“We’re gaining a ton of good information now, but it’s going to need to be sorted through carefully to see what it’s really telling us,” Ferrie says. “Be careful making any major changes to your operation, based on the results of one year.”
For instance, Ferrie says if one of your lead corn hybrids took a beating this year for some reason but has performed well over multiple years, it probably still has a place in your lineup for 2023.
“Keep those hybrids as long as they continue to perform, and make the new kids earn their way into the lineup through performance,” Ferrie recommends.
The importance of picking the right hybrid for each field is reinforced by a 2021 Farm Journal Test Plot study. It suggests the correct hybrid selection can increase revenue by as much as $88 per acre.
SET A REVIEW DATE
Plan now to assemble your team to review yield maps and accompanying information. The team includes everyone you relied on to get the 2022 crop in the field, through the growing season, harvested and then in the bin.
“Include invoices for any products you purchased,” Ferrie adds. “That will give you the dollar amount spent and also the total amount of the product that went on the field.”
Set the date for when you know you can get everyone in a room together to talk, Ferrie says. Make it a positive interaction for everyone as you look back on 2022 and plan for the growing season ahead.
Build A Plan
Start gathering available data and information from 2022 now to review with your team. Here is a list of some of the major items you’ll want to assemble:
- The original cropping plan you put together for this season, as well as any details that changed as the season unfolded.
- Planting and tillage records by field.
- List of corn hybrids and soybean varieties.
- Fungicide, insecticide and fertilizer application records.
- Aerial pictures, drone images and any other in-season visuals.
- Feedback from each member of your team on what stands out in their mind about the season, agronomic problems identified and the solutions provided.
- Any observations or practices you wrote down in a notebook or recorded on the office computer.
