The one-stop-shop to hearing everything you need to know this week about what is happening in your fields.
This week’s featured agronomists are:
Easton Schuch – Le Sueur
Hailey Dykes – Pine Island
Joe Dee – Morristown
Drew Frank – Stewartville
Chace Kinneman- Ellsworth
Scroll down to hear from your local agronomist.
West
Belle Plaine – LeCenter – LeSueur
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Easton Schuch |
Temperatures have been on the cooler side here the past few weeks and looking to continue this pattern for the most of next week. We will most likely be starting to plant into cooler soils than what we were initially hoping for. With that being said, it’s important to remember that even though we have been sitting due to cooler temperatures, we have been fortunate enough to be catching much needed rains in the meantime. It wasn’t very long ago we were worried about planting into dry dirt, as our soil moisture levels were practically depleted at the end of last year. |
We have until May 15th before we have to start contemplating switching away from our full season hybrids we all planned on in the winter. Therefore, we do have some time!
My final note before this Spring officially kicks off is touch base on starters. With the cool temperatures, it’s going to be extremely important to utilize our liquid starter blends with zinc and ascend to help that seed pop out of the ground. Make sure we give the seed the best chance to pop out and catch back up!
I hope you all have a safe and productive Spring!
East
Pine Island – Cannon Falls -Goodhue -Lake City
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Hailey Dykes |
Freezing temperatures and consistent moisture have been pushing us further back into the month to get out into the fields. We finally got to dip our toes into spreading some fertilizer mid-week, but with rain in the five-day forecast and cooler temperatures next week, it will still be a while before planting conditions are fit. On the bright side, we are replenishing soil moistures from this past year, so once we do get going we should have good bases to start our crops off in the right direction. |
While we continue to wait to get out into the fields, it is still good to remember your planting checklist. Planting into soils above 50 degrees at the correct depth allows for optimal germination, and we want to avoid planting into soils that are too wet as this can cause issues throughout the growing season from emergence to development of roots. With crop prices being at a high, it is important to set up your crop up for success which will lead to more money in your pocket at the end of the year.
Below: Some fertilizer going out mid-week
Central
Morristown – Wanamingo – Kenyon
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Joe Dee |
The sun is finally shining, the birds are chirping, and the planters will be running before we know it! We received around a ½” of rain in our area which will help replenish some of the deficit from last year’s growing season. Not much has happened here besides some soil testing, however, if you are bored, I can probably find you a job! We are busy delivering crop protection products, seed, and liquid fertilizer to growers as we patiently wait for the weather to turn. |
This is a great time to double check your planting prescriptions, hybrid placement, and fertilizer plans by farm and field to keep your agronomist in the know of any changes- along with refreshing your memory!
With forecasted colder than average temperatures through the next 10 days, we are starting to receive some phone calls regarding a switch to earlier maturities. Below are a couple handy charts and graphs to help make some decisions if the calendar continues to move.
Stay the course and hold steady with your plans. Is patience really a virtue? I believe it is a good quality to tolerate anything that takes some time. Have a wonderful and safe spring!
South
Elgin – Lewiston – Stewartville
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Drew Frank |
As you are preparing to get in the field to start planting, here are a few quick tips to make sure your Climate Field View is running efficiently. 1. Clean off data from previous years. All of your data is stored on the cloud so this will NOT delete your data from climate, it will just remove it for the time being from your iPad. This will help your iPad run faster. Settings -> Data -> Select a Year->Clear all Maps |
2. Create a Hybrid List ahead of time so when you’re in the field you can just select a hybrid and get to planting! Make sure to clear off your hybrids from the previous year. Below is how to create a hybrid list
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WWAS
Ellsworth
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Chase Kinneman |
What a beginning to the 2022 planting season- cold and wet. Everyone is patiently waiting for the weather to break and hopefully Mother Nature cooperates soon. Research that has been done in our area says expected yields are within 1% of maximum between now and May 15th. Therefore, I would not be concerned about changing to earlier maturities until after the 15th. If you’d like more details on this contact your local agronomist. |
We did get one nice day this week to get the machines out and get them calibrated. Our spinner machines all get pan tested to make sure the spread patterns are perfect before we head into spreading season, and then get periodically checked throughout the season.
Spreading over equally spaced out pans
Below : Kirsten Rinholen, measuring each pan to verify an equally distributed spread.
