Iowa State University Extension

Crops Highlights

The Integrated Crop Management Newsletter is now delivered on the Web. It offers current, non-biased, reasearch-based crop production information.

Iowa State University and Iowa Farmer Today offer the CropWatch Blog. The Website features agronomy specialists from Iowa State and industry partners of ISU’s Corn and Soybean Initiative. They report on crop conditions, weed problems and disease and pest threats as they arise in fields across Iowa.

Check out these links for information on some ISU Extension initatives: crop management resources, Iowa Learning Farm, Pesticide Management and the Enviironment,  Value-Added Agriculture and  water quality

View the latest Corn and Soybean Initiative newsletter and other newsletters from ISU Extension.

Some of the most popular publications sold by ISU Extension are crop publications. They include:
Soybean Growth and Development (PM 1945)
How A Corn Plant Develops (PM 1282)
Pasture Management Guide for Livestock Producers (PM 1713)

The Iowa Crop Improvement Association performs crop performance tests for alfalfa and forage crops, corn, soybean, winter wheat, and oats and barley.

There are hundreds of additional crop publications available from the ISU Extension Online Store.

This new Corn Nitrogen Calculator helps calculate economic return to N application.

The Seed Science Center offers testing services.

The Soil and Plant Analysis Laboratory offers soil chemical analysis.

Crops News

1/14/2009 - Dry Manure Applicator Certificate Workshops Offered by Extension
Dry manure applicators and those purchasing dry manure for application have five opportunities in Iowa to learn about proper application and handling of poultry manure or other sources of solid or bedded manure. These trainings meet applicator certification requirements.

1/9/2009 - Growers Can Gain the Advantage at ISU’s Crop Advantage Series
Sessions at several Iowa locations feature discussions on fungicides and corn yields, as well as several other timely topics of interest to Iowa's crop producers.

12/18/2008 - Comment on Proposed Changes to Iowa Bee Rule and Commercial Pesticide Applications
Iowa crop producers, agribusiness interests and apiarists have until Jan. 7 to comment on proposed changes to commercial pesticide application recordkeeping and the Iowa Bee Rule.

12/16/2008 - Average Value of Iowa Farmland Nears $4,500 an Acre in 2008 Survey
$560 an acre increase over 2007 is the second-highest ever recorded during 67 years of ISU survey.

12/15/2008 - 2008 Corn Growing Season Likened to Shakespearean Tragicomedy
2008 Iowa corn yields may end up being the third highest on record. This high yielding crop also broke several "rules of thumb."