At the Agronology 10 Research Center at Walcott, Iowa, in the last four years (2011-2014) the soybean yields have truly been outstanding. The package of management factors employed has included: Early planting date Ready 2 Yield Soybeans with excellent disease control packages Good soil test P & K values 91% of the soybeans had a…
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I have finished harvesting both our corn and soybeans at the Agronology 10 Research Center on September 30, 2014. Harvesting surprises One of the biggest fall harvesting surprises occurred on Tuesday, September 30, 2014. On Tuesday evening, we began harvesting our maturity group 2.9 soybeans with temperatures in the middle 80’s. Wednesday morning it was cold (55°),…
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Question What is the effect of the cool to cold weather on crops in September? Cold weather on corn For corn, the influence of this cool weather is additional days to build yield by delaying crop maturity. However, by delaying maturity—black layers—later in the month of September, the crop will dry down more slowly, resulting…
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Observations Yesterday, September 11, I drove back from a meeting in Kansas City. Along I-80 & I-35, very few cornfields had been harvested. However, several fields in the general Kansas City area appeared to be ready for harvest. But massive amounts of rain received on September 9-10 will be delaying the beginning of harvest along the IA-MO…
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Question When should we begin to program the start of our Fall 2014 harvest for both corn and soybeans? Method 1 One method would be to look back at the past four year’s starting dates and calculate an average starting date for this year. Using this method for our corn, we would have a starting date…
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Rain update At the Ag 10 Research Center, we finally received a rain event after having been missed for 28 straight days. Last Friday and Saturday, the 22 and 23 of August, we received 2.8 inches of rain. This significant rain event will assist both our corn and soybean crops during the grain filling process. We…
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Observations I am observing our pastures during this extended period of no rainfall. During this dry period, the growth and production of pastures have dramatically decreased. During this droughty period, the pastures need time to regrow (minimum of 21 days) and some additional nitrogen (30 to 50 lbs. N/A and 10 lbs. Sulfur/A). The pasture needs these…
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Development for our crops is progressing, but several different factors are affecting the relative development for this crop. Development factors Moisture availability. Previous crop. Maturity rating for the crop. All of these factors will affect our perception of how this crop is developing. This week I looked at samples from our Agronology 10 Research plot…
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In late July you are able to see the fruits of your labor in your corn and soybean fields. Now is the time to evaluate your fields with a critical eye. Determine what is working and what needs possible revision or change. Potential items to consider What corn varieties are giving you the greatest ear girth…
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Starting at about 4:00 p.m. thru 9:30 p.m. on June 30, 2014, the weather in Walcott dealt a blow to our corn crops. We experienced long periods of 40-to-60 mile/hour winds, from 3-to-6 inches of rain, and a lot of lightning. As a result of this weather event, a few trees were lost, lots of tree branches ended…
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