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Dr. Erin Hodgson started working in the Department of Entomology at Iowa State University in 2009. She is an associate professor with extension and research responsibilities in corn and soybeans. She has a general background in integrated pest management (IPM) for field crops. Dr. Hodgson's current extension and research programs are focused on improving corn and soybean production by using IPM tactics to protect yield and increase overall farmer profits. Among other projects, she oversees insecticide efficacy evaluations for soybean aphids, Japanese beetles, and aphids in corn. Erin also helps manage emerging field crop pests and invasive species.
Dr. Daren Mueller is an associate professor and extension plant pathologist at Iowa State University. He is also the coordinator of the Iowa State University Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program. Dr. Mueller earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1996, and his master's degree and doctorate in Plant Pathology from the University of Illinois-Urbana in 1999 and 2001. His main research interests involve understanding the biology and management of soybean diseases. The Iowa State IPM program, among other things, develops several publications about field crops pests, leads the ISU Field Extension Farm, and is involved in several STEM education projects.
Dr. Alison Robertson is an associate professor of plant pathology and microbiology. She provides extension education on the diagnosis and management of corn and soybean diseases. Her research interests include Pythium seedling disease of corn and soybean and Goss's wilt. Dr. Robertson received her bachelor's degree in plant pathology in 1991 from the University of Kwazulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, and came to the United States in 1999 to pursue a doctoral degree in plant pathology at Clemson University. She started working at Iowa State University in May 2004.
Adam Sisson is an extension specialist with the Iowa State University Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program and a Certified Crop Adviser. Sisson focuses on the development of publications and other educational resources for farmers, agribusiness, and students. He received his bachelor's degree in agronomy and environmental studies in 2006 and a master's degree in sustainable agriculture in 2009; both from Iowa State University.
Dr. Mark Licht is an assistant professor and extension cropping systems specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. His extension, research and teaching program is focused on how to holistically manage Iowa cropping systems to achieve productivity, profitability and environmental goals. Research is centered around varied aspects of soybean, corn and cover crop management as well as agronomic implications of precision technologies.
Meaghan Anderson is a field agronomist in central Iowa and an extension field specialist at Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. Educational programming is available for farmers, agribusinesses, pesticide applicators, certified crop advisors, and other individuals interested in crop production.
Areas of expertise include weed management, weed biology, cover crops, corn and soybean management, and integrated pest management.
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Subscribe to RSS FeedFarmers and crop advisors are invited to attend the Southeast Iowa Agricultural Research Association annual meeting at the Johnson County Extension office in Iowa City on Thursday, March 7, 2019 beginning at 10:00 a.m.
The day will feature an update on activities at the Iowa State...
Welcome to ISU Biomass, led by the Heaton Lab at Iowa State University. Together with our partners, we work to integrate perennial crops into the annual crop landscape to improve economic, environmental, and social outcomes. One of our focus areas is the production and ecophysiology of giant...
The Crop Protection Network (CPN), a collective of multiple land grant universities across the region, published two new resources for Iowa farmers detailing tar spot in corn, caused by phyllachora maydis, and soybean seed quality for 2019.
This cold and snowy weather hopefully has everyone dreaming of warmer days this spring. The 2019 growing season will be here before we know it, but now is a great time to plan for the year. While many farmers have already purchased pesticides for the growing season, it’s important to read the...
With the rising popularity of cover crops we frequently receive questions from producers about how to grow and sell cover crop seed. Here’s some important information if you are interested in growing and selling cover crop seed.
Frequently farmers wish to buy a small grain and plant it...
Winter months often find us making lists of things we want to get done prior to spring field work and planting. Now is a good time to consider how to safely dispose of old pesticides and chemicals.
The easiest way to manage pesticides is to plan on not having any leftovers. If you hire...
“Why can’t you academics get your stories straight?”, or “What is the optimum soybean seeding rate?”
Recent text from an extension client:
“Mark Licht is telling us to plant 120-140K soybeans. Tells us why more isn’t cost effective. You tell us 160K 15” rows for weeds. I wish you all would coordinate your story. The bottom line is net profit which is a holistic concept but every...
Under the Worker Protection Standard (WPS) as revised in 2015, agricultural workers and pesticide handlers must be trained annually in pesticide safety.
Who needs to be trained?
Both agricultural workers (people employed to perform work activities related to the...
The Iowa Soybean Association has hosted a farmer-oriented research conference in February for many years. In 2019, the event is moving out into the state. The ISA Farmer Research Tour will be held at three locations in the first two weeks of February. This article contains the dates and...
Making sound soil fertility management decisions is an important part of successful crop production, on both an economic and environmental level. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will be offering a two-day short course focusing on principles of soils, soil fertility and nutrient...
As 2018 was winding down, your extension specialists were gearing up, publishing eight pest-management related guides for the 2019 growing season. Several of these guides are downloadable, for free, on the Iowa State University Extension Store. Now's the perfect time to gather materials to...
This is part three of a four-part series originally posted in 2016 on using multiple, effective herbicide sites of action (herbicide groups) at effective rates as part of a long-term weed management system. Read ...
While herbicide resistance is not a new issue, the rapid increase in multiple resistant biotypes in waterhemp, giant ragweed, and horseweed (marestail) is limiting herbicidal options. A waterhemp biotype resistant to six herbicide groups (2, 4, 5, 9, 14, and 27) was recently identified in...
Winter has nearly arrived. The fields are harvested. Equipment has been tucked in, and the evaluation of the season is well underway. While the new year brings the promise of a great crop season in 2019, it’s important to remember that while we recharge for the winter, so do field crop pests....
This is part three of a four-part series originally posted in 2016 on using multiple, effective herbicide sites of action (herbicide groups) at effective rates as part of a long-term weed management system. Read ...
This is part two of a four-part series originally posted in 2016 on using multiple, effective herbicide sites of action (herbicide groups) at effective rates as part of a long-term weed management system. Read...
This is part one of a four-part series originally posted in 2016 on using multiple, effective herbicide sites of action (herbicide groups) at effective rates as part of a long-term weed management system.
With the stagnant development of new herbicides and weeds seemingly...
Soil health is the foundation for a vibrant and strong agriculture system and economy. Healthy soils are essential to healthy environments including clean air and clean water for sustainable agriculture and livelihoods. The...
Pesticides are substances that are designed to control pests. Every year, nearly six billion pounds of pesticides are applied worldwide. In agricultural fields, they can be...
Updated on November 2, 2018
I feel obligated to write something about EPA’s dicamba announcement, but will confess at this time I still have several questions...
While the monarch butterfly is a globally distributed species, the eastern United States population is renowned for its annual migration from the breeding range in the northeastern United States (and Canada) to overwintering sites in central Mexico. Overwintering populations of this cohort have...
The follow-up to this summer's 'Sporecaster' smartphone application, designed to help farmers predict the need for a fungicide application to control white mold in soybean, is now available for download.
While Sporecaster can help farmers evaluate their risk for white mold using infection...
The 2018 Iowa harvest is posing many challenges. Higher than average harvest losses are likely due to excessive soybean shatter, flooded and wet field conditions, and lodged corn and beans.
Harvest losses can only be managed if you know where and why they are occurring. Measuring harvest...
The college classroom teaches you a multitude of things that you probably need to know in order to make sense of the world around you. But an internship that gives you experience in that world can mean the difference of succeeding in life or just getting by. As an agricultural communications...
With the 2018 growing season coming to an end, it’s time to bust out the record books and begin logging the most prevalent diseases we’ve seen this year in Iowa soybeans. It’s important to review these diseases so that farmers, agronomists and all of our partners can make informed decisions...