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.

Nitrogen Fertilization Options with Delayed or Rescue Applications

June 7, 2019

It’s been a wait-go-stop (repeat) corn planting season this spring. Whether you planted early or are just now getting corn planted, it seems planting windows were short and rushed. In some cases this meant planting (corn/soybean) and worrying later about getting nitrogen (N) applied. And in some areas of Iowa, wetter than normal conditions are raising questions about supplemental N application. What are the options for sidedress N?

It’s Time to Think About Sampling for Nematodes that Feed on Corn

June 6, 2019

It’s time to turn thoughts towards nematodes that feed on corn! It is very common for Iowa corn fields to have several different species of plant-parasitic nematodes present at low numbers. It’s only when numbers are present at damaging levels that symptoms of injury will appear. This article discusses when and how to sample for plant-parasitic nematodes that can damage corn.

Cover Crop Options with Prevented Planting Fields

May 31, 2019

Whether it's too much rain or perfectly timed rain, many fields are flooded or too wet to continue planting in many parts of Iowa. Delayed and preventative planting crop insurance dates are fast approaching with an unfavorable weather forecast. Decisions surrounding your delayed and prevented planting provision need to involve a conversation with your crop insurance provider. There is a nice article available on the Ag Decision Maker website that talks about the insurance provision implications.

Forage Options with Prevented Planting Fields

May 31, 2019

Whether it's too much rain or perfectly timed rain, many fields are flooded or too wet to continue planting in many parts of Iowa. Delayed and preventative planting crop insurance dates are fast approaching with an unfavorable weather forecast. Decisions surrounding your delayed and prevented planting provision need to involve a conversation with your crop insurance provider. There is a nice article available on the Ag Decision Maker website that talks about the insurance provision implications.

Delayed Planting and Diseases in 2019

May 30, 2019
A diagram on how the pathogen, host, and environment can influence tar spot disease triangle. Red denotes the factor that’s being reduced, such as decreased inoculum viability, reduced host susceptibility, and/or unfavorable environmental conditions leading to less disease.

This growing season, delayed planting, combined with continued cool and wet conditions have taken their toll on crops that were planted in the brief periods of optimum weather. Given that there is already delayed emergence, and the wet and cool weather patterns are expected to continue, we could very well see continued delayed growth and development of crops. This means that we can also expect reaching grain fill later in the growing season, which creates a window of opportunity for plant diseases to impact total yield.

Weeds in a Wet Year

May 22, 2019

The delays in planting get the headlines (for good reason), but another issue with prolonged wet periods is the inability to manage weeds and cover crops in a timely fashion. The following is a brief review of some of the problems that may be encountered.

Late-Spring Soil Nitrate Test (LSNT) Use in 2019

May 22, 2019

Nitrogen (N) fertilization for this year’s Iowa corn crop has been complicated by frequent and sometimes excessive rainfall from late last fall through this spring. Many farmers who normally apply N in the fall couldn’t, and spring preplant N application and corn planting has been challenging in many areas with the wet and extended cold soil conditions. Therefore, many farmers are uncertain about the N availability for corn, early post-emergence assessment of soil N supply, and the potential for supplemental sidedress N application.

Evaluating Soybean Stands

May 22, 2019
Feet of row representing 1/1,000 of an acre at different row widths

As of May 20, an estimated 27 percent of Iowa’s soybean crop is planted according to the USDA-NASS Iowa Crop Progress Report.  Early-planted soybeans have been exposed to stressful conditions following multiple rainfall events, cold temperatures, and wide temperature swings in the last several weeks.

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