ISU Extension and Outreach information and resources for north central Iowa

Cerro Gordo County

ISU Extension and Outreach

2023 S. Federal Ave. Mason City, IA 50401 641-423-0844 bartus@iastate.edu www.extension.iastate.edu/cerrogordo

AG NEWS TODAY

ISU Northeast Research Farm to Celebrate

40th Anniversary on August 26

Contacts: Terry Basol, ISU Extension Agronomist, 641-426-6801, tlbasol@iastate.edu

and Ken Pecinovsky, ISU Northeast Research Farm Superintendent, 641-435-4864,

kennethp@iastate.edu

NASHUA, Iowa – The Iowa State University Northeast Research and Demon-

stration Farm will celebrate its 40th anniversary on Aug. 26 at its annual fall

field day.

The 260-acre farm

was purchased in

1976 by the North-

east Iowa Agricul-

tural Experimental

Association

(NEIAEA) in part-

nership with Iowa

State University.

The NEIAEA has

over 2,000 mem-

bers from 20 counties and provides leadership for the farm’s operations. Iowa

State researchers conduct research on a variety of agronomic crops, fruits, veg-

etables, soil management, water quality, pest management, soil fertility and

variety testing.

The program will start at 10:30 a.m., with introductory comments from

NEIAEA and Iowa State leaders in celebration of the farm’s accomplishments.

This will be followed by Chad Hart, Iowa State University Extension grain

markets specialist who will provide a grain market outlook. Others from Iowa

State University will speak during farm tours that will run multiple times

throughout the day.

Speakers from Iowa State University include:

•Chad Hart, Extension grain markets specialist, on the grain market outlook

•Robert Hartzler, Extension weed specialist, on weed management

•Antonio Mallarino, Extension specialist in agronomy, on soil fertility

•Matt Helmers, Extension agricultural engineer, on water quality

•Mark Licht, cropping systems agronomist, on corn and soybean production

•Jesse Randall, Extension forester, on windbreaks

•Cynthia Haynes, Extension specialist in horticulture, on home gardening

The field day is free and open to the public with a free lunch included. The

program will begin at the Borlaug Learning Center on the farm, which is locat-

ed at 3327 290th St., Nashua, IA 50658.

To get to the farm from Nashua, go to the junction of Highway 218 (Exit 220)

and County Road B60, head west on B60 1.1 miles to Windfall Avenue, then

south 1 mile to 290th Street, and then east 0.2 miles to the farm at 3321 290th

St. For more information, call Ken Pecinovsky at 641-435-4864.

A video about the celebration can be found at:

https://www.cals.iastate.edu/features/2016/isu-northeast-research-and-

demonstration-farm-celebrates-40th-anniversary

Extension Links

Ag Decision Maker

www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm

Beef Center

www.iowabeefcenter.org

ISU Ag Newsletters

www.extension.iastate.edu/ag/newsletters

Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy

www.nutrientstrategy.iastate.edu

Iowa State Research Farms

www.ag.iastate.edu/farms

Iowa Water Quality Initiative

www.cleanwateriowa.org

Manure Management

www.agronext.iastate.edu/immag

Pesticide Management

www.extension.iastate.edu/pme

Pork Center

www.ipic.iastate.edu

August 16, 2016

… and justice for all Iowa State University Extension programs are available to all without regard to race, color, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. veteran. Inquiries can be directed to the Director of Equal Opportunity and Compliance, 3280 Beardshear Hall, (515) 294-7612.

Cooperative Extension Service, Iowa State University of Science and Technology, and the United States Department of Agriculture cooperating.

Northern Iowa Research Farm Field Day Is Sept. 8

KANAWHA, Iowa - The Iowa State University Northern Research and Demonstration Farm Fall Field Day will be held

on Sept. 8. The field day will take place at the south location of the research farm, 1040 James Ave., Kanawha, approxi-

mately a mile south of Kanawha on county road R35.

Registration and refreshments will be at 9 a.m. and the field day will start at 9:30 a.m. A lunch will be served at noon.

The field day is open to the public, free of charge, and will conclude at 1 p.m.

2016 Farm Progress Show

Visit the Iowa State University tent at the Farm Progress Show – start

a conversation, pick up some Cyclone gear and take a selfie with a

statue of Cy. Located at the corner of Central Avenue and 7th Street in

Boone, Iowa, the Farm Progress Show runs August 30-September 1.

Soil, water and crops. They go together like Iowa State University, farmers and agriculture, and they come together at the

Farm Progress Show. Farmers learn about recent research; researchers learn more about the complex and critical issues

farmers face. Iowa State demonstrations and speakers get the conversations started; trust and reliability keep them going.

We'll meet you at the corner of Central Avenue and 7th Street where you can:

•Hear speakers on stage and talk to experts – Extension specialists are available in the Ask an Expert area and as speakers

throughout the show. See schedules for details

•Honor Women Impacting the Land – Meet the Iowa women who are making a significant impact in Iowa

•Get an overhead view of digital ag – Participate in UAV demonstrations that illustrate the use of remote sensing and aer-

ial imagery

•Explore healthy soil – Dig into non-traditional explorations of the biological, chemical and physical properties of soil

•Make a splash with water quality & nutrient reduction – Virtual landscapes & table-top models for an up-close look

•Discover the beauty of monarch habitat – Joining the effort led by the Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium

•Get a closer look – CALS stands for much more than College of Agriculture and Life Science

•Order from the Extension Store – A kiosk with a direct link to ISU Extension and Outreach publications

•Add conservation and biomass to the landscape – So many choices, making huge differences

Read more about ISU at the Farm Progress Show at http://register.extension.iastate.edu/2016fps/isu-around-the-show.

Soil Health Webinar Aug. 24 Offers Professional Training

ISU and NRCS will offer a free webinar to anyone interested in improving their soil health management system Article | 08/08/2016 | By Mahdi Al-Kaisi, Extension Agronomist and Professor in Agronomy, 515-294-8304, malkaisi@iastate.edu

AMES, Iowa – Field agronomists, farmers and others interested in soil

health are encouraged to join a soil health webinar on Aug. 24 from 9 – 10

a.m. The webinar will be presented by Iowa State University Extension and

Outreach in collaboration with the United States Department of Agriculture

Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS), and qualifies for

one soil and water continuing education credit for Certified Crop Advisers.

“The webinar will provide information to increase the understanding of soil

health and management practices that will improve soil health,” said Mahdi

Al-Kaisi, professor of agronomy and extension soil management specialist at

Iowa State University. “It will also provide an opportunity for professional

training for those seeking credits in soil and water management.”

This webinar will be an hour long presentation that covers three topics:

• Presentation on soil health basic concept and soil functions, and soil physical and biological indicators by Al-Kaisi.

• Application of management practices for improving soil biology as an essential component of soil health by Rick Bed-

narek, state soil scientist with USDA-NRCS.

• Planning and resource management to enhance and protect soil heath, by Doug Peterson, Iowa and Missouri Regional

Soil Health Specialist with the National Soil Health Division of the NRCS.

At the end of the three presentations, 10-15 minutes will be set aside to answer questions. Use the following link to ac-

cess the webinar: https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/soilhealth/. The webinar will be conducted using Adobe Connect,

so Adobe software is required to access the presentation.

A link to a recording of the webinar will be posted on the Iowa State University soil management web page at http://

www.agronext.iastate.edu/smse/ within one week of the presentation date. For more information, contact Mahdi Al-Kaisi

at 515-294-8304 or malkaisi@iastate.edu.

Weeds Week Encourages Farmers to Make Long-Term Weed

Management Plans - Farmers see good results this year from weed management changes

Article | 08/10/2016 | By Virgil Schmitt, Extension Field Agronomist, 563-263-5701, vschmitt@iastate.edu

AMES, Iowa – More than 150 farmers and agribusiness professionals took part in Weeds Week events around the state

this summer. The 2016 Weeds Week, held July 18-22, was the second year Iowa State University Extension and Outreach

has offered the event. The program held at five locations across the state included presentations by ISU Extension and

Outreach specialists on weed identification, evaluating herbicide sites of action, and developing long-term, field-specific

weed management plans as well as field plot tours. This year’s program included an additional component to help farmers

evaluate and plan for successful weed control.

“This year we took people through the actual process of designing ef-

fective weed management programs and provided participants the time

to develop their own strategy around their weeds of concern,” said Vir-

gil Schmitt, field agronomist at Iowa State University Extension and

Outreach.

Morgan and Evan McCarty are brothers who’ve attended a Weeds

Week program over the past two years. They farm with their father in

Royal, Iowa, and do all of the spraying applications to their corn and

soybean fields. Morgan and Evan decided to attend Weeds Week to

learn more about using multiple sites of action and scouting.

“We realized that Roundup isn’t the cure, and wanted to learn about

different herbicide programs,” said Evan.

At the 2015 and 2016 Weeds Week programs, Evan and Morgan learned about planning two to three years in advance to

hit different herbicide groups, and not to use the same family of herbicides every year. Evan said they were also told

about the economic impact of ignoring resistance and not managing weeds early on.

“Two years in a row, we heard that you should spend more money on weed control early on to avoid additional costs lat-

er, but we didn’t act on it,” said Evan. "After Weeds Week last year, we decided to take their advice, and we took action

earlier in the season to avoid late-season consequences.”

“We are seeing good results from the management changes we made over the past year,” said Morgan. “We’ve had a cou-

ple issues with giant ragweed and waterhemp, but besides that, our fields look really clean.”

The program also allowed farmers and agribusiness professionals to discuss their specific weed problems with one anoth-

er and gave them the opportunity to have ISU Exten-

sion and Outreach specialists answer their questions.

“We provided opportunities for participants to identify

factors that would influence the effectiveness of a herb-

icide program, whether or not a single application

would be effective, and non-chemical techniques that

impact weed management,” said Schmitt. “We then

used their answers as the jumping-off point to address

some of those issues. People learned from each other,

as well as from ISU Extension and Outreach staff.”

Watch the video online at http://www.extension.ia

state.edu/article/weeds-week-encourages-farmers-make

-long-term-weed-management-plans.

Look for ISU Extension and Outreach at 2016 Iowa State Fair

Article | 08/04/2016 | By Natasha Neal, Organizational Advancement, 515-494-9225, natneal@iastate.edu

AMES, Iowa – Visitors to the 2016 Iowa State Fair, Aug. 11–21, can find Iowa State University Extension and Outreach

connections throughout the fairgrounds. Read more of this article at http://www.extension.iastate.edu/article/look-isu-

extension-and-outreach-2016-iowa-state-fair.

4-H exhibits, livestock, special events - 4-H Youth Development is headquartered at Iowa State University and available

through ISU Extension and Outreach offices in all Iowa counties. Fair visitors will see the work of Iowa 4-H’ers from

throughout the state in the Bruce L. Rastetter 4-H Exhibits Building as well as the livestock venues. State 4-H youth pro-

gram specialists are expecting nearly 4,000 static exhibits and more than 900 communication entries, which include edu-

cational presentations, working exhibits, extemporaneous speaking and Share the Fun performances.

New Palmer Amaranth Findings in Iowa

By Bob Hartzler, Professor of agronomy, 515-294-1164, hartzler@iastate.edu

Two new Palmer amaranth infestations have been identified in Iowa this

summer, including one in a new county. Both infestations are in newly-

seeded CRP (spring 2016) that contained a diverse mix of forbs and

grasses. The new site in Muscatine County was seeded to a wildlife habi-

tat mix, whereas the Madison County site was seeded to pollinator habi-

tat. Both discoveries were made by individuals with significant experi-

ence working with and identifying weeds. We are confident that the

Palmer amaranth was not in these fields prior to this year due to the low plant num-

bers and the random distribution of plants, rather than occurring in patches.

Early detection is the key to prevent Palmer amaranth from spreading across the Iowa

landscape. Identifying new infestations before Palmer amaranth establishes a permanent seed bank can be difficult due to

the similarity between Palmer amaranth and waterhemp. Without close scrutiny it is easy to overlook Palmer amaranth,

because of the prevalence of waterhemp in the state. High-risk areas include dairies and other animal operations that use

feed or bedding from states with known Palmer amaranth infestations, high-traffic areas that include truck and equip-

ment movement from other states, fields located in counties with known infestations, and, now, newly-seeded CRP or

other plantings using native seed mixes. Iowa infestations should be flowering now, simplifying identification.

Waterhemp and Palmer amaranth are both highly variable species, thus differentiating the species when they are vegeta-

tive can be difficult, if not impossible. Palmer amaranth usually will have some leaves with a petiole longer than the leaf

blade (Picture 1). The most reliable trait are the large, sharp bracts on female Palmer amaranth. The bracts extend be-

yond the other flower parts, giving the inflorescence a spiky appearance (Picture 2). Read more at http://crops.extension.

iastate.edu/cropnews/2016/08/new-palmer-amaranth-findings-iowa.

Thursday, August 11, 2016

9:00 AM - 9:00 PM Iowa State Fair - August 11-21, 2016 Des Moines

Tuesday, August 23, 2016 AM - PM Iowa Drainage School ISU Northeast Research Farm, Nashua

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Young Farmers Group Meeting Mason City Chamber of Commerce

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

1:30 PM - 4:00 PM Heritage Club Presentation First Citizens National Bank, Mason City

Friday, August 26, 2016

10:30 AM - 3:00 PM ISU Northeast Research and Demonstration Farm Fall Field Day -40th Anniversary Nashua

Monday, August 29, 2016 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Cerro Gordo County Extension Council Meeting 4-H Learn-

ing Center, North Iowa Events Center, Mason City

To view this newsletter online or find more information about these events, go to www.extension.iastate.edu/cerrogordo or call 641-423-0844.

Cerro Gordo County Extension and Outreach

Calendar of Events

Cerro Gordo Co. Extension Staff

Regional Director Donovan Olson 641-423-0844

donovano@iastate.edu

Executive Director John Sjolinder 641-423-0844 sjolinde@iastate.edu

County Youth Coordinator Kelsey Warner 641-423-0844 kdwarner@iastate.edu

ISU Youth Specialist Gail Castillo 641-423-0844

gail@iastate.edu

Office Manager/Bookkeeper

JoAnn Bartusek 641-423-0844 bartus@iastate.edu

Office Assistant/4-H Support Becky Oelkers 641-423-0844

oelkers@iastate.edu

Agriculture Specialists

Livestock Russ Euken 641-923-2856 reuken@iastate.edu

Agronomy Angie Rieck-Hinz

515-532-3453 amrieck@iastate.edu

Farm Management Kelvin Leibold

641-648-4850 kleibold@iastate.edu