Agronomic Insights 6/9/23

From the Week of June 5, 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:

Dave Richter – Belle Plaine

Carly Reinke – Morristown

Tyrell Treptow – Goodhue

Hailey Dykes – Stewartville

Scroll down to hear from your local agronomist, and click for contact info!

WEST
Belle Plaine – Le Center – Le Sueur

Dave Richter

Now that planting has finished up, we are out evaluating stands and many customers are getting a good look at the crop as they make there post emergence herbicide applications. Many customers have called in with concerns about how yellow their corn crop is looking and concerned that we need more nitrogen. I call this the ugly corn stage, roots have not developed enough to capture the extra nutrients available in the soil to keep up with the early rapid growth. With a little rain to help solubilize the nutrients applied and extra root growth, the corn should start looking better soon. We have also been collecting Nitrate samples to assist on setting rates for topdressing. Call your local Ag Partners agronomist to help assist on N Management.

CENTRAL
Morristown – Wanamingo – Kenyon

Carly Reinke

With the crops finally in the ground, nitrate sampling is going and is busier than ever! After the abundance of rain we had at the beginning of the season, this is a great tool to check your nitrogen levels as we enter sidedress season. Looking at the results, there is quite a bit of variability which is to be expected from the large amounts of water we received. Some fields have taken us by surprise despite the rain in areas, many of the nitrate levels have come back in the 20-40 ppm range. However, there are many areas with lower readings. In one of the examples below you can see the average is where we may expect it to be, however some areas are low likely due to denitrification.

If you are interested in nitrate sampling, reach out to your Ag Partners Agronomist or AYS Specialist to see if it is possible for this season or to try for next year’s crop!

The first field pictured below received 4,000 gallons of hog manure in the fall. Some areas are above the 30-ppm minimum we would like to have at this time of year, but you can tell that some areas need some additional N. Where the nitrate levels are 25 ppm and above, we normally just add a base rate and increase it where the levels are below 25 ppm.

The second field pictured below received an average of around 4500 gallons of hog manure in the fall. The applicator had issues on the south half and over applied somewhere in the 5-6K range. They got the issue resolved and applied around 3500 gallons on the north half. Most of this farm is above our 30-ppm minimum. The nitrate test verifies that the higher manure application on the south half is resulting in more available N.

The third field pictured below received 100 pounds of N as spring Urea. Without nitrate sampling we would have likely flat rated around 50-60 more pounds of N. In this case the nitrogen prescription is calling for anywhere between 44 to 110 pounds of N. A flat rate would have left the low testing areas short and most likely over applied in the higher testing areas

EAST
Pine Island – Cannon Falls – Goodhue – Lake City

Tyrell Treptow

Click for an update from the field with Tyrell.

SOUTH
Elgin – Lewiston – Stewartville

Hailey Dykes

Spring has sprung and gone, and it is crazy that we are now already into the middle of June! This year has brought many challenges so far, with varying rains all throughout our territory and setting some areas back, as well as warranting replants for both corn and soybeans.

Corn spraying has been in full swing for a little while no; the corn is growing fast and the weeds are tagging right along with it. As well as spraying we are now starting into side-dress season. With little rain in the forecast and higher temperatures, there is concern for volatilization of Nitrogen. Adding Agrotain Advanced nitrogen stabilizer to your side-dress application can help reduce nitrogen losses, compared to potentially 40%+ losses with untreated urea. Corn crops across our territory vary drastically in terms of planting date and overall stands, with some looking phenomenal and others not quite what we hoped to see.

First cut alfalfa spreading is pretty much done, along with most insecticide spraying going on this week. Weevils have been consistent this year, and we have been seeing them in higher numbers now, followed by aphids as well as a few leafhoppers. Newly seeded stands from this spring have been struggling and could use some moisture just like the rest of our crops.

Soybeans look pretty good in general, and post-spraying will be right around the corner! Lack of rainfall in areas that pre-emerge herbicide was applied have weeds that are starting to pop through, which could unfortunately warrant two post passes on some of these soybeans.

Have a safe and fun summer!