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Extension agriculture briefing flags herbicide‑resistant waterhemp, southern rust and rising farm costs
Summary
An extended agriculture briefing highlighted herbicide‑resistant waterhemp described as a persistent problem, southern corn rust reducing ensiling moisture, dependence on imported fertilizer and farm financial stress with rising debt and equipment‑sales declines.
Kevin, the agriculture presenter, delivered a wide‑ranging briefing on crops, on‑farm research and regional outreach. He warned that herbicide‑resistant waterhemp is spreading across fields and said plainly: "Not with waterhemp, this is a zombie," describing how some plants survive sprays and sprout new shoots. He urged thorough cleanouts of combines and field equipment to limit seed spread.
On disease, he described recent southern corn rust outbreaks and explained the practical effect on silage: heavily rusted plants tested at 63.1% moisture — below commonly desired ensiling ranges — while lighter infections tested higher. "If you look at the numbers, you're generally 73, 67, 70," he said when contrasting healthy and affected samples and noted rust can reduce yield and kernel numbers.
Kevin also reviewed inputs and market pressure. He described the United States' fertilizer import dependencies and named major suppliers, saying "We import, basically all of our potassium" and noting that conflicts and global market shifts can spike prices. He linked those supply pressures to local costs and farm finances, warning that adjusted for inflation U.S. farm debt is "approaching $650,000,000,000 for 2026," and cited falling equipment sales as another sign of stress.
Throughout the presentation he emphasized hands‑on field events and collecting sample data for UW Madison research that supports grant applications and improved technical tools. He described cover‑crop and manure trials that showed significant nitrogen credits when biomass was high and described outreach partnerships that bring specialists together with farmers for practical demonstrations.
Kevin urged vigilance and practical farmers’ cooperation (cleaning combines, timely spraying, manure management) and framed Extension events as the practical venue to share research and mitigation strategies. The briefing drew several technical questions from the group and requests for more hard numbers in follow‑up materials.
