Farmer-Led Research

Cover crops are gaining popularity Livestock farmers see the green on their neighbors’ cornfields, and think “that it’d make their cattle happy.” Grazing cover crops is popular in more small-grain-friendly areas like the Dakotas. Could it work in …

An outbreak of aster yellows impacted garlic crops in the Midwest in 2012. The disease persisted in saved seed planted for the 2013 crop – and many farmers saw poor germinationand crop failure. Nine Practical Farmers of Iowa farms …

Research has demonstrated that maintaining vegetation on crop fields during the off-season through cover cropping has benefits for farmers and soil. Cover crops hold soil in place, preventing erosion and the concomitant loss of phosphorus (Villamil et al. …

Cover crops are normally planted without the intention of a direct harvest. Rather, they are planted for the multiple benefits they provide to the farmer and the environment. These include: Soil quality improvements by protecting soil from erosion …

A number of corn hybrids have been developed to have elevated nutrient content. Four high-protein or high-lysine non-GMO corn hybrids were selected for testing: Master’s Choice 535, GEI 101, Channel 213, and eMerge 600. Yield, test weight, protein …

In a Nutshell One of the biggest pest problems in organic production of egg plant is flea beetles. In this study, two farms tested the effectiveness of kaolin clay and row covers. The treatments were not significantly different …

In a Nutshell Over time, grazing management is expected to improve forage quality, mass, and diversity. Thirty-one acres of perennial pasture in Cherokee County IA were transitioned from continuous to rotational stocking in 2010. Field characteristics were monitored …

In a Nutshell Accurate estimates of fly populations help producers evaluate the level of stress cattle are experiencing. Accurate estimates are also needed to evaluate the efficacy of fly control methods. We compare measurements across farms and fly …

In a Nutshell Interest in pasture-raised livestock has risen in part because of health benefits to the animals and to the consumer. Raising poultry on pasture allows the birds to express natural behaviors, exercise, and increase intake of …

In a Nutshell Hogs were fed one of two rations to determine if an alternative ration could reduce input costs while maintaining acceptable growth rates and carcass quality. Thirty hogs from each group were selected for evaluation of …

In a Nutshell Energy use in agriculture varies across cropping systems. This project explores the differences in energy use between two practical Midwest cropping systems. Diverse cropping systems, those with three or more crops, use a fraction of …