RUTHVEN – Iowa Learning Farms and Practical Farmers of Iowa will co-sponsor a field day with Iowa State University Extension Field Agronomist Paul Kassel and farmer Jeff Joyce in Palo Alto County on Friday from 12 noon to 1:30 p.m.

The field day will begin with a complimentary meal at noon, followed by discussion of cover crop management, strip-tillage and tractor fuel saving tips. A walking field tour of corn planted into fall 2010 aerial-seeded winter rye will begin at 1 p.m. The event is free and the public is invited to attend.

The cover crop management discussion will include yield response of corn and soybeans following fall-seeded winter rye and other cereal grain cover crops, nitrogen fertilizer needs of corn planted after fall-seeded winter rye, planter set-up for planting into cover crop residue, and soil quality improvements related to cover crop use. Attendees will be able to discuss cover crop and strip-tillage management with ISU and PFI experts, along with local farmer Jeff Joyce.

The field day location is known locally as the Barringer farm at 3650 360th St. The site is one mile east of Ruthven on the south side of Iowa Highway 18. For questions about the event, contact Paul Kassel at (712) 262-2264, or by email at kassel@iastate.edu.

Practical Farmers of Iowa and Iowa Learning Farms have formed a cover crop management working group with 10 farmer cooperators across the state, demonstrating corn and soybean yield response to fall-seeded cereal grain cover crops, which are fall-seeded – both before and after combine – harvest of the previous crop.