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Subscribe to RSS FeedUnusually warm weather in Iowa the second week of October led to rapid in-field drying of crops. Many farmers now find corn at 11 to 14 percent moisture content in the field. Excessively dry corn is more brittle and susceptible to mechanical damage during harvest. Dr. Charles Hurburgh notes that...
The early harvest this year has created opportunities to complete fall field work and manure applications much earlier than usual. However, applying manure before soils have cooled to below 50°F can be a costly...
Shawn Shouse
October 14, 2020 9:53 AM
Kristina TeBockhorst
October 14, 2020 9:53 AM
Charles R Hurburgh
October 14, 2020 9:53 AM
Dirk Maier
October 14, 2020 9:53 AM
Grain damage from the August 10 derecho storm and drought is widespread in the state and highly variable. The following is a list of five tips or good practices that farmers should consider this fall for good grain management, especially when working with suboptimal quality grain. At the end of...
Recent warm weather was great for drying crops in the field, but resulted in warm grain going into farm storage. Cool that stored grain as soon as possible to extend storage life. Forecast temperatures for the next several days are favorable for cooling stored grain to around 45 degrees.
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Meaghan Anderson
October 11, 2020 8:54 PM
Chuck Schwab
October 11, 2020 8:54 PM
Carolyn Sheriddan
October 11, 2020 8:54 PM
While the weather is working in our favor this year for grain harvest, the crop is drying down quickly and mold and dust are prolific. Dust and mold cause significant respiratory issues that range in symptoms from minor discomfort to more serious illnesses. Protecting yourself from exposure to...
Mark Licht
October 8, 2020 4:58 PM
Meaghan Anderson
October 8, 2020 4:58 PM
Brent Pringnitz
October 8, 2020 4:58 PM
The Integrated Crop Management (ICM) conference and Crop Advantage Series programs have been mainstays of Extension agronomic programming for many years. It is regretful that because of the COVID pandemic, those programs will NOT be offered this coming December and January. We are offering a new...
Bob Hartzler
October 7, 2020 1:03 PM
Meaghan Anderson
October 7, 2020 1:03 PM
A concern for corn fields damaged by this year's Derecho is how best to manage volunteer corn in 2021. Our recommendation is to rotate to soybean or some other crop if at all possible since additional control options are available in soybean (...
It is almost time, but not quite yet, that anhydrous ammonia (NH3) applications could begin (remember 50○F and continued cooling 4-inch soil temperature, and the colder the better). However, some areas of Iowa have dry soils this fall. Can anhydrous ammonia be applied to...
Prairie potholes?! What are they? Prairie potholes are low-lying, poorly drained soils that are prone to flooding. The...
Farmers in Iowa are faced with some new challenges this harvest season after the derecho swept through the state in early August. In this video, Ben Covington and Dr. Matt Darr with ISU Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering share their tips for harvesting downed corn this fall,...
Many producers in central and east-central Iowa are facing severely damaged corn fields from the recent August 10th derecho. With poor quality grain not suitable for the general grain market or storage, and fields that are not mechanically harvestable, a producer might consider...
Many producers in central and east-central Iowa are facing severely damaged corn fields from the recent August 10th derecho. With poor quality grain not suitable for the general grain market or storage, and fields that are not mechanically harvestable, a producer might consider...
When heading into the field for harvest, it’s important to make sure your monitors, sensors and scales are getting accurate numbers. Taking the time to calibrate your combine yield monitor is the first step in making sure you are using high quality yield data to make decisions in your operation...
Meaghan Anderson
September 21, 2020 2:42 PM
Bob Hartzler
September 21, 2020 2:42 PM
August's derecho left many Iowans with unharvestable corn. For operations that left their corn in the field, decisions should be made to reduce the problem of volunteer corn next planting season.
In this video, Field Agronomist Meaghan Anderson and Weed Specialist Bob...
Daren S Mueller
September 21, 2020 1:31 PM
Help the CPN determine how to serve you best through this short survey.
The Crop Protection Network (CPN) develops tools to help farmers, ag industry, and...
Kathleen Delate
September 21, 2020 9:19 AM
Kathleen Delate, ISU, takes viewers on an organic field day visiting the ISU Neely-Kinyon Farm Organic Field Day 2020. Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_PplV5EmT4&feature=...
Meaghan Anderson
September 18, 2020 11:06 AM
Alison Robertson
September 18, 2020 11:06 AM
The challenges of this growing season continued this month when a storm front brought more than 3 inches of rain to much of the state. While the rainfall was welcome for pastures and cover crops, it added to the challenges in corn fields, especially those suffering from drought and the derecho....
In addition to preparing the soil for planting, tillage can be an effective strategy for weed management. During a field trial, blue chalk was applied to the soil surface in areas where a tillage pass was made with a vertical tillage (VT) tool at a 3 degree, 5 degree and 9 degree gang angle...
Adjustable vertical tillage (VT) tools can easily allow you to till your fields more or less aggressively depending on the tool’s gang angle setting. In this video, Dr. Matt Darr shows the impact different gang angle settings have just below the soil surface.
Meaghan Anderson
September 16, 2020 11:40 AM
Rebecca Vittetoe
September 16, 2020 11:40 AM
While drought is still widespread, rainfall blanketed most of the state last week, providing some welcome relief to pastures, hay fields, newly-seeded cover crops, and later maturing soybeans. The rainfall caused some standability concerns with corn. Other issues noted by field agronomists ...
Vertical tillage (VT) tools can be an effective way to maintain residue and prevent soil erosion while still preparing the soil for planting. When you select a vertical tillage tool for your operation, consider these factors:
1. Types of blades
In areas with wet...
After the derecho passed through Iowa in early August, many farmers have been left with unharvestable fields. These fields may require additional management to prepare the soil for another crop next season. In this video, Dr. Matt Darr reviews the results of four tillage options five days after...
Managing residue and tillage this fall can be a challenge given the volume of residue due to downed corn by high winds and drought. There is a tendency to think about tillage as the first option in managing a high volume of crop residue. The impact of residue incorporation with tillage on soil...
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...
Before working in or around your combine, it’s important to go through proper shutdown and lockout/tagout procedures to ensure safety for yourself and those around you. Refer to this list for a reference on how to safely shutdown your machine, and use these practices every time you perform...