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 Heirloom tomatoes are in high demand in local food markets and bring in a premium price. However, heirloom tomatoes often are disease prone and can produce inconsistent yields, reducing their reliability and efficiency for many growers. The …
Q: Can high methionine maize be a substitute for synthetic DL-methionine in broiler diets? A: Preliminary studies show that with a 5% decrease in soybean meal (SBM), high-methionine (HM) corn is a potential ingredient to substitute. But 20% …
Abstract Eric and Ann Franzenburg of Pheasant Run Farm near Van Horne constructed three greenhouses on their farm in 2008. In 2009 they took data on crops grown in these greenhouse to determine if heating the soil was …
Abstract Dean and Judy Henry constructed a greenhouse that is heated by a wood furnace on their farm. Their initial purpose was to grow raspberries year round, but they were also interested in trying out other crops to …
Abstract Hairy vetch yielded significantly more above-ground biomass when planted at last cultivation of corn as compared to turnip and red clover. It is important for farmers to increase protein available to cattle grazing cornstalks and also provide …
The demand for local food in central Iowa outstrips supply in many types of markets, even during peak harvest season. Unmet demand is particularly evident outside the regular growing season. The same time period that direct-market produce farms …
Abstract Producers like the Cornish Cross poultry variety because they have been bred for fast production and high feed efficiency. However, they don’t perform well on pasture, so producers are looking for an efficient breed alternative to the …
The new PFI Bioenergy and Diversity project hosted three field days in late summer 2008. The focus of this article is a biodiesel field day that was hosted on August 30 by Plainfield farmers Gary Laydon and Pat …
Fruit and vegetable farmers are often lured by the prospect of increasing their revenue by adding a high tunnel. These structures provide the opportunity to make money outside of the regular growing season, making it more feasible to …
Summary Flame cultivation can be effective in killing weeds, including those growing in the crop row. Any positive effect on crop yields is through reduction of weed competition only. The cost per acre of flame cultivation is two-to-three …
In a way, weed management trials and cover crop trials belong together. A cover crop growing in a row crop field travels a fine line between failure and becoming a weed itself. On the other end of the …
PFI has completed three years of research on flax as an alternative crop. The research has been led by ISU’s Mary Wiedenhoeft and Margaret Smith along with graduate student Sarah Carlson. Over the course of the project, farmer …
