Webinar: Cover Crop Dos and Don'ts, Corn Growth, Diseases, Pests

Iowa Learning Farms, in partnership with the Iowa Nutrient Research Center, and Conservation Learning Group will present a virtual cover crop field day on Dec. 16 at 1 p.m. Central. The event will feature live conversation with Alison Robertson, professor and extension field pathologist in agronomy at Iowa State University, and Mark Licht, assistant professor and extension cropping systems specialist in agronomy at Iowa State University.

The field day will explore the potential benefits and impacts of planting corn into a living winter cereal rye cover crop. While the field day will primarily focus on the Iowa trial, the research project has replicated sites located in 15 states across the country. Building on existing research trials, the team is examining different termination dates, both before and after the planting of corn, to determine the impact on diseases, weeds, and both pest and beneficial insects.

Participants in Iowa Learning Farms virtual field days are encouraged to ask questions of the presenters. People from all backgrounds and areas of interest are encouraged to join.

The field day will be recorded and archived on the ILF website so that it can be watched at any time at www.iowalearningfarms.org/virtual-field-day-archive.

Participants will be eligible for a Certified Crop Adviser board-approved continuing education unit. Information about how to apply to receive the CEU will be provided at the end of the live field day.

Established in 2004, Iowa Learning Farms is building a Culture of Conservation by encouraging adoption of conservation practices. Farmers, researchers and ILF team members are working together to identify and implement the best management practices that improve water quality and soil health while remaining profitable. Partners of Iowa Learning Farms include the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Iowa Department of Natural Resources (USEPA section 319) and GROWMARK Inc.