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

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

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

Trending Video

Supplemental Nitrogen on Soybeans: Can Early Nitrogen Increase Yield?

Video: Supplemental Nitrogen on Soybeans: Can Early Nitrogen Increase Yield?

Can supplemental nitrogen help soybeans reach higher yield potential? Technical Agronomist Tim Sickman walks through an ongoing trial at the Nutrien Innovation Farm in Owensboro, Kentucky, exploring whether a modest amount of nitrogen applied at planting can support higher-yielding soybean environments.

The trial compares 30 pounds of supplemental nitrogen across both 15- and 30-inch rows, along with treatments that include sulfur and micronutrients. Similar trials conducted in 2024 and 2025 delivered a six- to seven-bushel yield response, prompting the team to expand the research this season.

Early observations show that treated soybeans are slightly taller and averaging about two additional nodes on the main stem. These added nodes could create more opportunities for blooms and pods, but the true results will come at harvest when the team evaluates pod development, seed fill and final yield.

In This Video:

Why high-yield soybeans may need supplemental nitrogen

Results from the 2024 and 2025 trials

Nitrogen treatments in 15- and 30-inch rows

Fertilizer placement and application methods

Differences in plant height and node counts

Potential effects on pod development and yield