Crop season is right around the corner, and Iowa State University Extension is offering two handy publications at new bundle discounts. They are Weed Identification Field Guide, 2nd Edition, and Corn and Soybean Field Guide, published in the fall.

The Weed Identification Field Guide, normally $10 per hard copy, is now less than $8 per guide if you purchase a box of 44 copies. The Corn and Soybean Field Guide, recently combined into one publication for convenience, is normally $15 for a single copy. However, with a bundle of 25, each copy is only $10.

The bundle deal is ideal for upcoming meetings with growers, agronomists or dealers.

The revised Corn and Soybean Field Guide focuses on development stages, pesticide decisions and production-related topics, and for the first time, has information on newer soybean viruses when scouting fields this summer.

The Weed Identification Field Guide is a pocket-sized guide that contains 35 illustrations and more than 250 high-quality photographs of weeds found in Iowa. Palmer amaranth information was added to the field guide, and information on herbicide resistance and management was updated from the first edition.

WEED IDENTIFICATION: The updated Weed Identification Field Guide is a pocket-sized guide that has more than 250 photos of weeds found in Iowa. Information on herbicide resistance and management is also updated.

For questions regarding these publications, contact ISU’s Adam Sisson or Daren Mueller.

Recently released crop disease guides
ISU Extension specialists contributed to these two recently released publications — “A Farmer’s Guide to Corn Diseases” and “A Farmer’s Guide to Soybean Diseases.” They are written specifically for corn and soybean farmers and provide easy-to-read disease listings and overviews, basic instructions for using diagnostic and scouting tools, and non-technical management recommendations.

“These publications are intended to help farmers maximize their yield and economic return through correct corn and soybean disease diagnosis,” says Daren Mueller, ISU Extension plant pathologist. Thirty-three experts from more than 20 universities, agencies and companies collaborated to produce the material. The two booklets are unique, written with farmers and crop scouts in mind. For example, each book includes a key that can be used to help narrow down the diagnosis, and maps to enable growers to easily tell if the disease has been reported in their region.

The information listed for each disease includes symptoms and signs, conditions favoring the disease, similar-looking diseases and disorders, and a review of basic management options. These general management recommendations serve as a starting point, and localized treatment options should be discussed further, with Extension crop specialists or consultants specific to the state or area.

Source: Iowa State University