Test Plots
Join us at 8 a.m. Central Nov. 10 for the Early Riser session, “Now’s the Time to Repair and Prep Fields for 2021.”
Putting In A Hybrid Test Plot? Read These 5 Tips First.
Manage potential soybean risks with a systems approach
A well-planned program results in more bushels, less fertilizer and reduced loss
The value of zone management goes beyond cutting input costs; it also allows farmers to effectively focus inputs and attention. If you don’t have background information on a field, then grid-based management does the job, says Brad Beutke, who helps with the Farm Journal Test Plots and farms near Clinton, Ill. “But if you have yield history, calibrated yields maps, soil surveys, elevation maps or aerial imagery, for example, then it’s worth the effort to take advantage of the data.” Instead of trying to randomize out variability with a super-imposed grid, zone management uses historical data and experience to pave a path. Regardless of where you are on the technology adoption curve, zone management is beneficial.
The ROI of nitrogen (N) is significant—an extra 20 lb. costs less than 2 bu. of corn. That doesn’t mean you throw on some extra N and hope for the best.
Farm Journal Test Plots find rolling soybeans early gives them time to bounce back
Corn hybrids move in and out of the marketplace at a faster rate of speed than ever today. The revolving door means farmers have less time to evaluate and pick the seed best-suited for their fields.
On-farm test plots can help you identify the best hybrids for your ground
Historical data and experience divide fields based on natural variability, characteristics
For more than a decade, the Farm Journal Test Plots has varied corn populations and nitrogen rates to respond to natural management zones in the field. In 2012, the crew added variable-rate irrigation to its site-specific farming portfolio.
The first step in maximizing yield is choosing the right hybrids for your fields.
More than 20 years of Farm Journal Test Plot research has revealed a thing or two about corn and soybean row spacings—and the learning continues.
Results from field trials show placement drives starter response
Deciding where to place N—in the middle of the row with a coulter or next to the plant using Y-Drop—involves the following considerations:
Combining plot efforts with one common goal—to increase soybean yields—Farm Journal Field Agronomists Ken Ferrie and Missy Bauer continued multiyear efforts in central Illinois and southern Michigan to evaluate multiple factors that affect yield components. In 2014, the trials included soybean cyst nematode, how to control white mold and evaluating if starter fertilizer pays in yield.
In 2010, the Farm Journal Test Plots program harvested its 19th year of third-party, independent demonstration research.
With every crop year comes a new batch of technologies that are put to task in the Farm Journal Test Plots.
Farm Journal Test Plots build on knowledge of timing and placement to dig deeper with starter formulations.
The Farm Journal Test Plot team makes it a priority to take the latest technology tools to the field for first-hand experience.
Farm Journal Test Plots examine starter attachments that bridge the nutrient gap and get corn off to a strong start.
Dialing in the correct rate of potassium (K) fertilizer based on testing method, leads to a healthy soil–crop–farmer relationship.
Nitrogen test plots confirm right timing and placement of applications increase yields.