Journal Issue:
2017 Farm Progress Reports
Farm Progress Reports: Volume 2017, Issue 1
Volume
Number
Issue Date
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Journal Volume
Articles
Farmers continue to search for ways to increase corn and soybean yields, including the use of plant growth regulators. Plant growth regulators, such as gibberellic acid, are organic compounds that modify plant growth processes at very low concentrations. Gibberellic acids control cell elongation and division in plant shoots. Cytokinins affect cell division, cell enlargement, senescence, and transport of amino acids in plants. Plant growth regulators are more commonly used on fruit and vegetable crops than on grain crops. The purpose of these trials was to investigate the effect of foliar applications of the plant growth regulators on corn and soybean grain yield.
Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) requires fewer inputs than other cool season grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass. With newer turf-type tall fescue cultivars, more facilities are choosing them over Kentucky bluegrass due to better traffic and drought tolerance. The objective of this study was to determine what height of cut offers the best aesthetic quality and safety, measured by surface hardness, soil moisture, and shear vane rotational resistance. This is the first year of a two-year study.
Iowa State University (ISU) has a long-standing relationship with Iowa corn and soybean farmers. As part of this relationship, ISU works to provide quality, unbiased information to assist the decision-making process on farm operations.
Foliar fungicides were assessed on soybeans for foliar disease management and yield response across seven Iowa State University research station locations including the Northwest Farm (Sutherland), Northern Farm (Kanawha), Northeast Farm (Nashua), Central Iowa Farms (Ames), Armstrong Farm (Lewis), McNay Farm (Chariton), and Southeast Farm (Crawfordsville).
There were two themes for the 2017 Home Demonstration Gardens: pantry garden and an edible flower garden. Three-quarters of the garden was planted for the pantry garden, which focused on cultivar trials and donation of produce to local food pantries. The other quarter of the garden was planted with edible flowers and new flower cultivars.