March Madness is turning into game time for planting. And with better prices and improved weather conditions in some areas, farmers are ready to hit the fields.
“We got most everything done last fall, so we’re just sitting here patiently waiting for ‘go time,’” says Steve Pitstick, a farmer in Maple Park, Ill.
Pitstick says in 2021, his strategy starts with a steady crop rotation on his farm.
“In my part of the state, we’re pretty much a 50/50 corn soybean rotation,” he says.
With the recent price spike on inputs like anhydrous ammonia, the Illinois farmer doesn’t see that story changing over the next few weeks.
“Soybean prices are strong, and nitrogen prices have gone up,” says Pistick. “So, I don’t see any shift to corn or beans; just kind of steady as it goes. We’re kind of on the dry side. So, if we’re going into a drier spell, the beans seem to get through the year better when it’s on the drier side. But again, it depends on what happens all summer. So, I don’t see any big change here.”
250 miles west is where Caleb Hamer of Hudson, Iowa, farms. He says even though USDA’s early acreage preview pointed to an increase in corn acres, he thinks acres in his area may see a slight shift toward soybeans this year.
“Typically, we would be 60% corn 40% soybeans; this year could be more 55/45,” explains Hamer. “There are some places we typically would have done more corn on corn and we’ll still be slightly heavier corn than bean acres, but due to some derecho complications, residue management type stuff, we’re going to go back to soybeans on a couple pieces.”
Hamer is on the northern edge of where the derecho hit last August, and the agronomic scars are still there.
“The southern half of where we farm got hit with derecho, whereas the northern half was untouched,” adds Hamer. “So, some of those pieces to the south are going to get more tillage than we’re used to doing.”
And 280 miles to the west of Hamer, sits Nebraska farmer and TikTok star, Quentin Connealy.
“We have a little bit tougher time growing really top-notch beans, so we tend to be a little corn heavy, and with the flood of 2019, we kind of got some rotations off,” he says. “So, this year we did a couple extra corn on corn fields, but usually we’re sticking to our rotation as we would normally do.”
A 10% to 15% increase in corn acres for this Nebraska farmer is a decision made based on agronomy and not necessarily the future prices.
“It seems like both corn and soybean prices moved up evenly, and where we continue to grow better corn, we tend to lean towards the corn side,” he says.
But from Nebraska to Illinois, the appetite to plant is there this year.
“Probably 10 days or two weeks before we start planting,” says Pitstick.
The Illinois farmer’s timeline may be pushed even further.
“We have a five-acre field that my dad planted early in 1976, and ever since then, whenever we get a chance to do it in late March or early April, we go out and plant. So, it’s very possible that could happen here Wednesday to Friday,” says Pitstick.
Hamer says from drought and derecho last summer, to above average winter moisture, his area saw some needed moisture already this year.
“We had a lot of snowpack, maybe more so than usual, and it when it did melt, it pretty much happened in 10 consecutive days where there was never really a refreeze,” says Hamer. “And with that much snow melting at one time, one would have thought you would have seen a lot of flooding along the small creeks and ditches around here, but there really wasn’t which hopefully means most of that went down into the soil profile.”
Rains also soaked Nebraska soils in March, a welcome sign for farmers whose fields were desperate for a drink.
“We will be starting fieldwork here probably in the next week, and with our planting date we usually aim for April 15. That’s kind of our aim date. Our planting date is April 10, and we tend to just go a few days after that then works out,” says Connealy.
As farmers enter into April, the countdown is on for this planting season, and outlooks are improved.
“As far as getting ready for the growing season, I feel like we’re situated as well as we’ve been in while,” says Hamer. “Stuff has been through the shop and ready to go. It looks like maybe middle or late this week, we can get in and start putting out some anhydrous.”
“This year we made some updates last year and get some equipment and things turned over that we ran a little bit longer than we’re used to, so it’s looking good for 2021, I’m hoping,” says Connealy.
Outlooks that are a 180 turnaround from last spring.
“Last year was as bad as I remember in my career,” says Pistick. “And I think this year, I’m as excited about the year going forward as I’ve been since probably 2007 or 2008.”
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