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.
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Two cooperators gave serious examination to the use of cover crops to control weeds. Jeff and Gayle Olson, Mount Pleasant, compared mechanical and chemical means of removing a cover of springseeded rye from the ridge (Table 7). The …
One more tool is coming into use in PFI trials. It is a “rear view mirror” test to tell you how the crop fared for nitrogen. It is the late season stalk nitrate-N test. Eight-inch sections of stalks …
PFI farmers have always been interested in the most efficient and profitable ways to use resources like livestock manure. This year’s field trials with manure looked at economics placement, comparisons with other fertilizers, and manure’s effect on soybeans. …
Past experience has suggested that the biggest advantage of narrow strip intercropping is seen in years with good yield potential. In years of drought stress, yields of stripped crops are no better than yields of whole-field blocks, and …
In 1992 PFI cooperators received support from the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture to document crop growth and economics in narrow strip intercropping. In narrow strip intercropping, alternating strips of different crops run side by side across the …
The 1992 growing season was the fifth year PFI cooperators used the late spring soil nitrate test to set nitrogen rates for corn. The late spring, or “pre-sidedress,” test is taken when the crop is 6-12 inches tall …
Several additional fertility trials were carried out by cooperators. Paul and Karen Mugge, Sutherland, checked for residual differences due to deep banding in the ridge versus surface broadcast P and K fertilizer in December, 1990 (Table 5). There …
A good argument could be made that there will never be a definitive answer to the question: “Do starter fertilizers pay?” The difficulty is in the complexity of the situation – there are multiple nutrients, environmental variables, producer …
Tillage is one of the most fundamental building blocks of a cropping system. There the agreement ends. Some prefer primary tillage, some say ridge tillage is the best of both worlds, and others believe no-till is the way …
The challenges in weed management in 1992 came from the weather. Postemergence herbicides were ineffective in the dry spring and early summer conditions, while there were plenty of good days for using the rotary hoe. But cultivating helped …
PFI cooperators have continued to work with Iowa State University researchers on the practice of narrow strip intercropping. In narrow strip intercropping, alternating strips of different crops run side by side across the field. In addition to giving …
Many farmers, agricultural professionals, policy makers, and members of the general public have questions about the manner in which weeds are controlled in row crops: Are trade-offs between tillage and herbicides inevitable? What are the environmental effects of …
