Blog

Observations across several counties in southeast and south central Iowa show that, despite some recent rain events and high humidity, twospotted spider mites are persisting in both corn and soybean fields across the area.  These insect-like pests can be very difficult to identify, so we’ve got...

As of February 2017, Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) had been found in 49 of Iowa’s 99 counties.  A native of the American southwest, Palmer amaranth is more competitive than common waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus), a pigweed native to Iowa.  These two species are two...

The spotty rain and dry weather saga continues in many parts of the state. The U.S. Drought Monitor has just over 47% of the state as abnormally dry and 16% of the state in a moderate drought.

...

1) Develops in hot, dry weather conditions. Charcoal rot is a fungal disease that is most severe in years and areas experiencing hot, dry weather. However, this disease can also cause losses when ample moisture is present, making it a hidden threat to yield.

...

While off-target movement of pesticides is not a new problem, the growth regulator herbicides create a unique situation due to their ability to induce easily observed symptoms at very low doses. Large scale drift problems were experienced when the phenoxy herbicides were introduced in the 1950s...

Bacterial leaf streak is a new disease of corn that was confirmed in the U.S. last year - as if we don't have enough spots to diagnose on corn!  And, as you might expect, a lot of spots and streaks on corn can be misdiagnosed for bacterial leaf streak.

Over the winter, corn pathologists...

A few of you with eagle eyes have been asking about this unique-looking caterpillar feeding in soybean. The green body and dark head capsule definitely make it stand out compared to other green caterpillars. It’s the obliquebanded leafroller (Choristoneura rosaceana), a tortricid moth....

Despite June typically being one of the wettest months of the year, it is ending to be much drier than normal across much of the state. Besides drier conditions, other common issues showing up in Iowa crop fields include weed management concerns, herbicide drift, nutrient deficiencies, and...

The introduction and spread of Palmer amaranth in Iowa undoubtedly will have a significant impact on crop production and weed management in the future.  However, since the first infestations were identified I've been intrigued by what seemed odd behavior for a plant with Palmer amaranth's...

Today while scouting a commercial field north of Ames, I was looking for soybean aphid. I didn't see one aphid (sniff, sniff), but I did see a handful of thistle caterpillars. The caterpillars web together soybean leaves and feed inside the temporary home. They also produce copious amounts of...

Consider attending one of the Nitrogen and Water Week field days next week – June 27 to 29.

Our focus of these meetings is to have attendees ‘kick the tires’ on the tile drainage studies conducted by Iowa State University. 

Nitrate in tile drainage water is on the mind of many...