Pivotal Issues Blog

By: Successful Farming Staff Grain storage is vital to the success of marketing and selling quality products. Over the past few years, low commodity prices have caused some farmers to store more grain than in years past. When you’re storing grain for longer periods of time, knowing proper storage options is key to keeping grain in […]

By: Tharran Gaines Farmers are stuck in a precarious position ahead of planting this spring. It seems like a lot of advice lately is to “hurry up and wait.” Wait for waters to recede, wait to assess field conditions, wait for financial assistance. While patience is a virtue, how can you make the most of […]

By: Mike McGinnis DES MOINES, Iowa — “Chapters in books and entire books will be written about this (Midwest March flood) tragedy,” says Keith Glewen, an educator at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. In Nebraska, the state’s governor has estimated the losses to the agricultural sector alone at $1 billion. The damage covers states such as Nebraska, […]

By: University of Nebraska Nebraska producers have been here before. In 2011, the flooded Missouri River wreaked havoc on the farm fields in the Missouri River basin. John Wilson, Extension educator in Burt County, Nebraska, says there are lessons learned from that time that are applicable today. “From our experience in 2011, farmers found that they […]

By: Sara Berges A Wisconsin farmer is improving soil health and fertility on cropland he farms across the state border near Waukon in northeast Iowa. He added winter wheat to his rotation, followed by a diverse cover crop. Adam Kramer, who owns and operates Black Sand Granary in Prairie du Chien, hopes to break up pest […]

By: Tom J Bechman Three soil monoliths on the table told a story. Mike Wigginton took them from the small field where the Boone County, Ind., conservation partners have conducted cover crop demonstrations since 2015. Wigginton, an area resource soil scientist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, hoped the story would be that cover crops were […]

By: Patrick R. Shepard Winter is an excellent time to bone up on the latest university recommendations and new insect management products and practices. Several university cotton entomologists offer suggestions on how growers can optimize their off-season learning time. EARLY ALWAYS BETTER For thrips control, most seed companies offer an imidacloprid-based seed treatment on their seed. […]

By: Bob Hartzler While herbicide resistance is not a new issue, the rapid increase in multiple resistant biotypes in waterhemp, giant ragweed, and horseweed (marestail) is limiting herbicidal options. A waterhemp biotype resistant to six herbicide groups (2, 4, 5, 9, 14, and 27) was recently identified in Missouri. The majority of Iowa fields have waterhemp […]

By: Virgil Schmitt USDA estimates the cost of dealing with herbicide resistance once it occurs to be $20 to $60 per acre. Developing long-term weed management plans that reduce the chances of resistance developing will minimize the cost of resistance. Designing an effective weed management plan to combat troublesome weeds and delay the development of herbicide […]

By: Tom J Bechman Joe Rorick dug up a clump of cereal rye cover crop plants. Then he poked through the soil, going down 4 to 5 inches. He found plenty of tiny roots already growing beneath the surface, even though the plants were only a couple of inches tall and just over a month old. […]