Virtual Field Day Access Instructions:

To participate in the live virtual field day at 1:00 pm CT on September 23, click HERE.

Iowa Learning Farms (ILF) will host a timely virtual field day on Wednesday, Sep. 23, at 1 p.m. CT. The event, which is available at no cost, will feature a live discussion with Mike Castellano, William T. Frankenberger Professor of soil science at Iowa State University, and Justin Glisan, State Climatologist of Iowa, moderated by Matt Helmers, Iowa Nutrient Research Center Director.

The virtual field day aims to provide recommendations for nitrogen fertilizer and manure management during a very strong El Nino this fall, with a high likelihood of reaching a strength not seen in the record dating back to 1950. This could help push 2026 toward one of the warmest years on record for Iowa.

Now is the time for adaptive management — for profitability, productivity, and the environment. Ammonium nitrogen, from manure or synthetic nitrogen, is stable in the soil. Nitrate is not; it is easily lost to water and air when soil moisture is high and there is no growing crop to use it. Nitrification, the microbial process that converts ammonium to nitrate, slows sharply once soil temperatures fall below 50°F, though it doesn't fully stop until soils reach 32°F.

All are welcome to attend the virtual field day and participants are also encouraged to bring any questions they would like to ask.

To participate in the live virtual field day, visit Iowa Learning Farms Field Days - Nitrogen Management in the Face of Super El Niño, or join from a dial-in phone line (Dial: 646-876-9923 or 646-931-3860, Meeting ID: 914 1198 4892). The field day will be recorded and archived on the ILF Virtual Field Day Archive for future viewing.