Blog

I have had several calls and emails about corn turning black – particularly the husks and leaf tissues. Walking in these fields turn a white shirt black quickly, and not surprisingly, combining this blackened corn can be very dirty. 

The corn is black because the tissues are being...

We are once again receiving reports of the notable “edge effect” causing dramatic yield reductions along corn field edges. Occasionally, we get reports earlier in the season as it is often visible from drone or aerial footage in the late part of the season as field edges mature more quickly that...

It is much too early to fall apply anhydrous ammonia to meet your 2024 corn nitrogen (N) needs, but there are other factors to consider given our dry soils this fall. 

Several agronomists have noted that earlier than normal corn firing this year was due to the crop running out of N and...

Every year soybean harvest has some type of challenge. Soybean is one crop where it is difficult to get all the conditions perfect. The use of draper style headers with soybean harvests allows harvest to begin earlier and handle green stems, green pods, and variable moisture.

Below are...

Agricultural confined-space related cases of injuries and fatalities saw a dramatic rise in 2022, including grain entrapment cases which rose nearly 45%, based on...

Harvest is approaching too quickly this fall. Between the dry summer and the spurts of hot weather in August and early September, crop standability is degrading quickly. This blog will go over some potential reasons for standability issues and ways to assess and prioritize fields for harvest....

Field crop health matters throughout the entire growing season. The types of diseases on crops depend on the point in the growing season and the environmental conditions. Many later-season diseases result from soilborne pathogens over which in-season fungicide applications have no control. Most...

While it is no secret soybean disease has been more prevalent in soybean fields in southwest Iowa this month. However, not all the problems in soybeans can be attributed to disease incidence. I have received and observed an unusual pest this month, Dectes stem borer! Look at your soybeans...

I received several questions about blister beetles in alfalfa hay over the weekend. I thought it might be helpful to review what they look like and provide a few management tactics to minimize the negative effects for animals.

There are at least four species in Iowa, including a) black, b...

Soybean aphids, two-spotted spider mites, fungicide decisions despite little disease pressure, and the hot and dry conditions were some of the more common issues or questions Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Field Agronomists have seen or heard about in fields across the state over...

Limited rainfall, the hot weather this week, corn rootworm, weed escapes, insect defoliators, and questions on foliar fungicides have been the more common issues or questions Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Field Agronomists have seen or heard about over the last week. Read on for...