Crop Advisors
Suppose your budget said “no” to planting all triple-stack hybrids. They include the Bt trait for rootworm control. If you still opted for some Bt rootworm corn, where should you plant it?
According to the 2008 Organic Production Survey recently released by USDA’s National Ag Statistics Service, Iowa ranks ninth in the U.S. in number of organic farms.
There are many acronyms in agriculture. Some of the more popular ones include FSA, for Farm Service Agency; ISDA, for Indiana State Department of Agriculture; and USDA. Another acronym in agriculture today is CCA, which stands for Certified Crop Adviser.
Sclerotinia, or white mold, has been an issue for many soybean growers. Sclerotinia can be a problem, particularly during times of wet weather when soybean plants become infected prior to and during the flowering period.
An expert answers questions about what phosphorus does for crops.
Steve Scherr is excited to be offering ProfiZone in the Dakotas.Scherr is a farmer, cattle producer and president of AgVenture/Scherr Seeds, Roscoe, S.D. ProfiZone is a precision farming consulting service developed by AgVenture, an independent seed dealer network that Scherr Seeds is part of.
I still remember the field day some time back when Purdue University pathologists first talked about sudden death syndrome. One farmer walked away from that talk as soon as it started. “I’ve got enough to worry about. I don’t need to know about some new thing that might become a problem.”
Are nematodes why some cornfields got off to a slow start? Did you notice yellow, stunted patches? Are you sure it was just wet soils? Or could nematodes be part of the reason?
Maybe the mercury is at zero and there’s 6 inches of snow outside as you read this. Maybe not. Either way, odds are your target date for corn planting is less than three months away. The Indiana Certified Crop Advisers crops panel continues the age-old debate about which hybrids to plant first.
You’ve got options today when it comes to protecting against corn rootworm. Each option has its pluses and minuses. There is no such thing as a silver bullet or foolproof remedy for rootworm control. But compared to days gone by, there are alternatives that allow you more flexibility.
"Change” is a word tossed about a lot nowadays in political circles. Glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth (aka careless weed or pigweed) found in far West Texas this growing season will require growers to change their weed management from just glyphosate herbicide alone.
Consider 115 bushels per acre — no matter what price that corn is sold at, that is a ton of money. And 115 bushels per acre was the yield difference reported between two hybrids in a split-planter field this year. The primary yield difference factor? Goss’s wilt.
Reports from Iowa and later Illinois that rootworms were apparently breaking through genetic resistance were headline stories. What does it mean for Indiana?
You’re scouting an irrigated cornfield the first week of July. Gray leaf spot is off to a healthy start. Then you check the disease rating chart for that hybrid and see that it rates 6 of 9 for gray leaf spot, with 1 being most tolerant and 9 being susceptible.
Soybeans don’t go in the ground for three months. Then it’s another couple of months before you would spray fungicides. However, it’s not too early to weigh your options.
How do you control rootworms on refuge acres in Bt rootworm corn fields? Or how do you stop the pests if you’re growing non-GMO corn for specialty markets?
The late, wet fall did more than stretch out harvest. Some fields scheduled for soil testing weren’t sampled. Can you still pull them now? Or should you wait until fall, basing fertilizer rates now on previous soil tests?
If the old axiom is true that the last season is the one you remember most for decision-making, then many may be tempted to do everything they can to minimize nitrogen losses this spring. The last two springs, in fact, have featured cool, wet springs that didn’t lend themselves to nitrogen application. Instead, they were tailor-made for losing part of the N that may have been applied.
Keep your Bible on the nightstand and a copy of Purdue University’s Corn & Soybean Field Guide in the glove compartment. You’ll refresh your spirit, and insect and disease pests will get what’s coming to them, too.
You took your best shot and planted when soil conditions were right. Weather and perhaps insects conspired to leave you with a ratty stand. What now?
You look at current commodity prices and recheck your crop budget. It’s possible you may need to trim costs. If you still want to make sure your soybeans are protected as much as possible, where do you put those limited dollars you can spend on fungicides?
Soybean aphids hit late in 2009 and went further south in Indiana than perhaps ever before. What can you expect from soybean aphids this summer?
Preventing yield losses from soybean aphids where they pose a threat is more than a one-step process. Matt Tenhaeff, brand marketing manager for NK soybeans, says it’s a multistep process.
The Crops Corner panel of Indiana Certified Crop Advisers (see Page 22) tackled this tough question:
Giant ragweed is still high atop the public enemy list. Crop consultants believe it’s a battle you can win, even if some giant ragweed is resistant. Here are suggestions to wrestle ragweed down and pin it to the mat.
You’ve planned all winter for spring planting. You know which variety and hybrid will go where. Then, at the last minute, someone makes a bobble and throws a monkey wrench into your plans. Maybe they’re out of the variety you expected to get.
Producing 300-bushel corn requires different thinking.
As we move into fall, there is increased interest about issues that will affect crop development and harvest due to abnormally late planting dates for most of the state. Factors that affect stalk quality are reviewed.
With farms becoming more reliant on GPS technology, the opportunities to more precisely apply crop inputs are expanding.
Fertilizer production costs are substantially higher in 2011 than they were the past couple of years. When you look at the numbers, remember that commodity prices also have increased significantly.