Managing Soybean Cyst Nematode, 2007

Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) causes the greatest yield loss of any single pathogen of soybean in Iowa. An estimated 50 million bushels were lost in Iowa to SCN in 2004. Damage from SCN is not limited to yield loss from root feeding; SCN also makes other diseases like sudden death syndrome, iron deficiency chlorosis, Pythium, Phytophthora root and stem rot and brown stem rot worse. Once established in a field, SCN cannot be eradicated. However, the use of multiple management tactics can help minimize yield loss.

Managing Soybean for High Yield, 2007

Producers continually strive for high yielding soybeans. The state-wide average yield for Iowa is now more than 50 bu./acre. The “yield plateau” reported by many producers does not exist, and is a perception largely brought on by misuse of an oversimplified management system. High yielding soybeans are achieved through improved and targeted management decisions. Improved agronomic decisions for soybeans are critical since soybean is very sensitive to stresses that influence soybean growth, development and yield.

Dedication of monuments erected by the state of Iowa,commemorating the death, suffering and valor of her soldiers on the battlefields of Vickburg, Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge, Shiloh, and in the Confederate prison at Andersonville,November twelfth to twenty-sixth, nineteen hundred and six,1908.

This book contains information on the dedication ceremony of Iowa monuments on the southern battlefields from the civil war and their final transfer made to the care of the general government. It includes history of the battles, photos and maps.

Mountain Lions in Iowa, 2011

Data sheet produced by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources is about different times of animals, insects, snakes, birds, fish, butterflies, etc. that can be found in Iowa.

Scouting for and managing the alfalfa weevil, 1982

Includes vital information on the Alfalfa Weevil including description, life cycle, damage that it does to alfalfa, how to find and identify and the recommended controls and management of the insect pest

Scouting for and managing the alfalfa weevil, 1986

Includes vital information on the Alfalfa Weevil including description, life cycle, damage that it does to alfalfa, how to find and identify and the recommended controls and management of the insect pest

Determination and Evaluation of Alternate Methods for Managing and Controlling Highway-Related Dust, TR-449, 2002

Road dust is caused by wind entraining fine material from the roadway surface and the main source of Iowa road dust is attrition of carbonate rock used as aggregate. The mechanisms of dust suppression can be considered as two processes: increasing particle size of the surface fines by agglomeration and inhibiting degradation of the coarse material. Agglomeration may occur by capillary tension in the pore water, surfactants that increase bonding between clay particles, and cements that bind the mineral matter together. Hygroscopic dust suppressants such as calcium chloride have short durations of effectiveness because capillary tension is the primary agglomeration mechanism. Somewhat more permanent methods of agglomeration result from chemicals that cement smaller particles into a mat or larger particles. The cements include lignosulfonates, resins, and asphalt products. The duration of the cements depend on their solubility and the climate. The only dust palliative that decreases aggregate degradation is shredded shingles that act as cushions between aggregate particles. It is likely that synthetic polymers also provide some protection against coarse aggregate attrition. Calcium chloride and lignosulfonates are widely used in Iowa. Both palliatives have a useful duration of about 6 months. Calcium chloride is effective with surface soils of moderate fine content and plasticity whereas lignin works best with materials that have high fine content and high plasticity indices. Bentonite appears to be effective for up to two years and works well with surface materials having low fines and plasticity and works well with limestone aggregate. Selection of appropriate dust suppressants should be based on characterization of the road surface material. Estimation of dosage rates for potential palliatives can be based on data from this report, from technical reports, information from reliable vendors, or laboratory screening tests. The selection should include economic analysis of construction and maintenance costs. The effectiveness of the treatment should be evaluated by any of the field performance measuring techniques discussed in this report. Novel dust control agents that need research for potential application in Iowa include; acidulated soybean oil (soapstock), soybean oil, ground up asphalt shingles, and foamed asphalt. New laboratory evaluation protocols to screen additives for potential effectiveness and determine dosage are needed. A modification of ASTM D 560 to estimate the freeze-thaw and wet-dry durability of Portland cement stabilized soils would be a starting point for improved laboratory testing of dust palliatives.

Managing Decisions Regarding Rural Expressway Routes and Associated Highway Bypasses, 2009

For several years, the Iowa Department of Transportation has constructed bypasses along rural highways. Most bypasses were constructed on the state’s Commercial Industrial Network (CIN). Now that work on the CIN has been completed and the system is open to traffic, it is possible to study the impacts of bypasses. In the past, construction of highway bypasses has led community residents and business people to raise concerns about the loss of business activity. For policy development purposes, it is essential to understand the impacts that a bypass might have on safety, the community, and economics. By researching these impacts, policies can be produced to help to alleviate any negative impacts and create a better system that is ultimately more cost-effective. This study found that the use of trade area analysis does not provide proof that a bypass can positively or negatively impact the economy of a rural community. The analysis did show that, even though the population of a community may be stable for several years and per capita income is increasing, sales leakage still occurs. The literature, site visits, and data make it is apparent that a bypass can positively affect a community. Some conditions that would need to exist in order to maximize a positive impact include the installation of signage along the bypass directing travelers to businesses and services in the community, community or regional plans that include the bypass in future land development scenarios, and businesses adjusting their business plans to attract bypass users. In addition, how proactive a community is in adapting to the bypass will determine the kinds of effects felt in the community. Results of statistical safety analysis indicate that, at least when crashes are separated by severity, bypasses with at-grade accesses appear to perform more poorly than either the bypasses with fully separated accesses or with a mix of at-grade and fully separated accesses. However, the benefit in terms of improved safety of bypasses with fully separated accesses relative to bypasses with a mixed type of accesses is not statistically conclusive.