14
May
2019
As the rain is delaying planting, many farmers are becoming concerned that their corn maturities are too long. In my opinion (based on facts), here are the Top 10 reasons why you should stick with your original plan.
Categories: Agronomy, Agronomy Talk
Tags: Agronomy, Ohio Agronomy, Delayed planting, gdu, hybrid maturities growing degree days
16
Aug
2017
This is a vulnerable time during soybean development as we enter pod development so it's important to scout your fields for insect feeding. A recently shot this video while scouting soybean fields at Beck's Practical Farm Research (PFR)® site in London, OH for insect damage, specifically from stink bugs.
Watch it now to learn more about what to look for and what kind of injury you can expect.
Categories: Agronomy, Ohio
Tags: Beck's Blog, Beck's Agronomy, Ohio Agronomy, LUKE SCHULTE, Stink Bugs
8
Many areas of Ohio turned dry towards the end of April and farmers were able to get their corn and soybeans into the ground at a good pace. In fact, the USDA projected that 42 percent of all corn and 14 percent of soybeans had been planted by April 30, 2017. Then…everything came to a screeching halt as frequent rainstorms have resulted in several inches of rain covering most of the state.
Tags: corn planting, Agronomy, Emergence, Ohio Agronomy, growing degree days, soybean planting, GDD, yield potential
12
Apr
As we prepare for planting, there are a number of things to keep in mind. From burndown to weed and pest control, there are factors to consider that will ultimately affect the season ahead.
Tags: corn, Agronomy, Marestail, Ohio Agronomy, burndown, herbicides, LUKE SCHULTE, Winter Annual Weeds, AgChat, Anhydrous Ammonia, Weed Pressure, black cut worm
22
Feb
Many farmers across the state are having discussions around what their crop rotation will be for the coming year. Should they keep their rotation the same? Or would it be economically advantageous to plant more soybeans? In my experience, many farmers typically debate this question but then end up staying the course and keeping their rotation intact. This year however feels a little different.
Tags: Practical Farm Research, Agronomy, Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS), Ohio Agronomy, PFR, Ag Chat, LUKE SCHULTE, escalate SDS, Soybean Cyst Nematode (SCN), continuous soybeans, Sclerotinia White Mold (SWM), Phytophthora Root Rot (PRR), soil management
18
Nov
2016
By now many of you are probably aware that the EPA has approved the use of the herbicide XtendiMax™ with VaporGrip™ technology for in-crop use in dicamba tolerant soybeans. The Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® soybeans will have tolerance to both glyphosate as well as dicamba. Currently, the XtendiMax label only has a two-year registration. The EPA has reserved the right to rescind the label if they feel the product is being misused, is having a negative impact on the environment and general public impact, or is having a high number of off-target incidents.
Tags: soybeans, Practical Farm Research, Agronomy, Herbicide, Ohio Agronomy, PFR, weed control, Ag Chat, Ag Talk, LUKE SCHULTE, Xtendimax, Roundup Ready 2 Xtend, Clarity, Glyphosate tolerant, Dicamba, Monsanto, Vaporgrip Technology
24
Oct
For many of us, fall is about seeing the “payoff” from all our hard work during the past season. While harvest does allow us to make observations and summarize our findings from the past season, I’d encourage you to also consider preparing your seed bed for next year. For some of you that means tillage, for others who do not intend to till their acres, this means controlling those fall emerged weeds.
Tags: Practical Farm Research, Agronomy, Marestail, Ohio Agronomy, PFR, Ag Chat, Ag Talk, harvest 2016, LUKE SCHULTE, Winter Annual Weeds, Controlling fall emerged weeds, fall weeds, residual herbicide, clean fields, Planting Date
17
After a slow start to the 2016 harvest, farmers throughout Ohio are now in full swing. Harvest marks the final stage to our 2016 crop, it is also the first step in preparing for your 2017 crop. Sitting in the combine at harvest is the perfect time to evaluate the various inputs and practices we implemented throughout the past growing season.
Tags: Practical Farm Research, Agronomy, Fertility, Nitrogen, Ohio Agronomy, management practices, Fungicide, PFR, Ag Chat, Ag Talk, harvest 2016, LUKE SCHULTE, Preparing for 2017, hybrid evaluation, population
28
Sep
“Harvest time is here but my soybeans won’t get fit to harvest!” A very common, yet intriguing question many farmers have had this fall. I’ve heard numerous remarks such as “my 3.5 maturity soybeans will be ready before my 2.9 soybeans and I planted them at the same time!” So why are soybeans maturing inconsistently?
Tags: harvest, soybeans, Agronomy, soybean harvest, Ohio Agronomy, Ag Chat, Ag Talk, harvest 2016, LUKE SCHULTE, SOYBEAN FIELD, SOYBEAN MATURITY, SOYBEAN MATURITY STAGES, SOYBEAN STRESS. SOYBEAN POD ABORTION
10
Jun
A common service call I have received over the past week is yellowed corn. What causes yellow corn? Should you be concerned? What is important to remember is that the type of yellowing you see on your corn will be indicative of what caused the yellowing.
Tags: Practical Farm Research, Agronomy, Rapid Growth Syndrome, Ohio Agronomy, PFR, PFR Report, Alexandra Knight, yellowing corn, nutrient deficiency in corn
The cool temperatures we have experienced over the last several nights have led to questions regarding frost damage. We are seeing some signs of frost damage here at our Ohio Practical Farm Research (PFR)® location, however we won’t know the severity of this damage until three to five days following the frost event. With the low temperatures leading up to this recent frost event, the hardening off process had started making our crops more tolerant of cool temperatures. Wet soils and dew present helps to maintain soil temperatures, thereby decreasing the risk of injury.
Tags: Beck's Blog, corn, AgTalk, soybeans, Agronomy, Agronomy Update, Alex Johnson, Wheat, agronomist, Beck's Agronomist, Ohio Agronomy, Alexandra Knight, FROST DAMAGE
6
Over the past week, much of Ohio has received excess rainfall that has slowed fieldwork and planting almost to a halt. As of May 1, 2016, the USDA reported that 27 percent of Ohio’s corn was planted, but only 1 percent had emerged. With the cool, wet weather we have had, emergence is taking longer than usual. It’s tempting to look at the calendar and start to get concerned if your corn isn’t coming up in 7 to10 days like you might have expected. If you are looking at your planted fields and wondering when you will start to see rows of corn, the following information should help you understand when you might expect to see those small green spikes
Tags: Beck's Blog, AgTalk, Agronomy, Agronomy Update, Alex Johnson, Cover Crops, agronomist, Beck's Agronomist, Ohio Agronomy, corn emergence, Ohio corn, GDUS, GDU CALCULATIONS
25
This spring I had the opportunity to demo a tillage tool I have been very curious about, the TERRADISC 4001 manufactured by Pottinger. This tool is what I refer to as a high speed disc or compact disc. It is a one-pass tillage tool that can take corn residue and till it to be plant-ready with just one pass.
Tags: Alex Johnson, Ohio Agronomy, Tillage Tools, Pottinger, TERRADISC4001, Compact Disc, Tools, Machinery
21
The first drink of water corn or soybean seed takes is important. A rain event within 24 hours of planting can cause lower yields and possibly a thin stand. A small, light rain (such as 0.1 in.) doesn’t seem to have an adverse effect, but larger rain events often do. So the million-dollar question is, “do I plant today or do I stop because a rain is coming?” If you are looking for some data to help you make that decision, we have a tool for you...
Tags: Beck's Blog, AgTalk, Agronomy, Agronomy Update, Weather, Alex Johnson, agronomist, Beck's Agronomist, Ohio Agronomy, Farmserver, Weather Forecast, Spring Planting
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
Springtime is my favorite time of year! After five months of cold, frozen and wet, I love getting out into the field to start the 2016 growing season. My slogan for this growing season is “MAKE IT COUNT.” Why is that important? It is easy to get in a hurry, especially this time of year. I’m guilty of it as well. But one thing that can put spring business into perspective is: “MAKE IT COUNT.” Each year we get one shot. Let’s strive to make it our best shot each year.
Tags: Alex Johnson, Ohio Agronomy, Agronomy Talk
Jan
I’m writing this agronomy update in response to the question so many Beck’s customers have been asking. What do I do about residual herbicides on SOYBEANS this year? What makes a farmer ask this question? Most customers were happy with the weed control they saw in 2015 and are planning to use the same program in 2016. But others had soybeans that were stunted, which raised some concern.
Tags: Beck's Blog, AgTalk, Agronomy, Agronomy Update, Alex Johnson, agronomist, Beck's Agronomist, Ohio Agronomy, Ohio soybeans, residual herbicides
Dec
2015
Have you ever considered planting an earlier maturity soybean variety or corn hybrid so that you could plant your cover crop earlier in the fall? The question is, how much time will it gain you by dropping to an earlier maturity? This past fall, I set out to answer just that. After months of note taking and studying our soybean show plot (planted April 29) at the Ohio Practical Farm Research (PFR)® site, I am excited to share my findings!
Tags: Beck's Blog, AgTalk, Agronomy, Agronomy Update, Alex Johnson, Cover Crops, agronomist, Beck's Agronomist, Ohio Agronomy, Ohio corn, Ohio soybeans, early maturing crops
“How much money are we losing by not hauling in the water?” That’s the question some farmers have been asking this year. Late summer and fall were very dry and warm this year, which caused corn and soybeans to dry down fast and early. As usual, soybean harvest began and beans quickly dried down below 13 percent during harvest. In some areas, corn is getting dryer than 15 percent moisture in the field. Not only is some corn coming out of the field dry this year, in some cases it is TOO dry. Whenever corn gets dryer than 15 percent (15.5 percent at some elevators) it means you are hauling in less pounds to the elevator than you could have. It is water that you are not selling that you could have with no dock-age. So how much does it cost?
Tags: Beck's Blog, AgTalk, Agronomy, Agronomy Update, Alex Johnson, agronomist, Beck's Agronomist, Ohio Agronomy, Ohio corn, Ohio soybeans, Corn and soybeans getting too try
This week I wanted to give a quick update on the crown rot that I am seeing in corn fields this year. Crown rot is caused by early wet conditions followed by a stress later in the season. Crown rots, stalk rots and cannibalization can affect standability. Therefore, these fields should be prioritized for early harvest. Check out the video to learn more!
Tags: Beck's Blog, AgTalk, Agronomy, Agronomy Update, Alex Johnson, agronomist, Beck's Agronomist, Ohio Agronomy, Ohio corn, crown rot in corn, stalk rot, canabalization in corn