Farmer-Led Research

In a Nutshell Cover crops are recognized for their ability to scavenge nitrogen and possibly improve soil characteristics in corn-soybean production systems. Farmer-cooperator Jack Boyer investigated three different cereal rye cover crop seeding dates in his seed corn …

Managing animals on pasture offers the opportunity to improve productivity on a fixed land area. The Andersons run about 30 cows on their farm, which includes 65 acres pasture, also corn, soybeans and hay. Andersons monitored activity daily …

Organic hogs typically grow slower and are less efficient than conventional hogs. High-fiber diets high in small grains are common in organic production but may be less efficient compared to corn-soybean diets. Tom Frantzen and family fed groups …

Fruit and Vegetable farmers want to use cover crops to control weeds on their farms to reduce labor costs and competition with cash crops. Cereal rye cover crops have been mulch-killed to control weeds in cash crops. Key …

Applying manure or fertilizer with a nitrogen stabilizer has been identified as a practice farmers can use to reduce the potential for nonpoint source pollution of surface waters. Farmer-cooperator Tim Sieren assessed the effect on corn yields of …

Compost extract (compost steeped in water, then sieved) is a popular soil amendment to increase beneficial biota and increase yields. Two treatment levels of compost extract were applied to carrots on two farms to determine impact on yield …

Pollinators are a critical component of agricultural production, and the populations of bees are declining. Some farms are implementing bee-friendly pollinator habitat, and are curious what effect their efforts have on local populations. • Pollinators were collected in …

Neonicotinoid seed treatments in soybean production are ubiquitous but recent evidence has called their benefit to yields and their ecological impact into question. Farmer-cooperators compared soybean yields from soybeans of the same variety grown from neonicotinoid-treated seeds and …

Fruit and vegetable farmers use mulch to control weed competition plus increase moisture retention for cash crops. Many fruit and vegetable farmers use plastic mulch but concerns about its environmental sustainability have farmers wanting to test other mulch …

Using cover crops and side-dressing nitrogen fertilizer is a common bundle being investigated by Iowa farmers concerned about soil health, water quality and return on investment of cover crops. Cooperators grew corn following a winter rye cover crop …

Fruit and Vegetable farmers use cover crops to improve nutrient cycling and control weeds for increased production efficiency. Summer cover crops can be challenge due to dry conditions. Four farms evaluated summer cover crops to determine aboveground biomass …

Extending and diversifying a crop rotation to include a small grain presents farmers with the opportunity to also include green manure cover crops. Three farmer-cooperators grew a small grain + red clover and a small grain + cover …