Blog
Subscribe to RSS FeedThe seventh annual Iowa Crop Scouting Competition will take place on July 31, 2017 at the Field Extension Education Lab...
Rebecca Vittetoe
June 13, 2017 10:33 PM
The USDA Weekly Crop Progress Report showed that Iowa's corn crop is 96% emerged and gave Iowa’s corn crops a 77% good to excellent rating. Soybean...
Bob Hartzler
June 13, 2017 7:55 AM
This year at the ISU FEEL weed garden I've established a plot with nine weedy members of the Amaranthaceae family, including six pigweeds . The pigweeds were transplanted on June 9 and pictures taken on June 11. Species include redroot pigweed, tumble pigweed, Palmer amaranth, spiny amaranth,...
Bob Hartzler
June 8, 2017 2:19 PM
While searching for Palmer amaranth in a pollinator habitat planting I encountered a few musk thistles. As I always do when I see this weed, I examined flower heads for the presence of the musk thistle weevil. This insect was imported to North America as a biocontrol agent for musk thistle. ...
Rebecca Vittetoe
June 7, 2017 7:24 AM
The USDA Weekly Crop Progress Report showed that Iowa's corn crop is 90% emerged and gave Iowa’s corn crops a 77% good/excellent rating. Soybean planting...
Erin Hodgson
June 2, 2017 7:57 AM
This week, we finally got most of our plots in the ground. We've been patiently waiting for soil conditions to improve. This year, I have research in four locations around Iowa: NW Research Farm (Sutherland), Northern Research Farm (Kanawha), NE Research Farm (Nashua), and Johnson/Bruner...
Rebecca Vittetoe
May 31, 2017 8:50 AM
Armyworm feeding has been observed in several fields in northeast and southeast Iowa. Most of the fields with the feeding had cereal rye planted last fall and were terminated this spring.
Now is the time to be scouting for armyworms. Look for feeding on leaves....
The 2017 North Central Weed Science Society (NCWSS) Collegiate Weed Contest will be hosted by Iowa State University at the Field Extension Education Laboratory (FEEL) near Boone, IA on July 26-27, 2017. Undergraduate and graduate students from universities throughout the Midwestern United States...
Erin Hodgson
May 30, 2017 9:25 AM
Last summer, I wrote a blog about how the spring started off warm compared to most summers. I was curious to know about accumulated temperatures for 2017. According to the...
Mark Licht
May 25, 2017 1:05 PM
It is that time of year and with the weather conditions we’ve had the last 30 day we should expect to see purple corn, yellow corn, and maybe even some tattered leaves. Mostly the mosaic of corn color is a product of the weather; cooler and wetter. Over the last 30 days, rainfall has been 150 to...
Kelsey Fisher
May 23, 2017 1:07 PM
Erin Hodgson
May 23, 2017 1:07 PM
Monarch butterflies are an iconic species, known for their vibrant orange color and magnificent migration. Monarchs overwinter as adults in Central Mexico and fly to Texas and Oklahoma in the spring. Females lay eggs on milkweed plants, and the caterpillars feed on milkweed for about two weeks....
Rebecca Vittetoe
May 23, 2017 12:58 PM
Currently 92% of Iowa’s corn crop has been planted and 62% of the soybean crop according to Monday’s USDA Crop Progress Report. However, the wet weather...
Adam Sisson
May 23, 2017 12:49 PM
Erin Hodgson
May 23, 2017 12:49 PM
In 2017, ISU is reporting black cutworm (BCW) peak flights by county and providing degree day resources for more personalized cutting prediction dates using actual accrued degree days for a specific location. We first reported on BCW peak flights in the...
Donald Lewis
May 22, 2017 2:49 PM
Dr. Laura Jesse Iles
May 22, 2017 2:49 PM
Recent requests for information has prompted us to share what we know about "jumping worms," another in a long list of invasive species that could have a negative impact on our landscapes and natural areas. In the words of Gilda Radner, "It's always something. If it isn't one thing – it's...
Alison Robertson
May 15, 2017 7:24 AM
Rebecca Vittetoe
May 15, 2017 7:24 AM
Cooler and wetter conditions can effect corn germination and emergence, but they can also provide a favorable environment for seedling diseases.
One research study being conducted by ISU is taking a closer look at seedling diseases in corn. The goals of the...
Bob Hartzler
May 12, 2017 3:43 PM
I decided to take advantage of the great weather and see if Palmer amaranth could be identified in CRP fields where it was introduced last year. I went to one field in Boone County and another in Story County. I was happy to find that both fields had good stands of forbs that will compete with...
Erin Hodgson
May 12, 2017 3:33 PM
You might not think insects would make great parents, and in general, you would be correct. Most species just drop eggs and keep moving. But there are a few species, particularly true bugs (Hemiptera), that do try to protect their young. Parental care ranges from hiding eggs, to providing food,...
Rebecca Vittetoe
May 10, 2017 8:43 AM
#Plant17 is progressing across Iowa. Following a period of cooler and wetter weather, most farmers have been able to get back in the fields over the weekend and either resume or start planting. According to Monday’s USDA Crop Progress report, Iowa had 52% corn planted and 19% of soybeans for the...
Erin Hodgson
May 9, 2017 8:37 AM
This week, a couple Iowa crop consultants reported grubs are easy to find this spring. I assume they are digging in crop soils to evaluate seed germination. Last...
Erin Hodgson
May 5, 2017 2:33 PM
The multicolored Asian lady beetle, also known as Harmonia axyridis, is a common insect in the ag landscape and...
The 2017 ISU Herbicide Research Program Field Day will be held on June 22 at the Curtiss Farm located on South State Street in Ames, IA.
Attendees will have the opportunity to review new herbicides, application techniques and other weed management strategies in corn and...
Mark Licht
May 3, 2017 9:11 AM
Sotirios Archontoulis
May 3, 2017 9:11 AM
The cold, rainy weather this past weekend has presented challenging conditions for corn fields that have already been planted. Now that the weather is improving it’s good to start thinking about what the consequences might be and what to look for. Heat unit accumulation has been negligible since...
Erin Hodgson
May 1, 2017 3:03 PM
The recent wet weather in Iowa has prompted people to ask me if insects can breathe under water. In short, most...
Bob Hartzler
May 1, 2017 2:49 PM
Kristine Schaefer
May 1, 2017 2:49 PM
An online review course is being offered through Iowa State University...
Bob Hartzler
May 1, 2017 11:11 AM
There are several challenges to controlling Palmer amaranth in CRP, including: