On June 21, the Summer Solstice occurs. The Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. The days that follow will begin to shorten by about 2 minutes per day. Significance of the Summer Solstice The significance for the Summer Solstice is its effect on photo period sensitive plants, such as…
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On June 16—Monday evening—a storm front that moved through various regions of Iowa. This caused some green snap in some of our corn fields. Green snap can be a problem from V5 to V8—10-to-20 inch tall corn—and again from V12 thru tasseling. Green snap is caused by High winds. Selected growth stages where the corn plant is dramatically…
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On the 10th day of June, a lot of cornfields looked great. However, there are still some really bad looking cornfields. I would consider these problem fields to have some or most of the following situations present. Problem observations Nodal root system development is too small or developing slowly. Planting depth was too shallow or too…
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Observations In late May, I was surprised at the large percentage of soybean acres still to be planted in the three “I” states. Generally, those late planting dates—late May—significantly impact your final soybean yields and gross income per acre. A 2 bu/a-to-5 bu/a yield loss due to late planting could be costing you $25 to $60…
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Observations Many of the cornfields are looking great. However, there are some cornfields that have significant problems. The following is a summary listing the various factors that could be creating the growth and nutrient uptake problems. Problems The corn plant could be transitioning from the kernel supplying its nutrient requirements to one that relies on the…
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On May 5, 2014, we planted seven different corn varieties at our Agronology 10 Research Center. All varieties came from the same seed company. I am limiting my remarks, at this time, to the five corn varieties planted on ground where soybean were the previous crop in 2013. Observations What I am finding is a…
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Question Why would I apply 20-0-4-2s instead of 32% N at side dressing? Answering the question The following is a list of agronomic reasons why 20-0-4-2s is a better investment for the corn crop. You would be applying N, K, and S to your current crop instead of just N. Many times N isn’t the…
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Question This morning, May 12, a local farmer asked about planting depth for his soybeans in our currently dry soils. Recommendations I would suggest a planting depth for soybeans in the 1 inch to 1.5 inch depth. I try to plant my own soybeans in our stale seed bed at 1-to-1.25 inches of depth. Tomorrow,…
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On Monday, May 5, 2014, we planted our corn plots at the Agronology 10 Research Center. Our 8:00 a.m. soil temperature was 44°F at 4 inches of depth. By the next day—May 6—our 8:00 a.m. soil temperature had risen to 48°F. On May 6, we planted our soybean plots. In the last 10 years—2005 thru 2014—I have only…
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For many individuals, weather is a major question or concern this spring. I will reflect that last year (2013), I was planting corn on April 30 and soybeans on May 1 at our Agronology 10 Research Center. This year, I am waiting for the soil to dry out to begin planting. Some people have commented that they…
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