Iowa State University Corn Field Guide Reprints to be Available

The Iowa State University Extension Corn Field Guide is a valuable in-field reference and popular resource for agribusiness personnel and corn producers. The publication helps with in-field identification of pests, diseases and disorders of corn in the Midwest and is produced in a pocket-size format with weather-safe pages

Crop Scouting Competition 2015: Open for Enrollment

Do those soybean leaves have frogeye leaf spot or herbicide injury? Is that Palmer amaranth or common waterhemp growing near the field entrance? Are twospotted spider mites or soybean sudden death syndrome causing the yellow patches at the Peterson Farm

Research and Demonstration Farm 2010 Field Days Scheduled

Iowa State University Research and Demonstration Farm spring and summer field days are a chance to see research projects in progress and talk with the researchers involved in the experiments. They also provide the opportunity to view the latest in modern agriculture. Topics covered during the 2010 field days will include nitrogen fertilization, aphid resistant soybean varieties, GPS equipment and cellulosic ethanol

Black Cutworm Monitoring 2015: We Need Your Help!

Black cutworm moths arrive in Iowa with spring storms each year. These moths lay eggs in fields and the emerging black cutworm larvae cut seedling corn. The sporadic nature of this pest makes scouting essential to determine if management is needed. To make scouting easier, the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program at Iowa State University relies on a network of farmers, agronomists, and Extension staff to place and monitor traps for the adult moths (Fig. 1). The IPM Program uses this moth capture data and temperature data to estimate when farmers are most likely to see larvae in their fields

Assessing new methods of integrated pest management for apple orchards in the Midwest and phenology of sooty blotch and flyspeck fungi on apples in Iowa

Four apple management strategies were compared in an Iowa orchard for codling moth, sooty blotch and flyspeck (SBFS), apple scab, and weeds. An orchard block with three apple scab-resistant cultivars (Redfree, Liberty, and Goldrush) was used to compare two new integrated pest management (IPM) systems that incorporated weather-based disease-warning systems and alternative pesticides (Treatments 3 and 4) with an existing IPM regime (Treatment 2) and a conventional system with calendar-based timing of fungicide and insecticide sprays (Treatment 1). Mean incidence (%) of fruit with disease or insect injury was recorded at harvest and marketable and cull fruit were counted and weighed. The new IPM strategies were as effective as calendar-based and existing-IPM treatments for most apple pests, and yields were equivalent. An economic analysis indicated that Treatment 4 was the least expensive for larger orchards and Treatment 3 was the most expensive for all orchard sizes in 2008. Treatment 4 also had the least pesticide applications during the 2008 growing season. Active ingredients, spray rates, and applications of pesticides were used to develop an environmental risk rating for each treatment. New IPM treatments lowered ecological risks compared to calendar-based spraying and existing IPM. Composted hardwood mulch was also compared with bare soil for weed control efficacy; mulch suppressed weed coverage and biomass compared to bare soil and required fewer herbicide applications. Sooty blotch and flyspeck (SBFS) is a complex of \u3e60 fungal species that blemish the surface of apple fruit in humid regions worldwide. Blemishes become visible in mid-to late summer, reducing the value of fresh fruit. To test the hypothesis that SBFS species appear on apples at characteristic times during the growing season, 30 apples were monitored weekly for appearance of SBFS colonies at each of three Iowa orchards in 2006 and seven orchards in 2007. Colonies were marked with colored pens to denote the date of appearance. After harvest and storage of apples, SBFS colonies on each fruit were counted and classified by morphology, and a representative subset of colonies were removed. Fungal DNA, extracted from colonies scraped from the surface of the peel, was amplified with primer pair ITS1-F/ Myc1-R. Polymerase chain reaction products were digested with HaeIII, and fragment patterns were observed with gel electrophoresis and compared to a library of previously identified SBFS species. Sterile mycelia spp. RS1 and RS2 were the first to appear in all but one of the Iowa orchards surveyed where SBFS signs were observed. Dissoconium aciculare consistently appeared on fruit during the week prior to harvest, and additional colonies of this species appeared during storage. The species that were most prevalent in Iowa orchards were also the most abundant. Knowledge of species prevalence and chronology of appearance on apple fruit could lead to improved SBFS management strategies

Black Cutworm Monitoring 2014: We Need Your Help!

Black cutworm moths are blown into Iowa with spring storms each year. The moths lay eggs in crop fields and emerging black cutworm larvae cut seedling corn (Fig. 1 and Fig. 2). However, black cutworms are sporadic pests and scouting is essential to determine if management is necessary. To make scouting easier, the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program at Iowa State University coordinates an annual monitoring network that uses moth trap captures and temperature data to estimate when farmers are most likely to see larvae in their fields

A Tough Winter for Bean Leaf Beetle

Bean leaf beetle adults (Photo 1) are susceptible to cold weather and most will die when air temperatures fall below 14°F (-10°C). However, they have adapted to winter by protecting themselves under plant debris and loose soil. Each spring, adult beetles emerge from overwintering habitat and migrate to available hosts, such as alfalfa, tick trefoil, and various clovers. As the season progresses, bean leaf beetles move to preferred hosts, like soybean. While initial adult activity can begin before soybean emergence, peak abundance often coincides with early-vegetative soybean