cropCENTRAL | Field Crop Production Resources

Test Your Integrated Weed Management Knowledge!

  • February 6, 2018

Test your knowledge of integrated weed management (IWM) with this short quiz (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SD9RT6R). The quiz is anonymous, and the answers will be revealed at the end.
Effective long-term weed management requires integrating multiple effective techniques, as opposed to relying solely on one or two tactics. This is particularly true as troublesome herbicide-resistant weeds continue to develop and spread throughout the US. Diversifying weed management tactics, preventing the introduction of new weeds, and varying herbicide modes of action reduces the spread and establishment of resistant weeds.…

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EPA Public Comment Period Open on Neonicotinoid Insecticide Ecological Risk Assessments, Closes February 20

  • January 26, 2018

The EPA recently opened a public comment period on ecological risk assessments of four neonicotinoid insecticides as part of the ongoing registration review for these materials. The purpose of this comment period is to allow stakeholders and the general public to provide input on the risks and benefits of these materials related to their use in agricultural production. A press release detailing this announcement can be found at the following link: https://www.epa.gov/pesticides/epa-releases-neonicotinoid-assessments-public-comment. At the bottom of the page,…

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Calling Central Illinois Landowners with CP42

  • January 16, 2018

 
Agriculture comprises nearly half of terrestrial global landscapes posing a number of challenges to native pollinators. However, the Conservation Reserve Program’s CP42 Pollinator Habitat program aims to mitigate these challenges by providing pollen and nectar resources for pollinators where they may be lacking.
With funding from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and the North Central IPM Center, Madeline Kangas, a University of Illinois graduate student in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences,…

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One More Call for Soybean Production Information

  • January 12, 2018

A number of times over the past 30 months I’ve asked Illinois soybean producers for help in gathering field-level information on soybean fields to feed into a study, led by the University of Nebraska and funded by the North Central Soybean Research Program, looking at weather, soil, and management effects soybean yield over the Corn Belt.
The last growing season from which we are collecting information is 2017, so this is probably the last time I’ll ask.…

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2018 Crop Management Conferences Registration Open

  • December 11, 2017

Registration is open for the 2018 Crop Management Conferences. These regional conferences provide a forum for discussion and interaction between participants and university researchers. We are looking forward to introducing new specialists from the University of Illinois, and have adjoining state specialists joining us at Mt. Vernon and Malta. We will also be offering dicamba training at the conclusion of each conference.
Certified Crop Advisers can earn up to 8 hours of continuing education credit. Advance registration,…

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Precautions for Dicamba Use in Xtend Soybeans

  • November 27, 2017

The extension weed science programs at The Ohio State University, Purdue University, and the University of Illinois recently collaborated to produce suggestions and precautions for use of dicamba in dicamba-resistant soybean.  The United States Environmental Protection Agency issued amendments to the Xtendimax, Engenia, and FeXapan labels last October, and this new extension weed science publication offers additional suggestions to help further reduce off-target dicamba movement.  Dicamba Precautions…

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Label Changes for XtendiMax, Engenia, and FeXapan

  • November 10, 2017

On October 13, the United States Environmental Agency (EPA) issued several amendments to the XtendiMax, Engenia, and FeXapan labels that will impact all purchases and applications of these products in 2018 and beyond.  These amendments can be summarized as:
1) XtendiMax, Engenia, and FeXapan are now restricted use products (RUP), permitting only certified applicators to purchase and/or apply these products.
2) Prior to applying these products in 2018, applicators must complete dicamba or auxin-specific training.  Two of the labels further specify training will be required annually.…

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Timing Fall Nitrogen

  • October 19, 2017

The substantial rain that fell over central and northern Illinois between October 5 and 15 mostly soaked into the soil that was dried out by crop water use, and harvest has moved back to full speed in most areas. With harvest, thoughts turn to application of fall ammonia in central and northern Illinois. Almost everyone is on board with waiting until soil temperatures are at or below 50 degrees before applying ammonia. Cool soil (along with use of nitrification inhibitor) lowers the rate of nitrification,…

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Weed Seed Destructor Field Demonstration Reminder

  • October 5, 2017

Here is a great opportunity to see a novel weed management tool!  Dr. Adam Davis, USDA/ARS weed ecologist at the University of Illinois, will host a field demonstration of the Harrington Seed Destructor (HSD) on October 12.  The HSD will be run several times during the tour, so please attend even if you are not able to arrive exactly at 1:00 p.m.  The following news release, written by Lauren Quinn, provides more details about the field demonstration.…

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Using the N rate calculator

  • September 27, 2017

A group of people who work on nitrogen fertilizer met in 2004 to talk about an alternative to the yield-goal-based N recommendation system that had been in widespread use for some three decades. The main concern with the yield-goal-based system was that, as corn yields increased over time, N rate trials were showing that the amount of fertilizer N needed to maximize yields was not going up as fast as yields. On the other hand, the amount of fertilizer N needed on lighter soils,…

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