Unlike some other parts of Iowa, the weather seems to be on the farmers side in East Central Iowa. It?s not every day that you see the weather giving some of us rain in a timely matter, but of course mother nature can?t be seen giving only some of Iowa the good weather for very long.
Iowa State University Extension Field Agronomist Rebecca Vittetoe talks about how she is very grateful for the weather being on their side most of this season so far. She mentions the timely rains they have received although still being on the drier side of things and says the recent drink of water helped the crops out even more.
Vittetoe mentions their late start to the planting season unlike some parts of Iowa who got to plant in that usual timeframe. She talks about the lack of rain they have dealt with so far this season, and how the rain this past weekend has made farmers very thankful.
When we turn the page to pest and insect pressure, Vittetoe mentions that they are mostly dealing with insect problems this season. Unlike your typical corn and soybean talk, she says one crop affected by insects right now is alfalfa. She talks about other insects and pests that are in the East Central part of Iowa that people need to keep an eye on. She also mentions different diseases that, because of the dry weather this season, they haven?t seen much of, but that doesn?t mean they aren?t still in the area.
Vittetoe talks about what farmers can do to keep their fields looking good and staying healthy. She mentions post herbicide applications being applied to fields, and what you can look for or do if nothing is dying off. She notes to mainly just watch those crops grow and keep an eye out for anything that needs to be done to the field.
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