The popular Weed Identification Field Guide is now available electronically as an e-book and, for the first time, downloadable on iPad. The publication is distributed by theIowa Soybean Association (ISA) and Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and Outreach. Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business, has sponsored the capability for users to download the electronic versions for no charge.

The Weed Identification Field Guide, CSI 0003, authored in 2010 by ISU Extension specialists, includes images and descriptions of 56 broadleaf weeds and 19 grass and grass-like weeds. The electronic publications, like the print version, include tools to aid in accurate weed identification, as well as weed lifecycle and herbicide management and stewardship information. They also include detailed diagrams, including 24 illustrations, and more than 250 zoomable, high-resolution photographs of weeds common to Iowa.

The industry has rapidly adopted electronic technology for use in the field. With this field guide available in print, as an e-book and for the iPad, it gives farmers more options to access information. Plus, the ability to zoom in on high resolution photos will make identifying weeds, the soybean's biggest competitor, that much easier.

This is the second collaborative ISA/ISU Extension field guide to go electronic, with the first being Soybean Diseases. By immediately identifying weeds, an effective management plan that is vital to maximizing crop production can be determined more accurately.

Field guides, print and electronic, can be found on the ISU Extension Online Store or at www.iasoybeans.com/productionresearch.

Funded by the soybean checkoff.