Agriculture

Wed
17
Jun

What's Up at the USDA Office?

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
May 15 – August 1: Primary Nesting Season – No MCM work on CRP acres
May 26 – August 28: Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) Signup
June 30: 2020 ARCPLC Election
July 15: Crop Certification
September 30: PLC Yield Update

Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP)
www.farmers.gov/cfap
Between May 26 and August 28, FSA will be accepting applications from agricultural producers who have suffered losses due to the coronavirus pandemic.  Additional information and application forms can be found at www.farmers.gov/cfap. Documentation to support the producer’s application and certification may be requested.

Wed
17
Jun

Scouting for SCN; Time to get digging


Soybean root with white SCN females (white arrows) and nitrogen-fixing nodules (black arrows). Submitted photo.

White SCN females on roots of a resistant soybean variety. Submitted photo.

 by Dr. Greg Tylka, professor, Integrated Crop Management News, and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach

Iowa’s early planting season means that pests like the soybean cyst nematode (SCN) also are off to a quick start this year, which could result in a greater risk of severe damage from SCN throughout the growing season. This nematode is a major yield-reducing pathogen of soybean and is widespread across Iowa and other Midwestern states. Research conducted in recent years indicates that many fields have not been checked for SCN.

Wed
17
Jun

The impact of COVID-19 on Iowa farm communities and families

Farming can be stressful in the best of times. Financial worries, erratic weather, unpredictable commodity prices, plant pests, livestock diseases and isolation all contribute to farmers’ anxiety. Now Iowa’s rural communities and families are coping with the economic impact and unpredictability produced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has described the effect of COVID-19 on Iowa’s farm economy as devastating.

Gov. Reynolds and Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig communicated that Iowa’s meatpacking plants are operating at only 80% capacity. In addition, the U.S. pork industry has lost about 25% of its processing capacity due to COVID-19. As a result, some livestock producers are having to euthanize animals.

“The economic impact is devastating. However, the personal and emotional impact also is taking a heavy toll,” said Tammy Jacobs, coordinator for Iowa Concern and other ISU Extension and Outreach hotlines.

Wed
10
Jun

What's Up at the USDA Office?

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
May 15 - August 1: Primary Nesting Season - No MCM work on CRP acres
May 26 - August 28: Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) Signup
June 30: 2020 ARCPLC Election
July 15: Crop Certification
September 30: PLC Yield Update

Wed
10
Jun

Waterville area farmer uses alternative farming practice to improve soil

Submitted by Eric Novey, Project Coordinator, Allamakee SWCD

Nick Rolling, who farms near Waterville, recently tried a different farming practice. He band applied herbicide (1 ½ pt Dual and 1 qt Roundup) on corn and soybeans while planting into fall seeded rye cover crop. His goals were to suppress weed growth, capture nitrogen from leeching, reduce soil erosion, increase water infiltration, and to increase his overall soil health by getting as much root growth as possible from the rye. Rolling plans to terminate the rye soon.

Research done through the United Soybean Board has shown when cereal rye grew an extra three weeks prior to soybeans, they produced about 300-400% more biomass with a 100% increase in nitrogen retention, compared to early terminated cover crops, with no yield reduction.

Wed
10
Jun

Virtual Spring Field Day Webinar Series to be held June 23-26

Farmers, ag professionals and other interested parties are invited to participate in a virtual field day webinar series being hosted by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach in conjunction with the Southeast Iowa Agricultural Research Association from June 23-26.

“This virtual field day webinar series is being offered this year instead of the annual face-to-face spring field day that is held at the Iowa State Southeast Research and Demonstration Farm due to the current COVID-19 pandemic,” said Rebecca Vittetoe, field agronomist with ISU Extension and Outreach.

Each webinar will start at 8 a.m. with a 20-minute discussion on the day’s topic, and will include time for a questions and answers session at the end. Sessions will be limited to 30 minutes.

Wed
03
Jun

What's Up at the USDA Office?

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
May 15 – August 1: Primary Nesting Season – No MCM work on CRP acres
May 26 – August 28: Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) Signup
June 30: 2020 ARCPLC Election
July 15: Crop Certification
September 30: PLC Yield Update

Sign Up for the 2020 ARCPLC Program by June 30!
We mailed out the remaining ARCPLC contracts earlier this spring for farms that still need to be enrolled for the 2020 program year.  A postcard reminder was mailed to those folks that we were still waiting for theirs to come back.  So if you received a postcard, please review the previous letter and contract to ensure everything is completed correctly. If you have any questions, or need the contract modified, please call our office. The deadline to get these approved is June 30, so please don’t delay in getting these back to us. 

Wed
03
Jun

New videos explain how to inspect seed emergence

Good yields begin with proper seed emergence and stand, and to help producers understand how to check for both, the crops team at Iowa State University Extension and Outreach has developed a new YouTube channel with timely updates.

The first four videos focus on stand assessments, poor stand and uniformity, assessing emergence and conducting stand counts.

Each video is recorded in a recently planted field, with instruction by Mark Licht, assistant professor in agronomy and cropping systems specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

Stand assessment is important every year and should be done for each field, according to Licht. He said it’s even more important this year, for those who planted early and experienced cold, wet conditions soon after that planting.

Wed
03
Jun

Farm financial associates available to help

Farmers face financial uncertainty almost each year, with unexpected changes in the markets and unpredictable weather events.

Last year, farmers across the Midwest dealt with record rainfall and flooding. This year, they’re dealing with low commodity prices that have crept even lower amid the market disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

One trusted resource available to help producers gain a clearer understanding of their farm financial situation is the Farm Financial Planning Program at Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

Wed
27
May

What's Up at the USDA Office?

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
May 15 – August 1: Primary Nesting Season - No MCM work on CRP acres
May 26 – August 28: Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) Signup
June 30: 2020 ARCPLC Election
July 15: Crop Certification
September 30: PLC Yield Update

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