Maintaining healthy pastures is critical for supporting livestock productivity and forage quality. But weeds can threaten those goals by outcompeting desirable species, reducing grazing efficiency, and in some cases, posing toxicity risks to animals.

You won’t want to miss any of the upcoming field days hosted at the outlying Iowa State University Research Farms this summer. These field days will feature the latest information on crop production and management practices. Below is a list of the upcoming field days that will take place as well as what topics will be featured at each field day. All field days are of no cost to attendees and open to the public.

Each year brings fresh concerns related to herbicide performance and the weather. We can’t control the weather, and we are often at the mercy of wind, temperature, and moisture whether there is too much, too little, or ideally, just right. A recurring concern this spring has been dry weather and how it impacts herbicides. 

Rain and wind has impeded getting fieldwork done this spring, but it looks like the weather forecast is heading for drier conditions. This will allow farmers to get the remaining corn and soybean fields planted across Iowa prior to when yield potential starts to drop off in mid-May. The latest USDA Crop Progress Report estimates that 34% of our corn is planted and 25% of the soybean crop is planted. 

Are you a crop scout, or interested in honing in on your crop scouting skills? Join us for our Crop Scout School on May 22, 2025 at the ISU Southeast Research and Demonstration Farm near Crawfordsville (3115 Louisa-Washington Rd). Check-in begins at 8:30 a.m., and the program runs from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.