Welcome!
November
2, 2011
Weather
It's
been another fall with great harvest weather. It's hard to understand where some of these
corn yields are coming from with so little summer rain and the excess heat in July. In
general corn yields have been surprisingly good, although there are fields with
disappointing yields, where the heat, lack of rain, and loss of nitrogen took a toll. Some
are reporting the best soybean yields they've ever seen. Some reported yields in the 70s
and even 80s in the area that got a good rain in late August. It really makes a difference
when there is virtually no disease and no insect problems.
Fall
Nitrogen Application
Some
have begun to apply anhydrous ammonia. We've had several years now with high nitrogen
losses due to the wet spring conditions. Nitrogen losses can be reduced by putting most of
the nitrogen on close to the time that the corn requires it. If nitrogen is fall applied,
waiting as long as possible, or at least until the soil temperature is below 50F and
falling can help to minimize the loss. Soil temperatures are now around 50 or under in
most of the state. Soil temperatures can be found at http://extension.agron.iastate.edu/NPKnowledge/soiltemphistory.html.
There
are some concerns that the soil is so dry that there may not be enough moisture to hold
the anhydrous. Today's rains may calm those fears, although this was not likely a problem.
Even when plants have removed all of the moisture they can from the soil, there is still
moisture there. A bigger concern is whether the soil is cloddy and so cannot get a good
seal, or if it is too wet and doesn't seal allowing the gas to escape as it is being put
on. Your nose will know if ammonia is escaping. To see more discussion on this see John
Sawyer's article at https://www.extension.iastate.edu/CropNews/2011/1028sawyer.htm
VARIETY
TRIALS
The
link to most upper Midwest states University Yield Trials are available at the University
Crop Testing Alliance (UCTA) at: http://www.ucta.org/.
FOR
YOUR CALENDAR
Integrated
Crop Management Conference Ames
November
30-December 1
Over
30 Different Seminars and Workshops to Choose From
More
Information & Registration Information Available at
http://www.aep.iastate.edu/icm/homepage.html
Ag
Chemical Dealer Update
December
9 Iowa City (Highlander)
Registration
Opens 8:15 a.m.
Program
9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Cropping
Season in Review Virgil Schmitt, Field Agronomist, ISU Extension
Strategy
for Iowa's Nutrient Reduction ProgramDean Lemke, IDALS
Managing
Goss's Wilt in 2012Alison Robertson, ISU Extension
Sulfur
and Zinc Recommendations for IowaJohn Sawyer, ISU Extension
Corn
Rootworm Resistance and ManagementErin Hodgson, ISU Extension
Glyphosate
Resistance Now; Management in the FutureMike Owen, ISU Extension
5
CCA Credits (3 PM; 1 NM; 1 S&W)
Registration
information will be posted soon at http://www.aep.iastate.edu/acu/iacity.html.
Crop
Advantage Series Conference
January
26 Iowa City (Highlander)
(Conference
has been moved from Kirkwood CC in Cedar Rapids to Iowa City)
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Iowa State University Extension Office.
Nondiscrimination Statement and Information Disclosures