Crop Opportunities

Spring is not far away, it is closer than you think!

As we enter the Spring Season, It is time to finish our planning on a successful crop. First, and sadly, there is a fair amount of last years’ unfinished business in some areas. There is more corn in fields this year than usual. The good news is that most appears to have stood well and is there waiting for the right conditions to harvest. Once done, we can all get last year put to rest.

Thoughts and considerations for a successful early establishment begin with choosing the right seed. Hybrid and variety selection is the first and most important decision you may make all year. This is the only input that is absolutely required. Matching the right seed to your individual fields requires a partnership with a good seed person who knows your fields and expectations. Things to consider are previous crop, tillage, pH, insects, nematodes, disease, fertility, etc. You know your fields better than anyone, so remember to communicate your issues and needs.

For corn, our thoughts should center around choosing the right hybrid, planting early (but only when field conditions are good), seed placement, row spacing, manage weeds early for highest yield potential, fertility, scouting for insects, and other opportunities we can take advantage of to gain yield. The use of a starter fertilizer is an excellent way to get the corn crop off to a great start.

Also, make sure you brush the snow off the planter and get it in to be properly serviced. It is the most important tool we have right now. Did you know that a planter running at 5.5 mph, planting 30,000 seeds per acre on 30” rows does the following: each row unit drops 14 seeds per second, travels 8’ per second and, if a seed is delayed 1/25th of a second, it drops 3.2” late. How important is this? Very. Make sure you get your planter properly serviced. Ask us about how to keep more of the yield from the seed you purchase!