Leah Ten Napel, Field Agronomist
The winter months are a great time for growers to evaluate the success of last year’s crop and learn about topics that can help them in the growing season ahead. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach hopes to give growers opportunities throughout the winter months to expand their knowledge of agronomic topics to help better their operations. Before we dive into those opportunities, let’s look back on the 2023 growing season.
As we expected, the yields were extremely variable across the state and even field to field. When we evaluate the yield results it is helpful to look back at the different stages of the growing season. The growing season began with concerns of little moisture left in our soil profile. Soils were slow to warm up as producers were ready to get seed into the ground. Dry, cool soils caused herbicide carryover and emergence issues across Northwest Iowa. Some fields needed to be replanted while others pushed through the stresses.
As crops continued to grow, we received varying amounts of rainfall across the region, some timely, others not so much. When crops entered their reproductive stages, we were challenged with hot temperatures and strong winds. This put the endurance of our hybrids to the test. Disease and insect pest pressure stayed relatively low until the last stretch of the growing season. Soybeans battled diseases like brown stem rot and white mold, and insect pressure from grasshoppers and soybean gall midge. Corn disease pressure stayed below yield damaging levels in most areas, but issues with corn rootworm lodging, root pruning and silk feeding were seen throughout the season. As yield reports come in from throughout the region, we must evaluate all the variables those fields have faced. Growers I have spoken with have reported soybean yields average to above average if they were able to avoid high pressure from late season pests. I have heard a very large range of corn yields, mostly dependent on rainfall received and stress levels during pollination.
ISU Extension and Outreach specialists dive into many of the agronomic topics listed above at programing throughout the winter. Two programs I’d like to point out specifically are the Crop Advantage Series and CropsTV. Crop Advantage Series is a state-wide program that occurs at 12 locations throughout the month of January. The two dates left for this event in Northwest Iowa are January 23rd in Okoboji and January 30th in Le Mars. Or if you’d like to learn more about these topics online in your free time, I strongly recommend CropsTV. Learn more about these programs at their respective websites, https://www.aep.iastate.edu/cas/ and https://www.aep.iastate.edu/cropstv/.