Blog
Subscribe to RSS Feed
Angie Rieck-Hinz
October 28, 2022 7:24 AM
Joshua Michel
October 28, 2022 7:24 AM
It’s the time of year when farmers and retailers turn to thoughts about next year’s growing season, including fall anhydrous ammonia (NH3) applications for the next year’s corn crop. See Is it...
Meaghan Anderson
October 19, 2022 4:31 PM
The time for fall application of anhydrous ammonia and manure is approaching, but we may not be there yet. This blog has a few things to keep in mind this fall and links to some good references.
While soybean harvest seems to be winding down, we need to be carefully monitoring the soil...
Mark Licht
October 10, 2022 10:15 AM
Corn field edge effect has once again show up in Iowa. It is raising questions about what is causing it. In 2019 and 2020, I was able to conduct some exploratory data collection to learn more about the phenomenon.
What is it? Edge effect in corn is where the outside rows...
Rebecca Vittetoe
October 4, 2022 4:11 PM
With harvest underway across the state, check out what ISU Extension and Outreach field agronomists are hearing regarding how harvest is going, how are the crops yielding, and what types of end-of-the season issues they are receiving questions on.
...
Mark Licht
October 3, 2022 1:58 PM
Fall is in the air and harvest is starting up across Iowa. It has been noted soybean are holding onto their leaves. This green bean effect is more often thought of as green stems, however, this year there are more leaves and petioles staying green and attached to the main stem. Take note this...
Safety should be a major concern for all farmers during harvest, but as the season goes on, it can be easy to miss details or neglect safe practices that can put you or others at risk. Here are six simple safety tips to maintain throughout the season to keep yourself and your crew out of harm’s...
Joshua Michel
September 20, 2022 9:00 AM
All it takes to start a fire is just a spark from an engine, an overheated bearing on a combine, or a hot exhaust manifold where some dirt and dry plant material have gathered. Dry plant residue, dusty conditions, low humidity levels and strong winds are a recipe for combine and field fires....
Alison Robertson
September 19, 2022 9:22 AM
It’s hard to believe another growing season has come and is almost gone. 2022 has had its share of challenges: a wet start, drought, corn root worm, soybean gall midge, pigweed, and (my favorite) tar spot. And now, as we approach harvest, we face final challenges like ear and crown rot.
...
Rebecca Vittetoe
September 13, 2022 1:54 PM
As the growing season winds down, ISU Extension field agronomists share what they are seeing out in fields or are getting questions on. Some of the common observations include the drought stress resulting in crops shutting down early, tar spot becoming more prevalent in fields, sudden death...
Meaghan Anderson
September 9, 2022 8:19 AM
Again this August, I joined my colleague Patrick Hatting, Farm Management Specialist for central Iowa, and checked several Polk County corn fields to make yield estimates. After R3 (milk stage) is a great time to venture...
Before the rush of harvest gets here, take some time to get your grain bins ready for a new crop. The first step in minimizing grain spoilage from insects is to start with a clean bin. Grain-feeding pests can survive on residual grain, broken kernels, fines, foreign material, and molds...
Mark Licht
August 26, 2022 7:30 AM
As we enter the time for aerial and broadcast overseeding of cover crops, now is a good time to think about how current weather, soil and crop conditions might affect things. First and foremost, there are parts of the state that are very dry and others that have been getting timely rains....
Alison Robertson
August 24, 2022 3:54 PM
I continue to receive tar spot reports from across Iowa. Given the moisture we have had the past couple of weeks and the growth stage of the crop, this is not surprising. Tar spot development is favored by leaf moisture. As the growing season...
Ashley Dean
August 24, 2022 8:19 AM
Erin Hodgson
August 24, 2022 8:19 AM
Several labs in the Midwest have been monitoring the distribution of soybean gall midge in Iowa since 2018. Last year, we sampled many counties in western Iowa but only confirmed three new counties. This year, we focused on the counties just east of the distribution in 2021 and were able to...
Rebecca Vittetoe
August 16, 2022 3:38 PM
While the story of the "haves" and "have nots" continues across the state, some areas in NW did finally get some much-needed rain early this week. And unfortunately, the Zearing area in Central Iowa also had some hail damage. Some of the observations or questions coming in from the field this...
Angie Rieck-Hinz
August 11, 2022 1:00 PM
Rebecca Vittetoe
August 11, 2022 1:00 PM
Terry Basol
August 11, 2022 1:00 PM
You are invited to attend the upcoming field days that will be hosted at the outlying Iowa State University Research and Demonstration Farms this fall. These field days will feature the latest information on crop production and crop management practices. Below is a list of the upcoming field...
Ashley Dean
August 11, 2022 9:16 AM
Erin Hodgson
August 11, 2022 9:16 AM
Twospotted spider mites have been noted in fields across much of Iowa already this summer, as much of Iowa is in abnormal or extreme drought (D0-D3, US Drought Monitor). Scouting for spider mites in field crops...
Rebecca Vittetoe
August 9, 2022 10:54 PM
It’s the story of the haves and have nots when it comes to rainfall across the state. Unfortunately the areas that could really use the rain, seem to miss the rains. Consequently, some parts of the state are looking pretty tough with the drought conditions. Besides the drought conditions in...
Elizabeth Danielson
August 8, 2022 8:51 AM
Recycling is the environmentally friendly and responsible way of disposing of empty pesticide containers. In 2021, over 803,000 pounds of pesticide containers were collected and recycled in Iowa. Recycling options vary depending on the container size.
Recycling containers 55...
Joel DeJong
August 3, 2022 10:49 AM
Rebecca Vittetoe
August 3, 2022 10:49 AM
Parts of the state are classified as being abnormally dry to being in an extreme drought based on the most recent U.S. Drought Monitor map. With the hot temperatures returning this week and little to no rainfall...
Rebecca Vittetoe
August 3, 2022 9:05 AM
The past week brought again spotty rainfall across the state. With the dry conditions and warmer temperatures forecasted there are concerns about what this may mean for the crops. Spider mites, corn rootworms, grasshoppers, aphids, and weed escapes were other observations or concerns coming from...
Prashant Jha
July 29, 2022 7:16 PM
This is the time of the year when late-season pigweeds (waterhemp and Palmer amaranth) poke through the soybean canopy and produce seeds. These late-season pigweeds either emerged after herbicide applications, or survived inappropriately timed or less-than-effective postemergence herbicides. ...
Meaghan Anderson
July 27, 2022 9:06 AM
While crop development is behind this year due to the late planting, warm weather in the forecast will result in faster development than we prefer during reproductive growth stages of our crops. Appropriate identification of reproductive growth stages can be important for numerous reasons like...
Rebecca Vittetoe
July 26, 2022 3:59 PM
Signs of stress could be seen in corn and soybean fields, especially in the drier areas of the state with the warmer temperatures last week. Most of the corn either has pollinated or is pollinating and soybeans are in the R2 to R3 growth stages. Corn rootworm beetles, Japanese beetles, drought...
Ashley Dean
July 22, 2022 12:44 PM
Erin Hodgson
July 22, 2022 12:44 PM
Western and northern corn rootworms are serious pests of corn throughout the Corn Belt (Photo 1). We recommend that farmers scout every cornfield every year, regardless of the management tactic(s) used, to evaluate management decisions and prepare for next year. It is a good idea to scout for...