When a corn kernel is planted into warm, moist soil, water is absorbed through the seed coat and the kernel begins to swell. The critical soil moisture required for corn to germinate is 30%, and a corn seed will absorb 1.5 to 2 times its weight in water during the germination process.

Cold weather prevents wheat plants from breaking dormancy, so in cold springs, wheat crops may be slow to greenup. Delayed greenup is less concerning than cold damage to the wheat crop.

Chilling injury is only one part of the evaluation of winter wheat in the spring. If the fall was wet and challenging, there could be stand establishment concerns. In some low areas, the seed may have rotted in the fall. If the plant has fewer than three developed leaves going into the winter, it is more prone to injury as the crown is underdeveloped.

Winter wheat breaks dormancy if there is a two-week period with an average temperature of at least 41°F. As soon as the plants resume growth, you need to get back out in the field so that you can make critical decisions about nitrogen, insecticide, and fungicide, and most importantly, preserving yield potential.

We are having a particularly wet harvest in many areas. Keep an eye out for deteriorating grain quality. Here’s a good reference guide from Steve Gauck on ear molds in corn.

Now is the time that many of you will be making some decisions regarding fungicide and insecticide applications on your soybeans.

Do you know the difference between Phytophthora Root Rot and Fusarium Wilt in soybeans?

Check out this quick Agronomy Update video from Beck's agronomist, Steve Gauck to learn more about the signs and symptoms of both diseases, and how to tell the difference in the field.

In 2016, many parts of southern Indiana experienced a bad outbreak of Southern Rust that caused yield loss in a lot of areas. Many farmers have seen an influx of this disease present in their fields again this year. However, there has also been a large presence of Common Rust in corn fields this year as well.
 
Check out this latest video to learn more about the visual differences between the two diseases and what you can expect in terms of long term effects and yield loss. 

Late last week I evaluated a soybean field that was suffering from slight stunting that was caused by a herbicide application.

Over the past few weeks, many farmers have called me jokily asking, “is it too early to plant?”

My answers always seem to be long, with a lot of details and factors, as I try to help them determine if it is or isn’t too early. With that said, let’s look at our ideal planting dates and things you need to consider before planting.

We have been experiencing warmer than usual temperatures this winter in Southern Indiana. In terms of wheat, this warm weather has not concerned me as it is what happens in early spring that affects yield the most. The two factors that have the biggest impact on our quest to achieving high-yielding wheat are scouting and nitrogen (N) management. As you begin to evaluate your wheat stand, one of the most important things to remember is to perform stand checks. This can be done with a 1 x 1 ft. square, as shown below. Be sure to take counts at multiple locations that represent different landscape positions in your fields.