Agricultural field with a combine harvester under cloudy sky. Logos of University of Maryland Extension and AgFS. Text: "Agronomy News," a publication by UMD Extension.
Updated: November 25, 2025

November 2025  | Volume 16, Issue 8

Inside this Issue:

 Discover more about our Crop Production Meetings by visiting our webpage! Get detailed information on dates, topics, and how to register. 

Flyer for University of Maryland Extension's 2025-2026 Crop Production Meetings. Lists events in agronomy, forage, and more. Image of a tractor in a cornfield at top. Website link included.

Land & Wildlife Management Webinar 

Wildlife-Friendly Insect Management in Corn and Soybean Farming Join us on October 15th, 2025, at Noon for this month’s installment of the Land and Wildlife Speaker Series featuring Dr. Kelly Hamby from the University of Maryland. This month’s webinar topic will be Wildlife-Friendly Insect Management in Corn and Soybean Farming. 

Looking ahead, mark your calendars for the upcoming sessions in the series: 

  • One Nest Box at a Time: Bringing Barn Owls and Kestrels Back to Maryland’s Working Landscapes with Andy Brown and Alex Pellegrini - January 21, 2026
  • Unlocking the Secrets of Mature Bucks with a Thermal Drone with Derrick Dixon - February 18, 2026.

 To sign up for this and following months' webinars in our monthly Land & Wildlife Speaker Series, join the mailing list at https://www.wildlife.umd.edu/.

ANMP remains fully operational and committed to meeting your needs.

Evaluating Deer Repellent Strategies to Protect Soybeans 

By Hayden Schug, Agriculture Agent, University of Maryland Extension, Charles County

Lush green plants and grass growing densely in a garden, with sunlight casting soft shadows. The background features a wire fence.
Figure 1. Deer exclusion cages showing the difference between no deer feeding and heavy deer feeding.

Deer feeding during early soybean growth is a persistent problem for many Maryland producers. When deer eat young plants, stands become uneven, and canopy closure is delayed. Delayed or uneven canopy closure leads to greater weed pressure throughout the season as more sunlight can penetrate the canopy. This possibly increases the need for more herbicide passes and reduces the crop’s ability to compete with emerging weeds. Because of these challenges, we looked to investigate products that may protect soybeans during the early vegetative stages until canopy closure.

In 2025, we conducted a study at a site in Southern Maryland to evaluate several commercially available deer repellents for early-season protection. Treatments were applied shortly after emergence and reapplied according to the label, and plant height, stand loss, and canopy development were monitored across replications. Deer activity at the study site was heavier than expected. Due to these conditions, we plan to replicate this trial another year.

Because early vegetative protection has the potential to support quicker canopy closure and reduce weed competition, this study remains an important priority. We plan to repeat the trial for one more year to build a stronger dataset and better understand how these products perform under different levels of deer pressure. We would like to thank the Maryland Soybean Board for funding this research.

Irrigation Management Survey

Hemendra Kumar, Precision Agriculture Specialist, University of Maryland Extension

The Precision Agriculture Lab at the University of Maryland Extension is conducting a survey of all farmers in Maryland on irrigation management practices and expertise. This survey will help to collect data to better address the needs in the state and develop irrigation management resources. We would sincerely appreciate your assistance in this endeavor by completing this survey: Irrigation Management Survey or use the QR code. The survey is accessible on a smartphone, tablet, or computer.

This survey is meant for anyone (regardless of whether they currently irrigate or not) who grows a crop of any kind in Maryland, including but not limited to grains, vegetables, flowers, nursery plants, vineyards, and orchard fruits. All survey participants must be at least 18 years old and operate in the state. We anticipate the survey will take 10 minutes or less to complete.  All responses to this survey will be anonymous; no identifying information will be collected or connected to participant responses.

Survey

Any questions or comments can be directed to Dr. Hemendra Kumar (hemendra@umd.edu) or Dr. Cara Peterson (cmpeters@umd.edu) of the Precision Agriculture Lab at the University of Maryland Extension.

Download Agronomy News, November 2025, Volume 16, Issue 8 (PDF)

Agronomy News is a statewide newsletter for farmers, consultants, researchers, and educators interested in grain and row crop forage production systems. This newsletter is published by the University of Maryland Extension, Agriculture & Food Systems Agronomy Team every month during the growing season and will include topics pertinent to agronomic crop production. The subscription is free. 

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