The Source for Iowa Crop Production News

2/9/2010 - The network of cooperators working with the university to monitor western bean cutworm is expanding, giving a more detailed 2009 report on the movement of the pest.

2/3/2010 - February is the time to frost seed existing pastures to add to or improve forage species. Producers who prefer interseeding to achieve the same results should plan to drill seeds later in the spring.

1/27/2010 - Iowa State University Extension is offering two training sessions in southeast Iowa to help individuals prepare for the commercial pesticide applicator examinations.

1/25/2010 - ISU Extension is offering a two-day short course Feb. 9 - 10 focusing on principles of soils, soil fertility and nutrient management for crop production professionals.

1/25/2010 - People wanting to work as a crop scout for the 2010 crop season should attend the upcoming Crop Scout School offered by Iowa State University Extension on March 6.

1/19/2010 - Producers are encouraged to carefully evaluate their production systems and select high-yield hybrid platforms based on research evaluations across multiple environments before deciding which package of transgenic traits to purchase.

1/15/2010 - Variety selection is not about identifying which lines did best over the past year—it is about predicting which lines will do best in the future. The correct yield trial data can be very useful in the selection process.

1/12/2010 - The Iowa State University SCN-resistant Soybean Variety Trial program has been evaluating the yield and SCN control offered by SCN-resistant soybean varieties for 15 years. Trial results for 2009 were finalized recently.

1/11/2010 - Multiple factors should be considered when selecting soybean varieties that are resistant to soybean cyst nematode.

1/5/2010 - Last years corn yields and the Arctic chill are topics of discussion on this first Monday of 2010.

1/4/2010 - Soybean rust spread to an uprecedented 575 U.S. counties in 2009 in 16 states, but did not reach Iowa.

12/30/2009 - Wet weather in July 2009 caused widespread outbreaks of white mold on soybean. Good planning is needed now to prevent similar problems in future years.