The average cost for custom no-till planting in Iowa decreased by $0.50 in 2024, according to an annual survey from Iowa State University.

The sensors allow for farmers to measure nutrient levels in the soil constantly, rather than pulling soil cores throughout the growing season to see what's needed.

For this episode of the No-Till Farmer Influencers & Innovators podcast, brought to you by SOURCE®️ by Sound Agriculture, Randall Reeder and Frank Lessiter discuss the history of ridge-tilling. 

For this episode of the No-Till Farmer Influencers & Innovators podcast, brought to you by SOURCE®️ by Sound Agriculture, Randall Reeder and Frank Lessiter discuss the history of ridge-tilling.

Elwyn Taylor, Iowa State University climatologist, reported that 200-bushel corn needs 19 to 23 inches of water during the growing season. For 200-bushel corn at 75 degree F (soil temperature), corn needs 1-acre inch of water per week, doubling to 2 inches at 85 degrees F, and doubling again to 4 inches at 95 degrees F. Read more in this article from Ohio's Country Journal.

Economists at the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development at Iowa State University have issued a new policy brief that measures the revenue impacts the COVID-19 outbreak is having on some of Iowa's largest agricultural industries. Estimates show overall annual damage of roughly $788 million for corn, $213 million for soybean, over $2.5 billion for ethanol, $658 million for fed cattle, $34 million for calves and feeder cattle, and $2.1 billion for hogs.

While off-target dicamba injury to soybean has dominated the news the past year, it is important to recognize that dicamba is not the only Group 4 herbicide (HG4) capable of injuring soybean. HG4 products can induce plant responses at lower doses than most other herbicide groups.

Given the wet growing conditions over the last month, corn in parts of Iowa will be very susceptible to Physoderma brown spot and node rot, caused by the fungus Physoderma maydis, and gray leaf spot, caused by the fungus Cercospora zeaemaydis.

Damage done by SCN often goes unrecognized until lower-than-expected yields are harvested. Above-ground symptoms may not be obvious, especially when adequate or excess rainfall occurs during the season.