Nitrogen Management of Winter Triticale

Triticale (trit-ah-kay-lee) is a close relative of wheat. When durum wheat is pollinated with rye pollen, the cross is used in a breeding program to produce stable, self-replicating varieties. Triticale yield, stress tolerance, and disease resistance are typically greater than similar traits found in wheat. Triticale does not currently possess the grain traits of bread wheat, so its greatest market potential is as animal feed

Soil Fertility Paradigms Evaluated through Collaboration On-farm and On-station

A “paradigm” is a way of interpreting and making sense of the world. As such, our views on soil fertility are coherent with our interpretation of the scientific process and science institutions, and perhaps our feeling about the place of agriculture in the larger scheme of things. In agriculture today, two contradictory approaches to soil fertility uneasily coexist – the cation ratio paradigm (CR) and that referred to as “sufficient level of available nutrients” (SLAN)

Soil quality, yield stability and economic attributes of alternative crop rotations

Three long-term rotational crop studies in Iowa and one in Wisconsin were examined for conclusive evidence of rotational effects on soil quality. Long-term yield data also were evaluated to determine if there was a quantifiable relationship between soil quality and yield or yield stability

Potential economic, environmental benefits of narrow strip intercropping

Since its establishment in 1989, the Cropping Systems interdisciplinary research issue team has worked to develop a cropping system that is more environmentally sustainable than cur­ rent cropping approaches but just as favorable economically. The team\u27s work to date has focused on the strip intercropping concept

Challenges of Managing Liquid Swine Manure

Liquid swine manure can be a resource for providing essential plant nutrients and building soil resources, but its management for maximum productivity with minimum environmental impact is often very difficult. Failure to understand the challenges may result in expectations or even regulations that are impossible to achieve. Our objective is to provide producers and policy makers with information regarding agronomic and environmental challenges of liquid swine manure management based on results from a 6-year study with continuous corn (Zea mays L.) and a corn-soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] rotation in Iowa. Challenges that we encountered are openly discussed to increase the awareness of those people who may ultimately be developing policy and writing manure management legislation. Drainage volume, NO3-N concentrations, and NO3-N leaching loss were spatially variable, being influenced by seasonal precipitation as well as current and past manure application rates. Annual manure applications for continuous corn increased soil-test P and K values because more nutrients were supplied than removed through grain harvest. Biennial applications also increased soil-test P but not K. We suggest developing local manure nutrient databases to guide application rates, using total Kjeldahl N (TKN) values to estimate plant-available N, monitoring manure loads to quantify variability and actual loading rates, and routinely using soil-testing to determine if application rates should be based on P rather than N content in the manure

Planting Date Effects on WinterTriticale Grain and Forage Yield

Triticale (trit-ah-kay-lee) is a close relative of wheat. When durum wheat is pollinated with rye pollen, the cross is used in a breeding program to produce these stable, self-replicating varieties. Triticale yield, stress tolerance, and disease resistance are typically greater than similar traits found in wheat. Triticale doesn’t currently possess the grain traits of bread wheat, so its greatest market potential is as animal feed

Corn Stover Nutrient Removal Estimates for Central Iowa, USA

One of the most frequent producer-asked questions to those persons striving to secure sustainable corn (Zea mays L.) stover feedstock supplies for Iowa’s new bioenergy conversion or other bio-product facilities is “what quantity of nutrients will be removed if I harvest my stover?” Our objective is to summarize six years of field research from central Iowa, U.S.A. where more than 600, 1.5 m2 samples were collected by hand and divided into four plant fractions: vegetative material from the ear shank upward (top), vegetative material from approximately 10 cm above the soil surface to just below the ear (bottom), cobs, and grain. Another 400 stover samples, representing the vegetative material collected directly from a single-pass combine harvesting system or from stover bales were also collected and analyzed. All samples were dried, ground, and analyzed to determine C, N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Al, B, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn concentrations. Mean concentration and dry matter estimates for each sample were used to calculate nutrient removal and estimate fertilizer replacement costs which averaged $25.06,$20.04, $16.62,$19.40, and $27.41 Mg−1 for top, bottom, cob, stover, and grain fractions, respectively. We then used the plant fraction estimates to compare various stover harvest scenarios and provide an answer to the producer question posed above

Future Prospects for Corn as a Biofuel Crop

Ethanol production from corn grain has increased signifi cantly during the past ten years in the US. This increase was driven by government policy guided by the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and embodied in the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit and other legislation created to promote a biofuels industry. As corn grain ethanol production approaches the target set out in the RFS, the industry is looking to develop capacity for producing advanced biofuels, primarily from agricultural wastes and dedicated energy crops. The residues remaining following corn harvest have been identifi ed as a voluminous and readily available feedstock for advanced biofuels. However, these residues provide important ecosystem services and their complete removal may exacerbate environmental problems associated with soil erosion, water quality, nutrient cycling, and carbon sequestration. Alternative crop management practices need to be developed and implemented to ensure that these services are maintained or enhanced for biofuel production from corn residues to be sustainable. Management practices such as reduced tillage, use of cover crops, site-specifi c harvest intensities, and shifting marginal land currently used for corn production to perennial energy crops show potential for allowing removal of corn residue while maintaining ecosystem services

Planting Date Effects on Winter Triticale Grain Yield

Triticale (trit-ah-kay-lee) is a close relative of wheat resulting from pollinating durum wheat with rye pollen and using the cross in a breeding program to produce stable, self-replicating varieties. Yield, stress tolerance, and disease resistance are typically greater in triticale than in wheat. Triticale doesn’t currently possess the grain traits of bread wheat, so its greatest market potential is as animal feed

Winter grazing management

Why winter grazing? Beef cow herd and sheep flock records show that winter feeding costs are livestock producers\u27 single largest production expense. Managing through winter weather while keeping feeding costs low is an essential part of maintaining a profitable operation. Iowa\u27s climate generally allows forage growth only during a 7-to-8 month period. Extending the grazing of this forage--even an extra 3 or 4 weeks in late autumn and winter--is an economical way to maintain or increase livestock profitability. Some producers extend the grazing season by using stockpiled forage, whereas others use crop residue, and many combine the use of stockpiled forage and crop residue. Producers who graze livestock during the winter need to know techniques that optimize their resources, provide consistent, high-quality forage, and conserve soi