Farmer-Led Research

Back in northwest Iowa, Dan and Lorna Wilson and Colin and Carla Wilson want to know how to use the manure and bedding that come out of their swine hoophouse and Swedish-style nursery facility. The nutrients in this …

Dennis and Eve Abbas, Hampton, asked a question pertinent to their organic farming operation. Like the previous trials it relates to nitrogen, although at first glance it may appear to be a population study. On the Abbas farm, …

Nowadays the choice of crop varieties is a decision that reflects not only potential yield but also stress tolerance, genetic technologies and their associated fees and restrictions, and even marketing to various identity-preserved niches. The Dordt College Agriculture …

Tom and Irene Frantzen, Alta Vista, obtained a SARE Producer Grant to investigate methods of quackgrass suppression. Quackgrass is a valued forage species on the diversified Frantzen farm. However, as the operation transitions into organic production, Tom is …

1997 Recap 1997 was my first year to grow certified organic corn. We compared the organic corn with conventionally grown corn, developing production budgets for each. Table 8. The conventional corn was planted April 28th on second-year corn ground …

The potato leafhopper, Empoasca fabae, is a key insect pest of alfalfa grown in the Midwest. Adult E. fabae migrate to Iowa from the southern United States in late April but do not cause economic damage to alfalfa …

A chief reason that producers discontinue strip intercropping is that they no longer experience the system’s yield benefits. That can happen when weeds, insects, or both build up to take advantage of the long borders between crops. In …

You can have the soil fertility just right, the right variety and perfect planting conditions, but the weeds can still sneak up and bite you. Lose a few plants to an early hailstorm or to greensnap – and …

How does a person determine whether a stream ecosystem on their land is healthy, and how can you recognize the impacts your farming practices have on a stream’s natural processes? Those were questions I had a couple of …

Nineteen ninety-seven was my first year to grow certified organic corn. To be certified, you have to have records to prove no chemical use for three years. We compared the returns from the organic corn and a field …

Bt-enhanced corn is among the latest products of biotechnology to come to market. Vegetable and some row-crop farmers have used the Bt bacteria (Bacillus thuringiensis) for decades to control the caterpillars of moths. The introduction of the “Bt” …

Deep placement of potassium and phosphorus fertilizer is a practice that PFI members have researched for several years. ISU soil scientist Antonio Mallarino has also been working on the topic (see The Practical Farmer, Fall, 1997), and reports …