Ames, Iowa — A field day will be held on Aug. 30, hosted by the Iowa State University Agricultural Engineering/Agronomy Research Farm, rural Boone, from 9 a.m. to noon with lunch following the program.
The event will focus on cover crops and corn production. The field day is free and the public is invited to attend.
ISU Vice President for Extension and Outreach John Lawrence will present information about the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy. Sarah Carlson, Midwest Cover Crop Council research coordinator, will discuss establishing cover crops and selecting appropriate plants.
ISU Extension weed specialist and agronomy professor Bob Hartzler will present information on the effects of residual herbicide on cover crop establishment. Mark Licht, ISU Extension field agronomist, will offer tips about cover crop management in a corn-soybean rotation.
ISU Extension entomologist Erin Hodgson will share information about corn rootworm resistance and resistance management. ISU Extension corn agronomist Roger Elmore will update attendees on the state’s corn production status.
Following lunch, the ISU BioCentury Research Farm will offer tours of the facility and Iowa Learning Farms will demonstrate the Conservation Station. Its rainfall simulator shows the effects of rainfall on several different surfaces, including intense tillage, perennial vegetation and permeable pavers for streets and driveways.
The field day is at the ISU Agricultural Engineering/Agronomy Research Farm, 1308 U Ave., Boone, at the intersection of Highway 30 and U Avenue between Boone and Ames. Iowa Learning Farms, Practical Farmers of Iowa, ISU College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and ISU Extension and Outreach are hosts of the field day.
Founded in 1985, Practical Farmers of Iowa is an open, supportive and diverse organization of farmers and friends of farmers, advancing profitable, ecologically sound and community-enhancing approaches to agriculture through farmer-to-farmer networking, farmer-led investigation and information sharing. Farmers in the network produce corn, soybeans, beef cattle, hay, fruits and vegetables, and more. For additional information, call (515) 232-5661 or visit www.practicalfarmers.org.
Iowa Learning Farms takes a grassroots approach offering innovative ways to help all Iowans have an active role in keeping our state’s natural resources healthy and not take them for granted. A goal of Iowa Learning Farms is to build a Culture of Conservation, encouraging the adoption of residue management and conservation practices. Farmers, researchers and ILF team members are working together to identify and implement the best in-field management practices that increase water and soil quality while remaining profitable.
Iowa Learning Farms is a partnership between the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Iowa Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Iowa Department of Natural Resources (USEPA section 319); in cooperation with Conservation Districts of Iowa, the Iowa Farm Bureau and the Iowa Water Center.