Test Plots

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.

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 .

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.

Your Next Read — Ferrie: Unravel The Mystery Of Ugly Corn Syndrome To Reduce Yield Losses

One-Year Hybrid Wonders Can Go From Hero To Zero In A Hurry

Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:32:01 GMT

As growers are making decisions on what corn hybrids to plant next year, Farm Journal Agronomist Ken Ferrie gets an assortment of questions that come through his office.

One he says has come through several times already is, “How many acres do you plant to a new hybrid, one you know little about?”

“This question gets asked a lot when you have new hybrids winning a wide swath of plots that they are in,” says Ferrie, in this week’s Boots In The Field podcast. “The fact that they’re winning plots does indicate that there are strong genetics. But when select hybrids win a lot of plots in a specific area, it may mean that growing conditions were perfect in that area for that hybrid.”

Real-World Example
Ferrie says if the growing conditions are not repeated the following year, that same hybrid could have mediocre results. He offers one example for your consideration.

“Here locally (central Illinois), we have a couple of 117-day hybrids that have been mopping up in a lot of plots, no matter whether they were planted in April or May,” he notes.

As Ferrie evaluated the hybrids he took into consideration evapotranspiration rates (ET) late in the summer.

“We had considerably above average ET rates in August through the end of September,” he recalls. “These full-season corn hybrids picked up another two weeks of good fill days with the cool nights we had. This might have set this full-season corn up to win, especially if they are D hybrids, those that get their yield gain in depth.”

Ferrie says if central Illinois has a short or even a normal fill season in 2025, those same hybrids could be a disappointment.

Minimize Your Risk
“Personally, I would not plant more than a third of my acres in a new hybrid I don’t have any experience with,” he advises. “Every hybrid should earn its way onto your farm. When adding new hybrids, be sure to do due diligence in collecting good data from nearby plots.”

Ask the seed company representative and local farmers growing those hybrids that interest you about fertility practices, tillage, fungicide, insecticides -- what’s all been used and what’s needed for success.

“Data coming from plots managed like your farm and soil types like yours, they’re pretty valuable,” Ferrie says. “This is the reason why I suggest that you put in your own variety plot, so hybrids can earn their way on your acres.”

He adds that hybrid selection should be about mitigating risk by splitting up maturities (early, mid and late), and matching hybrids to your soil conditions and management practices.

“Don’t be quick to throw out a proven hybrid for a one-year wonder,” Ferrie advises. “Walk before you run on a lot of acres with new hybrids.”

Corn Production In Utah
This past week, Ferrie traveled to Logan, Utah, to do a grower meeting for Valley Implement, which has multiple stores in Utah and Idaho.

Corn is not a big crop out there, but due to livestock numbers increasing, the demand for corn is growing. They’re in a grain-deficit area, working with $1.30 to $1.50 positive basis, and those prices have generated more corn production.

While in Utah, Ferrie did an interview for the podcast to give listeners a taste of farming in that area.

10 Smart Ways to Start Cutting Your Fertilizer Bill

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 20:57:20 GMT

Fertilizer costs are weighing on many farmers this fall, as they wrap up the 2024 harvest and look forward to next season. Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist, says one of the most important decisions you can make now is to keep your wits about you in the process.

“Don’t get caught up in a fire sale mentality,” he encourages. “Emotional decisions based on what you hear at the coffee shop or read on social media rarely pay in positive outcomes. Instead, take a more controlled, calibrated approach to reducing fertilizer costs.”

Here are nine additional thoughts from Ferrie on how to approach your corn and soybean fertility program for 2025:

1. Figure out what you currently spend on fertilizer. With the facts in hand, you’ll be able to make decisions based on reality and not feelings.

2. Determine the target dollar amount that you want to get to for next year, what will make your cash flow work.

“Your agronomist can help you through this process, but they need real numbers to work with – not just emotions,” Ferrie says. “There’s a big difference between taking $20 per acre out of your program or trying to reduce it $120.”

3. Once you have the target dollar amount in mind, refer to your soil test information.

“Let your soil tests do the talking,” Ferrie says. “They will tell you if you can cut fertilizer costs in a field by 10%, 20% or even 50% without dinging yields short-term. The opposite is true, too.”

4. Keep your rotation in mind as you prepare to trim. For instance, Ferrie says when farmers are building fertilizer levels in lower testing areas, most do that ahead of soybeans.

“So, 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,” he says. “It usually works better to scale back your corn fertility program for most fields.”

5. Remember that applying less fertilizer than the removal rates will lower soil fertility in the field, and that will need to be reckoned with when profitability finally stabilizes.

“The good news is that most of your 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.

6. However, if you’re dealing with a new farm or one with poor fertility, it’s a tough climb to pull back on fertility in either of those scenarios without adjusting your yield goals. If this is your situation, be sure to check soil pH levels.

“This is where to start. Don’t be too quick to pull lime out of the program,” Ferrie advises. “Adequate lime is important in making all your nutrients work at optimum levels.”

7. Consider where you might be able to trim costs without taking as much money out of your fertility program. Maybe you reduce tillage passes or your seed spend. In addition, there might be some fields where you pull back on fertility and others that you leave alone.

8. Don’t wait until the last minute to start the process. What you end up doing will involve a series of important decisions, and that requires time.

9. Tap into your valued experts who know you and know your fields. They can provide good counsel and partner with you in the process.

You can listen to Ken Ferrie’s full recommendations on how to go about reducing fertility costs as well as his take on how harvest in central Illinois is progressing here:

Your Next Read:
Nutrients Where Needed: How to Prep Your Soil Fertility for a Vertical System
Ferrie: No-Till Farmer Asks at What Depth to Pull Soil Samples?
Use Technology to Build the Perfect Furrow
Put Your Data To Work: Layers Of Information Pave The Road To Higher Yield
Ferrie: Four Steps to Make Sure NH3 Applications Stay in the Ground

2023 Farm Journal Test Plot Soybean Results

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 16:39:20 GMT

Could reducing your soybean seeding rate increase profit per acre by $40 per acre? In the right situation, yes, according to results from 2023’s Farm Journal Test Plots. Of course, the wrong choice will reduce profit. That’s why it’s important to find the best population, row width and plant characteristics for each soil type and planting date.

Choosing the right variety, row width and population has changed a bit since the Farm Journal Test Plots were launched in 1992, says Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal field agronomist. In the early ’90s, farmers planted higher populations to offset lower seed quality and inconsistent spacing and depth control and to aid in weed control. Bushy varieties were recommended for wide rows and straight-line varieties, with less branching, for narrow rows.

In the past 30 years, we’ve learned a lot from the Farm Journal research:

1. On average, narrow rows yield more.
They canopy quicker, which reduces water loss through evaporation and provides better late-season weed control, especially of waterhemp and Palmer amaranth.

2. Population is more about weed control.
“At the same population, narrow rows have outyielded wide rows most years from 1992 to 2023,” Ferrie explains. “The sooner we close the rows, the more sunlight we harvest, leading to higher yield.”

3. Technology has a big impact.
“Modern planters offer better singulation and depth control,” Ferrie says. “Genetically modified (GMO) soybeans opened up many herbicide options. New seed treatments let beans stay in the ground for two or three weeks before emergence, opening early planting windows, and early planting increases yield. Interestingly, early planting reduces the yield advantage of narrow rows because it gives wide-row beans more time to close the rows.”

4. Plant type matters.
While yield is always the primary factor when selecting a variety, bushy varieties are usually the best choice for wide rows, and straight-line varieties are usually best for narrow rows.

After three decades, the Farm Journal Test Plots are still churning out data to help farmers refine production practices.

“We’re continuing to look at population, asking how low we can go,” Ferrie says, “and studying the best uses of bushy and straight-line varieties and the impact of planting date.”

Read on for details on the latest findings from the Farm Journal soybean studies:

Push Population on Lighter Soil

In a 2022 population study, planted in April in 15" rows, 90,000 plants per acre yielded 97 bu. per acre; 120,000 plants yielded 94.5 bu.; and 150,000 yielded 95.1 bu. Reducing population from 120,000 saved $17 per acre on seed. Increasing yield by 1.9 bu. per acre increased income by $23.18 per acre (at $12.20 per bushel). Together, the seed savings and increased yield boosted total profit per acre by $40.18.

But how low can populations go? In 2023, Ferrie tried pushing population lower than ever. They planted 60,000, 90,000 and 120,000 seeds per acre (obtaining final stands of 44,000, 67,000 and 88,000 plants per acre). The northeast Iowa field contained soils with productivity ratings from 34 to 95 (using Iowa State University’s CSR2 productivity index).

This graph to the right shows the results. The highest yield came from the lowest population on the most productive soil. On less productive soils, higher populations yielded more.

Early Planting Pays . . . Usually

This 2023 central Illinois test plot, like earlier studies, suggests planting soybeans early boosts yield — unless weather throws you a curve. Ferrie and his staff compared beans of three maturities, 4.6, 3.7 and 2.6, on April 12 and May 17. The 2.6 maturity group soybeans bucked the usual pattern, yielding more with late planting.

“That probably was because of the weather,” Ferrie says. “It was dry through June, and the late-planted, 2.6-maturity soybeans — a very early soybean for this locality — probably were able to take advantage of rain that fell late in the season. But when they were planted early, the 2.6 maturity beans were too mature for the late rain to help. So when planting early, plant your full-season soybeans (based on your maturity zone) first and finish with your shorter-season soybeans.”

Population and Plant Type Affect Yield

A 2023 study compared bushy and straight-line varieties at three populations. As with the early planting study, weather — the sixth driest June on record in central Illinois — influenced the results of this plot.

“With the dry June, soybean growth stopped for three weeks, and the rows could not close,” Ferrie says. “That reduced late-season weed control —you could pick out the wide and narrow rows and the high and low populations by the amount of late-season weed escapes. And sunlight that hit the ground was not driving photosynthesis. Consequently, at the lowest population of 50,000, the bushy variety yielded significantly more.

“To maximize yield we must close the rows,” Ferrie emphasizes. “Once rows are closed, population and plant type carry less weight.”

Choose the Right Plant Type

The study below compared the two plant types on two planting dates and two row widths at a population of 140,000.

Thank You to Our Test Plot Partners

AgriGold, Case IH, Great Plains Manufacturing, Matt Shoup, Precision Planting, Unverferth Manufacturing Company, Yetter Farm Equipment

How to Adjust Your Fertility Practices for No-Till and Cover Crops

Fri, 19 Apr 2024 20:42:27 GMT

Government incentives aimed at mitigating climate change are almost sure to motivate you, and your landlords, to move toward no-till and cover crops. That’s the reason for our series of stories aimed at helping you convert to vertical farming systems, where those practices perform best.

As you prepare to plant your first crop in a vertical environment, whether it’s one field or a whole farm, keep in mind the 4Rs of fertilizer management — right product, rate, time and place — might be different from traditional horizontal, full-width tillage systems.

Residue might hamper phosphorus uptake. Surface cover slows soil warming. As a result, soils that test adequate to high in phosphorus might be deficient early in the spring.

“Corn will grow when the soil temperature reaches 50˚F,” says Farm Journal field agronomist Ken Ferrie. “But Farm Journal’s on-farm studies show phosphorus won’t become available in significant amounts until the soil temperature reaches 65˚F. That’s when soil organisms responsible for releasing nutrients start to become active. If young corn plants run short of phosphorus before that happens, ear girth will be reduced.

“You can prevent young plants from stalling by applying phosphorus fertilizer with the planter,” Ferrie continues. “The roots will begin to grow at 50˚F. When they reach the starter band, they will pick up the phosphorus even if the soil temperature is less than 65˚F.

“If soil tests high in phosphorus, and you wait for 50˚F soil temperature to plant, you might need only a low rate of starter in the furrow. But if you push planting conditions in cold soil, the in-furrow application will help, but it might not be enough to get to knee-high corn. You’ll need a higher rate, placed beside the row.”

Most cover crops raise the carbon penalty. As soil organism populations increase, due to an abundant residue food supply, they consume soil nutrients — nitrogen and sulfur, as well as phosphorus — making them temporarily unavailable to plants.

“In cover crop fields, you might want to apply a higher rate of starter containing all three elements,” Ferrie says.

N, P and S Placement Tips
“Place phosphorus where young roots can find it quickly because it does not move in the soil,” Ferrie says. “Left on the surface behind the planter, it won’t move down fast enough to provide a starter response. Brace roots will pick it up later, but that’s too far along in the growing season, and you will lose ear girth. Put higher rates of phosphorus beside the furrow and close to seed depth or a little below. That sets up a relay system that will keep plants trucking along even if soil temperature crashes after planting.

“Sulfate sulfur can be placed in a band beside the row or left on the surface, where it will move down with rain,” Ferrie explains. “Be careful putting sulfur in the furrow because it can burn the seed.

“Nitrogen can be applied on the surface at planting or incorporated by dragging a chain (but fertilizer may splatter onto the planter in windy conditions). There are many planter attachments that can slightly incorporate nitrogen, but they are too shallow for phosphorus. So, you may need two systems: one for applying phosphorus and one for nitrogen and sulfur. Or you can band everything 2" below the surface and 2" beside the seed furrow.”

How Timing, Placement Affect Yield

This on-farm Farm Journal study shows the potential reward, and the risk, from split-applying nitrogen fertilizer. Trials 1 and 2 were in Ipava silt loam and trials 3, 4 and 5 were in Sable silt loam. A total of 200 lb. of nitrogen was applied. In each trial, 30 lb. per acre of the nitrogen was applied with the planter. The study compared these treatments:

Applying half the nitrogen at the V6 stage always yielded more than applying all of it before planting. But applying half the nitrogen at the VT stage yielded less. “Two factors came into play,” says Farm Journal field agronomist Ken Ferrie. “First, waiting to sidedress at the VT stage caused the corn to suffer stress during the rapid-growth stage. The secret of high yield is to never let corn plants have a bad day. And then, illustrating the risk of delayed sidedressing, after we applied nitrogen at the VT stage, the weather turned dry. The late-sidedressed corn turned yellow and did not recover until it rained four weeks later, by which time the plants were in the R3 stage.”

Fertility is a Balancing Act

The trick to applying the 4Rs as you convert from horizontal to vertical farming is to use the most efficient product, rate, timing and placement without increasing total fertilizer applied. Besides good stewardship, following the 4Rs might qualify you for payments from incentive programs. Here are some ways to maximize fertilizer efficiency:

Count starter fertilizer as part of your total application, not an addition to it.
Broadcasting nitrogen and sulfur, in dry fertilizer or a herbicide carrier, reduces the amount of planter fertilizer you need to apply. However, a banded application at planting is at least twice as efficient. “You’ll see a bigger response to 30 lb. of nitrogen per acre applied with the planter than to 60 lb. per acre broadcast,” says Farm Journal field agronomist Ken Ferrie, citing on-farm studies.
Apply a higher rate of starter if you’re dealing with cover crop or continuous corn residue to compensate for the greater carbon penalty. Following a dry fall, remember you will have more residue and a higher carbon penalty the following spring.
Some incentive programs pay growers to reduce their nitrogen rate. Before enrolling, put out test plots to measure the effect. If you do reduce your total nitrogen rate, split your application to become more efficient. Test soil for nitrate at sidedressing time to make sure the crop doesn’t go hungry. “In many areas, the last several years have been friendly to low nitrogen rates because the weather has been dry,” Ferrie says. “Don’t get caught if the summer turns wet.”
Be sure to apply enough early nitrogen to carry corn well into the rapid-growth stage. “The purpose of the nitrogen that we sidedress is for grain fill after pollination,” Ferrie says. “If you don’t apply enough nitrogen up front to supply corn well into the rapid-growth stage, it’s essential you don’t delay the timing of your sidedress application.”

Nutrients Where Needed: How to Prep Your Soil Fertility for a Vertical System

Thu, 18 Jan 2024 15:42:49 GMT

In some vertical farming systems, such as no-till and strip-till, you will no longer mix nutrients deep into the soil profile with horizontal tillage. Much like you addressed soil density by removing layers , you’ll want to balance fertility throughout the rooting zone before transitioning to a vertical farming system.

Once you balance fertility and pH in the soil profile, and adjust to making small, more frequent applications of lime, you probably won’t need to mix fertilizer into the soil, says Farm Journal field agronomist Ken Ferrie.

But won’t nutrients stratify?
“When you reduce tillage, you get stratification of some nutrients, especially non-mobile nutrients, such as phosphorus, in the top 3",” Ferrie says. “In the second 3" to 6" we have documented little change in fertility levels over time, thanks to biochannels, earthworms, nightcrawlers and natural leaching. Some of our clients’ farms carry the same nutrient levels at the 3" to 6" depth as they did 30 years ago when they were converted to no-till.”

Although farmers worry about it, stratification near the surface usually is a good thing, Ferrie adds.

“Stratification actually is a form of banding, which increases nutrient efficiency,” he explains. “Most nutrient feeding happens in the top 6" of soil, and the largest portion is in the top 3". The presence of oxygen makes that the most biologically active portion of the soil, where aerobic organisms recycle and release nutrients for the crop. You don’t have that activity at lower levels because there’s much less oxygen; so even if nutrients are present, they might not be available for plants.”

Think about it: aerobic activity in the top few inches of soil is the reason wooden fence posts rot 3" or 4" below the surface.

A well-prepared vertical system carries its own drought-proofing, Ferrie notes. “If soil dries out at the surface, the oxygen-rich layer moves downward and roots feed at the 3" to 6" depth. So you want fertility at that level to be in good shape before you stop tilling.”

Ready your soil to go vertical
Here’s how to make sure your soil is ready to transition to a vertical system:

Review your current program. “If you regularly test soil and maintain balanced fertility levels, you might need only tweaks to your 4R program (right product, rate, time and placement) to enter a vertical system,” Ferrie says.

Test soil. “If you are in a conventional tillage system where fertilizer is routinely mixed through the soil profile, you need a regular 6" soil test,” Ferrie says. “Make sure the top 6" are in a good balanced condition.”

Already no-till? “If you acquire ground that has been no-tilled, but you aren’t sure if nutrients were balanced before going to no-till, test the soil at zero to 3" and 3" to 6" levels,” Ferrie says. “Expect stratification at the zero to 3" depth, especially with pH. If the 3" to 6" level is low in phosphorus and potassium, fixing that issue will weatherproof the field. Either till for a few years to mix fertility downward or use a strip-till bar that applies fertilizer, moving the strips each year until the problem is fixed.”

Your Biggest Challenge: Managing Acidity

“Whether you farm vertically or horizontally, pH is a bigger factor in soil health than any other input,” explains Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal field agronomist.
“If soil pH is balanced when you stop horizontal tillage and move into a vertical system, switch from applying lime every three or four years to smaller amounts every year or two,” he continues. “Lime will move downward about ½" per year, depending on the porosity of the soil. Some of our clients have maintained balanced pH through the top 6" of soil after 30 years in no-till.”

Here are some tips to maintain a healthy pH in your vertical system:

Adjust lime rates to the amount of tillage you will be doing. “If the recommendation is 3 tons per acre for a 6" slice of soil, but you only work it 3" deep, that’s like a 6-ton application in the top 3",” Ferrie says. “If you spread 3 tons of lime on the surface of a no-till field, that’s more like an 8-ton application. It will drive the surface pH to the upper-7 range, leading to nutrient tie-up, herbicide carryover and nitrogen volatility.”
Apply lime like paint — uniform applications that can be worked in or leached down by water. “You can’t strip lime like phosphorus or potassium,” Ferrie says. “Think of hydrogen ions like weed seeds, scattered in the soil, and apply lime uniformly like a herbicide.”
If soil is highly acidic, apply lime over time, mixing it through the profile with a ripper or chisel. Then return to your vertical system.
Since most acidity develops near the surface, where biological activity takes place and nutrients are applied, a proactive liming program lets you neutralize the acidity before it moves deeper into the soil. Maintain pH with frequent lime applications of 1,000 lb. to 2,500 lb. per acre, and test soil every year or two.
In corn/soybean rotations, apply lime in the fall on cornstalks, before going to soybeans. “This allows time for the lime to be carried into the soil before you make a surface application of nitrogen and run into volatility issues,” Ferrie says.
If you must apply nitrogen on the surface after a lime application, protect it with a nitrification inhibitor.

Want to read more from Ken Ferrie about vertical farming?

Now’s the Time to Transition to a Vertical Farming System

Do You Have Soil Compaction and Density Changes That Impede Roots and Water? Here’s How to Find Out

Shatter Your Yield Barriers One Layer At A Time

Now's the Time to Transition to a Vertical Farming System

Wed, 18 Oct 2023 14:45:53 GMT

For decades, moldboard plows, disks and field cultivators, all horizontal tillage tools, have been the go-tos for fieldwork. That’s changing as fears about climate change come into focus.

Sooner or later, you’re going to be pushed (or led, depending on your perspective) toward vertical systems by government incentives.

“The world is asking farmers to fight climate change by reducing tillage and planting cover crops,” says Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal field agronomist.

“Governments want you to adopt vertical systems to disturb the ground as little as possible and keep it covered year-round — essentially what existed when our cropland was covered by native prairie. I expect climate-smart initiatives will include financial incentives for reduced tillage and cover crops. That will create opportunities for farmers in vertical systems. However, soil layers left by horizontal, full-width tillage systems could cause those vertical systems to fail.”

No one argues horizontal farming doesn’t have advantages.

Tillage-2.png“Vertical farming tools are like golf clubs,” says Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal field agronomist. “Each has its own purpose. You use some every season and others only when needed. In golf or farming, having the right tools and knowing how to use them is crucial to success. That includes planter setup, weed management and tillage tools. While treating all fields the same makes farming simple, it’s like going golfing with only a driver and a putter — it won’t get you the best score.”

“Horizontal spring tillage lets us plant into warmer soil with more uniform moisture,” Ferrie says.

“That gets plants off to a faster start. Weed control is cheaper, and fewer specialized attachments are required on planters. But unfortunately, horizontal tillage doesn’t match up with the climate incentives I see coming down the pike.”

Vertical farming can be profitable, but it’s harder to manage.

“Among our consulting clients, vertical systems — no-till, strip-till and others — produce the highest return on investment,” Ferrie says. “On the other hand, they also produce the lowest. It depends on whether growers understand and know how to manage their vertical systems.”

This story is the first in a series of articles that will explain how to transition to vertical farming. Let’s set the stage:

What is vertical farming?

“Merely no-tilling or using a vertical harrow or similar vertical tool does not mean you’re in a vertical system,” Ferrie says. “A vertical system exists only after all horizontal layers, usually caused by horizontal tillage, are removed, and the soil is managed so as to not put them back in.

“A vertical system lets roots grow downward without restriction,” he adds. “The soil’s bulk density changes gradually, versus suddenly, so roots can adjust and penetrate, rather than flattening out along the top of a layer. Likewise, without sudden density changes, water will move downward and be stored in pore spaces. It will wick back up as water evaporates from the surface of the soil or through plant leaves.”

Horizontal versus vertical

“Pretend you have a huge vacuum that sucks up all the loose soil following a tillage pass,” Ferrie says. “After horizontal tillage, you would find a flat horizontal plane. Vertical tillage leaves a rougher sawtooth effect.”

Tools for vertical farming

Vertical tools include disk rippers, in-line rippers, chisel plows, field cultivators with spikes instead of sweeps, strip-till bars, row warmers, vertical harrows and no-till planters.

“Most farmers mix and match tools for primary and secondary tillage,” Ferrie says. “In horizontal systems, they might use a vertical tillage tool, such as a disk-ripper, in the fall for primary tillage and follow with a disk or field cultivator when spring rolls around. Or they might make one pass in the spring on soybean stubble with a soil finisher or high-speed disk. But all these secondary tools leave a horizontal tillage layer, a sudden density change that roots might have trouble coping with.”

For vertical farmers, typical programs include:

Chisel plowing in the fall and one or two passes of a vertical harrow in the spring.
Vertical harrowing in the fall, leaving a sterile seedbed for planting in the spring.
Vertical harrowing in the fall, followed by one pass with a vertical harrow in the spring to warm and dry soil for planting.

Conventional vertical tillage is fall primary tillage with a chisel, disk-ripper or in-line ripper (shattering soil across the width of the implement) and leveling in the spring using a vertical tool with no gang angle. “The leveling pass is like screeding concrete — knocking peaks off into the valleys, rather than using a sweep to level soil from below,” Ferrie says.

No-till or strip-till after all the old soil layers have been removed.

Most farmers need to implement multiple practices.

“In some fields, no-till might work great on 70% of the acres, but the other 30%, with drainage or soil-type issues, need to be strip-tilled,” Ferrie says. “So the whole field will work better in a strip-till format. Sometimes a more aggressive fall program is required to manage continuous corn residue, wheel track issues, manure application or new fields that need compaction removed or fertilizer mixed in.”

Golden Rules of Vertical Systems

When consulting clients consider transitioning from a horizontal to a vertical farming system. Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie offers four rules he considers essential:

The shallower a horizontal soil density layer, the more it costs in terms of yield and profit. “A 2"-deep layer causes more problems than an 8" plow sole,” Ferrie says.
The last tillage pass before transitioning to a vertical system must not be horizontal (because it will leave a density layer that will last for years).
Keep the seedbed sacred. “Ear count is always of utmost importance,” Ferrie says. “That requires a perfect seedbed, and creating one takes more management in vertical systems. If you’re not ready to put forth the time and management to achieve a uniform stand in a vertical system, it’s better to remain in a horizontal system.”
Allow three years to transition to a vertical system. “It will take that long to acquire management skills and equipment and prepare your soil for a vertical system,” Ferrie says.

The Value of In-Season Nitrogen Use

Thu, 12 Oct 2023 19:37:23 GMT

Keeping nitrogen (N) use front and center is a good season-long management consideration for corn, notes Missy Bauer, Farm Journal Field Agronomist and owner of B&M Crop Consulting, Coldwater, Mich.

Bauer’s work with the Farm Journal Test Plots over the years shows that corn requires nitrogen at various growth stages throughout the season. Some of the key times include these five stages:
1. During the first 35 days after planting, a corn crop needs a little less than 2 lb. of N per acre per day.
2. Starting around V6, N uptake increases sharply to about 4 lb. per acre per day.
3. Between V10 and V14, nitrogen demand can reach up to 8 lb. of N per acre per day.
4. At silking or R1 nutrient requirements drop back to 4 lb. to 5 lb. per acre per day.
5. From late reproductive stages and all the way to black layer, corn requires about 2 lb. per acre per day.

“Historically, farmers fall-applied anhydrous to fuel the next season’s crop or they put all their N on in the spring, but with today’s genetics we know that season-long nitrogen access is important,” she says.

Tune Into Hybrid Characteristics

To support grain fill, hybrids usually benefit from at least one in-season nitrogen application and sometimes even two depending on the growing season conditions and a hybrid’s specific characteristics.

For example, a hybrid that flexes a lot in kernel depth or size requires access to nitrogen at the end of the season to pack on starch (weight) to boost yield.

“That kernel depth is so important with today’s genetics,” Bauer says. “With some hybrids, you can have a 100-bushel-per-acre swing in yield just from kernel depth alone.” (Picture from B&M Consulting below illustrates this.)

Bigger, heavier kernels weigh more so fewer are needed to make a 56-lb bushel of corn – the industry standard for a bushel.

“When I got out of school, we talked about 90,000 kernels in a bushel. Today, our hybrid plots will average 70,000 kernels in a bushel,” she says.

Bob Nielsen, Purdue University Extension specialist emeritus, reports that kernel weight for the same hybrid can vary by 20,000 kernels per bushel or more simply due to variability in growing conditions during the grain filling period.

“Consequently, the number of kernels per bushel can vary significantly among years or fields within years,” he says in the online article Estimating Corn Grain Yield Prior to Harvest .

“Average kernel weight in several of our recent trials (in Indiana) ranged from 67,000 to 94,000 kernels per 56-lb. bushel, with an average of about 76,000 per 56-lb. bushel.”

Application Methods Vary
Bauer says in-season N applications can be made in a variety of ways, with each method offering some pros and cons.

“You can inject UAN between the rows with a knife or coulter, make a Y-drop or surface-band application, or top dress with a dry product,” she says. Bauer adds that she believes nitrogen efficiencies are gained with banded applications compared to all broadcast application practices.

Be sure to use boots on the ground to monitor the crop and weather to get a better idea of how your in-season nitrogen use affects final yield, encourages Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist. Ground-truthing and pulling nitrate samples is important, as growing environments fluctuate every year and impact yield.

“Corn that is nitrogen-deficient at the beginning of the growing season gives up yield potential,” Ferrie adds. “Nitrogen-deficient corn in the late reproductive stages costs actual yield.”

As part of your in-season N program, Bauer recommends applying sulfur as well – especially in high-yield environments – because it helps corn metabolize N more efficiently. That recommendation is a departure from what farmers needed to do historically. The reason is sulfur deficiencies have dramatically increased in recent years with the reduction of sulfur deposition that has occurred, thanks to the Clean Air Act.

Two Missteps To Avoid In-Season
Bauer cautions growers to take care to avoid these two potential pitfalls with their in-season N program:

1. Gapping: Bauer 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. (The photos here from B&M Consulting illustrate the result of gapping nitrogen.)

“If you didn’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.

2. Volatilization: Nitrogen is lost as ammonia gas. Ammonia is the intermediate form of N during the process in which urea is transformed to ammonium. Surface-applied nitrogen products containing urea are subject to this loss.

“Remember that UAN is about 50% urea. The dry environments that prevail over much of the Midwest this summer mean that most corn crops can benefit from the use of nitrogen stabilizers for surface-applied nitrogen,” Bauer says.

“Unlike a lot of years when you’re concerned about denitrification, we’re running stabilizers in these dry environments because we know that any N close to the surface is potentially going to volatilize if we don’t get rain to incorporate it,” she adds. “It’s a good way to protect your surface-applied nitrogen.”

Along with that, Bauer says farmers with irrigation systems have an added benefit in current dry weather conditions beyond just moisture availability. “This year, planning to do some fertigation – applying nitrogen and sulfur through the irrigation system – is a great way to supply corn with late-season nutrients to improve kernel depth and yield,” she says.

Check out the video below to learn more about the issue of gapping:

Ferrie: 5 Reasons To Not Apply All Your Nitrogen Upfront

Seize Your Corn Yield Potential With Sulfur’s Amazing Superpowers

Feed Crops Day by Day

2023 Farm Journal Corn and Soybean College: Learn How to Integrate New Practices Without Giving Up Productivity and ROI

Thu, 06 Jul 2023 15:05:11 GMT

Change is a constant consideration on the farm. This year’s Farm Journal Corn and Soybean College will focus on equipping farmers with the necessary tools to make decisions in an ever-changing environment and integrate new practices without giving up productivity and ROI. Make plans to join Ken Ferrie and team on July 25 and 26 near Heyworth, Ill.

“Our sessions are designed to help farmers make successful agronomic decisions in the face of the dynamic changes they deal with every year — from fickle weather conditions to markets and uncertainties in input supplies, labor availability and government regulations,” says Ferrie, who also serves as a Farm Journal field agronomist.

The full agenda is below, but in-field and classroom sessions will address:

making changes to your crop rotation, tillage systems or nutrient placement
managing early-planted soybeans
evaluating below-ground issues that can impact corn yields
implementing and managing cover crops

The event, now in its 16th year, brings together presenters, farmers and industry personnel from around the U.S. who are passionate about raising the bar in farming. The event is unsponsored, making more time available for agronomists to interact with attendees, evaluating various agronomic situations and answering questions.

Farm Journal Corn and Soybean College starts at 8 a.m. and runs through happy hour/dinner on July 25 and continues the next day through lunch and a Q&A session. Price: $625 (includes access to one-day virtual event on Jan. 9, 2024). Register here.

Agenda: Day 1 – July 25

Is All Change Good (General Session)

Governmental regulations, incentive programs and soil health concerns have a lot of farmers considering changes in their residue management strategies. Is the grass always greener on the other side of the fence? It is vital for growers to be aware of potential pitfalls that might exist within each of the available systems before implementing any changes.

Identifying When Change is Needed (Breakout)

No matter what tillage system a grower is running, from full tillage all the way to no-till, this session will help growers identify impediments that might be costing them yield or profitability and then discuss how to remove them. This in-field session will have attendees looking below ground at soil pits and digging plants to identify below-ground issues that might be costing yield.

Changing How You Play The Cover Crop Game (Breakout)

There are several common pitfalls growers face when trying to implement cover crops. Attendees will have the chance to go to the field and evaluate some different implementations of cover crop practices. Having a good understanding of the implications of seedbed prep, types of cover, termination dates, pest management and 4Rs of nutrient management are all critical when attempting to implement covers successfully.

A “Change” Reaction (Breakout)

Making changes to your system in the form of crop rotation, tillage systems or nutrient placement can have big implications to your overall outcome. Often, growers think of a change as a single decision, not realizing the impact on the rest of their system throughout the season. Changes to the overall system can also affect disease management strategies and applied fertility plans for both micro and macro nutrients.

Rolling With the Changes (Simulation)

Attendees will have an opportunity to showcase and implement what they have learned in the first day of sessions as their team competes to adjust their management style to the changes in their operation to see which group comes out on top.

Agenda: Day 2 – July 26

Game-Changing Soybean Management (General Session)

Implementing early-planted beans involves more than just changing your planting date. Understanding the importance of variety characteristics and how they interact with population, row spacing and weed control is vital to implementing that change successfully.

Eliminating Below Ground Barriers (Breakout)

This live tillage session will help examine ways to fix the barriers or impediments below the surface that were identified on day one. Attendees will get to see what the tillage tools are doing above and below ground and get tips on how to set up equipment to get the best results.

Railroad Tracks and Utility Wires — Nothing to Get Tangled With (Breakout)

What do railroad tracks and utility lines have in common? You don’t want to tangle with either one. We cross road-to-rail intersections with little thought of what takes place as trucks and trains share this small piece of ground. This presentation will provide recommendations of what to do if you are stuck on railroad tracks. With only a few minutes to decide, the blue sign at the tracks might save your life and equipment. The session will also detail life-saving steps to follow if your equipment comes in contact with powerlines.

Early Beans — More Than a Date Change

Attendees will be able to go to the field to evaluate different changes made to implement an early planting system. They will be able to review differences in planting date, row spacing, population, variety selection, cover crops and herbicide programs to see how they fit in this overall management change.

2022 Farm Journal Test Plots Early Results

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 19:44:43 GMT

Ken Ferrie and the Crop-Tech Consulting crew have been harvesting the Farm Journal Test Plots as well as their “teaching plots” the past few weeks. The full results of these plots will be shared in Farm Journal magazine, on AgWeb and at various events where Ken and Isaac Ferrie are scheduled to speak this winter and early spring.

Here is a summary of initial results.

Soybean Planting Date

In this plot, each maturity — 2.6, 3.4 and 4.6 — was planted on April 12, April 27 and May 12.

2.6 soybean results: Planting April 27 versus May 12 yielded a 2-bu. increase. Moving from April 27 to April 12 resulted in a 5-bu. increase.
3.4 soybean results: The plot showed an 8-bu. increase planting April 27 compared with May 12 but only a 1-bu. increase planting April 12 versus April 27.
4.6 soybean results: Yield increased 3 bu. moving from May 12 to April 27 and another 5 bu. moving to April 12 planting.

“It looks like there was a 7-bu. to a 9-bu. gain from planting on April 12 versus May 12,” Ferrie says. “This does surprise me a little bit on the basis it took forever for those April 27 and April 12 soybeans to get out of the ground.”

Read more: 8 Tips for Planting Soybeans Early

15” Versus 30” Rows

Ferrie also looked at the performance of bush beans compared to narrow-row soybeans. The bush beans were planted in six maturity groups from a 2.9 up to a 4.0 in both 15” rows and 30” rows.

“It looks like the narrow-row beans did respond to narrower rows by 3 bu. to 5 bu., meaning they were 3 bu. to 5 bu. better in 15s than they were in 30s,” he says. “It looks like the bush beans had no response to row spacing, which is also kind of interesting.”

Sulfur Products and Application Timing

In this plot, Ferrie evaluated a variety of sulfur products and various application timings and their impact on soybeans. Overall, he saw a positive yield response of between 2 bu. and 5 bu. in the plot.

“The data in these Farm Journal campus plots is not well replicated, but it will be presented this winter at our virtual Corn & Soybean College on Jan. 5, 2023, as a lot of you want to know how those plots do,” he says.

Corn Planter Fertility

Based on his initial findings, Ferrie says there is a yield difference between fertility applications in these plots but not as significant as what he saw in 2021.

His takeaway: “When corn comes out of the ground in four to five days, it probably doesn’t need as much help as we typically would expect. There are responses, but they are smaller,” he says.

Corn Fungicide Plot

In Ferrie’s area around Heyworth, Ill., fungicide plots are not showing a lot of response because disease pressure was less severe this season than 2021. He expects to see more response in plots where more disease pressure was present.

However, Ferrie notes excellent yield results in one fungicide plot where the weather was ideal this season.

“With 15 entries, the plot averaged over 300 bu. per acre. Matter of fact, only one entry went under 300 bu.,” he says. “Dryland plots like that are far and few between.”

Teaching Plots

Ferrie’s team has harvested all the corn teaching plots planted at their facility near Heyworth, Ill. They pulled more than 100 test-weight samples from the small plots which have little replication.

“We’ll put the data from our teaching plots in the virtual Corn & Soybean College on Jan. 5,” he says. “These plots are only teaching plots, but attendees always want to know how the plots did that they visited during the summer. So, we’ll add that into our virtual event this winter.”

Here’s a brief look at results from four teaching plots.

1. Of the four different starter plots this season, Ferrie and team saw a 19-bu. to 21-bu. increase. “That was surprising because this corn came up in five days,” he says. “I don’t expect those gains to hold when we get out into our field-scale plots planted outside of campus.”

2. Sulfur timing and product plots showed a gain of about 7 bu. to 12 bu., depending on the product.

3. Results from the one-and-done teaching plots were surprising.

“Where we put all the nitrogen (N) on in one shot and put it up against what we call the full-meal deal — where we break that same N rate across different timings – the one shot showed a 10-bu. to 12-bu. advantage over breaking the N rates up,” he says. “This is kind of surprising being it was an N-friendly year.”

4. In the small fixed-flex plots, Ferrie’s team planted hybrids at 22,000 (population) and again at 36,000 to measure how much hybrids flexed between those populations.

“In our 22,000 side of the plot the (yield) range was from 180 bu. to 233 bu.; on the 36,000-side of the plot, yield swung from 242 bu. to 307 bu.,” he says. “It seems crazy some hybrids can reach 233 bu. on a planted population of 22,000.”

Full-Scale Fixed Flex

Ferrie and team did harvest one full-scale fixed flex corn plot, which had 16 hybrids. The 22,000 side of the plot went from 198 bu. per acre to 250 bu., with an average of 227 bu., he reports. The 36,000-population side of the plot went from 252 bu. to 285 bu., with an average of 272 bu. per acre.

“Ear samples are taken from these plots for our hand harvest this fall,” Ferrie says. “That’s where we’ll identify where this flex is coming from. The information from these plots is helping to move the needle quite a bit for our multi-hybrid guys.”

Thank You to Our Plot Partners The Farm Journal Test Plots are possible thanks to the contributions of many people and companies: AgReliant Genetics/AgriGold, BASF, Bayer, Wyffels Hybrids, Case IH, Great Plains Manufacturing, Kinze Manufacturing, Martin-Till, New Holland Agriculture, Precision Planting, Schaffert Manufacturing, Unverferth Manufacturing, Yetter Farm Equipment, Yield 360, Crop-Tech Consulting and B&M Crop Consulting

Farm Journal Test Plots: A Phantom Lurks in Your Corn Fields

Thu, 18 Aug 2022 21:51:24 GMT

As harvest approaches, it’s important to recognize there’s an invisible enemy lurking in your corn fields. Phantom yield loss occurs when a crop is allowed to naturally dry down to a certain point before harvest.

Does the elusive dry matter lost equate to bushels? If so, is it enough to justify switching up harvest timing and paying for drying? Those are the questions Farm Journal Field Agronomist Missy Bauer set out to answer in 2019 and 2020.

Today’s genetics have changed, Bauer explains, and kernels are taller, wider and deeper.

“I’ll date myself, but when I graduated from Purdue, we divided yield calculations by 90,000 kernels per bushel,” Bauer says. “In 2018 and 2019, our hybrid plots averaged 70,000 kernels. In 2020, because of the dry weather, we’re a little higher at 76,000, but that’s nowhere near 90,000. That means kernels are different today than in years past.”

Kernel is Alive

When studying if phantom yield loss is a bigger issue today, with fewer kernels per bushel, Bauer learned several key takeaways.

“Even though the crop is at the black layer stage, the kernel is still alive, and that kernel is going to continue to go through respiration, which can result in the loss of kernel weight,” she explains. “Basically, the weight loss is a result of the metabolic activity within the kernel.

“That kernel is going to remain alive until we kill it with heat. When you dry it down in your dryer to 15%, then we’re basically killing it at that point,” Bauer adds.
When the crop remains in the field it’s burning itself up, so to speak, with respiration. That’s the concept of phantom yield loss.

Combine is Not to Blame

When studying phantom yield loss, Bauer and her team monitored harvest loss counts on the ground. They found no difference when comparing the earlier versus later harvest dates. It wasn’t that as the corn dried down there was more shatter and shelled at the head and more kernels on the ground. The difference came from phantom yield loss.

In 2020, Bauer selected one hybrid in an irrigated field to study in terms of phantom yield loss.

A portion of the field was harvested early, on Sept. 23, when the stalks were still green to a large extent. On Oct. 30, the remainder of the field was harvested, which was a little later than Bauer preferred, but that’s how harvest goes some years.

On average, the corn harvested early had a yield advantage of 15.6 bu. per acre at 214.2 bu. versus 198.6 bu. for the corn harvested in late October. Across management zones, the earlier harvest yielded from 11.6 bu. to 22.4 bu. more.

When it comes to moisture levels, the corn harvested on Sept. 23 was at 27.9%. By Oct. 30, moisture levels fell to 18.4%. That 9.3 points in moisture dried “for free” in the field.

Obviously, an early harvest means drying corn is necessary. That can cost from 1¢ to 4¢ per bushel per point of moisture, depending on on-farm or elevator options.

At the time, corn was at $4.20 per bushel. After paying the drying cost, the corn harvest in late September made money — anywhere from $5.95 to $45.76 per acre, depending on drying costs.

In 2019, there was nothing early about harvest after a late start to planting due to the wet weather. For Bauer, early harvest occurred Oct. 29 and late harvest was Nov. 18. With three weeks difference, the late October harvest had a 10.6-bu. advantage (266.4 bu. versus 255.8 bu.) with a 2.7% difference in moisture.

“In terms of economics, at 1.5¢ for drying costs per bushel per point we put $31.40 an acre back in the farmer’s pocket,” Bauer says. “Even at 4¢ per bushel per point drying costs, he still made money.”

Take Advantage of Half-price Drying

When considering drying costs, don’t forget some elevators and ethanol plants will offer half-price drying in early fall.

“In September and sometimes even the first few days of October, elevators and ethanol plants in our area in Michigan need corn, so they’ll offer half-price drying. Take advantage of that,” Bauer says.

There’s also something to be said about starting harvest earlier. Take advantage of warmer weather, Bauer adds, and stretch out the harvest window to ease up on logistics when there’s not enough hours in a day.

Thank You to Our Plot Partners

BASF, Bayer Crop Science, Pioneer, Case IH, Clarks Ag Supply, Great Plains, Kinze, New Holland, Unverferth, AirScout, Trimble, B&M Crop Consulting, Finegan Farms and Welden Farms

Farm Journal Test Plots: How the Right Hybrid Pays Off

Thu, 23 Jun 2022 13:57:35 GMT

How important is it to pick the right hybrid for each field? A 2021 Farm Journal study suggests the correct selection can increase revenue by as much as $88 per acre. And you can gain even more profit by managing that hybrid properly.

Defensive Zones
The study involves a 318-acre field, farmed in a no-till vertical environment with no compaction layers to limit water uptake.

Around 200 acres (64%) are light soil with lower organic matter and Illinois Soil Nitrogen Test (ISNT) values, meaning the soil has less water-holding capacity and is less able to supply nitrogen (N) during the growing season.

Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie treats these areas as “defensive” management zones, requiring lower plant populations, higher N rates and defensive hybrid selection.

The remaining 114 acres in the field are heavier “offensive” soils, which can support more plants per acre.

“The defensive soils in this field run out of water during grain fill, in normal to dry years,” Ferrie says. “The offensive soils handle dry conditions most years without losing much yield.”

In other fields, “defensive” could refer to issues such as PH or the presence of disease.

The study mimicked decisions corn growers must make about hybrid selection, population and fertility. It compared two hybrids, one offensive and one defensive (both selected with the help of Wyffels and AgriGold seed experts), planted at 32,000 and 35,000 plants per acre. Nitrogen was sidedressed the first week of June, using an Unverferth bar, bringing total application to 240 lb., 270 lb. and 300 lb.

A Corn Grower’s Goal
“As producers, we want to capture 97% or more of available sunlight by the time the plant reaches the VT (tasseling) stage, and then turn it into grain,” Ferrie explains. “Capturing sunlight is a function of plant height and leaf characteristics.”

The taller the hybrid, the more sunlight it can capture. Hybrids with more pendulum-type horizontal leaves capture more light at lower populations, he says, so look for that kind of hybrid for defensive soils. In offensive zones, choose upright hybrids that respond to increased population.
A farmer’s first decision is what hybrid to plant. Because the majority of the study field contains defensive soil, the answer proved to be a defensive hybrid.

The study showed if the defensive hybrid was planted on every acre at the recommended population of 32,000 plants per acre, it would have produced $88 more revenue per acre than the offensive hybrid planted at its recommended population of 35,000.

Right Hybrids = High Revenue
The study showed how managing each hybrid can increase revenue. All examples are based on 2022 values of 90¢ per pound for N, $300 per bag for seed and $7 per bushel for corn. The revenue numbers reflect increased income minus cost of additional seed and fertilizer. Here are key findings:

In defensive management zones, the defensive hybrid at 32,000 plants and 240 lb. of N per acre created $113 more revenue than the offensive hybrid at 35,000 plants per acre.
In offensive zones, the offensive hybrid at 35,000 plants per acre at the 240 lb. N rate produced $107 more revenue per acre than the defensive hybrid at 35,000 population. This shows the defensive hybrid did not respond to higher population.
In offensive zones increasing the population to 35,000 and the N to 300 lb. per acre increased revenue for the offensive hybrid by $398 per acre. “That response occurred partly because the additional nitrogen helped delay plant death due to tar spot disease and the extra nitrogen extended the grain-fill period,” Ferrie says. “Throughout the plot, the biggest factor in increasing revenue was nitrogen rate, not population.”
The study showed if an operator planted each hybrid at its recommended population in the appropriate management zone (using a multi-hybrid planter) and increased the N rate to 270 lb. per acre in the defensive soils, it would improve the return by $112 per acre.
Higher N rates helped both varieties withstand the effect of tar spot, which robs nutrients from plants, and also improved standability.
The defensive hybrid did not respond to increased population. “In fact, higher population decreased yield, indicating more plants did not capture more light but just added stress,” Ferrie says.
The defensive hybrid responded to higher N rates, regardless of planting population.
The offensive hybrid responded to higher population. “It captured more light as the population increased,” Ferrie says.
The offensive hybrid also responded to higher N rates. “Part of that response resulted from how the hybrid flexes ear size,” Ferrie says. “Kernel size is reduced if the plant is left wanting for nitrogen during the last 30 days of grain fill.”

“The study shows picking the right hybrid for each field is the biggest factor in maximizing revenue,” Ferrie summarizes. “If you can plant different hybrids in defensive and offensive management zones, you can push revenue even higher.

“Every hybrid you buy should be targeted to individual field or management zone,” Ferrie adds. “The days of backing up to the shed and loading your planter from the pallet of seed closest to the door are over.”

Thank You to Our Plot Partners

Farm Journal test plots result from the contributions of many people and companies. We express our sincere appreciation to the partners who assisted with this study: AgReliant Genetics/AgriGold , Wyffels Hybrids , Case IH , Kinze Manufacturing , New Holland Agriculture , Precision Planting , Unverferth Manufacturing Co. , Yetter Farm Equipment , Mike Craig

6 Factors That Influence Soybean Yield

Wed, 09 Feb 2022 01:17:49 GMT

To reach your destination, it helps to know where you are starting from. With that in mind, let’s review how we maximize soybean yield today in our quest to reach the next level.

1. Understand Your Mission

“A soybean producer’s job is to use the big three factors that produce yield — light, water and nutrients,” says Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie. “How you capture and manage each factor affects the three components of yield: pods per acre, beans per pod and the size of the beans.

“Pods per acre correlates to nodes per acre and plants per acre. But, while plants and nodes per acre are important, they are less significant than with corn because soybeans quickly adjust growing factors to their environment.”

2. Plant the Right Population

“You need enough plants and nodes per acre to support the number of pods necessary to hit your yield goal,” Ferrie says. “You need enough vegetative growth to capture all the available sunlight and to close the rows. Row closure minimizes water loss to evaporation and aids in weed control.”

One of the longest-running Farm Journal Test Plot studies tracks population and row spacings ranging from 120,000 to 220,000 plants per acre in 7½", 15" and 30" rows. “We’ve learned varying population from 120,000 to 220,000 plants per acre had little effect on yield most years,” Ferrie says. “Narrow rows did not respond to higher populations.

“Pushing population above 200,000 plants per acre tended to reduce yield in all row spacings,” Ferrie continues. “A population of 120,000 plants per acre did not reduce yield, although there were more weed escapes, especially in 30" rows. Based on yield, the data suggests 120,000 plants at harvest is adequate to maximize yield. Higher populations produced more nodes than we were able to fill.”

The same study revealed a yield advantage of 3 bu. to 5 bu. per acre for 7½" and 15" rows versus 30" rows at the same population. Ferrie attributes the narrow-row yield advantage to better water use and light capture.

At 120,000 plants per acre, weed control was noticeably better in narrow rows than wide rows, Ferrie notes. He attributes that to faster canopy closure.

3. Rolling Plants Can Boost Yield, But Timing Is Crucial

Rolling with a land roller (normally done to keep rocks out of combines) and applying certain herbicides can stress soybean plants, causing them to respond with more branching, which results in more nodes.

“Rolling plants at the V1 to V3 stage, we saw a 2-bu.-to-5-bu.-per-acre yield increase, but we also found 1-bu.-to-3-bu. yield decreases,” Ferrie says.

“If you roll too early, at VE (emergence), you can break the plant’s neck (the hypocotyledonary arch) or knock off cotyledons,” he adds. “The cotyledons provide the food supply for plants through V1. At the V3 stage, the plants can become too brittle to roll; they will break off below the first growing point.”

To stimulate branching, the sweet spot for rolling turned out to be the V1 or V2 growth stage. “But even in the sweet spot, you must consider daily conditions for each variety in each field,” Ferrie says. “Sometimes in the morning, plants are more brittle and likely to break, but they can be rolled later in the day.”

Before you roll a field, step on some soybean plants and see if they spring back or break off. “If they break, they are too brittle to roll,” Ferrie explains. “When you roll soybeans, check to make sure you aren’t doing more damage than good.”

As with rolling, timing is the key to promoting branching by applying herbicides. “When you apply a herbicide that tends to burn soybean leaves, such as diphenyl ether, it triggers a defense mechanism that causes the plants to add branches,” Ferrie says. “In our test plots, we saw increases up to 5 bu. per acre.

“The time to stimulate branching and increase yield is typically the late vegetative to early reproductive stages. If you apply the herbicide during late flowering and early pod set, the stress it produces might cause flower and pod abortion.”

4. Soybeans Respond More to Soil Versus Applied Fertility

“Keep soil nutrient levels in the optimum range, especially pH,” Ferrie says. “Acid and alkaline soils give soybeans trouble.”

For soybeans to produce their own nitrogen, rhizobia bacteria must be present in the soil. “Fields void of soybeans for two or more years tend to respond to seed inoculants,” Ferrie says.

5. Protect Against Pests

“In our Farm Journal Test Plots, we see some of the biggest responses to insecticide when we are able to stem off insects when plants are already stressed by weather,” Ferrie says. “Actually, we are not seeing a yield response — we are reducing the loss.”

With water molds, tests show seed treatments can increase emergence and improve stands. “In wet years, they can be the difference between keeping the existing stand and replanting,” Ferrie says. “With increased emergence, you might find you can plant 130,000 seeds, rather than 150,000, to get a stand of 120,000 plants. It was difficult to get a consistent yield response from seed treatments, but we saw better emergence almost every year.”

6. The Rules Change With Late Planting

“When soybeans are planted late, they reach the R5 stage faster and stop growing. Shorter plants have fewer nodes per plant,” Ferrie says.

In that situation he recommends more plants, so pushing up population and narrowing rows is more important. In late-planting studies, narrow rows responded better at 160,000 plants per acre than at 120,000, and 30" rows responded to population increases all the way to 200,000 plants per acre.

“Unlike corn, where you shorten maturities for later planting, you want to stay the course with soybeans or even lengthen your maturities,” Ferrie explains.

”Flowering is influenced more by night length than planting date. Plants stop growing at R5, so if you shorten the maturity, you risk having short plants.”

Farm Journal Test Plots: How Early Soybean Planting Pays

Wed, 28 Jul 2021 17:36:40 GMT

A 2020 Farm Journal study confirms earlier planting can boost yield, even if plants are nipped by a freeze or frost. That’s exciting news because, in many areas, products that control Sudden Death Syndrome have removed the last obstacle to early planting. Planting early allows soybeans to start flowering before the summer solstice, if they get big enough, instead of after the solstice as with normal planting dates.

“The earlier soybeans flower, the longer they spend in the reproductive stages, potentially resulting in more pods and more beans,” explains Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie. “Of course, you still must have adequate water and nutrients to fill those pods and produce big soybeans, but planting early can set the stage for higher yield.”

In the study (see graph below), Ferrie planted soybeans in maturity groups 2.4, 2.9, 3.5 and 4.1 on April 16 and June 1. Although all maturity groups were slow to emerge, and then had their stands thinned by frost, they all outyielded the June-planted soybeans by a considerable margin. “That’s because they all began to flower early,” Ferrie says.

“Most years, with June 1 planting, the 3.5-to-4.1-maturity soybeans would have outperformed earlier-maturing varieties because they take longer to reach the end of the R6 stage,” Ferrie says. “But with no rain in August (the 13th driest on record in this area), the 4.1-maturity beans fell off in yield because they were trying to finish bean-fill without water. This was evident by the large number of small beans in the pods. That’s why we like to mix maturities to mitigate risk — we never know when a dry spell is going to show up.”

In the future, Ferrie hopes the ongoing study will shed more light on various aspects of early planting management listed below:

Row spacing
So far, the study shows little yield advantage to 15" rows over 30" (compared with a 5-bu. or 6-bu. increase with normal planting dates). But narrow rows might aid weed control.
Population
The study has revealed there is no need to push soybean populations higher than 120,000 to 140,000 seeds per acre. “Higher population is not where yield comes from with early planting,” Ferrie says. “It comes from putting on more pods per acre — in essence, more beans per acre.”
Maturity
Soybean maturity comparisons have been inconclusive. “One thing we can say with early planting is to plant a mixture of maturity groups,” Ferrie says. “Plant your full-season varieties first, and finish with shorter-season varieties — the opposite of what you do when planting normally.”
Seedbed preparation
A little seedbed preparation, such as strip-till or vertical tillage, often results in faster emergence. In 2020, that sometimes proved to be detrimental — the early emerging soybeans looked good, but they were thinned out by frost; seeds planted in no-till or cover crop residue emerged more slowly and escaped the frost. “With this year’s results, we can’t prove earlier emergence made any difference in yield, compared to no-till,” Ferrie says.
Seed treatments
“In the Midwest, a seed treatment to protect against Sudden Death Syndrome is essential with early soybean planting because seeds may lay in the ground for 20 or 30 days,” Ferrie says. “There will be pressure from other diseases and insects, so an insecticide/fungicide seed treatment is always a good idea.”
Starter fertilizer
While starter fertilizer sometimes produces a visual response, the study has provided little evidence early appearance translates into increased yield.

Ultra Early Reaps Almost $18 Per Acre Advantage

The goal of planting soybeans ultra early (before April 15 in Michigan) is to maintain or increase yields while spreading out the workload at planting.

“After planting, seeds don’t just lay in the ground, they quickly imbibe water and start the germination process. However, growth and emergence can be slow,” says Farm Journal Field Agronomist Missy Bauer. “In our 2020 plots at two locations in Michigan, the ultra-early soybeans took 36 and 32 days to emerge. They were snowed on multiple times. Despite the delayed emergence, populations were within 3% to 4% of the normal planting date [late April/early May].”

An earlier planting date allowed flowering to occur near the summer solstice (R1 on June 21 and June 22), which was seven to eight days earlier than the normal planting.

“It appears early flowering extends the reproductive stages and improves pods per node,” Bauer explains. “There were more nodes with pods on the ultra-early soybeans, which led to more pods per plant. Both the number of pods and seeds per plant were higher with the ultra-early planting as well.”
However, at both locations the timing of the rainfall in 2020 was more advantageous for the late April/early May soybeans in terms of seed size. The larger seed size made up in part for the lack of pod and seed count in the normal planting, narrowing the yield advantage of the ultra-early soybeans.

Even so, in 2020, the ultra-early soybeans in Michigan averaged 2 bu. more per acre than the late April/early May soybeans for a $17.76 per acre average advantage

Thank You to Our Plot Partners

The Farm Journal soybean planting study is made possible by: AgriGold Seed/AgReliant Genetics, Case IH, Great Plains Ag, Kinze Manufacturing, Kubota Tractor Corporation, Martin Equipment, McFarlane Ag Manufacturing, New Holland Agriculture, Precision Planting, Unverferth Manufacturing Company and Yetter Farm Equipment, Michigan Soybean Promotion Committee, B&M Crop Consulting, Crop-Tech Consulting.

Farm Journal Test Plots: How to Profit From A Changing Climate

Thu, 24 Jun 2021 19:07:56 GMT

Who would have guessed there’s a bright side to climate change, at least for some farmers? A long-term Farm Journal study suggests Midwestern crop producers can turn today’s more extreme weather patterns into more bushels per acre. It involves managing drainage water, explains Farm Journal Field Agronomists Ken and Isaac Ferrie.

The outlook: Warmer, more rain, more big storms

If you’ve noticed more volatile weather on your farm, you’re not alone. Analysis by Eric Snodgrass, principal atmospheric scientist at Nutrien Ag Solutions, shows these trends for the Midwest:

Over the past 50 years temperatures have increased by an average of 1˚F.
Nighttime low temperatures have increased by 2˚F.
Frost-free days have increased by six to nine days per year, all occurring in April (so the last frost comes earlier).
Rainfall has increased by 5½" per year.
Rainfall events of 2" in 24 hours occur twice as often in Illinois and three times as often in Iowa.
Despite nine more frost-free days in Illinois, the additional rainfall has reduced the number of
planting days in April and May by five days, compared with 1980.
The average minimum temperature in Illinois has increased by 3˚F since 1970.
Relative humidity has increased by 6%.

What a changing climate means for farmers

“Climate change isn’t all bad,” Ken says. “In fact, it’s good for corn and soybean growers in the Midwest and Canada. More water and a longer growing season translate into more bushels of grain.”

But, he says, farmers must learn to farm around the negative aspects: fewer days to do spring fieldwork and more frequent heavy rain events.

“A well-designed controlled drainage system can move a lot of water in a short time, when necessary, while storing some of that water for use later in the season,” Ken says.

How to gain planting days

The farm-scale Farm Journal drainage study has been underway since 2002. Installing tile drainage in poorly drained soil increased corn yield by 7 bu. to 12 bu. per acre (and by 60 bu. per acre in one extremely wet part of the study field).

Since 2016, the study has included controlled drainage, in which adjustable gates are used to maintain the water table at the desired height, while allowing excess water to exit normally through the tile outlet. Water remains available, but crop roots don’t get saturated.

The study also showed installing a traditional tile drainage system increased the number of days available for field work during a 48-day period in April and May.

With no tile, only four days were fit to work. Tile increased that to 16 days with lines on 120' spacing, 22 days with 60' spacing and 38 days with 30' spacing.

How gated tile systems boost yield

“Almost every year — not just drought years — we run short of water sometime in the growing season,” Isaac notes. “If a gated tile system lets us hold back just 1" or 2" of water in July or August, we might be able to improve ear fill.”

If soil contains lots of macro- and micropores and/or surface cracks, rain rushes straight to the tile line and escapes. “In multiple rain events in July, the gated side of the field gained 0.1" to 0.15" more useable water in the top foot of soil per rain event,” Isaac says. “When there were four rain events over two weeks, we saved 0.3" to 0.5" more useable water in the top 1' of soil. That’s where we want our useable water because that’s where the soil nutrient load is highest. And this doesn’t include the water we gained deeper in the soil profile.”

A gated system does not simply shut off drainage; it just holds the water table to the desired level, Isaac explains.

“On one occasion, we got 2" of rain, but we did not saturate the root zone,” he says. “When water rose above the gates, it flowed out through the tile lines.”

One year, after a 2" August rain, water began flowing from ungated tile lines in a few hours. On the gated side of the field, the lines never flowed. “By holding back the water, the soil was able to reabsorb it,” Ken says. “That 2" of water, at that point in the season, could add a lot of bushels.”

In 2020, gated tile on 30' spacing increased corn yield about 16 bu. per acre, compared with non-gated tile; on 60' spacing, about 6 bu.; and on 120' spacing, 1 bu. to 2 bu.

Over five years and across all tile spacings, gated systems averaged about 9 bu. per acre more for corn and 4 bu. per acre for soybeans.

Overall, gated tile lines on 30' spacing have performed best in the study. “But we are seeing a yield boost from all spacings (on top of what we gained from the tile itself),” Isaac says. “During the five years, gated 30' spacing is returning about 12 bu. per acre on corn and 6.8 bu. per acre on soybeans.”

Gated systems save fertilizer

“Slowing water’s departure from the field gives soil more time to capture the water, leading to less nutrient loss,” Isaac says. “Depending on spacing, we’ve observed a 20% to 40% reduction in nutrient loss with controlled drainage during large rain events.”

A new role for tile systems

“These results suggest we need to change our strategy from merely getting water out of the field quickly to actively managing that water,” Ken concludes. “That can help us not merely cope with climate change, but actually see benefits from it. Fortunately, controlled-drainage technology is continuing to improve.”

Thank You to Our Test Plot Partners

Agri Drain Corporation; GroGuru; Kinze Manufacturing; Lance Landford, AgriMeasures; McLaughlin-Dooley Farms; Prinsco; Unverferth Manufacturing Company; Sentek Sensor Technologies; Williamson Farm Drainage

Farm Journal Test Plots Pledge

You can count on our test plots to be conducted on real farms with real equipment using a high-touch set of protocols. The information will be completely independent and actionable. Our hands will always be in the dirt researching the production practices and technology that are best for you.
To learn more, visit AgWeb.com/FJ-test-plots

Ken Ferrie: Go Vertical For High Corn Yields

Fri, 12 Mar 2021 18:30:41 GMT

The “sins of spring” sounds like the title of an old-time dime store novel, but that’s not the case. Instead, it’s a presentation by Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie that addresses the way various tillage practices in a 2020 test plot influenced corn yields in soils compromised by compaction layers.

At first blush, some of the results Ferrie shares in this week’s edition of Boots In The Field are surprising.

Ferrie says at face value it makes no sense that a no-till system in a plot with two compaction layers (one at 2” and the other at 4.5”) would deliver higher yields than a one-pass-and-plant system running over a single 4.5” compaction layer. But, that’s what occurred. The no-till system averaged 258 bushels per acre, while the one-pass-and-plant program produced an average of 243 bushels per acre.

To add to the confusion, Ferrie throws in yield results from using a vertical tillage system in a portion of the plot. This entailed chiseling out the two compaction layers in the fall of 2019, making a pass in spring 2020 with a vertical harrow and then planting. The vertical tillage system produced 270 bushels per acre on average.

Why did such a large yield spread occur between the three tillage systems? Ferrie says a significant part of the answer has to do with how soil density and water availability impact root growth and development, particularly when soils turn dry in summer heat.

Listen here to get Ferrie’s complete, in-depth answers to the agronomic puzzle his team faced and worked through last season:

Fertilizer Shortage? Ken Ferrie Weighs In on Fertilizer Issues This Spring

Boots in the Field: Banding Vs. Broadcast Nitrogen Efficiency

Boots in the Field: Beetles, Rootworm and Nutrient Deficiencies

Missy Bauer: Don’t Let 2019’s Issues Linger

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 20:45:55 GMT

During her presentations to farmers this winter, Farm Journal Associate Field Agronomist Missy Bauer is encouraged by their positivity heading into 2020. And she wants to help them harness the energy to put it toward moving on from 2019.

“We can’t let 2019’s problems linger,” she says.

Here are the top five top agronomic tips from Bauer:

1. Don’t get too far ahead of ourselves.

“There are a lot of guys who have cover crops on prevent plant acres, and it’s the first time they’ve had cover crops. So we have to make sure we’re killing that crop in a timely manner,” she says.

For farmers with ruts or compaction issues, seize the first opportunity you have to get in the field and address those issues with the proper tillage.

2. Remember the basics.

“We’ve got to do a good job planting corn and get every one of those plants to emerge and germinate at the same,” she says.

3. Apply the fundamentals of nitrogen.

Bauer encourages farmers to look at their nitrogen practices, and make sure they match the fundamentals of nitrogen management.

“We have got to get a good nitrogen program in place,” she says.

4. Embrace variable-rate.

“Every year, we are seeing more and more of our customers getting into variable rate—and not just with fertilizer and lime applications but with population in corn and soybeans,” she says. Bauer says the technology to make variable rate work has become much more available and easier to use.

5. Use a systems approach.

“More than anything, we need to use a systems approach,” she says. “If you do a really good job planting corn, but you’ve got soil density issues below, you aren’t going to get there.”

Bauer says to look at your entire operation—not just one aspect—to manage it from beginning to end.

“That’s where we can make the most impact with farmers today—it’s implementing the systems approach.”

Listen to more of Bauer’s agronomic insights from this AgriTalk interview at the National Farm Machinery Show:

Complaints Weigh on Future of Dicamba

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 20:45:55 GMT

Herbicide applicators have the weight of dicamba’s future weighing heavily on their shoulders this year. EPA’s conditional registration lasts through Dec. 20, 2020, and the herbicide’s safety tests, label and real-world experiences will be scrutinized.

“This year we have four soybean traits that don’t coexist chemicals used in each system can cause damage to the others,” says Jean Payne, president of the Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association. “The management is going to be so important.”

Illinois had 720 complaints of off-target dicamba movement in 2019. Nearly 500 of those complaints were from farmers who had never filed a complaint before. In 2020, there will likely be more people planting Enlist E3 soybeans and LibertyLink GT27 soybeans as they’re relatively newly available or recently had herbicide partners approved.

“I don’t think symptomology on soybeans will be the undoing of dicamba,” Payne says. “It’s what we’ve observed in tree species after two to three years of exposure There are concerns from Department of Natural Resource-type agencies.”

What’s in a review?

Dicamba is under EPA review again this year. During this process, EPA opens a ‘docket’ where it reviews a variety of factors concerning the pesticide. Essentially, the agency is trying to weigh the risk to the environment with benefits to the producers to find the best outcome. Here’s what you’d find in a Preliminary Work Plan from EPA:

Facts about the pesticide and its current use and usage.
Risk assessment and any data needs.
Estimated timeline for review.

After the docket is published, it goes through a 60-day comment period where anyone can show their support or opposition of the product. Dicamba’s docket will be posted later this year when EPA announces its review.

Approval Likely for Dicamba

With so many acres of dicamba-tolerant soybeans, it’s hard to imagine dicamba won’t be approved, Payne says. Not approving it could open up the temptation for farmers, who wouldn’t have access to a legal product, to turn to older, more volatile formulations.

“It’s in EPA’s best interest to approve and allow states to have more control over the application process,” she adds.

EPA could allow states to control cut-off dates and temperature restrictions, for example.

“We saw cotton and soybeans increase to about 60 million acres in 2019, and about 40 million were sprayed with dicamba,” says Alex Zenteno, dicamba product manager for Bayer. “Label updates for 2019 helped to ensure Xtendimax can continue to be used, that’s why we had label updates to reduce possibility of off-target movement. We’re sharing additional data this year, and so did other registrants.”

EPA has and will continue to reach out to registrants for more information about how the product is performing. In addition, the agency will study university tests.

“We continue to work with the EPA as they consider a registration renewal for Engenia herbicide in 2020. Additionally, we continue to work with academics, NGOs, and state and federal agencies to address concerns they may have about the use of dicamba-based products. Dicamba-based herbicides, like Engenia herbicide, are critically important tools for growers battling resistant weeds,” BASF said in a statement.

Claims of off-target movement will need to be addressed by registrants in time for the 2021 decision.

“Corteva Agriscience stands by the effectiveness of FeXapan when used according to the label and we intend to vigorously defend against claims of off-target movement,” the company said in a statement.

Right now, there are four registrants for over-the-top dicamba: BASF with Engenia, Bayer with XtendiMax, Corteva with FeXapan and Syngenta with Tavium.

Dicamba Damaged Peach Grower Awarded $265 Mil, Bayer/BASF will Appeal

IFCA Gives Update On Dicamba Penalties

IFCA Gives Dicamba Update

Video: Use Late-Season N Evaluations To Maximize Corn Yield

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 20:45:50 GMT

Agronomist Matt Duesterhaus encourages farmers to treat their nitrogen (N) program in corn like a report card.

“We want to look at the first, second, third and fourth quarters all the way through the season to see how we’re doing,” says Duesterhaus, an agronomist with Crop-Tech Consulting, Heyworth, Ill.

Duesterhaus walks farmers through some treatments from the 2019 Corn College Nitrogen plots on how to analyze nitrogen programs, in a video Crop-Tech just produced. You can Watch the four-minute video here: Late Season Nitrogen Evaluations

In addition, here are three photos with highlights from the video.

In Photo 1 below, the corn is green from top to bottom. There are no deficiencies showing up, no fading of color. The crop is green all the way to the base of the plants.

“And if we were to split these stocks, we’ve got solid inner nodes at the bottom of those plants,” Duesterhaus says. “So what that tells us is at this point in time, these corn plants do not need nitrogen.”

Still, what you can’t tell from photo 1, is that this block of corn was 100% sidedressed.

“This was actually one of our worst looking treatments, because it didn’t have any nitrogen out there early,” he notes.

You can see what Duesterhaus means by observing the early-season plants in Photo 2 below, which are yellowing and exhibiting stress. This kind of stress can be corrected, but final yield outcome could still be affected.

In Photo 3 below, you can see that this particular crop is under stress from nitrogen loss.

“We lose nitrogen at the bottom of the plant first. A lot of times farmers don’t notice it though, until the tops of the plants turn yellow, if they’re not out in the field scouting,” Duesterhaus says.

“Late-season scouting doesn’t tell the whole story, but it may help you make future adjustments to your N program to maximize the grain-fill period,” he adds.

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The Value of In-Season Nitrogen Use

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Thank You to Our Plot Partners

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Thank You to Our Plot Partners

6 Factors That Influence Soybean Yield

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Ultra Early Reaps Almost $18 Per Acre Advantage

Thank You to Our Plot Partners

Farm Journal Test Plots: How to Profit From A Changing Climate

The outlook: Warmer, more rain, more big storms

What a changing climate means for farmers

How to gain planting days

How gated tile systems boost yield

Gated systems save fertilizer

A new role for tile systems

Thank You to Our Test Plot Partners

Farm Journal Test Plots Pledge

Ken Ferrie: Go Vertical For High Corn Yields

Missy Bauer: Don’t Let 2019’s Issues Linger

Complaints Weigh on Future of Dicamba

Read more on dicamba:

Dicamba Damaged Peach Grower Awarded $265 Mil, Bayer/BASF will Appeal

IFCA Gives Update On Dicamba Penalties

IFCA Gives Dicamba Update

Video: Use Late-Season N Evaluations To Maximize Corn Yield

In addition, here are three photos with highlights from the video.