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Aug 8, 2025
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Aug 8, 2025
Soil and Water scientists at OSU South Centers explore sustainable strategies to improve soybean productivity. Recent on-farm trials, funded by the Ohio Soybean Council, focused on improving soybean drought resilience through the use of salicylic acid (SA) and sulfur. SA, a chemical compound related to aspirin, helps soybeans better manage drought stress, while sulfur boosts protein synthesis and nitrogen fixation.
Preliminary results showed that the combined application of SA and sulfur significantly increased soybean yields (up to 53%) and improved amino acid composition.
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Aug 8, 2025
Ohio fruit and vegetable growers have a new tool available to help make timely management decisions. The OSU South Centers supported the Integrated Pest Management team by creating a new data entry interface to allow input of insect trap numbers by Extension professionals and researchers statewide.
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Aug 8, 2025
Existing and exploratory specialty crop collaborations at OSU South Centers engage state specialists, research technicians and graduate students from the Departments of Plant Pathology, Horticulture and Crop Science, and Entomology. During summer visits to the Centers, interdisciplinary teams also met with commercial farmers to better understand the local context.
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Aug 8, 2025
To advance the application of innovative production and business practices, the OSU South Centers is bringing together researchers, Extension specialists, and industry leaders for two projects supported by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The project on developing sustainable aquaponics production systems focuses on new technologies, crop varieties, and markets. The Aquaponics/Aquaculture Boot Camp provides educational programs for new and existing producers.
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Aug 8, 2025
When Anna Mary’s Fried Pies wanted to expand their business beyond the southern Ohio region, they turned to familiar partners at the OSU South Centers’ Manufacturing Extension Partnership and Small Business Development Center. They joined with other community partners to prepare Anna Mary’s for a $250,000 expansion to their Vinton County facility.
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Aug 8, 2025
As part of the southern Ohio region, OSU South Centers joined community leaders in response to the closing of the Chillicothe, Ohio Pixelle Paper Mill, originally known as the Mead Corporation. The mill has been a part of the community for over 130 years and 800 jobs are being impacted.
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Aug 8, 2025
Research led at OSU South Centers includes a long cane raspberry production system that can yield 22,000 to 25,000 pounds of high-quality raspberries per acre—compared to 3,000 to 5,000 pounds per acre using traditional open-field methods.
Additionally, an innovative blueberry production project explored how pots in raised beds can increase profitability by reducing typical establishment periods by 2-3 years.
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May 22, 2025
The Ohio State University (OSU) South Centers welcomes new leadership as Dr. Julie Fox steps in as the Piketon-based center’s interim director. With the recent retirement of previous director Tom Worley, the South Centers team remains committed to engaging with local communities and assisting people with informed decision-making through applied research, educational programs, entrepreneurial application, and collaborative partnerships.
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Sep 17, 2024
By Christie Welch, Rob Leeds, Kate Hornyak, Bradford Sherman
Direct Food and Agricultural Marketing Team
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