Week of May 1, 2023
The one-stop-shop for everything you need to know about what’s happening this week in your fields.
This week’s featured agronomists are:
Easton Schuch – Le Sueur
Tanner Borgschatz – Kenyon
Gregg Gustine – Pine Island
Samantha Schoenfelder – Elgin
Chace Kinneman – Ellsworth
Scroll down to hear from your local agronomist.
WEST
Belle Plaine – Le Center – Le Sueur
Easton Schuch
It really did not take long for everything to break loose. Ground temps are up, the ground is drying, and those who aren’t in the field yet most likely will be before this update even gets sent out to everyone. Really, the only thing to say for this week is EVERYONE BE SAFE. I know they’re talking rain at the end of this week/beginning of next and everyone’s trying to cram everything in, but we still just need to make sure we are doing things right. We aren’t late yet- last year no one really started going full bore until the 8th of May, and we still got tremendous yields last fall. (Not to mention the early frost we had to boot.) We are currently 60% done with corn and 35% on soybeans.
Ground temperatures on Tuesday, May 2nd. (15 Celsius is the same as 59 Fahrenheit)
EAST
Pine Island – Cannon Falls – Goodhue – Lake City
Gregg Gustine
Alfalfa weevil damage was prevalent across our trade area during May and into June of 2022. Because we experienced a relatively mild winter, it is likely that a high percentage of adults survived and will be able to reproduce this spring.
| Feeding first appears as pinholes in the leaves and as the larva matures they move down the plant and begin to skeletonize leaves. Heavy infestations will reduce yield and feed quality. Alfalfa weevil larva have a black head and are light green in color with a white stripe along the middle of their back. | The larva can survive harvest and significantly damage second crop. The picture below shows severe feeding caused by the merger concentrating the larva in a small area. |
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Make sure and monitor your hayfields for feeding and treat as required. If you have any questions be sure to ask your Ag Partners agronomist.
CENTRAL
Morristown – Wanamingo – Kenyon
Tanner Borgschatz
Many planters are beginning to roll this wee. This warmer weather is drying and warming the soil, and conditions are good for planting. Our AYS data shows, on average, planting the last week of April and first week of May give us the highest corn yield potential. With the later start this year than in the past we are already nearing the back side of our ideal planting window. However, it is still important to periodically stop and evaluate how the planter is performing in case there are issues that need to be fixed. This includes:
Planting Depth. Recommended planting depth for corn is 1.75” to 2.25”. The seed should be just deep enough to be in moisture. Planting shallower than this could lead to poor rooting.- Row Unit Downforce. This setting can be highly variable and will change by soil conditions. Too little downforce can result in seed not placed at the proper depth. Too much downforce can result in sidewall compaction and poor root development.
- Closing wheels. The goal is to firm the soil to the seed. With too little pressure, the seed trench may not close leading to poor germination. Too much pressure can create compaction around the seed.
If you are doing any trials at planting, remember to document what the trial is and where it is in the field so we can compare yield results this fall.
SOUTH
Elgin – Lewiston – Stewartville
Samantha Schoenfelder
It appears Spring is finally back and going to stay, which means planting is in full swing! With planters hard at it, comes a lot of dry and liquid fertilizer to be delivered and applied. I have been helping out in the fertilizer tower in Elgin the last few weeks and I figured I would share a couple of tips to help us best serve you during this busy time!
- For your delivered starter loads, a three to four notice can help to make sure we keep you moving.
- For starter or anything you are picking up, please ensure that you have talked with your agronomist to get a ticket made prior to pulling under the tower or into the loading bay.
- With Spring being delayed & saturated conditions leading up to this week, it is easy for the custom spreading list to pile up at a quick rate. Therefore, please give your agronomist a few day heads-up before you would like your ground spread.
Our goal is to serve you to the best of our ability and keep your planters moving! Have a safe and enjoyable spring!
Wisconsin
Ellsworth
Chace Kinneman
Planting season is in full swing and the conditions are great for it! Corn and soybeans are both around 20% planted here in Western Wisconsin.
I know we are all excited to get seeds in the ground, but let’s not forget about our pre herbicide on corn and soybeans. It is a very important part of the battle. It is a lot easier to kill weeds when they haven’t started growing or when they are babies, compared to when they are 6″+ tall. Hope everyone has a safe & productive spring!!!
