From the Week of October 30, 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:
Erin Stackhouse – Le Sueur
Ethan Bany – Lake City
Garrett Johnson – Morristown
Madalynn Lundell – Stewartville
Chace Kinneman – Ellsworth
Scroll down to hear from your local agronomist!
WEST
Belle Plaine – Le Center – Le Sueur
Erin Stackhouse
Fall is starting to wrap up around here. AYS Specialists are starting to collect and analyze data. I think it is fair to say that we will have lot of things to talk about for our AYS one-on-ones this winter. This is my favorite time of year, seeing how the report cards shake out. The one constant thing I have been seeing is the advantage of Dekalb’s new SmartStax Pro technology versus SmartStax or Double Pro.
The picture above: Have you seen similar roots in your field? This field had only above ground protection.
The picture below: The Grower split planted Smart Stax Pro hybrid vs a Smart Stax hybrid. The advantage was 21 bushels. This field had some rootworm pressure for 2023 crop year. Stay tuned as we get all the data into AYS and see the results across hundreds of acres. Reach out to your Ag Ag Partners Agronomist today to lock in your Smart Stax Pro for 2024.
EAST
Pine Island – Cannon Falls – Goodhue – Lake City
Ethan Bany
With the 2023 harvest season beginning to wrap up and warm weather in the forecast, there are a few things producers can be thinking about. Fall application of phosphorous, potassium, and elemental sulfur can be very beneficial. Spreading in the fall gives these nutrients more time to break down and become readily available in the spring. With warm temperatures in the forecast there is plenty of time for fall tillage to incorporate these nutrients into the soil. Grid Sampling is one of the best strategies to decipher your fertilizer needs. With the help of the AYS team, we can create management zone maps to calculate how much and where your fertilizer needs to be applied. Contact your local Ag Partners Agronomist for more information. Best of luck with the remainder of the 2023 harvest season!
CENTRAL
Morristown – Wanamingo – Kenyon
Garrett Johnson
This week has brought the finish line in sight for fall. Many growers are finishing or close to finishing harvest, with maybe some tillage left. It is crazy to think that just a few short weeks ago it was raining/snowing, and everyone was unsure when or how fall would end. Now we are looking at beautiful forecast of weather for the next week. As the year wraps up everyone is seeing just how variable this year’s crop was and which hybrids handled the diversity. As 2023 crop season rounds out there are many things already happening for next year. A large amount of P and K have been spread for next year’s crop and the anhydrous ammonia season is on the downward slope to the finish line. Fall fertilizer is a great way to capitalize on most typically lower input costs and allows growers to get in the field sooner without having to wait for fertilizer. Also, with harvest dwindling down it is a great time to dive into your harvest data to start to think about hybrids and placement for next year. Many discounts and deadlines will be coming up in the next few weeks. Make sure to ask your agronomist about programs for next year like Elite RX and how that can play a big role on your operation for risk management.
SOUTH
Elgin – Lewiston – Stewartville
Madalynn Lundell
With harvest beginning to wrap up for most, tillage becomes a common topic. While some prefer or swear by fall tillage to better prepare that seed bed for spring, others feel strongly about no-till practices to conserve soil moisture. Whether you’re for or against fall tillage, depth of tillage is a key focus point. A useful tool in making this decision is a soil penetrometer. The purpose of this tool is to measure the extent as well as depth of soil compaction. It’s important to look back on the wet spring we had and consider the conditions that we planted in as this resulted in hard pans. In some areas, we had no choice but to plant into saturated soils which can mean that there may be a level of compaction happening below the soil surface. The goal is to set the tillage tool 1-2” below the pan to shatter it. Feel free to contact an Ag Partners Agronomist so we can help find your ideal depth of tillage.
WISCONSIN
Ellsworth
Chace Kinneman
It’s been a nice week in Western Wisconsin. We started with snow on the ground, then a little shower, to now good weather ahead. In our area the harvest is about 65%-75% completed and with the nice weather forecast ahead I don’t believe there will be much left a week from now. Just in time for deer hunting!!!
Fall fertilizer, soil sampling, and lime are in full swing here at Ag Partners. If you haven’t got your orders in yet there is still plenty of time left to give us a call.
My wife, Ellie, wanted to climb the leg with me to grease it Saturday. It was her first time.
 |
 |
