Blog

Mark Licht
August 26, 2022 7:30 AM

As we enter the time for aerial and broadcast overseeding of cover crops, now is a good time to think about how current weather, soil and crop conditions might affect things. First and foremost, there are parts of the state that are very dry and others that have been getting timely rains....

Crop Production

Alison Robertson
August 24, 2022 3:54 PM

I continue to receive tar spot reports from across Iowa. Given the moisture we have had the past couple of weeks and the growth stage of the crop, this is not surprising.  Tar spot development is favored by leaf moisture. As the growing season...

Plant Diseases

Ashley Dean
August 24, 2022 8:19 AM

Erin Hodgson
August 24, 2022 8:19 AM

Several labs in the Midwest have been monitoring the distribution of soybean gall midge in Iowa since 2018. Last year, we sampled many counties in western Iowa but only confirmed three new counties. This year, we focused on the counties just east of the distribution in 2021 and were able to...

Crop Production, Insects and Mites

Rebecca Vittetoe
August 16, 2022 3:38 PM

While the story of the "haves" and "have nots" continues across the state, some areas in NW did finally get some much-needed rain early this week. And unfortunately, the Zearing area in Central Iowa also had some hail damage. Some of the observations or questions coming in from the field this...

Crop Production

Angie Rieck-Hinz
August 11, 2022 1:00 PM

Rebecca Vittetoe
August 11, 2022 1:00 PM

Terry Basol
August 11, 2022 1:00 PM

You are invited to attend the upcoming field days that will be hosted at the outlying Iowa State University Research and Demonstration Farms this fall. These field days will feature the latest information on crop production and crop management practices. Below is a list of the upcoming field...

Crop Production

Ashley Dean
August 11, 2022 9:16 AM

Erin Hodgson
August 11, 2022 9:16 AM

Twospotted spider mites have been noted in fields across much of Iowa already this summer, as much of Iowa is in abnormal or extreme drought (D0-D3, US Drought Monitor). Scouting for spider mites in field crops...

Crop Production, Insects and Mites

Rebecca Vittetoe
August 9, 2022 10:54 PM

It’s the story of the haves and have nots when it comes to rainfall across the state. Unfortunately the areas that could really use the rain, seem to miss the rains. Consequently, some parts of the state are looking pretty tough with the drought conditions. Besides the drought conditions in...

Crop Production

Joel DeJong
August 3, 2022 10:49 AM

Rebecca Vittetoe
August 3, 2022 10:49 AM

Parts of the state are classified as being abnormally dry to being in an extreme drought based on the most recent U.S. Drought Monitor map. With the hot temperatures returning this week and little to no rainfall...

Crop Production

Rebecca Vittetoe
August 3, 2022 9:05 AM

The past week brought again spotty rainfall across the state. With the dry conditions and warmer temperatures forecasted there are concerns about what this may mean for the crops. Spider mites, corn rootworms, grasshoppers, aphids, and weed escapes were other observations or concerns coming from...

Crop Production

Prashant Jha
July 29, 2022 7:16 PM

This is the time of the year when late-season pigweeds (waterhemp and Palmer amaranth) poke through the soybean canopy and produce seeds. These late-season pigweeds either emerged after herbicide applications, or survived inappropriately timed or less-than-effective postemergence herbicides. ...

Crop Production, Weeds, Herbicide Resistance

Meaghan Anderson
July 27, 2022 9:06 AM

While crop development is behind this year due to the late planting, warm weather in the forecast will result in faster development than we prefer during reproductive growth stages of our crops. Appropriate identification of reproductive growth stages can be important for numerous reasons like...

Crop Production

Rebecca Vittetoe
July 26, 2022 3:59 PM

Signs of stress could be seen in corn and soybean fields, especially in the drier areas of the state with the warmer temperatures last week. Most of the corn either has pollinated or is pollinating and soybeans are in the R2 to R3 growth stages. Corn rootworm beetles, Japanese beetles, drought...

Crop Production

Ashley Dean
July 22, 2022 12:44 PM

Erin Hodgson
July 22, 2022 12:44 PM

Western and northern corn rootworms are serious pests of corn throughout the Corn Belt (Photo 1). We recommend that farmers scout every cornfield every year, regardless of the management tactic(s) used, to evaluate management decisions and prepare for next year. It is a good idea to scout for...

Crop Production, Insects and Mites

Meaghan Anderson
July 19, 2022 5:13 PM

Rebecca Vittetoe
July 19, 2022 5:13 PM

With hot weather and few rain chances in the forecast, concern turns toward soil moisture reserves and the ever-important pollination timing in corn. ISU Extension field agronomists observed corn rootworm beetles, Japanese beetle feeding,...

Crop Production

Prashant Jha
July 18, 2022 1:26 PM

As mentioned in my previous ICM Blog article this year, June 20 was the cut-off date for over-the-top applications of dicamba products (Xtendimax, Engenia, and Tavium) in dicamba-tolerant...

Crop Production, Weeds

Erin Hodgson
July 18, 2022 7:52 AM

The most effective way to make treatments decisions for pests with chewing mouthparts (e.g., Japanese beetle, bean leaf beetle, caterpillars, and grasshoppers) is to estimate defoliation. I’m a “lumper” and don’t try too hard to distinguish feeding by species. Replicated data over multiple...

Crop Production, Insects and Mites

Brian Dougherty
July 13, 2022 2:00 PM

Joshua Michel
July 13, 2022 2:00 PM

Angie Rieck-Hinz
July 13, 2022 2:00 PM

Iowa Soil Health Workshop Planned for August 4th

Topics will include fertility tests, cover crops, and evaluating soil health with a microscope

A soil health workshop will be held Aug. 4 at Iowa State University’s Field Extension Education...

Crop Production, Soils, Weeds

Rebecca Vittetoe
July 13, 2022 10:04 AM

While there was some much-needed rain across the state last week, the rain also brought some wind with it as well that resulted in lodged or leaning corn as well as some greensnap in fields. In addition to the wind damage, herbicide injury in soybeans, tar spot concerns, and Japanese beetles...

Crop Production

Ashley Dean
July 12, 2022 2:24 PM

Erin Hodgson
July 12, 2022 2:24 PM

Western and northern corn rootworm are serious pests of corn throughout the Corn Belt. We recommend that farmers scout every cornfield every year, regardless of the management tactic(s) used, to evaluate management decisions and prepare for next year. It is a good idea to scout for larvae early...

Crop Production, Insects and Mites

Gentry Sorenson
July 8, 2022 9:59 AM

Justin Glisan
July 8, 2022 9:59 AM

Mark Licht
July 8, 2022 9:59 AM

In the evening hours of July 5, 2022, a derecho moved through South Dakota into northwest Iowa.  Gusts in South Dakota were as high as 99 mph with winds that lasted up to 20 minutes.  The path of the storm’s length was about 600 miles.  A...

Crop Production

Meaghan Anderson
July 7, 2022 4:25 PM

Bob Hartzler
July 7, 2022 4:25 PM

30 a.m.

The annual ISU Extension & Outreach Iowa State Fair Weed Identification Contest will be held on...

Weeds

Rebecca Vittetoe
July 6, 2022 5:04 PM

Herbicide injury in soybean, Japanese beetles, potato leafhoppers in alfalfa, tar spot being found in Marshall and Jones counties (and some additional counties since) at low levels, and some hail damage in NE Iowa were some of the issues observed by ISU Extension field agronomists this last week...

Crop Production

Alison Robertson
June 30, 2022 1:38 PM

In pathology, we joke that to control a disease, just put a research plot out, and you’re guaranteed no disease. A couple of days ago I blogged about tar spot, hoping for a similar effect.  Alas,...

Plant Diseases

Rebecca Vittetoe
June 28, 2022 10:33 PM

While most areas received some needed rain last week, some areas in Western Iowa continue to miss out on the rain or get minimal amounts of rain and it’s starting to show more in the crops. Getting out in the fields, some pests or issues observed by...

Crop Production

Alison Robertson
June 28, 2022 8:55 AM

Are you using the Tarspotter app this year? If you are, you may have noticed that the forecast for tarspot is high for Iowa. In addition, The Cruz Lab in Indiana tweeted they had found tar...

Plant Diseases

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