Integrated Crop Management News

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Reduce Potential Soil Erosion Early in the Spring

April 30, 2012
Raindrop splash and displacement of soil particles

Spring rains come with unexpected quantities and force, causing significant amounts of soil erosion to unprotected cropland. Spring is the most critical time for soil erosion because of degraded crop residue, tillage in preparation for planting and lack of crop canopy.

Moths Abundant Around Iowa

April 26, 2012
Army cutworm (miller) moths flying around a home

Fuzzy brown moths are flitting around Iowa in great numbers - but so far no crop pests have been among the specimens submitted for diagnosis.

Black Cutworm Scouting Advisory

April 25, 2012
Estimated black cutworm cutting dates based on 2012 peak flights of moths

Predictions of cutting dates (the date when black cutworm larvae are likely to be damaging corn) are based on recorded peak flights which took place near the end of March and approximately two weeks later in Iowa.

How Much Crop Residue to Remove

April 20, 2012
Field without crop residue

Crop residue removal-what effect does it have on corn yield and soil quality? That's a question quite often asked these days.

How Long Will it Take Corn to Emerge?

April 18, 2012
Iowa Locations and March temperatures

Planting corn into cool soils increases variability not only of emergence, but also of plant to plant sizes and development stages. Variability in plant size - whether from cool soil temperatures or from frost - will affect plant-to-plant competition and reduce yield.

Pay Attention to Soil Crusting After Heavy Rain Events

April 18, 2012
Soil crusting image

Recent rain brings another challenge for farmers, especially in fields conventionally tilled last fall or early this spring. In addition to potential soil erosion and damages to soil structure rainfall can cause, there is potential for soil crust.

Agricultural Specialists Added to Expand ISU FARM Research Project

April 13, 2012

Mark Honeyman, ISU Research Farms

Iowa State University Research and Demonstration Farms and ISU Extension have hired two agricultural specialists to expand the ISU Farmer Assisted Research and Management, or ISU FARM, project.

Micah Smidt and Zachary Koopman will work at the Northern Research Farm near Kanawha, and the Agricultural Engineering/Agronomy Farm near Boone, respectively.

Is it Too Late to Dig Miscanthus for Spring Planting?

April 11, 2012
Shoots of Giant miscanthus

A sterile hybrid, Giant Miscanthus is most commonly planted from rhizome pieces when the soil temperatures have reached 50 F. Here are some things to consider if you are propagating and/or planting rhizomes this spring.

Cold Injury to Alfalfa

April 9, 2012

By Steve Barnhart, Department of Agronomy

Alfalfa fields are growing well across most of Iowa. The next few nights have frost or freeze warnings, with predictions of night low temperatures as low as low 20s. Low temperatures, whether visible frost is present or not, may affect the growth of both established forage plants, as well as newly emerged seedlings.

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