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.

Fine-Tune Oat Seeding Rate This Spring

It’s time to plant small grains. When planting oats, spring wheat, and barley, farmers typically plant two to three bushels of small grains per acre, but there is a better way to optimize plant populations and grain yields. Farmers calculate corn and soybean rates by seed count and should do the same for small grains. Several factors affect final plant stands at oat harvest, including: desired final plant stand, number of oat seeds per pound, germination rate in the seed lot, and expected stand loss from irregular seeding depth or early plant death.

Terminating Cover Crops - What's Your Plan?

Take time now to get a plan in place for terminating a cover crop. Whether termination will be done with a herbicide, rolling/crimping, or tillage, it is important to know not just the advantages, but also the limitations with a termination method. Regardless of termination choice, it is important to have a plan in place to minimize problems this spring.

The Source Matters for Getting the Most out of Aerial Imagery

As spring plans are finalized, don’t forget to consider aerial imaging as part of a continuous improvement plan. Remote sensing and the use of aerial imagery has been used for decades in agriculture but since 2010 we’ve seen the number of available imagery providers grow extensively. The use of imagery can vary from farm to farm but several common uses include variable rate fertility recommendations, assessing water management performance, quantifying soil compaction and machinery induced yield limiters, locating late season weed outbreaks, and generally evaluating the consistency of crop vigor across a field.

Selecting Nozzles for Postemergence Herbicides

An earlier ICM News article discussing affects of nozzle type and size on spray coverage prompted a question from a farmer regarding nozzle selection. In recent years there have been many advances in nozzle design. The primary improvement has been development of nozzles that minimize the formation of driftable droplets (< 200 micron) while still producing a droplet spectrum that provides the level of coverage required for consistent, postemergence weed control.

Managing Two Soybean Pests to Optimize Yield

Effectiveness of Aphid-resistant soybeans graph

Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) and soybean aphid (SBA) are important soybean pests in the north-central region. Soybean varieties with host plant resistance for SCN (PI88788) and SBA (Rag1) can suppress pest populations and subsequently protect yield. In addition, seed treatments are becoming widely adopted and now can include a nematicide, fungicides and insecticide. Combining host plant resistance with seed treatments could potentially further protect yield.

Spray Volume is Critical for Postemergence Herbicides

Effect of nozzle type and size on driftable droplets

Proper herbicide application is critical to ensure products achieve their full potential for weed control. For postemergence herbicides, this includes application to appropriately sized weeds and equipping the sprayer to achieve uniform coverage of target weeds.

Nation’s Premier Site for Water Quality Drives Progress

A farm just outside the north-central Iowa town is home to Iowa State University’s Agriculture Drainage Research and Demonstration Site, a facility that has been working to further Iowa State University’s water conservation efforts since 1990.

Breaking Down Resicore - Does It Pass the Test?

The first line of defense against herbicide resistance is using herbicide programs that include multiple herbicide groups effective against target weeds. When using premix products, this involves comparing the application rates of active ingredients in the premix versus rates applied with the stand-alone products. This step is needed to insure that the premix is providing an effective dose of the active ingredient.

New ISU Research May Help Farmers Make More Informed Decisions About Land Use

A new study from a multidisciplinary team led by Iowa State University agronomists shows that significant portions of Iowa farmland consistently lose money and could influence many farmers to change how they use some of the acres they devote to corn and soybeans.

SCN Resistance Continues to Pay Twice in 2015

Aerial view of SCN-resistant field experiments

Resistant soybeans are vital for managing the soybean cyst nematode (SCN). But SCN-resistant soybean varieties can vary greatly in their agronomic performance and in the SCN control that they provide. ISU evaluates more than 150 SCN-resistant soybean varieties each year in experiments conducted throughout Iowa. The results of the 2015 experiments have been recently compiled and made available in print and electronically. Results show continued benefits of SCN-resistant soybean varieties in producing higher yields and allowing less SCN reproduction than susceptible varieties.

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