Don’t hit the panic button yet, we still have plenty of time. As Kirk discussed in his article last week, we still have 7 weeks until the end of May, which leaves us plenty of time to get the crop in. Growing hybrids that range in both maturity and flowering date is one of the…
Category: Agronomy
Understanding Relative Maturities
The term “Relative Maturity” is often used when discussing corn and soybean seed. It is best defined as a criteria or process to compare or group hybrids and varieties based on physiological maturity. This is extremely important to understand when creating your cropping plans as you assign hybrids or varieties to your fields. It is…
Which is greater: yield gained from early planting or yield lost from uneven emergence?
Rapid, uniform emergence (all your crop up in 12 hours) is one of the key factors in setting your corn crop up for maximum yield. There are only a few requirements you need in the seed zone to set the crop up right – sufficient and uniform soil moisture, soil temperature, seed to soil contact…
Understanding the Continuous Corn Yield Penalty
With renewed interested in planting corn comes additional corn-on-corn acres. The continuous corn yield penalty is a well know phenomenon, however, why the penalty exists is not well understood. Research at the Illinois State University identified three main factors which may help when positioning fields for corn-on-corn acres. Common belief in the countryside is that…
The non-sexy planter check list
Winter meetings have led to discussions on planting with greater speed, increased depth accuracy, superior seed placement, and better seed singulation. I consider these the “sexy” topics, but what about the non-sexy topics (the basics)? Spending money on all sorts of add-ons will never improve your planter performance if the components that touch the soil…
On-Farm Storage Management
When was the last time you climbed up to check on your grain inventory? With these cold, snowy days and brisk winds, there might be a good chance that you have snow sitting on top of your grain. The good news is with this cold weather, it is likely still sitting there as snow. If…
Maintaining Fertility with Variable Yields
January turned the page to the 2014 growing season, and with that comes crop planning. A vital part of the crop plan is managing the fertility plan. Approaches to fertility differ, but are primarily based on replenishing nutrients removed by the crop. Sound fertilizer management begins with regular soil tests. These tests provide the basis…
Northern Corn Leaf Blight
Many fields this past season showed signs of Northern Corn Leaf Blight (NCLB). The lesions of NCLB appear as long elliptical (2-15 cm) grayish-green or tan streaks, usually found on the lower leaves first. As the disease progresses, the lesions will usually merge together forming large blighted regions. In worst cases, the entire leaf will…
Big Roots, Big Yields
If you are curious about how to increase your yield, last week’s SWAC conference provided many learning opportunities. One session that I really enjoyed was Growing Deeper Roots presented by Tom Kilcer. Looking for ways to bust the door wide open to higher yields? Take a read below and see what Kilcer had to say….
Are we there yet? (Black layer)
Corn harvest is just around the corner. Harvest maturity (occurring around 25% grain moisture) usually refers to the point at which harvest and mechanical loss are at a minimum. Before this happens, corn develops a black layer which is located at the base of the kernel opposite to the embryo. Typically this occurs approximately 60…