Integrated Crop Management News

Links to these articles are strongly encouraged. Articles may be republished without further permission if published as written and if credit is given to the author, Integrated Crop Management News, and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. If articles are used in any other manner, permission from the author is required.

Best Corn Planting Dates for Iowa

March 27, 2012
Best Corn Planting dates for Iowa

Optimum Iowa corn planting dates range from mid-April to the end of April in north central and northeast Iowa, and to the first or second week in May in other parts of Iowa (see Table). If we consider the differences between early-planting and late planting, yields are reduced less early in the planting season than late. That means that planting early during the optimum window is generally a better practice than planting a few days after the optimum window. Yields drop off dramatically in mid-May across Iowa.

Influence of Soil Temperature on Corn Germination and Growth

March 27, 2012

By Roger Elmore, Department of Agronomy

We experienced June-like temperatures in March. Trees budded, spring flowers bloomed and fertilizer rigs crisscrossed fields. Soil temperatures matched what we normally experience in late April and early May, jumping well ahead of previous records.

Options for Soybean Aphid Host Plant Resistance

March 14, 2012

Host plant resistance for soybean aphid is the newest management tool for farmers. The recently released publication, Soybean aphid-resistant varieties for Iowa, lists currently available soybean seed with resistance to soybean aphid.

Evaluate Forage Stands for Winter Injury

March 7, 2012
Age of strand and rating of winter survival

By Stephen K. Barnhart, Department of Agronomy

What an unusual winter — warmer than most; not much snow cover. Our perennial forage plants have experienced the same conditions.

Cooperators Needed for Black Cutworm Monitoring

February 28, 2012
BCW moth pheromone trap

The ISU Plant and Insect Diagnostic Clinic and IPM program are coordinating the annual black cutworm monitoring network in Iowa. Farmers and agribusiness personnel are needed to monitor traps for the arrival of cutworm moths this spring.

Precision Ag Technology Savings

February 24, 2012
Illustration of automatic section control on a planter to reduce overlap and skipped areas

By Matt Darr, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering

The use of precision farming products continues to increase. With increasing input costs, producers are often looking for ways to adopt technology to make farming operations more efficient and productive. Two precision ag products, auto guidance and automatic section control, lead the way in cost savings while also enhancing the productivity of machinery operations.

Important Crop Insurance Dates

February 23, 2012
Important crop insurance dates for corn and soybeans in Iowa

By William Edwards, Department of Economics

Even the best crop insurance plan is of little use if the right information is not collected and submitted on time. Likewise, if certain actions are not completed by the necessary date, producers may not receive full benefit from the risk protection that they have selected.

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