What has three years of implementing water management practices at our Practical Farm Research (PFR)® facility in southern Illinois (SIL) taught us? That in environments that struggle with drainage, tile has payed dividends. Despite the common belief that tile does not work on clay pan soils, our data has proved otherwise.

So, the question is, why did tile work? To gain a better understanding, we must first dig deeper into the soil moisture and temperature data we have gathered over the past three years with CropX LLC moisture sensors.

For years, soybeans have not received the same love that corn has, and is often referred to as “that crop between corn crops.” It’s not uncommon for many farmers to plant all their corn before even thinking about starting on soybeans, and in most cases, the care or precision dedicated to soybean fields is nowhere near what it is when planting corn. Recently, however, some of the more progressive farmers throughout the Midwest have been giving soybeans a little more love.

Planting depth for row crops is a main topic of discussion in the agricultural community. Beck’s PFR team has heard your questions and in response, has put planting depth to yet another test. You may have seen our planting depth data over the last few years, but this year we added a second planting date into the mix. For this study, we planted corn in April and in May. In April, we tend to see cooler, wetter soils whereas in May we sometimes experience drier periods with less rainfall and warmer soil temperatures. Soil temperature and moisture have a great effect on how plants emerge. In this study, we looked to evaluate how much soil conditions can affect plant emergence, and how much yield potential we lose with late-emerging plants.

Join Jared Chester, PFR Location Lead in Ohio, to learn more about our foliar fungicide study on corn.

Join Jim Schwartz, director of PFR and agronomy and Erik Carpenter, PFR Operator, in the field at Atlanta, Indiana as the team tests the new Bushel Plus system.

We are excited to announce the release of another valuable update to FARMserver®, our precision farming software. The Return on Investment “ROI” Calculator, users can now view average profit or loss per acre on their operation based on Purdue University’s Crop Cost and Return Guide. Market Prices for both corn and soybeans are automatically updated every 15 minutes to match the Chicago Board of Trade prices.

While being an intern for Beck’s can mean many things, they all have one thing in common – you are fully integrated into the company and tackling real-world work assignments. This year, there are 23 interns, working in five departments, and spread out amongst six states and five locations. In celebration of #NationalInternDay yesterday, I only saw it fit that I took time to highlight what some of my fellow interns are up to this summer and share their thoughts surrounding their experiences.

Pulling out of my driveway two years ago, there were a lot of things I didn’t know. I didn’t know about the logistical challenges ahead of me. Other than when they were on my dinner plate, I’d never given second thought to many of the crops I was setting out to see. Most of all, I had no idea how the people I met on the Why I Farm Roadtrip would touch my life forever.

My favorite quote is, “we rise by lifting others” by Robert Ingersoll. Lifting others can mean a variety of things, like being a positive, encouraging presence in another person’s life. Or perhaps it’s sharing knowledge with someone or enriching their life in some way. Maybe it’s helping someone become a better version of themselves. 

In this PFR report, the team at our Southern Illinois facility in Effingham talk about the new starter fertilizer systems study they are conducting this year utilizing Precision Plantings Conceal System.