With Spring here and crop stands beginning to grow, it is time to shift focus to the next operation of the 2026 growing season: spraying. These operations are "make or break" for crop health, whether you are applying weed control, warding off insects, or managing bacteria and fungus. While these operations require financial and time investments, performing proper maintenance and calibrations directly impacts success rates and your ultimate return on investment.

This summer, Iowa State University’s Research and Demonstration Farms are once again hosting a series of field days across the state. These events offer a valuable opportunity to learn about the latest crop production research, management practices, and emerging agricultural technologies directly from Iowa State specialists and researchers.

With the recent dry conditions and highly variable forecasted chances for rainfall for parts of Iowa just as postemergence herbicide applications begin, questions often come up regarding use of residual herbicides and efficacy of postemergence applications during these conditions. 

Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is a major yield-reducing soybean pathogen in Iowa, but numbers can drop as much as 50% when nonhost corn is grown. This decrease in egg numbers contributes greatly to overall management of the nematode. SCN reproduces well in greenhouse studies on the winter annual weeds henbit, pennycress, and purple deadnettle.