Agronomy
Corn yield champs say annual soil testing is the best way to make sure fields are up to the goal of delivering profitable high yields every season.
The new product also addresses other key issues in soybeans like frogeye leaf spot and septoria brown spot.
With low commodity prices and higher input costs, identifying hybrids that are a good fit for your soil types and environmental conditions is more important than ever – and can give you a leg up on yield performance from the get-go next spring.
With contributing factors ranging from insect pressure to disease and environmental stressors this season, agronomists say farmers face hard decisions on when to combine their crop in affected fields.
Researchers at Purdue spent years working with NASA engineers to figure out how to grow crops on Mars and beyond. Now the data is yielding surprising results.
Microscopic particles improve efficacy and could save farmers money on input costs.
The microbial product works as part of an integrated strategy to address SCN, the No. 1 yield-reducing pest problem in soybeans. Farmers routinely see yields cut by 5 bushels or more per acre in affected fields.
Herbicides and defoliants are commonly used by farmers in southern regions to quicken the harvest period and reduce the risk of shatter loss and poor test weights. Now, Midwest growers and researchers are looking at how to use the practice.
Company leaders say the separation will unleash two distinct market leaders that are both farmer-centric, with technology and innovation at their core.
There are no easy answers to address the cost of fertilizer and other inputs, but having conversations with suppliers and financial providers now can help you leverage your buying power and minimize potential impacts from marketplace uncertainties.
It’s a head-scratcher situation: some Illinois farmers are reporting moisture levels in their corn are dropping only one point per week.
All it takes to spark a flame sometimes is a single high-temperature source in the engine area or an overheated bearing that ignites some dry plant material. Take control of the situation in advance by having a brief plan ready to implement. Communicate it to your family and employees.
While application season is still weeks away, retailers and other suppliers are encouraging farmers to reserve product now.
The crop took it on the chin this season, with some Iowa farmers reporting huge yield losses as harvest gets underway. A one-time fungicide application helped, but it wasn’t enough to buck severe disease pressure, allowing it to return.
Sorghum advocates are using crop benefits to boost conservation, productivity and profitability for grain farmers.
The Association of Equipment Manfacturers (AEM), in partnership with leading ag groups, has released an updated report detailing the significant benefits of precision agriculture across the United States.
Yes, phosphorus is expensive. But before you decide to not use it or arbitrarily pull back, try to weigh the decision based on facts and not emotion.
Agronomic specialists are encouraging farmers to make their corn harvest plans now, prioritizing which fields to combine first and so forth. Evaluating how well the crop is standing on a field by field basis can help you plan the process and minimize having to pick up down corn.
If the legal challenge succeeds, the federal court decision would result in making the technology unavailable for sale or distribution to U.S. farmers.
Kernel depth and fill contribute significantly to yield in newer hybrids. It’s one reason a ‘Hail Mary’ fungicide pass might still offer ROI and keep corn standing until combines roll.
A prematurely collapsing ear shank stops grain fill, leading to yield reductions that can reach as high as 40%.
The Midwest crop is being pushed into black layer (R6) prematurely in some areas in ways that are easy to confuse with normal drydown factors.
The disease is causing turmoil for farmers who have a large crop in the making. In some cases, a Hail Mary fungicide application at R4 up to early dent (R5) might make sense this season, say agronomists.
The online platform currently has about 500 programs and service providers in the Midwest participating and is a free resource for farmers, ranchers and their advisers.
“I’d hate to be the farmer who, because of a later-season application, meant an entire bin of soybeans was going to be condemned.”
The Minnesota corn crop is going for gold. Pro Farmer Crop Tour scouts expect the crop will reach a record 202.86 bu. average, if it can outpace southern rust and tar spot. Scouts peg the Iowa corn crop at a 198.43 bu. average, but it also faces disease challenges.
Iowa could be the nation’s top state this year for corn and soybeans, but both crops are in a race to beat disease pressure that’s gaining momentum. Illinois corn continues to ride the struggle bus, while the soybean crop there is positioned to deliver high yields.
There is still up to 55% of the kernel dry weight left to be accumulated by many corn hybrids at this point — starch that can contribute significantly to grain fill and higher test weights.
With at least four weeks left in the growing season, Ferrie encourages farmers to stay ahead of heavy disease pressure in fields, particularly in what he calls D hybrids — those that punch their yield card late-season.
Corn yield estimates in seven counties surrounding the community of Bloomington indicate farmers there will harvest an average crop, at best. That’s counter to what USDA predicts for Illinois yield results statewide.