1
Mar
2019
Early-season frost damage is a stressful physiological event that can slow plant development. The net impact of early-season frost will depend on the health of the plant before the frost, the extent and duration of the freezing temperatures, and the growing environment following the frost.
Categories: Agronomy, Agronomy Talk
Tags: corn, soybeans, FROST DAMAGE, freeze damage, early-season damage
The first step in initiating seed germination is imbibition of water. As the seed takes on water (up to 30 percent of its own weight for corn and 50 percent for soybeans!), enzymes within the seed start converting starch from storage forms into forms that will help feed the newly awakened embryo. Cell membranes in the seed have to rehydrate to re-initiate growth; that process can go awry in cold temperatures.
Tags: planting, Spring Planting, Soil Temperatures, Soil Moisture, cold soils, seed germination
The planter pass is the most important pass of the season. It sets the stage for everything else. Equally important is the time spent doing planter maintenance, prep, and set up. Each planter or row unit manufacturer has specific guidelines as to how to set and adjust specific equipment, so always reference the owner’s manual, but the following holds true for most planting implements.
Tags: planting, planter prep, #plant19, equipment preparation, planter preparation
7
Feb
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.
Categories: Agronomy Talk
Tags:
30
Jan
Farming at a profit is more challenging when grain prices are low. Producers with owned ground and sound management can likely farm at a profit albeit at a narrower margin than previous years. Producers shelling out high cash rents will find it more difficult to operate at a profit even with sound management. Many paying high cash rent will operate at a loss. This is especially true if looking at profitability in a “site-specific” manner — considering profit/loss variability across a field or operation.
Tags: soil tests, Profit, fertilizer, inputs, crop nutrition, variable rate, fertilizer applications
16
Soil surface compaction can affect soybean plant height, root growth and development, pod set, and yield
Tags: soybeans, Agronomy, Soil Conditions, compaction, early-season compaction
14
Nov
2018
When a farmer ends up with damaged grain at harvest, the best thing to do is sell it as quickly as possible. However, sometimes due to the obligation to fulfill contracts or the ability to utilize bin space to capture carry in the market, it becomes necessary to store damaged grain.
Tags: Agronomy, Agronomy Talk, grain storage, damaged grain
We have received a lot of phone calls about down corn throughout the season. Early on, this issue was primarily caused by saturated soils and heavy winds that pushed the corn over at the root system.
Tags: corn, Agronomy, Steve Gauck, late-season corn damage, crown rot, down corn, becks agronomy
31
Oct
There are numerous stalk rots that affect corn in mid to late season. Weather, nutrition and genetic disease tolerance all play major parts in the disease cycle. Plants move nutrients from the stalks to the ears during grain fill. High yields mean heavier ears. These two phenomena combined can make stalk quality issues a problem even in very high-yielding areas.
Tags: corn, Disease, stalk rot, residue management, corn stalk rot, plant stress
24
In this latest agronomy update, Beck’s Field Agronomist, David Hugues, addresses some of the seed quality issues farmers have been seeing in soybean fields across Missouri.
Tags: Beck's Agronomy, Missouri Agronomy, seed quality, soybean seeds, soybean disease
23
Tar Spot is a new phenomenon in the US. It is caused by a fungus called Phyllachora maydis, native to Central America. Tar Spot had only been identified in very isolated geographies in the U.S. until the summer of 2018. In Central America, the yield-robbing form of Tar Spot forms a complex with two other plant pathogens, neither of which have been documented in the U.S. It is unknown whether the Tar Spot organism is forming a pathogenic complex with other species present in the Midwest.
Tags: corn, Disease, tar spot
17
High rainfall and warm temperatures after maturity physically cause the soybean pod to swell and shrink. Any structural weakness in the pod from diseases or insect feeding will allow moisture into the pod where it affects the soybean itself. The pods then split open from the physical stress of swelling with moisture. Soybeans exposed to warm temperature and high moisture are also subject to germinating in the pod. All soybean varieties are susceptible to damage in exceptionally wet years.
Tags: Agronomy, Beck's Agronomy, Soybean Diseases, Agronomy Talk, discolored soybeans, soybean damage
12
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.
Tags: Steve Gauck, Agronomy Talk, ear molds, trichoderma, penicillum, gibberella, fusarium, diplodia, aspergillus
In this agronomy update, Nate Mayer and Jerry Mathis, Field Agronomist for Beck's Hybrids, evaluate late-season stalk integrity as we prepare for harvest.
Tags: Agronomy, Agronomy Talk, stalk quality, agronomy blog
13
Jul
It's pollination time in Southern Indiana and this agronomy update is all about checking how well your corn is pollinating.
Categories: Agronomy, S Indiana, Agronomy Talk
Tags: Agronomy Talk, Ag Talk, agronomy blog, ag blog, corn pollination
9
Now is the time that many of you will be making some decisions regarding fungicide and insecticide applications on your soybeans.
Categories: Agronomy, S Indiana
5
Check out this agronomy update to see how our 15 in. row population study is progressing at our PFR research plot in Murray, Kentucky!
Categories: Agronomy, Kentucky, Tennessee
2
When scouting corn, it's important to focus starting now through brown silk, or the R2 growth stage. This is the most important time to protect the plant as it's going through grain fill.
Categories: Agronomy, Ohio
Data has shown that the best time to apply fungicides on soybeans is at the R3 growth stage.
Categories: Agronomy, S Illinois
29
Jun
High heat and humidity, especially like we have experienced this summer, creates a perfect breeding ground for diseases such as gray leaf spot. Because of this, you may find that your corn fields are in need of a fungicide application.