Summer Annual Variety Trial

Warm season grasses, such as sudangrass, and millet can provide quality forage in the hot summer months, when the cool season grasses enter dormancy and decline in productivity. The addition of summer annuals into a rotation can provide a harvest of high-quality forage for stored feed or grazing during this critical time. Generally, summer annuals germinate quickly, grow rapidly, are drought resistant, and have high productivity and flexibility in utilization. The UVM Extension Northwest Crops and Soils team conducted this variety trial to evaluate the yield and quality of warm season annual grasses

Soybean Cover Crop Trial

In 2017, the University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crops and Soils Program investigated the impact of various cover crop mixtures on a subsequent soybean crop’s yield and quality at Borderview Research Farm in Alburgh, VT. Soybeans are grown for human consumption, animal feed, and biodiesel and can be a useful rotational crop in corn silage and grass production systems. As cover cropping expands throughout Vermont, it is important to understand the potential benefits, consequences, and risks associated with growing cover crops in various cropping systems. In an effort to support the local soybean market and to gain a better understanding of cover cropping in soybean production systems, the University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crop and Soils (NWCS) Program, as part of a grant from the Eastern Soybean Board, established a trial in 2017 to investigate the impacts on soybean yield and quality of following annual cover crop mixtures with a soybean crop

Soybean Variety Trial

In 2017, the University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crops and Soils Team evaluated yield and quality of short season soybean varieties at Borderview Research Farm in Alburgh, VT. Due to the short growing season in Vermont, little research has been conducted on soybeans and the insects and diseases that can affect their harvest yield and quality. Soybeans are grown for human consumption, animal feed, and biodiesel. In an effort to support and expand the local soybean market throughout the northeast, the University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crop and Soils (NWCS) Program, as part of a grant from the Eastern Soybean Board, established a trial in 2017 to evaluate yield and quality of short season soybean varieties

Industrial Grain Hemp Planting Date Trial

Hemp is a non-psychoactive variety of cannabis sativa L. The crop is one of historical importance in the U.S. and reemerging in worldwide importance as manufacturers seek hemp as a renewable and sustainable resource for a wide variety of consumer and industrial products. The crop produces a valuable oilseed, rich in Omega-3 and other essential fatty acids that are often absent in western diets. When the oil is extracted from the seed, what remains is a marketable meal co-product, which is used for human and animal consumption. The fiber has high tensile strength and can be used to create cloth, rope, building materials, and even a form of plastic. For twenty years, U.S. entrepreneurs have been importing hemp from China, Eastern Europe and Canada to manufacture travel gear, apparel and accessories, body care and cosmetics, foods like bread, beer, and salad oils, paper products, building materials and animal bedding, textiles, auto parts, housewares, and sporting equipment. Industrial hemp is poised to be a “new” cash crop and market opportunity for Vermont farms that is nutritious, versatile, and suitable for rotation with other small grains and grasses

Non-GMO Corn Silage Variety Trial

In 2017, the University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crops and Soils Program evaluated yield and quality of 11 non-GMO corn silage varieties in Franklin, VT. An emerging non-GMO milk market has prompted some dairy farmers to start growing non-GMO corn. To successfully convert to growing non- GMO corn, farmers are looking for more information on non-GMO varieties that are available and perform well in our region. While the information presented can begin to describe the yield and quality performance of these non-GMO corn silage varieties in this region, it is important to note that the data represent results from only one season and one location. Compare other variety performance data before making varietal selections

Industrial Grain Hemp Variety Trial

Hemp is a non-psychoactive variety of cannabis sativa L. The crop is one of historical importance in the U.S. and reemerging in worldwide importance as manufacturers seek hemp as a renewable and sustainable resource for a wide variety of consumer and industrial products. The crop produces a valuable oilseed, rich in Omega-3 and other essential fatty acids that are often absent in western diets. When the oil is extracted from the seed, what remains is a marketable meal co-product, which is used for human and animal consumption. The fiber has high tensile strength and can be used to create cloth, rope, building materials, and even a form of plastic. For twenty years, U.S. entrepreneurs have been importing hemp from China, Eastern Europe and Canada to manufacture travel gear, apparel and accessories, body care and cosmetics, foods like bread, beer, and salad oils, paper products, building materials and animal bedding, textiles, auto parts, housewares, and sporting equipment. Industrial hemp is poised to be a “new” cash crop and market opportunity for Vermont farms that is nutritious, versatile, and suitable for rotation with other small grains and grasses

Industrial Cannabidiol Hemp Report

Hemp is a non-psychoactive variety of cannabis sativa L. The crop is one of historical importance in the U.S. and re-emerging worldwide importance as medical providers and manufacturers seek hemp as a renewable and sustainable resource for a wide variety of consumer and industrial products. Hemp grown for all types of end-use (health supplement, fiber, and seed) contains less than 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Hemp varieties intended to produce a health supplement contain relatively high concentrations of a compound called cannabidiol (CBD), potentially 8-10%. CBD has purported benefits such as relief from inflammation, pain, anxiety, seizures, spasms, and other conditions. The CBD is the most concentrated in the female flowers of the plant. To grow hemp for CBD production, the crop is generally grown intensively as a specialty crop and the flowers are cultivated for maximum growth. There is also potential to grow industrial hemp as a row crop for seed and/or fiber and extract CBD from other plant parts, as well. The CBD oil is incorporated into topical products (salves, lip balm, lotion) and food and is available in pill capsules, powder form, and more, which can be found in the market today. Industrial hemp is poised to be a “new” cash crop and market opportunity for Vermont farms that is versatile and suitable as a rotation crop with other specialty crops, small grains, and grasses

High Glucosinolate Mustard as a Biofumigant Trial

Brassicaceae plants (mustard family) contain chemicals called glucosinolates. These compounds are present in the leaves, stems, roots, and seeds of the plants. When the plant biomass is incorporated into the soil, these glucosinolates are broken down into a number of secondary compounds, including a compound called isothiocyanate. Isothiocyanate can be biocidal to seeds, insects, nematodes, and other microbes (fungi, bacteria, etc.). In recent years, plant breeders have worked to develop varieties of mustards with high glucosinolate content to be used as biofumigants in crop production. These high glucosinolate mustards (HGM) are being used as cover crops and the entire plant biomass is incorporated into the soil. Interestingly, mustards can also be used as oilseed crops with a potential use in biofuel production. Extraction of the oil from the seed produces a meal that is also high in glucosinolates as well as nitrogen. Hence, the meal used as a soil amendment could potentially provide nutrients and suppress weeds, pests, and diseases

European Hybrid Corn Variety Trial

The University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crops and Soils Program conducted a grain corn variety trial in 2015 to provide unbiased performance comparisons of rapidly maturing European hybrid grain corn varieties developed in Eastern Europe for regions with short growing seasons similar to Vermont’s climate. It is important to remember that the data presented are from a replicated research trial from only one location in Vermont and represent only one season. These varieties are being trialed to evaluate their suitability to the Vermont climate

Industrial Hemp Fiber Planting Date Trial

Hemp is a non-psychoactive variety of cannabis sativa L. The crop is one of historical importance in the U.S. and reemerging in worldwide importance as manufacturers seek hemp as a renewable and sustainable resource for a wide variety of consumer and industrial products. The fiber has high tensile strength and can be used to create a variety of goods. Hemp consists of two types of fiber: bast and hurd. The bast fiber are the long fibers found in the bark of hemp stalks and are best suited for plastic bio-composites for vehicles, textiles, rope, insulation, and paper. The hurd fiber are short fibers found in the core of the stem and are suited for building materials, such as hempcrete and particle boards, bedding materials, and absorbents