Blog

Soil testing is an essential tool for managing phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and other nutrients. In Iowa and many states, the units reported in a soil test are expressed in parts per million (ppm) of the elements (not oxides P₂O₅ or K₂O, as in fertilizers) of dry or moist soil depending on the test. Different test methods can be used for a specific nutrient.

As harvest wraps up, grain producers are reminded to actively monitor and manage stored grain. The following articles and resources are available: 

Practical Considerations when Reconditioning Overly Dry Soybeans

Time to Cool and Core Storage Bins

Iowa Grain Quality Initiative Training Modules 

Join us for the 36^th Integrated Crop Management Conference, which brings together a range of topics related to crop production, crop protection, nutrient management, and soil and water management. The event features experts sharing research updates and practical recommendations. Don’t miss this key opportunity for networking and education!

When: December 10 and 11, 2025

Where: The Meadows Events Center in Altoona, Iowa

While harvest is slowing down across the state, many have noticed new plant growth in the field: volunteer corn. While volunteer plants aren't unusual, it is rare to see so many fields with substantial unwanted plants this fall. Let’s examine why and what it might mean for 2026.

It’s been a mostly dry and warm harvest with bins filling quickly with corn and soybeans on farms and at country elevators. With night-time temperature forecast ranging in the mid-30s to high-40s in the next ten days, the time is right to cool corn and soybeans but not necessarily to the same temperatures and ideally without excessive shrink. This article reviews some tools and best practices for cooling and storing corn and soybeans through the winter and into early spring.

It may have felt like summer was hanging on through October, but this morning’s frost on rooftops and the need for a heavier jacket was a clear reminder, fall is here. And with fall comes frost, which can bring serious concerns for some forage species.

Why Is Frost a Concern for Sorghum?

With low crop prices and increased fertilizer costs, farmers are wondering how best to allocate fertilizer dollars this fall. The following articles were posted in the fall of 2024, but all still apply to today’s situation and provide a list of best management practices (BMPs) in order of significance.  

For the fifth consecutive year, I joined my colleague Patrick Hatting, Farm Management Specialist for central Iowa, and checked several Polk County corn fields as a part of our “Polk County Yield Tour.” After R3 (milk stage) is a great time to venture into corn fields to make yield estimates as kernel abortion is less likely and plant stress will result in reduce kernel size or fill rather than kernel loss.

A practical guide for ag professionals, surveyors, and GPS users in the field.

Big changes are coming in 2026 to the geodetic reference systems “datums” behind GPS and if you're using GPS for precision ag, surveying, or construction, these changes may affect your A-B lines, boundaries, and other mapped data.

The National Geodetic Survey (NGS) will officially replace two outdated reference frames:

Objective: Evaluate the yield potential of winter wheat varieties in northern Iowa.

Key Takeaways:

With harvest getting underway around the state, ISU Extension and Outreach field agronomists share a quick update on initial harvest progress as well as other observations they have made or are hearing about in their respective regions including fall armyworms being found in forages and concerns about stalk integrity in cornfields. Read on for more specifics.

Cherokee, Ida, Lyon, Monona, O'Brien, Osceola, Plymouth, Sioux, Woodbury counties

The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Crops Team is seeking sponsors for our upcoming winter programs. These programs include the Integrated Crop Management Conference (ICM), the Crop Advantage Series, Planter U, and CropsTV. Each year the Crops Team reaches over 2,000 contacts through events like these. 

After a week of below normal and pleasant fall temperatures, the summer heat is making a reappearance. Widespread high temperatures in the upper 80s to low 90s are forecast across the state. Heat index values are expected to reach the low to mid-90s on Friday through Sunday. The weekend is also expected to be dry, with chances for rain returning late Sunday into Monday. This dry air helps to keep heat indices lower compared to previous heat events this summer. 

This year’s wet conditions have disrupted many hay cutting schedules across Iowa, leaving many producers uncertain about when or whether to take a final alfalfa harvest. As we move into fall, it’s important to start preparing perennial hay fields for winter. A key consideration is timing your final cutting to support winter survival and minimize winter kill risk.