Blog

Erin Hodgson
August 21, 2020 9:44 AM

The range of soybean gall midge has expanded in 2020. There are three new counties in Iowa (Osceola, Dickinson, and Calhoun) for a total of 29. So far, 108 total counties are confirmed in Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, and South Dakota. Likely more counties have soybean gall midge but...

Crop Production, Insects and Mites

Aaron Saeugling
August 20, 2020 10:18 AM

While much of the damage from this month’s derecho is due to strong hurricane-force winds, isolated pockets of hail affected crops also, particularly in parts of Carroll, Greene, Hamilton, Hardin, Boone, and Story counties.  When addressing any crop damage, contact your crop insurance provider...

Crop Production

Daren S Mueller
August 17, 2020 7:34 AM

Alison Robertson
August 17, 2020 7:34 AM

Wind and storm damaged soybean have been reported across Iowa, creating yet another stress for farmers this growing season. Certain fungicide products are marketed as being capable of reducing stress in crops, so should they be sprayed on soybean this late in the season?  

...

Plant Diseases

Ashley Dean
August 14, 2020 7:07 AM

Erin Hodgson
August 14, 2020 7:07 AM

Caterpillars have been extremely active this year, especially in soybean. We suspect that late-season infestations of caterpillars in corn are no exception. These infestations are serious because these caterpillars feed on the ear and/or tunnel into stalks. Their feeding can also lead to...

Crop Production, Insects and Mites

Shawn Shouse
August 13, 2020 11:02 AM

Dirk Maier
August 13, 2020 11:02 AM

When steel grain bins sustain wind damage, careful inspection is needed to evaluate repair or replacement options. Inspection assistance and advice from a consulting engineer or bin manufacturer representative is the best option.

When damage is confined to the roof, sidewall sheets, or...

Grain Handling and Storage

Matt Darr
August 12, 2020 8:06 PM

Ryan W Bergman
August 12, 2020 8:06 PM

Monday’s derecho event took a toll on crops across Iowa. Satellite imagery shows millions of acres of Iowa crops impacted by the high wind events. As growers dig out from the destruction left after the storm, decisions regarding how to manage the impacted crop will be front and center.

...

Crop Production

Meaghan Anderson
August 12, 2020 12:32 AM

Rebecca Vittetoe
August 12, 2020 12:32 AM

While some rainfall has come to the droughty areas of the state, drought intensified to D3 (extreme) drought in parts of central and west central Iowa. Unfortunately, a large swath of the state is now facing...

Crop Production

Rebecca Vittetoe
August 4, 2020 10:58 PM

Meaghan Anderson
August 4, 2020 10:58 PM

Drought conditions persist in western Iowa and have expanded further into central and north central Iowa this week. Common issues reported by ISU Extension field agronomists this past week included poor grain fill and fast reproductive development in corn, increasing disease pressure in some...

Crop Production

Madelynn Connell
August 3, 2020 8:08 PM

Danielle M Clark (Wilson)
August 3, 2020 8:08 PM

Emily Heaton
August 3, 2020 8:08 PM

In the interview, “A Farmer’s Journey with Miscanthus: Part 1,” we learned about Steve Schomberg and his involvement with growing miscanthus for the University of Iowa power plant. Steve has also been working with Koch Angus Farms, a cattle production farm near Letts, Iowa for the last four...

Crop Production

Angie Rieck-Hinz
August 3, 2020 8:17 AM

Meaghan Anderson
August 3, 2020 8:17 AM

ISU Extension and Outreach field agronomists, Meaghan Anderson and Angie Rieck-Hinz, recently partnered with their extension colleagues at the University of Minnesota to organize and deliver the second webinar series, Essential Row Crop...

Crop Production, Insects and Mites, Plant Diseases

Aaron Saeugling
July 29, 2020 9:20 PM

Over the last two weeks I have received a few calls related to identifying a “new form of waterhemp” in Southwest Iowa. In reality, we do not have a new form of waterhemp, but a condition referred to as ‘fasciation’ (Figure 1). While this can occur in many plant species, plants like cacti and...

Weeds

Rebecca Vittetoe
July 29, 2020 8:20 AM

While the drought concerns and drought impacts on row crops and forage crops seems to be the big issue especially in western Iowa, other common issues or questions reported by ISU Extension field agronomists this past week included corn rootworm activity, earworm feeding, Japanese beetles...

Crop Production

Madelynn Connell
July 27, 2020 6:12 PM

Danielle M Clark (Wilson)
July 27, 2020 6:12 PM

Emily Heaton
July 27, 2020 6:12 PM

Growing up on his family’s farm, Steve Schomberg learned the importance of environmentalism by his father. Conservation and sustainability remained central to Steve’s life while he worked at the University of Illinois, which is where he first learned about miscanthus and its use as a biomass...

Crop Production

Denise Schwab
July 27, 2020 11:22 AM

Rebecca Vittetoe
July 27, 2020 11:22 AM

One option to consider in fields with severe storm damage with no or limited yield potential is annual forages. This option may especially be of interest to livestock producers who could utilize the forage or may be short on forage or feed as a result of the storm damage. The following...

Crop Production

Paul Kassel
July 26, 2020 8:37 AM

 Iowa State University Extension and Outreach in Pocahontas and Sac county will hold meetings to discuss the effects of the current drought on crops and livestock.

 

The Sac county meeting will be held on Thursday August 6 at the Sac County Fairgrounds 4-H Building at 416 Park...

Crop Production

Mark Licht
July 24, 2020 2:08 PM

Zachary Clemens
July 24, 2020 2:08 PM

Low rainfall and high temperatures recently have caused some drought stress on local crops this summer. This is not wholly unexpected and there are some strategies crop producers can do to minimize the damage.

Higher nighttime temperatures cause plants to have higher nighttime respiration...

Crop Production

Daren S Mueller
July 24, 2020 10:53 AM

Adam Sisson
July 24, 2020 10:53 AM

Crop scouts and field researchers now have a new tool at their disposal to help correctly estimate disease severity and insect defoliation in field crops. The new online tool has been created by the Crop Protection Network and can be...

Insects and Mites, Plant Diseases

Rebecca Vittetoe
July 21, 2020 9:16 PM

While parts of southern Iowa did receive some much needed rain, the western part of the state continues to be dry with parts considered to be in a D2 or severe drought. Besides the weather concerns, other common...

Crop Production

Erin Hodgson
July 18, 2020 11:30 AM

Ashley Dean
July 18, 2020 11:30 AM

With several severe weather events in Iowa this month, reports of lodged corn are coming our way. Often times, a small part of the field is flattened and would be difficult to see from the edge. I encourage you to get out into cornfields and see how your stands look this month. In some cases,...

Crop Production, Insects and Mites

Erin Hodgson
July 16, 2020 10:49 AM

I was recently asked about an alien-looking caterpillar from central Nebraska. I occasionally see silver-spotted caterpillars in Iowa and wondered if you were seeing any in soybean?

The caterpillars are definitely a unique species because of the body coloration! The bodies are yellow-...

Crop Production, Insects and Mites

Rebecca Vittetoe
July 15, 2020 7:15 AM

While the western part of the state continues to be on the dry side, parts of central and eastern Iowa got hit with some storms this past week resulting in wind and hail damage. Besides the dry conditions and storm damage, herbicide injury in soybeans, gray leaf spot, potato leafhoppers, and low...

Crop Production

Adam Sisson
July 14, 2020 8:38 AM

Daren S Mueller
July 14, 2020 8:38 AM

Alison Robertson
July 14, 2020 8:38 AM

Hailstones damaged corn and soybean in multiple locations across Iowa on July 11, 2020.  Fungicide use after hail injury is sometimes suggested as a way to benefit damaged plants. In order to help determine if fungicide use after hail is beneficial, Iowa State University undertook multiple years...

Crop Production, Plant Diseases

Rebecca Vittetoe
July 13, 2020 2:19 PM

The storms that moved across Iowa late last week and over the weekend brought rainfall, but they also brought some strong winds and hail. For those folks dealing with wind or hail damage, the first step should be to communicate with your crop insurance agent. Additionally, below are some...

Crop Production

Mark Licht
July 13, 2020 1:24 PM

In 2018 and 2019, research was conducted on a relay intercropping and double cropping systems to evaluate as a possible alternative to Iowa’s traditional corn-soybean or continuous corn cropping system.

There were 2 sites; one near Kalona and another near Ames, Iowa, to study these...

Crop Production

Mitchell Baum
July 10, 2020 2:55 PM

Sotirios Archontoulis
July 10, 2020 2:55 PM

Mark Licht
July 10, 2020 2:55 PM

Each year, decisions on planting date and cultivar selection are the major deciding factors on yield potential. Under current, year-to-year variable weather patterns and future climate change these decisions have become much more important. And there is a known knowledge gap on how future...

Crop Production

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