Farmer-Led Research
Research reports are written by Practical Farmers staff to ensure consistency and quality, and are available to view or download for free.
The Latest Research from PFI
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Abstract Corn (Zea mays) is a major crop across the Midwestern U.S. Yields have been steadily increasing in Iowa from an average of 48.5 bu/ ac in 1950 to an average of 171 bu/ac in 2011 (USDA NASS). …
Abstract Soil quality indicators were compared in different farming systems at eight “pods” of neighboring farms around Iowa. Samples were collected for three years and analyzed for organic matter, total carbon and nitrogen content, bulk density, stable aggregate …
Abstract Cover Crops are an important addition to any farming system to improve soil quality and decrease soil erosion or nutrient loss. Farmers are concerned that a winter rye cover crop could negatively impact their cash crop yields. …
Abstract Cover crops have been increasing in popularity because of the benefits they provide to the soil and the environment, among others; however, they are rarely harvested. Not only can a cover crop protect Iowa’s soil from erosion …
Abstract Many PFI vegetable producers grow sweet potatoes. To increase the marketable yield of sweet potatoes, some have heard that it is effective to remove roots formed by sweet potato runners to help concentrate energy growth to the …
Abstract Jill Beebout and Sean Skeehan of Blue Gate Farm have kept records in their high tunnel for the past three seasons to create Iowa-specific scheduling and marketing information to determine which high tunnel crops generate the most …
Abstract Soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is a pest to soybeans in Iowa. In certain years, it can be economically devastating to a farming operation. Conventional farmers can use insecticides to control soybean aphid populations but …
Abstract Six cooperators documented their local and distance food purchases between May 1, 2010 and July 31, 2011. For this study, local food was defined as food produced within Iowa. After 15 months of data collection, the data …
Abstract During Iowa’s spring 2008 floods, PFI members who had grass-based livestock systems and long crop rotations reported that their soils held the rainwater. This experiment tested those claims. The main objective of the study was to quantify …
Tips for Increasing Local Food Purchases From what the participants learned through this project, here are some tips for increasing your local food purchases: Start by reading labels and learning how far the food travels at the grocery …
Abstract Scattergood Farm measured the effects of two cover crops or no cover crop on numbers of weeds and compaction measured by soil density in a vegetable crop following a transition from a pasture. The treatments tested were …
Abstract Organic production typically delays planting of soybean (Glycine max) until late May. However, a longer season provides time needed to reach maximum yield potential. In 2011, planting dates in mid-May resulted in yields five bushels per acre …
