Water Table Level as Influenced by Rainfall, Crop Requirements, and Tiling Method during the past Three Years

In 1979, a portion of the research farm was pattern tiled including the large tillage plots. This was used as an opportunity to compare tile installation methods: a conventional trenching machine (used widely prior to late 70s), and a trenchless “tile plow” machine. The tile plow inserted plastic tile using a mole approach, which is the current primary tiling method. This research showed that plow and trenching tiling methods were not significantly different and both provided adequate drainage. It also showed that water table measurements were influenced more by timing of water needs of the crop being grown and intensity of the rainfall event than tiling method. This report focuses on continued research completed on these trial plots from 2009 to 2011 measuring water table level.

Conservation Reserve Program to Row Crop Demonstration

The demonstration project was designed to examine one way of preparing Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) land for row crop production. Many producers have successfully converted CRP land for this purpose; additionally, there was an opportunity for the research farm to gain experience in this area. The goal of the project was to document one way of going through the process.

Long-term Tillage and Crop Rotation Effects on Soil Carbon and Soil Productivity

Tillage system and crop rotation have a significant, long-term effect on soil productivity and soil quality components such as soil carbon and other soil physical, biological, and chemical properties. In addition, both tillage and crop rotation have effects on weed and soil disease control. There is a definite need for well-defined, long-term tillage and crop rotation studies across the different soils and climate conditions in the state. The objective of this study was to evaluate the long-term effects of different tillage systems and crop rotations on soil productivity

Influence of Crop Load on Tree Growth, Yield, and Fruit Quality of Scab Resistant Apples at Harvest

Apple scab, caused by Venturia inaequalis, is a major disease affecting apple production. Breeding programs have developed over 30 releases of scab-resistant cultivars since 1970 with recent ones having much improved quality. Redfree and GoldRush are from a cooperative breeding program involving Purdue, Rutgers, and Illinois universities while Liberty was introduced from the Cornell University breeding program. For these cultivars to gain better acceptance, more information is needed on their cropping capacities and the effect of crop load on fruit quality attributes. Our study was conducted to determine the relationship between increasing crop load on tree growth, fruit size, and fruit quality variables of the three cultivars under Iowa conditions.

Nitrogen Fertilization of Corn Grown with a Cover Crop

Objectives of this project were to study corn nitrogen (N) fertilization requirement and corn-soybean yield response when grown in a rye cover cropping system. Multiple rates of N fertilizer were applied, with measurement of corn yield response to applied N and soybean yield with and without a fall planted winter rye cover crop. The study was conducted at multiple research farms, with the intent for comparison of with and without a cover crop system across varying soil and climatic conditions in Iowa.

Long-term Tillage and Crop Rotation Effects on Yield

Tillage system and crop rotation have a major long-term effect on soil productivity and soil quality components such as soil carbon and other soil physical, biological, and chemical properties. In addition, both tillage and crop rotation have effects on weed and soil disease control. There is a need for well-defined, longterm tillage and crop rotation studies across the different soils and climate conditions in the state. The objective of this study was to evaluate the long-term effects of different tillage systems and crop rotations on soil productivity.

High Tunnel Production: Inputs, Labor, and Crop Productivity

The 30 × 12 × 96 ft (W × H × L, 2,880 ft 2 ) high tunnel was planted and maintained as part of a high tunnel production budget project funded by a Specialty Crop Grant through the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Six growers throughout the state participated in the project with the objectives of creating an enterprise budgeting tool that estimates the costs and revenues associated with producing specific crops in a high tunnel, either as a single crop or multi-crop system. The budgeting tool will estimate the production cost and net profit per square foot in a high tunnel from mono-culture (one crop per tunnel) or multi-cropping, successionplanted systems. This report summarizes the findings from the high tunnel at the ISU Horticulture Research Station. The plantings in this high tunnel were used to collect labor and yield data as well as demonstrate a continuous, multi-cropping production system. A publication containing the enterprise budgeting tool, using this data and data collected from the other six farms, will be available through Iowa State University Extension and Outreach in the fall of 2012.