Farming is a capital intensive venture with specialized equipment needed for various field operations, including several different implements used for tillage. Machinery ownership and labor can be costly. Two methods for managing tillage costs are to 1) reduce tillage passes and 2) outsource tillage operations. Background Recently released crop budgets (farmdoc daily, August 4, 2020) project losses […]
Reuters writer Tom Polansek reported on Friday that, “A storm packing hurricane-force winds on Monday impacted 37.7 million acres of farmland across the Midwest, including 14 million in Iowa, the Iowa Soybean Association said on Friday, citing estimates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “The toll from the derecho storm has worsened as farmers and grain handlers have spent […]
Renovation Options and Considerations Thin stands that need renovated have a few options to consider. Typically, alfalfa’s autotoxicity makes planting into established stands impossible. However, in new stands that are less than 12 months old, there is a chance that reseeding alfalfa in areas that are extremely thin or void of alfalfa may see success. […]
In our windshield scouting of soybeans this year we have seen a lot of weedfree fields. This makes sense given the shift toward Xtend, LibertyLink, LLGT27, and Enlist soybeans over the past several years, which provides us with effective POST options for our major weed problems – common and giant ragweed, marestail, and waterhemp (now […]
Sweetclover can provide good nutrition to cattle because it is high in protein and energy when not mature. However, sweetclover can become toxic to cattle if fed as hay, North Dakota State University Extension livestock systems specialist Karl Hoppe cautions. Sweetclover is a biennial legume that lives for two years. It is a prolific seed […]
Were you expecting more from your alfalfa yields? Is it time to renovate, start over, or move on? Typically, evaluating stands occurs in the spring, but evaluating this fall will give you a better idea going forward and allow more time for future options. Evaluating stem/plant counts estimates the yield now. There are two options […]
What a difference July rainfall makes. The U.S. Drought Map based on data through July 28 showed that only six percent of Illinois was rated as abnormally dry or with moderate drought, down from nearly 19 percent two weeks earlier. Above-normal rainfall over the past week in the southern half of Illinois will erase at […]
Wheat stem sawfly has been a significant pest in the northern wheat-producing regions of the country, including Montana and North Dakota and well into Canada. Larvae cut and weaken the stems of maturing wheat, causing the wheat to lodge and creating significant harvest losses in many situations. WSS damage in winter wheat was first noted […]
People across the country are receiving unsolicited packages of unidentified seeds in the mail that seem to be coming from China. The Office of Indiana State Chemist, located at Purdue University, is urging Hoosiers not to plant or dispose of the seeds since they could be spreading noxious weeds, plant diseases or invasive species. Anyone […]
Spider mite damage to corn and soybeans is being reported in Nebraska. The following story addresses management. The companion story, Identifying Spider Mite Damage and the Species Responsible, includes a guide for distinguishing Banks grass mites, found in grass crops, and twospotted spider mites, found in soybean and grass crops. Impact of Beneficial Insects, Disease and […]