Iowa State University Research and Demonstration Farms will host 14 field days through September. A variety of topics related to crops and livestock will be covered at each field day. Specialty field days for agricultural professionals are scheduled for June 14 and July 12 at the Northeast farm near Nashua. More information is available by contacting extension crop specialist George Cummins at (641) 228-1453 or gcumns@iastate.edu

Three other specialty field days include a forage tour at the Northwest farm on June 12 [contact Stephen Barnhart at (515) 294-1923 or sbarnhar@iastate.edu]; a native grass day at the Southeast farm on July 2 [contact Greg Brenneman at (319) 337-2145 or gregb@iastate.edu]; and a weed tour at the Northern farm on July 2 [contact Brent Pringnitz at (515) 294-1923 or bpring@iastate.edu].

The schedule and topics for the summer and fall field days are listed below; they will take place rain or shine. The public is welcome. Program information for summer field days is subject to change. The information also available here.

SUMMER FIELD DAYS

Northeast Research and Demonstration Farm

June 20, 1:30 p.m. A meal will be served at noon. The farm is located 1 mile south and 1.5 miles west of Nashua. Program topics include nitrogen management, bean leaf beetle, weed management, and soybean cyst nematode.

Northern Research and Demonstration Farm

June 25, 9:30 a.m. A meal will be served at noon. The farm is just south of Kanawha on County Road R-35. Program topics include corn rootworm, insect pests of corn and soybean, new sprayer nozzle effects on weed control, and water quality issues.

Northwest Research and Demonstration Farm

June 26, 9 a.m. The farm is located 11 miles north of Cherokee on U.S. Highway 59 and 0.25 mile east on County Road B-62. Program topics include weather data, phosphorus and potassium soil fertility, insect management, and timely crop topics.

Southeast Research and Demonstration Farm

June 27, 1 p.m. The farm is located 1.75 miles south and 2 miles east of Crawfordsville on the Washington/Louisa county-line road. Program topics include weed management tools, seed coatings for corn and soybean, triticale--a third crop for Iowa, and replacing petroleum with biorenewables.

Armstrong Research and Demonstration Farm*

June 27, 3 p.m. The farm is located 11 miles southwest of Atlantic on Highway 6, 0.5 mile south and 0.75 mile east. Program topics include compliance with the new farm program, animal waste and phosphorus management, spring soil compaction, weed control issues in conservation tillage, and tillage effects on soil properties. During the meal at 5:30 p.m., a special program will update the conservation program and discuss feedlot runoff.

Rhodes Research and Demonstration Farm*

July 9, 4:30 p.m. Supper at 5 p.m. The farm is located 0.5 mile north of the intersection of Highway 330 and Binford Avenue in Marshall County. The title of the keynote speech is Factors That Make a Difference in Cow-Calf Profits, by Barry Dunn, South Dakota State University. Program topics include selecting cattle for quality or retail product, carcass versus ultrasound for predicting retail beef product, pasture soil erosion and phosphorus losses from grazing, update on hoop swine production, gas emissions from swine hoop buildings, forage grazing trials, forage varieties for beef cattle, and breeding corn for feed quality.

Muscatine Island Research and Demonstration Farm

July 16, wagon tours at 4:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Meal served at 5:30 p.m. The farm is located at 111 North St. in Fruitland. Program topics include vegetable cultivar trials, sustainable melon production, and pepper production methods.

Fall Field Days

• Aug. 15, Allee Research and Demonstration Farm,* Newell, livestock and crops
• Aug. 20, Neely-Kinyon Research and Demonstration Farm, Greenfield, crops
• Aug. 21, Northwest Research and Demonstration Farm, Doon, crops
• Aug. 27, Western Research and Demonstration Farm,* Castana, livestock and forages
• Sept. 4, Southeast Research and Demonstration Farm, Crawfordsville, crops
• Sept. 5, Northeast Research and Demonstration Farm, Nashua, crops

*Those visiting Iowa State farms with livestock (marked with an asterisk) are asked to comply with policies begun because of outbreaks of foot and mouth disease. Those who have recently come to the United States or have returned from a trip abroad are asked to participate in a precautionary 5-day waiting period before visiting ISU farms with animals. Visitors to farms with livestock also are asked to change clothing and footwear after being in any livestock operation, foreign or domestic; and to refrain from bringing any food items to a research farm. If you have any questions, please call the Research and Demonstration Farms office at (515) 294-5045.