OTT Eric Ott

God, Family, Country, Plants, Soils, Weeds. Tweets are my own. Aspiring pomologist.

[OTT Eric Ott @EricOtt19]

Fire blight in pome #fruit is a extremely destructive bacterial disease. Had to remove 4 apple trees today as the bacteria made it into the trunk and will eventually kill the tree. #apples #ooze

[OTT Eric Ott @EricOtt19]

Some #freeze damage on early planted #soybean and #corn in west central Ohio. @OrtezCornCrops @StepUpSoy #Ohwx #plant26. Some soybean unifoliates crispy after weekend's cold weather.

[OTT Eric Ott @EricOtt19]

Worst of the #frost damage on #apples from April 20th freeze. 99% of the fruit 0% to very minor damage. This one is the exception. #spring #inwx

[OTT Eric Ott @EricOtt19]

Cold morning in central Indiana. Bottomed out at 29.1°F in Hancock County just after sunrise. Apple trees did not like it, but should have minimal fruit damage. #spring #fruit #apples #freeze #inwx

[OTT Eric Ott @EricOtt19]

Cold morning in central Indiana. Bottomed out at 29.1°F in Hancock County just after sunrise. Apple trees did not like it, but should have minimal fruit damage. #spring #fruit #apples #freeze #inwx

[OTT Eric Ott @EricOtt19]

First #apple bloom emergence in central Indiana. 10-14 days ahead of average.#fruit #spring

[OTT Eric Ott @EricOtt19]

Giant ragweed seedlings living their best life in central Indiana. #weeds #spring #snow #inwx

[OTT Eric Ott @EricOtt19]

It was 72 degrees only 18 hours ago. #spring #inwx

[OTT Eric Ott @EricOtt19]

First green visible on #apples in central Indiana. Long ways to go. Hope we stay out damaging cold the rest of the way! #fruit #spring #wx

[OTT Eric Ott @EricOtt19]

A harbinger of spring in central Indiana, giant ragweed plants emerging!
Ties for third earliest observation (2023). Only 2024 (March 3), and 2017 (March 5) were earlier in the past 18 years of observation. This year 14 days ahead of 18 year average. #weeds #spring

[Valent USA @ValentUSA]

Hello from Grand Rapids and the @GLEXPO!🍎

We’re spending the week learning insights from the 2025 growing season, exploring new trends, opportunities, and challenges in fruit and vegetable production, and sharing how Valent's solutions can support thriving, more marketable crops.

Whether you’re focused on fruit or vegetable production, we’d love to connect and hear what’s top of mind for your operation this season.

If you’re walking the show, come find us at Booth #819 and #821, we’re here and ready to talk all things specialty crops, including ReTain® PGR!

Learn more: https://t.co/9BVZ8OUb61

#GLEXPO #MidwestAg #FruitAndVegetableProduction #SpecialtyCropGrowers #ValentUSA

[OTT Eric Ott @EricOtt19]

Chilly in central Indiana this morning! #fall

[Valent USA @ValentUSA]

Celebrating Excellence in Apple Growing!🍎🏆

Valent U.S.A. congratulates Jim Engelsma of Engelsma’s Apple Barn (Walker, MI) – the 2025 Apple Grower of the Year, recognized by American Fruit Grower (@AFG_WFG, @GrowingProduce) and @MeisterMedia! A third-generation apple grower, Jim is known for his innovative high-density orchards, award-winning cider, and dedication to mentoring fellow growers.

We also applaud regional winners Joy Cline, Benjamin Schilling, and Cass & Mac Gebbers for their outstanding contributions to the apple industry. As the exclusive sponsor of this prestigious award, Valent U.S.A. is honored to help recognize the innovation, leadership, and the community of American apple production!👏

Learn more about Jim and the other winners here: https://t.co/Pva6Li09Cm

#AppleGrowerOfTheYear #SustainableAg #ValentUSA

[Rodrigo Werle @WiscWeeds]

WiscWeeds Field Day - Brooklyn Rodeo Edition 🌾🐂

Another stop on the 2025 #WiscWeeds “field day circuit” is in the books, and what a ride it was at the O’Brien Family Farm in Brooklyn, WI on August 07!

Like a good rodeo, our event had:
✅ A packed crowd of engaged stakeholders
✅ Lively Q&A and high-level conversations
✅ Plenty of great food and warm hospitality from the O’Brien family
✅ Research plots showcasing integrated #waterhemp management strategies, novel herbicide trials, targeted spray technology, and #covercrop innovations

This Brooklyn stop marks the end of our weed management “season”, a time for our lab to open the gates, share our main findings, and connect directly with the folks who make our work matter.

Huge thanks to the O’Brien Family, Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board, and Valent USA for their generous support in making this event possible; to our amazing team for their hard work and dedication; and to all the organizations that support our research.

Next stop on the #WiscWeeds circuit:
📍 Arlington Ag Research Station
📅 Thursday, September 11, 2025
🎯 Focus: Targeted Herbicide Application Technologies
Stay tuned, you won’t want to miss the next ride! 🤠

Video by @aalicelazzari; drone footage by @_arsenijevic

[OTT Eric Ott @EricOtt19]

ReTain PGR use season is upon us! @ValentUSA @ValentBioSci . Talking harvest management and fruit quality management #harvest #apples

[North Central Weed Science Society @NCWeedScience]

Graduate Result!

TEAM:
3rd- Purdue University (917 points)
2nd- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (927 points)
1st- Purdue University (1011 Points)

INDIV:
3rd- Jada Davis, Purdue University (285 points)
2nd- Maria Souza, Purdue University, (297 points)
1st- Prurdue Alex Mueth, Purdue University, (301 points)

Congratulations to all our graduate winners! 🎉🏆#NCWSS #weedscience

[OTT Eric Ott @EricOtt19]

@NCWeedScience student contest. Team sprayer calibration portion.

[OTT Eric Ott @EricOtt19]

I was training a young, new sales rep about weed ID. We got to the morning glory species. I told him the cotyledons are key to early ID. He then said, "Gotcha, they look like XBox controllers." We both laughed, but accurate #weeds

[North Central Weed Science Society @NCWeedScience]

There is some of my work that is a crossover between sales and technology too. Like I put out this Rapidicil burndown demo for folks to get a chance to look at it before it becomes registered.

[Valent USA @ValentUSA]

Happy #NationalBeetDay from Valent U.S.A.!

We’re celebrating by sharing our Sugar Beet Phenology Chart—a helpful tool to guide growers through each stage of the season. From seed to harvest, timing is everything, and this chart makes it easier to align crop needs with key decisions in the field.

📊 Download the chart and stay one step ahead this season: https://t.co/szWG6p2GDE

#SugarBeets #Phenology #CropGrowth #FieldInsights #SustainableAg #ValentUSA #GrowerFirst

[Rodrigo Werle @WiscWeeds]

Huge thanks to everyone who joined us for the 2025 Rock County Farm #WiscWeeds Management Plot Tour (06/19)!

We had a fantastic turnout and perfect weather as we showcased our latest field research, including:

• Cover crops as a tool for integrated weed management
• Performance of soil residual herbicides in high-biomass cover crop systems
• A sneak peek at @ValentUSA's new herbicide, Rapidicil (pending EPA approval)
• Herbicide programs for corn and soybean from several #WiscWeeds industry partners
• Synergistic tank mixes for atrazine/glyphosate-limited corn production systems
• Ultra-precision spraying in non-GMO corn and soybean systems with ARA tech from @ecorobotix

Outstanding farmer and industry engagement! Thank you to all who made the day a success!

🎥 Don’t miss the event highlights captured by @aalicelazzari ↓