Mark your calendar. The Iowa State University Weed Science Field Day will be held on June 28, 2012 at the ISU Curtiss Farm on South State Street on the south edge of Ames. Registration for the event begins at 8:00 a.m. with brief remarks and a self-guided tour following. Registration is $20 and includes refreshments and a field book that details the demonstrations and research at the Curtiss Farm location, as well as the other locations throughout Iowa.

 "People who are employed in the agricultural chemical Industry, farmers and seed dealers are welcome and will find much that will be of interest," says ISU Extension weed management specialist Mike Owen.

ISU Weed Science Field Day Is June 28

The Curtiss Farm is easily accessible from Highway 30; exit on University Avenue, go south to the four-way stop, turn west to the next stop, turn north on South State Street, and the Curtiss Farm is on the west. Follow the cinder road west through the farm to the registration tent. If you have questions please contact Mike Owen at [email protected] or 515-294-5936.

Weed resistance to herbicides will be one of several timely topics discussed

One of the topics of discussion will be weed resistance to herbicides. The emergence of weed populations in Iowa fields that resist certain herbicides is a growing problem.

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Glyphosate resistance is here and it's here to stay, but it isn't the only herbicide that is running into problems trying to control certain species of weeds that have developed resistance to certain herbicides.

"The emergence of these herbicide resistant populations of waterhemp, giant ragweed and marestail really isn't much of a surprise," says ISU's Owen. "It's likely you have resistant weed biotypes on your farm already or perhaps you are just a season or two away from battling them."

A new publication made available earlier this year and authored by ISU Extension weed specialists is titled "Managing Herbicide Resistant Weeds for Higher Yield". It is a great resource for farmers worried about the potential emergence of herbicide resistant weeds. The Iowa soybean checkoff helped pay for development and printing of this eight-page publication. It explains the evolution of herbicide resistant weeds in Iowa soybean and corn production systems and provides options for managing them.

"We believe you'll find the publication valuable and it will help you plan future weed management programs for your farming operation," says Owen. An electronic version of this and other valuable publications can be found in the Iowa Soybean Association Production Research Library at www.iasoybeans.com/productionresearch/.