Includes Northwest Research Farm Summary, Projects at Sutherland and Doon and Allee Demonstration Farm Summary

Rossiter, Lyle T.

Rusk, Ryan

English

Includes Northwest Research Farm Summary, Projects at Sutherland and Allee Demonstration Farm Summary.</p

Rossiter, Lyle

Digital Repository @ Iowa State University (ISU)

Iowa State University, Northwest Research Farm and Allee Demonstration Farm ISRF11-29, 31  1 Northwest and Allee Farms Summary  RFR-A1161  Northwest Iowa Experimental Association  2011–2012  Executive Board  President ................................................................................ Brian Waldstein, Buena Vista County Vice President ......................................................................................... William Foell, Sac County Secretary .................................................................................. Joel DeJong, ISU Field Agronomist Treasurer ....................................................................................... Chad Schwartz, O’Brien County Executive Committee ........................................................................ Craig Struve, O’Brien County Executive Committee .................................................................................. Don Belson, Ida County Executive Committee ................................................................................. Jerry Crew, Clay County  Directors  Buena Vista ...................................................................................... Brian Waldstein, Jim Hultgren Cherokee ........................................................................................ Bruce Amundson, Tom Bindner Clay .......................................................................................................... Jerry Crew, Roger Nelson Ida .................................................................................................... Don Belson, Dale Friedrichsen Lyon ....................................................................................................... Rodney Mogler, Bob Ladd O’Brien ............................................................................................... Craig Struve, Chad Schwartz Osceola ..................................................................................................... Dave Rossman, Gary Trei Plymouth ..................................................................................................... Jeff Jonas, Luke Homan Sac .................................................................................................................. William Foell, Vacant Sioux .......................................................................................... Marvin Van’t Hul, Mike Schouten    Research and Demonstration Farms  Superintendent, Northwest ............................................................................................... Ryan Rusk Ag Specialist .................................................................................................................. Josh Sievers Superintendent, Allee ................................................................................................... Lyle Rossiter Manager, Research Farms ....................................................................................... Dennis Shannon  32 Curtiss Coordinator, Research Farms ................................................................................. Mark Honeyman  32 Curtiss  Iowa State University  Ames, IA 50011 Iowa State University, Northwest Research Farm and Allee Demonstration Farm ISRF11-29, 31  2 Northwest Research Farm Summary  Ryan Rusk, farm superintendent  Farm Comments Developments. A Case International 1660 combine was fully equipped for data collection and harvesting small plots. The combine was used for all of the corn plots and will be used for both corn and soybeans in 2012.  A Hagie 284 sprayer was purchased and used for applying fungicide and insecticide treatments for the on-farm research trials. A Demco 650 grain cart was also purchased to weigh grain from the on-farm trials.  Tree biomass harvest started in late December 2010 and over 200,000 lb of trees were cut, weighed, and cut into two-meter sections. Harvesting of the remaining trees was completed with a tree shear on a skid steer loader in late March after snow melt.  A total of 47 research studies were conducted at the research farm this year. Ten of those trials were initiated for the first time in 2011. The on-farm research project continues to be a success in northwest Iowa, with a total of 65 projects this season.  Field Days and Tours. There were 11 events held by the Northwest Farms, Sutherland and Doon. A total of 1,683 people attended field days and other programs. The conference room at the research farm is available for meetings and farm tours are always available to those interested. Please give us a call at 712-446-2526 to set up an appointment or just stop by the farm.  New Projects. Corn nematode management, Greg Tylka; Soybean aphid efficacy trial, Erin Hodgson; Soybean aphid pan trapping, Matt O’Neal; Nitrogen rate × fungicide interaction on corn yields, Paul Kassel; Soybean replant, Paul Kassel; Corn nematode seed treatment × insecticide, Post-emerge corn herbicide comparison, Soybean herbicide system comparison, Soybean seed treatment study, and Nitrogen response on soybeans, NWRF staff.  Crop Season Comments Corn planting began April 29 and was completed May 6. Harvest began September 27 and was completed October 20. Corn yields following soybeans averaged 196 bushels/acre and continuous corn yielded 193 bushels/acre.  Soybean planting started May 11 and was completed May 19. Harvest began September 30 and was completed October 5 with average yields of 64 bushels/acre.  Weather Comments Spring 2011. Cool weather, frequent rainfall events, and snow on April 19 delayed the beginning of corn planting until the end of April for most producers. Drier conditions allowed most of the corn and soybean acres to be planted by May 20. Pre-plant and pre-emerge herbicides showed excellent weed control in both corn and soybeans and gave producers a wide window to make post-emerge herbicide applications.  Summer 2011. High rainfall characterized the time from May 20 to July 15 with 14.32 in. of rain. The month of June was about average for temperature and crops progressed well. July brought temperatures that were much above normal (2.7 degrees warmer than normal with 7 days over 90oF) with a stretch of five consecutive days above 90oF during corn pollination. High soil moisture contents may have helped to minimize pollination. A windstorm on July 11 caused some cornfields to have greensnap levels up to 10 percent of the total stand. Soybean aphids were again a large problem in northwest Iowa as we started Iowa State University, Northwest Research Farm and Allee Demonstration Farm ISRF11-29, 31  3 spraying on July 29 and every acre at the research farm was treated.  Rainfall amounts from July 15 through the end of August were 1.86 in., but fortunately, temperatures for the month of August were 3.2 degrees below normal, which helped reduce moisture stress. The cooler and drier weather may have helped increase corn aphids in many cornfields during the middle of August. Certain hybrids were covered from top to bottom with aphids and the accompanying honeydew.  September 2 brought some much needed moisture (1.18 in.), but also some very strong winds, which caused significant root and stalk lodging at the farm. A light frost occurred on September 15, which may have impacted late maturing soybeans, but had little impact on early maturing soybeans and corn.  Fall 2011. The dry conditions persisted throughout the fall and harvest got under way the last week of September and was virtually complete by the last week in October. Dry and windy conditions led to many combine fires during harvest. Most of the corn at the research farm was combined in one direction because of the lodging that occurred earlier. Yield data from two plots was thrown out because the corn was severely lodged. Overall, corn and soybean yields were very good considering the many stresses throughout the season. Continued dry conditions allowed timely fall fertilizer and tillage operations, but has increased the need for moisture for the 2012 growing season.  Acknowledgements We would like to thank everyone who attended field days at the research farm. We hope that the information presented was valuable to your operation. We would also like to thank the Northwest Iowa Experimental Association and ISU Extension for their support throughout the year. We would also like to recognize the following businesses for their donations to the Northwest Research Farm this past growing season:   Demco Agricultural Products Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Syngenta Crop Protection Monsanto BASF Pioneer Hi-bred International Sickelka Ag Service Agrigold Hybrids Producers Coop Ag Partners Security State Bank  Thanks again for all your support and we look forward to an exciting and rewarding 2012 growing season.   Table 1.  Northwest Research and Demonstration Farm, Sutherland, monthly rainfall  and  average temperatures for 2011.   Rainfall (in.) Temperature (oF) Days   Deviation  Deviation 90o or Month 2011 from normal* 2011 from normal above  April 2.43 -0.14 44.6 -1.5 0 May 5.71  1.92 57.4 -1.7 2 June 7.13  2.53 68.3 -0.5 3 July  2.53 -1.04 75.8 2.7 7 August 1.66 -2.32 68.9  -3.2 1 September 1.44 -1.85 57.8 -3.3 0 October 0.20 -1.93 51.6  2.8 0 Totals 21.10 -2.83   13  *Rainfall averages recalculated based on data from 1957-2010. Iowa State University, Northwest Research Farm and Allee Demonstration Farm ISRF11-29, 31   4 Projects at Sutherland  Research Project Project Leader Asparagus variety trial NWRF Staff Comparison of tillage methods on corn yield NWRF Staff Corn aphid study NWRF Staff Corn aphid threshold study E. Hodgson Corn burner as primary shop heat NWRF Staff Corn fungicide efficacy x timing A. Robertson Corn nematode management G. Tylka Corn nematode seed treatment x insecticide NWRF Staff Corn plant population x fungicide P. Kassel Corn planting date  NWRF Staff Corn replant study R. Elmore Corn rootworm trap crop A. Gassman Demonstration garden, Rock Rapids C. Haynes Demonstration windbreak J. Randall Eggshells as a liming source P. Kassel Fertility timing in corn and soybeans J. Lee Long-term nitrogen rate study J. Sawyer Long-term rotation study G. Munkvold Long-term tillage and carbon sequestration M. Al-Kaisi Miscanthus establishment evaluation E. Heaton Nitrogen rate x fungicide interaction on corn yields P. Kassel Nitrogen response on soybeans NWRF Staff No-till cover crop x nitrogen rate J. Sawyer Post-emerge corn herbicide comparison NWRF Staff Soybean aphid efficacy trial E. Hodgson Soybean aphid pan trap M. O’Neal Soybean aphid suction trap M. O’Neal Soybean fungicide x insecticide interaction A. Robertson and M. O’Neal Soybean herbicide system comparison NWRF Staff Soybean replant study P. Kassel Soybean row width comparison NWRF Staff Soybean seed treatment study NWRF Staff Soybean varietal response to fungicide P. Kassel Struvite as a phosphorus source A. Mallarino Surface runoff study A. Mallarino and M. Helmers Tillage × fertilizer placement study A. Mallarino Tree biomass and regrowth potential J. Randall and R. Hall Twin row x corn plant population NWRF Staff Water table monitoring NRCS Weather station NWRF Staff Western bean cutworm management E. Hodgson  Iowa State University, Northwest Research Farm and Allee Demonstration Farm ISRF11-29, 31   5 Allee Demonstration Farm Summary  Lyle Rossiter, farm superintendent  Farm Comments Developments. The implementation of the on-farm research (OFR) program continues in Buena Vista, Sac, Pocahontas, parts of Carroll, Calhoun, Ida, Cherokee, and Clay counties. On-farm research assisted individual farmers in setting up field-length research and gain data for statistical analysis. Extension crop specialists Paul Kassel and Allee Farm superintendent Lyle Rossiter assisted eight farmers with 16 field projects.  Field days and tours. The Allee farm hosted Ag-Citing Days with topics of soil science, wind turbines, amazing corn, global positioning satellite, Fun in the Garden, and  4-H youth presenting talks on their live beef, goat, rabbit, and swine projects to 320 fourth grade Buena Vista County students. The Corn Growers Association, Farm Bureau Association, Farmers Coop, and Monsanto provided funding and cooked and served food for the event.  The Buena Vista special swine class included 45 participants who gained swine production knowledge, herdsmanship, and showmanship techniques at the Allee Farm. With the experience, each participant purchased, showed, and marketed four market pigs at the county fair in July for a total of 180 pigs.  The 4-H livestock superintendents attended a retinal eye imaging training to identify individual animals for the county and state fairs. A specialized camera takes an image picture of the blood vessels in the eye that identifies each individual goat, sheep, and cattle to be shown.  The Allee Farm continues work with the Newell-Fonda school to provide agricultural education from the classroom to practical experiences related to crop, swine, beef, and machinery operations. The FFA club planned, planted, and assisted harvest with their first corn yield variety trial this year.   Visiting Indian scientists Dr. Chandra Mukhopadhyay and Dr. Sirinivasa Vasudevan assisted with ultrasounding the yearling cattle at the farm. They experienced modern U.S. crop production by watching and riding in a combine during harvest, unloading into a grain cart, and transporting to the farm bins. This was of great interest because agriculture in India is mostly hand labor.  The Allee Farm appreciates the community support and the opportunity to be an educational site for all ages and families. A total of 975 guests visited the farm and the Allee Historic Mansion entertained 850 guests in 2011.  New projects. Soil grid mapping, yield monitoring, and Guidance Position Systems (GPS) have been integrated into the cropping systems for demonstration and research. Seven thousand feet of field tile were added this fall.  Livestock. The Allee Farm continues to feed and collect research data for bulls, steers, and heifers from the purebred Angus cowherd at the ISU McNay Research Farm, Chariton, IA. Custom finishing of 42 heifers, 54 steers, and 56 bulls was completed this year. Four bulls were placed back into the breeding herd at the McNay Research Farm.   Crop Season Comments Corn planting started May 7 and was completed May 6. Harvest was completed November 7 with average yields of  188 bushels/acre. Iowa State University, Northwest Research Farm and Allee Demonstration Farm ISRF11-29, 31   6 Soybean planting started May 16 and was completed May 20. Harvest was completed October 11 with average yields of  48 bushels/acre.  Weather Comments Winter. January snow accumulation was  22 inches. February was mild with a high temperature of 60 degrees on February 17, melting all of the snow in the fields. March moisture was mostly rain except for 5 inches of snow.   Spring. April had showers on the first day of the month. High winds on April 9 and a tornado caused major damage to trees, buildings, houses, and power lines. Warm weather and less than normal rain allowed for storm cleanup from the fields into May. Corn and soybeans were planted in a record pace with little rain delay. The soil profile was full of moisture.  Summer. The first part of June was cool with record rainfall of 12.6 inches. Ponding and flooding caused crop loss in lower areas. July and August rainfall had a total of 1.3 inches and 3.7 inches, respectively. Cooler summer temperatures and the lack of rain slowed crop growth and maturity.  Fall. September rainfall totaled 1.7 in. Dry and hot weather continued to stress plants but the spring soil profile kept the plants alive. September 30 frost reduced the yield potential in soybean fields in northwest Iowa. October was warmer than normal, with many days in the 80s to highs of 90oF on October 7. Corn was harvested from the field without artificial drying in most cases. Grain moistures of  13 percent at harvest in late October was common. Fieldwork was completed with little rainfall in November and December.   Acknowledgements The farm would like to thank the Practical Farmers of Iowa, Newell-Fonda Community  School, on-farm research staff, Newell Cooperative, ISU Extension, and Iowa Corn Growers Association for their assistance with field days and events.     

Northwest and Allee Farms Summary

Includes Northwest Research Farm Summary, Projects at Sutherland and Doon and Allee Demonstration Farm Summary.</p

Iowa State University, Northwest Research Farm and Allee Demonstration Farm ISRF10-29, 31  1 Northwest and Allee Farms Summary  RFR-A1047  Northwest Iowa Experimental Association  2010–2011  Executive Board  President................................................................................Brian Waldstein, Buena Vista County Vice President .........................................................................................William Foell, Sac County Secretary .................................................................................. Joel DeJong, ISU Field Agronomist Treasurer ....................................................................................... Chad Schwartz, O’Brien County Executive Committee........................................................................ Craig Struve, O’Brien County Executive Committee..................................................................................Don Belson, Ida County Executive Committee.................................................................................Jerry Crew, Clay County  Directors  Buena Vista...................................................................................... Brian Waldstein, Jim Hultgren Cherokee ........................................................................................Bruce Amundson, Tom Bindner Clay ..........................................................................................................Jerry Crew, Roger Nelson Ida ....................................................................................................Don Belson, Dale Friedrichsen Lyon ....................................................................................................... Rodney Mogler, Bob Ladd O’Brien ...............................................................................................Craig Struve, Chad Schwartz Osceola.....................................................................................................Dave Rossman, Gary Trei Plymouth .....................................................................................................Jeff Jonas, Luke Homan Sac..................................................................................................................William Foell, Vacant Sioux .......................................................................................... Marvin Van’t Hul, Mike Schouten    Research and Demonstration Farms  Superintendent, Northwest...............................................................................................Ryan Rusk Ag Specialist ..................................................................................................................Josh Sievers Superintendent, Allee................................................................................................... Lyle Rossiter Manager, Research Farms....................................................................................... Dennis Shannon  32 Curtiss Coordinator, Research Farms................................................................................. Mark Honeyman  32 Curtiss  Iowa State University  Ames, IA 50011  Iowa State University, Northwest Research Farm and Allee Demonstration Farm ISRF10-29, 31  2 Northwest Research Farm Summary  Ryan Rusk, farm superintendent  Farm Comments Developments. Two Case International 1660 combines were purchased and used for the 2010 bulk harvest. Both combines will be equipped for small plot harvest and data collection.   Yetter strip-tillage units were purchased and mounted on a cultivator frame. Strip-tillage treatments were initiated in the spring of 2010 and will be repeated each fall. A backpack sprayer was purchased and used for applying fungicide and insecticide treatments on corn and soybean studies.  Tree biomass harvest started on the farm in late December and over 87,000 lb of trees were cut, weighed, and sliced into two meter sections. Harvest will continue in the spring after the snow melts and data will be available by next summer.   A total of 47 research studies were conducted at the research farm this year. Twelve of those trials were initiated for the first time in 2010. The on-farm research project continues to be a great success in northwest Iowa, with a total of 48 projects this season. You can find results from those trials at http://ofr.ag.iastate.edu.  Field Days and Tours. There were nine events held by the Northwest Farms—Sutherland and Doon. A total of 1,552 people attended field days and other programs. The conference room at the research farm is available for meetings and farm tours are always available to those interested. Please give us a call at 712-446-2526 to set up an appointment or just stop by the farm.   New Projects. Soybean breeding, Walt Fehr; Corn aphid threshold study, Erin Hodgson; Western bean cutworm management, Erin Hodgson; Efficacy of soybean aphid resistant soybeans, Erin Hodgson; Corn replant × relative maturity study, Roger Elmore; Corn earworm management, Aaron Gassman; No-tillage cover crop by nitrogen rate, John Sawyer; Corn plant population by fungicide, Paul Kassel; Efficacy of Avicta seed treatments on corn, white mold management, corn yields following no-till soybeans, impact of rolling corn prior to planting, NWRF staff.  Crop Season Comments Corn planting began April 17 and was completed May 3. Harvest began October 6 and was completed October 16. Corn yields following soybeans averaged 211 bushels/acre and continuous corn yielded 196 bushels/acre.  Soybean planting started May 3 and was completed May 21. Harvest began September 27 and was completed October 8 with average yields of 62 bushels/acre.  Weather Comments Spring 2010. Dry weather in April and May allowed farmers to begin planting corn and soybeans earlier than normal and progress at a record pace. Planting of both crops was ahead of normal by 25 percent on May 10. A few corn fields had plants already emerged in the month of April. A light frost on May 9 froze off many of the emerged corn plants, but most of the plants recovered as temperatures warmed.  Summer 2010. The months of June and July were characterized by high rainfall. The month of June was the wettest month on record with 13.62 in. of rain and July was the second wettest July on record with 8.75 in. Iowa State University, Northwest Research Farm and Allee Demonstration Farm ISRF10-29, 31  3 Despite the saturated soils, post emergence crop spraying was completed in a timely manner. Soybean aphid numbers remained low during the growing season and only a few acres were treated for this pest. Goss’s wilt was apparent on a number of corn hybrids this year and impacted yield on these infected hybrids. Many producers are now managing this bacterial disease by choosing hybrids that are more tolerant to this disease. Sudden death syndrome (SDS) was identified in a few soybean fields during the summer in northwest Iowa. This disease was primarily located in compacted areas and headlands and did not impact yields significantly. SDS was much more prevalent in other areas of Iowa and limited yields in those regions.  Fall 2010. The harvest of 2010 was completely opposite of the previous growing season. Soybean harvest began the last week of September and was mostly finished by the first full week in October and corn began soon after and was mostly complete by the last week of October. We were able to start and complete our entire crop harvesting at the research farm without having a single rain event. The dry weather and warm temperatures rapidly dried the crops in the field and many soybeans were harvested at less than 11 percent moisture and most of the corn was harvested between 13 and 15percent moisture. Crop yields in the area were very good considering the wet summer months. The early completion of harvest and dry weather allowed many farmers to get all of their fall field work completed.  Acknowledgements We would like to thank everyone who attended field days this past year at the research farm. We hope that the information presented was valuable to your operation. We would also like to thank the Northwest Iowa Experimental Association and ISU Extension for their support throughout the year. We would also like to recognize the following businesses for their donations to the Northwest Research Farm.   Syngenta Crop Protection BASF Monsanto Hundertmark Cleaning Systems Pioneer Hi-bred International Sickelka Ag Service Agrigold Hybrids Kruger Seeds Producers Coop Ag Partners Security State Bank  Thanks again for all your support and we look forward to an exciting and rewarding 2011 growing season.      Table 1. Northwest Research and Demonstration Farm, Sutherland, monthly rainfall and  average temperatures for 2010.   Rainfall (in.) Temperature (oF) Days   Deviation  Deviation 90o or Month 2010 from normal* 2010 from normal above  April 1.62 -0.96 52.4  6.3 0 May 2.45 -1.36 58.0 -1.1 1 June 13.62  9.19 68.2 -0.6 0 July  8.75  5.27 72.4 -0.7 1 August 3.39 -0.60 72.6  0.5 2 September 3.81  0.53 61.6 0.5 0 October 0.81 -1.34 52.3  3.5 0 Totals 34.45 10.73   4  *Rainfall averages recalculated based on data from 1957-2009.  Iowa State University, Northwest Research Farm and Allee Demonstration Farm ISRF10-29, 31   4 Projects at Sutherland and Doon  Research Project Project Leader Biological control of soybean aphids M. O’Neal Corn aphid threshold study E.Hodgson Corn earworm management A. Gassman Corn fungicide efficacy × timing A. Robertson Corn genetics × insecticide NWRF Staff Corn replant study R. Elmore Corn plant population × fungicide P. Kassel Corn planting date  NWRF Staff Corn yields following no-till soybeans NWRF Staff Eggshells for liming experiment P. Kassel Efficacy of Avicta seed treatment on corn NWRF Staff Fertility timing in corn and soybeans J. Lee Impact of liming source on soil pH A. Mallarino Impact of spring tillage methods on corn yield NWRF Staff Long-term nitrogen study J. Sawyer Long-term rotation study G. Munkvold Long-term tillage and carbon sequestration M. Al-Kaisi Miscanthus establishment evaluation E. Heaton No-till cover crop × nitrogen rate J. Sawyer Planter closing wheel comparison in corn NWRF Staff Rolling corn prior to planting NWRF Staff Rolling soybeans × timing (no-till and tillage) NWRF Staff Rootworm management A. Gassman Soybean aphid resistant soybeans E. Hodgson Soybean breeding W. Fehr Soybean fungicide × insecticide interaction A. Robertson/M. O’Neal Soybean row width NWRF Staff Soybean varietal response to fungicide P. Kassel Struvite as a phosphorus source A. Mallarino Sugar application effect on soybean yields NWRF Staff Surface runoff study A. Mallarino/M. Helmers Tillage × fertilizer placement study A. Mallarino Tillage × rate of lime study NWRF Staff Tree biomass study J. Randall/R. Hall Twin row × corn plant population NWRF Staff Western bean cutworm management E. Hodgson White mold management NWRF Staff Asparagus variety trial NWRF Staff Corn burner as primary shop heat NWRF Staff Demonstration garden, Rock Rapids C. Haynes Demonstration windbreak J. Randall Water table monitoring NRCS Weather station NWRF Staff  Iowa State University, Northwest Research Farm and Allee Demonstration Farm ISRF10-29, 31   5 Allee Demonstration Farm Summary  Lyle Rossiter, farm superintendent  Farm Comments Developments. The implementation of on-farm research (OFR) continues in Buena Vista, Sac, Pocahontas, parts of Carroll, Calhoun, Ida, Cherokee, and Clay counties. On-farm research assisted individual farmers to set up field-length research and gain data for statistical analysis. Extension crop specialists Paul Kassel, Mark Licht, and Allee Farm superintendent Lyle Rossiter assisted nine farmers with 27 field projects.  Field days and tours. The Allee farm hosted Ag-Citing Days with topics of soil science, wind turbines, amazing corn, global position satellite, Fun in the Garden, and 4-H youth presenting talks on their live beef, goat, rabbit, and swine projects to 295 fourth grade Buena Vista County students. The Corn Growers Association, Farm Bureau Association, Farmers Coop, and Monsanto provided funding for busing and cooked and served food for the event.  The August field day included topics of corn management and precision ag with 74 people attending. Speakers included, ISU Extension corn specialist Roger Elmore; ISU Extension pathologist Alison Robertson; ISU Extension ag engineer Matt Darr; ISU Extension field agronomists Mark Licht and Paul Kassel; and Precision Ag Technology consultant Holly Sandhoff of Hultgren Implement.  The third annual Allee Farm corn maze this year was in the shape of a rodeo cowboy riding a bull. A total of 288 visitors went through the maze. Admission was a nonperishable food item that was donated to the local food pantry. Visitors to the maze were given corn topic questions and they had to find the hidden answers in the maze. The Iowa Corn Promotion Board used the corn maze to educate 4-H clubs and school students in the uses of corn in their daily lives while the kids walked through the maze.   The Buena Vista special swine class included 43 participants who gained swine production knowledge, herdsmanship, and showmanship techniques at the Allee Farm. Each participant purchased, showed, and marketed four market pigs at the county fair in July for a total of 172 pigs. The local 4-H clubs hold their monthly meetings at the farm.  The Allee Farm provided an area for the Mustang Garden, funded by a grant. The Newell-Fonda FFA students calculated seed needs, purchased tomatoes, peppers, pumpkin seeds and assisted (at-risk) fourth grade students on how to plant, water, weed, and care for the Mustang Garden this summer. Pumpkins were harvested and sold at the football games, generating $700 to pay for the garden supplies for 2011.   The Allee Farm appreciates the community support and the opportunity to be an educational site for all ages and families. A total of 1,282 guests visited the farm, and the historic Allee Mansion entertained 1,000 guests in 2010.  New projects. Electronic technology of computerized data collection during the crop season has improved management decisions throughout the agricultural industry. Soil grid mapping, yield monitoring, and Guidance Position Systems (GPS) have been integrated into the cropping systems for demonstration and research.   Livestock. The Allee Farm continues to feed and collect research data for bulls, steers, and heifers from the purebred Angus cowherd at Iowa State University, Northwest Research Farm and Allee Demonstration Farm ISRF10-29, 31   6 the ISU McNay Research Farm, Chariton, IA. Custom finishing of 102 heifers, 149 steers, and 111 bulls was completed this year. Four bulls were placed back into the breeding herd at the McNay Research Farm.   Crop Season Comments Corn planting started April 27 and was completed May 4. An August 12 storm with 70-mile winds pushed corn stalks to the ground with many areas laying flat until combining. Harvest was completed October 23 with average yields of 172 bushels/acre, corn/soybeans and 158 bushels/acre on continuous corn. Harvest corn moisture was 18 percent and the driest hybrid was 12 percent.  Soybean planting started May 20 and was completed May 22. Heavy rainfall during the growing season drowned low areas and prevented replanting. Harvest was completed October 8 with average yields of 43.7 bushels/acre.  Weather Comments Winter. Snow and more snow—35-year record snowfall of 85 inches. Snowdrifts on the cattle shed roof were 4 ft deep. The heavy snow was scooped off of the roofs to lessen the weight so the roofs would not collapse. Numerous building roofs collapsed in northwest Iowa during the winter. Spring. The heavy snow blanket over the landscape insulated the soil from freezing during the winter. Little flooding occurred during the seasonal snowmelt, most of the water was absorbed into the soil profile. April soil was dry for early corn and soybean planting into May.  Summer. June was cool with 16.3 in. of rain. July moisture accumulation total was 12.7 in. August received 6.7 in. of rain and 70 mph wind on August 12. September total rain was 4.5 in.  Fall. Total season rain accumulation of 44.2 in. Total cumulative GDU from April through September were 3,064. Warm weather in September and October allowed a record pace harvest of corn and soybean. Corn hybrids quickly dried down and the last corn was harvested at 12 percent moisture out of the field.  Acknowledgements The farm would like to thank the Newell-Fonda School, the On-farm Research staff, the Newell Cooperative, Ag Partners-Fonda, ISU Extension, BV County Farm Bureau, Citizens First National Bank, and the Iowa Corn Growers Association for their assistance with field days and events.  

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Northwest and Allee Farms Summary

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