Summary: The NCDA&CS Nematode Assay Lab is warning growers submitting routine nematode tests about long delays of 15 weeks or more in getting test results. The delays are due to increased testing and being short staffed. Analyzing the samples is highly detailed...
The Agronomic Services soil testing lab will soon enter its busiest time and anticipates implementing a peak-season fee beginning Dec. 1. Growers have a few weeks left to submit soil samples to avoid the rush and the fees. Soil testing is a free service outside the...
Farmers and homeowners are reminded to submit soil samples now to the Agronomic Services lab to avoid peak-season fees. The fees are expected to take effect Dec. 1 this year. I like to try to remind growers and homeowners as we get closer to the peak time for soil sampling to get their samples in […]
Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Mike Davis to discuss “Today’s Topic.” With the sweet potato harvest, growers are urged to keep watch for nematode damage and may want to consider molecular diagnostic testing if they are found. This is a service of the Agronomic Services Nematode Lab.
The COVID-19 outbreak has already begun to stretch supplies thin at hospitals in North Carolina, but North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services employees are already finding ways to help. Recently, NCDA&CS Agronomic Services division employees donated several boxes full of personal protective equipment to the Rex Wellness Center in Raleigh. Lee Page, agricultural […]
Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Mike Davis to discuss “Today’s Topic.” As we come to the end of the year, it’s a good time to look back at some of the department’s accomplishments and highlights. It has been a busy year, but I am proud of the work […]
If NCDA&CS Agronomist Kristin Hicks has her way, in a couple of years North Carolina beer brewers and malting houses will have access to more locally grown malting barley rather than having to source that ingredient from farmers in the Northern United States, Canada or Europe. Hicks, in collaboration with scientists at N.C. State University, […]
Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Mike Davis to discuss “Today’s Topic.” It’s the time of year when a lot of people are getting out working in their yards. Our Agronomic Services Division can help homeowners improve their yards and gardens with science-based recommendations. It’s a great time to […]
If you want tips for greener yards, perkier plants and healthier soils, then follow along with the Backyard Blog Tips, a monthly column from agronomists with the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Agronomic Services Division — yes, the folks that process soil samples. Tips will cover common issues, offering science-based solutions. Moss problems […]
File this under “Learned Something New Today,” but I didn’t know that April 1-5 is recognized as Agronomy Week. In fairness, it’s a relatively new celebration, marking just it’s third year. The week offers us a chance to highlight some of the work of the department’s Agronomic Services Division. This is a busy division, processing […]
Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Mike Davis to discuss “Today’s Topic.” The Agricultural Statistic’s Division recently released the crop and weather reports for mid-August, which gives a snapshot of soil moisture across the state and crop conditions for a variety of commodities. The report points to a mixed […]
Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Rhonda Garrison to discuss “Today’s Topic.” It’s the right time of year to obtain soil tests for cool-season grasses, such as fescue and ryegrass. The NCDA&CS Agronomic Services Division’s soil testing lab can return the results quickly and provide useful information about fertilizer and lime. Having […]