Field Crops

Production, Post-Production & Management Resources

Organic Field Corn Production – PDF
This resource provides an overview of organic field corn production, including information on pest management, crop rotation, fertilizers and other management-specific questions.

Disease and Insect Management in Organic Small Grains – PDF
This publication outlines strategies benefiting an organic disease and insect management plan. It also describes specific diseases and insects having potential to affect a number of small grain crops.

Sweet Corn: Pest Identification and Management – PDF
Created by the Great Lakes Vegetable Working Group, this guide is reference for sweet corn growers, extension educators, crop consultants and industry field representatives. It includes basic descriptions and management tips of economically important weeds, diseases, pest insects, and vertebrates. It also includes sections that describe beneficial insects, common types of herbicide injury, and general horticultural practices.
Full PDF available for download.

Pursuing Conservation Tillage Systems for Organic Crop Production – PDF
This publication looks at conservation tillage as it’s applied to organic cropping systems. It discusses new strategies and technologies that assist annual cropping systems and also covers agronomic and vegetable cropping systems.
Full PDF available for download.

MSU Extension Articles

All Michigan State University Extension articles are selected from MSU Extension: Agriculture. To stay current, subscribe to MSUE news digests.

Enviro-weather: Weather-based pest and production management tools
Enviro-weather is a collaborative project between the Michigan Climatological Resources Program and the MSU Integrated Pest Management Program, providing access to specific commodity tools including field crops, fruit and vegetables.

Recommendations for planting soybeans after soybeans
This MSUE article provides recommendations for second-year soybean planting and how to manage the increased risk with proven practices.

Recommendations for harvesting lodged soybeans
This MSUE article provides recommendations for reducing losses and improving efficiency when harvesting lodged soybeans.

Maximizing return on corn nitrogen investments
Several consecutive years of volatile spring weather and lower crop prices may bring uncertainty when selecting corn nitrogen recommendations.

Bt Corn Trait Table updated for 2015
Corn growers can use the 2015 Bt Trait Table to keep track of Bt corn traits, efficacy and refuge requirements.

Timing is right for summer alfalfa seeding
This MSUE article provides recommendations for keeping high producing alfalfa in rotation, despite the long-term effects of winterkill, including reduced yields and shorter stand life.

2014 Michigan sugarbeet production practices
Survey results of Michigan sugarbeet growers attending winter agronomy meetings indicate they have quickly adopted new production practices.

Center pivot crop clearance
Hills, valleys, crop height, span length and tower leg length all work together to create the crop clearance your center pivot can clear.