Customer Conversations: Albert O’Connor
Near the town of Columbus, Indiana – noted for its collection of modern architecture – you’ll find Albert O’Connor’s farm. Albert, along with wife Kim and son Jake, farm approximately 2,500 acres of corn, soybeans and seed corn, and run a small herd of Simmental and Angus cattle – most of them destined to shine […]
Beyond Relief: Building Farm Resilience When Prices Are Low
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced that applications are now open for $10 billion in economic assistance to farmers impacted by low commodity prices, according to a recent article by Agriculture.com. While this relief may provide temporary support, the real challenge remains: how to build resilient operations that don’t just survive downturns but […]
Impatience During Spring Tillage Can be a Costly Mistake
Spring tillage season is almost upon us. And so starts the annual crunch that is corn and soybean planting time. Over the years, most farms have gotten larger and larger, but the number of days to work the fields hasn’t changed. So the pressure on growers to start spring field work earlier and earlier intensifies, […]
N, P and K Critical at Planting — but Don’t Forget Sulfur
Starter fertilizer application and critical inputs like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are always common topics of conversation this time of year. Kent Klingbeil, a lead agronomist with Advanced Agrilytics, would also include another nutrient on that list: sulfur.
Decisions, Decisions: Growers Face Many as Planting Rolls On
Pull the planter out of the shed, fill the planter boxes and start putting seed in the ground. That’s all there is to it, right? No, and especially not this year with so many variables at play, says Aaron Gault, lead agronomist for Advanced Agrilytics.
Not only has a wet, cool spring presented challenging field conditions, but also input availability, cost, and wild swings in commodity prices have given growers a lot more to think about.
“Even before we dive into the prescriptive side of managing the crop it’s going to be about the planter and planter maintenance that we need to focus on,” Gault says. “A key part of that is making sure we have even emergence. And when you think of everything that affects that emerging seedling it goes back to how it is set into the trench. Are all the seeds planted at a consistent depth and are they all planted into moisture?”
The Race to Crop Canopy
For most growers, the success of a season is determined with the combine passes that tell us final yield. While this measurement has the most direct and tangible impact to a operation’s bottom line, how does each grower decide throughout the growing season if they are “on track” for their yield expectation or whether other measures should be taken? Most of us have important times during the growing season to assess the crop which most often occur at emergence where we assess stand establishment signifying a strong start and during or immediately after pollination to determine yield potential for the remainder of the year. These are key milestones, but another that seems to garner less attention is crop canopy.
Three Management Considerations for Early Planted Soybeans
Thinking about planting soybeans earlier this Spring? AJ Woodyard, lead agronomist, walks through some key management considerations growers should acknowledge prior to putting seeds in the ground.
To Fungicide or Not to Fungicide
The questions are flowing through your head as you plan your fungicide program for the new crop year. What worked in 2021? Will fungicide fit in the budget against other input costs? Seth Logan, Advanced Agrilytics precision agronomist in southern Illinois, reminds farmers of the importance of fungicide in 2022.
Benchmarking Soybean Performance Includes Review of Pre-plant Inputs
Challenges encountered by many Midwestern farmers in 2021 provided the opportunity for a strong review of pre-plant input decision in soybean fields, according to Advanced Agrilytics Precision Agronomist Erika Parker.
Corn Production Impacted by Significant Variables in 2021 Growing Season
Corn fields across the Midwest felt the impact of changing conditions this summer, according to Advanced Agrilytics Precision Agronomist Erika Parker.