Farm Journal Test Plots

Soybean Plots Put Biological Seed Treatments, In-Furrow Starter and Fungicides To The Test: What Really Pays?

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 21:22:08 GMT

The Farm Journal Test Plot season shifted into high gear this week as Ken Ferrie and his team push to get soybean plots in the ground ahead of the next round of rain.

“We planted until midnight last night to finish two plots, and we’ll finish two more today if the weather holds,” says Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist.

While planters are running full-tilt in parts of central and southern Illinois, Ferrie notes that northern Illinois is just finding its rhythm.

“Where we are today, farmers are just getting started again. If the rain forecast misses us, we’ll likely roll right through the weekend,” he says.

2026 Soybean Plots Take Shape

This week’s planting efforts focus on soybeans, with multiple test plots designed to tackle farmers’ questions regarding fertility, seed treatments and fungicide performance. Four key test plots being planted this week include:

Biologicals: A dedicated plot is focused on the performance of various biological seed treatments.
In-Furrow Starter: In a relatively uncommon setup for soybeans, the team is testing a special starter blend designed specifically for in-furrow placement.
Foliar Micronutrients: Ferrie and team will be applying micronutrients over the top of soybeans to evaluate the crop response and ROI.
Plant Architecture & Fungicide Efficiency: This plot compares non-branching varieties in narrow rows against branching “bush” beans. The goal is to measure how efficiently foliar products reach—and stay on—the target. “We want to see how much product hits the ground versus how much stays in the canopy,” Ferrie explains. “If I’m foliar feeding and it hits the ground, it’s a wasted investment. We’re tracking those efficiencies.”

Corn Is On Standby

While the soybean plots are ramping up, corn planting at the Farm Journal Test Plot sites remains largely on hold as the team waits for a better weather window.

Ferrie notes that while many farmers further south in the state are well underway with corn, his local fields south of Bloomington, Ill., have been slower to reach ideal conditions.

“We’ve given farmers the green light to plant corn in some areas of the state, but our specific ground is just now reaching the right moisture levels,” he says. “It has been a challenge to stay out of the wet spots, but we are ready to move as soon as the soil allows.”

Thank You to Our Plot Partners
The research underway this season in the Farm Journal Test Plots is made possible by: Case IH, Fendt, Great Plains Manufacturing, John Deere, Martin-Till, Pleasant View Ag, Precision Planting, Unverferth Manufacturing Company, Yetter Farm Equipment, B&M Crop Consulting and Crop-Tech Consulting.

Can You Cut Fertilizer Expenses?

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 17:26:22 GMT

Tight profit margins have farmers searching for ways to control input costs, including fertilizer expense. “There might be ways for farmers to become more efficient with fertilizer while maintaining yield, but only by carefully analyzing each farm, field and soil management zone,” says Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie. “Failure to do so can reduce yield and leave your bottom line looking worse instead of better.”

Base changes on real numbers.
“When clients want to cut fertilizer cost, I ask them if they have a plan,” Ferrie says. “How much are they spending on fertilizer? How much do they want to cut? If they don’t know, and just want to cut everywhere, they are in what I call fire-sale mode.

“That means it’s time to eliminate the emotion and obtain actual numbers. Based on expected profit and loss, what are they willing to spend on fertilizer? Agronomically, it’s much easier to shave out $15 per acre from fertilizer costs than to cut $50 or $75. With our goal in mind, we can turn to a current soil test to see where we stand on fertility.”

Plan from a soil test.
“Your soil test tells you whether you can pull back fertilizer rates to improve profit margins without lowering yield,” Ferrie says. “It lets us make a pretty good prediction of the return on investment [ROI] with average prices of fertilizer and crop.

“If your soil test shows adequate or more than adequate fertility to meet nutrient needs for total uptake, we can make a plan that will maintain yield even though it also will decrease nutrient values in the field.“Most farmers with adequate soil fertility levels will be able to temporarily reduce fertilizer rates and maintain yield,” Ferrie adds. “But remember, you’re reducing nutrient values in the soil — mining it — and those nutrient levels must be rebuilt when profit margins return, and rebuilding soil is a slow process.”

Take a wholistic approach to cost-cutting.
Online resources make it fairly easy to estimate the ROI from fertilizer. However, Ferrie says years of Farm Journal studies have revealed it’s difficult to get a consistent ROI on foliar fertilizer, biological treatments, micronutrients and two-pass fungicides.

“If you have tested these practices and have proven the benefits, keep them,” he says. “But if you added them during periods of good profit margins and have not documented results, consider cutting them and putting the money into fertility.”

Keep soil testing.
As you manage your way through the current period of tight margins, and into the next cycle of profitability, test soil every two years.

“We can model how things should go when we make changes,” Ferrie says, “but your soil test tells you what actually happened. The consistent practice will keep you from getting in trouble by depleting nutrients and having to play catch-up with fertility.”

“When farmers try to cut fertilizer rates, they sometimes get in trouble by considering only how much fertility is removed in grain and forgetting how much actually is needed to grow the crop,” Ferrie says. The below information, compiled by Iowa State University, shows how many nutrients — P₂O₅ and K₂O — are removed in the grain and how many are actually required to produce 250 bu. per acre corn and 75 bu. per acre soybeans.

It also shows how much fertilizer — diammonium phosphate (DAP) and potash — is required to replace them. Nutrients in plant residue are recycled, but they are unavailable until they decompose. Sufficient fertility for both removal and total uptake must be provided to achieve maximum yield.

When cutting fertilizer expense, “let your soil test guide your decisions,” Ferrie says. “If it shows adequate or more than adequate fertility to meet nutrient needs for total uptake, we can make a plan that will maintain yield even though it will decrease nutrient values in the field.”

Iowa State University agronomists have calculated the chances money spent on fertilizer will generate a positive ROI at various soil test levels. While applying fertilizer is like depositing money in the bank, when profit margins are tight, Ferrie suggests holding off on applications in soil zones where the chance of return is less than 25%. In other words there’s a 75% chance that applying fertilizer to that soil will not increase yield. Of course, the following year, soil test values will be lower, and the chance of fertilizer returning a profit will increase to 55%.

“If your soil test shows a range of values, and you need to rein in input costs, apply fertilizer to the lower-testing ones and cut back on the higher-testing ones,” Ferrie advises.

When margins get tight, lime is one of the first things farmers want to cut. In reality, it should be the last, Ferrie says.

“A neutral pH reading of 6.5 maximizes nutrient availability,” he continues. ”With a 6.5 pH, a P1 phosphorus test reading of 25 ppm probably would be adequate for the crop. But if the pH falls to 5.0, the amount of usable phosphorus correlates to 8.5 ppm. In other words, two-thirds of the phosphorus in an acid soil is unavailable to the crop.”

Iowa State University agronomists compiled a table showing how the amount of wasted (unavailable) nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium increases as pH level falls:

At a pH of 5.5, the wasted nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium would be worth $40.50 per acre if nitrogen costs 50¢ per pound and diammonium phosphate (DAP) and potash cost $500 per ton.

“Unlike N, P and K, lime applications can’t be more efficient by changing timing or placement,” Ferrie says.

Cutting fertilizer rates below removal levels might be an option to cope with low profit margins, but it should be done only after careful consideration. It’s much easier to deplete versus build nutrient levels back to optimum.

It’s much easier to deplete versus build nutrient levels back to optimum.

“When rebuilding, it takes 18 lb. of P₂O₅ above the removal rate to raise the soil phosphorus value 1 ppm,” Ferrie says. “If soil tests in the low range of 7 ppm and you want to raise it to 25 ppm, it will take 324 lb. of P2O5. That’s the equivalent of 700 lb. of diammonium phosphate (DAP) fertilizer over the removal rate. On a yearly basis you might have to apply 125 lb. per acre for removal plus 100 lb. more for buildup for six years to rebuild soil values.

“With potassium, it takes 8 lb. of K₂O to raise the soil test 1 ppm,” he adds. “So if the test shows 100 ppm, and you want to raise it to 200 ppm, it will take 800 lb. of K₂O, which is equal to 1,333 lb. of potash or 0-0-60. You’ll need to apply 125 lb. for removal and 225 lb. for buildup for six years.”

Your Next Read: 10 Smart Ways to Start Cutting Your Fertilizer Bill

2023 Farm Journal Test Plot Soybean Results

Wed, 26 Jun 2024 16:47:44 GMT

Could reducing your soybean seeding rate increase profit per acre by $40 per acre? In the right situation, yes, according to results from 2023’s Farm Journal Test Plots. Of course, the wrong choice will reduce profit. That’s why it’s important to find the best population, row width and plant characteristics for each soil type and planting date.

Choosing the right variety, row width and population has changed a bit since the Farm Journal Test Plots were launched in 1992, says Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal field agronomist. In the early ’90s, farmers planted higher populations to offset lower seed quality and inconsistent spacing and depth control and to aid in weed control. Bushy varieties were recommended for wide rows and straight-line varieties, with less branching, for narrow rows.

In the past 30 years, we’ve learned a lot from the Farm Journal research:

1. On average, narrow rows yield more.
They canopy quicker, which reduces water loss through evaporation and provides better late-season weed control, especially of waterhemp and Palmer amaranth.

2. Population is more about weed control.
“At the same population, narrow rows have outyielded wide rows most years from 1992 to 2023,” Ferrie explains. “The sooner we close the rows, the more sunlight we harvest, leading to higher yield.”

3. Technology has a big impact.
“Modern planters offer better singulation and depth control,” Ferrie says. “Genetically modified (GMO) soybeans opened up many herbicide options. New seed treatments let beans stay in the ground for two or three weeks before emergence, opening early planting windows, and early planting increases yield. Interestingly, early planting reduces the yield advantage of narrow rows because it gives wide-row beans more time to close the rows.”

4. Plant type matters.
While yield is always the primary factor when selecting a variety, bushy varieties are usually the best choice for wide rows, and straight-line varieties are usually best for narrow rows.

After three decades, the Farm Journal Test Plots are still churning out data to help farmers refine production practices.

“We’re continuing to look at population, asking how low we can go,” Ferrie says, “and studying the best uses of bushy and straight-line varieties and the impact of planting date.”

Read on for details on the latest findings from the Farm Journal soybean studies:

Push Population on Lighter Soil

In a 2022 population study, planted in April in 15" rows, 90,000 plants per acre yielded 97 bu. per acre; 120,000 plants yielded 94.5 bu.; and 150,000 yielded 95.1 bu. Reducing population from 120,000 saved $17 per acre on seed. Increasing yield by 1.9 bu. per acre increased income by $23.18 per acre (at $12.20 per bushel). Together, the seed savings and increased yield boosted total profit per acre by $40.18.

But how low can populations go? In 2023, Ferrie tried pushing population lower than ever. They planted 60,000, 90,000 and 120,000 seeds per acre (obtaining final stands of 44,000, 67,000 and 88,000 plants per acre). The northeast Iowa field contained soils with productivity ratings from 34 to 95 (using Iowa State University’s CSR2 productivity index).

This graph to the right shows the results. The highest yield came from the lowest population on the most productive soil. On less productive soils, higher populations yielded more.

Early Planting Pays . . . Usually

This 2023 central Illinois test plot, like earlier studies, suggests planting soybeans early boosts yield — unless weather throws you a curve. Ferrie and his staff compared beans of three maturities, 4.6, 3.7 and 2.6, on April 12 and May 17. The 2.6 maturity group soybeans bucked the usual pattern, yielding more with late planting.

“That probably was because of the weather,” Ferrie says. “It was dry through June, and the late-planted, 2.6-maturity soybeans — a very early soybean for this locality — probably were able to take advantage of rain that fell late in the season. But when they were planted early, the 2.6 maturity beans were too mature for the late rain to help. So when planting early, plant your full-season soybeans (based on your maturity zone) first and finish with your shorter-season soybeans.”

Population and Plant Type Affect Yield

A 2023 study compared bushy and straight-line varieties at three populations. As with the early planting study, weather — the sixth driest June on record in central Illinois — influenced the results of this plot.

“With the dry June, soybean growth stopped for three weeks, and the rows could not close,” Ferrie says. “That reduced late-season weed control —you could pick out the wide and narrow rows and the high and low populations by the amount of late-season weed escapes. And sunlight that hit the ground was not driving photosynthesis. Consequently, at the lowest population of 50,000, the bushy variety yielded significantly more.

“To maximize yield we must close the rows,” Ferrie emphasizes. “Once rows are closed, population and plant type carry less weight.”

Choose the Right Plant Type

The study below compared the two plant types on two planting dates and two row widths at a population of 140,000.

Thank You to Our Test Plot Partners

AgriGold, Case IH, Great Plains Manufacturing, Matt Shoup, Precision Planting, Unverferth Manufacturing Company, Yetter Farm Equipment

2024 Farm Journal Corn and Soybean College: Learn How to Ride the Waves of Farming’s Economic Cycles

Mon, 20 May 2024 20:05:47 GMT

Maintaining profitability in turbulent economic times is challenging but often an economic reality on the farm.

This year’s Farm Journal Corn and Soybean College will focus on agronomic factors and management practices that can help farmers keep their business on track. Make plans to join Ken Ferrie and team for the event, which is slated for July 23 and 24 near Heyworth, Ill.

“One of our goals for the event is to help farmers strategize and identify some specific ways to thrive even in these rough economic waters we’re currently experiencing,” says Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist.

The full agenda is listed below. In addition, the in-field and classroom sessions will address:

Proven practices that increase yield
Ways to gain nutrient efficiency
Government/private programs
Premium/specialty crops

The two-day event brings together presenters, farmers, and industry personnel that are passionate about raising the bar in farming, Ferrie says. “This is an unsponsored event making more time for our agronomists to spend with attendees, getting their questions answered, and more time to spend in the field,” he adds.

Day 1 of the Farm Journal Corn and Soybean College starts at 8 a.m., Tuesday, July 23, and runs through happy hour/dinner.

Day 2 starts at 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday, July 24, and sessions will go up to lunch.

“We will finish the second day with a Q & A following lunch. Our agronomists will be available to answer questions until your questions run out, so be sure to come with your list,” Ferrie says.

Price: $625 (includes access to one-day virtual event in January 2025). People can register for just the virtual event for $200, but it is included at no additional cost in the ticket package for those attending the in-person event.

Get the complete agenda details and register here .

Below is a list of the general sessions and breakouts. We’ll see you there!

Complete These 8 Steps To Transition to Vertical Farming

Tue, 13 Feb 2024 19:27:37 GMT

You’re almost ready. You’ve removed dense and compacted soil layers, balanced fertility and pH through the profile and set up your soil for vertical farming. That’s how you’ll need to farm to reap the full benefits of climate-inspired incentives emphasizing reduced tillage, cover crops and residue cover.

Here are a few final boxes to check as you prepare to transition from horizontal farming to vertical.

1. Spread residue evenly.
Spread residue uniformly across the width of your combine, especially when harvesting soybeans, advises Farm Journal field agronomist Ken Ferrie. “Horizontal tillage distributes this residue and prevents problems,” he explains. “But if you no-till into uneven strips of surface residue, it will cause streaks of slow-growing corn.”

2. Write a plan for each field or farm.
List the practices you will use and the goals you want to achieve. Share your plan with employees, custom applicators and others involved with your operation. “Good communication eliminates a lot of issues,” Ferrie says.

3. Choose your system(s).
“Many vertical farming systems can be adapted to any operation,” Ferrie says. “Implementing one system over every acre keeps things simple, streamlines your equipment inventory and also makes things easier for your employees. But you might want to implement individual approaches for various farms or fields because of drainage, slope, erosion control, disease issues, soil health and other considerations.”

4. Get farm managers and landowners on board.
“Your choice of a vertical system might rest on the landowner’s or farm manager’s desires,” Ferrie says. “Some might not want no-till or strip-till, while others insist on them. If you no-till, make sure the owners realize they’ll have to be patient, willing to wait until planting conditions are right, even if neighbors who disk or field cultivate are already planting. If a landowner is worried about planting delays, consider running a vertical harrow to warm and dry a few fields and give you a place to start.”

5. Gear up your planter and its operators.
Equip the planter for no-till and the highest-residue conditions it will encounter. “A planter set up to handle no-till and high residue can be used in all systems,” Ferrie says. “But a planter equipped for conventional tillage won’t perform well with no-till or high volumes of residue.” Make sure your operators know how to run the equipment and understand what you want to achieve.

Equip your planter for the highest-residue conditions you could encounter. Make sure operators understand the equipment and the goals you want to achieve.

6. Re-invent your weed control program.
“One of the biggest benefits of horizontal tillage is weed control,” Ferrie says. “When you stop using a field cultivator or high-speed disk, you’ll have to control weeds using only herbicides. If your vertical harrow is taking out weeds, you’re not running it right — you’re doing horizontal tillage. Set properly, a vertical harrow’s only jobs are to size residue and level peaks and valleys. Discuss weed management with your suppliers and with neighbors who already are using vertical systems, and plan the program you’ll use.”

7. Be careful of wheel tracks in strip-till and no-till.
“Deep tracks or ruts from sprayers, sidedress applicators, combines, grain carts, fertilizer trucks and manure applicators will cause planting and uniform-growth problems in the following year’s crop,” Ferrie warns. “The longer you go without tillage, the firmer your soil will become; but monitor tracks closely during the first few seasons.”

8. Easy does it.
“Any time you make a major system shift, the learning curve will be steep,” Ferrie says. “Disasters can happen. I recommend starting small and learning on a couple fields. But start now so you’ll have your vertical system in place when incentives come along in the future.”

How to Taper Off Horizontal Tillage

“If you’re used to making multiple tillage passes — one in the fall and one or two in the spring — it might be best to continue that pattern for awhile as you transition to reduced tillage and vertical farming,” says Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal field agronomist. “In that situation, continue with fall tillage, using a ripper or hybrid chisel, which may require more horsepower than your horizontal program.” (Hybrid chisels, Ferrie’s term, feature clearance for tillage and residue flow, adjustable depth and gang angle for the front cutters, and multiple options and depth control for the leveling section.)

“Make sure your tillage tool shatters the soil all the way across the implement,” he says. “You want no more than 3" peaks and valleys after overwintering. In the spring, level the surface for planting with a vertical harrow.”

As you start to get comfortable with your vertical system, experiment with more reduced tillage, strip-till and no-till.

Have a Backup Plan

As with anything else, vertical farming systems need a backup plan. For example:

If a poorly drained field can’t be planted in time with no-till (in the opinion of either you or the landowner), consider strip-till — but be aware strip-tilling requires equipment and time in the fall, and it must be completed in a timely fashion.
Strip-till needs a backup plan, too, in case weather prevents you from getting it done in the fall. “Spring strip fresheners are an option,” says Farm Journal field agronomist Ken Ferrie. “Or you can no-till the field for one year.”
Weather might force you to leave ruts during harvest or herbicide application. “Plan how you’re going to remove those ruts while preserving your vertical format,” Ferrie says. “For example, till with a hybrid chisel and level with a vertical harrow before going back to no-till.”

Do You Have Soil Compaction and Density Changes That Impede Roots and Water? Here’s How to Find Out

Fri, 17 Nov 2023 23:36:16 GMT

Government incentives, spurred by climate change fears, will likely nudge you toward reduced tillage programs and cover crops in the near future. On-farm tests conducted by Farm Journal field agronomist Ken Ferrie, and his experience in hundreds of clients’ fields, show reduced tillage and covers require a vertical system, from which compacted soil layers and sudden density changes have been removed. Most soil layers and density changes are created by horizontal tillage, such as moldboard plows, disks, field cultivators and soil finishers.

For example, one of Ferrie’s plots shows how a subsurface layer can reduce yield. A compacted layer was created by running a field cultivator in wet conditions in the spring after chisel plowing the previous fall. (The last pass before vertical tillage must be vertical, Ferrie emphasizes, to avoid putting in a density layer.)

The graphs above show the yields from one horizontal and three vertical tillage treatments in two soil types. Fall chiseling followed by a vertical harrow in the spring produced the highest yield, followed by no-till; in-line ripping/vertical harrowing; and, finally, a soil finisher. Except for no-till, the vertical systems improved or removed the density layer, while the soil finisher left it in place.

“All the treatments were profitable,” Ferrie says. “But the greatest difference between vertical and horizontal tillage was 17 bu. per acre on silty clay loam and 37 bu. per acre in silt loam.

“This test confirmed results we have seen in other studies and on many clients’ farms. Removing compaction and density layers before transitioning to a vertical system can add 15 bu. to 20 bu. per acre and might lower cost of production,” he adds.

Before moving toward a vertical system (usually a three-year process), you first must determine whether layers are present. Ferrie’s preferred method is to dig up corn roots during the growing season.

“Paying attention to resistance as you dig, seeing how roots penetrate and examining soil moisture levels will show you whether layers exist,” he explains. “Knowing the depth and seriousness of layers will help you decide what tool or tools you need to transition to a vertical system.”

The Subsurface Layer Steals Bushels

Think 230 bu. per acre is a good corn yield? Wouldn’t you rather have 267 bu.? This side-by-side plot, in a field with a subsurface layer, compared three vertical systems (no-till, in-line ripping in the fall followed by vertical harrowing in the spring and fall chiseling followed by spring vertical harrowing) to horizontal tillage consisting of one pass with a soil finisher in the spring. The field contained two soil types, silty clay loam and light silt loam. Each vertical system outyielded the horizontal tillage.

“All these systems would have been profitable for the operator,” says Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal field agronomist. “But the vertical tillage programs yielded up to 37 more bushels per acre (in the silt loam soil) because they removed the layer put in by previous horizontal tillage. These results are similar to what we’ve seen on many clients’ farms.”

How to Find Density Layers

Do you have soil compaction and density changes that impede roots and water? Here’s how to find out:

One sure clue. If your last tillage pass was horizontal (moldboard plow, disk, field cultivator or soil finisher), you have soil layers. “Even if a farm has been no-tilled for 10 years, if the last pass before vertical tillage was a soil finisher, we will find that layer,” says Farm Journal field agronomist Ken Ferrie. “Freezing and thawing does much to change density, but it doesn’t take out layers.”
Tools you can use. The list includes GPS-equipped penetrometers, which store your results on the cloud, hand-held penetrometers, tile probes and, Ferrie’s favorite, a tile spade to dig up plants in the middle of the growing season.
Dig deep enough to find old plow soles. You’ll probably feel density changes as you push the spade into the soil.
Dig up one plant. If two or three come up at once, you’re under a layer and the plants are sitting on top.
Read the roots. A corn plant’s roots should grow at a 30˚ angle from the crown, in a circular pattern. “If bulk density changes suddenly, roots don’t have time to taper, so they run sideways on top of the layer,” Ferrie says.
The first three sets of crown roots are a key indicator. The first two sets, being the smallest, will turn on any layer. “If the third set runs horizontal, that’s a compaction layer,” Ferrie says. “If it just wiggles a little and then grows through it, it’s a density change.” Those three sets of roots are the most important for yield; sets four and five are for standability.
Study the soil. If it separates on horizontal horizons, rather than crumbling, as you dig, those are soil layers. See if roots are turning and growing sideways.
Sudden changes in soil moisture indicate horizontal layers. “As roots turn on layers, so does water movement,” Ferrie says. “If the top 4" is moist from a recent rain, and it’s dry below that, the rain came faster than it could penetrate a layer.” When subsurface layers prevent water from wicking to the surface, the surface soil can collapse into a massive, concrete-like state.

Want to learn more about how to convert to a vertical tillage system? Start here.

Now's the Time to Transition to a Vertical Farming System

Wed, 18 Oct 2023 14:45:53 GMT

For decades, moldboard plows, disks and field cultivators, all horizontal tillage tools, have been the go-tos for fieldwork. That’s changing as fears about climate change come into focus.

Sooner or later, you’re going to be pushed (or led, depending on your perspective) toward vertical systems by government incentives.

“The world is asking farmers to fight climate change by reducing tillage and planting cover crops,” says Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal field agronomist.

“Governments want you to adopt vertical systems to disturb the ground as little as possible and keep it covered year-round — essentially what existed when our cropland was covered by native prairie. I expect climate-smart initiatives will include financial incentives for reduced tillage and cover crops. That will create opportunities for farmers in vertical systems. However, soil layers left by horizontal, full-width tillage systems could cause those vertical systems to fail.”

No one argues horizontal farming doesn’t have advantages.

“Horizontal spring tillage lets us plant into warmer soil with more uniform moisture,” Ferrie says. “That gets plants off to a faster start. Weed control is cheaper, and fewer specialized attachments are required on planters. But unfortunately, horizontal tillage doesn’t match up with the climate incentives I see coming down the pike.”

Vertical farming can be profitable, but it’s harder to manage.

“Among our consulting clients, vertical systems — no-till, strip-till and others — produce the highest return on investment,” Ferrie says. “On the other hand, they also produce the lowest. It depends on whether growers understand and know how to manage their vertical systems.”

What is Vertical Farming?

“Merely no-tilling or using a vertical harrow or similar vertical tool does not mean you’re in a vertical system,” Ferrie says. “A vertical system exists only after all horizontal layers, usually caused by horizontal tillage, are removed, and the soil is managed so as to not put them back in.

“A vertical system lets roots grow downward without restriction,” he adds. “The soil’s bulk density changes gradually, versus suddenly, so roots can adjust and penetrate, rather than flattening out along the top of a layer. Likewise, without sudden density changes, water will move downward and be stored in pore spaces. It will wick back up as water evaporates from the surface of the soil or through plant leaves.”

Horizontal Versus Vertical

“Pretend you have a huge vacuum that sucks up all the loose soil following a tillage pass,” Ferrie says. “After horizontal tillage, you would find a flat horizontal plane. Vertical tillage leaves a rougher sawtooth effect.”

Tools for Vertical Farming

Vertical tools include disk rippers, in-line rippers, chisel plows, field cultivators with spikes instead of sweeps, strip-till bars, row warmers, vertical harrows and no-till planters.

“Most farmers mix and match tools for primary and secondary tillage,” Ferrie says. “In horizontal systems, they might use a vertical tillage tool, such as a disk-ripper, in the fall for primary tillage and follow with a disk or field cultivator when spring rolls around. Or they might make one pass in the spring on soybean stubble with a soil finisher or high-speed disk. But all these secondary tools leave a horizontal tillage layer, a sudden density change that roots might have trouble coping with.”

For vertical farmers, typical programs include:

Chisel plowing in the fall and one or two passes of a vertical harrow in the spring.
Vertical harrowing in the fall, leaving a sterile seedbed for planting in the spring.
Vertical harrowing in the fall, followed by one pass with a vertical harrow in the spring to warm and dry soil for planting.

Conventional vertical tillage is fall primary tillage with a chisel, disk-ripper or in-line ripper (shattering soil across the width of the implement) and leveling in the spring using a vertical tool with no gang angle. “The leveling pass is like screeding concrete — knocking peaks off into the valleys, rather than using a sweep to level soil from below,” Ferrie says.

No-till or strip-till after all the old soil layers have been removed.

Most farmers need to implement multiple practices.

“In some fields, no-till might work great on 70% of the acres, but the other 30%, with drainage or soil-type issues, need to be strip-tilled,” Ferrie says. “So the whole field will work better in a strip-till format. Sometimes a more aggressive fall program is required to manage continuous corn residue, wheel track issues, manure application or new fields that need compaction removed or fertilizer mixed in.”

Golden Rules of Vertical Systems

When consulting clients consider transitioning from a horizontal to a vertical farming system. Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie offers four rules he considers essential:

The shallower a horizontal soil density layer, the more it costs in terms of yield and profit. “A 2"-deep layer causes more problems than an 8" plow sole,” Ferrie says.
The last tillage pass before transitioning to a vertical system must not be horizontal (because it will leave a density layer that will last for years).
Keep the seedbed sacred. “Ear count is always of utmost importance,” Ferrie says. “That requires a perfect seedbed, and creating one takes more management in vertical systems. If you’re not ready to put forth the time and management to achieve a uniform stand in a vertical system, it’s better to remain in a horizontal system.”
Allow three years to transition to a vertical system. “It will take that long to acquire management skills and equipment and prepare your soil for a vertical system,” Ferrie says.

Is the Weather Or Your Hybrid Management to Blame This Season?

Fri, 11 Aug 2023 01:30:32 GMT

Some of you might be disappointed by the yields of your favorite hybrids this fall. But don’t be too quick to cast them out of your lineup. It might be the weather’s fault — a dry June throughout much of the Corn Belt — rather than the hybrid.

Data from a Farm Journal Test Plot study, which has been underway for a decade, not only reveals the impact of weather but lets farmers adjust practices to maximize the yield of each hybrid they grow.

Stress Response

As for this year’s yield, Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal field agronomist, references 2022, which also experienced a dry June in many areas.

“Our farmer-clients were phoning from their combines, reporting proven hybrids coming up 20 bu. to 50 bu. per acre short compared with other hybrids in the same field,” he says. “After harvest we saw the same thing on other clients’ yield maps.

“The low-yielding hybrids were those that flex ear length downward in response to stress from emergence to tasseling,” Ferrie continues. “The ears were well-filled, but they were only 33 to 34 kernels long. We used to say if a hybrid was rolling during the day but still growing at night, the stress probably was not that harmful. But we now know that’s not true for this class of hybrids. I think we’ll see the same situation this year, even if we had good moisture from pollination through the end of the growing season.”

The Farm Journal study has shown all hybrids flex ear size in response to stress — but only downward, never upward, so you never regain lost yield.

“That’s why we say never let corn have a bad day,” Ferrie says. “The differing flex responses result from plant traits, such as height and leaf structure (upright or pendulum), size (narrow leaves versus wide) and the flex characteristics of each hybrid.”

Further, various hybrids are affected by stress at different times during the growing season.

“You can’t change the weather,” Ferrie says. “But if you know when each hybrid is most susceptible to stress, such as from emergence to tasseling versus late in the growing season, you can adjust your practices to manage around that weakness. If you can’t change your practices, such as adding starter fertilizer to your planter or applying fungicides, choose a different hybrid that responds to your style of management.”

Another example of stress response occurred in 2012, Ferrie adds. Drought after tasseling hammered hybrids most affected by stress late in the growing season, especially those with upright leaf structure that couldn’t protect themselves from the heat.

“Pendulum-leaf hybrids that year often had higher yields by as much as 50 bu. to 100 bu. per acre,” he says.

Thanks to the Farm Journal research, seed companies, such as plot partners AgriGold and Wyffels Hybrids, now include information about plant characteristics, including height, leaf structure and response to population, nitrogen timing and fungicides, in their seed catalogs. Using that information, you can select the best hybrids for your fields and manage them to maximize yield.

Why Your Favorite Hybrid Could Fizzle This Fall

These yield maps from 2022 illustrate what can happen when a hybrid that flexes its ears early in the growing season suffers stress from emergence to the VT (tassel) growth stage. In this case, the yield loss was caused by drought in June — very similar to the weather in 2023.

The operator of the fields above thought his sidedress operator missed the field at left. Planted to Hybrid A , it flexes ear length early in the season. But switching to Hybrid B after planting the headland in the field at right revealed that Hybrid A yielded 51 bu. per acre less due to drought stress in June. Hybrid B was not affected by the early drought because it flexes depth of kernel (rather than ear length) late in the growing season.

This map shows similar situations, in which an early-flexing hybrid (Hybrid D) yielded significantly less than a later- flexing hybrid (Hybrid C). While you can’t change the weather, knowing the ear-flex characteristics of your hybrids will enable you to eliminate fertility and disease stress during critical ear-flex periods by timely sidedressing and fungicide applications.

What the Study Has Revealed

Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie’s interest in plant characteristics grew out of analyzing thousands of yield maps every autumn for his farmer clients. “The yield maps showed many factors cause the yield of a hybrid to vary from one farmer to the next,” he says. “But the top two factors, far above the others, are water management (including soil compaction, irrigation, population and plant characteristics) and hybrid selection. So we launched our study.”

Early on, the study revealed all hybrids flex, or adjust their ear size, but not in the same way. Ferrie divides hybrids as:

G hybrids: A G rating, for girth, means the plant changes the number of rows around the cob. “G hybrids flex girth early in the season,” Ferrie says, “from emergence to the V6 or V7 stage. We need to protect them from early stress.” A G hybrid will respond to good planting conditions and up-front nitrogen. It will disappoint in cold soil with no starter fertilizer.

L hybrids: L hybrids adjust ear length. “We break this group into two sectors,” Ferrie says. “L1 hybrids flex in length before tasseling, maybe from 42 kernels down to 34 or 35. With enough stress during that period, they will abort cob and all. It will look like good ear-fill but the ear is only 33 or 34 kernels long. L1 hybrids don’t like stress during the rapid-growth stage, from V8 to VT (tassel).”

L2 hybrids: L2 hybrids will pollinate 45 kernels long but abort back to 33 or 34. The tips of the cob will show these shriveled kernels. L2 hybrids don’t like stress from VT to R3.

D hybrids: D hybrids flex depth of kernel by up to 30% difference in weight. ”Depth of kernel comes at the end of grain fill — the last half of the 60 or so days after pollination through black layer,” Ferrie explains. “They need to stay green as long as possible and finish the season strong. Many new hybrids are D types.” These hybrids respond to late-season nitrogen and timely fungicide and will die two weeks earlier if they don’t receive the nitrogen and fungicide.

Some hybrids flex in only one area, some in two and some in all four.

Data Shows How to Manage Each Hybrid

Plant characteristics are now included in some seed catalogs. “You can use that information to make a plan to manage each of the hybrids you grow,” Ferrie says. “For example, the AgriGold catalog says one hybrid’s leaf orientation is horizontal. That indicates it probably won’t respond to high populations because after you capture 95% of the sunlight reaching the soil, increasing population will not increase yield.

“Under ear flex, the catalog says ‘kernel flex,’ meaning the ear flexes in size of kernel, not number of kernels. The catalog also tells you the hybrid responds to late nitrogen and has a high response to fungicide applications. That means the plant has to stay green late in the season in order for the kernels to flex.”

Ferrie’s farmer-cooperators confirmed this. “We applied 180 lb. of nitrogen per acre at and before planting,” he says. “We sidedressed 60 lb. of nitrogen, for a total of 240 lb., with a 240 bu. per acre goal. We planted 32,000 and 35,000 plants per acre and both yielded 241 bu. per acre. There was no response to population because of the hybrid’s horizontal leaves.”

Increasing the sidedress nitrogen rate by 30 lb. per acre (270 lb. total) raised the yield to 250 bu. per acre, but population had no effect. When the growers added another 30 lb. of nitrogen per acre (300 lb. total), the yield stayed at 250 bu. per acre at 32,000 plants and increased by only 3 bu. per acre with 35,000 plants.

“The additional nitrogen raised yield by increasing the depth of kernel,” Ferrie concludes.
The AgriGold catalog describes a second hybrid as upright-leaf, meaning it will probably respond to higher population because more light can get down into the canopy. Under ear flex, it says “ear length,” which means it flexes in kernel number, not kernel depth. Under nitrogen utilization, it says “flexible.” Fungicide response is rated “moderate.”

“We planted this hybrid at 32,000 and 36,000 plants per acre,” Ferrie says. “At every nitrogen rate, yield increased, but it always was higher for the higher population. So population made a difference. Higher nitrogen rates produced a longer ear. Our study showed this hybrid needs a good start and a good run from tasseling to R3, so it responded to a higher sidedress rate.”

Unique requirements to handle stress

A third experiment involving three Wyffels hybrids, which under Ferrie’s system were rated D (needs late-season nitrogen), L1 (needs nitrogen from V8 to tasseling) and G (needs nitrogen early), compared nitrogen timing with a total rate of 228 lb. per acre. The treatments included all nitrogen applied before planting; 128 lb.of preplant,
100 lb. sidedressed at V6; and 128 lb. of preplant, 50 lb. at V6 and 50 lb. at tasseling.

The results confirmed each hybrid had unique requirements for managing stress. The D hybrid had its highest yield when 128 lb. of nitrogen per acre was applied before planting, 50 lb. was sidedressed at V6 and 50 lb. was sidedressed at tasseling. The L1 hybrid yielded best when 128 lb. of nitrogen was applied preplant and 100 lb. was sidedressed at V6. The G hybrid produced its highest yield when the 228 lb. of nitrogen was applied before planting.

Thanks to Our Partners

Farm Journal wishes to express its thanks to the plot partners who made this study possible: AgriGold , Case IH , Precision Planting , Unverferth Manufacturing Company , Wyffels Hybrids , Yetter Farm Equipment , JAMF Farms, Mike Craig and all the Crop-Tech farmer-volunteers.

2023 Farm Journal Corn and Soybean College: Learn How to Integrate New Practices Without Giving Up Productivity and ROI

Thu, 06 Jul 2023 15:05:11 GMT

Change is a constant consideration on the farm. This year’s Farm Journal Corn and Soybean College will focus on equipping farmers with the necessary tools to make decisions in an ever-changing environment and integrate new practices without giving up productivity and ROI. Make plans to join Ken Ferrie and team on July 25 and 26 near Heyworth, Ill.

“Our sessions are designed to help farmers make successful agronomic decisions in the face of the dynamic changes they deal with every year — from fickle weather conditions to markets and uncertainties in input supplies, labor availability and government regulations,” says Ferrie, who also serves as a Farm Journal field agronomist.

The full agenda is below, but in-field and classroom sessions will address:

making changes to your crop rotation, tillage systems or nutrient placement
managing early-planted soybeans
evaluating below-ground issues that can impact corn yields
implementing and managing cover crops

The event, now in its 16th year, brings together presenters, farmers and industry personnel from around the U.S. who are passionate about raising the bar in farming. The event is unsponsored, making more time available for agronomists to interact with attendees, evaluating various agronomic situations and answering questions.

Farm Journal Corn and Soybean College starts at 8 a.m. and runs through happy hour/dinner on July 25 and continues the next day through lunch and a Q&A session. Price: $625 (includes access to one-day virtual event on Jan. 9, 2024). Register here.

Agenda: Day 1 – July 25

Is All Change Good (General Session)

Governmental regulations, incentive programs and soil health concerns have a lot of farmers considering changes in their residue management strategies. Is the grass always greener on the other side of the fence? It is vital for growers to be aware of potential pitfalls that might exist within each of the available systems before implementing any changes.

Identifying When Change is Needed (Breakout)

No matter what tillage system a grower is running, from full tillage all the way to no-till, this session will help growers identify impediments that might be costing them yield or profitability and then discuss how to remove them. This in-field session will have attendees looking below ground at soil pits and digging plants to identify below-ground issues that might be costing yield.

Changing How You Play The Cover Crop Game (Breakout)

There are several common pitfalls growers face when trying to implement cover crops. Attendees will have the chance to go to the field and evaluate some different implementations of cover crop practices. Having a good understanding of the implications of seedbed prep, types of cover, termination dates, pest management and 4Rs of nutrient management are all critical when attempting to implement covers successfully.

A “Change” Reaction (Breakout)

Making changes to your system in the form of crop rotation, tillage systems or nutrient placement can have big implications to your overall outcome. Often, growers think of a change as a single decision, not realizing the impact on the rest of their system throughout the season. Changes to the overall system can also affect disease management strategies and applied fertility plans for both micro and macro nutrients.

Rolling With the Changes (Simulation)

Attendees will have an opportunity to showcase and implement what they have learned in the first day of sessions as their team competes to adjust their management style to the changes in their operation to see which group comes out on top.

Agenda: Day 2 – July 26

Game-Changing Soybean Management (General Session)

Implementing early-planted beans involves more than just changing your planting date. Understanding the importance of variety characteristics and how they interact with population, row spacing and weed control is vital to implementing that change successfully.

Eliminating Below Ground Barriers (Breakout)

This live tillage session will help examine ways to fix the barriers or impediments below the surface that were identified on day one. Attendees will get to see what the tillage tools are doing above and below ground and get tips on how to set up equipment to get the best results.

Railroad Tracks and Utility Wires — Nothing to Get Tangled With (Breakout)

What do railroad tracks and utility lines have in common? You don’t want to tangle with either one. We cross road-to-rail intersections with little thought of what takes place as trucks and trains share this small piece of ground. This presentation will provide recommendations of what to do if you are stuck on railroad tracks. With only a few minutes to decide, the blue sign at the tracks might save your life and equipment. The session will also detail life-saving steps to follow if your equipment comes in contact with powerlines.

Early Beans — More Than a Date Change

Attendees will be able to go to the field to evaluate different changes made to implement an early planting system. They will be able to review differences in planting date, row spacing, population, variety selection, cover crops and herbicide programs to see how they fit in this overall management change.

2022 Farm Journal Test Plots Early Results

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 19:44:43 GMT

Ken Ferrie and the Crop-Tech Consulting crew have been harvesting the Farm Journal Test Plots as well as their “teaching plots” the past few weeks. The full results of these plots will be shared in Farm Journal magazine, on AgWeb and at various events where Ken and Isaac Ferrie are scheduled to speak this winter and early spring.

Here is a summary of initial results.

Soybean Planting Date

In this plot, each maturity — 2.6, 3.4 and 4.6 — was planted on April 12, April 27 and May 12.

2.6 soybean results: Planting April 27 versus May 12 yielded a 2-bu. increase. Moving from April 27 to April 12 resulted in a 5-bu. increase.
3.4 soybean results: The plot showed an 8-bu. increase planting April 27 compared with May 12 but only a 1-bu. increase planting April 12 versus April 27.
4.6 soybean results: Yield increased 3 bu. moving from May 12 to April 27 and another 5 bu. moving to April 12 planting.

“It looks like there was a 7-bu. to a 9-bu. gain from planting on April 12 versus May 12,” Ferrie says. “This does surprise me a little bit on the basis it took forever for those April 27 and April 12 soybeans to get out of the ground.”

Read more: 8 Tips for Planting Soybeans Early

15” Versus 30” Rows

Ferrie also looked at the performance of bush beans compared to narrow-row soybeans. The bush beans were planted in six maturity groups from a 2.9 up to a 4.0 in both 15” rows and 30” rows.

“It looks like the narrow-row beans did respond to narrower rows by 3 bu. to 5 bu., meaning they were 3 bu. to 5 bu. better in 15s than they were in 30s,” he says. “It looks like the bush beans had no response to row spacing, which is also kind of interesting.”

Sulfur Products and Application Timing

In this plot, Ferrie evaluated a variety of sulfur products and various application timings and their impact on soybeans. Overall, he saw a positive yield response of between 2 bu. and 5 bu. in the plot.

“The data in these Farm Journal campus plots is not well replicated, but it will be presented this winter at our virtual Corn & Soybean College on Jan. 5, 2023, as a lot of you want to know how those plots do,” he says.

Corn Planter Fertility

Based on his initial findings, Ferrie says there is a yield difference between fertility applications in these plots but not as significant as what he saw in 2021.

His takeaway: “When corn comes out of the ground in four to five days, it probably doesn’t need as much help as we typically would expect. There are responses, but they are smaller,” he says.

Corn Fungicide Plot

In Ferrie’s area around Heyworth, Ill., fungicide plots are not showing a lot of response because disease pressure was less severe this season than 2021. He expects to see more response in plots where more disease pressure was present.

However, Ferrie notes excellent yield results in one fungicide plot where the weather was ideal this season.

“With 15 entries, the plot averaged over 300 bu. per acre. Matter of fact, only one entry went under 300 bu.,” he says. “Dryland plots like that are far and few between.”

Teaching Plots

Ferrie’s team has harvested all the corn teaching plots planted at their facility near Heyworth, Ill. They pulled more than 100 test-weight samples from the small plots which have little replication.

“We’ll put the data from our teaching plots in the virtual Corn & Soybean College on Jan. 5,” he says. “These plots are only teaching plots, but attendees always want to know how the plots did that they visited during the summer. So, we’ll add that into our virtual event this winter.”

Here’s a brief look at results from four teaching plots.

1. Of the four different starter plots this season, Ferrie and team saw a 19-bu. to 21-bu. increase. “That was surprising because this corn came up in five days,” he says. “I don’t expect those gains to hold when we get out into our field-scale plots planted outside of campus.”

2. Sulfur timing and product plots showed a gain of about 7 bu. to 12 bu., depending on the product.

3. Results from the one-and-done teaching plots were surprising.

“Where we put all the nitrogen (N) on in one shot and put it up against what we call the full-meal deal — where we break that same N rate across different timings – the one shot showed a 10-bu. to 12-bu. advantage over breaking the N rates up,” he says. “This is kind of surprising being it was an N-friendly year.”

4. In the small fixed-flex plots, Ferrie’s team planted hybrids at 22,000 (population) and again at 36,000 to measure how much hybrids flexed between those populations.

“In our 22,000 side of the plot the (yield) range was from 180 bu. to 233 bu.; on the 36,000-side of the plot, yield swung from 242 bu. to 307 bu.,” he says. “It seems crazy some hybrids can reach 233 bu. on a planted population of 22,000.”

Full-Scale Fixed Flex

Ferrie and team did harvest one full-scale fixed flex corn plot, which had 16 hybrids. The 22,000 side of the plot went from 198 bu. per acre to 250 bu., with an average of 227 bu., he reports. The 36,000-population side of the plot went from 252 bu. to 285 bu., with an average of 272 bu. per acre.

“Ear samples are taken from these plots for our hand harvest this fall,” Ferrie says. “That’s where we’ll identify where this flex is coming from. The information from these plots is helping to move the needle quite a bit for our multi-hybrid guys.”

Thank You to Our Plot Partners The Farm Journal Test Plots are possible thanks to the contributions of many people and companies: AgReliant Genetics/AgriGold, BASF, Bayer, Wyffels Hybrids, Case IH, Great Plains Manufacturing, Kinze Manufacturing, Martin-Till, New Holland Agriculture, Precision Planting, Schaffert Manufacturing, Unverferth Manufacturing, Yetter Farm Equipment, Yield 360, Crop-Tech Consulting and B&M Crop Consulting

Old Made New: Transforming a Toolbar Into a High-Tech Corn Planter

Wed, 21 Sep 2022 02:14:05 GMT

For several years, Missy Bauer, Farm Journal Field Agronomist, has been in the market for a planter — specifically a corn planter she could call her own to use in plots. She focused her search on a used eight-row bar with liquid starter fertilizer and finally found a Kinze 3500 at an auction.

“There is nothing wrong with starting with an old toolbar, as long as it’s in good shape,” Bauer says. “The plan was to strip down the planter and rebuild with proven technologies. We sought out several Farm Journal Test Plot partners to help build the ultimate plot planter.”

From the onset, Bauer’s goal was to create picket fence stands and photocopied plants and ears. Picket fence stands are created by eliminating vibration in the seed transmission system, singulating seed at the meter, reducing seed tube bounce and minding planter speed, Bauer explains.

“One of the advantages to rebuilding an old planter is to eliminate many problems with traditional seed transmission systems, such as bearings, chains, cable drives and hex shafts, and move to an electric drive and meter system,” she says.

Precision Planting provided vSet 2 meters and a vDrive system, powered by a 20I20 Gen 3 monitor.

Photocopied plants and ears come from placing the seed in a uniform microenvironment allowing for even germination and emergence. That microenvironment is created by managing planting depth, down pressure and gauge wheel settings; closing and firming the trench; and planting on a uniform seedbed.

“Down pressure is difficult to get set right on a planter,” Bauer says. “The addition of Precision Planting’s DeltaForce hydraulic down-force cylinder with sensors for automated control helps ensure we run at the proper down pressure across the field.”

Cab-controlled row cleaners improve the ability to move residue and reduce issues with residue pinched in the seed trench. Martin-Till ACCR1360 fl oating row cleaners with Precision Planting CleanSweep cylinders help manage residue.

In addition to updated technology, Bauer used heavier-duty parallel arms, bolts and bushings; heavy-duty cast hub disk openers from GBGI ; new guards for the WaveVision seed tubes ; Copperhead Ag RK Products gauge wheel arm repair kits with new arms; and new spoke gauge wheels from Yetter Farm Equipment .

Roll over the yellow buttons below to get a closer look at the upgrades that were made.

Closing Wheel Swap

Because this planter is set up for closing wheel plots, Bauer used two quick-attach tail assemblies: The Tru Closer from Yetter with drag chains and a standard tail with the Copperhead Ag RK Products closing wheel ball bearing repair kit and Yetter’s interchanger. In future plots, Bauer plans to evaluate SI Distributing cast iron and Finger-Till closing wheels, Yetter 6200 Twister cast and poly closing wheels, Copperhead Ag Furrow Cruiser Complete and Precision Planting FurrowForce.

Don’t Forget the Nutrition

“The planting pass should also be a nutrition pass,” Bauer says. “The ability to apply fertilizer with the planter is critical to get corn off to a good start.”

Bauer worked with Precision Planting and Schaffert Manufacturing to add three liquid systems to the planter. A 2x2 placement adds nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur and zinc, which helps improve early plant growth and nutrition.

Farm Journal Test Plot research has found adding a “relay” system for starter fertilizer to the planter is beneficial. Bauer used Precision Planting‘s FurrowJet to apply 10-34-0 into the sidewalls of the seed trench to safely get quick nutrition to the plants before handing off to the 2x2 placement.

The FurrowJet also allows an in-furrow application, which Bauer set up with a Dosatron from Schaffert for direct injection. Electric pumps from Schaffert run the liquid systems for the FurrowJet, and a hydraulic drive from Precision Planting powers the 2x2 system. All liquid systems are equipped with vApply HD from Precision Planting to ensure uniform application.

Ask for Help

The idea of rebuilding an old planter with new technologies is an option for farmers as well. However, having good dealer support is critical for success. Missy Bauer partnered with PM Precision Ag, Charlotte, Mich.; Mavis Meter Max, Edgerton, Ohio; and Schlipf Precision Ag, Milford, Ind.

Farm Journal Test Plots: A Phantom Lurks in Your Corn Fields

Thu, 18 Aug 2022 21:51:24 GMT

As harvest approaches, it’s important to recognize there’s an invisible enemy lurking in your corn fields. Phantom yield loss occurs when a crop is allowed to naturally dry down to a certain point before harvest.

Does the elusive dry matter lost equate to bushels? If so, is it enough to justify switching up harvest timing and paying for drying? Those are the questions Farm Journal Field Agronomist Missy Bauer set out to answer in 2019 and 2020.

Today’s genetics have changed, Bauer explains, and kernels are taller, wider and deeper.

“I’ll date myself, but when I graduated from Purdue, we divided yield calculations by 90,000 kernels per bushel,” Bauer says. “In 2018 and 2019, our hybrid plots averaged 70,000 kernels. In 2020, because of the dry weather, we’re a little higher at 76,000, but that’s nowhere near 90,000. That means kernels are different today than in years past.”

Kernel is Alive

When studying if phantom yield loss is a bigger issue today, with fewer kernels per bushel, Bauer learned several key takeaways.

“Even though the crop is at the black layer stage, the kernel is still alive, and that kernel is going to continue to go through respiration, which can result in the loss of kernel weight,” she explains. “Basically, the weight loss is a result of the metabolic activity within the kernel.

“That kernel is going to remain alive until we kill it with heat. When you dry it down in your dryer to 15%, then we’re basically killing it at that point,” Bauer adds.
When the crop remains in the field it’s burning itself up, so to speak, with respiration. That’s the concept of phantom yield loss.

Combine is Not to Blame

When studying phantom yield loss, Bauer and her team monitored harvest loss counts on the ground. They found no difference when comparing the earlier versus later harvest dates. It wasn’t that as the corn dried down there was more shatter and shelled at the head and more kernels on the ground. The difference came from phantom yield loss.

In 2020, Bauer selected one hybrid in an irrigated field to study in terms of phantom yield loss.

A portion of the field was harvested early, on Sept. 23, when the stalks were still green to a large extent. On Oct. 30, the remainder of the field was harvested, which was a little later than Bauer preferred, but that’s how harvest goes some years.

On average, the corn harvested early had a yield advantage of 15.6 bu. per acre at 214.2 bu. versus 198.6 bu. for the corn harvested in late October. Across management zones, the earlier harvest yielded from 11.6 bu. to 22.4 bu. more.

When it comes to moisture levels, the corn harvested on Sept. 23 was at 27.9%. By Oct. 30, moisture levels fell to 18.4%. That 9.3 points in moisture dried “for free” in the field.

Obviously, an early harvest means drying corn is necessary. That can cost from 1¢ to 4¢ per bushel per point of moisture, depending on on-farm or elevator options.

At the time, corn was at $4.20 per bushel. After paying the drying cost, the corn harvest in late September made money — anywhere from $5.95 to $45.76 per acre, depending on drying costs.

In 2019, there was nothing early about harvest after a late start to planting due to the wet weather. For Bauer, early harvest occurred Oct. 29 and late harvest was Nov. 18. With three weeks difference, the late October harvest had a 10.6-bu. advantage (266.4 bu. versus 255.8 bu.) with a 2.7% difference in moisture.

“In terms of economics, at 1.5¢ for drying costs per bushel per point we put $31.40 an acre back in the farmer’s pocket,” Bauer says. “Even at 4¢ per bushel per point drying costs, he still made money.”

Take Advantage of Half-price Drying

When considering drying costs, don’t forget some elevators and ethanol plants will offer half-price drying in early fall.

“In September and sometimes even the first few days of October, elevators and ethanol plants in our area in Michigan need corn, so they’ll offer half-price drying. Take advantage of that,” Bauer says.

There’s also something to be said about starting harvest earlier. Take advantage of warmer weather, Bauer adds, and stretch out the harvest window to ease up on logistics when there’s not enough hours in a day.

Thank You to Our Plot Partners

BASF, Bayer Crop Science, Pioneer, Case IH, Clarks Ag Supply, Great Plains, Kinze, New Holland, Unverferth, AirScout, Trimble, B&M Crop Consulting, Finegan Farms and Welden Farms

Farm Journal Test Plots: How the Right Hybrid Pays Off

Thu, 23 Jun 2022 13:57:35 GMT

How important is it to pick the right hybrid for each field? A 2021 Farm Journal study suggests the correct selection can increase revenue by as much as $88 per acre. And you can gain even more profit by managing that hybrid properly.

Defensive Zones
The study involves a 318-acre field, farmed in a no-till vertical environment with no compaction layers to limit water uptake.

Around 200 acres (64%) are light soil with lower organic matter and Illinois Soil Nitrogen Test (ISNT) values, meaning the soil has less water-holding capacity and is less able to supply nitrogen (N) during the growing season.

Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie treats these areas as “defensive” management zones, requiring lower plant populations, higher N rates and defensive hybrid selection.

The remaining 114 acres in the field are heavier “offensive” soils, which can support more plants per acre.

“The defensive soils in this field run out of water during grain fill, in normal to dry years,” Ferrie says. “The offensive soils handle dry conditions most years without losing much yield.”

In other fields, “defensive” could refer to issues such as PH or the presence of disease.

The study mimicked decisions corn growers must make about hybrid selection, population and fertility. It compared two hybrids, one offensive and one defensive (both selected with the help of Wyffels and AgriGold seed experts), planted at 32,000 and 35,000 plants per acre. Nitrogen was sidedressed the first week of June, using an Unverferth bar, bringing total application to 240 lb., 270 lb. and 300 lb.

A Corn Grower’s Goal
“As producers, we want to capture 97% or more of available sunlight by the time the plant reaches the VT (tasseling) stage, and then turn it into grain,” Ferrie explains. “Capturing sunlight is a function of plant height and leaf characteristics.”

The taller the hybrid, the more sunlight it can capture. Hybrids with more pendulum-type horizontal leaves capture more light at lower populations, he says, so look for that kind of hybrid for defensive soils. In offensive zones, choose upright hybrids that respond to increased population.
A farmer’s first decision is what hybrid to plant. Because the majority of the study field contains defensive soil, the answer proved to be a defensive hybrid.

The study showed if the defensive hybrid was planted on every acre at the recommended population of 32,000 plants per acre, it would have produced $88 more revenue per acre than the offensive hybrid planted at its recommended population of 35,000.

Right Hybrids = High Revenue
The study showed how managing each hybrid can increase revenue. All examples are based on 2022 values of 90¢ per pound for N, $300 per bag for seed and $7 per bushel for corn. The revenue numbers reflect increased income minus cost of additional seed and fertilizer. Here are key findings:

In defensive management zones, the defensive hybrid at 32,000 plants and 240 lb. of N per acre created $113 more revenue than the offensive hybrid at 35,000 plants per acre.
In offensive zones, the offensive hybrid at 35,000 plants per acre at the 240 lb. N rate produced $107 more revenue per acre than the defensive hybrid at 35,000 population. This shows the defensive hybrid did not respond to higher population.
In offensive zones increasing the population to 35,000 and the N to 300 lb. per acre increased revenue for the offensive hybrid by $398 per acre. “That response occurred partly because the additional nitrogen helped delay plant death due to tar spot disease and the extra nitrogen extended the grain-fill period,” Ferrie says. “Throughout the plot, the biggest factor in increasing revenue was nitrogen rate, not population.”
The study showed if an operator planted each hybrid at its recommended population in the appropriate management zone (using a multi-hybrid planter) and increased the N rate to 270 lb. per acre in the defensive soils, it would improve the return by $112 per acre.
Higher N rates helped both varieties withstand the effect of tar spot, which robs nutrients from plants, and also improved standability.
The defensive hybrid did not respond to increased population. “In fact, higher population decreased yield, indicating more plants did not capture more light but just added stress,” Ferrie says.
The defensive hybrid responded to higher N rates, regardless of planting population.
The offensive hybrid responded to higher population. “It captured more light as the population increased,” Ferrie says.
The offensive hybrid also responded to higher N rates. “Part of that response resulted from how the hybrid flexes ear size,” Ferrie says. “Kernel size is reduced if the plant is left wanting for nitrogen during the last 30 days of grain fill.”

“The study shows picking the right hybrid for each field is the biggest factor in maximizing revenue,” Ferrie summarizes. “If you can plant different hybrids in defensive and offensive management zones, you can push revenue even higher.

“Every hybrid you buy should be targeted to individual field or management zone,” Ferrie adds. “The days of backing up to the shed and loading your planter from the pallet of seed closest to the door are over.”

Thank You to Our Plot Partners

Farm Journal test plots result from the contributions of many people and companies. We express our sincere appreciation to the partners who assisted with this study: AgReliant Genetics/AgriGold , Wyffels Hybrids , Case IH , Kinze Manufacturing , New Holland Agriculture , Precision Planting , Unverferth Manufacturing Co. , Yetter Farm Equipment , Mike Craig

Girth? Length? Depth? How Hybrids Flex

Fri, 10 Sep 2021 19:13:43 GMT

In Michigan, Farm Journal Field Agronomist Missy Bauer has been looking at the consistency of hybrid flex across years. Her data shows the amount a hybrid flexes is dependent on the year and environment, but how it flexes is consistent. For example, a hybrid that flexes a lot in girth did so in 2018, 2019 and 2020. The same is true for length and depth of hybrids.

Bill and Missy Bauer do a little show and tell from 2020 hybrid plots.

Farm Journal Test Plots: How Early Soybean Planting Pays

Wed, 28 Jul 2021 17:36:40 GMT

A 2020 Farm Journal study confirms earlier planting can boost yield, even if plants are nipped by a freeze or frost. That’s exciting news because, in many areas, products that control Sudden Death Syndrome have removed the last obstacle to early planting. Planting early allows soybeans to start flowering before the summer solstice, if they get big enough, instead of after the solstice as with normal planting dates.

“The earlier soybeans flower, the longer they spend in the reproductive stages, potentially resulting in more pods and more beans,” explains Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie. “Of course, you still must have adequate water and nutrients to fill those pods and produce big soybeans, but planting early can set the stage for higher yield.”

In the study (see graph below), Ferrie planted soybeans in maturity groups 2.4, 2.9, 3.5 and 4.1 on April 16 and June 1. Although all maturity groups were slow to emerge, and then had their stands thinned by frost, they all outyielded the June-planted soybeans by a considerable margin. “That’s because they all began to flower early,” Ferrie says.

“Most years, with June 1 planting, the 3.5-to-4.1-maturity soybeans would have outperformed earlier-maturing varieties because they take longer to reach the end of the R6 stage,” Ferrie says. “But with no rain in August (the 13th driest on record in this area), the 4.1-maturity beans fell off in yield because they were trying to finish bean-fill without water. This was evident by the large number of small beans in the pods. That’s why we like to mix maturities to mitigate risk — we never know when a dry spell is going to show up.”

In the future, Ferrie hopes the ongoing study will shed more light on various aspects of early planting management listed below:

Row spacing
So far, the study shows little yield advantage to 15" rows over 30" (compared with a 5-bu. or 6-bu. increase with normal planting dates). But narrow rows might aid weed control.
Population
The study has revealed there is no need to push soybean populations higher than 120,000 to 140,000 seeds per acre. “Higher population is not where yield comes from with early planting,” Ferrie says. “It comes from putting on more pods per acre — in essence, more beans per acre.”
Maturity
Soybean maturity comparisons have been inconclusive. “One thing we can say with early planting is to plant a mixture of maturity groups,” Ferrie says. “Plant your full-season varieties first, and finish with shorter-season varieties — the opposite of what you do when planting normally.”
Seedbed preparation
A little seedbed preparation, such as strip-till or vertical tillage, often results in faster emergence. In 2020, that sometimes proved to be detrimental — the early emerging soybeans looked good, but they were thinned out by frost; seeds planted in no-till or cover crop residue emerged more slowly and escaped the frost. “With this year’s results, we can’t prove earlier emergence made any difference in yield, compared to no-till,” Ferrie says.
Seed treatments
“In the Midwest, a seed treatment to protect against Sudden Death Syndrome is essential with early soybean planting because seeds may lay in the ground for 20 or 30 days,” Ferrie says. “There will be pressure from other diseases and insects, so an insecticide/fungicide seed treatment is always a good idea.”
Starter fertilizer
While starter fertilizer sometimes produces a visual response, the study has provided little evidence early appearance translates into increased yield.

Ultra Early Reaps Almost $18 Per Acre Advantage

The goal of planting soybeans ultra early (before April 15 in Michigan) is to maintain or increase yields while spreading out the workload at planting.

“After planting, seeds don’t just lay in the ground, they quickly imbibe water and start the germination process. However, growth and emergence can be slow,” says Farm Journal Field Agronomist Missy Bauer. “In our 2020 plots at two locations in Michigan, the ultra-early soybeans took 36 and 32 days to emerge. They were snowed on multiple times. Despite the delayed emergence, populations were within 3% to 4% of the normal planting date [late April/early May].”

An earlier planting date allowed flowering to occur near the summer solstice (R1 on June 21 and June 22), which was seven to eight days earlier than the normal planting.

“It appears early flowering extends the reproductive stages and improves pods per node,” Bauer explains. “There were more nodes with pods on the ultra-early soybeans, which led to more pods per plant. Both the number of pods and seeds per plant were higher with the ultra-early planting as well.”
However, at both locations the timing of the rainfall in 2020 was more advantageous for the late April/early May soybeans in terms of seed size. The larger seed size made up in part for the lack of pod and seed count in the normal planting, narrowing the yield advantage of the ultra-early soybeans.

Even so, in 2020, the ultra-early soybeans in Michigan averaged 2 bu. more per acre than the late April/early May soybeans for a $17.76 per acre average advantage

Thank You to Our Plot Partners

The Farm Journal soybean planting study is made possible by: AgriGold Seed/AgReliant Genetics, Case IH, Great Plains Ag, Kinze Manufacturing, Kubota Tractor Corporation, Martin Equipment, McFarlane Ag Manufacturing, New Holland Agriculture, Precision Planting, Unverferth Manufacturing Company and Yetter Farm Equipment, Michigan Soybean Promotion Committee, B&M Crop Consulting, Crop-Tech Consulting.

Farm Journal Test Plots: How to Profit From A Changing Climate

Thu, 24 Jun 2021 19:07:56 GMT

Who would have guessed there’s a bright side to climate change, at least for some farmers? A long-term Farm Journal study suggests Midwestern crop producers can turn today’s more extreme weather patterns into more bushels per acre. It involves managing drainage water, explains Farm Journal Field Agronomists Ken and Isaac Ferrie.

The outlook: Warmer, more rain, more big storms

If you’ve noticed more volatile weather on your farm, you’re not alone. Analysis by Eric Snodgrass, principal atmospheric scientist at Nutrien Ag Solutions, shows these trends for the Midwest:

Over the past 50 years temperatures have increased by an average of 1˚F.
Nighttime low temperatures have increased by 2˚F.
Frost-free days have increased by six to nine days per year, all occurring in April (so the last frost comes earlier).
Rainfall has increased by 5½" per year.
Rainfall events of 2" in 24 hours occur twice as often in Illinois and three times as often in Iowa.
Despite nine more frost-free days in Illinois, the additional rainfall has reduced the number of
planting days in April and May by five days, compared with 1980.
The average minimum temperature in Illinois has increased by 3˚F since 1970.
Relative humidity has increased by 6%.

What a changing climate means for farmers

“Climate change isn’t all bad,” Ken says. “In fact, it’s good for corn and soybean growers in the Midwest and Canada. More water and a longer growing season translate into more bushels of grain.”

But, he says, farmers must learn to farm around the negative aspects: fewer days to do spring fieldwork and more frequent heavy rain events.

“A well-designed controlled drainage system can move a lot of water in a short time, when necessary, while storing some of that water for use later in the season,” Ken says.

How to gain planting days

The farm-scale Farm Journal drainage study has been underway since 2002. Installing tile drainage in poorly drained soil increased corn yield by 7 bu. to 12 bu. per acre (and by 60 bu. per acre in one extremely wet part of the study field).

Since 2016, the study has included controlled drainage, in which adjustable gates are used to maintain the water table at the desired height, while allowing excess water to exit normally through the tile outlet. Water remains available, but crop roots don’t get saturated.

The study also showed installing a traditional tile drainage system increased the number of days available for field work during a 48-day period in April and May.

With no tile, only four days were fit to work. Tile increased that to 16 days with lines on 120' spacing, 22 days with 60' spacing and 38 days with 30' spacing.

How gated tile systems boost yield

“Almost every year — not just drought years — we run short of water sometime in the growing season,” Isaac notes. “If a gated tile system lets us hold back just 1" or 2" of water in July or August, we might be able to improve ear fill.”

If soil contains lots of macro- and micropores and/or surface cracks, rain rushes straight to the tile line and escapes. “In multiple rain events in July, the gated side of the field gained 0.1" to 0.15" more useable water in the top foot of soil per rain event,” Isaac says. “When there were four rain events over two weeks, we saved 0.3" to 0.5" more useable water in the top 1' of soil. That’s where we want our useable water because that’s where the soil nutrient load is highest. And this doesn’t include the water we gained deeper in the soil profile.”

A gated system does not simply shut off drainage; it just holds the water table to the desired level, Isaac explains.

“On one occasion, we got 2" of rain, but we did not saturate the root zone,” he says. “When water rose above the gates, it flowed out through the tile lines.”

One year, after a 2" August rain, water began flowing from ungated tile lines in a few hours. On the gated side of the field, the lines never flowed. “By holding back the water, the soil was able to reabsorb it,” Ken says. “That 2" of water, at that point in the season, could add a lot of bushels.”

In 2020, gated tile on 30' spacing increased corn yield about 16 bu. per acre, compared with non-gated tile; on 60' spacing, about 6 bu.; and on 120' spacing, 1 bu. to 2 bu.

Over five years and across all tile spacings, gated systems averaged about 9 bu. per acre more for corn and 4 bu. per acre for soybeans.

Overall, gated tile lines on 30' spacing have performed best in the study. “But we are seeing a yield boost from all spacings (on top of what we gained from the tile itself),” Isaac says. “During the five years, gated 30' spacing is returning about 12 bu. per acre on corn and 6.8 bu. per acre on soybeans.”

Gated systems save fertilizer

“Slowing water’s departure from the field gives soil more time to capture the water, leading to less nutrient loss,” Isaac says. “Depending on spacing, we’ve observed a 20% to 40% reduction in nutrient loss with controlled drainage during large rain events.”

A new role for tile systems

“These results suggest we need to change our strategy from merely getting water out of the field quickly to actively managing that water,” Ken concludes. “That can help us not merely cope with climate change, but actually see benefits from it. Fortunately, controlled-drainage technology is continuing to improve.”

Thank You to Our Test Plot Partners

Agri Drain Corporation; GroGuru; Kinze Manufacturing; Lance Landford, AgriMeasures; McLaughlin-Dooley Farms; Prinsco; Unverferth Manufacturing Company; Sentek Sensor Technologies; Williamson Farm Drainage

Farm Journal Test Plots Pledge

You can count on our test plots to be conducted on real farms with real equipment using a high-touch set of protocols. The information will be completely independent and actionable. Our hands will always be in the dirt researching the production practices and technology that are best for you.
To learn more, visit AgWeb.com/FJ-test-plots

Ken Ferrie: Go Vertical For High Corn Yields

Fri, 12 Mar 2021 18:30:41 GMT

The “sins of spring” sounds like the title of an old-time dime store novel, but that’s not the case. Instead, it’s a presentation by Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie that addresses the way various tillage practices in a 2020 test plot influenced corn yields in soils compromised by compaction layers.

At first blush, some of the results Ferrie shares in this week’s edition of Boots In The Field are surprising.

Ferrie says at face value it makes no sense that a no-till system in a plot with two compaction layers (one at 2” and the other at 4.5”) would deliver higher yields than a one-pass-and-plant system running over a single 4.5” compaction layer. But, that’s what occurred. The no-till system averaged 258 bushels per acre, while the one-pass-and-plant program produced an average of 243 bushels per acre.

To add to the confusion, Ferrie throws in yield results from using a vertical tillage system in a portion of the plot. This entailed chiseling out the two compaction layers in the fall of 2019, making a pass in spring 2020 with a vertical harrow and then planting. The vertical tillage system produced 270 bushels per acre on average.

Why did such a large yield spread occur between the three tillage systems? Ferrie says a significant part of the answer has to do with how soil density and water availability impact root growth and development, particularly when soils turn dry in summer heat.

Listen here to get Ferrie’s complete, in-depth answers to the agronomic puzzle his team faced and worked through last season:

Fertilizer Shortage? Ken Ferrie Weighs In on Fertilizer Issues This Spring

Boots in the Field: Banding Vs. Broadcast Nitrogen Efficiency

Boots in the Field: Beetles, Rootworm and Nutrient Deficiencies

High-Speed Planting Keeps Promise

Wed, 27 Jan 2021 23:21:49 GMT

In the ’80s classic movie Top Gun ace fighter pilot Maverick’s rally cry is something you can probably relate to when you head to the field each spring: “I feel the need—the need for speed.”

Today, with the ability to supercharge your planting process with high-speed machines, the question is: Can you cover those acres faster than before and still do a good job of placing the seed in the ground?

The results from two seasons of testing high-speed planting in the Farm Journal Test Plots Program show the short answer is yes. But with high-speed planting, it’s more important than ever to achieve good downforce pressure and maintain full ground contact, says Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist.

When too little downforce is used, farmers usually plant seed too shallow. That often results in one of two common problems, notes Matt Duesterhaus, who helps with the Farm Journal Test Plots. “Shallow-planted seeds in dry soils might not imbibe water and will germinate later, resulting in plants with small ears or barren plants,” he explains. “Or, shallow-planted seeds in soils with adequate moisture might emerge sooner, but can develop as rootless corn.”

Excessive downforce is a negative as well. It creates seed trench compaction, which leads to sidewall smearing and sometimes “hatchet” roots that grow up and down the furrow rather than in all directions.

Planter downforce reaction varies depending on the system used to create it—springs, pneumatic or hydraulic. Duesterhaus says hydraulic systems can react quickly with adequate amounts of downforce, and will probably become the industry standard. Pneumatic systems allow for easy adjustment across the planter width, but they don’t usually react fast enough or on an individual row basis, which is necessary to be successful with high-speed planting.

“Some farmers set down pressures higher in pneumatic systems when they’re picking up speed, but they end up with too much downforce in some areas of the field just to have enough in other parts,” he explains.

In 2016, Ferrie’s team conducted three trials to evaluate high-speed planting with different speeds and pounds of downforce.

One of the three trials was planted with a Case IH 2150 Early Riser high-speed planter, evaluating both downforce and speed. In that trial, Duesterhaus says the field required 170 lb. of downforce at 10 mph to keep 99% ground contact, which ended up being the standard setting. Downforce was also reduced to 130 lb.

to evaluate a light setting. The speeds used to evaluate downforce pressure in this trial included 5 mph, 8 mph, 10 mph and 12 mph.

“We ran the light downforce and the standard setting at a slow speed of 5 mph clear up to 12 mph, changing downforce as we went across the field. We didn’t see any difference in yield until we got to 12 mph using the 130 lb. of downforce,” Duesterhaus says. “At that point, we saw yield start to decrease. But even then, 130 lb. of downforce did a pretty good job of maintaining plant spacing and depth at the 8 mph and 10 mph speeds with the hydraulic downforce.”

In the other two 2016 trials, Ferrie’s team used two John Deere model 1775NT planters, one with John Deere ExactEmerge with pneumatic downforce and the other with Precision Planting DeltaForce and SpeedTube.

“With both planters we set downforce pressure to maintain 99% ground contact,” he says. “As we increased the speed, we were able to maintain yields with both planters.”

In all three of the 2016 trials, the standard deviation was about 1.6.

Ferrie’s research shows farmers should shoot for a standard deviation of 2 or less. A 2 means the seeds planted are within 2" of where you planned to place them.

“If that number starts to get beyond a 2, then we’re going to have to start making adjustments to the tillage or to the planter to get that number back in range,” Ferrie says.

Duesterhaus notes regardless of speed and down pressure, each planter was able to singulate seed well. “That reinforced that we’re more concerned with depth control and ground contact than with the spacing itself,” he adds.

In 2017, Ferrie’s team put in a single high-speed planting trial using a John Deere planter fitted with SpeedTube. The study tested three speeds: 5 mph, 8 mph and 10 mph and five downforce settings: 50 lb., 100 lb., 150 lb. and 190 lb. set manually and one automatic setting that targeted 100 lb. of downforce across the field. The plot was not replicated.

“We maximized yield and efficiency up to about 8 mph with downforce pressure in the 100 lb. to 150 lb. range,” Duesterhaus explains. “Most newer monitors give feedback on ground contact and spacing but you also need to watch the planter to make sure it’s riding smoothly and ground truth with the monitor.”

It only takes a few minutes to check your planting process by digging up a few seeds to evaluate their placement. Those few minutes are a good investment in your crop’s performance for the entire season, he adds.

Two years of field trials have also reinforced that success with high-speed planting requires good seed-bed preparation before the planter ever rolls into the field.

“In areas of a field that are too rough or have had different types of tillage, you might simply have to slow down,” Duesterhaus says. “Just because you have a high-speed planter doesn’t mean you have to push the speed limit all the time.”

Increase Speed, Increase Downforce

Keeping the planter in full contact with the ground is key to achieving uniform depth.
Shallow-planted seeds in dry soils might not imbibe water and will germinate later.
Shallow-planted seeds in soils with adequate moisture might emerge sooner, but could develop as rootless corn.
Good ride and uniform seed depth dictate uniform emergence and growth.
Row unit bounce can cause uneven ear and plant height.

Thank You to Our Test Plot Partners

Our appreciation goes to: Case IH, New Holland, Kinze Manufacturing, Unverferth Manufacturing, Ag Leader, Gingerich Farms, McLaughlin-Dooley Farms and Crop-Tech Consulting

Farm Journal Test Plots Pledge

Make Every Machine Earn Its Keep

Wed, 16 Dec 2020 20:41:22 GMT

Introducing a new production system to your existing practice (for example, adding no-till to conventional horizontal tillage to protect erodible land or please a landlord) will probably require acquiring new implements or attachments. That’s the time to examine what Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie calls your equipment balance sheet.

Click on the image below to download the free eBook.