Ken Ferrie

Are Your Fields A Green Light? Use the Three-Factor System To Guide Planting Decisions

Fri, 08 May 2026 16:52:22 GMT

Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie is urging farmers to pay close attention to soil conditions and local weather forecasts as planting accelerates across the Midwest.

Ferrie and his team at Crop-Tech Consulting recommend using a “red-yellow-green light” system to guide planting decisions. The practice is based on three factors: soil moisture, seed chilling risks and the 10-day emergence forecast.

The information on the green-yellow-red color system for planting is pretty self-explanatory, says Ken Ferrie. Once you know the light color, you can see the meaning and the action he recommends taking.

(Crop-Tech Consulting)

Regional Forecast And Recommendation

Despite ongoing weather struggles from cold and rain in some parts of the country, planting progress continues across much of the upper Midwest.

For central Illinois, Ferrie says there is a green light for Monday, with some areas getting a yellow or red light for Tuesday. The U.S. National Weather Service says a weak cold front will bring the next chance for storms later on Tuesday, some of which could be severe. Temperatures will turn cooler for midweek.

Ferrie warns that the first 12 to 24 hours seed corn is in the ground are the most critical. During this window of time, the seed absorbs 30% of its weight in water. If that water is below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, the cells lose elasticity and tear. Chilled seed corn can easily result in a 10% stand loss.

“You can literally tell the difference between fields that were planted in the morning compared to in an afternoon that’s going into a cool night,” Ferrie says. “That is why you’ll see our lights change at noon some days, trying to get enough water absorbed before the soil temperature drops.”

You can get more information from Ferrie on the perils of seed corn chilling in this brief video:

Ferrie says if corn takes longer than 11 days to emerge, those kernels that were planted “spike down” will struggle to compete.

“The spike-down plants can be a week or two weeks behind the spike-up plants,” Ferrie explains. “At that point, they will be more than a collar behind and not produce a regular-sized ear.”

Listen to Ferrie’s complete recommendations in his Boots In The Field podcast:

Cold Snap, Wet Soils Put Corn on Hold, but Beans Still Get Green Light

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 21:26:22 GMT

A soaking rain has pulled much of the Midwest out of drought, but it’s also put the brakes on corn planting just as a cold snap settles in, says Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist.

Ferrie explains that recent storms dropped anywhere from a half inch to 4” of rain across farmers’ fields and, with it, erased lingering drought stress and filled ponds that “will probably stick around a while.” The moisture, however, has saturated soils to the point that most of his planting “signal lights” for corn are now red.

“Due to wet conditions, most everyone is red at this point, and that doesn’t change until the soil is fit,” says Ferrie, who’s based in central Illinois. “We don’t mud in corn.”

Cold Spell Drives Conservative Corn Strategy

Ferrie bases his current recommendations on the close agreement between the Global Forecast System (GFS) and European weather models through May 9, both of which point to a stretch of cold conditions unfavorable for corn establishment.

“When they’re close together, the accuracy is usually higher and they both indicate a cold spell,” he says.

With that outlook, he’s cautioning growers across multiple regions to be conservative on planting corn especially until temperatures and soils improve. He emphasizes that while model divergence after May 9 could change the picture, he’s focusing on the 10-day window where the models agree to set planting guidance.

“Three days is a long time in weather forecasting, but they do seem to hit the temperatures closer than the rainfall amounts,” Ferrie says. “So, we’ll reevaluate on Monday to see how this forecast changes.”

Regional “Signal Lights” For Planting Corn

Ferrie uses a green-yellow-red “signal light” system to simplify planting decisions:

In areas around Jacksonville, Ill., and further south, conditions shift to a green light for corn starting Sunday noon, May 3, before turning more cautious midweek.
Along the U.S. Highway 136 corridor, he calls for a yellow light on May 3, switching to red by next Wednesday noon, May 6, likely holding through May 9.
In northern Illinois and around Iowa City, Ferrie highlights there will be rapid swings in planting opportunities as forecasts point to a seed-chilling event moving in.
In northeast Iowa (Cresco area), Rochester, Minn., and across much of Wisconsin, the guidance is straightforward: “It’s going to be a red light until May 9,” he says.

Across all these regions, Ferrie’s advice centers on patience with corn until soils are ready and the coldest temperatures pass.

The map released today shows the Midwest with only a handful of dry areas, unlike in the West and Southeast where farmers are seeing extreme drought to the degree that some have parked their planters for lack of rainfall.

(U.S. Drought Monitor)

Beans Offer Opportunity—If Ground Is Fit

Even as he urges caution on planting corn, Ferrie says the forecast still allows room for farmers to progress on soybeans where field conditions permit.

“We still have a green light on beans if the ground is fit,” he says.

He urges farmers to pay close attention to seed quality and stand establishment, especially where soybeans are untreated.

“Watch your percentage germ on your tag, especially if the beans aren’t treated,” Ferrie says. “You may need to bump those populations up a little for weed control.”

Most of the “frosted off” early beans in Illinois have already been replanted or patched, he notes, but some drowned-out ponded areas will likely need follow-up patching once water levels recede.

Manage Corn Risk In The “Yellow Windows”

For growers who have not yet put any corn in the ground, Ferrie recommends using upcoming yellow-light windows to strategically manage risk — without forcing corn into marginal conditions.

“If you haven’t planted any corn yet with the planter, and to mitigate some risk, you may want to get some corn planted in these yellow windows so you’re sure that you can put the hammer down when this cold snap passes through,” he says.

That approach, he explains, helps spread risk across planting dates, while still respecting soil fitness and seedbed quality. The goal is to avoid having all corn acres exposed to the same stress event, whether it’s chilling, crusting or prolonged saturation.

Ferrie encourages growers to stay tuned for updates as the forecast evolves, noting that temperature forecasts tend to be more reliable than rainfall projections in the short term. He directs farmers to ongoing updates and deeper discussion via his team’s online and audio channels.

To stay up to date, check out Ferrie’s website at croptechinc.com and subscribe to his podcast, Boots In The Field. You can listen to it at the link below:

Replant Or Ride It Out? How To Manage The Challenges Of Early-Planted Soybeans

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 16:33:08 GMT

A burst of early soybean planting across parts of the Corn Belt last week has some farmers feeling ahead of schedule, while others are already bracing for replant decisions and dealing with seed challenges.

Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie reports in central Illinois, the convergence of record early planting, heavy spring rains, and uneven seed quality is testing stand establishment. Farmers are now facing tough choices regarding which fields — and which seed lots — will make the cut.

“The past 10 days, a lot of soybeans went in the ground,” Ferrie says. “I believe this may be the most beans ever planted in March for our customer base. We planted some here at the Crop-Tech campus, and they went in very well.”

However, that promising start was quickly met with adverse weather.

Ponding, Cool Soils, And Replant Calls

In parts of Illinois, recent storms dumped 3" to 3.5" of rain in a single night, leading to widespread ponding. While many of those areas drained within 24 hours, the status of those early-planted soybeans remains uncertain.

“Only time will tell, but because soil temperatures remain cool, I expect most of the beans will survive,” Ferrie contends. “If it were saturated and hot, they would die off quickly. But in cool conditions, you’d be surprised how long they can last.”

Ferrie urges growers to stay disciplined: scout fields, evaluate stands, and avoid guessing.

“If you’re scouting ponded areas and find soft, discolored seed, we’ll obviously need to replant. The quicker we get them back in the ground, the better the yield potential. We still have time to replant and maintain an early bean advantage,” he notes.

Crusting: The Hidden Threat

While ponding areas are highly visible, Ferrie warns that soil crusting on conventionally tilled fields may pose a greater threat to late-March soybeans.

“The bigger job is monitoring conventional-till soybeans for crusting. Heavy rain can create a seal that slows or stops emergence,” he explains. While no-till soybeans typically face fewer issues, they are not immune to crusting challenges and still require monitoring.

Ferrie believes many growers underestimate the importance of timely intervention.

“We may need to help these March beans out of the ground. Get the rotary hoe ready,” he advises. “The time to break a crust is when it’s light and the bean is not yet pushing hard against it.”

Waiting too long can turn a simple pass into a stand-loss event. “If the crust hardens and the bean hypocotyls become swollen trying to push through, your chances of success drop significantly. The trick is to go early. If you wait until the beans are clearly in trouble, the rotary hoe won’t be able to save them,” Ferrie says.

Seed Quality Under the Microscope

Weather isn’t the only risk factor this spring; seed quality is also under scrutiny. Seed labs are reporting a wide range of saturated cold test results.

“Samples are coming back all over the board,” Ferrie reports. “We’ve seen saturated cold scores ranging from 95% down to 9%. I suspect the samples falling below 40% may be carryover seed from previous seasons.”

The low cold score numbers are causing ripples in the supply chain, with seed companies pulling questionable lots from the system. This has led to canceled orders or last-minute substitutions for may growers.

“While it’s frustrating to not get the exact genetics you ordered, this is good seed stewardship,” Ferrie says. “Your supplier is doing the right thing by pulling that seed before it becomes a stand disaster in your field.”

Ferrie attributes these quality issues to last season’s production challenges, including heavy disease pressure and late-season drought.

Action Plan For Next Steps

Ferrie outlines several practical steps to help farmers manage the current volatility with seed quality and planting:

Scout Aggressively: Dig for seed in ponded spots for evaluation. If the seed is mushy or discolored, make the replant call early.
Ready the Rotary Hoe: Be prepared to move as soon as a crust begins to form. Ferrie refers to this as “Hoe before you know.”
Monitor Seed Tests: Work closely with your dealer to ensure you are planting high-quality lots.
Be Flexible with Genetics: A sound, high-quality substitute is better than a preferred variety with poor vigor.
Use Rain Delays Wisely: Focus on equipment maintenance and planter calibration so you are ready to roll when conditions improve.

Hear more of Ken Ferrie’s agronomic insights in this week’s Boots In The Field podcast:

Turn Your Soil Test Results Into Better Fertility Decisions

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 21:02:53 GMT

Knowing your soil test results is one thing. Knowing how the lab got those numbers — and which extractants it used — is just as important for making solid fertility decisions.

“At Ward laboratories, we like to use multiple extracts changing as we change the elements we’re looking at in the soil,” says Nick Ward, PhD, president of Ward Laboratories, Kearney, Neb.

“Given the diverse soils that we work with in our customer base, we try to do these different extracts to best accommodate and make an even playing field for everybody,” he adds.

That “even playing field” matters because not all soils — or regions — behave the same way. A number that signals a fertilizer response in one soil type or environment might mean something very different in another, depending on the extractant used.

Phosphorus Is An Important Example

Phosphorus (P) is a prime case where understanding the extractants and where they fit can help you make better fertility decisions.

Ward Laboratories typically uses Mehlich-3 ICP as its standard extractant because of its versatility across various soil textures and organic matter levels.

“When we have a Mehlich-3 value of 18 parts per million of P, the chances for yield response by adding fertilizer is very good,” Ward says, noting that decades of university research tie these specific numbers to actual yield outcomes.

While the Mehlich-3 is being used more extensively in the Corn Belt, some agronomic experts say it’s not the right extractant for all soil types and conditions. Two other common ones laboratories use are:

1. Olsen P (Bicarbonate P): It is often preferred for high-pH, alkaline, and calcareous soils typical of the Western U.S.

“The Olsen test extracts P using sodium bicarbonate and is the best test to use for situations where soil pH is 7.4 or greater,” says Dan Kaiser, a nutrient management specialist with University of Minnesota Extension, in this online article .

2. Bray-P1: It is often used in slightly alkaline to highly acidic soils (pH of 7.4 or less). Kaiser says the Bray-P1 test extracts P with acids and has been a popular test for over 50 years as data continue to show the ability of Bray-P1 to predict crop yield response to P.

Kaiser adds that soil-test labs using the Bray-P1 or Olsen will often run the Olsen test at a certain pH automatically, which makes it easier for farmers “as you do not have to decide which test to use before you submit samples.”

Matching Extractants To Nutrients

While Mehlich-3 is sometimes promoted as universal, Ward agrees with other experts that different nutrients are best served by different extractants and tests.

For example, when shifting focus to potassium (K) and other cations like calcium and magnesium, Ward Laboratories moves to ammonium acetate, a neutral-pH solution.

This method is used to determine a soil’s Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC).

Ward explains that because ammonium acetate is neutral, it prevents overestimating the nutrients a plant can actually absorb. “It’s not a harsh chemical that’s going to give us too much of an element that would not otherwise be something the plant would see,” he says.

For micronutrients like zinc, iron, and copper, the lab employs DTPA, a chelating agent.
The DTPA process “grabs” micronutrient ions so they can be measured with high precision. Ward notes that he is “very confident” in the results because they are backed by decades of data regarding fertilizer responsiveness.

Ask The Lab Or Your Retailer Questions

For farmers and advisers, the main takeaway is that soil tests results and reports are not all created equal — even when the numbers look similar on paper. Knowing which extractant a lab uses, and why, is key to interpreting results correctly and comparing them across time, fields and regions.

For farmers and crop advisers looking to make the most of their investment in soil sampling, Ward offers three recommendations:

Identify the extractant: Know which method your lab is using for each specific nutrient.
Maintain consistency: Stick with the same method over several years to accurately track trends and compare fields. Don’t “mix and match” methods.
Seek regional alignment: Use the extractant that matches the calibrated research performed by your local land-grant university.

For those farmers requiring specialized testing not found on a standard menu, Ward encourages direct communication with your laboratory to check your options.

“We try to be accommodating,” he says. “If you don’t see it on our fee schedule, you’re more than welcome to send us an email and ask.”

Learn more of Ward’s insights on the use of various extractants in his latest video on YouTube.

Fall NH3 Emphasis Set the Stage For Ugly Corn Syndrome

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 17:01:09 GMT

Farmers who leaned hard on anhydrous ammonia last fall could be in for an unwelcome surprise this spring. Despite having enough N on the books, many fields of corn across the Midwest are likely to struggle soon after planting—thanks not to how much nitrogen was applied, but where it is located now in soils.

Ken Ferrie says the current situation came about as a result of prices and product choices that drove many growers to change their N programs last fall.

“Due to price, some guys cut out or pulled back on their MAP and DAP and AMS,” says Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist. “Many farmers put on their N—all their N—as anhydrous ammonia last fall due to that price difference between liquid and smoke.”

Those choices made financial sense at the time, but they also resulted in more nitrogen being placed deeper in the soil as NH₃ — away from where young corn plants can access it this spring.

“If we dropped the dry last fall and put all of our N needs on as anhydrous ammonia, we have nothing to fight the carbon penalty stage,” Ferrie says. “The NH₃band is too deep. It’s below where the ‘fence post rots off.’ Corn roots will have to grow to it to pick it up.”

That creates a Catch-22 situation.

“The challenge is, roots will need to grow to find the nitrogen, but the carbon penalty will have them stalled out,” Ferrie explains.

Ferrie shares the example of one grower he works with who normally applies 220 pounds of nitrogen per acre, split between dry fertilizer and anhydrous. This year, that grower dropped the dry program and instead applied 250 pounds of nitrogen as fall anhydrous.

“His question: Will he still need to worry about the carbon penalty with the extra 30 pounds of nitrogen he has on? The answer is, yes. His corn will stall out for a period this spring,” Ferrie says.

How Big Is the Yield Risk?

In Ferrie’s field research, the yield impact from corn crops stalling out early in the season is clear.

“With corn on soybeans, it’s not uncommon to see a 15- to 20-bushel loss per acre,” he says. “With the G and L1 hybrids, it could get to be 15 to 30 bushels. And it gets a lot worse in corn-on-corn.”

Despite those potential yield losses, he says some growers still downplay the issue.

“This grower says his neighbor told him he has corn turn yellow every year, and he says it never affects yield,” Ferrie recounts. “Well, if you don’t check it, you’ll never know. Ignorance is bliss.”

If yellow corn in the spring has become part of your farm’s “normal,” Ferrie offers a pointed warning on hybrid choice. “If yellow corn in the spring is your MO—you just don’t feel right without having some yellow corn—I would not plant G or L1 hybrids—those that flex in girth and early length,” he says.

Inches That Matter: Banding and Carbon Penalty Rates

Ferrie’s field studies in central Illinois help quantify the amount of nitrogen needed near the surface to pay the carbon penalty.

“Our studies here show us that it takes about 60 pounds of N, minimum, placed where the fence post rots off, for bean stubble to pay this carbon penalty, and a minimum of 100 pounds worth when we’re in corn-on-corn,” he says.

One common approach growers use to build that total amount is with surface-applied fertilizer.

“Typically, we take what was surface applied as our fall fertilizer—let’s say 30, 40 pounds—and then add more surface-applied spring nitrogen to it to get to that minimum for our crop rotation,” Ferrie explains.

Another option is strategically banding nutrients near the row with the planter or a row freshener. “When it comes to keeping small plants happy, inches matter,” Ferrie notes.

He emphasizes how close the bands need to be.

“Staying within 2” to 3” of the row makes a big difference, so those crown roots can find this N in that band before the carbon penalty kicks in,” Ferrie says. “Banding some N with the planter or row freshener allows you to cut these minimums in half.”

By putting nitrogen where young roots can reach it early—near the surface and close to the row—growers can help corn push through the ugly phase instead of being stuck and languishing in it.

Don’t Let The Neighbor Decide When You Roll

Nitrogen isn’t the only factor that will shape how well corn roots perform this year. Ferrie warns that spring tillage timing and traffic decisions will also have lasting consequences.

“As our thoughts turn to spring tillage, getting the seedbed ready, remember, 80% of the compaction calls I will go on this next summer will be caused by the first pass in the spring,” he says. “Yes, the one you’re getting ready to make.”

He cautions against letting social pressure dictate when to roll.

“Don’t let the coffee shop or your neighbor set when you go to the field,” Ferrie says. “Make the decision based on your own field conditions.”

You can listen to Ferrie’s complete recommendations on spring nitrogen use in his current Boots In The Field podcast, available at the link below:

Are You Planting Second-Year Soybeans And Skipping Corn?

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 20:26:56 GMT

As input prices and markets fluctuate, many U.S. farmers are considering a shift from corn to soybeans this season. For some, like northwest Missouri farmer Todd Gibson, continuous soybeans aren’t just a one-year pivot—they are a long-term strategy to capture ROI on challenging soils.

Gibson, based near Norborne — a farming community that proudly bills itself as the “Soybean Capital of the World” — keeps a traditional corn-soybean rotation on his Missouri River bottom ground. But most of his fields with tougher, gumbo-type soils haven’t seen a corn planter in two decades.

“Growing corn on some of this heavy ground just doesn’t pay,” Gibson explains. “I’ve got some fields that have been in continuous soybeans for 20-plus years now.”

More Second-Year Soybeans In U.S. Farmers’ Plans

Gibson says he will grow more soybeans this season and on his better ground. “I’m going to cut my corn acres maybe in half. I’ll have more beans on the better dirt this year, mainly because of input prices,” he says.

Other U.S. farmers – many without Gibson’s experience – are looking to grow second-year soybeans. The Allendale Report released March 18 says private acreage estimates point to a shift toward more soybeans this season, notes Rich Nelson, chief analyst. He estimates U.S. corn planted area at 93.678 million acres, down about 5.1 million acres from 2025, while soybean acres are pegged at 85.659 million acres, up roughly 4.4 million acres over last year.

In southern Illinois, farmer and broker Sherman Newlin says the conversations he has with farmers these days are dominated by input costs and fertilizer availability concerns. While some tell him they’re sticking to their corn-bean rotations, others are considering a 100% shift to soybeans. Newlin is keeping his options open.

“I’m not planning on switching, but we’ll see,” he says. “We’ve still got a few weeks to go where we can swap out seed if we need to.”

Iowa Soybean Association Agronomist Lucas DeBruin says the farmers he works with in the state are sticking with their regular rotation and planting corn if that’s what the original plan was for this season.

“We use a lot of fall anhydrous here, so most guys are pretty locked into growing corn,” DeBruin says. “A lot of them also need the corn for livestock feed. Sometimes you can still squeeze a little bit more margin out of corn than the soybeans,” he adds, “and guys like growing corn more than soybeans. It’s more fun to pick corn.”

Look Before You Leap: The Ferrie Checklist

For farmers looking to change their seed order, Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie suggests taking a hard look at your balance sheet and your fields first. Here are some of his key recommendations:

Consider What You’ve Invested To Date: If you’ve already applied fall anhydrous or dry fertilizer for a corn crop, the “switch to beans” math doesn’t work. “You can’t afford to go to beans, because you’ve already spent the money,” Ferrie contends.

Account for the Yield Penalty: In a beans-after-beans scenario, Ferrie tells growers to expect a 5-to-7-bushel yield drag due to more stress from potential disease, insect and weed pressure. His question: “If you take 7 bushels off your bean yield, does it still cash flow against your corn APH?”

The Management “Claw Back": You can potentially mitigate some of the yield penalty in second-year soybeans by moving your planting date up from May to April, Ferrie says. Early planting helps the crop get an earlier and longer flowering period which can help recover some of the lost potential.

One morning this past week, Ferrie noted that the market was leaning back toward corn and that the see-saw between crops could continue this spring — another factor to keep in mind.

“Looking at the markets this morning, I think a lot of guys would prefer growing corn at $4.90 than beans at $11.10,” he contends.

The Continuous Soybean Playbook

For Gibson, success with continuous soybeans works based on a disciplined management system he relies on every year:

Fertility is Foundational. Even if you shift from corn to soybeans, Gibson says be aware that the beans could require more nutrients. He monitors his soil fertility closely, noting that continuous beans often require extra sulfur, phosphorus and potassium. He also keeps a close eye on micronutrients to ensure the crop won’t hit a hidden yield ceiling.

Non-Negotiable Seed Treatments: In continuous soybeans, the soil is more likely to become a reservoir for pathogens. Gibson hasn’t put a bare seed in the ground in 20 years. “Seed treatment guarantees me 100% replant,” he says. “It lets you sleep better at night knowing that if you get a heavy rain, you have that insurance to fall back on.”

Row Spacing and Canopy: Gibson plants in 15-inch rows at a rate of roughly 130,000 seeds per acre. The goals are quick emergence and a quick canopy. He believes a fast-closing row is your best defense against weeds and helps preserve soil moisture in the heavy gumbo. Seed treatment use and regular scouting help him feel confident in using narrow rows.

Keep Your Boots In The Field: In a corn-bean rotation, the “break” in the cycle helps farmers manage various diseases, insects and weeds. In continuous soybeans, you lose that advantage.

Gibson compensates by routine scouting and being prepared to address problems. “If you hear your neighbors have bug pressure, assume you will, too,” he says. “Don’t have the attitude that you can ‘get by,’ because you probably won’t.”

He has similar thoughts regarding weed pressure – “be proactive.” His program typically starts with a pre-emergence/burndown or early post application, with residual herbicides used to hold back weeds. If weeds break through, he is prepared to return with a post pass.

“We kind of wish sometimes we didn’t have to worry about weeds so much,” he says. “But if you don’t, then next thing you know, you think, ‘Oh, I wish we would have sprayed.’”

The Genetic Advantage: The final piece of the puzzle for Gibson is the advancement in soybean technology. He recalls the days when he says Williams 82 was his only real option for continuous soybeans. Today, advanced traits have made managing weeds and disease in continuous systems much more manageable, he notes.

On his continuous soybean acres, Gibson consistently sees yields average in the 50-to-60-bushel range. When he factors in the lower input costs compared to growing corn on heavy gumbo ground, he believes the decision to go with continuous soybeans is a good one. For Gibson, it’s not about following a trend— it’s about knowing what his land does best and having the management practices in place to succeed.

Smart Strategies for Planting in Wet or Dry Conditions

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 20:47:43 GMT

There are few mistakes that you can’t overcome, given enough time. But problems at planting time set the stage for an entire season’s worth of trouble.

Many, if not most, planting problems result from failing to adjust practices and equipment to fit soil and weather conditions, says Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie. Since you can’t know what the weather will do, you have to plan for various scenarios.

What If It’s Dry?

Ferrie has one rule: Don’t plant corn into dry soil, hoping to “rain it up.”

“Putting corn in dry soil, and not having it germinate in timely fashion, can be a disaster for your stand,” he says. “If you do spring tillage too far ahead of planting, that lets the soil dry out. Don’t let your soil finisher get too far ahead of the planter in a hot, dry spring.”

In a dry situation with conventional tillage, use row cleaners to push away clods in front of the planting units. “If you crush clods with your depth wheels, you’ll put dry soil around the seed,” Ferrie says. “Use your row cleaners as a clod roller.”

In either no-till or conventional tillage, use row cleaners to move residue out of the way. “Normally, a little residue is no big deal,” Ferrie says. “But if it’s dry, residue tucked into the seedbed wicks moisture out of the furrow, away from the seed.”

Running out of planting moisture in no-till is rare, but it can happen in sandy soil or if you fail to kill a cover crop on time, Ferrie notes. “It can happen when strip-tilling in coarse soils, if you are not timely with your planter,” he says. “In strip-till, you may have to go off the strip and no-till the seed beside the strip.

In tough conditions, with no rain in the forecast and you know it will be even drier in 10 more days, use your row cleaners to move away the dry soil. Hopefully, this will get you closer to some moisture where you can place the seed, Ferrie advises.

This carries risk, though. “If you applied a pre-emergence herbicide, there will be no herbicide left in the row,” Ferrie says. “Have a plan in place to control weeds in the row.”

If you “plow down to moisture” in strip-till or conventional tillage, you will actually be planting in a valley. “If the weatherman turns out to be wrong and you get a toad strangling rain before the corn comes up, the corn will get buried and you’ll have to replant,” Ferrie says. “But at least you’ll have moisture to replant in.”

What If It’s Wet?

Unless you own a crystal ball, you need a plan for wet weather, too. “Don’t mud a crop into cold, wet soil unless you’re running up against the crop insurance date because of prolonged cool, damp weather,” Ferrie says.

Most often, you’ll have soil that, while fit to plant, is on the wet side. “In marginally wet conditions, the biggest problems I see are carrying too much down pressure on row units and being too aggressive with row cleaners,” Ferrie says. “That makes it difficult to close the slot. If you back off down pressure and let up on the row cleaners, you’ll often find that a field that seemed too wet to plant will plant nicely.”

Worries about maintaining seed depth are what make farmers too aggressive with down pressure. “That gets people in trouble in marginally wet conditions,” Ferrie says. “With today’s monitoring equipment, you can back off down pressure and know whether you’re maintaining depth control.”

A row unit functions sort of like a Jet Ski, Ferrie says. The faster you pull the planter, the more it wants to come out of the ground, so it takes more down pressure to maintain proper depth.

“In these marginal conditions, in order to stay on top of dry soil and plant through it without moving it, you may have to slow down the planter to maintain depth control,” Ferrie adds. “Slowing down from 5 mph to 4 mph is still faster than waiting for the field to dry out, so you can plant with more down pressure and a higher speed.”

In marginal conditions, stop the planter and adjust row cleaners, closing wheels and down pressure from field to field, Ferrie says.
One other time you might need to plant in wet soil is when you have wet spots in an otherwise dry field.

“It’s a time-sensitive issue,” Ferrie says. “If you’re in danger of missing the optimum planting period, and 80% of the field is ready but 20% is still wet, go ahead and plant. You’ll have yield loss in the areas that aren’t ready, but not as much as if you miss the optimum planting window on the 80%.”

If spots in a field are wet every year, consider tiling them. “If you improve timeliness over the entire field, you pick up yield everywhere, not just in the wet spots,” Ferrie says.

If you can’t improve drainage in those fields, set your planter for wet conditions. “Use spoked closing wheels to close the furrow,” Ferrie says. “Put scrapers on your planter’s depth wheels. Use a variable down-pressure system, so you can take the pressure off when planting through wet areas.

“Be conscious of planter weight in those fields. If you have a center-fill planter with starter fertilizer tanks, fill the hopper and tanks only partway. Keep the planter as light as possible.”

Give Extra Attention To Fertilizer Management

“In a dry year, be careful about applying starter in the furrow, even if you’re using a low-salt product,” Ferrie says. “If you’re worried about having enough moisture to germinate the corn, don’t put any salt in the furrow.”

If you apply anhydrous ammonia in the spring, allow at least two weeks between application and planting, and hope for a 2" rain. “In a dry spring, I’ve seen ammonia applied in February burn corn planted in April,” Ferrie says. “If you have auto-steer, you can use it to apply the ammonia and then plant between the ammonia strips.”

Here are a couple of other things to keep in mind if spring turns out dry: “Soil-applied herbicides need moisture to disperse in the soil and activate the active ingredients,” Ferrie says. “Plan to scout more and apply rescue or cleanup treatments, if needed.”

In northern areas where primary tillage is done in the spring, do secondary tillage within hours after chiseling. “There will be no freezing and thawing to break up chunks and prevent them from turning into clods,” Ferrie says. “If they turn into clods, you’ll have to deal with them all season long.”

Whatever the weather brings, patience at planting is a virtue. “Don’t feel that you have to plant just because your neighbor is,” Ferrie says. “With today’s genetics, we have a wider planting window. Diversity in planting dates, as long as you don’t miss the optimum range, reduces pollination risk.”

Is Planting Always a Struggle?

If weather is cool and wet, you might have to fight to get corn planted during the optimum window—that’s normal. But if you struggle to finish on time every season, or if you find yourself starting earlier to finish on time, you might need to re-evaluate your equipment and manpower, says Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie. “Early planting is fine if conditions are right, but if you plant in wet soil in order to finish on time, you risk problems with stand establishment,” he says.

Consider the following pinch points to determine if your planting pipeline needs an update:

Timing. How much time do you have to get planting done? Your landgrant university or seed company can tell you the optimum planting window for your locality because it varies by area.

Ferrie suggests his Midwestern clients be able to plant their corn crop in five days, when conditions are right. “Of course, those five days may not come in one stretch. It may take a month to get five days of good planting conditions, depending on the weather,” he says.

Machine power. Is your planter sized for your acreage? “As farmers pick up acres, they may add a grain cart or a second combine but forget to upsize their planter,” Ferrie says. “Rather than a bigger planter, you may want a second one, so you can plant in two areas at once.”

Manpower. Consider hiring a custom operator to spray while your skilled employee plants. “You can hire people to do a lot of jobs,” Ferrie says. “But it’s difficult to hire someone to plant your crop on a timely basis.”

Beat the Carbon Penalty With Strategic Nitrogen Use

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 17:35:51 GMT

Managing nitrogen in corn effectively is not simply a matter of hitting a total pounds-per-acre target. How, when and where you apply that nitrogen can dramatically affect both crop performance and how efficiently each pound is used – especially when navigating the carbon penalty, says Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist.

Understanding the Carbon Penalty

When soil warms in the spring, microbial organisms begin breaking down the previous season’s corn stalks. Because corn residue has a high carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (60:1), these microbes consume nitrogen as a food source to fuel the decomposition process.

During this phase, nitrogen is tied up by microbes and rendered unavailable to your corn crop, explains Ferrie. For example, a 215-bushel corn crop produces 6 tons of dry residue, requiring approximately 90 lbs. of nitrogen just to feed the microbes.

A telltale sign of the carbon penalty is yellowing leaves between the V2 and V6 growth stages. In fields where the nutritional gap is most severe, the crop is often referred to as being in the ‘ugly corn’ growth phase, characterized by stunted plants and reduced yield potential.

Establishing a Nitrogen “Floor”

To prevent your crop from stalling during the carbon penalty, Ferrie recommends establishing a minimum nitrogen floor. This will not be your total seasonal budget for nitrogen, but rather the amount required to carry young corn plants through the immobilization period.

“In our studies, we have found here in Illinois that it takes about a minimum of 60 pounds of N in corn after beans and 100 pounds in corn-on-corn or high-carbon cover fields to keep the corn from slowing down during the carbon penalty stage,” Ferrie explains.

To be effective, this “floor” of nitrogen must be accessible near the soil surface for young plants.

Planter-applied nitrogen is highly effective because it is concentrated in a band near the seed row. Ferrie notes that banded nitrogen has a “2x effect” when paying the carbon penalty.

“So, 30 pounds of planter-banded nitrogen behaves like roughly 60 pounds of broadcast nitrogen and can help keep the plant growing well through the carbon penalty stage,” he says.

Ferrie cautions against relying on anhydrous to counter the carbon penalty. “Anhydrous knifed in 7” to 9” deep, doesn’t count due to its location or distance from the root system. Corn has to grow roots down to the anhydrous to be able to pick that N up and it may be caught in the carbon penalty before it gets there,” says Ferrie.

He adds that ESN (Environmentally Smart Nitrogen) is also inadequate for the carbon penalty because its release timing is too slow for the early-demand window

Efficiency vs. Total Rate Reduction

While planter-banded nitrogen is highly efficient at protecting early growth, Ferrie warns against overestimating how much it allows you to cut from your total seasonal rate.

“While planter-banded nitrogen is twice as efficient as broadcast to get you through the carbon penalty, it is not efficient enough to cut your total N rate by 30 pounds,” Ferrie says. “With planter N you’re not stopping net immobilization. You’re just keeping the plant happy while net immobilization is happening.”

However, Ferrie says there are savings to be had. He estimates in-season banding can improve overall nitrogen efficiency by about 10 percent.

“If you were to band 30 pounds with the planter and apply 120 pounds sidedress, that 150 pounds would act like 165 pounds. So yes, you could cut your rate by 15 pounds in this case, and end up with as good or better outcome than broadcasting 165 pounds in the spring,” he says.

Smart Strategies for Topdressing Dry Fertilizer

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 20:12:17 GMT

If you’re topdressing corn acres this spring with dry fertilizer, keep in mind how that product is managed in a high-residue system will determine whether the fertilizer feeds your crop or disappears into thin air.

Ken Ferrie notes that farmers in his area, central Illinois, commonly use ammonium sulfate, urea and potash for topdressing. He says every hour untreated urea sits on the field surface is a chance for the nitrogen (N) in the fertilizer to gas off and disappear.

“The ammonium sulfate is stable, but the urea has potential to get away when it breaks down,” explains Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist.

That “getting away” is nitrogen loss caused through volatilization—when N escapes as ammonia gas instead of being captured in the soil as ammonium. In a corn-on-corn rotation, with a lot of stalks and leaves on the field surface for instance, the risk for volatilization is even higher.

Residue Can Supercharge Urease

The problem starts with a naturally occurring soil enzyme called urease. It’s what kicks off the breakdown of urea into ammonia and then ammonium. In a corn-on-corn field with lots of residue, the urease is supercharged.

“The thing about urease enzyme here in the surface with all this residue, it is 10 times higher than it would be in the soil,” he says.
The enzyme goes to work quickly, converting urea to ammonia at the soil–air interface, and that ammonia can simply drift off into the atmosphere. The more time it spends on the surface, the higher the odds of loss.

That’s why timing and management of dry fertilizer applications are critical.

“We sometimes say you need to keep the pin in the grenade – keep the urease enzyme at bay until we can get it worked in or rained in,” Ferrie says.

Evaluate Your Risk Potential

If tillage is in the plan, your solution to prevent volatilization is simple. Apply the fertilizer, then work it into the soil as soon as field conditions allow. When urea is incorporated, even lightly, any ammonia that forms is far more likely to be captured in the soil and converted to ammonium, where the crop can use it.

“There’s probably not a lot of worry in that scenario,” he says. “You’re going to incorporate this urea, and when it gasses, it’ll be in the soil, it’ll be captured.”

But not every system or scenario involves immediate tillage. In many no-till or strip-till fields, or when soil conditions are too wet for equipment, growers end up spreading fertilizer and then waiting on the weather to do the incorporation work. In those situations,
Ferrie warns, the risk of volatilization can increase quickly.

“If it’s going to lay out here and depend on rain [for incorporation], depending on how long that’s going to be, we’re going to need a urease inhibitor to give us time to get it rained in,” he says.

Urease inhibitors can temporarily slow or stop enzyme activity, giving farmers a bigger window before significant nitrogen loss occurs. For fields with a lot of residue, that extra time can make a big difference—especially when the forecast is uncertain.

Alongside conventional urea plus a urease inhibitor, Ferrie points to another option – using ESN, a polymer-coated, encapsulated urea.

“The ESN basically keeps the urea protected,” he says. “In that situation, if we lay it on the surface, you’re going to have about 60 days of protection. If you incorporate it, in our studies, [it] would show about 30 days of protection.”

ESN uses a physical coating to regulate how quickly water gets in and dissolves the urea. For growers who want extended protection or are looking to match nitrogen release more closely with crop uptake, that can be a useful tool. Still, Ferrie’s quick to point out that this isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution.

“It’s quite a bit more expensive,” he notes, underscoring the need to weigh costs against potential risks. For some high-yield, intensively managed corn-on-corn systems, the extra investment might pencil out. For others, a urease inhibitor on regular urea, combined with smart timing and placement, might be the more economical choice.

In addition, farmers need to think through when and how the urea in a fertilizer blend will get treated, Ferrie says If a urease inhibitor is added after everything is mixed together, you end up paying to “treat” nutrients that don’t actually need it.

“Treat the urea before you add the ammonium sulfate and the potash, or you’re going to end up treating all of the product, otherwise,” he cautions.

A High-ROI Strategy for Corn Planter Upgrades and Stand Success

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 19:24:50 GMT

During a recent Farm Journal Corn College session, Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie tackled some of the tough questions growers have about closing systems and stand evaluation. From why social media trends shouldn’t dictate your equipment budget to the “ground-truthing” techniques that reveal hidden planting errors, Ferrie breaks down how to ensure your planter setup delivers a true return on investment this spring. Here are three questions Ferrie answered in detail:

1. Question: “Where would you rank the value of updating the closing wheel system compared to other planter attachments?”

Answer: Ferrie says before ranking anything, you need to know what problem you’re trying to solve. Today, you can easily spend as much on planter attachments as you did on the planter itself. So, every attachment needs a clear purpose and a clear return.
Whenever a farmer asks him about new attachments, Ferrie always asks a question of his own: “What do you hope this investment will do for you?”

“Too often, the honest reply is, ‘I don’t know, but I saw it on social media or at a farm show and it looked interesting,’” Ferrie notes.

He explains if you’re routinely evaluating corn stands and can see that your current closing system is not doing the job — there’s poor trench closure, sidewall smearing issues, uneven emergence — then upgrading that system can offer a strong ROI. But if your real limiting factor is row-unit downforce, leading to uneven depth and sidewall smearing, then changing the closing wheels won’t move the needle like fixing the downforce will.

Ferrie says if he had to pick “the top advancement” for corn stand establishment, it would be hydraulic downforce systems that both push and lift, and adjust on the go.

“Those systems, both in conventional and no-till situations, have done a lot to improve stands by maintaining consistent depth and reducing sidewall problems,” he says.

2. Question: “How can I evaluate my stand to identify if my closing system is an issue?”

Answer: Ferrie says good stand evaluation doesn’t start weeks after crop emergence. Instead, it starts at the planter.

“Ground-truthing your planter performance at planting can prevent a lot of stand issues later on,” Ferrie says. “This practice needs to be done on multiple rows across the planter, and in multiple soil types within the field.”

Ferrie’s recommendation: stop the planter several times in each field, get out and dig a cross-section across the furrow. In that crosscut, you’re looking for several problems that might need to be corrected.

(Crop-Tech Consulting)

A “perfect” cross-section, Ferrie says, is one where there’s no evidence of sidewalls standing, and no dry soil or air pockets are surrounding the seed.

He also reminds growers that the first 12 hours after planting, when the seed imbibes water, are critical. Dry soil around the seed in that window of time will delay water uptake and slow emergence.

Once the corn crop is out of the ground, shift your evaluation process to stand uniformity. At this point, Ferrie recommends doing plant counts and writing your observations down for future reference.

“Pay special attention to plants that are more than one collar behind their neighbors,” he says. “Those lagging plants should be dug up and examined.”

(Crop-Tech Consulting)

3. Question: “Can you put too much downforce on cast iron closing wheels?”

Answer: Yes, you definitely can, particularly in tilled or strip-tilled fields. Ferrie explains that excessive downforce on cast iron wheels can cause unnecessary compaction that young plants must fight through. The wheels can cut a deep trench in the furrow and push soil up into a ridge between the wheels.

This can create emergence problems in a couple of ways. If the spike doesn’t emerge dead center of the furrow, it may come up early off to the side, or it may attempt to leaf out underground if enough light filters down into the trench.

For plants that do emerge dead center, there’s another risk. As they break through that crown of soil pushed up by the closing wheels, they tend to set their crown roots about three-quarters of an inch below that raised ridge, Ferrie notes. If a heavy rain comes after emergence and flattens that ridge, those plants are effectively left with shallow crown roots — shallow corn that is more vulnerable to stress.

Be sure to check out Ferrie’s latest Boots In The Field podcast, where he offers additional answers to farmers’ planter and planting questions. Listen to it at the link below:

Ken Ferrie: Answers To Tough Questions On Vertical Tillage

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 20:00:27 GMT

Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist, recently fielded several questions from farmers during a virtual agronomic forum to help reset how they think about tillage, soil structure and long-term crop performance.

Following is the first question, which came in from a farmer in northeast South Dakota. The grower explains that some of his acres were disk-ripped last fall while others were chisel plowed. This spring, he plans to use either a high-speed disk or a VT super coulter to finish and ready the seedbed in those fields. He asks Ferrie which tool would be the best one to use.

Start By Assessing Fall Tillage Results

If the goal is to go with vertical tillage this spring, Ferrie advises the farmer to first confirm that his fall tillage achieved full-width shatter in the top 4" to 6" of soil.

He advises the farmer on how to go about the process of evaluation:
1. Raise the front cutters on the fall tool so residue can still flow but so the blades aren’t doing most of the tillage.
2. Then, dig behind the implement and look for shattering across the full width of the machine, 4 to 6 inches deep.
3. Once full-width shatter is verified, lower the cutters only enough to hit the residue level you want on top, not to drive the tillage.

He offers a practical rule of thumb: tillage depth ≈ half the shank spacing.

On a chisel plow at 14” to 16" spacing, that means running 7” to 8" deep, which is very achievable, Ferrie says.
On a disk ripper at 30" spacing, that would require 15" deep tillage—and is where most farms hit the wall on horsepower or traction, he notes.

Ferrie points out that many disk rippers were built for horizontal systems, where columns of untilled soil are left from the surface down. In a horizontal program, a spring horizontal pass shears off those columns and smooths everything for planting.

Why Tool Choice Depends On Soil Structure

This is where the tool decision becomes critical. Ferrie explains:

The VT super coulter “levels from the top” but does not knock out those vertical columns of untilled soil left by horizontal fall tools.
If the columns remain, they create a rough ride and uneven crop development: Corn over shattered, well-structured soil grows faster. Corn rooted in intact, dense columns lags behind.

Ferrie offers the farmer a simple in-field test for evaluation purposes: drive a pickup crossways over the fields where fall tillage was done.

“If the pickup bounces hard, and you feel it in the dash and your seat, you do not have full-width shatter—columns are still intact. In that case, use the high-speed disk to shear those columns horizontally,” Ferrie advises.

If the ride feels “soft, squishy, and smooth,” with no bouncing, you’re likely looking at good full-width shatter. Under those conditions, Ferrie advises going with the VT super coulter, because the underlying soil structure is already fairly consistent.

Check out Ferrie’s latest Boots In The Field podcast to learn his answer to these two additional questions:

Does vertical tillage on wet soil create a drastic density layer?
If I don’t put ‘gang angle’ on my vertical harrow, I can’t get the weeds out. How can I manage weeds?”

Get Ferrie’s insightful and detailed answers to those questions here:

Master Your Emotions To Drive More Profitable Crop Decisions

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 16:57:05 GMT

As plans for the coming season take shape, many corn and soybean growers continue looking for places to cut expenses. That’s understandable, but if those cuts are driven by emotion instead of hard numbers, they can create expensive mistakes.

“I truly believe that to improve on what we are going to do, we need to evaluate what we have already done,” says Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist. “Then, a good evaluation of our existing plan can involve actual numbers and less emotion.”

Ferrie likes to start the evaluation process with information from calibrated yield monitors and a disciplined, field‑by‑field review from the previous season.

“[It’s important to] sit down with your farm crew to evaluate each field, seeing how last year’s plan worked out, looking for answers to both the success and the disappointments of the past year,” he says.

Consider What You Had Control Over

A central theme to consider in the process is learning to separate what factors were under your control from those that weren’t. “Be sure to separate Mother Nature’s effect on yield from your management decisions,” he stresses.

Soybean crop performance is a good example of how weather impacted performance and was out of farmers’ control in parts of Illinois. Ferrie explains that in recent years, many growers have used a spread of maturities to manage risk, from roughly 2.6 to 4.2 group beans. That strategy experienced a hiccup when weather turned against full‑season beans this past summer.

“In areas where we saw little to no rain in August and early September locally, these full-season beans lacked the moisture needed to give us big beans,” Ferrie says. “What we saw is that the 3.5 to 4.2 group had kind of lackluster yield compared to the 2.5 to the 3.3 beans.”

The danger, he says, is if farmers react to this single year as if it provides a rule to follow. “If we don’t rely on past yield history and don’t plug in this last season’s weather conditions, we can make an emotional decision that late maturity beans don’t work for me, that I need to cut them from my lineup,” he explains.

But the whole point of using a wide maturity range is risk management. “When you plant a wide range of maturities to mitigate risk, you shouldn’t plan on hitting it out of the ballpark with all of them, because that seldom happens,” Ferrie says. “We don’t know what lies ahead for [2026] weather. We might have a drought. We might not.”

Corn tells a similar story. Weather during pollination—like the “days that we had the heavy fog during pollination” — are showing up clearly on yield maps. Good scouting records are critical for interpreting those maps correctly.

“Good scouting records from the pest team can help sort out pollination issues caused by weather,” he says. “When you combine your past data with this year’s scouting records and weather data, we make better decisions, what worked, what didn’t and why.”

Is Soil Insecticide On Your Cutting Block?

With budget tightening well underway, another recurring question Ferrie has been fielding from farmers is whether to cut soil insecticide on the planter. The answer, at least in Illinois, is to consider how much damage your corn crop is incurring from rootworm.

Field scouting this past season underscored how uneven rootworm pressure can be, according to Ferrie. One consideration is watching root feeding and beetle traps and beetle activity, because many times you can see the problem advancing toward your fields. But he cautions against knee-jerk reactions. For instance, he says to avoid making a decision to eliminate soil insecticide on the planter just because your neighbor is cutting it.

On the other hand, field data can support some risk‑taking where rootworm pressure truly is low. “If we’ve dug and done root washes that show very little rootworm feeding, and we put in some insecticide plots, and I’m seeing little to no response, it’s a lot easier to take the insecticide off the planter,” Ferrie says. But he adds a firm warning: “There’s no rescue for rootworm damage. Once the corn goes down, we can’t make it stand up.”

Assign A Pest Boss For Your Farm

Ferrie frequently addresses the importance and value a pest boss can deliver for your crops. He says to make sure and involve them in your planning meetings for the upcoming season.

“We talk about the importance of a good pest team and a pest boss… they can save your operation a lot of money and/or hassle,” he notes. “The insights they can provide during your winter meetings can help you create a successful and more cost-effective input use and management plan for the upcoming season.”

Reviewing calibrated yield data, scouting records, and using an honest assessment of weather and pest pressure by field are the tools that separate smart cuts from costly ones, Ferrie adds.

Here more about Ferrie’s instructions on making smart cuts for 2026 in his latest Boots In The Field podcast:

Maximize Yields and Savings with Proven Nutrient Strategies

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 15:09:25 GMT

The outlook for fertilizer costs versus commodity prices for next season is a tough one for corn and soybean growers across the country.
With that fact in mind, we have compiled a number of our “best of” nutrient stories from 2025 for your consideration.

Our hope is one or more of the following five articles will help you reduce expenses, reallocate resources and build a solid fertility program for the 2026 that works well for your crops and gives you some peace of mind in the process.

26 Ways To Cut Costs Without Sacrificing Yields
If you made deep cuts to your fertility program this season, are you considering whether you can cut even deeper next year?

If so, be sure to check out this article: 26 Ideas To Cut Fertilizer Costs In 2026 . It offers a variety of suggestions from agronomists and other farmers on where you might be able to reduce product use and reallocate resources.

While there are no easy answers to address the cost of fertilizer and other inputs, having conversations with your suppliers and financial providers now can help you leverage your buying power and minimize potential impacts from marketplace uncertainties. For more insights, check out this article: Navigate 2026 Input Costs with A Proactive Strategy .

Reallocate Nutrients And Still Support Yields
Farmers know that nitrogen is the main gas that fuels corn yields. Other macronutrients and micronutrients such as zinc, iron, and manganese also contribute to yield performance. Be sure to check out our article 300-Bu. Corn Has a Big Appetite for N, P and K to learn more.

If you’re looking specifically at how to make phosphorus more efficient, be sure to check out our Farm Journal Test Plot article on the topic: 7 Tips To Make Your Phosphorus Work For You

Every agronomist says to soil test your fields to make sure they are up to the challenge of delivering profitable yields in the most cost-effective way possible. While you’ve probably heard that advice a thousand times, it’s still valuable.That’s where this article comes into play, which features national corn yield champions’ perspective: In This High-Stakes Farming Economy, Some Practices Still Deliver ROI

For even more ideas on how to create a fertility plan best-suited to your needs, check out:

The 4Rs of Fertility
Focus on fertility to prevent pollution and boost profits.

The Challenge of Nitrogen
In your quest for high yields, nothing is more crucial, or more difficult, than managing corn’s most important nutrient.

A Moving Target
Preventing corn from going hungry requires balancing nitrogen and other factors, from year to year and field to field.

The Great Escape
Stabilizers and controlled-release products help keep the Houdini of nutrients where your crop needs it.

In the “Lime” Light
Correct acidity to create diverse microbial populations, which decompose residue and release soil nutrients.

Potassium Insight
Drought emphasizes the value of this vital nutrient.

Avoid The Pitfall of Leasing Farmland With Low Fertility

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 22:46:59 GMT

Farmland often changes hands in the fall, and such exchanges are currently underway across the country as farmers and landlords look to finalize deals for the 2026 season. But some of the ground changing hands is in poor condition with regard to fertility, according to Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist.

“I’m really shocked at how poor the stewardship is on some of these farms,” says Ferrie, who is seeing the issue in central Illinois, where he’s based. “We have seen multiple pieces of ground this fall that have been literally sucked dry of fertility and are sitting in bad shape on pH.”

While Ferrie isn’t sure how widespread the issue is, he says more farmers have reached out to him about the problem than in previous years. He attributes much of the issue to non-operating, absentee landowners who might not understand the need for good stewardship practices to keep ground productive. In other cases, he is concerned some landowners are simply interested in financial gain.

“It’s often land they inherited, [and they’re] two or three generations away from farming,” Ferrie says. “They look at it like an investment in the stock market.... In many cases, their relatives, the original landowner, would be turning over in their graves if they could see what’s happening to some of this ground.”

Conservation Practices On Rented Ground
Around 40% of all farmland in the U.S. is rented — in some U.S. counties that number is nearing 80%. According to USDA data, 283 million acres (30% of all farmland) are owned by non-operator landlords — those who own land used in agricultural production but are not actively involved in farming it.

The American Farmland Trust (AFT) reports that many non-operating landowners are unfamiliar with conservation practices or have difficulty discussing long-term goals with their renters. One survey found that 65% of non-operating landowners rely on their farm operator or someone else to make decisions on conservation practices.

“This dynamic can lead to a lack of investment in practices that improve productivity and resiliency of the land,” AFT reports. “Some of the areas with the highest rates of rental agricultural land are also those experiencing high rates of soil erosion and nutrient losses.”

Due Diligence Can Prevent A Costly Investment
Leasing land with low fertility levels can create financial hardship for unsuspecting growers. Such “hidden” costs frequently impact younger farmers who have limited resources and opportunities to rent ground.

“Many times, it’s our younger growers looking for land to expand their operation that seem to get caught up in these sucked-dry, short-term cash rent scenarios,” Ferrie says. “For short-term leases, that could be an anvil around your neck. There may not be a way to gain profitability short-term on some of these farms.”

While cash rents are softening slightly in some states for 2026, they still represent a huge investment for growers who are unlikely to see improved commodity prices to counter their investment in land and other inputs.

Table 1 provides average USDA cash rents across 4 land classes defined by soil productivity index (SPI). Average cash rents declined for the excellent, good, and average land classes while average rents slightly increased for areas classified as fair. Table 1 also provides average cash rents by land class as reported by the Illinois Society of Professional Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers (ISPFMRA). Average rents on professionally managed farmland tend to be higher than the averages reported by USDA.

(USDA and others as noted)

Ferrie’s advice for farmers looking to pick up more ground: do your homework thoroughly before signing on any dotted line. Here are three steps he recommends farmers take as they consider renting new ground for the year ahead:

1. Avoid making assumptions. “Don’t assume just because a piece of land is being managed, that stewardship is being followed,” Ferrie cautions. “Farm managers work for landlords/owners. If they want the farm taken care of so it can be passed down to future generations, they’ll make it happen. If the landlord wants the highest return without any regard to stewardship that, too, is the farm manager’s job,” he explains.

2. Ask for current soil tests and yield maps. That will provide some insights on how the ground has been treated and its general productivity.
“If the leaser is not supplying any information, talk to the neighbors, if possible. Ask whether they ever see a lime truck on the farm,” he says.

Another option is to ask the leaser if you can pull some spot soil samples to get a feel for fertility in the field.

“If the answer or situation is no, ask about a conditional lease based on soil fertility levels once you do get the field tested,” Ferrie advises.

3. Gather information about past practices on the ground. For example, Ferrie says if you no-till, you’ll want to evaluate whether there are horizontal layers present in the field.

“I’ve seen in many situations where the No. 1 hurdle is removing compaction layers left by the previous tenant,” Ferrie says. “If you rent the ground, you’ll need a plan with your agronomist on how to address that.”

Different Factors Influence Farmers Who Are Buying Land
Ferrie points out that poor soil fertility across a parcel of ground might not be as concerning for farmers who are purchasing the property.

“I’ve been told by more than one realtor and farm manager that soil fertility doesn’t matter when selling a piece of ground, and that low-fertility fields will bring the same as farms that have received good stewardship. And this is apparently true based on what I’m seeing on farms that we are testing,” he reports.

He believes the reason is those farmers often have confidence that they can bring their new ground up to speed production-wise over time. And time is on their side as most buyers make the investment planning to hold onto the ground for the long haul.

Your next read: Ag Lenders Anticipate Only Half of U.S. Farm Borrowers to Turn a Profit in 2025

Drought Conditions Require Careful Attention To Fall Tillage Practices

Fri, 07 Nov 2025 17:57:39 GMT

With harvest now in the rearview mirror in many areas, farmers are focusing their attention on fall tillage. The soil type you’re working in and where you farm are making a big difference on how fall tillage is going, according to Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist.

Some fields in Illinois and surrounding states that had excessive rainfall last spring have ruts and compaction to address but are currently in the midst of D2 and D3 drought levels. With that challenge in mind, Here’s a look at some tillage options by system:

Strip-Till: In lighter soils – particularly light silt loams – Ferrie says farmers are creating good strip-till berms, with few to no chunks or clods that will have to be addressed next spring.

“These will mellow out and create a pretty decent seedbed next spring. Even though the soil is hard and dried out, the lighter soils are stripping nice,” he reports.

That’s not the case where farmers are working heavier ground with clay to clay-loam soils. Strip tilling in these soils is creating a rougher environment that Ferrie is afraid will lead to some tough seedbeds next spring.

“If you’re running a strip freshener next spring, much of this problem can be corrected, but only if you’re running that freshener before these large clods become dried clods in the spring,” he says. “Clods that get smashed into the furrow by the planter next spring will create some germination issues.”

If you use a strip freshener, one avenue Ferrie says you might consider is to bypass the fall strips and just freshen them in the spring to achieve a good seedbed. But if conditions continue to be dry going into next spring, he would advise farmers to conserve available moisture and just no-till the field.

Conventional-till: To eliminate ruts in conventional-till, use a chisel plow or disk ripper on cornstalks, then follow with a leveling pass next spring. Run a chisel plow at a slight angle across the wheel tracks to break up soil compaction.

In bean stubble with 4" ruts, use a soil finisher and level in the spring. If ruts are 6" to 8", use a chisel plow to fill them in first. If possible, spot chisel to fix only the areas in the field with ruts. Follow with a soil finisher pass next spring. Use aerial imagery from the growing season to help determine whether you can patch the field or if it all needs to be worked.

Vertical-till: In a corn-to-soybean rotation with ruts or severe pinch rows, use a chisel plow in the cornstalks followed by a vertical-till leveling pass next spring. When using a chisel plow, make sure you achieve full width shatter from shank to shank for optimum results, Ferrie says.

In a soybean-to-corn rotation, use an in-line ripper in bean stubble when dealing with pinch rows and 4" ruts. Run the in-line ripper at an angle to make sure you cross the ruts or pinch rows. If you run with the rows, it might not bust wheel tracks apart; it will only pick them up and set them back down. In these scenarios, it will likely take two passes with a vertical-till leveling tool next spring to eliminate the tracks.

In 6" to 8" ruts, don’t use an in-line ripper. Instead, Ferrie suggests using a chisel plow. If ruts are spotty, chisel them in first and then in-line rip the entire field, leaving a large portion of the field covered in residue. If deep ruts appear across the entire field, run the chisel plow across it all.

Be sure to respect land contour to eliminate erosion.

Deep ruts usually aren’t an issue in strip-till and no-till fields because the soil is more firm. However, take action to fix tracks and 2" to 4" ruts, as the benefits far outweigh the risks.

No-till: Ruts usually aren’t too big of an issue in no-till fields because the soil is firm. However, don’t let a 4" rut or pinch rows fool you. Both can be hard on ear counts the following year.

If you’re dealing with wheel tracks in a no-till soybean scenario, there’s a good chance freezing and thawing paired with a vertical-harrow tool will do the trick. If fixed, you can return to no-till the following year.

With 4" to 6" ruts in cornstalks followed by soybeans, plan to shallow chisel the field to achieve full width shatter and then level with a vertical harrow. Once fixed, the field can return to no-till the following year.

In soybean stubble with ruts in small portions of the field, patch it with tillage and continue to no-till the rest of the field. If pinch rows or ruts are present across the entire field, use vertical tillage to address the problem and then return to no-till in future years.

“Ultimately, in order to avoid long-term yield effects, fields might have to come out of no-till or strip-till to fix ruts and compaction issues,” Ferrie says. “Ruts often show up in aerial imagery for two to three years. As soon as the problems are fixed, the field can return to no-till or strip-till.”

Anhydrous Ammonia Considerations In Dry Soils
Without some rainfall in areas suffering from drought, Ferrie is concerned anhydrous ammonia (NH3) applications will be challenging to seal. In some cases, when growers are smelling ammonia a day after application, that means the product is making its way to the soil surface and being lost.

Ferrie says you should be able to stand out in the field as NH3 is applied and not see it or smell it. That was not the case this past week in some central Illinois fields.

“I saw one field that had cracks big enough that you could put your hand down in them. The anhydrous bar was not only smoking around the knives, gas was coming out through the cracks in the soil between the knives,” Ferrie reports.

Anhydrous ammonia will move in soils until it finds enough soil moisture to convert from ammonia to ammonium. In dry soils, an inhibitor will be ineffective because it is designed to stop nitrification and not volatility.

“That’s why growers wonder why they can smell ammonia leaking out of a dry soil when they use N-Serve. It doesn’t work like that. You’re not protected against volatility,” Ferrie explains.

Instead, N-Serve acts to slow down the bacteria that converts ammonium to nitrate, keeping nitrogen in the ammonium form longer.

European Corn Borer Populations Rebuild
Ferrie says he had a number of farmers call in this fall regarding certain hybrids that were dropping ears. Most of the fields contained non-GMO hybrids, and in many cases the problem was caused by European corn borer and the hybrid was not at fault.

Ferrie advises farmers to inspect ears from the fields in question, if still available, for telltale signs of the pest. “Look at that butt of the ear in the shank,” he says. “Corn borer will leave a tunnel in the shank, or through the center of the cob, coming out the butt of the ear into the shank.”

Ferrie says he is seeing populations of the pest starting to rebuild in areas where non-GMO corn has been grown multiple years.

“Corn borers have been gone so long, most growers have forgotten about them, or they’re too young to have farmed when corn borer was a threat,” he explains. “Inspecting some ears now will give you insights on what you’re dealing with and a leg up on what you need to plan for next season.”

Learn more of Ken Ferrie’s recommendations on how to address tillage, NH3 and pest control in his latest episode of Boots In The Field:

Your next read: Unpacking the Disappointment: 5 Reasons Some Iowa Growers Had Ho-Hum Corn Yields

No More Waiting: Operator-Free Grain Cart System Improves Harvest Efficiency

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 15:49:16 GMT

At first blush, the benefits promised by new autonomous retrofit grain cart system, OutRun, seemed too good to be true to Ken Ferrie and his agronomic team.

The system, now commercially available, promises to help farmers increase harvest efficiencies while reducing labor needs in the process.

Ferrie and team’s skepticism quickly turned to appreciation as they put the system to work harvesting large-scale Farm Journal Test Plots in central Illinois.

“Once it’s in the field, it’s kind of like a dog with a shock collar,” says Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist. “It can’t leave the field, meaning that there’s a GPS fence around that field that keeps it from leaving that defined area.”

OutRun, developed by PTx Trimble (formed by AGCO and Trimble), enables a tractor and auger cart to team up and move autonomously to catch a combine on the go.

The system uses Starlink connectivity and PTx Trimble location technology, while the combine’s guidance and steering system remains unchanged. Field boundaries loaded into the OutRun system keep the cart/tractor team where it needs to be.

Less Manpower Potentially Required
Nebraska farmer Geoffrey Ruth says he is pumped about the practicality and ease-of-use of driverless grain cart automation. The opportunity to reduce manpower needs or redeploy a worker is especially appealing.

“We’re usually pretty short on labor at harvest time, so we’re looking to purchase one outright and take that operator and throw them in a semi to haul grain,” Ruth says in this recent article by Farm Journal’s Matthew Grassi: Smart Harvest: How One Farmer Is Hitting Harvest Windows, Helping Others With Grain Cart Tech

As Ruth and Ferrie quickly learned, the grain cart can be staged or called for unloading without the need for another driver.

Once full, the combine operator can then send the grain cart to a predefined truck unload zone for unloading. An operator is still needed, however, to unload the cart into a truck.

“Once you get a full tank, you call for the cart, and the cart will pull up beside the combine and unload on the go for you, or you could stage it at the end, so it’s waiting for you when you get there,” says Ferrie, whose agronomic team at Crop-Tech Consulting are running the system.

The truck driver can then disengage the cart, fill the truck and then reengage the cart so the combine operator can take control of the system again.

“Your combine operator can put the cart anywhere he wants it to go,” Ferrie says. “If you’ve got tile holes, terraces, or other places in the field you don’t want that cart to go, the combine operator can draw those areas on the screen and tell it, ‘these are no-go areas,’ so it doesn’t get itself into trouble.”

Ruth adds that the system also knows where the farmer already cut corn and will use that area as a path instead of mowing over crops that haven’t been harvested yet. It’s similar to how a drone already knows the safe path home when the pilot hits return to home on the controller.

OutRun is currently available for model year 2014 or newer John Deere 8R tractors with Infinitely Variable Transmission (IVT) and will be commercially available on Fendt models in 2026.

You can learn more about PTx Trimble’s OutRun system at www.OutRunAg.com

Ferrie: Why Your Corn Crop Could Be Drying Slowly This Fall

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 21:16:53 GMT

While some Illinois corn growers are heading into harvest early, others are telling Ken Ferrie their corn is drying slowly in the field – they’re seeing moisture levels drop only one point per week.

The rule of thumb historically is that mature corn that dies after reaching black layer will dry in the field at a rate of 0.5% to 1.0% per day in September, and then 0.25% to 0.5% per day in October, according to Iowa State University Extension .

Generally, it takes about 30 GDDs to lower grain moisture each point from 30% down to 25%. Drying from 25% to 20% percent requires about 45 GDDs per point of moisture, according to Peter Thomison, Ohio State University retired Extension state specialist for corn production.

But many agronomic factors come into play that influence dry down, including genetics, delayed planting, nutrient use, weather conditions — especially temperature, humidity, and rainfall — and disease issues.

Reaching Black Layer Prematurely Plays A Role

One reason for a slow drydown process in some fields is a result of the crop dying prematurely.

Premature corn death occurred in parts of the Midwest crop and for multiple reasons. In dry and droughty areas of Illinois, farmers saw high heat kill their corn crop prior to black layer. Likewise, Ferrie says many Iowa and Minnesota growers had corn that died before black layer due to southern rust and other disease pressure – even where the crop had adequate water.

“Corn that dies before black layer from dry weather, high heat or disease pressure can dry down slower,” says Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist, in this week’s Boots In The Field podcast.

The damage caused by adverse weather or disease can cause the plants to reach physiological maturity (black layer) prematurely, leading to poor dry-down and higher grain moisture, according to Purdue University corn specialists in an online article.

“When it comes to corn that dies pre black layer, you are at the mercy of God’s corn dryer,” says Ferrie, who encourages farmers to keep checking corn moisture levels and stalk quality to determine when to start harvest.

He offers three additional recommendations:

1. Don’t forget to calibrate combine yield monitors. “We need good, calibrated maps for when we analyze this crop at your yield map meetings this winter,” Ferrie says. “What these maps will teach us is invaluable in helping us shape our plans going forward, especially for you guys that are on the high-res program.”

2. Stay on top of harvest losses. Dry crops will mean more header loss for both corn and beans. “The tip pullback we’re seeing in [central Illinois] corn means we’re going to have to work a little harder to get this stuff off the cob. So keep a close eye on your thrashing losses,” he says.

3. Be proactive with your soybean harvest. “If they’re testing but cutting tough, keep grinding them out at that higher moisture. Don’t let that get away from you,” Ferrie says. “If you can knock beans out of the pod and they’re testing, even though that combine’s groaning, keep going as these moistures drop.”

Ferrie gives an update on yields he’s seeing across Illinois in this week’s Boots In The Field podcast here:

26 Ideas To Cut Fertilizer Costs In 2026

Thu, 18 Sep 2025 18:32:32 GMT

The outlook for fertilizer costs versus commodity prices for next season is a tough one for farmers across the country.

With that fact in mind, we have compiled 26 nutrient recommendations, tips, tricks and reminders from Farm Journal Field Agronomists, university Extension and industry experts.

Our hope is one or more of these ideas will help you reduce expenses, reallocate resources and build a fertility program for the 2026 season that works well for your farm and gives you some peace of mind in the process. Here we go:

1. Make controlled, calibrated decisions.
Keep your wits about you and be ready to think through various nutrient scenarios – some of which could be very different from what you’ve done in the past. Minimize knee-jerk reactions by allowing adequate time for reflection and evaluation of potential outcomes.

2. Develop your team of advisers.
Put a team of formal and informal advisers in place, those retailers, agronomists and other farmers you can talk to about purchasing strategies and other ideas they have.

Reach out to these folks now. If you make fall applications of anhydrous, that time is just around the corner. Start having discussions with your advisers on what you’re going to do.

3. The four Rs are still important.
The right product, right rate, right time and right placement are still important and can help you maximize yield potential in the process of minimizing expenses.

4. Study your existing soil test results.
“A good approach is to examine each zone in a field and pull back fertilizer rates on high-testing zones and maintain rates in low-testing areas,” says Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist.

5. Do some soil tests.
If you don’t have recent soil tests, consider fields where it would be worth the investment to do them this fall because of the payoff next season.

Budget your fertility practices. Here are two ways:

6. Consider using a specific dollar amount.
Stephanie Zelinko, national agronomist for AgroLiquid, says based on historical data, farmers usually invest 16% to 20% of their anticipated income from a corn crop on fertilizer. She offers this example:

“Say we expect to grow a 200-bu.-per-acre corn crop and make $5 a bushel. That’s $1,000 of income per acre,” Zelinko says. “Twenty percent of that is $200, and that would be my starting point for a fertility budget.”

7. Prioritize cuts where fertility is adequate.
Another way to prioritize dollars: Instead of cutting $15 of fertilizer across the board, it could be more advantageous to cut $30 for one field and nothing on another field because you don’t have the fertility there to give up.

8. Remember, applying less fertilizer than removal rates call for will lower soil fertility in the field.
That will need to be reckoned with when profitability finally stabilizes.

“The good news is that many farms are in a good place where you can lean them out without damaging yields short-term. That’s the power of knowing your fertility levels,” Ferrie says.

Also, timing and placement can make fertilizer more efficient, but they don’t change the amount of nutrients plants use. For example:

“One thousand bushels of corn requires 740 lb. of diammonium phosphate (DAP) and 380 lb. of potash (0-0-60); and 1,000 bu. of soybeans requires 1,565 lb. of DAP and 200 lb. of potash,” says Ferrie. “If those nutrients are not replaced, levels in the soil will deteriorate.”

9. Macronutrients matter most, especially nitrogen (N).
“If corn runs out of nitrogen, it’s game over for the crop, regardless of phosphorus and potassium levels,” Ferrie says.

That’s not to say you can ignore other macronutrients. It’s more of a matter of prioritizing the first things first.

10. Don’t ignore micronutrients.
Just make sure they pay their way, says Karen Corrigan, a partner in McGillicuddy Corrigan Agronomics.

She advises farmers to address their No. 1 yield-limiting factor first.

“People might want to sell you micronutrients, for instance, but if your problem is potassium, micronutrients aren’t going to help much,” says Corrigan, an independent field agronomist based in Illinois. “So, you really have to know for your own operation what you need to address.”

11. Evaluate starter fertilizer.
In some cases, starter fertilizers can improve corn yield even when soil test levels for phosphorus and potassium don’t strictly warrant a large application, according to Purdue University research .

12. Is banding fertilizer an option?
Banding can make fertilizer more efficient, just keep in mind it doesn’t change the law of nutrient removal rates. Applying less fertilizer than removal rates call for over time will deplete the soil.

13. Tap into online agronomic tools.
Use online resources that can help you navigate the nutrient-use process. For various N-rate scenarios, check out the regional N rate calculator .

14. Look at soil pH.
The optimum pH range for a corn/soybean rotation is about 5.8 to 6.2. Any field with a soil pH below 5.8 will likely benefit from lime.

With a good soil pH, farmers can improve crop yields, nutrient uptake, weed control and herbicide persistence, notes Kelly Robertson, Precision Crop Services, based in southern Illinois near Benton.

“Compared to all the other inputs, limestone is cheap. I can often get the biggest ROI from adjusting soil pH,” says Robertson, who participates in the Soy Envoy program, an initiative by Field Advisor and the Illinois Soybean Association.

Two other things to keep in mind: Not all lime is created equal, so choose carefully. Along with that, pick one that will be available for soil uptake next spring.

15. Consider bean fields versus cornfields.
“If you say, ‘I’m just going to cut out all my bean spreads,’ you’re going to be cutting the lowest fertility in the field,” Ferrie says. “It usually works better to scale back your corn fertility program for most fields.”

16. Can you cut in other places?
Look at how to leave more of your fertility program intact. Maybe you can reduce the number of tillage passes, the dollar amount in your seed spend or substitute generic products for branded ones.

17. Take advantage of ‘reserve now, pay later’ and other financing opportunities.
Talk with your suppliers about any programs they’re offering on bundling products, volume discounts and the like.

18. What isn’t paying its way?
This is the year to cut products and practices that don’t clearly pay for themselves.

“The biggest place to cut is on any extra products – the add-on stuff, where you can easily spend a lot of money,” says Kyle Stull, a certified crop advisor based in Wisconsin.

On the other hand:

19. What new practice could pay next season?
Using cover crops might or might not be a consideration. This is the year to look at new practices through the lens of whether they’ll deliver ROI out of the gate.

20. Are manure and organic amendments opportunities? Consider what’s available, cost-effective and might fit your nutrient needs and farming practices.

21. Evaluate application timing.
Do you need to make a fall anhydrous ammonia application?

Josh Linville, vice president of fertilizer for StoneX, says anhydrous could have a big run this fall. Anhydrous is not cheap, but it is well-priced in his opinion compared to urea and UAN.

If you decide to go with more in-season nutrient applications, consider the pros/cons and logistics with your suppliers and applicators. Again, talk with them sooner and not later.

22. Consider what you can do in-season.
Plan on doing some in-season nitrate tests to evaluate where fields stand nutrient-wise and whether the crop can benefit from additional nitrogen.

Ferrie recommends that farmers apply about two-thirds of their nitrogen early and then sidedress the remaining one-third for depth of fill, if you’re using ground equipment.

Be careful to avoid the issue of “gapping” with your N, advises Missy Bauer, Farm Journal Field Agronomist. She says because farmers can get through their corn with high-clearance equipment today, they sometimes don’t make their in-season N application in as timely a manner as the crop requires.

“If you don’t apply much nitrogen on the front end, the crop can run out before you get back into the field with an in-season N application. It’s what we call gapping, and you’ll give up a large chunk of yield in that situation, and you won’t be able to get it back,” she explains.

23. If you made deep cuts to your fertility program for 2025, can you cut deeper in 2026?
That’s a decision many farmers are grappling with at this point.

Here’s one recommendation from Virgil Schmitt, Iowa State University regional field agronomist: “If available funds do not allow for application of all the P and K fertilizer that is recommended for your fields, you should apply the recommended rates for areas testing Very Low, even if you rent,” because research shows a large probability of yield increases and positive ROIs.

Read more about allocating funds at: Lime, Phosphorus, and Potassium Fertilizers Decisions in Times of Limited Resources

24. Make contingency plans. Have an idea for your plan B or plan C, in case costs go up. Likewise, if costs go down – and they could – be prepared to take advantage of any opportunity to lock in products at lower costs.

25. Own your plan.
Back to the No. 2 suggestion of working with advisers: it’s good to get wise counsel, but at the end of the day make decisions that are best suited to your farm. Those decisions may or may not mirror what your neighbors and friends do but are the right ones for you.

26. Consider the future.
“Right now, we’re concerned about the short-term, but we need to balance that with long-term thinking as well,” Ferrie advises. “Think about the kind of shape you want your soils to be in, once we cycle out of these low commodity prices.”

Your next read: Fertilizer Decisions For 2026 Crop Will Be A Balancing Act

Corn Disease Alert: Don’t Mistake Anthracnose Top Kill for Rust

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 13:32:27 GMT

The Midwest corn crop has endured a pressure cooker of disease problems this season.

Now, the aftermath of stress from disease and weather extremes in many areas are contributing to anthracnose top kill, according to Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist.

“A lot of people think their corn is going through natural drydown at this point, but that’s not the case,” he says.

How To Tell The Difference
Ferrie explains the visual differences between the photo finish you want to see in corn and what happens when top kill sets into the crop:

The Desired Drydown Process: The husk should be ripening while the two leaves below the ear are green. In addition, above the ear the plant will be green all the way to the top of the plant. It should be dying slowly from the bottom up.

Anthracnose Top Kill: With this problem, you will see a green husk and the top two leaves will be dead or dying.

“Some farmers may confuse top kill with one of the rusts this year because the top of the plant could be yellow to orange in color. But rust comes from the ear zone and goes north to the top of the plant, while top kill shows up at the top of the plant and goes down,” Ferries explains.

Another clue to whether anthracnose was the cause of top kill (as opposed to high temperatures), Ferrie tells growers to look for black spores on the outside of the lower stalk of dead plants.

“When you split the top of the stalk, you’ll see discoloration. The more the hybrid is stressed, the quicker the problem shows up,” he says.

While fields that were sprayed with a fungicide later in the season tend to show the least amount of anthracnose top kill, fungicide does not stop it.

“We don’t have a fungicide for anthracnose top kill, but the healthier your plants are the less of the problem you’ll likely find,” Ferrie says.

Yield Loss Potential At This Point
“If your crop is at late R5 moving into R6, and the top of that plant is solid, it should finish strong,” Ferrie says.

But when top kill comes in 15 to 20 days before black layer, Ferrie says it hurts late-season kernel fill. This is particularly true in newer hybrids, which often build a lot of their yield late in the season.

Those hybrids will be pushed to black layer faster and at the cost of kernel depth.

Ferrie advises farmers to start conducting stalk push tests at 30- to 40-degree angles in their crop to see if the stalks will buckle, and to plan their harvest accordingly.

“With this stress from top kill, things will speed up and harvest will be here sooner than later for some growers and, unfortunately, with less yield,” he says.

Your next read: Southern Rust Set To Take Big Bite Out Of Midwest Corn Crop?

Southern Rust Set To Take Big Bite Out Of Midwest Corn Crop?

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 21:56:59 GMT

If one picture is worth a thousand words, then the video Iowa farmer Dan Striegel shot last week must be worth thousands more. In the video, Striegel is shown harvesting a field of emerald-green corn enveloped in a cloud of orangish-red southern rust.

“We were just getting that field opened up, and I looked over and saw that dust boiling up out of the chopper, so I shot the video,” Striegel says.

Southern Rust? Never heard of her.
What Cheer, Iowa. USA. #pftour25 #harvest25 pic.twitter.com/tiIsUc2CHl
— Dan Striegel (@djsinseia) August 21, 2025

To date, Striegel’s video has garnered more than 48,000 views on X, formerly Twitter.

“We’re in southeast Iowa, Keokuk County, and I think the southern rust is as bad here as it is anywhere,” Striegel adds. “Every field you walk in, if you’re wearing a white T-shirt, you’ll come out of there red.”

A Red Path Of Disease Mars The Midwest

Expect to see more red T-shirt-clad farmers walking out of cornfields across the upper Midwest, based on what the Crop Protection Network (CPN) southern rust map is showing.

The CPN continually updates its online, interactive map showing the counties by state where southern rust infections are confirmed. Now, in late August, the counties look like red steppingstones. They form a checkered path from southwest Michigan through northern Illinois and Indiana, into southern Wisconsin, across all of Iowa and nearly two-thirds of the way across Nebraska. Eastern South Dakota is also lit up with a string of red counties, as are parts of southern to central Minnesota.

The amount of southern rust present in the upper Midwest is worrisome to Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist. In severe cases, the disease can wipe out 45% of the yield potential in a field, according to the CPN.

“At most, one in 10 growers in northern Iowa and Minnesota have seen the kind of southern rust some of them are seeing this year,” says Ferrie, who was working last week with corn growers in both states.

“It was a problem in probably eight out of every 10 fields I was in, and they’d all been sprayed at least once,” he says. “Minnesota has a corn crop that’ll knock your socks off – yield potential of 250, 270. I encouraged every grower to spray their field a second time except for two fields. One had been knocked down by hail, and the other had a hybrid that was clean.”

I spoke with a good friend of mine from Iowa yesterday that is an agronomist and farmer. He said the southern rust in corn across Iowa and much of the Midwest will take 9 to 12 bushel/acre off corn yields on average from what his team and himself are seeing. pic.twitter.com/Ad1VJ9oQBg
— Captain Cornelius1 (@ISU145) August 26, 2025

Hybrids Have Little To No Resistance To Southern Rust

A combination of early-season moisture, heat and wind formed the perfect storm for southern rust this season, allowing the disease-causing fungal spores (Puccinia polysora) to move from southern climes up to the Midwest, according to Kurt Maertens, BASF technical service representative for eastern Iowa and western Illinois.

“We’ve seen it all – southern rust, tar spot, northern corn leaf blight, gray leaf spot. Our corn has been inundated with all these fungal diseases, and we started seeing them early,” says Maertens.

If there’s a silver lining to southern rust, it’s that it does not overwinter in corn residue like tar spot does. But like tar spot, southern rust takes advantage of hybrids that have no built-in resistance. For many growers, that was an Achilles heel this season.

“When you’re dealing with a 117-day hybrid like they grow in southern Illinois, Tennessee, and Kentucky, you don’t grow corn that doesn’t have good southern rust resistance, because they deal with it every year,” Ferrie notes. “When you move to Minnesota, and you’re planting 102- to 95-day corn, you’re probably not going to find hybrids with southern rust resistance.”

Striegel says that was true for his neighbor’s cornfield, which he custom chopped for silage. “That field had two hybrids in it, one was worse than the other, and the field had been sprayed with a fungicide,” he says.

He adds that he also sprayed his own cornfields with fungicide, but they are still inundated with southern rust.

“We’ve had southern rust before, and it’s not usually something we have to worry about, but this is really bad,” Striegel says. “I’m standing on my deck looking at the cornfield next to my house, and you know, all of the leaves from the ears down in that field are covered with it.”

Southern rust is real in eastern Nebraska. Fungicide 3 weeks ago, 2nd app today with some potassium acetate pic.twitter.com/WZubU6IBwz
— Trent Mastny (@TrentMastny) August 21, 2025

How Late Is A Fungicide Application Still Worthwhile?

Ferrie says the fields he scouted last week were at late R3 to early R4 and had already been sprayed with fungicide at least once, but the disease was rebuilding.

“Any field where farmers had sprayed two weeks previously, the southern rust and northern corn leaf blight, to a lesser degree, were coming back, especially the southern rust. It was resporating,” he says.

The intense disease pressure from southern rust, tar spot and others have kept fungicide use at high levels this season, despite poor commodity prices.

“Because of that [amount of disease pressure], we have seen increased demand for our fungicides this year,” says Maertens, who encouraged customers to get applications made at the beginning of tassel.

Maertens says he has fielded a lot of questions this summer from farmers, asking how late they could go with a fungicide application and still benefit.

“Our recommendation is to get in front of disease,” he says. “Generally, we stop applications before we get to dent (R5). That’s not to say a later application can’t have some benefit, but our best results have been before infection was able to take place.”

Southern rust is a yield enemy farmers routinely face in the Southeast, reports corn yield champion Randy Dowdy, Valdosta, Ga. He participated in the Pro Farmer Crop Tour last week and said on U.S. Farm Report he believes many Midwest farmers still have time to address disease.

“We need to implore the fungicides, the technologies out there and get after it and protect this crop, especially that crop that still has not reached dent,” he says.

Farm Journal Field Agronomist Missy Bauer likes to see farmers complete their fungicide applications on the front side of dough (early R4). “Once we get to early dent, I think it’s a little more challenging to get the payback consistently, though we’ve applied at early dent (R5), and seen a nice response,” says Bauer, who is based in south-central Michigan.

Under the tough disease pressure farmers are facing this year, Bauer is telling growers to scout fields and evaluate what growth stage their crop is in before they walk away or pull the fungicide trigger one last time.

She adds that farmers need to check the label to make sure the product used is able to address southern rust effectively. She describes these as “Cadillac” products containing the newest chemistry.

“When it comes to some of these diseases, especially southern rust and tar spot, I do believe a little bit of a Hail Mary pass can be effective,” she says. “Will it be as effective as an application you could have made on a more timely basis? Well, no, you could have made more money doing it timely, but you’re still protecting bushels and gaining ROI at the end.”

Ferrie adds that farmers might want to do the late-season fungicide application to keep their corn crop standing until they can put their harvest plan in place.

“Be doing the push test to check stalk quality,” he advises.

Southern Rust/Silage Alert!!

Southern Rust has been aggressively advancing in many fields, especially those without a fungicide treatment. In some situations the plants are shutting down prematurely and plant material is senescing rapidly.

While we typically want to get down… pic.twitter.com/aK3hGgZE19
— Pioneer Troy (@deutmeyer_troy) August 26, 2025

Striegel says some of the farmers around him are heading to fields to harvest their silage corn sooner than later, because of standability concerns. “Some of this corn got planted early, and we had a lot of heat. The crop matured quickly, and the diseases are kind of shutting it down. It’s just dying out, and guys are going to go get it,” he explains.

That’s the strategy Ferrie encourages farmers to use in regular production corn, too.

“Harvest the fields most at risk first. But if a field of corn goes down, go combine the fields where the corn is still standing and come back to that one later,” he recommends.

The reasoning is you don’t want to risk more corn going down while you’re harvesting the field of corn that already has.

“While I was driving through Iowa last week, I kept thinking that if I built corn reels to pick up down corn I’d bulk up my inventory, because I know where they’re going to get used,” Ferrie says, only half joking. “Yes, harvesting corn at 25% moisture is expensive, but down corn will kick your butt.”

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Ken Ferrie: Central Illinois Corn Yields Look Close To 5-Year Average

Thu, 14 Aug 2025 17:34:22 GMT

Disease pressure is ramping up in central Illinois corn but the crops have widely varying degrees of infection, according to Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist.

The biggest issues area growers are dealing with now are tar spot, southern rust and some northern leaf blight. Some farmers are responding by making a second fungicide application, while others are sitting tight, given the tough economic climate.

Understanding it’s a tough call on whether a fungicide application will pay for itself, Ferrie tells growers to stay the course with their fields and make crop evaluations so they can adjust yield expectations and marketing decisions, if need be.

“I’m out here looking at these fields every day, and each one’s kind of its own surprise,” he says.

Corn Yield Potential Is Still Solid
Ferrie recalls that last season he saw a lot of central Illinois fields come in at harvest with 300-plus bushel yields. That’s not his expectation this season, though he thinks farmers could still see an above-average crop depending on what happens during the next few weeks.

“My highest yield estimate so far this season has been 297 bushels, dividing by 80. So there’s definitely a difference in what we’re yield-checking here in central Illinois compared to a year ago,” he says.

“If we compare it to the five-year average, we’re probably going to be satisfied. If we compare it to last year, we could be disappointed,” he adds.

Check Disease Tolerance Scores By Hybrid
Where hybrids had rain in July, Ferrie is seeing tar spot explode in the ear zone. With southern rust, the disease is more scattered in fields, with some more heavily infected by the disease than others.

Matt Duesterhaus is more concerned currently with southern rust in western Illinois, where he’s based, though he expects tar spot could come on stronger in a couple of weeks. He tells farmers hybrid susceptibility needs to be a consideration in the decision whether to spray a fungicide now.

“Once we get from beginning dent into full dent, it’s pretty hard to make a fungicide pay unless you’ve got a susceptible hybrid, one that makes a lot of its yield in kernel depth. So we’ve got to pay attention to those hybrid ratings,” says Duesterhaus, field research agronomist for Crop-Tech Consulting.

He encourages farmers to check their hybrid scores for tolerance to diseases they identify in their specific fields and then weigh the decision whether to make a fungicide application now.

“The tolerance gives you a starting point on scouting,” Duesterhaus says. “Depending on the tolerance, southern rust can take down one hybrid to where you’ll be picking up [combining] down corn, versus in the next hybrid, it might only be a 10- or 20-bushel hit.”

Along with evaluating disease tolerance in hybrids, Ferrie says to consider whether your hybrids are D hybrids—those that count on depth of kernel fill to get their yield punch.

“Their depth of kernel comes at the end of grain fill — the last half of the 60 or so days after pollination through black layer,” Ferrie explains. “They need to stay green as long as possible and finish the season strong. Many new hybrids are D types.”

Check out Ferrie’s latest episode of Boots In The Field podcast for more agronomic insights and recommendations on how to finish strong this season:

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Picking Short Hybrids For 2026? Why Leaf Structure Is An Important Trait

Mon, 11 Aug 2025 18:48:28 GMT

Short-stature corn hybrids are gaining more interest from farmers in the Corn Belt as wind events become a greater concern for standability.

In the process of evaluating shorter hybrids for the farm, it’s crucial to consider hybrid traits – just as you would with traditional hybrids, according to Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist.

“Short corn hybrids have the same characteristics as regular corn, the nodes are just stacked tighter,” he says. “You’re going to have different leaf structures with short corn just as with regular hybrids, so we have to be careful what our populations are, what soil types we put them on, and what we’re going to do with them for light capture.”

Why Light Capture Is Critical
Ferrie recommends farmers capture 97% of the available sunlight to maximize yield by the time a corn hybrid tassels, whether that hybrid is offensive or defensive, of traditional height or short stature.

When water is not a concern on heavy soils or irrigated soils, farmers can often achieve 97% light capture by pushing up their hybrid plant populations.

When water is a concern, especially on lighter soils, you still want to achieve 97% light capture but you can likely achieve it with fewer plants, leaving more water available per plant, so you will be able to lower your planting population.

The Problem With Generalities
Short-stature corn hybrids are often planted at higher populations because their architecture allows for better light interception and more efficient use of resources when grown closer together.

“For some of these shorter hybrids, you might find you need to push populations up to 40,000-plus to get that light capture to maximize yield,” Ferrie says.

But due to leaf characteristics, not all short corn hybrids need to be planted at that high of a population. Some will perform better at a lower population, thanks to their leaf structure.

During a recent video, Ferrie offers a side-by-side look at three different short-corn hybrids with different leaf structures. Each hybrid was planted on the same day at a 30,000 population in strips across a field. You can watch this 4.30-minute video here .

Hybrid No. 1 – Pendulum
This type of hybrid is characterized by a leaf structure where the leaves droop and spread out horizontally. Pendulum hybrids are better suited to lower populations and can help reduce water loss through evaporation, Ferrie says, while still maintaining sufficient photosynthesis.

“This would be a short hybrid you’d plant at a 30,000 population on lighter soils – those soils where you want to pull the population back, but you still have to cover the row,” Ferrie says of hybrid no. 1. “You can’t leave the row open, because if sunlight hits the ground, it’ll cook this corn. So, we want to close that up.”

Hybrid No. 2 – Semi-Upright Hybrid
The next short-corn product Ferrie addresses in the video is a semi-upright hybrid, one that is somewhat open at its base and then goes upright in its leaf structure.

“This is not going to close the row at a 30,000 population; if you put this on at 30,000 plants to the acre or less, it’s probably going to burn up if we have too much heat. Too much sun would get down into the canopy. We need to push this population maybe up into the mid-30s to the upper 30s, to get this canopy closed,” Ferrie says.

Hybrid No. 3 – Upright Hybrid
This hybrid shown in the video is upright from its base at ground level and stays in a tight formation all the way to its top. An upright short hybrid needs to be planted at a population more in the range of 40,000 to 42,000 to prevent sunlight from hitting the ground and being wasted.

“If you plant this hybrid at a low population on a light soil because you’re worried about wind, you’re probably going to burn up this hybrid,” Ferrie says. “It’s not a good fit for lower populations, as you’ll have a lot of energy that’s wasted.”

This is a hybrid that, in the correct population range, would have less stalk and more leaves, Ferrie adds, making it a good candidate for a silage program because it offers more digestibility.

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Recent Rains Spell Trouble for Corn – What Farmers Need to Know Now

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 15:45:21 GMT

Rain makes grain is a common refrain among corn growers, and it’s generally true. But this year, wet conditions at the wrong time have contributed to poor pollination in affected corn crops, says Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist, based in central Illinois.

“I’m seeing yield losses of 15- to 40-bushel hits in affected fields,” he says.

This latest problem in corn differs from the issue of overly tight tassel wrap that Farm Journal editors have been reporting on the past few weeks – and has nothing to do with corn genetics.

Moisture At The Wrong Time
This latest issue has to do with farmers having three or four consecutive days of heavy fog and rainfall causing wet conditions in fields. The wet conditions prevented corn pollen sacks from opening on time, essentially interrupting the pollination process.

Ferrie shares what happened and what farmers can look for in this brief video:

Once weather conditions improved, Ferrie says corn crops were able to pollinate but the damage was already done.

“It caused some significant issues with our kernel set,” says Ferrie.

He notes that the issue occurred across parts of the Midwest last week, where pollination should have been well underway or completed. Affected areas included parts of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota.

Farmers were taking to various social media sites earlier this week to talk about the impact of too much moisture. Some were taking the issue in stride:

Some growers have maintained their sense of humor and are looking ahead to harvest.

(AgTalk)

How To Identify This Pollination Problem In Fields
Farmers who are out checking their corn need to look for ears that have an inch or so of whitish colored kernels, while the bulk of the ear/kernels are yellow in color. In most cases, you will see an abrupt line on the tip of the ear where the kernels go from yellow to white.

“This white tip will abort when the base of that ear reaches a certain maturity, it’s almost impossible to hold it,” Ferrie says. “You can tell when the kernels lose their turgor pressure, they look slightly deflated.”

Farmers checking fields will see the pollinating tips on corn are present one day and gone the next. The loss is abrupt.

“It’s not a gradual pullback. It’s all of a sudden just gone,” Ferrie says. “So if you saw a yellow base with white tips last week, you need to go back and check for that tip abortion.”

In central Illinois, the ear tip abortion is happening in late-April planted corn that was trying to pollinate during rainy days or days with heavy fog. In addition, Ferrie notes that some of the May 1 corn planted in central Illinois had white butts on ears, meaning the fog or rain occurred at the end of the pollination cycle.

“By scouting those fields, you can see when the rain or fog came in and affected the pollination,” he says.

Field Appearances Can Be Deceiving
Farmers are calling Ferrie now to ask why their corn plants that look great from the road are blowing the tips off ears.

“In this case no one did anything wrong; it was nothing but the result of bad luck and the timing of fog and moisture,” he says.

He encourages farmers to get out and scout fields, and identify whether this particular problem is in their fields.

“It’s important to learn that now rather than trying to diagnose it later. By harvest, these tips will dry up and then shrivel down, and that will make it harder to diagnose what actually happened out here,” he explains. “Checking your fields and plots now and recording this will help explain some unexpected yield swings this fall.”

Look Forward And Plan Your Next Move
Ferrie says if the cloudy weather continues, some corn crops could throw their tips as a result of poor photosynthetic processes. In addition, wet, cloudy conditions at this point sets the stage for ear molds because of the wet silks.

“Let’s keep an eye on those corn-on-corn fields, especially, as we may need to move harvest up to stay ahead of molds and insect pressures,” he advises.

One final recommendation for growers who are spraying: Ferrie says if you’re going by air with applications, be sure and keep the swath width tight. A narrow swath ensures that the product is applied evenly, avoiding gaps or overlaps in coverage, and minimizing the opportunity for drift.

“There will be some surprises this fall, so let’s keep scouting. We have 40 to 60 days left until harvest,” he adds.

Ferrie offers more insights on what farmers need to be thinking about now, as the corn growing season moves into the home stretch, in his latest Boots In The Field podcast:

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Tight Tassel Wrap Is Affecting Pollination In Corn Across 4 States

Tue, 15 Jul 2025 22:20:00 GMT

Pollination is always a critical point in corn development, and this year is no different. One development hiccup some agronomists and farmers are finding now is what Ken Ferrie describes as an overly tight tassel wrap that is impacting pollination in specific genetics.

“It’s a situation where the tassels on some of these varieties, based on the growing conditions, were wrapped too tight. The pollen couldn’t get out of the wrap, which led to a poor start of the pollination cycle,” explains Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist.

The problem went unnoticed by most corn growers until this week. Ferrie says farmers have been calling him the past couple of days and nights, as they’ve checked crops for pollination and found poor results.

“There’s kind of a panic when they find out they got moderate to poor pollination on some of their best genetics out there,” Ferrie said on Tuesday during a discussion on AgriTalk with host Chip Flory.

Unfortunately, there is no management practice or product that can correct poor pollination.

“The only thing we can do now, other than adjust our marketing strategies, is to think through whether we’re going to double-spray fungicide or not on a crop that’s been dinged,” Ferrie says.

Environmental Factors At Play

Fields that showed rapid growth syndrome with scattered yellow plants in early June should be watched carefully, advises Matt Duesterhaus, Crop-Tech Consulting research agronomist.

“We believe the conditions that resulted in the rapid growth in May and into June also played a role in this wrapped tassel issue at pollination,” he says.

“What we’re finding is silks that emerge a week before any pollen makes it down,” Duesterhaus adds. “As the silks continue to grow longer, the ones on the underneath side get shielded, resulting in patches of unpollinated kernels at the base or along one side of the ear.”

In Illinois, the affected hybrids Ferrie has evaluated were planted during a brief window of about April 14 through April 17 and then encountered some environmental stress – such as too much heat – during the onset of early, rapid growth.

“It’s some of our big-hitter hybrids that are affected,” Ferrie says, noting he has seen the problem in 200- and 300-acre fields in central Illinois where farmers likely planted a single hybrid.

However, in many cases, those same genetics planted the week after April 17 seem to have gone through the pollination process just fine.

“Also, if the farmer had a split planter, and the hybrids synced up in silking, farmers were able to mitigate some of the risk, because the one hybrid pollinated the other one for you,” he says.

(X, formerly Twitter)

Farmers In Multiple States Affected

Ferrie says he is getting reports from farmers across Illinois, plus from some in Missouri and Iowa, who are finding the issue in their fields.

“It is a wider-based problem than just in McLean County, Ill., right now,” he says.

Iowa State University Field Agronomist Meghan Anderson says she has encountered the problem on a limited basis in Iowa and from one farmer in Indiana. Most of the corn in her area, central Iowa, is currently on the back end of R1 (silking).

“My impression is the affected hybrids are still producing pollen, which will hopefully shake loose and be able to pollinate the plants,” she says. “My expectation is that it will not have a big effect on corn pollination here. I can’t say that with certainty, but that’s my expectation based on knowing how corn pollinates.”

Steps Farmers Can Take Now

Ferrie is advising growers to be proactive in checking their corn for pollination, so they can decide how they want to invest in their crop during the second half of the season.

“We’re telling guys to pick 10 ears in a row and do that randomly throughout the field. Then strip the ears down, lay them on your tailgate, and try to estimate how many kernels didn’t make it,” he says.

“For simple math, let’s say that once you get done doing your numbers that roughly 20% of the kernels didn’t make it. In that scenario, you probably gave up 15% of the yield.”

In affected fields, Ferrie says he has seen potential yield losses that he anticipates will range from 15% to 40% at harvest.

“Some of these are going to bite as far as what the yield is at the end of the season,” he says.

Grain traders and agronomists are discussing pollination stress in eastern Illinois...

Over the past 14 days, Livingston & Iroquois counties in IL, two of the largest #corn producing counties in the US, have received only 43% and 48% of nrml rainfall.#oatt #agwx #AgWeather pic.twitter.com/OG3Mfaup89
— CropProphet (@CropProphet) July 15, 2025

The important step, he encourages, is for farmers to get out and check their fields for pollination so they can plan decisions for fungicide applications and whether they need to make any marketing adjustments.

“This is a tough break for some of our guys out here, but scouting can help them decide what to do next,” he adds.

Ferrie provides additional details on this issue and how to evaluate your hybrids for pollination success in his discussion with Chip Flory on AgriTalk. This is an excellent, informative discussion you don’t want to miss. Give it a listen here:

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2025 Farm Journal Corn and Soybean College: Making A Stand

Mon, 14 Jul 2025 22:40:25 GMT

A record-breaking harvest of corn or soybeans is built on the foundation of a good stand. That concept is the focus for the 2025 Farm Journal Corn and Soybean College.

Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie and team will be addressing some of the key agronomic practices and tools farmers use to accomplish high yields during the two-day event – slated for July 22 through July 23 – near Heyworth, Ill.

“We’re going to focus on what the elements of a good stand are in corn and soybeans and how you can achieve them through agronomic decisions and the tools you use,” Ferrie says.

The program includes a variety of both in-the-field sessions as well as inside, classroom sessions.

Planter Selection For Your Farm

One of the key topics being addressed this year for corn growers is the planter and how to select one that’s a good fit for your specific farm.

“There are so many different systems out there today, and when it comes to making planter purchases, add-on purchases and such, you have to think through the whole process and how they will work for you,” Ferrie says.

Farm Journal Field Agronomist Missy Bauer will also be on hand to help farmers identify the impact of planting practices on corn and soybean stands.

“Missy will be talking to us about how to identify a good stand and also what contributes to a poor stand,” Ferrie notes. “We’re going to talk about hybrid characteristics and different aspects of the rooting structure of corn. We’ll then blend that information all in with farmers’ tillage practices, including strip-till, no-till, and also cover crops.”

Success With Early-Planted Soybeans

On the soybean side of the two-day program, Ferrie and team will be addressing early-planted soybeans and how to build a systems approach to growing them – from variety selection and planting preparation through harvest.

“We want to talk about row spacing, population, soybean characteristics, when can we stress plants and when to not stress plants,” Ferrie says. “We want to help farmers adopt a systems approach to early soybeans versus just planting them early and then trying to treat them like you would normal beans.”

In addition to these topics, the in-field and classroom sessions at the event will address:

Science behind spray nozzles: selecting the right nozzles for the job and making sure they perform well in the field.

Establishing corn ear count: examining the differences in rooting depth and stand establishment across a variety of tillage practices.

Closing systems: analyzing a variety of systems in different agronomic conditions to demonstrate how such systems impact stand establishment.

Put everything together, corn edition: evaluating everything from hybrid characteristics, leaf orientation, ear flex and how plant height affects light interpretation to ear development and plant stress in conventional corn and short corn.

Put everything together, soybean edition: looking at planting date, variety characteristics, tillage system, plant nutrition, row spacing and population all play a hand in bean stand establishment, overall light interception and yield.

The two-day event brings together presenters, farmers, and industry personnel that are passionate about raising the bar in farming, Ferrie says. “This is an unsponsored event making more time for our agronomists to spend with attendees, getting their questions answered, and more time to spend in the field,” he says.

Day 1 of the Farm Journal Corn and Soybean College starts at 8 a.m., Tuesday, July 22, and runs through happy hour/dinner.

Day 2 starts at 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday, July 23, and sessions will go through lunch.

“We will finish the second day with a Q & A following lunch. Our agronomists will be available to answer questions until your questions run out, so be sure to come with your list,” Ferrie says.

Price: $625 (includes access to one-day virtual event in January 2026).

Get the complete agenda details and register here .

Sulfur Is The Secret Nutrient Your Corn Needs Now

Tue, 17 Jun 2025 18:20:22 GMT

With many corn acres in the central Corn Belt headed into the rapid growth stage, growers are calling Ken Ferrie to report corn whorls that have yellow striping, when they should be green. Ferrie says the issue in many cases is a sulfur deficiency – or a combination of too little sulfur and zinc – even on heavier soils versus sandier soils, which traditionally have had the issue more frequently.

“We are seeing pretty substantial sulfur responses in our corn plots even at and above 3.5% organic matter,” he says. “I still believe that, in total, 3.5% organic matter soils will supply enough sulfur. The issue is those soils just don’t supply sulfur quickly enough to plants in the spring.”

As proof, Ferrie says he is increasingly seeing the “yellow sulfur whorl” in soils with 3.5% organic matter between the time corn emerges and the V8 to V10 growth range. As the corn plant gets bigger, roots go deeper and the soil gets more active. Over time, the soil will release organic sulfur and that symptom of sulfur deficiency will gradually disappear.

“But under the concept of never let corn have a bad day, corn showing a sulfur deficiency is having a bad day,” he says. “This is especially true for those G and L1 hybrids that will flex down if you stress them in that window before tassel and right after emergence.”

Make Sure To Know The Deficiency Your Crop Has

Ferrie says farmers need to make sure what they’re dealing with is a sulfur deficiency and not a lack of nitrogen.

“The main difference,” he says, is that nitrogen deficiency shows up in the bottom of the plant, but sulfur deficiency shows up in the newer growth—the top or whorl. That’s because, unlike nitrogen, sulfur is not mobile in the plant, so the plant can’t steal sulfur from older portions and move it to newer ones.”

Plants deficient in sulfur can show reduced plant development and delayed maturity.

“Anything that retards growth delays maturity,” Ferrie explains. “Sulfur-deficient 112-day corn will act like a 115-day corn; it tassels and finishes later. In other words, plants become inefficient, producing less growth per heat unit per day.”

Fall Fertility Factors Likely Play A Role This Season

In many cases, the sulfur deficiency this spring can be traced back to last fall if the grower took ammonium sulfate and DAP out of their program to reduce costs and then forgot to update their program, and add nutrients back in this spring (check out our video above on the topic).

For that reason, Matt Duesterhau, Crop-Tech Consulting field agronomist, wants to remind growers to update their corn nutrient plan for this season, if they haven’t already.

“If you kicked out the fall dry [fertilizer], are you counting on adding that sulfur in at sidedress?” he asks. “Let’s make sure we’ve got a complete plan that we’re using, to get that full rate of nitrogen we need for our target yield goal, and the sulfur to go along with it.”

Ferrie calls the process of updating fertilizer plans balancing the checkbook.

“Rapid growth is not the time to show a sulfur deficiency, because you’re setting so much of the crop yield,” he says.

Meaghan Anderson tells Iowa growers to be sure to add up the sulfur their corn crop is getting from all the various sources, like ammonium sulfate in pesticide applications and sulfur from any other fertilizer materials.

“This can help avoid unnecessary spending and luxury uptake by crops,” says Anderson, Iowa State University field agronomist for central Iowa, in her online article, Who Needs Sulfur? You Might Need Sulfur.

Evaluate And Select The Right Source Of Sulfur

Purdue research suggests 10 lb. to 15 lb. of sulfur per acre, applied just before planting but no later than sidedress, is adequate in most sulfur-deficient situations.

Duesterhaus says high-yield growers in his area (western Illinois) are having good results using 20 lb. to 25 lb. of sulfur in a corn-soybean rotation, and a little more than that in a corn-on-corn program.

Minnesota research shows an annual rate of 25 lb. of sulfur is adequate for corn production on sandy soils, while fields with more organic matter need less (10 lb. to 15 lb. per acre). The application can be done via broadcast or as sidedress.

Selecting the right source of sulfur is critical to ensure enough sulfate-sulfur is present in the soil at key uptake periods, notes Dan Kaiser, nutrient management Extension specialist at the University of Minnesota.

“Rapid uptake of sulfur occurs in corn from V5 to early silking when 50 percent of sulfur needed by corn is taken up,” Kaiser says. “Roughly 10 percent of sulfur needed by corn is taken up prior to V5, but this timeframe is still critical and deficiencies early in the growing season can limit yield – particularly in cool and wet springs.”

Kaiser reviews some considerations for sulfur sources in his online article, What source of sulfur is right for you?

Ferrie cautions growers that elemental sulfur must go through a biological breakdown to get to sulfate, and is not a good option for corn this time of year.

“This reaction doesn’t get into full swing until soil temperatures are above 75 degrees F, which means elemental sulfur doesn’t make it to the dance until later in July and August,” he says. “That is great if you still need sulfur then, but higher organic matter soils usually release enough sulfur by mid-June to take care of the deficiency issues.”

If you have sandy soils, you could need a different strategy. Sandy soils have low organic matter content and a low cation exchange capacity (CEC), making them prone to sulfur leaching. In those types of soils, Ferrie advises farmers to put together a program that keeps the corn plant supplied in sulfur all season, and not just up until V10.

Why Are We Seeing More Sulfur Deficiency?

What has occurred is less acid rain is falling today, so fields get less sulfur from the atmosphere. You can trace this fact back to the Clean Air Act of 1970. So, while it’s good that acid rain has been reduced, it has resulted in less sulfur being available for crops to tap into.

What that means now is that farmers in much of the Midwest must treat sulfur more like a macronutrient rather than a micronutrient.

“The continued drop in the soil’s ability to supply sulfur has now reached the level that we have to start thinking about applying sulfur every year ahead of corn, no matter what the organic matter is,” Ferrie says.

He adds that depending on where farmers live, the results and needs for sulfur applications can vary. For instance, growers farming downwind of a large city like Chicago may still be receiving enough acid rain to meet their crop’s sulfur needs, due to all the fossil fuel being burned on the roads and highways.

“When all the cars in Chicago are electric, then you’re going to have to join the rest of us and start applying sulfur,” he says.

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7 Tips To Make Your Phosphorus Work For You

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 13:28:40 GMT

The best way to minimize fertilizer expenditure and maximize efficiency is one you’ve probably heard of before. The 4Rs — right product, right rate, right time and right placement — tell you exactly how to accomplish this.

Agronomically, following the 4R best practices keeps corn plants from ever experiencing a bad day — and that’s the key to maximizing your crop’s yield, explains Farm Journal field agronomist Ken Ferrie, who cites decades of Farm Journal Test Plot studies.

To help corn plants get off to a good start, they must have sufficient nutrients available to maximize early season growth. Even one stressful day could cause them to dial back their yield. Soybeans, in contrast, are able to overcome some degree of early stress, but it’s important for them to have adequate nutrients during pod-fill in August. This is an example of how timing (the fourth R) comes into play.

“Phosphorus is one of the most important early season nutrients,” Ferrie says, “It drives cell division and elongation.”

Here are seven tips to better manage your phosphorus (P), confirmed by years of the Farm Journal Test Plot program:

Feed Phosphorus Early. “Unlike soil phosphates that must be mineralized by soil microbes, planter-applied fertility is readily available and not sensitive to temperature,” Ferrie says. “The quicker plant roots meet up with starter fertilizer, the faster you’ll see a response: deeper green color and taller plants.”
Place Phosphorus Below the Surface. “Compared to nitrogen and sulfur, phosphate is slower to move through the soil,” Ferrie says. “It must be put where roots will grow into the band. On the surface, phosphate may not be picked up unless and until brace roots encounter it.”
Weigh In-Furrow Pros and Cons. “In-furrow applications trigger the quickest response,” Ferrie continues. “But because of the danger of salt injury, be careful with the rate and quality of product. Low in-furrow rates may not have enough push to get corn to knee-high when nutrients will be mineralized from the soil.”
Use Banding Methods. “Banding phosphate 2" below and 2" beside the furrow is safe, and rates can be high enough to push corn to waist-high,” Ferrie says. “But a 2x2 application is slower to kick in than an in-furrow application.”

There is a way to work around this, though.

“Attachments such as the Huckstep Fertilizer Shoe and the 360 Wave place fertilizer closer than 2x2 — more like ½" to ¾" beside and below the row,” Ferrie says. “This allows for a higher rate without concern about salt burn, and it’s close enough to the roots to eliminate the need for an in-furrow application.”
Double Up on Phosphorus Placement. “Many growers use a relay treatment,” Ferrie says. “They put a light rate of phosphate in the furrow as a pop-up and band a higher rate 2x2. That provides enough phosphorus to carry the plants to waist-high, when soil mineralization has kicked in.”
Explore Equipment Options. Among many equipment options for effective P placement, besides the Huckstep and the Wave, are the Furrow Jet and the Yetter 2968 Fertilizer Opener.

“Picking the right attachment for your planter and soil type is the key,” Ferrie says.
Add Zinc for Better Uptake. “Zinc is a co-enzyme that helps lift phosphate into the plant cells,” Ferrie says. “Whenever we use it in our test plots, we get a more consistent response to the phosphate. If you feel zinc is too expensive, pull back your starter rate until the zinc application fits your budget.”

This Farm Journal study examined the 360 Wave fertilizer attachment in two soil types. The Wave performs two functions: improving seed trench closure and injecting starter fertilizer beside and below the seed. In each soil, improving seed trench closure improved yield, compared to the planter’s standard closing system, and injecting starter fertilizer increased it further.

“There are many equipment options for improving starter fertilizer placement,” Ferrie says. “The key is to find the right one for your planter and soil type.”

This 2024 Farm Journal study in central Illinois demonstrated the value of adding zinc to your starter fertilizer.

“Zinc helps lift phosphate into plant cells,” Ferrie says.

In this instance, adding zinc increased the yield by 4.5 bu. per acre. Tissue testing revealed that adding zinc to the starter also increased the nitrogen and zinc content of the plants.

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Ferrie: Unravel The Mystery Of Ugly Corn Syndrome To Reduce Yield Losses

Wed, 04 Jun 2025 17:05:51 GMT

Corn crops in many parts of the central Midwest are in the process of transitioning from seed roots to the true corn roots.

This is an important transition point for the crop. When root development has progressed like it should, the handoff is seamless. But when that’s not the case, corn crops will show that poor handoff in the form of what Ken Ferrie calls ugly corn syndrome.

The problem typically shows up sometime between V3 and V5. Some contributing factors can be wheel-track compaction, sidewall smearing and herbicide carryover, all of which start to show up visually now and impact crop uniformity.

Ferrie says the plants not affected are starting to pick up rapid growth, and they make the slower growing, more impacted plants more visible.

“Some of these fields were uniform when the seed emerged, because they were living off the seed roots. But now as the transition is starting to take place, we’re seeing this uneven issue, less uniformity, show up,” explains Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist.

The lack of uniformity can impact yield potential and commonly occurs in a couple of ways:

1. Early in the plants’ life, between emergence through V8, corn roots need to be the same age when the root systems cross other plants in the row. Late-germinating plants are able to sense stress when they cross older plants, and in turn, they’ll start dialing back their yield.

“In our stress plots, even if you remove that older plant later, the stress will have already been done and affect the ear size,” Ferrie says. “This is why we want as many corn plants as possible to emerge within a 48-hour window of each other.”

2. A second scenario occurs when later-emerging plants give up yield because they’re unable to capture sunlight, a result of being shaded out by the older, taller plants.

“It’s pretty true if the plant is one collar behind its neighbor, it’ll only put on about a half an ear,” Ferrie says. “If it’s more than a collar behind, it’s probably not going to produce a harvestable ear.”

As Ferrie has gone on service calls this week, where growers saw even emergence but now some of the corn appears to be a couple of collars behind, he is finding that the corn plants are actually at the same collar. Timely rains can help reduce the impact of uneven growth, moving forward.

“The moisture we got this past week allowed the crown roots to start developing and get this corn back on track,” he says. “Now it can’t speed up the smaller plants and catch up to the bigger plants, but it can get the crop back on track so plants end up in the same maturity range when we go to pollination and black layer,” he says.

What To Look For At Harvest
With the help of some moisture, hopefully, little damage will be done to yields though the crop will be uneven in appearance at harvest.

“This will be noticeable come fall when you go out there, because there will be different heights for the ears. There won’t be that picket-fence stand, photocopied ear count. You’ll see the ear height change, and this will be due to the first nodes in the plants are going to be shorter.”

Most of this problem goes back to farmers not firming the soil enough with the closing wheels at planting to prevent soil moisture from getting away — something to keep in mind for next spring.

“One of the common threads I’ve seen as I investigate these fields is where we used a spoke closing wheel made for no-till but used it in tilled soils. The spoke closing wheels don’t firm soil like the cast tires and the rubber tires,” Ferrie says.

In this week’s Boots In The Field podcast, Ferrie also addresses how the carbon penalty is kicking into gear though parts of the country and impacting corn growth and development. Check out the podcast here .

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