Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Irrigation School


Beat the heat!  Save water and fertilizer this summer with drip irrigation training at Drip Irrigation School!

You are cordially invited to attend a day of professional development at the Horticulture Research Station north of Ames on Monday June 29th, 2015 from 9:00  am to 3:30 pm (registration begins at 8:45).  ISU Extension and Outreach Commercial Horticulture specialists Ajay Nair, Patrick O’Malley, and Joe Hannan will take the fear away from building and operating drip irrigation systems.  Participants will take a pre-workshop homework, in class lecture, and hands-on practice with system components in the field and in the lab.  In the field, participants will also see how water and fertilizer move through the soil profile under different setups.  Upon completion of the workshop, participants will understand the basic principles of drip irrigation systems, be able to determine when and how much water to apply, and be able to assemble a drip system.

This workshop is intended for local food system service providers across Iowa.  No prior irrigation knowledge is required.  Cost is free, but registration is required as space is limited.  Please register by June 19, 2015 with the Dallas County Extension Office at afeltner@iastate.edu or kbeni@iastate.edu or by calling the office at 515.993.4281.

A limited number of scholarships are available in the amount of $50 to help offset the cost of travel and are reimbursable through SARE after the event.  Please mention the scholarship when registering as these are available on a first come, first served basis.


Support for this program is provided by Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, ISU Department of Horticulture, and ISU Extension and Outreach.

Friday, April 3, 2015

New Extension publication on tomato cultivars

Ajay Nair
Department of Horticulture



A new publication providing information on suitable tomato varieties for commercial field and high tunnel production in Iowa is now available at the Iowa State Extension and Outreach Online Store. The four-page Recommended Tomato Varieties for Commercial Production in Iowa HORT 3024  , offers tomato growers the opportunity to compare varieties for the Midwest growing zones. The publication is free to download (click the link above to download pdf).