#Plant2025 for Success
You’ve weighed the agronomics and the economics — and now the planter is rolling. The decisions don’t stop, though. The weather changes plans, equipment breaks and pests pop up. Every step plays a role in the success of your planting season as well as the growing and harvest seasons to come.
Data shows late-planted corn can “cheat” the clock with GDU acceleration, making the case for holding the line on your original hybrids for now.
Sidedressing is often the best opportunity in-season to address corn nutrient needs, but Ken Ferrie urges caution if you plan to go with “blind sidedressing” before the crop emerges or at spike. He offers three considerations.
Agronomists say uniform but thinner stands often outperform starting over with corn and soybeans.
Farmers in parts of the High Plains and Southeast need a break from relentless drought, while nationwide planting progress is outpacing the five-year average.
Agronomist Phil Long explains the critical gap between air and soil temperatures and why the “heat engine” for corn and soybeans has stalled in some areas.
Spotty spring rains have slowed planting in southwest Iowa, leaving farmers slightly behind. Despite delays, strong planning, good moisture, and a favorable forecast has Pat Sheldon optimistic for the 2026 crop season.
The problem is making it difficult for farmers to know which herbicide chemistries will still work in their fields.
As the Strait closure enters its tenth week, supply chain gridlock and policy hurdles suggest high input costs will persist through the 2027 planting season, according to Josh Linville, vice president of fertilizer with StoneX.
Randy Dowdy explains the importance of germination depth — how it can set up your corn crop to deliver more bushels without adding any costs in the process.
Former NFL player Cody White applies his athletic experience on the field to rising input costs and market volatility in DeWitt County, Illinois.
Record corn yields have risen 10x in 100 years. David Hula says continued genetic gains, along with a deeper understanding of what’s happening underground, could push yield potential far beyond what most farmers expect.
To raise your total farm yield average, Connor Sible recommends starting the planting process in your lower soil-testing fields, once they’re fit, and then transitioning to planting higher soil-testing ground.
The nation’s corn crop is currently 11% planted, sitting 2 points ahead of the five-year average. Although many Illinois farmers are waiting to plant because of wet conditions, much of the latest national crop progress comes from Illinois and Indiana.
A Farmer’s Keeper survey of 4,000 farmers shows 20% are cutting corn acres as record fertilizer prices and supply gaps force last-minute shifts toward soybeans and other crops to protect profitability.
Illinois grower Stephen Butz is uber-focused this season on removing the hidden barriers that have kept his bean crops from reaching their true potential.
University of Illinois researcher details scenarios in corn and soybeans where biological products can provide value.
Irrigation experts explain how tracking daily “deposits and withdrawals” can prevent costly watering mistakes and protect yields during critical growth stages.
Purdue’s Dan Quinn explains how using strategies like moisture-seeking planting and the critical N:S ratio are keys to higher yields.
Ken Ferrie offers practical steps to salvage your yield potential if you’ve been affected by heavy rains and seed quality issues.
Agronomist Eric Beckett shares strategies for managing tillage, product applications and budgets despite what’s shaping up to be a dry and potentially windy spring.
Understanding how and when corn reacts to nutrient stress can help you make every pound of N earn its keep this season, says Missy Bauer, Farm Journal Field Agronomist.
From Mehlich-3 to Olsen P, the extractant method your lab uses can help you interpret the data and manage inputs for more ROI.
While an unexpected March freeze is causing some farmers in Mississippi to replant corn, a mild spring is spurring early planting, with some farmers reporting they’ll finish planting corn by the end of this week.
Ken Ferrie warns that anhydrous ammonia won’t help young plants fight the carbon penalty this spring. He details how to bridge the nitrogen gap and protect your yield potential.
Before you leap, check out these essential management steps from Missouri farmer Todd Gibson and Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie to help you mitigate risks and protect ROI.
Brian Bledsoe of Brian Bledsoe Weather explains what’s driving the record heat, how long it may last and why it’s not a repeat of 2012.
As planting dates shift earlier, the nutrient is delivering significant yield responses and surprising protection against sudden death syndrome.
NOAA and CPC issue an official El Niño watch with a 62% chance of forming by late summer. Meteorologist Drew Lerner explains why it’s coming sooner than expected, but warns the extreme forecasts may be overstated. What it could mean for global crops this year.