Ken Ferrie
Agronomist Ken Ferrie provides agronomic insights, crop management tips, and practical advice for farmers to improve crop yields.
When soybean seed sits in the ground for weeks, unable to germinate, the risk for Sudden Death Syndrome to develop trends higher. Yield losses upwards of 80% are documented.
Cutworm and armyworm moths are on the move, looking to lay eggs. Wireworms, grubs, flea beetles, gophers and voles are also looking to take up residence in your fields. Act now to stop them.
Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie says there’s a lot of value in the concept of “start clean and stay clean” for full-season weed control. He shares some advice as farmers prepare for planting this year.
More ears at harvest is the key to higher yield. That requires starting with a picket-fence stand with photocopied plants, achieved by adjusting your planter as conditions change from field to field and within fields.
Determine the causes of gaps, late-emerging plants and missing ears so you know how to fix the problems in the future.
Corn yield results not from the number of plants in a field but rather the number of ears. Commit to season-long scouting and consider these tips for evaluating ear development.
Caution can help you avoid creating compaction or density layers. Plus, if you’re applying anhydrous now, allowing 14 days between the application and planting can prevent dead or damaged plants and costly yield dings.
How can you reap higher yields this fall? Follow these tips to develop a plan and prep for challenges in the spring.
From conventional horizontal tillage to strip-till and no-till, the key is applying a production system that can overcome each field’s weakness.
Some farmers saw A 40-bu-per-acre yield surge across fields in 2022, thanks to nutrient efficiencies. They lost less N and had better mineralization. Now, they ask, how can they get a repeat performance this year?