I’ve received a few calls over the past few weeks from wheat farmers inquiring whether or not their wheat fields were starting to break dormancy. From what I’ve seen, the answer is yes. Many wheat fields have in fact “greened up” over the last couple of weeks. With temperatures reaching the mid-60s on January 21 and 22, and nighttime temperatures remaining above freezing until around January 26, a definite change has taken place across southern Illinois wheat fields.

One of the staples for growing healthy, high-yielding crops is to maintain good soil fertility. That’s why most agronomists will suggest soil sampling every two to three years to evaluate how your fields are holding up. These tests however are not always the easiest to read and many farmers often need help interpreting the results. Here are some key tips and areas to focus on when evaluating your soil test report. 

Even though wheat acres are down quite a bit this year, I’ve seen a lot of drills running through fields over the past month. I’ve also heard the old adage, “dust it in, bust the bin” more times than I can count. While it was ok at first, it’s now starting to worry me. 

As harvest progresses in Ohio, we are finding out which fields received enough water and which did not. As you navigate these varying conditions, it’s important to continue evaluating your combine’s performance. We usually do a good job of setting the combine when we start harvest; but don’t forget to continually monitor threshing quality and crop losses. 

Although fall tillage is a common practice across much of the Corn Belt, there are scenarios that favor the practice and others that do not. Many times following harvest, we begin plowing without considering amultitude of factors that might limit the benefits we should experience from making that decision. 

Diseases have become a major topic this fall. We have seen gray leaf spot, Anthracnose stalk rot, Diplopia stalk and ear rot, and even southern rust. Corn has filled out well, but stalk quality has become a concern as plants have cannibalized with late stress.

When the 2016 harvest is behind us, it will be critical to review product performance and integral management practices. This is the time to learn what worked well, what didn’t work, and why. Although each season is unique, trends can indicate a strong relationship which demands attention. 

Harvest is in full swing in southern Illinois! As you go from farm to farm, take the opportunity to write down your observations of hybrids and varieties, drainage concerns, or anything else you see that may help you in future decision making. 

If you think waterhemp is a pain, hold on  to your seat. Here comes its bigger, more aggressive and uglier brother, Palmer amaranth. Palmer amaranth was first found in Iowa in 2013. Thanks to early identification and management, it was held to five counties. But unfortunately, Palmer amaranth has now been found in 16 Iowa counties.

With the current commodity prices, farmers will be looking to cut costs wherever possible. One of those places will likely be lime and fertilizer applications. If your fertilizer and lime applications are one of the
things you are considering cutting, be sure to evaluate your fields closely and be confident that the cuts are being made on fields that are testing high enough in phosphorus and/or potassium.