As nature begins to awaken from its winter slumber, those looking to identify backyard Iowa trees can consult a new video resource from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach forestry specialist Billy Beck. This series of five videos can be found on YouTube, or through the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach video website.
Alfalfa growth and development is affected by many factors, including temperature, soil moisture, stand age and even cultivar. Alfalfa growth has been slow this spring due to cooler than normal weather. This is a reminder that using the calendar date to determine when to harvest the first crop of alfalfa may not be the best method. In order to accurately predict the optimal time for the first cutting, the University of Wisconsin developed the Predictive Equations for Alfalfa Quality (PEAQ) method.
Every five years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) conducts the Census of Agriculture. The goal is to get a complete count of U.S. farms and ranches and the people who operate them. Information collected includes land use and ownership, operator characteristics, production practices, income, and expenditures.
With summer in full gear it is a good time to evaluate how your fly control program is working. When horn fly numbers are greater than 200 flies per animal we see significant production losses associated with blood loss and decreased feed consumption. Numbers of face flies and stable flies are harder to assess because they only spend a small amount of time feeding on cattle but are still significant pests.
Multiple days of excessive heat can be hard on vegetable crops, especially ones known to be cool-season. Brassicas, lettuce, carrots and spinach are particularly vulnerable to bitterness, wilting, bolting, deformities and coloring that affect the quality of the produce.
Explore Iowa's natural world through a series of new publications by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.
Learn about the options for controlling lawn and garden weeds from horticulture specialists with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.
The growth and development of alfalfa is affected by many factors, including temperature, soil moisture, stand age and even cultivar. Alfalfa growth has been slower than normal due to cool conditions in April. This is a good reminder that using a calendar date to determine when to harvest the first crop of alfalfa may not the best method. In order to accurately predict the optimal time for the first cutting, the University of Wisconsin developed the Predictive Equations for Alfalfa Quality (PEAQ) method.
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach offers online training in food safety, food preparation and Iowa regulations designed specifically for cottage food producers – people who prepare foods to be sold out of their home or at a farmers market.
In few weeks growers will be planting sweet corn in Iowa. Sweet corn is an important commercial crop in Iowa. Based on the 2017 Agriculture Census, sweet corn is planted across 329 farms in Iowa with a collective acreage of 2,739 acres. Of the total acres, 1,743 is harvested for fresh market and the remaining for processing. For the fresh markets, growers practice succession planting of sweet corn to have a continuous supply for their customers during the growing season.
