Market News
Protect Yourself from Pesticides
Fri Apr 19, 3:41AM CDT
Wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) is your first line of defense against pesticide exposure. PPE includes items such as gloves, coveralls, aprons, and respirators. Generally, as the toxicity of a pesticide increases, the more PPE items there are required.
Read the Label
Anyone working...
2024 Iowa Moth Trapping Network Update: Week 2
Wed Apr 17, 8:49AM CDT
Moth counts ramped up dramatically during Week 2 of the moth trapping network (April 7 to April 13), although we often get large flights with spring storm systems in April. Despite the low captures reported during the first official week, 70 total black cutworm (BCW) moths were reported last week...
Alfalfa Seeding Recommendations
Wed Apr 17, 6:54AM CDT
Timing is crucial for spring planting. Planting too early can expose young stands to damaging frost, while planting too late can lead to greater potato leaf hopper and weed pressures. Establishing a vigorous alfalfa stand is pivotal for future production, forage quality, and minimizing weed...
Warmest Winter Ever Means Low Mortality for Bean Leaf Beetle
Wed Apr 17, 5:44AM CDT
Bean leaf beetle adults (Photo 1) are susceptible to cold weather, and most will die if exposed to air temperatures below 14°F. However, they avoid harsh temperatures by burrowing under plant debris and loose soil. Each spring, adult beetles emerge from their overwintering habitat and migrate to...
Field Crop Scout School Being Offered on May 16, 2024
Tue Apr 16, 10:55AM CDT
On May 16th, we will be hosting a Field Crop Scout School at the Southeast Research and Demonstration Farm (3115 Louisa-Washington Rd., Crawfordsville, IA). Check-in begins at 8:30 a.m., with the program running from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Particpants from the 2023 Crop Scout School practicing...
Herbicide Carryover This Spring
Tue Apr 16, 3:57AM CDT
Given the dry conditions that prevailed Iowa in 2023, there will be herbicide carryover in 2024. Suspect herbicides that are likely to carryover include, but are not limited to atrazine, clopyralid, and the various HPPD inhibitor herbicides. Specifically, the accuracy, evenness, and timing (i.e.,...
Scout for Alfalfa Weevil in Southern Iowa
Fri Apr 12, 11:59AM CDT
In addition to checking alfalfa stands for winter injury, it is time to start thinking about scouting for alfalfa weevil. With warm temperatures this year, alfalfa weevil development is well ahead of schedule compared to recent years, and adults have emerged from their overwintering sites to lay egg...
Seedcorn Maggots Likely Active throughout Iowa
Fri Apr 12, 8:07AM CDT
Seedcorn maggot larvae feed on germinating seeds or seedlings of corn and soybean (Photo 1). Feeding can slow development or kill the plant, and plant injury is more prevalent during cool, wet springs when plants grow slowly. Even though most of Iowa has been in a drought, recent rain events have...
Starting soil moisture and water table depth in 2024
Fri Apr 12, 4:27AM CDT
Iowa soils can hold 9-12 inches of water in the soil profile and most parts of Iowa have shallow water tables at about 4-7 feet depth. These two sources of water, together with the precipitation, provide water for crop production. Typically, a 250 bu/ac corn yield requires about 22 inches of water...
Planting Season is Upon Us: Here Are Some Quick Planting Considerations
Thu Apr 11, 8:51AM CDT
Planting, in my opinion, is THE most important field operation. Planting in the optimal planting window and into good seedbed conditions will set the plant up for rapid growth and high yield potential. With planters beginning to move or sitting in waiting for better conditions, here are some plantin...
April 11, 2024 Climate Outlook
Thu Apr 11, 7:10AM CDT
Key Points
El Nino transitioning to La Nina during this summer; increased risk of heat
Still need more moisture for streamflow recovery in many areas of the state, particularly southern and eastern parts of the state
Good chances for the planting season to be slightly warmer than average
Past Weat...
Savvy Full Season Soybean Management Webinar Series Registration
Thu Apr 11, 3:00AM CDT
Science for Success is hosting a three-part virtual webinar series to discuss strategies farmers can utilize to optimize soybean yield. This webinar series will explore some of the many management decisions soybean farmers face throughout the growing season.
March 15th: In-Season Fertilizer and Fung...
Purple weeds and other early-season weeds in untilled fields
Wed Apr 10, 10:03AM CDT
I have been observing, and also receiving phone calls and e-mails about, purple weeds in untilled fields. If you observe such an area, the weeds are probably either purple deadnettle (Lamium purpureum) or henbit (Lamium amplexicaule) or a mixture of the two. They are very similar in appearance and...
High Speed Planter Settings
Wed Apr 10, 8:10AM CDT
A few more farmers are switching to a high-speed planter when upgrading or trading planters. A few reasons they report for switching to the high-speed planter include:
Increased capacity with same size planter
Upgrading technology and retrofit options can be cost effective.
Smaller planters...
2024 Iowa Moth Trapping Network Update: Week 1
Wed Apr 10, 6:14AM CDT
The 2024 moth trapping season is underway, and our volunteers began placing traps the week of March 24. Black cutworm (BCW) monitoring is a long-standing project in Iowa to detect moths migrating from southern overwintering sites each spring. By monitoring adult black cutworms, we can provide scouti...