Cover Crop Dos and Don’ts - Lessons Learned about Cover Crops, Corn Growth, Diseases and Pests

Dec 09, 2021

Iowa Learning Farms, in partnership with the Iowa Nutrient Research Center, and Conservation Learning Group will present a virtual cover crop field day on Thursday, Dec. 16 at 1 p.m. CST. The event will feature live conversation with Alison Robertson, professor and extension field pathologist in agronomy at Iowa State University, and Mark Licht, assistant professor and extension cropping systems specialist in agronomy at Iowa State University.

The field day will explore the potential benefits and impacts of planting corn into a living winter cereal rye cover crop. While the field day will primarily focus on the Iowa trial, the research project has replicated sites located in 15 states across the country. Building on existing research trials, the team is examining different termination dates, both before and after the planting of corn, to determine the impact on diseases, weeds, and both pest and beneficial insects.

Participants in Iowa Learning Farms virtual field days are encouraged to ask questions of the presenters. People from all backgrounds and areas of interest are encouraged to join.

Virtual field day access instructions

Source : iastate.edu

Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.