From the Fields: Ahead of the curve

We had almost 3 inches of rain this past week, which was a huge blessing. Before this, we weren’t seeing much drought stress, but with 90-degree days, it takes a lot of moisture to keep the crop in good condition. The early corn really looks amazing and the ears I’ve pulled pollinated well with some impressive kernel counts. I had a couple ears that set 18 rows around and average 40 long. If taken all the way through grain fill, that will result in outstanding corn this fall. The only problem is that’s a big if. There are a lot of variables going on between now and grain fill. The beans are loading up with pods and some are still setting blooms. They took a leap after this rain and took on a darker green color from the micronutrients we put down with the fungicide and insecticide. Half our corn and beans have already been already been sprayed with the blend and we’re waiting for the rest to get to the appropriate growth stage so the rest can be applied. These rains should speed that along and keep things moving toward the finish line for this fall.

I’m still on weed patrol. The war on weeds is a never-ending battle and the battle rages on. We’re mowing roadsides and waterways and spraying field boarders for those pesky weeds we all hate to see. I was finally able to put up some field signs on a few of our customers fields and walked their crops to get an idea on what’s going on.

I got a call on some corn that was going down in spots already, which had me raising my eyebrow. I wasn’t sure what could be causing this so early. We haven’t had much wind and it appeared to be in isolated pockets out in the field. I pulled some good plants out and inspected the roots and cut into the stalks to see if I could find any diseases or pests working. I pulled the bad plants and found what was disappointing — rootworms had eaten over half the root system on the majority of the plants, which was causing them to go down. Unfortunately, at this point there is nothing the grower can do, but it’s important to diagnose what’s going on rather than guessing. Now this customer will know corn on corn is out of the question for next season and when they rotate back they might want to go with a stacked trait or up the seed treatment to the highest level for added protection.

We haven’t seen much disease or pest pressure yet, but I saw a map of southern rust movement and it has been confirmed in a couple counties in Indiana. This is why protecting your crop is so important. It might not get here, but if you see it in your corn, it’s already too late, so getting out ahead of the curve is a must.

I told you all last week we had some exciting news to share. No, we didn’t hit the lottery and buy and island down in the Caribbean. And, no, we aren’t expecting another child. But I decided to take on another seed dealership to better suit our customers’ needs. We are still primarily an LG Seeds dealer, but they will not have an E3 soybean lineup for next season and the majority of our growers have stated they want the E3 technology. We hooked up with a family-owned seed company, Merschman Seed from West Point, Iowa. They focus on the E3 soybeans and wheat, so it’s a great fit for us to add to our portfolio to better serve our customers.

Merschman is geared toward the farmers and because they are a smaller company, they have the ability to truly care about the industry and people involved with them. They are less corporate, which allowed them to make decisions with the farmer in mind, which is how it should be across the board. We are the only dealers around for them other than the Illinois-Indiana state line. We’re excited to get the word out and can’t wait to start new relationships with potential clients and build on the ones we already have. Selling season is right around the corner and we are ready to hit the ground running.

I know it’s early still, but I encourage you to start thinking of a plan for next year and see what your bottom line looks like headed into the 2021 season. We need to stay smart on these markets and take opportunities when we see them. Start thinking about what’s to come and take some of the challenges this year and see what we can do to help ourselves for the next season. Hope everyone had a great week.

Hope, Ind.