Integrated Crop Management News

Links to these articles are strongly encouraged. Articles may be republished without further permission if published as written and if credit is given to the author, Integrated Crop Management News, and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. If articles are used in any other manner, permission from the author is required.

Managing 2,4-D for No-Till Burndown Treatments

April 29, 2008

By Bob Hartzler, Department of Agronomy

2,4-D is commonly added to glyphosate for burndown of existing vegetation in no-till fields. The advantages of including 2,4-D include:

When is it Too Late Plant Forages?

April 29, 2008

By Stephen K. Barnhart, Department of Agronomy

Spring hay and pasture seedings are normally done from late February through late April in Iowa. The extended period of wet weather in 2008 has many producers still waiting to get their forages planted.

Can they still successfully plant forage crops? 

Adapting to Alfalfa Winterkill and Winter Injury

April 29, 2008

By Stephen K. Barnhart, professor, Department of Agronomy

Significant areas of alfalfa winterkill are now evident in Iowa.  The worst areas are along the Highway 20 corridor in eastern and northeast Iowa, with notable losses to the Minnesota border in Iowa and also in random fields in other parts of the state. Frozen alfalfa crown and upper taproot tissue is not able to recover. Evidence of the injury was delayed because some plants began to green-up and then died. Plants that still exhibit good taproot and crown tissue are likely unaffected.

Delayed Burndown Applications in No-Till

April 22, 2008

By Bob Hartzler, Department of Agronomy

As the end of April nears with little field work accomplished, getting the crop in the ground becomes the priority for many farmers. No-till farmers may plant fields prior to killing weeds with a burndown herbicide, with the intent of returning later to control the weeds with an early postemergence application. While this strategy can be effective, it is important to realize that planting into established weeds greatly shortens the time required for weeds to impact crop yields (critical period).

Alfalfa Weevil Predictions for 2008

April 22, 2008
Image of an alfalfa weevil larva

By Marlin E. Rice and Rich Pope, Department of Entomology


Cold! That is the best way to describe the first three and a half months of 2008. A cool spring has delayed alfalfa weevil hatch this year, however Iowa fields should have accumulated sufficient temperatures for larvae to hatch starting April 23-25 in southern Iowa. Naturally, weevils with hatch at slightly later dates in the central and northern counties of the state.


Surface Waters: Ammonium is Not Ammonia – Part 1

April 21, 2008

By John Sawyer, Department of Agronomy

A recent article in The Des Moines Register newspaper has caused considerable controversy regarding nitrogen in Iowa streams and rivers. The article (High ammonia levels threaten D.M.’s water, April 6, 2008) featured information about “ammonia” levels in certain Iowa surface water systems during the recent winter time period.

Will 2008 be the “Perfect Storm” for Soybean Seedling Disease?

April 21, 2008

By Palle Pedersen, Department of Agronomy and Alison Robertson, Department of Plant Pathology

There have been several reports in the press about poor soybean seed quality for this growing season. Seed quality is a problem for many companies this year but all are doing everything they can do to ensure we have the best quality seed possible. In Iowa, however, seed quality issues are minor compared to the south.

Seed quality

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