21
Jun
2018
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.
Categories: Agronomy, S Indiana
Tags: Beck's Blog, Agronomy Update, Steve Gauck, indiana agronomy, Phytophthora root rot, Fusarium Wilt
May
Planters have continued to roll across fields in the Midwest over the last few weeks and soybeans have finally started to emerge. Now is a great time to evaluate your stands and see if there are any issues that need to be addressed.
Categories: S Indiana
Tags: soybeans, Agronomy, Steve Gauck, indiana agronomy, ILeVO, Halo Effect
16
Aug
2017
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.
Tags: Beck's Blog, Beck's Agronomy, Steve Gauck, indiana agronomy, southern rust, Common Rust
5
Apr
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.
Tags: planting, Practical Farm Research, Agronomy Update, Steve Gauck, indiana agronomy, PFR, Early Planting, Planting Dates, Seed Treatments
27
Feb
Low commodity prices have drastically reduced margins this year and the best way to make a profit will be to utilize all of your tools to their fullest potential. That means making sure your planter is ready for the field before its time to plant.
Categories: Agronomy, N Indiana
Tags: planting, Agronomy, Denny Cobb, indiana agronomy, AgChat, plant17, planting checklist, planter recommendations, seed size, Vacuum Planters
8
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.
Tags: Agronomy, Steve Gauck, Wheat, indiana agronomy, nitrogen management, Ag Chat, stand checks. tiller, Feekes growth stages, burnt leaf stages, split nitrogen applications
26
Sep
2016
Categories: Agronomy, NE Illinois, NW Indiana, S. Wisconsin
Tags: Beck's Blog, AgTalk, Chad Kalaher, Agronomy Update, Beck's Agronomist, indiana agronomy, Illinois Agronomy, Winter Wheat, winter kill in wheat, Wisconsin Agronomy, MIDWEST WHEAT, Hessian fly-free date
20
Jul
I have received a number of calls from customers over the past few weeks, so I wanted to provide some updates on a few of the hot topics as we continue to monitor the development of our corn and soybean crops.
Categories: NE Illinois, NW Indiana
Tags: Beck's Blog, AgTalk, Chad Kalaher, Agronomy, Agronomy Update, agronomist, Beck's Agronomist, indiana agronomy, Illinois Agronomy, Fungicide, Insecticide, Disease Development, Nitrogen Uptake
22
With wheat harvest officially underway across southern Indiana, I wanted to offer you a few tips about harvest and planting double crop soybeans.
When preparing to harvest wheat, the ideal moisture is between 14 to 20 percent. Below 14 percent moisture we start to see yield loss and we could also run the risk of a rain lowering test weight and quality. Air drying wheat will give you the best quality. For long-term storage, make sure to dry your wheat to 12.5 percent moisture.
Tags: Beck's Blog, AgTalk, Agronomy, Agronomy Update, Wheat Harvest, agronomist, Beck's Agronomist, indiana agronomy, Indiana wheat, Steve Gauck Agronomy, Head Scab, double crop soybeans, vomitoxin
23
In some areas, the window of opportunity for planting corn, and environmental conditions that followed, were not ideal for rapid germination and emergence. The cold soils and excessive rainfall we experienced shortly after planting has led to uneven emergence, delayed emergence, and an onset of seedling blights. We have also seen the use of rotary hoes in some areas with crusted soils.
Categories: Agronomy, NE Illinois, NW Indiana
Tags: Beck's Blog, AgTalk, Chad Kalaher, Agronomy, Agronomy Update, agronomist, Beck's Agronomist, indiana agronomy, Illinois Agronomy, Replant, Delayed planting, seeding rate recommendations
2
Despite its deceivingly short height, wheat has reproductively matured well over the last few weeks. I have seen a few leaf diseases this year (mostly minor infections) but if you are thinking about fungicides, make sure to first determine if you are concerned about leaf diseases or head scab (Fusarium head blight.) When it comes to leaf diseases, we should be most concerned with keeping the flag leaf (last leaf out before the head) as clean as possible. About 50 percent of a wheat plant's yield comes from energy made by the flag leaf.
Tags: Beck's Blog, AgTalk, Agronomy, Agronomy Update, Head Scab in Wheat, agronomist, Beck's Agronomist, indiana agronomy, Indiana wheat, Steve Gauck Agronomy, fungicide in wheat
28
Most of the wheat in our area was planted between October 1-10, with the majority planted by October 7. Along with timely planting, the warm fall promoted excellent fall growth and tillering for overwintering. I noticed a few challenges this spring where seeding depth was too shallow or significant residue created poor seed-to-soil contact. I continue to see that the best stands are the ones where residue has been evenly-distributed and lightly incorporated with a vertical tillage tool or disk prior to seeding. No-till also continues to work well where the seed is placed deep enough for good seed-to-soil contact.
Tags: Beck's Blog, AgTalk, Chad Kalaher, Agronomy, Agronomy Update, Head Scab in Wheat, Wheat, agronomist, Beck's Agronomist, indiana agronomy, Illinois Agronomy, wheat growth stages, fungicides in wheat, flag-leaf growth stage, leaf diseases in wheat
14
How early should I plant corn? We ask ourselves that question every spring because unfortunately, the correct answer is illusive. It really depends on many variables that we have very little ability to control. Below are a few factors to consider when trying to answer this question for your own farm.
Categories: Agronomy Talk
Tags: indiana agronomy, Brent Minett, Ohio Agronomy, Agronomy Talk
As the 2016 season gets underway, profitability on every single acre appears to be challenging. The best advice I would give farmers is to keep a positive attitude, focus on fundamental agronomic principles, and seek information from trusted advisors. In addition, use resources including your own on-farm experiences and Beck’s Practical Farm Research (PFR)® data to help maximize profitability and yield.
Tags: Chad Kalaher, indiana agronomy, Agronomy Talk, Wisconsin Agronomy
Have you received unusual or uncommon seed sizes this year? If so, I have included some initial planter setting suggestions based on various planters, seed sizes and weights.
Categories: Agronomy, N Indiana, Michigan
Tags: Beck's Blog, AgTalk, Agronomy, Agronomy Update, agronomist, Beck's Agronomist, michigan agronomy, indiana agronomy, Denny Cobb Agronomy, Uncommon seed sizes, planter settings, Case IH, Vaccum Planters, John Deer, Kinzie, AGCO White Planter
25
Many farmers have been asking about wheat 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.
Tags: Beck's Blog, AgTalk, Agronomy, Agronomy Update, agronomist, Beck's Agronomist, indiana agronomy, Indiana wheat, Steve Gauck Agronomy, evaluating wheat stands, tiller counts, nitrogen management, freeze injury in wheat
Oct
2015
Soil fertility tests can be a moving target since soil chemistry is constantly changing, the soil is a living organism, and crop removal is different each year. Because of these and other factors, results can be dynamic over time. Potassium soil test results this fall have been lower than expected, even with a proper history of recent K2O fertilization. In talking with several farmers and reputable Midwest soil testing lab scientists about these results, lower potassium readings have led to many questions this fall.
Tags: Beck's Blog, AgTalk, Chad Kalaher, Agronomy, Agronomy Update, agronomist, Beck's Agronomist, indiana agronomy, Illinois Agronomy, soil fertility test, soil potassium readings, crop removal of nutrients
10
This week, central Indiana sales intern Christy Kettler provides an update on crop condition and insect pressure she has been seeing while scouting area fields.
Tags: AgTalk, Agronomy Update, Denny Cobb, michigan agronomy, indiana agronomy, Christy Kettler, Japanese beetles, NCLB, corn tip loss
With the next round of treatments for soybeans happening soon, tissue samples are critical to ensure the plant is getting what it needs and confirming that we are applying nutrients that will benefit the crop. This week, sales intern Christy Kettler takes us through some best practices when it comes to tissue testing and some updates on the corn diseases she has been seeing throughout central Indiana.
Tags: Beck's Blog, AgTalk, Agronomy, Agronomy Update, Corn Disease, agronomist, Beck's Agronomist, michigan agronomy, indiana agronomy, Denny Cobb Agronomy, European corn borer, Soybean tissue sampling, Japanese beetles
13
Following a month of rain, cloudy days, and moderate temperatures, disease continues to be a threat this growing season. With spores set up for perfect growing conditions, pressures from northern corn leaf blight (NCLB) and gray leaf spot (GLS) are leaving farmers with cause for concern.
Tags: Beck's Blog, AgTalk, Agronomy, Agronomy Update, agronomist, Beck's Agronomist, michigan agronomy, indiana agronomy, Denny Cobb Agronomy, European corn borer, Gray leaf spot, Northern corn leaf blight