AGRONOMIC INSIGHTS OCTOBER 21

The one-stop-shop to hearing everything you need to know about what is happening in your fields this week.

This week’s featured agronomists are:

Adam Steffel – Belle Plaine
Todd Anderson – Goodhue
Zach Hinsch – Wanamingo
Tye Anderson – Lewiston
Kirsten Bauer – Ellsworth

Scroll down to hear from your local agronomist.


WEST 
Belle Plaine – Le Center – Le Sueur


Adam Steffel

The middle of October indicates that Anhydrous Ammonia season is here. Early this past week we have been getting in the fields with the anhydrous bars and everything has been working great. Both worked ground and unworked ground has been sealing up behind the knives nicely. The biggest question we have been getting from growers is that they are wondering if it’s too dry to put the anhydrous on. The quick and easy answer to that is no. Iowa State mentions on their website that even air-dried soil contains enough moisture for ammonia to go through the process to become ammonium, so it can attach to the soil clay and organic matter. The anhydrous ammonia has such a strong attraction to water that it can pull the moisture out of a dollar bill and shrink it.

 

That being said, it’s always a good reminder to be careful working with this product and take your time.

Thanks for your business and have a safe fall!


EAST
Pine Island – Cannon Falls – Goodhue – Lake City


Todd Anderson

1st Year Corn Fungicide

There is still a lot of corn to be harvested, but early reports on aerial fungicide look good!  Below is an example of what kind of results we are starting to see come in:

 

 

 

 

This field was a split planter of DKC 46-50SS and DKC 48-68SS.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below is the yield of both hybrids with Miravis Neo (above black line) and without Miravis Neo (below black line).


CENTRAL
Morristown – Wanamingo – Kenyon

 

Zach Hinsch

2022 Harvest continues. Overall, in the area we are seeing better than expected yields for both corn and soybeans. I recall this being a common theme last fall as growers were harvesting. The past 2 years we’ve had lower than average precipitation in the area and are still achieving tremendous yields. How’s this happening? A lot currently is unknown, but we do know many inseason management decisions are making the difference. In one case, 30 bushels was the difference for a grower that had left a fungicide check. Pictured below is what that field had looked like in late June. Did we give it everything we could? Or did we leave bushels in the field? Let’s think of this as we start planning for next year’s crop. Safe Harvesting!


SOUTH
Elgin – Lewiston – Stewartville


Tye Anderson

Soybean harvest is slowly coming to a close and corn harvest is really opening up in our corner of the state. The big talk in the countryside is the dreaded tar spot and how it is affecting yields. As we get out and look at a lot of these severely impacted fields, we notice other underlying conditions that no one is talking about. These other conditions are various types of stalk rots. These infections could have moved in around V5 and the plant may not have shown symptoms until late in the season. Infestations cause the plant to pull carbohydrates from the roots or stalk, resulting in a shorter grain fill period and weakened stalks. Yield impacts of tar spot and any stalk rot combined can be anywhere from 20-50 bushel/acre.

I hope everyone continues to have a safe and bountiful harvest!

Image on the left shows stalk rot vs a healthy plant.  Pictured on the right is corn infected with crown rot.

   


WWAS
Ellsworth


Kirsten Bauer

Here in Western Wisconsin this recent bout of cold weather hasn’t stopped anyone from getting soybeans out of the field and into the bins. As of October 17th, soybean harvest across the state was 56% complete (according to the USDA Crop Progress & Condition report) and our average yields so far appear to be sitting around the mid to low 50’s bu/acre range.

 

Corn is approximately 12 days behind last year’s harvest, but taking off as we speak. Yield appears to be quite variable thus far. Anywhere from 140-220 bushels has been typical it seems, largely depending on the region and its level of drought. No matter the results, our AYS team will be anxiously awaiting to finish collecting and utilize the data from our 2022 season to share with growers and plan accordingly for the coming year.

Wishing everyone a safe and happy harvest!