The study looked a pumpkin plots in Kansas, where the Halloween staple is frequently grown in rotation following soybeans, and are a staple of agritourism, according to the study published in the Soil Science Society of America Journal.

Several months ago experts from Purdue University discussed the herbicide shortage for the 2022 growing season and outlined a couple of scenarios where growers can switch to alternative herbicides to accomplish the same weed control objectives. In this article, they discuss some options for fields that have a mixture of cover crop species growing in them and how to effectively terminate the cover crops before corn or soybean production.

Cover crops were almost as effective as restored prairie at reducing nitrate concentrations in tile-drained water, according to recent research at Iowa State University.This was one of the key findings from a study led by Marshall McDaniel, associate professor of agronomy at Iowa State. The project was designed to better understand how the quantity and quality of tile drainage water impacts in-stream potential for nutrient enrichment, leading to growth of algae and depletion of vital oxygen in aquatic ecosystems.

Promoting early season plant cover, primarily through the use of cover crops, can be more effective at reducing pest density and crop damage than insecticide applications, according to a Penn State-led team of researchers.

In a newly published study, the researchers suggest that the best pest management outcomes may occur when growers encourage biological control — in the form of pests' natural enemies — by planting cover crops and avoiding broad-spectrum insecticides as much as possible.

As fields start to green up from last fall’s cover crops, cattle producers can’t wait to get cows out of calving yards and onto fresh grass. Denise Schwab, Iowa State University Extension beef specialist, offers five tips when grazing cover crops.

Cover croppers seeking to improve the effectiveness of using a roller-crimper to terminate standing covers ahead of the planter may want to consider adding flames to the procedure.