Pioneer

The Illinois Society of Professional Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers honored two individuals for their contributions to agriculture and the profession at the group’s recent annual meeting.

There is always something to learn from a previous growing season. As the new year begins, it’s a great time for farmers to analyze results from their fields to make informed decisions for 2025.

Seed selection remains one of the most critical decisions a grower can make. The right seed, on the right acre, at the right rate, planted at the right time sets the foundation for yield potential and defense against weeds, pests and diseases.

Red crown rot is a concerning, relatively new disease to the Midwest that more farmers are finding in their fields. The pathogen was found in Illinois in 2018 and Indiana in 2022.

AgriNews has followed the Rahn family throughout the year. This is the last in a series of updates about the family members and the decisions they make on their farm.

A warm, dry fall gave the Rahn family the opportunity to finish harvest early and rain showers over the past several weeks improved the conditions for fall work.

Harvest is on pace for the Rahn family to finish earlier in 2024 than they have in many years.

Warm, dry weather is helping farmers in northern Illinois to quickly harvest corn and soybeans with little need to run the crops through a dryer prior to storage.

Corn harvest started on the Rahn farm at the middle of September, which is typical for them.

Wheat is strategically planted on the Rahn farm to provide opportunities for manure applications and tiling projects.

Agronomists at Pioneer advise farmers to keep scouting fields in August, even as corn and soybeans rapidly mature.

Wet and hot conditions in northern Illinois are impacting crop growth, as well as providing an opportunity for increased disease pressure this year.

Does your corn have stunted, yellowing plants along the edges of the field? If so, you’re not alone. It’s a common occurrence that agronomists call edge effect.

Berkeley Boehne and his brother, Vaughn, raise corn, soybeans and wheat on their DeKalb County farm, where they also feed pigs and operate a custom manure application business.

Stunted, yellowing corn plants along field edges have been attributed to herbicide drift, insect feeding and soil compaction over the years, but research suggests it’s due to edge effect.

Clay Geyer, former From the Fields columnist, is back this year to share updates from his farm in northern Indiana.

In the years leading up to being named president and CEO, Brian Barker was familiar with AgReliant Genetics. Then he received a call.

May is a good month to evaluate corn emergence as farmers scout fields.

Planting corn, soybeans, test plots and spraying pre-emerge herbicides had the members of the Rahn family moving through their fields in Carroll County toward the end of April.

Studies from Pioneer show that there are several benefits to early-planted soybeans. Research consistently demonstrates that the timing of soybean planting influences soybean yield.

Planting soybeans earlier than what was the norm back in the day is another way to drive yield, but don’t overlook soil conditions and the forecast.

In spite of challenges, corn-on-corn acreage remains a popular choice on many farms.

Snowfall and rain showers during the past month have improved the soil moisture conditions for Rahn family farm in northern Illinois.

Going back nearly a decade, even before the seed was tested in the field, plant breeder Don Kyle knew there was something special about Pioneer’s new Z-Series genetics.

Determining if soil is fit to work each spring plays a large role in yield potential, according to agronomists at Pioneer.

It’s best to have a plan before the planters roll out of the shed.

The Rahn family operates a centennial farm in northern Illinois that includes row crops, hay production, cattle feeding and a cow-calf herd.

Research continues to shed light on the importance of microorganisms to plants, according to experts at Corteva Agriscience.

This year, El Niño afforded growers throughout the Midwest a milder December, providing more time for late fall fertilizer applications and cover crop planting. On the downside, mild weather can lead to more winter annual weeds.

Winter is a good time to lay the groundwork for a successful growing season. Making a plan to manage pests and disease pressure can help farmers be more prepared when problems arise.

Pests and diseases are a given each growing season, but the degree of the pressure can vary drastically. After harvest, growers should be planning for the best course of action to deal with pests and disease pressure.

Genetic resistance to tar spot should be the No. 1 consideration when seeking to manage the disease. Picking the right seeds appears to have a greater impact on symptoms and yield loss than either cultural or chemical management practices.

What’s your goal with cover crops? That’s typically the first question an agronomist asks when a farmer is seeking advice on cover cropping decisions.

Adverse weather, stalk rots and other factors can cause lodged corn, which can be problematic at harvest. “Stressful conditions after flowering are what cause stalk issues,” said Carl Joern, Pioneer field agronomist.

Dave Kestel is well known on social media for his consistently positive attitude and his upbeat and patriotic photos that salute the American flag and the American farmer.

Properly timing corn and soybean harvest is a critical crop management decision. While an early harvest can reduce field losses, drying costs can increase. Likewise, harvesting later reduces drying costs, but may result in decreased crop quality and reduced yield.

On his way back to farm full time, Eric Ebersole is making a stop at Prairie State Tractor. “My end goal is to farm full time some day," said Ebersole, who graduated from Milledgeville High School.

A series of Shop Talks are on the calendar with the goal of setting farm policy priorities. Indiana Corn Growers Association and Indiana Soybean Alliance’s Membership and Policy Committee host the Shop Talks.

The smoke from Canadian wildfires reached levels across the Corn Belt this summer that impacted air quality and filtering sunlight with particulate matter, raising the question of its impact on crop productivity.

Red crown rot, a common southern U.S. fungal disease, made its way into Illinois soybean fields over the past few years.

With the recent emergence of red crown rot on soybeans, management options are limited and no rescue treatments are available to mitigate the plant damage once infection has been detected.

Chris Gould planted soybeans this year on some of the acres where he grew soybeans last year.

Black cutworms have been observed in traps in Illinois, primarily in counties across the center of the state.

Farmers should keep an eye out for black cutworm — an aggressive pest that arrives in the Corn Belt in late spring, feasting on many plants including corn.

Early droughts can have a lingering impact on corn plants, according to Pioneer agronomists.

Heat and drought stress on corn is not just a function of temperature, but also depends on the duration and timing of high temperatures, as well as the rate of temperature change.

Winter wheat acreage is up in Illinois and Indiana and farmers are checking their fields for yield-robbing diseases.

Wide temperature swings are a given each spring in the Midwest and often occur as those young corn and soybean plants are just getting established.

The ILSoyAdvisor Soy Envoys are a critical component to the Illinois Soybean Association’s agronomic advantage. These expert individuals are literally in the trenches and in the fields, studying soils, crop growth and pests and making recommendations to growers.

Emergence is a critical time to be scouting and evaluating soybean stands to ensure the crop is set up for success.