Corn
Residue might hamper uptake, surface cover slows soil warming and most cover crops raise the carbon penalty. Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie shares timing and placement tips for phosphorus, sulfur and nitrogen.
Don’t let the rush to plant cause you to be filled with regret and utter these five words at some point: “I wish I had waited.” Chilled seed corn struggles to emerge and grow. It can cost you 10% of your stand.
More than 20 farm groups support the new Federal Agriculture Risk Management Enhancement and Resilience Act. The bill does not require choosing between enhanced crop insurance coverage and commodity support programs.
USDA reports 3% of the country’s soybean crop is in the ground, the same as this time last year but two points ahead of the average pace. In all 10 states are reporting progress, and planting is ahead of average.
It’s a tale of two extremes this year. Some farmers report they can’t find soil moisture to plant into, while others are struggling just to get into their fields. Agronomist Ken Ferrie weighs in on both scenarios.
Along with too much moisture, high numbers of corn flea beetles are posing an early-season concern. Ferrie advises checking your Stewart’s wilt bacteria rating on hybrids. There’s no treatment option for infected corn.
One of the biggest benefits from waiting to plant corn until conditions are ideal, is the crop emerges more uniformly and forms those picket-fence stands that deliver huge yields, says Agronomist Missy Bauer.
What’s the key to growing big yields? According to the reigning national corn yield contest champ, David Hula, you can’t have 300-bushel-per-acre yields if you don’t start with 300-bushel-per-acre stands.
The second USDA Crop Progress Report of the year shows farmers are already ahead in planting the 2024 crop with six states pacing ahead of the five-year average.
As most of the U.S. is still prepping for spring planting, USDA’s weekly crop progress report shares Texas growers have already planted more than half their corn acres.
Some Illinois farmers started planting soybeans in late March. Ken Ferrie offers tips to help you weigh the risks of planting now. Plus, be aware that poor saturated cold scores are impacting some seed corn hybrids.
Judge for yourself: Travis McCormick’s DOES IT PAY fungicide trial reaped a major yield increase.
USDA says farmers intend to plant 90 million acres of corn this year, which is lower than the trade expected prior to USDA’s big Prospective Plantings report.
WinField introduced the BioVerified program earlier this year to help bring clarity to the biological marketplace.
USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says areas that have been experiencing snow drought this winter, such as Minnesota and northern Iowa, could potentially see more snowfall in the next few weeks than they have all winter.
According to the company, the use of PhotoSeed technology has the potential to lower a crop’s carbon intensity score.
Researchers and agronomists are using a creative way to study corn plant root structures and hope it will lead to a new understanding of how below-ground root systems can impact yields and plant stress.
Just because tar spot was mostly a no-show in 2022 and 2023 doesn’t mean that will be the case in 2024. Charting humidity levels can help predict if the disease will strike.
It’s been said high-yielding corn needs 25" of moisture per acre per year. In 2023, when Mother Nature didn’t cooperate, management strategies to retain moisture coupled with new traits made a difference at harvest.
In a year with razor-thin margins, at best, corn and soybean growers can use a variety of new technology and tried-and-true agronomic tools to score higher yields this season.
The NewLeaf Symbiotics team says reluctance to try biologicals is often a result of feeling overwhelmed by the options available, making education key as the space continues to grow.
If weather stresses have you looking for ways to give your crop a stronger start this spring, consider whether a plant growth regulator could be part of the solution, especially in high-yield environments.
Two new studies from Locus Ag and Pivot Bio found the use of biological products consistently increased yields in a variety of crops across a range of growing conditions.
Don’t take equipment to fields too soon and create headaches that will linger all season. While you wait for the right timing, consider doing prep work and projects that can help set you up for yield success.
During testing, the company found only 4% of CRW larvae chose roots treated with TS201 when given a choice between treated and untreated roots.
The study’s team has found inputting excessive heat and cold data into their model slowed plant growth, though the heat proved to be a larger issue for the plant.
Corn growers can use this free tool to understand which hybrids have which traits, as well as evaluate insect problems and herbicide needs in-season.
InnerPlant is developing early-stress signaling capabilities in soybeans and corn. The concept is getting serious buy-in from big players in U.S. agriculture.
Compact corn hybrids appear to take winds 50 mph in stride with little greensnap or lodging resulting. However, yield performance hasn’t been as consistent, and technology providers are working to change that.
Do you want to plant early-season soybeans? Do you grow non-GMO crops? If the answer to either question is yes, Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal field agronomist, says to address weeds in the process.