Virtual Field Day Access Instructions:
To participate in the live virtual field day at 1:00 pm CT on February 13, click this URL: https://iastate.zoom.us/j/91411984892.
Iowa Learning Farms, in partnership with the Iowa Nutrient Research Center and Iowa State University, is hosting a free virtual field day on Thursday, February 13 at 1 p.m. CT. Join us for a live discussion with Alison Robertson, Iowa State University Plant Pathology, Entomology, and Microbiology Professor, and Peter O’Brien, United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service Research Agronomist.
Cereal rye is the most common cover crop grown in Iowa because of its winter hardiness as well as its contribution to soil health and water quality. Greater cereal rye biomass increases the benefits received. However, there are tradeoffs associated with increased cereal rye biomass – most importantly for growers is the potential for corn yield drag. The two most detrimental reasons for a reduction in corn yield following cereal rye include: soil nitrogen dynamics and seedling disease. This novel project funded by the Iowa Nutrient Research Center looks to better understand the role of both N and disease as contributors to corn yield drag to encourage cereal rye as a cover crop on the Iowa landscape.
“What we're hoping is by socially distancing the rye, we can then plant green because that would be really helpful to a farmer, if they can terminate and plant on the same day,” noted Robertson “We're trying to see can we socially distance and still plant green to mitigate the yield drag and reduce the amount of seedling disease.”
“One really important way to determine if the rye is providing these ecosystem services despite changing our management is to measure just how much cereal rye is out here. So, as we have more cereal rye biomass, it's capturing more of that nitrogen from the soil profile keeping it out of the tile drains, which is where we do not want it, and then holding it there in the on the field for the corn later,” added O’Brien. “In addition to understanding what's going on with nitrogen dynamics, we want to assess through rainfall simulations how well these different strategies are reducing soil erosion which is a really important benefit of cover crops.”
Participants are encouraged to ask questions of the presenters. People from all backgrounds and areas of interest are encouraged to join.
Virtual Field Day Access Instructions:
To participate in the live virtual field day at 1:00 pm CT on February 13, click this URL: https://iastate.zoom.us/j/91411984892 or visit https://www.iowalearningfarms.org/events-1.
Or, join from a dial-in phone line:
Dial: 646-876-9923 or 646-931-3860
Meeting ID: 914 1198 4892
The field day will be recorded and archived on the ILF website so that it can be watched at any time. The archive will be available at https://www.iowalearningfarms.org/virtual-field-day-archive.
Participants may 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 event.