Publications

Blue Catfish is an invasive fish species in the Chesapeake Bay. Increasing commercial harvest and consumption is one way to reduce their numbers in our Bay. This fact sheet aims to enhance public awareness of this invasive species as a new commercial fishery resource and support this newly developed seafood industry for rapid response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Authors: Chengchu Liu and Robert Fisher; Title: Chesapeake Bay Blue Catfish: Invasive, but Delicious and Nutritious (FS-1142).

Peaches have a short shelf life capacity, thus are susceptible to high spoilage. Therefore, peaches destined for the wholesale market need to be harvested mature but not fully ripe, and submitted to cold storage to delay the ripening process. Chilling injury (CI) is a physiological disorder triggered by exposure to cold storage temperatures for a certain period of time, especially when kept in the “killing” temperature range of 36-46°F (2-8°C). CI will only be perceived when the fruit is re-exposed to room temperature, thus when the fruit reaches consumers. As such, CI is an enormous challenge and leads to consumer disappointment through undesirable fruit internal quality. Authors: Kevin Moore and Macarena Farcuh; Title: What is Chilling Injury in Peaches, What Causes it, and How Can You Manage it? (FS-1141)

This fact sheet provides an overview of the bankruptcy title used by family farmers and fishermen to reorganize debt. Authors: Julie Walker J.D. Candidate 2020, Drake University Law School, Research Associate, University of Maryland, Mayhah Suri, Extension Specialist, and Paul Goeringer, Extension Legal Specialist; Title: A Practical Guide to Chapter 12 Bankruptcy for Maryland Farmers and Fishermen (EB-439)

A soil quality management issue unique to tree nurseries is the removal of soil off site with sale of the ornamental trees and shrubs, which are harvested with a balled and burlapped (B & B) root ball. The amount of soil removed with B & B harvest and sale has been estimated as much as 5 cm per year. One piece of evidence that has been used to estimate soil loss during B & B tree harvest is the volume of the holes left behind. However, the soil balls wrapped for B & B removal are generally densely permeated with tree roots, leading some to assume that much or most of the ball removed consist of roots rather than soil. There is a dearth of published data on this soil removal or published methods that will allow for reliable calculation of soil being removed from individual enterprises.The main conclusion from this study is that a balled and burlapped (B & B) root ball consists almost entirely (99%) of soil and that the tree roots take up only a negligible portion of the mass and volume. Our results show that in fact the volume of the hole left behind is a reasonable estimate of the volume of soil removed. Authors: Ray Weil, Margaret Guthrie, Chuck Schuster, and Stanton Gill; Title: Assessing the Extent of Soil Loss from Nursery Tree Root Ball Excavation (EB-442)

With the arrival of a new seed lubricant product, DUST, the University of Maryland evaluated its performance against two common seed lubricants in both corn and soybeans in 2019. DUST is a soy protein lubricant that is a cleaner alternative to commonly available seed lubricants, such as graphite which can create a mess for users of the product. It is also reported to contribute to early plant vigor. Author: Dr. Nicole Fiorellino; Title: Evaluation of the performance of a soy protein seed lubricant in corn and soybeans (FS-1127)

The purpose of this extension bulletin is to provide an understanding of what Salmonella is, how it is picked up by birds, and what control strategies can be implemented to reduce its survival and transmission in poultry flocks. Authors: Ashlyn Snyder and Shawna Weimer; Title: Understanding Salmonella; Its Presence and Control in Live Poultry (FS-1137).

Maryland’s horse industry adds $2.9 billion to the state’s economy, according to the American Horse Council 2024 economic impact study. Maryland is home to over 94,000 horses and ranks number one in the United States in terms of horses per square mile. University of Maryland Extension (UME) is a non-formal education system within the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (AGNR) that has educators who can help guide and provide resources for Maryland’s horse enthusiasts. There are a variety of equine-related programs, online recordings, webinars, and publications that are offered through UME either for free or for a small fee to the public. Authors: Erica Crowl and Jennifer Reynolds; Title: University of Maryland Extension Resources for Horse Owners (EBR-51).

High tunnels or hoop houses are popular season-extension tools used by urban farmers, vegetable producers, and cut flower growers. One of the benefits of growing in a high tunnel is that it protects crops from excessive rain and keeps their leaves dry, which can reduce the spread of disease. However, soaking rains serve the beneficial purpose of leaching salt accumulated from fertilizers, compost and minerals in the irrigation water down below the root zone. Over time, a lack of soaking rains can result in a build-up of minerals in high tunnel soil, increasing the soil’s salinity. Sometimes a build-up of these minerals appears as a white crust on the surface of high tunnel soil. Salinity is an important consideration for management of healthy soil and growing media, particularly in high tunnels or hoop houses. Electrical conductivity measures salinity, or the total amount of soluble salts or minerals in the soil or growing medium.

Planting a native meadow is a challenging endeavor under the best circumstances. For Marylanders, the task is stymied by a lack of commercially available seed, and complicated by an abundance of misinformation about species selection. This fact sheet provides information on selecting species and obtaining seeds for planting a native meadow in Maryland's Coastal Plain ecoregions. The species recommended are based on those typically observed thriving in man-made meadows throughout the area. It is our hope that the species list will help landscape professionals and native seed producers in their efforts to meet the growing demand for meadow installation projects in Maryland.

A late August seeding of forage radish (Raphanus sativus L.) can eliminate the need for tillage before many early spring vegetable crops like spinach, beets, peas, onions, and even carrots under certain soil conditions in Maryland. In addition to reducing soil disturbance, not having to till prior to spring planting reduces labor requirements at a critical point in the season and may allow earlier planting. Forage radish, which winterkills when temperatures drop to 17-20°F, suppresses early spring weeds, allows soil to dry out and warm up, and provides an increased supply of N, S, P and other nutrients to crops in early spring. Because of the minimal amount of residue after forage radish, conventional planting equipment can effectively seed directly into the winterkilled cover crop without tillage. For early transplanted crops like onions, rows of radish can create holes into which transplants can be dropped. Experiment station results in Maryland and farmer trials throughout the mid-Atlantic and northeast have shown that this system requires a closed cover crop canopy in fall and may be ineffective in poorly structured, heavy soils. Authors: Natalie Lounsbury and Ray Weil; Title: No-Till Spring Vegetables After Forage Radish Cover Crop (FS-1134).