FieldWatch® Launches New Pilot Program in Iowa
FieldWatch®, an online system designed to foster communications between growers, beekeepers, and pesticide applicators, is launching a new pilot program in Iowa in 2020 called SeedFieldCheck.
Integrated Crop Management News
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Performance of Preemergence Herbicides on Waterhemp Control in Soybean
The battle against waterhemp is complicated mainly because of its extended emergence period (early May until August). Preemergence (PRE) soil residual herbicides serve as a foundation for managing waterhemp, but require follow-up treatments with effective postemergence (POST) products due to late-emerging plants. Group 15 herbicides (HG 15) are commonly used for PRE waterhemp control. However, an increased selection pressure from these herbicides used in corn-soybean rotations has resulted in the evolution of HG 15 resistance in waterhemp populations, recently documented in Illinois.
Seedcorn Maggots Flying in Iowa
Seedcorn maggot is a seed and seedling pest of corn and soybean. Plant injury is especially prevalent during cool and wet springs. The larvae, or maggots, feed on germinating corn and soybean seeds or seedlings (Photo 1). Feeding can delay development or kill the plant. Infestations tend to be field-wide instead of in patches like for many other pests. To confirm seedcorn maggot injury, check field areas with stand loss and look for maggots, pupae and damaged seeds (hollowed out seeds or poorly developing seedlings).
Preemergence Herbicide Application Timings: Pros and Cons
Preemergence herbicides are the foundation of herbicide-based weed management systems, and effective use of these products is essential to protect crop yields and reduce selection pressure for herbicide resistant weeds. In a perfect world, applying preemergence herbicides immediately after planting would provide the greatest likelihood of maximum performance, but equipment and labor availability limit many farms from using this approach. This article will provide a brief overview of the pros and cons of different application strategies.
Options Available for New Pesticide Applicators
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) is working with the Governor’s office to address pesticide applicator issues that have arisen due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A Proclamation issued April 2, 2020, by Governor Kim Reynolds temporarily suspends some regulatory provisions. IDALS is taking a step-by-step approach to provide regulatory relief.
Are You Planting on a Level Playing Field?
Springtime on a farm is typically filled with the hustle and bustle of gearing up for planting season. This is the time of year when most farmers focus on de-winterizing the sprayer, changing oil in the tractors and checking the seed meters on the planter. If you use a field cultivator, it is also important to make sure it is properly adjusted to help provide a uniform seedbed for the upcoming planting season. Whether this is the first season or the thirtieth season for the field cultivator, there are a few items to check before making your way to the field this spring.
Pesticide Applications – Are you Prepared?
With the critical need for respirators and other personal protective equipment (PPE) for health care, there is a potential shortage of PPE, particularly N95 respirators, in the marketplace for agriculture and pesticide applications.
Spring Forage Fertilization Considerations
Fertilization is just as important for forages as it is for row crops to maximize productivity. This article addresses spring fertilization considerations for forage crops and pastures.
Nitrogen considerations
Nitrogen (N) applications can either be a one-time, annual application or can be split applied. Suggested N application rates for single application are in Table 1 and rates for split applications are in Table 2.
Table 1. Suggested N application rates for a single annual application
Deadline Waived for Iowa Pesticide Applicators to Renew Certification
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) has waived the deadline for pesticide applicators to meet recertification requirements, following a proclamation by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds March 22.
The Opportunities and Challenges with Hemp
Over the past several years as row crop prices declined, farmers and landowners across the nation have searched for alternative crops that might improve the financial bottom line. With the passage of the 2014 and 2018 farm bills, industrial hemp became one of those possible alternative crops. The 2014 farm bill established industrial hemp (hemp with a tetrahydrocannabinol [THC] concentration of 0.3% or less) as a potential crop, separating it from its illegal relative, marijuana.