Two upcoming field days in southern Iowa—June 21 at Chariton and June 22 at Corning—will look at solutions for controlling weeds and brush in pastures and on CRP acres. One of the field days will also look at planting corn and soybeans following cover crops.

* The June 21 field day is being held at the Iowa State University McNay Memorial Research Farm near Chariton. This field day will have a special emphasis on controlling Sericea Lespedeza. An afternoon session (12:45  to 4 p.m.) and the evening session (5:30 to 8:30 p.m.) will be offered.  Both sessions include a tour of Sericea Lespedeza control demonstration areas at the Richard Bishop farm.

WEEDS BECOME WORSE: Strategies to control Sericea Lespedeza, thistles and other problematic weed and brush species in pastures and on Conservation Reserve Program acres will be discussed at two upcoming field days June 21 and 22 in southern Iowa.

“Sericea Lespedeza is becoming a more prevalent weed in southern Iowa, and controlling this weed and other species commonly found on CRP land and in pastures in southern Iowa is an important aspect of being able to manage and keep all weed and brush problems under control,” says Joe Sellers, ISU Extension beef specialist.  

To learn more about this June 21 field day at the McNay Research farm, check out www.iowabeefcenter.org/news/McNayWeedDay2016.html. The McNay farm is located at 45249 170^th Ave., Chariton, Iowa.

* The June 22 field day will be held at Lake Icaria near Corning and will offer producers an opportunity to learn more about planting corn and soybeans following rye cover crops as well as learning about weed and brush management in pastures and on CRP acres. The June 22 field day will start at 5 p.m. at the West Picnic Shelter at Lake Icaria. It will include a tour to specific locations to view no-tilled soybeans that followed a rye cover crop and will also travel to several sites around the lake to look at control options for thistles and other problem plants.

You can learn more about the June 22 field day and to get directions to Lake Icaria.

No cost to attend and no preregistration necessary

Presenters for both of these field days include, ISU Extension beef specialist Joe Sellers, Scott Flynn with Dow Agro-Sciences, and ISU Extension field agronomists Aaron Saeugling and Rebecca Vittetoe. There is no cost to attend and no preregistration is necessary for either field day. For more information on the June 21 or June 22 field day program, contact Sellers by phone at 641-203-1270 or email [email protected].

Note: All attendees at these events should follow Iowa State University’s livestock farm visitor policies:

•There is a five-day waiting period prior to visiting ISU livestock farms if visitors have recently traveled outside the United States.

•If visitors have visited another livestock farm in Iowa or any other state, they are asked to change clothing and footwear.

Visitors are not allowed to bring food to the research farms.

To learn more about visitor policies, call the Iowa State Research and Demonstration Farms office at 515-294-5045 or read the 

Foot and Mouth Advisory at www.iowabeefcenter.org.