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Subscribe to RSS FeedAs fields get harvested many farmers are making fall manure applications. Managed properly, manure can be an excellent source of valuable nutrients, but it can also pose risks to water quality when applied long before a crop is present to take up the nitrogen provided by manure. This ICM Blog...
The meteorological winter (December-January-February) temperature and precipitation outlooks were recently released by NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center (CPC). In winter, the phase of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) climate signal typically influences temperature and precipitation...
Rebecca Vittetoe
October 30, 2019 8:30 AM
Erika Lundy-Woolfolk
October 30, 2019 8:30 AM
Denise Schwab
October 30, 2019 8:30 AM
Beth Reynolds
October 30, 2019 8:30 AM
With a growing number of cover crop acres across the state of Iowa, some producers are looking to cover crops to help extend their grazing season. While cover crops have the potential to be an extra forage source and reduce feed costs, there are challenges with using cover crops as a forage...
Charles R Hurburgh
October 29, 2019 5:48 PM
Recent reports have Iowa corn at about 40% harvested and Iowa soybeans about 66% harvested. The late crop has corn moistures running from around 19% in...
You may be in the thick of harvest, but don’t forget to cool stored grain. With forecast average day/night temperatures of 35 to 40 in the coming ten days, the time is right to cool any grain that went into the bin at higher temperatures. This article will review some tips and rules of thumb for...
Mark Licht
October 29, 2019 11:40 AM
It doesn’t happen every year, but it does occur – snow accumulation before harvest is complete. Here are some considerations and tips for dealing with this unique situation:
Meaghan Anderson
October 22, 2019 2:43 PM
Angie Rieck-Hinz
October 22, 2019 2:43 PM
Rebecca Vittetoe
October 22, 2019 2:43 PM
Did insects bug you and your crops this year? As the 2019 growing season winds down, ISU Extension field agronomists are seeking information from producers and retailers across the state regarding what the most problematic insect pests were this growing season.
Give us...
Combines are the most important seed dispersal mechanism for weeds in our cropping system. While a small amount of seed may leave the field with grain, most weed seed that enter the combine with the crop are either spread throughout the field or carried to other fields. Harvest weed seed...
Charles R Hurburgh
October 17, 2019 1:41 PM
Rebecca Vittetoe
October 17, 2019 1:41 PM
Meaghan Anderson
October 17, 2019 1:41 PM
Temperatures fell into the low 30’s and upper 20’s in most of Iowa over the weekend of October 11-13. Because of the very late planting season, some crops were immature enough to be injured by the freezing temperatures. This ICM Blog will address frost damage concerns to soybeans.
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Iowa State University Extension Plant Pathologist Daren Mueller will be featured on a North Central Climate Collaborative (NC3) webinar later this month. The focal point of the discussion will be around how climate change is impacting disease expression in both corn and soybean in the North...
Rebecca Vittetoe
October 11, 2019 3:09 PM
The weather forecast is calling for temperatures to dip below or close to freezing this weekend across the state of Iowa. What does this mean for forage crops, particularly forage crops such as sudangrass, sorghum, and sorghum sudangrass hybrids?
A frost event, even a light frost, with...
Alison Robertson
October 11, 2019 7:16 AM
Tar spot is the latest new disease of corn to be observed in the U.S. The disease was first observed in Indiana in 2015. In 2016, it was found in eastern Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and Florida. Last growing season, the disease caused significant damage to corn in northern Illinois,...
How late can you make the last cutting of alfalfa? Do you cut now or wait until a killing frost? This ICM Blog will provide some guidelines to help you determine when you should make that last cutting and other management considerations when taking the last cutting for the year.
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Charles R Hurburgh
October 9, 2019 3:55 PM
An Iowa farmer sent me an email in anticipation of the freeze this weekend and I suspect many farmers are in the similar position of having mature crops with replant that may not be mature yet. Read more about my thoughts on how to handle this situation below.
Question:...
Rebecca Vittetoe
October 8, 2019 1:29 PM
Harvest is off to a slow start across the state. High moisture grain, crop maturity, and ear rots and stalk rots are some of the topics ISU Extension and Outreach field agronomists have been focusing on. Read on for more about what’s happening in specific regions of the state.
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Mark Licht
October 7, 2019 3:25 PM
Charles R Hurburgh
October 7, 2019 3:25 PM
A portion of Iowa’s corn crop is likely to experience a frost before naturally reaching maturity as a result of cool temperatures later this week. Natural maturity is often determined when a black layer is formed at the kernel tip. At this timeframe grain moisture is typically 28–35% moisture....
Rebecca Vittetoe
October 4, 2019 8:30 AM
Meaghan Anderson
October 4, 2019 8:30 AM
Proper planning and preparation are needed to successfully improve pastures with either late winter frost seeding or no-till renovation with interseeding next spring. This ICM Blog post will discuss what you should be doing now to prepare for pasture renovations in 2020.
Meaghan Anderson
October 3, 2019 12:08 PM
Rebecca Vittetoe
October 3, 2019 12:08 PM
Fall is a great time to take soil samples. Soil testing is the only way to determine soil nutrient levels, and the results of these tests can help make critical management decisions for the next growing season. This article will discuss when to soil sample, different soil sampling methods, how...
Bob Hartzler
September 30, 2019 1:00 PM
Meaghan Anderson
September 30, 2019 1:00 PM
Prashant Jha
September 30, 2019 1:00 PM
The spread of multiple-resistant weeds threatens Iowa’s production system. In order to slow the expansion of resistance, greater diversity in weed management is necessary. An October 21 workshop will discuss one potential alternative weed management tool that is used in other parts of the world...
If you would like to learn more about current soil fertility issues and research being conducted at universities across the North Central region, then consider attending the 49th Annual North Central Extension-Industry Soil Fertility Conference to be held November 5-6, 2019, from 1:00 p.m. to...
Alison Robertson
September 23, 2019 5:59 PM
As corn fields start to reach maturity across the state of Iowa, we need to start thinking about stalk and ear rots, particularly in terms of scheduling harvest and grain storage. Read on for more details on stalk rots and ear rots and how to scout for them.
Stalk rots...
Meaghan Anderson
September 16, 2019 7:55 AM
Rebecca Vittetoe
September 16, 2019 7:55 AM
Harvest season will soon be here, and that will mean more equipment and slow-moving vehicles both on the farm and the road. This flurry of activity can result in an increased chance for farm and equipment-related accidents.
This week (September 15 – 21) is National Farm Safety and Health...
Mark Licht
September 9, 2019 9:39 PM
Sotirios Archontoulis
September 9, 2019 9:39 PM
One of the pressing questions this fall is when corn will reach maturity and if there is going to be enough time to dry down in the field. We have developed and released a corn grain dry down calculator that can help...
Erin Hodgson
September 6, 2019 8:21 AM
This week was my last field day of the summer – it’s always is a signal the season is ending. I noted plants are senescing fairly quickly on my drive to Kanawha. However, there are still a few insects active on field crops, and worth scouting for this weekend.
One plant disease to keep a lookout for when harvesting grains and grasses for animal and human consumption is ergot. The ergot pathogen generates toxic alkaloids that potentially could create problems with livestock feeding, and when trying to market a small grain crop. The Crop Protection...