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Central Iowa Crop Update
Updates from an agronomist and weed nerd in central Iowa.
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In this issue:
- Weather update & planting considerations
- Iowa Custom Farm Rate Survey
- Cover crop termination
- Are there any options to manage corn edge effect??
- Conservation and Stewardship Opportunities
- Weed management resources
- Upcoming events - Agronomy in the Field, pesticide continuing instruction events
- Keep safety in mind
- Get timely pest updates to your phone!
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Weather update & planting considerations
The weather forecast looks absolutely beautiful for field work and I've gotten numerous calls in the past several days wondering about planting corn vs. soybean and buttoning up herbicide plans for the year. As long as soil conditions are fit for planting, signs point to "GO" once we reach the crop insurance deadline (Apr 10 for corn; Apr 10 or 15 for soybean depending on location). One thing I've heard consistently so far this spring is that field conditions are "drier than expected" for many folks out already.
Four inch soil temperatures are currently (Friday morning) in the upper 30s and low 40s across the area. We want to see 50 degree soil temps and rising for both corn and soybean. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet has the average daily four inch soil temp and now provides a kind of 'futurecast' based on the weather forecast. Just remember that the predicted average soil temp is only as good as the weather forecast is! Check those maps out here.
The weather forecast short-term looks very promising, with highs in the 70s and 80s through the next 7 days and lows in the 40s or higher. The NOAA Climate Prediction Center regularly updates their outlooks and those through April 20 or so show high likelihoods of above average temperatures. We're right on the border of 'equal chances' above/below avg. rainfall and greater than average likelihood of rainfall above average for that same timeframe. While temperatures can still dip and those outlooks don't necessarily mean we'll maintain 70 degree temps through most of April, it does mean we've likely got a nice window to get fieldwork done.
Keep an eye on the short term forecast before you put corn or soybean in the ground, as we always want to be sure those seeds avoid imbibing cold water and aren't exposed to cold soil temperatures if possible during those first couple days in the ground. Also, just a reminder that the last 32 degree freeze in central Iowa has an average date of April 24 or so, including some early May freezes in recent years. Check out the resources below for more information.
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Iowa Custom Rate Survey
The updated Iowa Farm Custom Rate Survey was released last month and is available here. This survey is only made possible because of reliable respondents to the questionnaire. If you're interested in providing valuable data for this survey, please send your mail or email address to:
Alejandro Plastina
Iowa State University, Department of Economics
478E Heady Hall
518 Farm House Lane
Ames, IA 50011-1054
You can also reach out to Alejandro via phone at 515-294- 6160 or via email at plastina@iastate.edu.
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Cover crop termination
A healthy green cover crop I saw in my travels on Thursday, April 6.
The weather forecast is absolutely perfect to terminate cover crops, especially if we want to plant corn. I think there is a lot of value in waiting to terminate ahead of soybean and allow cover crops more opportunity for growth. Check out my recent blog for some updated tips on terminating cover crops.
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Are there any options to manage corn edge effect??
Corn along the southern edge of a field in Boone County with small ears and severe symptoms of stress.
This phenomenon has plagued farmers here for at least the past 6 years or so, but is there anything we can do about it? Mark Licht wrote an article earlier this week proposing some potential strategies to try and experiment with if you're interested. Read more here. If you want to try one or two of these strategies out, please let me know! I'd love to hear what results you find or help you plan your trial.
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Conservation and Stewardship Opportunities
We continue to evolve our understanding of conservation practices and their effects on our soil and its resilience to support our crops in adverse conditions. We've got lots of opportunities available to learn more about the current status of our soils and evaluate how management may effect those. One opportunity for farmers in central Iowa is to participate in the Soil Health Institute's Soil Health Targets project to help you assess your soil health. More information is listed below. Please contact Shannon Moeller at smoeller@soilhealthinstitute.org or 641-861-2280 if you're interested in participating or to get more information.
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Weed management thoughts
Now that things are greening up, my thoughts turn to getting control of weeds in pastures and preparing for control of our summer annuals in row crop fields. Read more on the topic of weed management in pastures here.
A couple other articles that might be useful are a reminder to check FieldWatch before pesticide applications and some information on best practices for washing work clothes.
Rodrigo Werle, with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has put out several really nice publications on management of waterhemp and other species recently. Check them out below!
Additionally, every year we have increasing concern for herbicide resistance in waterhemp populations as this species continues to beat us at our game. Recently, Dr. Werle's team evaluated a population of waterhemp from southern Wisconsin that was reported to be not well-controlled with sulfentrazone, a soil-applied HG 14 product (Authority products, Sonic, Spartan, etc.). Their dose-response studies demonstrated a notable increase in survival compared with a known susceptible population. All this to say, watch how well your PREs perform and change things up as often as possible, because resistance occurs with these, too, it just isn't as obvious as with POST applied products.
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Upcoming Events
Agronomy in the Field
Agronomy in the Field is a free series of workshops for women interested in learning more about crop production. We'll have 5 sessions this year, once per month, from April - August covering topics like forage management, corn/soybean scouting, and integrated pest management. Join us for any or all sessions from 6-7:30 p.m. on April 18, May 23, June 20, July 18, and August 22 at the DMACC Dallas County Farm at 25749 N Ave. (US-169), Adel, IA. Contact Aleta Cochran at 515-993-4281 or aleta@iastate.edu to RSVP or for more information!
Private Pesticide Applicator Continuing Instruction
The last opportunity to get private pesticide applicator continuing instruction is the last chance events that will take place on April 10-14. This link contains a list of the counties participating this year. Please call the county extension office to RSVP in order to attend.
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Keep safety in mind!
Every spring we hear about accidents in the field, on the farm, and on the road. While sometimes these are unavoidable, keeping safety in mind ahead of the hectic season can help avoid problems and make sure everyone gets home safely at night. We've got some resources to help start the conversation with your kids, friends, and even others in your community. Please share these widely so we can have a productive and safe growing season!
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Get timely pest updates to your phone!
With the growing season approaching rapidly, we've got an opportunity for you to make sure you get the most up-to-date pest management alerts direct to your phone! Sign up for the Iowa Pest Alert Network at the link at the top of this webpage. You can select to get updates only for certain pests or certain geographies to make sure the most relevant info. is coming to you!
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