Posted on October 23, 2017 at 12:00 AM by Iowa Corn
Happy Fall! I hope you are having a safe and productive harvest. Cooler weather has arrived, and there are plenty of opportunities to try new conservation practices or to expand on existing ones. Be sure to wait until soil temperatures are below 50 degrees or use a stabilizer when applying nitrogen this fall. Click here to view ISU’s soil temperature maps.
It’s not too late to plant winter hardy cover crops, like cereal rye. It will germinate at temperatures as low as 34 degrees. Consider reducing tillage, especially if you are subject to conservation compliance. NRCS will not allow tillage to smooth gullies. Click here for more info.
Pesticide and manure applicator training is coming up at your local extension office. Check your license, and if necessary, get your continuing education done before the end of the year to avoid having to retest.
We’re still looking for farmers who have improved monarch habitat or are interested in monarch-friendly mowing and spraying practices. Email me if you’re interested in sharing your story.
Finally, if you haven’t signed up for the Stewardship Advocate program, be sure to do so here so you don’t miss out. With more than 1,000 people enrolled in the program, we will only be sending updates to those signed up from here on out.
Calhoun County farmer Dwight Dial knows the benefits of conservation practices, as he has seen them at work on his own farm. Hear him talk about how practices, like cover crops, have helped him improve and maintain the quality of his soil.