Publications

After selecting a health insurance plan, it is crucial to choose a primary care provider. This factsheet will outline four steps to assist you in selecting the right one for you. Authors: Virginia Brown, updated by Jesse Ketterman and Suzanne Cooke; Title: How do I Choose a Primary Care Provider? Ask the Right Questions (FS-1022).

Knowing health care insurance options are important to farm families, employees, and managers of the farm business operation. This factsheet outlines available health insurance options that managers of farm operations can consider and provides some tools you can use to compare plans. Authors: Jesse Ketterman, Paul Goeringer, Maria Pippidis, and Nate Bruce; Health Care Insurance Options for Farm Business Operations (FS-2024-0706).

The greenhouse gas emissions from manure storage and emissions reductions that could be realized through implementation of three animal waste technologies (anaerobic digestion, composting, and thermochemical processing) are presented. This Factsheet is part of the “Animal Waste Technology” series. Authors: Amro Hassanein, Stephanie Lansing, and Danielle Delp; Title: Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions through Improved Manure Management (FS-2023-0689).

Anaerobic digestion of manure with food processing waste resulted in renewable electricity production for 190 house and reduced 81% of greenhouse gas emissions from manure management. The solids were separated from the manure for composting, with the digester effluent injected into the soil as a fertilizer. This FactSheet is part of the ‘Animal Waste Technology’ series. Authors: Kirkland Mahoney, Amro Hassanein, and Stephanie Lansing; Title: A Case Study: Anaerobic Digestion of Dairy Manure and Food Processing Waste with Renewable Energy, Composting and Manure Injection (FS-2023-0694).

This brief provides homeowners with safe and responsible deicing salt stewardship practices. These practices can aid in safe walking, reduced costs and reducing environmental impact on water quality. Authors: Andrew Lazur, and Greg Sandi; Title: Being Salt Smart (EBR-2023-0666).

Drones, or UAVs, require a mix of hardware and software to operate and are controlled by ground stations. They offer numerous benefits in agriculture, such as precise crop monitoring, efficient resource management, and data collection. Challenges include high costs, certification requirements, and data interpretation. Key applications include crop scouting, spraying, seeding, yield estimation, and disease assessment. Despite challenges, ongoing research aims to maximize benefits and minimize limitations, promising a significant impact on agriculture. Authors: Hemendra Kumar and Ananth Sriram; Title: An Overview of Drones in Agriculture (FS-2024-0705).

Pythium blight is a significant disease affecting turfgrass in the Mid-Atlantic region, particularly during warm, humid conditions. This disease impacts both cool-season and warm-season turfgrass, with creeping bentgrass, perennial ryegrass, and annual bluegrass being most susceptible. Pythium blight is caused by several species of Pythium thriving in wet and humid environments. Symptoms include water-soaked, greasy lesions on leaves and stems, progressing to large, blighted patches. Management strategies involve cultural practices such as proper irrigation, soil aeration, and maintaining appropriate mowing heights. Biological control, though beneficial, is often insufficient alone. Chemical management remains crucial, though rotating products is essential to prevent fungicide resistance. Integrated disease management practices are recommended for maintaining healthy turfgrass and mitigating the impact of Pythium blight. Author: Fereshteh Shahoveisi; Turfgrass Diseases: Pythium Blight (FS-2024-0707).

Northern bobwhite quail populations in Maryland have experienced significant declines over the past 50 years. This publication provides a comprehensive guide to habitat management aimed at reversing this trend. The key strategy involves creating and managing early successional habitats, which are essential for quail survival. These habitats include a diverse mix of forbs, native bunchgrasses, and shrubby cover. Effective management practices highlighted in the guide include fallowing agricultural land, implementing forest management techniques, using prescribed fire, disking, applying herbicides, and managing grazing. Each practice contributes to maintaining the habitat structure necessary for quail and other species. By fostering these habitats, landowners can support not only quail but also a broader range of grassland and shrubland bird species, as well as other wildlife. The guide emphasizes that proactive and consistent habitat management is crucial for the recovery and long-term sustainability of northern bobwhite quail populations in Maryland. Author: Luke Macaulay; Title: Recovering Northern Bobwhite Quail: A Guide to Habitat Management (FS-2023-0683)

Composting is an aerobic biological process that transforms organic materials, such as manure, food waste, and yard waste, into a nutrient-rich soil conditioner called “compost.” This Factsheet is part of the “Animal Waste Technology” series. Authors: Amro Hassanein, Stephanie Lansing, and Danielle Delp; Title: Composting (FS-2023-0687).

Thermochemical processing technologies can be used to reduce the volume of low moisture waste and produce heat, syngas for renewable energy production, biochar, or bio-oil, depending on the temperature and oxygen conditions used in processing. This Factsheet is part of the “Animal Waste Technology” series. Authors: Amro Hassanein, Stephanie Lansing, and Danielle Delp; Title: Using Thermochemical Processes to Handle Agricultural Waste (FS-2023-0688).