Blog

Bob Hartzler
June 2, 2020 10:10 AM

Although there is no evidence of widescale problems with carryover injury to corn or soybean, ISUEO field agronomists have received a few reports. The potential for carryover injury is determined by several factors, including: 1) persistence of the herbicide, 2) herbicide rate, 3) soil...

Weeds

Terry Basol
June 1, 2020 1:45 PM

In order to keep up with any changes and updates on pesticide uses and restrictions from year to year, it’s important to thoroughly read the label before any applications are made, even if the same product was used the previous year. If nothing else, it helps to refresh our memory on the...

Crop Production, Weeds

Erin L Bowers
May 28, 2020 2:58 PM

Charles R Hurburgh
May 28, 2020 2:58 PM

Iowa State’s Dr. Charles Hurburgh will be presenting on the topic “Ongoing Impacts from the 2019 Harvest and Early 2020 Crop Forecast” as an installment in the Grain Elevator and Processing Society’s...

Grain Handling and Storage

Ashley Dean
May 27, 2020 5:17 PM

More large flights of moths were reported across Iowa last week. In fact, the statewide weekly totals for both true armyworm (TAW) and black cutworm (BCW) far exceeded those of previous weeks. Across the state, our cooperators reported a total of 243 TAW moths and 188 BCW moths between May 17...

Crop Production, Insects and Mites

Rebecca Vittetoe
May 27, 2020 3:33 PM

Last week brought little sunshine, cooler temperatures, and soggy conditions across much of the state. Yellow-looking corn, slow growing crops and forages, and uneven or poor stand establishment were some of the common concerns ISU Extension field agronomists have been hearing and seeing. Read...

Crop Production

Meaghan Anderson
May 26, 2020 11:03 AM

While all applicators should carefully read their pesticide labels, newer products like the dicamba products labeled for use over-the-top use in soybean have many more application restrictions and recordkeeping requirements than others. This blog will describe the new language in the ‘...

Pesticide Education, Weeds

Erin Hodgson
May 22, 2020 11:59 AM

Ashley Dean
May 22, 2020 11:59 AM

Meaghan Anderson
May 22, 2020 11:59 AM

Thanks to ISUEO Field Agronomist Meaghan Anderson and Extension Entomologist Ashley Dean, I had a great field scouting adventure in central Iowa. First visiting the field for poor germination and other issues, Meaghan was digging in the soil in search of more information and found grubs! So of...

Crop Production, Insects and Mites

Warren Pierson
May 22, 2020 10:17 AM

Ethan Stoetzer
May 22, 2020 10:17 AM

Last week, the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Crops Team held its Field Scouting Basics Workshop for those who will be scouting fields this growing season. For those that might have missed this day-long virtual seminar, we've uploaded the entire virtual workshop to the Iowa...

Crop Production, Insects and Mites, Plant Diseases, Soils, Weeds

Bob Hartzler
May 22, 2020 10:04 AM

I try to stay focused on important weed management issues, but people1 send me ads they feel need to be called out for breaking the principles of integrated weed management. Today's entry into the Herbicide Ad Hall of Shame is a promotion for Tough herbicide.  I don't...

Herbicide Resistance

Ashley Dean
May 20, 2020 5:00 PM

By this time in the spring, moth activity typically quiets down a bit. Not this year – we were still seeing large flights of moths last week! True armyworm (TAW) activity picked up again with a total of 84 TAW moths reported across the state. Black cutworm (BCW) captures decreased compared to...

Crop Production, Insects and Mites

Ashley Dean
May 20, 2020 3:36 PM

Erin Hodgson
May 20, 2020 3:36 PM

Western and northern corn rootworms are serious corn pests in Iowa and the Corn Belt, reportedly responsible for over 1 billion dollars in yield loss and control costs annually in the United States. The larvae tunnel into and consume corn roots, which can reduce nutrient and water uptake (Figure...

Crop Production, Insects and Mites

Mark Licht
May 20, 2020 1:54 PM

Zachary Clemens
May 20, 2020 1:54 PM

With the weather Iowa has recently experienced and the time of year it is, we all can expect to see purple and yellow corn and even some tattered leaves: the ugly ducklings of your field. Don’t fret just yet, cooler temperatures and wet conditions are all contributing factors to the mosaic...

Crop Production

Erin Hodgson
May 20, 2020 7:42 AM

Iowa’s most significant soybean insect pest, soybean aphid, has host-alternating biology. This species has multiple, overlapping generations on soybean in the summer. Fall migration to buckthorn is based on senescing soybean, and decreasing temperatures and photoperiod. For the majority of the...

Crop Production, Insects and Mites

Rebecca Vittetoe
May 19, 2020 9:20 PM

Some much-welcomed rain fell across the state this past week. Prior to the rain, farmers continued to make progress on getting the crop in the ground. According to the...

Crop Production

Mark Licht
May 19, 2020 8:04 PM

Planting is nearly wrapped up for corn, with soybean soon to follow. What a difference a year makes considering the last two years have seen planting delayed. That means corn and soybean emergence should be good, right? Wrong! The cost of seed makes it essential to get the highest, most uniform...

Crop Production

Angie Rieck-Hinz
May 19, 2020 10:57 AM

As crops start to emerge, now is a good time to get out and do early-season scouting to see how things went with planting and to also check for any early season crop disease and insect issues. 

Crop Production, Insects and Mites, Plant Diseases

Warren Pierson
May 19, 2020 10:54 AM

Ethan Stoetzer
May 19, 2020 10:54 AM

Check out our most recent Vlog from the Field Extension Education Lab (FEEL), where we discuss soil temperature, hypocotyls, radicles and cotyledons.

Guest starring in this episode is Meaghan Anderson, field agronomist in central Iowa and an extension field specialist at Iowa State....

Crop Production

Warren Pierson
May 14, 2020 10:27 AM

Ethan Stoetzer
May 14, 2020 10:27 AM

As we on the Iowa State Extension Crops Team have been adjusting our programming and schedules to ensure we're still able to provide quality resources throughout COVID-19, we'd like to introduce you to one new resource: The Field Extension Education Laboratory (FEEL) Vlog series.

While we...

Crop Production

Ashley Dean
May 13, 2020 3:57 PM

Even with some cooler temperatures last week, moths were still being reported around the state. True armyworm (TAW) activity was lower during Week 6 than in previous weeks with a total of 40 TAW moths reported across the state. However, black cutworm (BCW) captures increased dramatically last...

Crop Production, Insects and Mites

Joel DeJong
May 13, 2020 10:41 AM

Years like this, when corn-planting progress is ahead of normal and we get really optimistic about it, frost raises its ugly head. In the NW corner of Iowa, about a third of the years will include a frost in May. About ten percent of the time it is after May 10. Watching the recovery of emerged...

Crop Production

Rebecca Vittetoe
May 12, 2020 8:53 PM

What a difference the year makes! According to the May 11th USDA Crop Progress Report, 91% of the expected corn crop and 71% of the expected...

Crop Production

Bob Hartzler
May 11, 2020 10:23 AM

Although most crop fields have not reached the stage for regularly planned POST herbicide applications, there likely are situations where people would like to get weeds controlled prior to the rain forecast later this week.  The question is what impact will this weekend’s frost have on herbicide...

Weeds

Sotirios Archontoulis
May 8, 2020 11:07 AM

Mark Licht
May 8, 2020 11:07 AM

Zachary Clemens
May 8, 2020 11:07 AM

The Forecasting and Assessment of Cropping Systems (FACTS) from Iowa State Extension and Outreach results as of May 5 extrapolate that Iowa soils a bit drier than neighboring Illinois or Indiana, but shouldn’t be an issue moving forward:

...
Crop Production

Ashley Dean
May 6, 2020 1:53 PM

Moth activity continues in Iowa. During Week 5, April 27 had the most true armyworm (TAW) moths reported across the state. Black cutworm (BCW) flights were a bit spread out throughout the week. In total, 78 BCW moths were reported across the state, which is the highest weekly total of the year...

Crop Production, Insects and Mites

Erin Hodgson
May 6, 2020 1:27 PM

Thin Lizzy predicted it in 1976. Actually, the boys and girls are back in town. Over the weekend, the first painted lady butterflies were spotted in Iowa. Why care about this beautiful butterfly? It seems like a distant memory, but remember the thistle caterpillar bonanza on soybean last summer...

Crop Production, Insects and Mites

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