Crusting and Small Grains Emergence Problems
Last week’s heavy rains have caused widespread crusting problems by breaking down soil aggregates into particles that cement into hard layers at the soil surface when drying occurs rapidly.

Fungicide Registrations for
Managing Fusarium Head Blight in Minnesota
Spring is officially here! Not only is Minnesota greening up, but the EPA has granted our yearly Section 18 on tebuconazole which allows producers to manage Fusarium head blight (FHB/scab) on wheat and barley.

Alfalfa – and Using the PEAQ Method for First Cutting
PEAQ is an aid for determining when to take the first cutting of alfalfa. PEAQ stands for Predictive Equations for Alfalfa Quality. The PEAQ method will work on any cutting of alfalfa to determine the maturity of the crop and when to start cutting.

Planting Soybeans Early: How Early?
In late April, there is often a lot of interest in getting soybeans planted in the region. But, how early is “to early” without taking on a lot of risk? Though we are now at a time when soybean planting is going fast and furious as weather allows, there are still some interesting items to review when making soybean planting decisions.

Vegetable IPM Guide
Midwest Vegetable Production Guide for Commercial Growers­2007
This annually revised publication provides all current recommendations (pest thresholds, sampling tips, variety information), as well as control options and recent pesticide registrations.

Managing Soybean Aphids in 2007:
How Will Biological Control Contribute?
A distance education short course was held on March 6, 2007, to provide an overview and update on soybean aphid research and efforts to enhance biological control of the pest. For everyone who did not attend, but is still interested in some aspects of the program, you can access the presentations from the North Central IPM Center Web site.