Ferrie: Your Seed Company Called and Wants Its Corn Back. Say Thank You
Some batches of seed corn go out of condition every year. Many times it’s due to agronomic factors encountered during harvest the previous year and that affected the grain during winter.
Lately, Illinois farmers have told Ken Ferrie they have had calls from seed companies wanting to come out and retrieve their seed corn because saturated cold tests reveal poor germination scores.
The question he gets from farmers is, should you be concerned about other seed you got from that company?
“My answer is no. If they take back a seed lot, that’s an indication you’re working with a good seed company,” says Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist and owner of Crop-Tech Consulting, Heyworth, Ill.
Reputable companies monitor samples of every lot of seed they send out to farmers. When a company representative calls to say they want to take back delivered seed, that’s a sign you’re dealing with a well-run organization.
“My advice: Instead of being concerned about a recall, thank them for caring so much about your business,” Ferrie advises.
Get Bait Stations Ready
It’s time to be considering how you’re going to deal with the insects that will be headed to fields this season.
Wireworms continue to see an uptick in populations through parts of Illinois.
“If it damaged your field the last time it was in corn and you’re not sure you’re going to use an insecticide, now’s the time to put out a bait station,” Ferrie advises. “Wireworms take seven years to run through a complete life cycle, so if you had them two years ago, they will be back.”
He says to use yield maps and aerial images from previous corn crops to identify problem areas. Pay particular attention to sides of hills and small rises within fields, which tend to warm up first.
In those areas, Ferrie says to dig a few small holes in the soil and throw in handfuls of wheat and corn. Then, cover the holes with some black plastic to concentrate the heat units and speed up grain decomposition, which will attract the pest.
“Before planting, dig up that area and see if there is any wireworm present,” Ferrie says. “If you find one wireworm per bait station, you’d better implement a plan to protect your crop.”
While you’re at it, now is a good time to plan on putting out cutworm and armyworm lures, he adds.
Rodents Are Emerging From Hibernation
Pests such as the thirteen-lined ground squirrel and common vole will be emerging shortly and starting to repopulate.
They are especially a nuisance in no-till fields and wherever cover crops are grown, because the coverage provides protection from predators.
While both pests are prolific, voles are extremely so. Female voles mature in 35 to 40 days and have five to 10 litters per year, each one with three to six young.
“You can get 30 to 60 colonies in a 40-acre field,” Ferrie notes. “It’s too hard to come back from that type of population, so we have to reset – remove the ground cover and do some tillage, so they are exposed to predation.”
Implementing some control measures now can help you address problem rodent populations before they get out of hand in the field, Ferrie says.
Listen to this week's Boots In The Field podcast discussion here:
Ferrie: Expect a Rocky Start with Corn in 2022 from Fall Anhydrous Only Use
Ferrie: Let Weather, Soil Conditions Guide Planting Decisions
Ferrie: Rushing To Plant Early Soybeans Could Cost You 30 Bu/A Of Corn Yield Next Year
Ferrie: 5 Reasons To Not Apply All Your Nitrogen Upfront
Ferrie: Changing Your Rotation? Be Sure to Evaluate Herbicide Carryover
