Pivotal Issues Blog

By: Tom J Bechman You never know what you may find if you keep your eyes peeled while scouting cornfields. In one field, a consultant found the leaf pictured here. It exhibits what appears to be shot-hole feeding. That type of feeding occurs when an insect larva chews through leaves in the whorl. Once the leaves […]

By: Joel DeJong The 2017 crop season has again been an interesting one. Here in northwest Iowa, rainfall during the growing season was spotty, and it’s been a year when the “sins” of planting have haunted fields all season. I’m amazed at the differences in yield potential this year. Some fields look quite good, while […]

By: Jacqui Fatka The use of cover crops is becoming a more mainstream practice as a new farmer survey reveals acreage planted in cover crops has nearly doubled over the past five years. With the increased use, tangible benefits to farmers are also on the rise as the survey revealed farmers reported increased yields of […]

By: Rod Swoboda How fast do soybeans dry down during the preharvest period? To get a better answer to that question, Iowa State University scientists conducted an in-the-field study in central Iowa. They looked at how projected soybean drydown can help farmers schedule their harvest plans. Soybean fields this fall are maturing across Iowa with […]

By: Olivia McClure LSU AgCenter faculty members spoke about their projects on improving irrigation efficiency and water quality at the Louisiana Groundwater, Surface Water and Water Resources Symposium. The meeting, which was organized by the Louisiana Geological Survey and the Louisiana Water Resources Research Institute, was held in April on the LSU campus. LSU AgCenter […]

By: Bill Spiegel Farmers across the nation are using more cover crops than ever before, and enjoying a number of benefits from them from improved yield to weed suppression. That’s according to the 2017 Cover Crop Survey, conducted by Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education and the Conservation Technology Information Center, the findings of which were […]

By: High Plains Midwest Ag Journal The Iowa Crop Improvement Association, an Iowa State University affiliated nonprofit, is marking the 50th anniversary of its Iowa Crop Performance Tests for Soybeans, which offers Iowa farmers independent information to help select the best soybeans for their needs. Founded in 1902, the Iowa Crop Improvement Association is a […]

By: Gene Johnston A new approach to better irrigation management comes from a University of Missouri (MU) smartphone app. It’s called the Crop Water Use App, and it will estimate for Missouri farmers (and maybe others soon) the best times to irrigate. Go to cropwater.org. After you create an account, download the app for free. […]

By: Successful Farming Staff DES MOINES, Iowa — At this point in September, farmers are becoming antsy to get in the combine seat. Weather experts say harvest conditions are looking favorable for eastern Midwest farmers; not so much for farmers in the west. The eastern Corn Belt looks to be warming up with normal to above-normal temperatures. […]

By: Lori Culler When working with new clients, one of the questions we ask is, what’s your farm culture? Job seekers want to know what it will be like to work there on a daily basis. The typical answer from most clients is, “Hmm … I haven’t given that much thought before.” Whether you have […]