Winter conferences
Finding alternative grain storage
Fungicides and B.t. proteins
ICIA yield data available
Soybean rust resurgence in the S.E.

Introduction
Corn harvest is in full swing across most of Iowa and the mid-west.  Good progress has been made in this region as the weather has cooperated with warm and sunny days.  The weather forecast looks favorable as well as only a small chance of precipitation is forecasted for Thursday.  The greatest challenge most will face in the near future is where to put all the corn.  Several web pages have been put together recently with discussion on alternative grain storage.  Be sure to spend a little time looking through these documents.  Looking beyond harvest is the winter meeting time.  Be sure to put the dates for the Ag Chemical Update, ICM and Crop Advantage conferences on your calendar.   New seed treatments and soybean rust has introduced many new fungicide names to our vocabulary.  Be sure to obtain the document from the University of Illinois on fungicides used in field crops.  Findings of soybean in the southeastern U.S. has picked up in the month of October.  It would be prudent to continue to monitor this disease this fall and winter and learn as much as possible for the upcoming season.

Meetings and Dates for your Calendar
Ag Chem Dealer Update  Mark November 21 on your calendar for the Denison Ag Chem Update meeting to be held at the Denison Country Club.  The Ag Chemical Dealer Updates are intended to deliver the latest crop production recommendations on weed, insect, crop disease and soil nutrient management directly from Iowa State University Extension specialists.  The meeting will review the positives and negatives of the past growing season and prepare seed, chemical, and fertilizer dealers, crop consultants, farm managers and agronomists for the challenges of the upcoming crop production year. 

The Ag Chemical Update meeting is a convenient way to obtain continuing education units for Certified Crop Advisers, as well as recertification for commercial ag pesticide applicators.  The Denison meeting includes continuing instructional credits for Commercial Pesticide Applicator recertification in categories 1A (weeds), 1B (insects), 1C (diseases), and 10 (research and demonstration) for that calendar year.  For a full listing of Ag Chem Update meeting locations, visit this web page:  http://www.aep.iastate.edu/acu/homepage.html

Integrated Crop Management Conference (Ames) will be held on November 30 – December 1, 2005.  For more information go to this web page:  http://www.aep.iastate.edu/icm/2004/homepage.html

CROP ADVANTAGE (Carroll) date has been set for Thursday, January 12, 2006. CROP ADVANTAGE, a regional crop clinic, will be in Carroll at the Carrollton Inn. Key note speakers will be Dr.’s Elwynn Taylor and Roger Elmore (new Extension Corn Specialist). The afternoon will include workshop sessions addressing crop, pest and soil management issues.  For more information or for other locations and dates across IA, go to www.cropadvantage.org.

Crop Management
Crop Storage A large corn and soybean crop have confounded a storage problem in northwest Iowa.  Following are web sites that I have found that help address the issue of finding alternative storage methods and locations.

• Iowa State University Extension: Grain Storage Challenges in Iowa for the 2005 Crop:  http://www.extension.iastate.edu/agenergy/info/update1.html

• Univeristy of Wisconsin:  Web page with multiple references http://www.uwex.edu/ces/ag/issues/hurricanekatrina/storagesolutions.html

Costs of drying grain  A good comparison on the cost of drying grain can be found at this University of MO web site:  http://ipm.missouri.edu/ipcm/archives/v15n18/ipmltr2.htm

ISU Yield trial data is being made available much quicker and easier this year.  Soybean data from several locations across the state was added late last week.   You can find preliminary results online at this web address:  http://extension.agron.iastate.edu/varietytesting/index.aspx. 

Pest Management
Fungicides  Want to know more about fungicides?  The Univeristy of Illinois Extension has published and released a document titled:  “Characteristics of Fungicides Used in Field Crops” which addresses all aspects of seed and foliar applied crop protection fungicides.  It is available as a downloadable PDF document at this web site:  http://www.ag.uiuc.edu/~vista/abstracts/a1002.html

New B.t. proteins in 2006 for corn rootworm control  More options will be available in 2006 for corn rootworm control.  Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. and Mycogen Seeds/DowAgroSciences LLC will be releasing corn hybrids expressing two new B.t. proteins for corn rootworm control.  More details on this topic can be obtained from the most recent Nebraska CropWatch newsletter found at this URL:  http://cropwatch.unl.edu/

Soybean Rust  Even though our soybean growing season is well over, rust continues to spread in the southeastern U.S., with the number of new counties reporting rust increasing in October (following a slow September).  It may be a good idea to continue to track the progress and news events of SBR by visiting these websites at least weekly.  USDA’s SBR tracking website:   http://www.sbrusa.net/ and a good place for SBR news: www.stopsoybeanrust.com.

Pest Management Data Collection  I am looking for comparisons between treated and non-treated areas of fungicide and/or insecticide treatments applied to soybeans to control either (or both) soybean foliar disease or soybean aphids.  If you would like to share your results, please fill out one or both of the following forms. 

Please find the “Treated vs. Non-Treated” printable PDF form at these URL’s:

• Soy aphid insecticide treatment form: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/nwcrops/Soybean-Aphid-Insecticide-Treatment-Survey-2005.pdf

• Soybean disease fungicide treatment form:  http://www.extension.iastate.edu/nwcrops/Soybean-fungicide-Treatment-Survey-2005.pdf