#Plant2026 for Success
You’ve weighed the agronomics and the economics — and now the planter is rolling. The decisions don’t stop, though. The weather changes plans, equipment breaks and pests pop up. Every step plays a role in the success of your planting season as well as the growing and harvest seasons to come.
Planting has been running smoothly, but you notice a few rows are consistently planting a higher or lower population. Here are things to check.
Soybeans planted from April 3 to April 10 were hit the hardest as they were snared by temperatures dipping below 28°F. Corn didn’t dodge the damage, either. Ferrie says some corn crops at the V1 stage were smoked.
Doug Hensley, President of Hertz Farm Management, says while farmland sales reached highs last year, they recently hit a plateau. Here are three market drivers Hensley encourages producers to consider.
Modern, high-tech planters can produce “picket fence” stands of corn with seedlings so uniform they look like they’ve been photocopied. But does precise planting pay?
As more farmers start planting, possible problems with weeds, such as waterhemp, are already impacting decisions. An Iowa State Extension field agronomist says farmers might need to be more aggressive in their approach.
USDA’s weekly Crop Progress Report shows 14% of the nation’s corn crop and 9% of the soybean crop is planted. Farmers in Missouri and Tennessee are planting at a rapid pace, but the upper Midwest is already behind.
The Corn Belt will see a cooler weather pattern set in, and parts of the parched Plains will see higher chances of rain during the next couple of weeks, according to Eric Snodgrass of Nutrien Ag Solutions.
Grain and oilseed prices took a tumble the second half of this week. As commodity prices fall, and planting picks up pace, veteran analysts explore the outlook for commodity prices in the months ahead.
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.
A late April blast could bring sub-freezing temperatures as far south as northern Texas, sparking growing concerns about the potential damage to winter wheat.