Corn and Soy Grower Boosts Production with Advanced Agrilytics
When Kyle Mehmen made some personnel changes a couple of years ago at MBS Family Farms, based near Plainfield, Iowa, he started shopping around for farm consulting services. A fifth-generation farmer who primarily grows corn and soybeans, he knew he wanted more than typical farm consulting. From his time working as a sales rep for […]
Assessing Crop Health & Making Decisions: Protecting Profitability in a Challenging Growing Season
In most of the Corn Belt, the growing season has been contentious to say the least. Some areas were able to plant early (prior to April 20), where cooler ambient and soil temperatures slowed emergence and early growth. Following that, and for many who planted after April 20, dry soil conditions and some days of […]
Go Or No Go? 3 Considerations For Planting Decisions And Emergence Watchouts
When variable weather across the corn belt strikes, the pressure to know when planting conditions are right for your operation weighs heavy. Do you go or do you wait? What do you really need to be accounting for as you weigh the factors to make that decision? Precision Agronomist Erika Parker shares three considerations for […]
Does Organic Matter, Matter?
Four Keys to Unlock Potential with Nitrogen Management As growers, we can often find ourselves in conversations bragging about how much — or lamenting about how little — organic matter we have based on our soil testing reports. While the importance of organic matter is generally understood, we continue to struggle as an industry to […]
Six Keys to Writing A Winning Corn Recommendation
A winning football team understands its strengths and weaknesses and also scouts their opponent to understand their tendencies, strengths and weaknesses. Winning coaches put their players in a position to succeed by building a game plan to take advantage of their talents and address their shortcomings. It’s no different when it comes to achieving high […]
Isolating the Mechanism: Top Dieback in Corn
At Advanced Agrilytics, we seek to understand the environment first and isolate the underlying mechanism that influences potential productivity. We’ve spent months walking side-by-side with growers. This time of year, we view yield as an outcome of the time and energy spent in proactively managing the crop during the growing season. At this point in […]
The Final Chapter: Protecting the Crop Factory Through Grain Fill
As we turn the calendar into the heart of summer, the growing season can feel similar to reading a book, each chapter building more excitement and anticipation until the final plot line is delivered. We worked hard in chapter 1 to establish the crop and begin what we call the Race to Canopy. The story […]
Does Every Acre Require the Same Nitrogen Application?
Traditionally, Nitrogen fertilizer (N) rates have been linked primarily to expected yield goals. However, with recent high N fertilizer costs, above average commodity prices, and unpredictable rainfall patterns, the focus on improved nitrogen management, reduced environmental risk, and maximizing yield potential has become more important than ever. For corn following soybeans, the traditional guidelines have […]
Does Every Acre Require the Same Nitrogen Application?
Traditionally, Nitrogen fertilizer (N) rates have been linked primarily to expected yield goals. However, with recent high N fertilizer costs, above average commodity prices, and unpredictable rainfall patterns, the focus on improved nitrogen management, reduced environmental risk, and maximizing yield potential has become more important than ever. For corn following soybeans, the traditional guidelines have […]
How to Scout for Common Foliar Diseases
In 2021, Illinois farmers saw an early uptick in tar spot outbreaks in corn across the state, says Erika Parker, precision agronomist at Advanced Agrilytics. In fact, she spotted the disease on July 22 in northern Illinois — one month earlier than typically experienced.
Why? A susceptible host, favorable environment and the pathogen occurred at the same time, and it just so happened to be one month ahead of previous years, which resulted in more people experiencing significant damage. The “disease pyramid” worked against crops and farmers last year.