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Mark Licht
May 10, 2021 2:06 PM
Zachary Clemens
May 10, 2021 2:06 PM
Planting conditions in April were pretty good for planting. In fact, there were many reports of planting in early April. Unfortunately, April was much cooler and dryer than normal. Early planted corn and soybean took longer to germinate and emerge because of these cooler conditions. Additionally...
Ashley Dean
May 6, 2021 1:43 PM
The weather warmed up a bit during Week 5 (April 25 to May 1), and the moths were flying more than previous weeks. During Week 5 of the Iowa Moth Trapping Network, our cooperators reported 97 total black cutworm (BCW) and 33 true armyworm (TAW) moths.
Week 5 report:...
Rebecca Vittetoe
May 4, 2021 3:07 PM
A lot of planting progress was made for both corn and soybeans over the last week. According to the May 3 USDA-NASS Crop Progress Report, approximately...
Ashley Dean
April 29, 2021 3:10 PM
Cooler conditions continued into week 4, resulting in relatively few moths being caught across the state. During week 4 of the Iowa Moth Trapping Network (April 18 to April 24), our cooperators reported 56 total black cutworm (BCW) and 15 true armyworm (TAW) moths.
You may be wondering...
Zachary Clemens
April 29, 2021 1:58 PM
Soybean research and Extension specialists from land-grant universities across the country welcome you to join a monthly informal discussion on production topics that have timely relevance. By joining the Notes from the Field webinar series, you will get highlights and current issues from across...
Erin Hodgson
April 28, 2021 2:38 PM
Ashley Dean
April 28, 2021 2:38 PM
Just last week, Ashley Dean predicted overwintering mortality of bean leaf beetle in Iowa. It looked pretty grim for this soybean pest, with over 77% mortality predicted for central...
Meaghan Anderson
April 28, 2021 10:06 AM
Like in prior springs, we often see a trend in the weed identification questions in certain parts of the state. This spring, a small mustard species with finely-divided (I like to say frilly or lacy) leaves is the most frequent plant requiring identification by our clients. There are several...
Rebecca Vittetoe
April 27, 2021 9:38 AM
It’s been an unusual spring with the cooler and drier conditions. While many would welcome a rain, the warmer conditions mean planting has gotten underway. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach field agronomists share reports on what they are seeing and hearing in their respected regions...
Meaghan Anderson
April 27, 2021 8:29 AM
Mark Licht
April 27, 2021 8:29 AM
While the warm weather has finally arrived for planting season, dry soil is becoming an increasing concern in parts of the state. In addition to concerns about subsoil moisture, some fields have had significant surface drying, particularly in areas with more tillage this spring. Dry soil...
Ashley Dean
April 26, 2021 12:02 PM
During week 3 of the Iowa Moth Trapping Network (April 11 to April 17), our cooperators reported 62 total black cutworm (BCW) and 9 true armyworm (TAW) moths. Cooler conditions recently may have slowed down moth migration into the state, but black cutworm remains the dominant species caught in...
Sotirios Archontoulis
April 22, 2021 3:03 PM
The optimum rate of Nitrogen fertilizer application on corn varies from year to year and from field to field. Here we provide simulation data to aid decision making.
We simulated 25,000 fields across the U.S. Corn Belt from 1984 to 2021 using the Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator...
Sotirios Archontoulis
April 22, 2021 2:42 PM
Mark Licht
April 22, 2021 2:42 PM
The concern for not having enough water during the 2021 growing season is increasing. Observations from Iowa fields (i.e., deep soil samples and tile drainage experiments), and analytical frameworks (i.e., Drought monitor) indicate below normal moisture in parts of Iowa. Here, we benchmark the...
Paul Kassel
April 21, 2021 10:10 PM
Subsoil moisture levels have improved for 2021 crop production.
Iowa State University has completed their spring survey of subsoil moisture in northwest Iowa, says Paul Kassel, ISU Extension and Outreach Field Agronomist located in Spencer. The amount of subsoil moisture is sampled in...
Adam Sisson
April 21, 2021 7:50 AM
The Crop Protection Network (CPN) has produced a new web book called Fungicide Use in Field Crops. Fungicides are an important crop protection tool for modern...
Warren Pierson
April 19, 2021 11:10 AM
The 2021 Virtual Crop Scout School is now available and is free to the general public. The scout school consists of 22 webinars from crop protection specialists at eleven Midwest Universities and is offered through the...
Meaghan Anderson
April 19, 2021 10:12 AM
Rebecca Vittetoe
April 19, 2021 10:12 AM
It’s hard not to be itching to get in the field and start planting, especially since we are past the April 11th crop insurance date for planting. However, the optimum planting date is dictated by soil conditions (moisture and temperature), the weather forecast, and the calendar date...
Mark Licht
April 16, 2021 11:07 AM
Alison Robertson
April 16, 2021 11:07 AM
With cool weather conditions potentially causing delays in cover crop termination, what options are available? Cereal rye ahead of soybean is not nearly as problematic. While planting green may not be advised for beginning cover crop users, more experienced cover crop users have...
Angie Rieck-Hinz
April 15, 2021 3:57 PM
Recent research showing the benefits of sulfur application to corn in Iowa have many folks asking questions about ammonium thiosulfate or ATS. ATS and ammonium sulfate (AMS) contain both nitrogen and sulfur, however in different amounts. AMS also differs from ATS in that all the sulfur in AMS is...
Rebecca Vittetoe
April 15, 2021 9:24 AM
While it seems like most alfalfa fields are greening up quite nicely this spring, there have been a few reports of winter injury in alfalfa stands, especially if stands or parts of stands may have been covered by sheets of ice during the winter.
Take some time now to evaluate stands for...
Ashley Dean
April 14, 2021 4:32 PM
Even though the weather has been variable this past week, one thing is certain: black cutworm is moving through Iowa. During week 2 of the Iowa Moth Trapping Network (April 4 to April 10), our cooperators reported 122 total black cutworm (BCW) and 21 true armyworm (TAW) moths. Windy conditions...
Paul Kassel
April 13, 2021 11:43 AM
Does the recent increase in nitrogen (N) cost and the increase in corn grain price warrant a change in nitrogen rates in 2021? The following discussion gives an overview of the current N cost and corn price situation
New crop corn for delivery during the fall of 2021 was $4.05 per bushel...
Mark Licht
April 9, 2021 2:55 PM
Zachary Clemens
April 9, 2021 2:55 PM
Choosing a corn seeding rate is as much art as it is science because soil conditions and seed quality can greatly affect the outcome. The goal is to choose a seeding rate that produces an economical optimal yield as opposed to the maximum yield. A seeding rate has to factor in seed quality,...
The final April climatological outlooks issued by the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) show elevated chances of warmer than average temperatures. On the precipitation front, there is no clear signal for Iowa, as outlooks continues to show a moderate La Niña configuration with above average...
Paul Kassel
April 9, 2021 10:10 AM
The following are a few thoughts on nitrogen (N) management for the 2021 growing season. Many fertilizer decisions have already been made - however a quick review of N plans is in order. However, the recent increase in corn grain prices and in-season cost of nitrogen fertilizer may warrant of...
Ashley Dean
April 8, 2021 11:02 AM
The 2021 moth trapping season is underway, and our volunteers placed traps the week of March 28. Black cutworm (BCW) monitoring is a long-standing project in Iowa, and true armyworm (TAW) was added in 2017. Both of these pests are migratory, making it difficult to predict where populations will...