022Japanese and bean leaf beetles and grasshopper remain common, and some diseases are becoming evident. Scout your fields to determine what's active in your fields. -
NewsSoybean Sentinel Plot Report: August 16, 2022
Date Posted 8/16/2022Japanese and bean leaf beetles and grasshopper remain common, and some diseases are becoming evident. Scout your fields to determine what’s active in your fields. -
NewsSoybean Sentinel Plot Report: August 2, 2022
Date Posted 8/2/2022Grasshoppers and Japanese beetles remain common; scout fields to determine if they are approaching economic thresholds. -
ArticlesWhat Is Carbon?
There is so much talk about carbon and agriculture. Have you wondered what carbon is and why it is important? -
NewsSoybean Sentinel Plot Report: July 26, 2022
Date Posted 7/26/2022Grasshoppers and Japanese beetles are common, and in some cases these populations are approaching economic threshold -
NewsCorn Leaf Aphid, an Argument Against Tank Mixing Insecticides
Date Posted 7/25/2022Adding insecticides unnecessarily to sprayers can result in large aphid populations. -
NewsSoybean Sentinel Plot Report: July 19, 2022
Date Posted 7/19/2022Grasshoppers and Japanese beetles were most common in the fields we are scouting, but insect populations remain low while disease incidence is starting to increase. -
NewsScout for Western Bean Cutworm
Date Posted 7/19/2022Western bean cutworm is active; scout your corn fields to understand the threat this caterpillar species poses. -
NewsStrategies to Decrease Drought Risk in Crop Production
Date Posted 7/13/2022Soils are already dry in many parts of the state and rain is not in the forecast for the coming weeks. Crops are suffering and we wonder what can be done to avoid drought risk in rainfed crop production? -
NewsSoybean Sentinel Plot Report: July 12, 2022
Date Posted 7/12/2022Grasshoppers and bean leaf beetles are common, but generally, insect populations remain low while diseases are becoming more evident. -
NewsBe Aware of Invertebrate Pest Species That Do Well in Hot and Dry Conditions
Date Posted 7/12/2022Hot and dry conditions can favor a few pest species in corn and soybean fields; scout to determine if they are active in your area -
NewsStink Bug Damage to Vegetative Corn Plants
Date Posted 7/5/2022Feeding by brown stink bugs has stunted and damaged plants in some corn fields. -
NewsSoybean Sentinel Plot Report: July 5, 2022
Date Posted 7/5/2022Grasshoppers and bean leaf beetles are common, but overall insect populations remain low and diseases are uncommon. -
NewsSoybean Sentinel Plot Report: June 28, 2022
Date Posted 6/28/2022Insect pest and disease populations remain low in the soybean fields that we are scouting. -
NewsSoybean Sentinel Plot Report: June 14, 2022
Date Posted 6/14/2022Early season pests like bean leaf beetle are active, as are soybean aphids.
