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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In addition to working on ratational grazing, we have started a demonstration that is directed toward restoring ecological biodiversity to our farm. Insecticides were not used on the cows for fly control, and certain areas of the farm …
This report is a continuation of the article that appeared in the Winter 1994 issue of the Practical Farmer. If anyone would like a copy contact us at (319) 203-1337 or got in touch with the PFI coordinators. …
The Neely-Kinyon Farm, near Greenfield, began rotational grazing in 1995 with 30-35 dairy heifers on 37 acres. A goal is to evaluate the economics of raising replacement dairy heifers on rotationally grazed pasture in southwest Iowa. Money was …
This test was conducted to determine the production and economic differences between a corn/soy ration and a corn/barley/soy ration. We wanted to see if barley is a viable alternative to corn in a swine grower-finish ration. We were …
Practical Farmers of Iowa research cooperators have worked with Iowa State University scientists over the past decade as they have developed several new nitrogen monitoring tools for corn. The latest nitrogen bulletins from ISU can be found on …
This project was begun when Iowa was in the early stages of introduction of the late spring soil nitrate test for corn. Practical Farmers of Iowa cooperators assisted in bringing the test to the public. They evaluated the …
As in past years, several PFI cooperators evaluated starters and other banded fertilizers in 1994. By now it should be no surprise that results were mixed. Even where these fertilizers increased crop yields, there was sometimes no clear …
A number of PFI farmers experimented with unconventional products in 1994. Dave and Lisa Lubben, Monticello, continued a line of investigation they began several years ago, testing ACA (zinc acetate), ACA is said to increase nitrogen uptake of …
In 1994, corn population trials came from both cooperators Ron and Maria Rosmann, Harlan, and the Riceville, Iowa Future Farmers of America, which participated through a Sustainable Projects grant. In all three trials there was a consistent yield …
Several on-farm trials don’t fall into easy categories, but that doesn’t make them any less Ron and Maria Rosmann, for example, who compared corn populations in their transition system, also looked at soybean planting rates. They compared 171 …
Narrow strip intercropping is a complex system requiring careful management. Maybe we should think of it as a finely tuned sports car. It’s a roadster that can really perform on a good road. But it isn’t built for …
A few years back, nitrogen rate trials were the most common on-farm experiment. That’s no longer true, maybe because we now have the late spring soil nitrate test for corn. At the Neely-Kinyon Research Farm, near Greenfield, Bernie …
