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In addition to checking alfalfa stands for winter injury, it is time to start thinking about scouting for alfalfa weevil. With warm temperatures this year, alfalfa weevil development is well ahead of schedule compared to recent years, and adults have emerged from their overwintering sites to lay eggs in alfalfa stems in southern Iowa.
Seedcorn maggot larvae feed on germinating seeds or seedlings of corn and soybean (Photo 1). Feeding can slow development or kill the plant, and plant injury is more prevalent during cool, wet springs when plants grow slowly. Even though most of Iowa has been in a drought, recent rain events have likely created pockets of damp soil that are ideal for developing larvae. High risk fields include those with a history of seedcorn maggot injury, recently tilled fields, and fields where organic matter was recently incorporated (e.g., manure or cover crops).
February and early March 2024 will go down in the history books as unusually warm and dry (Figure 1). Many winter annual, biennial and perennial weeds have resumed growth earlier than usual (Figure 2). Managers will need to be especially vigilant to treat these “early” weeds in a timely manner this spring.
Except for a few extremely cold days, Iowa has experienced a mild winter. In fact, February 2024 was the warmest February in Iowa’s weather history, and this winter is one of the warmest ever for the state. In addition to warmer temperatures, the total snowfall for our state has been low (Figure 1) and below average compared to a normal year (Figure 2). Much of the snowfall this winter was during a two-week period in January. As a result, many people are asking how a dry and mild winter might impact overwintering insects.
We know the evolution of resistance in waterhemp populations happens faster than new herbicides are discovered, so the recent report of dicamba resistant waterhemp in Iowa by Bayer was not unexpected. Corteva has now reported the discovery of a suspected 2,4-D resistant waterhemp population in Iowa.
Iowa State Extension recently released a newly updated list of soybean varieties that are resistant to the soybean cyst nematode (SCN). The publication contains information on 87 varieties with SCN resistance from the breeding line Peking. Varieties with Peking resistance often will provide greater control of SCN and higher yields in SCN-infested fields that have had varieties with PI 88788 SCN grown for decades. This article contains tables that provide a quick look at the brands, names, and relative maturities of the Peking varieties.
Each year, Iowa State University prepares a list of soybean varieties available in Iowa that are resistant to the soybean cyst nematode (SCN). The list was updated in October 2023 and the publication is now available online. There are 48 more varieties in the 2023 list than in 2022 including 40 more with Peking SCN resistance. Varieties with Peking resistance are highly useful for managing SCN because they limit reproduction of most Iowa SCN populations and protect against yield loss more effectively than varieties with the common PI 88788 resistance.
The soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is estimated to cost soybean producers $1.5 billion annually in North America. A new online resource called the SCN Profit Checker, from the SCN Coalition, uses data collected from Iowa State University research to estimate percent yield loss from SCN and the cost of yield reductions in dollars lost in individual farmer fields. This article explains more about this resource, where to access it and how to use it.
The soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is the most damaging pathogen of soybeans in Iowa and the entire US, costing producers $1.5 billion annually. The pathogen warrants more attention and effort to detect and manage than often is given. It is easily detected and quantified from soil samples. An optimum time to collect soil samples from fields is immediately after corn and soybean harvest are complete. This article explains why and how to collect and submit soil samples for SCN testing.
Harvest has taken off in recent weeks as crops are quickly drying down. The open fields are tempting manure applicators to get started on their manure applications; however, it is worthwhile to pause and consider the fertilizer value that is given up when manure is applied to warm soils.
What is the value and cost of manure?
