Harvest around the corner....are you ready?

Harvest is almost here. I found my first bit of black layered corn today. It was 97 day corn south of Dickens. The husks were open and it will be ready in about 2 weeks if it stays nice. Have you been watching your corn begin to change color? I have been out in a lot of corn. I am looking for fields that should be harvested first and fields that should be able to stand awhile. In one instance I found a later variety that will need to go first at a higher moisture because we found some stalks that we were able to squeeze very easily. A strong wind could jepordize the harvested yield for a otherwise great looking corn hybrid. My advice is take a little time and look at your fields. Know where the various hybrids are in each field and know if you need to harvest first or even ahead of the beans to get it into the bin at its maximum potential. You paid for the inputs and have hopefully marketed at the good commodity prices we ware seeing. You deserve to get it into the bin too. Remember that we lose about a .5 - .8 point of moisture per day under average drying conditions. If the husks are open and the ears get the air they can crash even faster. Tighter husks will possibly slow down dry down. It will still pay to take out 17-19% corn this year if the stalks are lodging or blowing over.

Beans will be coming along on a couple weeks as well. Do you know what your fertility plans are for the next crop? Do you know if you plan on rotating or doing continuous corn? If your field needs soil samples let your agroinomist know now. A little planning now helps ensure tasks are completed in a timely fashion this fall. Remember that if your yields are improving to fertilize for that. The old 23-60-60 or 31-80-80 is no longer the standard two year fetilizer blend if you are trying for 180+ bu. corn and 60+ bu. beans. If you attended our answer plots this summer you saw how fertilizer applied for each year was showing better results from a plant health, harvest timing, and yield points of view.

These componets all come together as R7. The right genetics for the right soil type at the right plant population in the right cropping system with the right traits fed the right plant nutrition defended with the right crop protection. See one of Green Plains Agronomist today to see how we can fit into your farm operation and assist you in making the right choices for success.

Post Applications and Mixing Order

As we begin to think about post emergence applications, make sure you visit with your application teams and farmers about the proper mixing order. It is very important with all herbicides, but becomes critical when adding micronutrients to the tank. Follow these simple steps:

The DALE Sequence
Create the best environment for chemistry compatibility with this general mixing rule:
Dry flowables: add these to water in the mix tank first.
Agitate to fully disperse chemicals; begin agitation before adding chemicals.
Liquid chemicals: add liquids or flowables while continuing to agitate.
Emulsified concentrates (ECs): add these next.

After the DALE sequence, surfactants and oils are generally added last.

Micronutrient/Glyphosate Mixing Sequence
For maximum activity, glyphosate and/or micronutrients need to be added in the correct order.
1. Fill the tank halfway with water.
2. Class Act® NG® or AMS, to condition water.
3. Add micronutrients, then more water.
4. Add glyphosate.
5. Use the DALE sequence for remaining products.

A few extra minutes mixing things properly can save a lot of time versus cleaning out a tank that is no longer a sprayable liquid or if you have to respray the field.

Spring 2010: Corn and Cold Weather . . . When to Spray

Spring 2010: Corn and Cold Weather . . . When to Spray

I'm sure that you've come face to face with the cold weather we've seen over the last few days. This brings me to a very important issue . . .

DON'T SPRAY THE CORN THAT'S ALREADY UP WHEN WEATHER IS THIS COLD!! !

Here's why:

• The corn was growing normally prior to the cold & wet weather system now in place; so were the weeds and grasses. It was appropriate to spray the fields prior to the weather system moving in, however, we should wait for actively growing weeds and a growing crop before spraying again. With good growing weather, the weeds & grasses were developing a very thin cuticle layer, which was really easy to penetrate with chemicals you applied. Remember, the corn plant gets covered with just as much chemical as the weeds do. Cold weather really slows the chemical breakdown process (metabolism) in the corn plant. At the same time, the plant is not actively growing and may struggle to metabolize the chemical which can add further injury to the crop. When it is this cold, weeds are not actively growing either, which is what we chemical companies stress for successful post-application results. The corn and weeds are still alive, yet they are growing at a very reduced pace when it's cold. Keep in mind when temperatures are below 50° degrees F, the corn is not accumulating any heat units needed for crop growth.
  
• You're probably not going to be happy with your kill if you spray ANY CHEMICAL in these cold conditions, and besides, you might ding your corn. Avoid this heartache.
  

How long do we have to wait before we can do our post-applications? Opinions vary on this, but a general guideline would be to wait until neither the nighttime nor daytime temperatures drop below 60 degrees. Also, the corn should be allowed at least 48-72 hours to start actively growing before any spray application occurs. Makes for safer corn, deader weeds.

Greg Alexander

Sales Representative

712-395-1026

galexander@dow.com

Assessing Frost Damage on Corn and Soybeans

Here is some information from Steve Barnhart. Since we had some frost Sunday morning I thought maybe there would be soem folks worried about the affects.

Frost hit many areas of the Midwest this weekend. Fortunately in most of these areas much of the corn and soybeans are either not planted or they have not emerged. However, in Missouri and other more southern areas of the Midwest, these crops have emerged and are susceptible to injury. Frost issues create a number of grower questions as to their effect on emerged corn and soybeans. The following may help answer some of these questions.

When ever frost occurs and crops are damaged, growers request help in assessing the extent of the crop damage. Often they want someone to come the same day or day following a frost. To more accurately diagnose the extent of damage and chances of recovery, examination of affected plants should be delayed for a few days (usually a minimum of 3-4 days) following the frost.

Generally speaking, final stands and yield of corn are not affected by frost that occurs during the 4-leaf stage of growth and earlier. Above ground plant tissue can be frozen, turn gray, and wilt; however, the growing point which is below the soil surface at this stage of growth is generally not affected. If weather conditions should warm up, normal growth would be expected to occur. If weather conditions following a frost remain cool and wet, instead of drying up, above ground leaf tissue may begin to decay. This decay or mold can move down in the plant and eventually affect the growing point. The duration of below freezing temperatures is also important. If freezing temperatures persist for more than just a couple of hours, the growing point (even below ground) may be affected.

At about the 5-leaf stage of growth, the growing point is at the soil surface and will be above ground with further growth. The growing point is in the center of the developing above ground stalk and is protected somewhat from freezing conditions; however, there is a greater risk of significant damage compared to earlier growth stages.

To assess the damage to young corn seedlings, dig up a number of plants and carefully dissect them to expose the growing point. On 4-leaf corn, the growing point will generally be 0.5-1" below the soil surface. If the growing point is firm and not a discolored gray, tan or brown, normal growth will occur as the weather warms up. A water-soaked, discolored growing point indicates that the growing point is injured and probably dead. Too often growers jump the gun and replant when all that was actually damaged was some leaf tissue resulting in cosmetic damage, but no real yield or stand reductions.

Unlike corn, the growing point on soybean seedlings is above ground from emergence on. Soybeans can actually withstand temperatures lower than corn without significant damage; however, the growing point is exposed making them more susceptible to freezing temperatures. All of the leaf tissue on soybeans may be injured and turn black or brown and the soybean plant can still recover. There are axillary buds located at the attachment area of the cotyledons, unifoliate and trifoliate leaves that can develop if the leaves and terminal growing point are damaged. As long as these axillary buds are not damage by the frost, the plant can recover.

To assess the extent of damage to soybeans caused by freezing conditions, you need to examine the plants to see if just the leaf tissue is affected or whether the axillary buds have also been damaged. Axillary buds located at each node need to be examined. If the buds are dark green or black, the plant is probably dead. Again, like in corn, don't be too hasty in making a replant decision. Give it several days to determine what percent of the actual stand is affected. Soybeans can compensate very well for stand reductions early in the season.

Steve Barnhart

Regional Agronomist – Winfield Solutions

712-943-4690

Planting Time

How do you decide when to hook up the planter and put the corn in? Is it by the calendar? Do you wait until your neighbor is planting? Do you want to beat your neighbor to the field? Do you always wait until the ground is fit?
These are good questions and responses we often hear. We are curious what makes you decide. The best window is probably April 15 - May 10. This is actually a large window. If you plan for the 15th, but it rains or the field isn't ready yet. You can wait until the next week and so on and still get planted within that window in most cases.
Another bit of advice is to call a week ahead and get on the schedule for your fertilizer applications. You can always call and reschedule if the fields aren't ready, but at least you will be in the schedule. This will make the whole system work a little smoother and potentially allows you to not have to wait for your fertilizer.
We'd like to hear your comments on planting timing.

Let the thawing commence

March is finally here! That usually means longer days, slightly warmer temperatures, and the possibility of lousy, wet weather. This week we should see some thawing especially if the night time temperatures don't drop to dramatically.
If you have been in the country you have noticed the tiles and creeks have been running for a while now. Two weeks ago ISU reported that the 4 inch soil depth temp. was about 31 degrees F. I would say we are thawing from the bottom up. This combined with gradual thawing could lessen some flooding. However we experienced lots of fog this winter so I would guess we will have a rather rainy end of March and April.
What does this mean? Soil conditions will probably be difficult. Timing for tillage, fertilizer applications, & planting will be difficult. We will be trying to be as on the time as possible with applications, but stress and tension will no doubt be high again this spring. What can you do to help make spring work as smooth as possible? Meet with your sales agronomist in March. Plan your fields. What work needs done? What order will they likely be done in? When will your seed be delivered? Can you make crop plans and work orders now? Taking care of these house keeping items in March will potentially make April and May work much less stressful.
What concerns should you have about Nitrogen management when there is a wet spring threat? If you are on a Nitrogen management plan trying to use precision planting techniques you may need to look at the soil types again to check the leaching risks for those soil types so you can be prepared to manage loss.
Fall NH3 applications have the possibility of experiencing added losses to an extra wet spring. Be prepared to side-dress nitrogen or add some over the top pre-plant nitrogen fertilizer.
If your planning on putting all your nitrogen on pre-plant watch for losses if we have excess rains. React by side dressing. Another option would be to use nitrogen inhibitors such as Instinct.

We have been waiting for months to start a new season. Spring is marked on the calender in 20 days. Let's hope for spring weather too.

Time to Check Your Grain Quality Again

Grain quality will become an issue again soon. Please be checking your bins. As the days begin to warm up again problems that existed in the fall will begin to fester again.

Here are the points to the concerns:

The corn was wet - 20% or higher sometimes

Test weights were low. They didn't often increase after drying.

Low protein was common.

Storage life is about half of normal corn at the same moisture and temperatures.

One comment I hear a lot is "I dried the corn down to 12 or 13% last fall it will be fine." This may be true, but more often than not this year you could still see issues. Hot spots can form form the higher FM we have been seeing this year. Take the cores out to help remove the trash.

Inspect your corn weekly and record the temperatures. Changes(increases) in temperature over time without fan activity are an indication that the corn is beginning to spoil. Spoiling corn will continue to be problem until it is moved out.

Mold damage was higher than normal last fall. It was running around 3-5%. Normally we only see about 1-2%. It was often cladisporium which doesn't produce toxins.

Here is a list of items you can do now:

Record the temperature, moisture, test weight of grain in every bin. This will be key for later decisions.

If you have corn wetter than 20% or higher, dry or move asap.

Market your lightest to heaviest test weight.

If possible remove grain form each bin in early March. Check & re-level.

If your temperatures go up move immediately.

Test protein and toxins levels if feeding grain.

Remember that damage levels were high coming out of the fields in the fall. It would make since that we will still have damage coming out of storage. This will make blending to make good corn difficult. Corn will be graded at delivery and expect that there will be discounts if you have high damage. Good quality corn will be in demand this summer. It will pay to keep checking your grain.

300/100 Club

If you aren't living under a rock somewhere you have heard or seen a seed company commercial boasting that their hybrids will yield better. While we have enjoyed an average of 2% increase in yield that past 10-20 years some of the yield increase can be associated to more than better hybrids and genetic modifications. We will continue to trumpet the importance of the R7 Strategy. 300/100 requires it.







What is the 300/100 club. Monsanto and Pioneer both have goals of achieving 300 bushel corn averages and 100 bushel soybean averages with there hybrids and varieties in the next couple decades. We were at 165 bushel last year. That's a long way to go, but not impossible.







Let's look at a few concepts. Genetics x Environment = Yield (GxE=Y). This idea supposes that you select the correct genetic hybrids multiplied by the environment that you have to maximize yield. Basically you need to know the R7 to select the right hybrid or variety.







The first step in setting a 300/100 goal is selecting the right soils. Let's think about 2 things. First think water: water holding capacity, drainage, rooting depth, soil structure. Second think nutrients: soil pH, organic matter (topsoil depth), very high soil test P & K. Generally speaking the better the CSR rating you will see a better potential to reach the 300/100 goal.







The second step to the 300/100 club is selecting the best crop rotation. Data suggests that soybeans will yield better in a rotation versus in a continuous system. Long term university data has also shown that typically the yields of continuous corn are 5-15% lower than those for corn following other crops such as soybean or alfalfa. However, consistent high yielding continuous corn is achievable.







Th next step is to look at populations. For 300 bushel corn most producers will have to increase corn populations. The assumption is modern day hybrids are more stress tolerant than hybrids 5 years ago. Why is this? Traits, improvement in genetics through conventional breeding and molecular marker breeding techniques have all played roles. Croplan Genetics has done extensive population studies associated with their hybrids and have assigned Response To Population (RTP) scores. The scales slides from 1-20. One is the least responsive, plants have very flex ears, and 20 being most responsive, plants have very fixed ears. According to ISU extension studies Midwest Corn Plant Populations from 2001-2009 have increased. In Iowa an average of +398 ppa/year and Minnesota +367 ppa/year was documented.



If you look at high populations you usually notice a stalk diameter change in high populations. Each plants root zone uses around 8" diameter. If you are planting 30" rows at 32,000 plants/ac the distance is 6.6" between plants. How do we allow more plants and more room at the same time. 20" rows 9.8" at 32,000 plants/ ac, and 15" rows will give 13.1" between plants. Planting this way gives a hexagonal arrangement of 6 plants around each plant. 15" rows are almost equidistant. There are still studies collecting data to identify the best row spacing. Try doing some research and experiment to determine the best row spacing for you. But be prepared to change your practices from time to time to maximize yield.





Pest Management is another part of the equation for achieving 300/100 status. For maximum impact there is no room for bad timing. Generally if you find yourself wondering if you should should spray or not, it's probably to late. Maybe consider in furrow insecticides and pre-herbicides are a no brainer. Timing, Timing, Timing of post herbicides is critical - 4 inches weed max. Fungicides at VT stage should be used every year depending on hybrid.





100 bushel soybeans are achievable to. Palle Pederson remarks "We don't get high yield by making wrong management decisions". Similar to corn variety, crop rotation, planting date, row spacing, and fertility decisions are critical for soybeans. Row spacing in Iowa shows a 4 to 4.5 bushel advantage in 15 inch rows over 30 inch rows. You'll have to decide if that is enough to make changes in your practices. Crop protections tips for maximum bean production include using Fungicides, insecticides, and innoculant treatments. Another no brainer is a pre-emergent herbicide. Again post timing is critical. Spray weeds less than 4 inches or about 24 days after planting. Scout, Scout, Scout for bean leaf beetles and aphids. Be ready to pull the trigger. There is a 1.6 bushel per day by delaying aphid spraying. Foliar fungicides generally work. The world record soybean yields have consistently been sprayed with 3 applications of fungicide.





Finally we arrive at plant nutrition. Higher yields continue to deplete our nutrient reserves. Remember you need to be able to adjust your fertility program to achieve higher yields. The law of minimums dictate how much production you achieve. In order they are moisture, length of growing season, & fertility. It's simply amazing what 300/100 bushel crops uptake. Corn would use 225-132-87 and beans would use 400-80-140. Also consider some of the micro nutrients that become necessary to supplement. Fertility can be tough with nitrogen management always a moving target. Do you have good timing? Is there availability? How can we increase nutrient uptake/diffusion? Expand root exploration, higher nutrient levels in soil, soil moisture content and placement. Plant roots must go to immobile nutrients like phosphorus and potassium. Simply keep on top of soil test levels and maintain them. Don't let fertility be a limiting factor.





Let's visit the right genetics again. All corn hybrids have 300 bushel potential, and all soybean varieties have 100 bushel potential. All products being sold are good. Placement is everything when selecting. The best genetics still need managed properly. Remember GxE=YIELD. Not all of our fields are the perfect environment. even the best fields are not perfect on every acre.





Considerations for 300/100 crops include:


Products with high yields and a nice defensive package ( examples N/W hybrids, RC 2257)





Products that will respond to management for the future ( row spacing-need correct plant architecture)





Medium maturities - best able to capitalize on the average season that occurs





Reduce stress in your fields - more important early in corn and later in soybeans





Consistency down the row requires stress tolerance.





Achieving the 300/100 club can and is being accomplished. The best producers are using the R7 strategy. The R7 placement strategy when utilized with the expertise of the local agronomist, can bring tremendous value to your operation.

Stand Problems & Achieving Uniform Plant Stands

The R7 Placement Strategy is how we approach each season when we are developing a crop plan for the year. Part of getting all 7 aspects correct is proper planting. We all know that limited time really plays into how fast you are likely to plant. Weather you have thousands of acres to plant or you work full time and only have nights and weekends to get the job done you probably have bumped up your speed a time or two. I'll just add that if you plant row crops for 35 years you only hopefully plant 35 times. If you get it wrong 3 or 4 times that is 10% of your income for those 35 years that are affected.



Smooth Planter Operation


The major causes of poor plant to plant spacing are seed and worn/damaged parts. 30" rows are planted at 5.5 mph to achieve 30,000 seeds per acre meaning each row drops 14 seeds per second. A machine gun shoots about 12 rounds per second. A delay in seed drop by 1/30 of a second results in the seed dropping 3.2 inches further down-row than expected.

Finger pickups target speeds will change based on row width, planting rate, & seed size. If you go to fast doubles increase and conversely to slow will allow more skips. On vacuum planters seed size and planting rates can effect accuracy. Slower planter speed has less impact. Higher planter speeds will decrease drops.


What is the cost of doubles? A low level of doubles (less than 10%) usually do not decrease yield.

30000 ppa x 5% doubles / 80000 seeds per unit x $300 unit x 500 acres = $2820

What are some common causes of seed drop errors: worn parts, improper adjustment, build-up of dirt or seed treatment in seed meter, & operation speed. As growers you are always looking for ways to manage your risk. Planter maintenance and good operation of the equipment is one huge variable that you can control.

Stand Establishment

Emergence is the report card for your efforts. We can go and evaluate your stand row by row and give a report card for your planter. When compiling this data we look at seed depth. What is the ideal planting depth? Should you try and trick mother nature and plant shallower or deeper because of environmental situations?

The ideal depth for corn is 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches. You are trying to get about a 1/2 inch below the moisture line. To shallow and you will have slow water absorption and poor nodal root development. Plant to deep and you will have emergence delays along with reduced seedling vigor. To insure proper and accurate seed depth make sure rocker arm assemblies on gauge wheels are working smoothly. Replace worn openers. It may be tempting to avoid replacing worn planter parts like the openers but you will reduce furrow depth and possibly have poor seed to soil contact. A good opener will leave a "V" shaped furrow while a worn opener leaves a "W" shaped furrow. Additionally manage residue in front of furrow openers.

In summary remember these points:

• Plant spacing and seed depth are often affected by planting too fast.



• Optimal planting speed is 4-5 mph - never over 6!!!!

-Growers can be tempted to speed up because the manual states meters can handle faster speeds - and that is true!

• Planter is not designed for speed - increased speed and resulting bouncing causes:
  

-Shallower planting

- Ricocheting in seed tube causing skips and doubles

Remember the R7 placement strategy and achieving maximum return starts with you.

Soybeans and Nitrogen Credits

I was recently reading an article about N credit and soybeans by Dr. George Rehm. Often when doing planning for fertilizer programs for corn following soybeans crop advisors use an "N credit". There is general agreement that there is about 40lb/acre credit for the corn follwing soybeans. He asks what is the basis for this credit? Does it need to be adjusted with higher soybean yields?

We assume that the N credit occurs from the decomposition of the soybean residue remaioning after harvest and the N in the nodules of the roots. Dr. Rehm suggests that after analyzing the residue and root system includiong the nodules, the total does not equal 40lN/acre. He states it is usually significantly less. SO are we still sure there is a credit if 40lb. N/acre. Dr Rehm says yes.

Dr. Rehm included results of a study from the Southern Research and Outreach Center at Waseca and they document the reality of the credit. After 11 years of studies examining the effects of N on corn on corn and corn following soybeans the 40lb N/acre "credit" existed.

In Wisconsiin a study was conducted on beans without nodules. Despite no nodules thier results still agreed with thiose from the Souhthern Research and Outreach Center.

Dr Rehm then asks if the nodules are not needed for the "N credit" what is the basis for the "N credit"? He replies that it is not well defined. Soybeans do have a positive effect on a variety of soil properties. An exmple of water filtration being higher after a soybean crop is cited. Also more rapid decomposition of soil organic matter has been measured after a soybean crop. He states after all factors are collectively considered the positive effect is 40lb N/acre.

Many times I hear growers claim that they use a "credit " of 1 lb.N/acre for each bu./acre soybeans produced. This method does not work and should not be used based on the research that has been done on this topic.

After reading Dr. Rehm's article I agree with his conclusion that the N credit is real and should be used by corn producers when making N recommendations for their fertilizer programs.

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