4
Jan
2021
Love God. Love people. Live design. That is the motto of Freedom International Ministries, and it’s one that has significant meaning to the Beck family and many of our employees.
Categories: CropTalk, 2021
Tags: CropTalk, freedom international, sweepstakes, beck foundation
The ever-popular PFR Book that many of you know and utilize on your operation is not the only publication the Practical Farm Research (PFR)® team at Beck’s develops. We also publish a PFR Wheat Book each year!
Tags: CropTalk, Wheat, PFR, PFR Proven
Farmers and others in the agricultural community have waited patiently since June for a decision regarding the labeled use of approved dicamba containing herbicide formulations for use within the Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® (X2) and XtendFlex® (XF) soybean systems. The wait is finally over, and farmers now have another valuable tool to combat herbicide resistance.
Tags: CropTalk, weed control, epa approval
Charcoal rot is a fairly common disease in dry portions of the U.S. where soybeans are grown. Most years, it's easy to find charcoal rot in areas of Missouri and Kansas; however, the disease is typically challenging to find in geographies further to the east and north.
Tags: CropTalk, charcoal rot, soybean rot, charcoal soybeans
Consumers continue to drive demand for organic crops, and the need to better understand organic systems and products has created an opportunity for PFR testing to help farmers who may be interested in the system. In 2020, Beck's dedicated a section of our Indiana PFR site exclusively to organic testing. In 2021, we plan to do the same at our IA PFR site in hopes to have multi-location testing that focuses solely on organic systems and products.
Tags: CropTalk, PFR, organic, organic transition
"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!" (Psalm 133:1)
"The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me." (John 17:22-23)
Tags: CropTalk, The Sower
1
Dec
2020
Innovative. Comprehensive. Practical. Proven. All concepts that describe the content in the 2020 PFR Book — coming soon online and to a mailbox near you — plus the upcoming 2021 virtual PFR Insight meetings. Jam-packed with more data-driven decision-making information than ever, the 2020 PFR Book will include harvest results and observations from six PFR sites and three cooperator locations. Our 2021 PFR Insight Meeting content will be focused on what in-season management products and practices can bring the greatest profitability to the farm.
Categories: CropTalk, 2020
Tags: CropTalk, PFR Proven, PFR Studies, 2020 pfr, pfr insight
German chemist Justus von Liebig is often credited with ushering in the modern era of soil chemistry and plant nutrition. In the mid-1800s, von Liebigs’ research and discovery led to the development of the first nitrogenbased commercial fertilizer. Since then, soil scientists and agriculturalists around the world have endeavored to understand and manage the use of these fertilizers in corn production. Managing nitrogen (N) for corn production is a difficult task due to the complexities of the nutrient and the hundreds, if not thousands, of factors that influence N in the soil and plants.
Tags: CropTalk, corn hybrids, Nitrogen, nitrogen utilization
The first question I will ask is, do the hybrids you plant today look like the hybrids your dad planted 30 years ago? The answer is no.
Tags: CropTalk, Nutrients, hybrid nutrients
For many of the most frequently applied nutrients, broadcast applications on the soil surface are often the most common method of application. However, in some areas, deep banding of fertilizer is gaining popularity. The placement of deep banded fertilizer is 5 to 8 in. below the soil surface in a highly concentrated band. Often, producers will utilize GPS guidance to plant directly over these highly concentrated bands of nutrients.
Tags: CropTalk, fertilizer, fertilizer placement, deep fertilizer placement
"When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy." (Matthew 2:10)
"But the angel said to them “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:10)
13
Nov
If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime. That’s how the proverb goes. And while the age-old adage has been claimed by many cultures over the years, it’s not really who said it that matters but rather, what was said.
For Kenton and Autumn Hofer from Bridgewater, South Dakota, it’s a belief they stand behind and commit themselves to fulfilling.
Tags:
2
Farmers deal with so much out of their control – weather extremes, commodity prices, land values. With these factors in play, stress is not hard to fi nd on a farm. But that does not mean that farmers should have to bottle up their stress and anxiety until it starts wearing on their physical, mental, and emotional health.
Tags: CropTalk, farming takes hope
Location leads from three of Beck’s six Practical Farm Research (PFR)® sites are eager to share their answers on common questions stemming from the 2020 growing season. Location Lead Caleb Shoemaker provides insight on what’s happening at the Colfax, Iowa, site along with Clayton Stuffl ebeam from the Central Illinois (El Paso) site and Brady Rogers from our Indiana PFR site.
Tags: CropTalk, PFR
Benjamin Franklin once said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” This quote can be applied to weed management today. Preventing weeds from emerging protects yield. University data indicates that growers will sacrifice 2.5% of their final yield for every leaf stage that a postemerge application is delayed. When it comes to post-emerge applications, the best weed to control is a weed that never emerged.
Tags: CropTalk, SOA, power in the pre
The soil's ability to cycle essential crop nutrients is undervalued in agriculture today. Considering that a large percentage of our crop budgets revolve around fertility, we need fi rst to understand how to utilize the nutrients already contained in the soil, and the previous year's crop residues. Microbes can help with this. One of the critical components to achieving a proper cycling soil is its microbial population. Fortunately, many factors contributing to a healthy soil's microbial population are controllable.
Tags: CropTalk, microbes, cycling nutrients
Agronomists get many calls during a typical growing season when things aren't going right in corn and soybean fi elds in the geographies that we cover. Most of the time, problems are caused by common diseases or insects. Sometimes, though, we receive calls about damage to plants that is caused by uncommon pests.
Tags: CropTalk, pest alert, corn blotch leafminer, corn leafminer
“Know therefore today, and take it to your heart, that the Lord, He is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other.” Deuteronomy 4:39
Oct
It's too good to be true. It sounds like a gimmick.
Many farmers have these sentiments when they first hear about Beck’s Commitment Rewards program, but how do those feelings change as they begin to take advantage of the program?
Tags: CropTalk, commitment rewards
Location Leads from three of the six Beck’s Practical Farm Research (PFR)® sites are eager to share their answers on common questions from the 2020 growing season. Jonathan Perkins, Southern Illinois (SIL) Location Lead, will provide insights on what’s happening at the Effingham, Illinois, site, Jared Chester from the London, Ohio, PFR facility, and Brandon Somers from the Henderson, Kentucky, location.