Blog
Subscribe to RSS FeedLevi Powell with ISU Digital Ag walks through calculating and setting downforce for your planter and how downforce affects your performance in the field.
Joel DeJong
March 19, 2021 9:55 AM
Antonio Mallarino
March 19, 2021 9:55 AM
Prices for soil fertility inputs have increased greatly in recent months. The bi-weekly “Iowa Production Cost Report” showed a 51% cost increase in anhydrous, a 31% increase for urea, 56% higher...
Aaron Saeugling
March 19, 2021 9:48 AM
With a long winter coming to an end, our focus now turns to planter setup. While we often focus on new equipment and updates to our planters, knowledge of the basic function of the planter and the role each part of the planter plays in seeding depth and spacing, as well as upkeep of these parts...
Daren S Mueller
March 18, 2021 9:49 AM
If you grow specialty crops in Iowa or another North Central state, please help us with a study to:
- assess frequency, severity, and other details of herbicide drift damage.
- measure related farmer...
With spring temperatures arriving in Iowa, grain producers should pay extra attention to the condition of the grain in their bins.
Cold winter temperatures keep mold and insect activity low in stored grain. Rising spring temperatures can trigger spoiling of grain that is...
Recent ISU Field Agronomist retirement announcements include Brian Lang and Paul Kassel. This has created two openings for ISU Extension and Outreach Field Agronomists. There are two positions available – one in northwest Iowa...
Pulse width modulated (PWM) sprayer nozzle technology has been present in the ag industry for many years. These systems can maintain pressure as speed changes by adjusting the duty cycle of the nozzle, allowing more or less product to flow out. Many systems also offer individual nozzle section...
Meaghan Anderson
March 5, 2021 8:06 AM
Due to extensive damage to corn fields last year from the derecho, volunteer corn is a looming threat for many fields this spring. Farmers intending to plant corn in these derecho-affected fields have limited options for managing volunteer corn, thus thoughtful planning is critical. I asked a...
Mark Licht
March 4, 2021 8:56 AM
Over the last 5-years the Northwest Research Farm near Sutherland, IA has been conducting row spacing by plant population through cultivar trials with two different brands. The trials were not designed to compare brands, but rather provide another comparison to evaluate soybean row spacing and...
Joshua Michel
March 1, 2021 10:45 AM
Rebecca Vittetoe
March 1, 2021 10:45 AM
Many pastures in Iowa were stressed in 2020 from the dry conditions, storm damage, or overgrazing. Consider improving pasture stands and forage production with either frost seeding or interseeding this spring. Proper planning and preparation are needed to successfully improve pastures, and this...
The 2020 registration for Xtendimax, Engenia and the extension of the Tavium registration included additional restrictions for protection of Endangered Species.
Iowa counties with Endangered Species protection include Allamakee, Cerro Gordo, Clayton, Delaware, Dickinson, Dubuque, Emmet,...
Rebecca Vittetoe
February 22, 2021 1:58 PM
Virgil Schmitt
February 22, 2021 1:58 PM
Joshua Michel
February 22, 2021 1:58 PM
Farmers and crop advisers are invited to attend the Southeast Iowa Agricultural Research Association annual meeting, which will be held virtually this year via Zoom on Tuesday, March 4, at 8 a.m.
The annual meeting will feature the following topics and speakers: “A Review of the 2020...
Meaghan Anderson
February 16, 2021 1:35 PM
Ashley Dean
February 16, 2021 1:35 PM
Erin Hodgson
February 16, 2021 1:35 PM
One of the most common questions coming out of any winter is “how did the insects do?” In winters like this, where we have extended cold spells, farmers and agronomists alike want to know whether the cold was enough to kill some of our most common crop pests. Entomologists Erin Hodgson and...
Daren S Mueller
February 15, 2021 8:10 PM
Several Crop Protection Network (CPN) webinars are scheduled for this spring. Some of the best minds in agriculture will talk about ways to keep soybeans healthy.
Martin Chilvers, Michigan State University associate professor of plant pathology; Carl Bradley, University of Kentucky...
Ashley Dean
February 15, 2021 11:00 AM
Erin Hodgson
February 15, 2021 11:00 AM
Iowa State University’s IPM Team has monitored field crop pests for a long time. The pests have changed over the years, but the goal is the same: to help inform farmers about pest activity in Iowa. Our moth trapping efforts target migratory moths. Black cutworm monitoring is a long-standing...
Reliance on synthetic auxin herbicides (HG 4) has increased following the introduction of dicamba and 2,4-D resistant soybean. A common question among users of these products is: “If I use one trait repeatedly and select for resistance to that herbicide, will I be able to switch to the other...
Before heading to the field this season, there are some maintenance items on your planter that you should consider addressing. Some items can be done in the off-season in the shop while others should be addressed in your first field. Follow this checklist to make sure that your tractor and...
The following is a brief summary of new products available for weed control in corn and soybean in 2021. None of these are new sites of action herbicides, but are new premixes or revised formulations of existing active ingredients. With growing concerns of weeds developing resistance to...
The 2021 Herbicide Guide for Iowa Corn and Soybean Production is now available as a free download at the ISUEO Extension Store.
In addition to numerous tables providing information on the myriad of herbicides for use in corn...
The final February climatological outlooks from the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) show a strong signal for colder than average temperatures across much of the upper Midwest, including Iowa. On the precipitation front, there is an elevated...
Mark Licht
February 8, 2021 10:48 AM
Hear the latest from Extension researchers across the United States who have recently summarized decades of research on soybean planting recommendations. A soybean planting consideration webinar will be hosted by Shawn Conley, Seth Naeve and Rachel Vann on Friday, February 19, 2021 from 11:45am...
Mark Licht
February 2, 2021 1:38 PM
The countdown is on to the Midwest Cover Crops Council Conference! Organized by OMAFRA, the Ridgetown Business Development Centre, and SOILS AT GUELPH, this virtual conference running February 23-25 will have something for everyone! This year’s theme is Making Connections: Soil Health, Cover...
Zachary Clemens
February 1, 2021 8:08 AM
Brent Pringnitz
February 1, 2021 8:08 AM
Meaghan Anderson
February 1, 2021 8:08 AM
Mark Licht
February 1, 2021 8:08 AM
Rebecca Vittetoe
February 1, 2021 8:08 AM
CropsTV is entering week 10, the last week, however, there is still time to register. There are 3 live episodes this week to finish out CropsTV programming next week. You can still watch all 45 episodes on-demand through February. Learn more and ...
Herbicide-resistant weeds are the norm in cropping systems reliant on herbicides, with more than 500 unique cases of resistance reported worldwide in 2019 (www.weedscience.org). However, the ability to accumulate multiple resistances within a single...
Zachary Clemens
January 24, 2021 6:00 PM
Brent Pringnitz
January 24, 2021 6:00 PM
Meaghan Anderson
January 24, 2021 6:00 PM
Mark Licht
January 24, 2021 6:00 PM
Rebecca Vittetoe
January 24, 2021 6:00 PM
CropsTV is entering week 9, however, do not let this hold you back from registering. There are 3 live episodes this week and another 3 live episodes to finish out CropsTV programming next week. While there is only 6 live episodes left, you can still watch all 45 episodes on-demand through...