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.

Two years ago, Sonny Beck challenged our Practical Farm Research (PFR)® team to raise 400-bushel corn. Unlike all the other studies done in PFR, economics and profitability have little influence on this particular study. Instead, the focus here is solely on maximizing yield by utilizing non-traditional management practices in combinations that may be unpractical in today’s economy.

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.

Join our Central Illinois PFR Team in this PFR Report as they talk about a few new studies being conducted this year.

Breaking ground – literally and figuratively. Hear the most recent updates from the Beck’s PFR Team about our multi-row, multi-hybrid planter that’s the first of its kind.

Can in-furrow applications of sugar increase nutrient availability and yields in corn?

In this latest PFR Report, Jared Chester, PFR Location Lead in Ohio is joined by Field Agronomist Luke Schulte to discuss water quality when it comes to spraying.

As commodity prices leave us looking for new ways to be leaner and leaner with our on-farm practices, one consideration that rises to the top as a cost effect practice is applications of sugar in-furrow. Why sugar in-furrow? You may have noticed that many in-furrow starters already have a small percentage of sugar within their fertilizers. The idea behind applying sugar in-furrow is to stimulate the microbial activity. If we can stimulate microbial activity in the soil, then more nutrients will be readily available to the plant, thus promoting yields.