Well it started off as a wet snowing morning again here in Southern Illinois so I found myself inside at the desk sorting out soils sample maps for what needs to be spring sampled.
The nightmare of it is that the particular farm I was working on this morning is like trying to undo a rats nest of bailing twine. Farms that are renamed, sold and split are making me pull my hair out. I figure I had better get use to it as this is going to be more common as farmers get larger and compettion for rent ground gets tougher. There still is the fact that these 20yr old plat books and hand drawn maps are an added unneeded addition to the mess.
Digital maps make this process a 20 minute job and not a 4-6 hour one like it has turned into. Why cant everyone use GPS, GIS, Google Maps and all the other nice, neat and clean ways to handle data. It just makes sense to handle data like this GIS and not paper in files with food stains and water marks. This is why I went GIS/digital years ago……..and have not regretted it one bit. Matter of fact it makes life as a soil sampler easy.
A hand drawn road map and field map on part of a fast food sack doesn’t get it. At least for me it doesn’t. After the last two hours, anyone who shows up here and needs a plat book map to do anything is so low tech that they will be showed the door. Get digital or get out. Make my life and yours a whole lot simpler. At least show me that your in the 21 Century…………
Part 3 of grids vs zones. You can down load the U of I Grid Testing Pamphlet Here as a PDF
Recommendations
There are two basic methods of making a fertility recommendation no matter how one samples the soil. You are either using either the Build and Maintain approach or the Nutrient Sufficiency system for making fertilizer recommendations. Both methods have their own strengths and weaknesses which are well known in the industry and the descriptions of both are well publicized on the web so I won’t take time to go into those here. Each has its place in the Corn Belt and in different management systems and the farmers approach to their cropping systems. The most important thing is to adapt one approach and stick with it during the initial phase of implementing your directed nutrient programs.
Assuming that you have done your best with either grids or zones to capture the true variability of nutrient levels and holding capacity in the field you have tested the next two steps in the process often result in why farmers are dissatisfied with their soil testing programs and the results they obtain. Both problems are a result of improper calibration or the methods used to make the recommendation. Because we introduce more variability into the system, the result of follow up testing is not “where it should be” based on the amount of nutrients applied to the soil. These two problems are crop removal/nutrient replacement and using yield maps to direct recommendations.
What goes wrong?
When using crop removal/nutrient replacement charts the result of subsequent soil test can show lower than expected nutrient levels in the soil. This is pretty common place here in my part of the Midwest. The reason I think is two fold and simple: first the crop removal charts are wrong or too low for our newer hybrids and second our soils clay types and holding capacities tend to tie up “fresh” fertilizers. Farmers and consultants need to do individual calibration of these removal charts for their soil types and cropping rotations to see what the actual removal or replacement rates are. For instance in my area to maintain a soil test level of P or K, I need to add 1.25 to 1.5 times the nutrient removal rate for that nutrient depending upon CEC or clay types. By doing so my soil test levels tend to be very predictable from one testing cycle to another however drought or excessive moisture can cause these levels to fluctuate and that is expected.
The biggest complaint I get from farmers who have entered into a grid soil sampling program with other companies or consultants is the lower and in some cases incredibly lower soil test results in subsequent testing cycles because they have been sold and assume that by incorporating a yield monitor to calculate the actual removal rates their fertility maps will “even out”. First your fertility maps most likely will never even out. Second if your using crop removals then we already know that there is a high likely hood that your soil test values will be lower at the next testing cycle. Third the improper calibration of the yield monitor adds another level of variability to the equation. When you add one error to another you don’t get two errors, you get four!
Why Yield Maps Fail
Unfortunately most farmers calibrate their yield monitors wrong. They calibrate for accuracy with truckloads or scale tickets. Doing so causes individual yield points in the field to be off dramatically on the high and low ends of the yield range. The map above shows a field with 6015 yield points. Because of improper yield calibration 45% (the yellow points) are not in the range of the calibration the farmer did and are inaccurate. So applying a crop removal rate that is low to a yield point that is also inaccurate causes the resulting soil test levels to be way off. This is not a hard problem to fix or detect. Follow the instructions in the manual for proper yield monitor calibration and have your crop advisor check you calibrations as you harvest. You should also have your consultant check each yield map prior to using it in you fertility program to see if it is any good for making a recommendation off of.
What to do?
With only 20% of farmers using a directed nutrient management program is it no wonder why so many have just gone back to blanket applications? We need 80% or more of farmers using directed or site specific nutrient management programs before we are mandated to do so by the EPA. There are numerous consulting agronomists in the Corn Belt who know how to calibrate yield monitors correctly and do the kind of analysis shown above to insure that your data is good when it goes into your recommendations. These same consultants also know how to calibrate removal rates to local conditions. If you cant find one let me know and I will put you in contact with one of the many I am familiar with, associated with or have worked with.
Simply taking a soil test and then entering it into a computer program to make a recommendation with inaccurate data like removal rates and yield maps will result in a big fail when the program is reevaluated with subsequent testing. Getting things right, from mapping the most variability in the field accurately with soil test and yield monitor, then applying correct removal and buildup rates to those variables will insure success.
Part II of Zone vs. Grid Soil Sampling. Part 3 tomorrow
The Grid History.
Although touted as a new and very accurate method of soil sampling by various universities, agronomist and agronomic groups in the last twenty years, using a grid pattern for soil sampling is nothing new. Grid soil sampling was advocated by the University of Illinois in a publication called Test Your Soil for Acidity in 1923. New developments in technology have only slightly updated this 90 year old approach to soil sampling.
The U of I pamphlet contained descriptions and guidelines on how to sample a field using a grid pattern by steps or pace count. The pamphlet also showed farmers how to make color site specific application maps by using the grid points and colored pencils or crayons to color or shade zones based on the nutrient treatment recommendation for each grid point. The application maps very closely resemble the “kriging” VRT maps of today. In reality only two differences exist between 1923 and 2010: One is that we now use computer processors to create color maps instead of graph paper and crayons. The other is the sampling density or number of acres needed to comprise a grid cell has changed over the years.
In the 1980’s grid soil testing began to take hold and grow in the corn belt due in large part to a soil testing business called Top Soil Testing Service. Top Soil did grid soil sampling on many acres of corn and soybean production and were the leaders in establishing the use of GPS for creating field maps in the early 1990’s. By the time the mid 1990’s arrived GPS guided grid soil sampling was becoming the norm as an explosion of field mapping software and VRT technology began to develop and grow. The use of GPS and computerized mapping programs allowed for grid soil sampling to move from a labor intensive “guess” of grid design and sample location to a more precise and repeatable process that could be done by anyone with very little computer training.
The Reason for Grids
Grid soil sampling has as its foundation the systematic approach of evenly spaced sampling points within a field. Evenly spaced points allow for even distribution and equal distance calculations or inverse distance analysis to be done on the data collected to estimate power or strength of one grid point result against the other neighboring results. The output of these equations is an estimate of what the nutrient map could look like if it were analyzed on a foot by foot basis. These numbers can then be kriged or interpolated to produce the same “feed sack” maps that were shown in the 1923 pamphlet.
Modifications to the Standard Grid Sampling Program.
Sampling a field on a 5, 3.3, 2.5 or one acre grid simply because that is the agronomicly accepted practice for an area or because that sampling scheme fits well with the consultants or labs mapping software is a poor excuse for sampling. If the reason for soil sampling is to capture variability and treat that variability then using a rigid method of sampling that introduces more variability or does not allow for proper treatment of the variability does not promote profitability or a true site specific management program. The results of any rigid program will be less than ideal and in many cases can lead to poor conclusions and improper or inadequate fertility treatments.
The major weakness of grid soil samplings is the assumptions made starting at sample collection. Except in rare instances in the soil sampling industry, no allowance is made for any in field variability with regard to soil type, texture or color, landscape position, past management or production practices or other soil site factors that could or do lend themselves to different nutrient holding capacities in a grid soil sampling program. In addition the analysis of the equal distance sampling points can introduce variability that doesn’t exist due to afore mentioned soil site factors.
Soil site factors that guide zone establishment in a Zone Sampling program should be used to modify the grid soil sampling map as well. Using or establishing “smart grids” based on these factors can allow a consultant or agronomist to eliminate a lot of induced variability that a systematic grid program can lead to. Smart Grids can be made to match, follow or mimic these soil site factors while still allowing for the same sample density in the field. They can also still be equal distance while constrained by soil type, landscape position or past practices. This allows for more accurate interpretation of the results and can be related directly back to the soil sample map or field and not to a generic color interpretation of what the field “might” look like.
The major drawback of using smart grids is that it eliminates the “drive the field boundary and apply a grid” methodology of many field technicians who need to get over a large amount of acres in a day. It also requires that each soil core be examined and could lead to grid modification based on observation at the time of sample collection thus eliminating any gain in sampling “efficiency” that the pre plotted points offer.
In addition to modifying the grid layout to “smart grids” some attention needs to be paid to grid size or the number of sampling points in the field. Large fields that are homogenous with regard to the soil site factors mentioned can have a larger grid size and a smaller number of collected samples due to the lack of in field variation. Smaller fields, larger fields that are made up of several smaller fields from past management or production practices or irregular shaped fields need to have a much smaller grid pattern and more collected samples in order to capture the variability correctly. Grid size and the number of sampling points should be adjusted on a field by field basis to insure you correctly capture the variability of the field.
Smart Grids and Smart Grid Sampling is a grid sampling program that is done on a field by field basis, matching grid size and sampling density to all know or observed soil site factors in order to accurately map maximum variability to aid in a directed nutrient placement program (VRT).
Grid Sample Depth and Frequency
All core samples should be taken to the depth of the furrow slice (6-7 inches) or modified based upon tillage practices or the lack of tillage (no till) for the farm. Grid samples should be collected on a regular sampling interval based upon crop rotation, fertilizer or manure applications, or tillage practices. In some instances under high management it would be appropriate to sample fields every year. Fields with high test levels or fields receiving manure should be tested every year. In other cases sampling every two years under a corn-soybean rotation or under a bi-annual fertilizer application would be appropriate. No more than three years should elapse between sampling intervals
There has been some email discussions going on as to why one would grid sample a field vs. zone sample the field. I thought I would dust off part of a paper I did for a presentation to the state NRCS at one time on why I sample the way I do. So for this blog post, here is why I and how I zone sample. Grids are next.
Zone Samling and Soil Sample Location
Each sample should represent a uniform soil area with similar past management. It is recommended that each sample represent 10 acres or less. Sampling areas should be determined by the soil type, soil color, topography, drainage, past management of the field, manure applications or presence of livestock and productivity. Maps of soil electrical conductivity (EC) and GPS yield maps can aid in distinguishing between field areas with contrasting soil properties or crop nutrient removal.
Consultants should use field observations at the time of sampling to determine which local site factors should guide their sampling pattern within each field. Soil survey maps, GPS yield maps, bare soil images and input from the farmer as to past land use (fence rows, pastures, building sites and old field divisions) can be used to create geo referenced zone maps of these factors prior to soil sampling to help guide the consultants sample locations in combination with his or her field observations.
Soil sample zones should be recorded via GPS or geo referenced maps to insure location and repeatability of sampling. This also aids in refining the sample zones as more information becomes available about the field or soil and allows the zone to be used as part of a directed nutrient application (VRT) program.
Sampling Depth, Collection and Frequency
Soil sample probes should be taken to the depth of the furrow slice (6-7 inches) or modified based upon tillage practices or the lack of tillage (no till) for the farm. Each sample should consist of between 10 and 15 cores with cores being collected in a zig zag method thought-out the sample zone. Each core should be examined prior to placement into the sample bag to insure that it conforms to color, texture and depth for other samples in the management zone.
Each soil sample should be air dried and all cores in the sample should be ground and thoroughly mixed prior to submission to the laboratory for analysis. Doing so insures that each sample is truly a representation of the sample area.
Soil samples should be collected on a regular sampling interval based upon crop rotation, fertilizer or manure applications, or tillage practices. In some instances under high management it would be appropriate to sample fields every year. Fields with high test levels or fields receiving manure should be tested every year. In other cases sampling every two years under a corn-soybean rotation or under a bi-annual fertilizer application would be appropriate. No more than three years should elapse between sampling intervals.
Over the last 20 years I have had held some different professional certifications and memberships. Those include certifications as a Certified Crop Advisor (CCA), Certified Professional Agronomist (CPAg) and a NRCS Technical Service Provider (TSP) among others. Holding these certifications and memberships costs a lot of money. Not in the actual fee of membership, but in the different requirements for keeping the certifications current.
In the not-so-distant past I let my TSP go. The amount of time and hoops to jump through for a certification and re- certifications became ridiculous for something that is pretty much useless to me and those whom I consult with. It became evident to me that the NRCS really did not want non-government professionals doing their job. Plus, they don’t pay near enough on those jobs to justify doing them. I know others think differently, but as with all things governmental, life is too short for that much red tape.
The CCA is basically a way of stating that a fertilizer dealer knows what they are doing. I am not a fertilizer dealer, nor do I ever plan on being one at this time. But making fertility recommendations is something I do, so I thought it wise to get that certification. I have never used it for anything, nor have I had to. Being certified now for 15 years, I am wondering why I go and pay for meetings to keep it current when the topics of the meetings are not current. These meetings are not cheap when you figure in business time lost, meal and travel expenses, plus the actual cost of the meeting. In some cases it figures out to be over $100/hr credit.
The CPAg is something I am very proud of. I think it is a true certification for an agronomist. A certification that allows one to be an agronomist and also specialize in a particular discipline without having to get credits in areas that you don’t deal with. The CPAg is more than just a test and code of ethics like the CCA. The certification looks at the entire person, their work experience, academic history and study as well as professional references that one knows what they are doing. You must take the CCA exam as well, but that is a minor part of the CPAg certification.
This past year it has been difficult to get CCA credits in this part of Illinois. I have spent a lot of time on line taking tests for credits. In Illinois all the CCA meetings with approved credits take place up north, it would seem, and none are very well advertized, so that one can make arrangements to get to one. You either know where a meeting is or you don’t. I have visited the Illinois CCA website numerous times but they don’t seem to keep it current and most of the meetings listed were held in 2008 and 2009. And I don’t seem to be on any mailing list to get newsletters for some reason. I don’t even get the “official” CCA magazine anymore even after repeated attempts to register for it online.
So maybe I am out of the loop……………..if I am, then that explains my lack of enthusiasm for the CCA anymore. And if I am in the loop and this lack of communication to the CCA’s from the state is normal then maybe that explains my lack of enthusiasm for the CCA anymore.
“My corn yields suck. They have sucked for the last three years, something is wrong and I need you to soil test them.” A Pretty straight forward comment from a grower and one of the numerous valid reasons why we should be doing soil testing.
But the soil tests show nothing is really wrong. Field observation at time of soils sampling shows that nothing is really wrong. So your mind begins to wonder, what could be wrong.
Then the “Oh My Gosh” moment happens, when you process the sample maps from the GPS.
The NRCS color compliance photos that are taken each summer are what I use for backgrounds on the soil sample maps I produce for my customers. They are very useful tools if you know how to manipulate them for something other than a pretty picture. A simple color photo can be used to direct soil sampling or detect problems if you know how to look at them and manipulate them correctly. Well it didn’t take much manipulation to see what was wrong with corn yield in these fields.
Blow is the NRCS photo from 2009. The field was in corn that year, beans in 2010. Can anyone pick out the problem…………..if you look you can see where the custom applicator drove applying Urea pre plant prior to incorporation into the soil, as are the practices of this farmer. Those are the green strips, you can also see where he left the spreader on during turns on the headlands and if you look real close you can see where he ran out going across the field.
In 2009, on this particular farmer’s farm, 80% of the corn fields have this pattern in them. In other words 80% of his corn acreage was spread with a problem. We can determine that the strips are ~50 ft wide from center of green to center of green. So we have either have an issue with the truck or with application width or both. Then again maybe even more problems than that.
When we manipulate the maps by changing the color bandwidth, we can estimate that 50% of this field never got any N. 50% of this farmer’s corn never got a fighting chance to develop to its fullest potential.
And it wasn’t just 2009. It happened in 2008 and I am told that yields were bad this year in 2010. But we will have to wait until July next year to get the 2010 NRCS photos to confirm that the problem still exist.
Let me be clear, the Custom Applicator here has a problem that needs to be fixed, but it is not a slam or indictment on just this Applicator. Note I said Applicator……..Custom or Personal, it could happen to anyone. This is why we need to always check not only the job of those we hire to perform but also our own spreading, spraying and other applications. It is important to do pan test on spreaders, nozzle checks on sprayers and make sure you have the application width correct for any device you operate.
It is important to get as applied maps made of not only what is custom applied but what you and your hired men do. Keep those app files, those guidance lines those planter records. Keep and ANALYZE it all.
To quote the theme from the Six Million Dollar Man: “we have the technology, we can rebuild him”.
Folks we have the technology; spreaders, sprayers, GPS and NRCS photos. From high tech to low tech but we have the technology so USE THEM to insure that you and those you hire are doing the best job possible on your farm today. The volatility and risk are too much just to assume that all is well
I had mentioned the other day on Twitter that I had gone to Tennessee to visit Joe and Dianne Jenkins and see their soil sampler. Well I broke down and got one of the 2024 Amity Soil Samplers. Pretty much had to do something; between the rock hard dry ground and my shoulders I wasn’t able to get a thing done sampling-wise anymore with just a regular soil probe in these dry conditions. I couldn’t push it in, couldn’t hammer it in, and sure couldn’t step it in. And my cordless drill was burnt up.
The Amity Soil Sampler, if you don’t know, is a hydraulic drill basically. It has a collection bucket and a 3/4 inch drill bit that drills into the soil and collects the sample. It works pretty slick once you get everything set up. The drill passes through a hole in the bottom of the collection bucket and the soils is augured into the bucket by the drill bit. Very similar to the cordless drill set up I have used in the past with a few exceptions: First, I don’t have to get off the ATV to sample and Two, I don’t have to dump every “probe” but third, and the biggest, is that it has the power to go ahead and drill out the sample on these tough clay pan soils and I don’t have to go to the truck after every 40 acres and get a new battery.
The soil sampler arrived via Fed-Ex Ground, and comes in what is best described as a coffin but once unboxed all one has to do is mount the hydraulic motor on the ATV and then the sampling mast. That is the hardest part. Generic brackets are shipped with the sampler, but each ATV is different and one must make their own mount work. This is what took the longest for me. If you have a shop and some basic tools, it is no problem, just time consuming.
Once the sampler is mounted, go to the field and calibrate it to the sampling depth and soil conditions you will be working in. I found yesterday that on CRP ground I had to run the motor at more than half throttle to get good penetration. But on soybean stubble I could run it a less than half throttle. It just becomes a learning game at this point on operation. I have had one big help in beating the learning curve on this: Joe Jenkins. He has sure helped me with his tips and tricks he has learned after running it for the last month or so, which made my first full day running it a snap. THANKS JOE!
Well at least it is a dark green this week. Last week before the rain we were a greenish yellow wilted color. That color isn’t good for indicating plant health.
Out the back door picture(s) for this week showing the drought and heat stressed beans here behind the house. The cool weather of late has helped and the rain of a week ago has the beans blooming again. But those pods that are being set are only 2 bean pods. That ain’t good! We will see what the weekend brings as we have another slight chance of rain.
Ever wonder what to do when you don’t know what to do? You know you need to do something but don’t know what it is. Well I am there today.
Lt Gen Hal Moore, the Commander of US forces in LZ X Ray in Vietnam, whose story was made famous in the movie We Were Soldiers, says that there is always one more thing you can do. He always says to trust your instincts, follow your gut, not your heart. That is kind of contrary to what we have been told in the world, that we should follow our heart.
So hear I sit, needing to make a decision on weed control, particularly one field of seed beans. I knew it was coming, but I have been delaying it, thinking I could out-think it. My heart tells me to find a way to control the weeds other than to spray another application of the same weed control. This “alternative” method involves spending more money and might not work as well as I have it in my mind. The heart will lie to you, to get you to take a chance, because you want something to work.
My gut tells me that no matter what I do, I have lost yield that I will not get back. That’s reality. It also tells me that I have enough chemicals left over that are already paid for to nuke those weeds. Then, if they survive, or not, I did all I could do. My gut also tells me that, if it doesn’t rain, it won’t matter which road I travel. Reality again.
My gut also tells me that I can take them out next year with tillage and the corn chemicals easier and cheaper than I can with a new piece of equipment and a hope that crazy idea would work.
When I get off jury duty this week, I am going with my gut. So if you see a bright flash and mushroom cloud North and East of Benton, you will know that I nuked them. Those that survive, survive to fight another day. And if I don’t kill the beans, and it rains, well we might just make something yet!
Crops:
I have looked at several fields of early corn this week and last week and there are pollination issues in lots of areas. The hot dry weather and low humidity are also taking its toll on the later planted corn. I saw several fields yesterday that were rolled up and turning white. Some were knee high others were trying to put a tassel out. There are also a lot of compaction issues in some of these fields in some areas due to the constant early rain and replanting. Long silks are also another concern in some areas as this is a sign of trouble pollinating.
There are also lots and lots of soybeans that are “yellow”. At first you might think of Round Up Flash but most of these fields the plants have very small root systems or restricted root systems and we are seeing nutrient deficiencies because of the root system. Some fields are growing out of it but others are going backwards. At this stage of the game with the temps and low humidity we need a rain on both the corn and beans. I have also had a report of some tissue test on these beans showing low K and B due to the small root systems. I saw one field of later planted beans that looked wilted yesterday evening.
Safety:
Please be safe out there guys. Yesterday I saw a farmer driving a Rogator almost take the door off a car in town. He was driving to fast to start with and weaving in and out of the “parking lane” along the side of the road. Slow down not only in your equipment but in the heat. Several reports of farmers getting “sun poisoning” and heat sickness. I know we need to spray and bale hay and mow but please take care of yourselves while you’re doing it.
Spraying Food for Thought!
From the Frank James blog. Round Up kills non Round Up corn pretty good…………….(link)… Don’t let this happen to you. Know your hybrids and communicate that to the operator of the sprayer, custom applicator, chemical company or service company.
Nothing specific today but lots of odds and ends:
Recreational Spraying has begun! It’s that time of year for farmers to begin spraying fungicide and insecticide on corn. I call it recreational spraying because in a lot of instances, if one knows their hybrids and scouts, there is most likely little need of an application. And at about $35 with the plane, that’s about 10 bu or corn you have to “add” to make it pay. Plus an insecticide that gets a “free” ride that may or may not be needed. I am not against fungicide on corn. There are times and hybrids where it pays and pays big. And it also adds plant health for some hybrids that a farmer might not get to harvest in a timely manner. But for the most part, its not needed with a lot of our hybrids. And this explains why I am not on the Christmas card list of the aerial applications in the area.
Canola Yields: Got the last ticket back from Ty Jones who trucked our canola to Golden Gate and of the 130 acres 100 of it averaged 48.X, close enough to call it 49 bushel and acre with the worse 30 acres averaging 20. Take away the 1o acres of drowned out spots and it made 30, but you can’t do that……… I am very happy with the yields knowing that we had one 26 acres make near 60 and another 40 acres make over 50. So the potential is there for some outstanding yields, and profit vs. wheat here in Southern Illinois.
Soybeans: The bean crop over the country side looks mediocre at best. Some beans are waist tall with a dark green color but there are a lot of short beans that are puke yellow and a soil probe reveals that they are root restricted. The recent rains help color some up again but that is fading pretty fast today in the low humidity.
Double Crops in Canola fields: I have to say that I absolutely love planting double crop beans in Canola stubble. Sure beats wheat straw any day of the week. And the ground plants so much better and mellower. Another strike against wheat and a mark in favor of canola in the future.
Civil Air Patrol Encampment: Is 8 days from starting and 17 away from being over. I am looking forward to this one being over. This is my last year as Commander and I am ready for it to end. Just to much junk going on to make it worth the while for me personally any more. Attendance is down 50%, with the economy the main reason, but also a lack of support in the local units where commanders are over burdened with a lot of junk for higher headquarters.
Civil Air Patrol: The stupidity of the leadership at NHQ is unbelievable at times. Due to their agreement with their “only licensed supplier or licensed merchandise” (I refuse to mention or promote in any way that company) I cant get any gifts for the staff of the encampment with anything that refers to CAP on it. And that company sells crap for “gift” items and those products are about twice as the same thing from other companies. I have started my own one man protest not to support CAP in any fashion with my money other than my membership dues. Nuff said.
And last for today……..
I am SOOOO ready to go to an Appleseed Shoot that I can’t stand it. Just got to get the Encampment out of the way and then I can concentrate on something important for me and Matthew to do. Maybe even Morgan and Mom…..?
Good friends and Good Agromomic Consultants, Joe and Dianne Jenkins, are once again featured in a good article in the Mid South Farmer or here for a direct link to the inside of the magazine. These two are rolling in the media lately and I am happy to promote and feature them here on our site.
Now if they just had a web site or blog of their own…..(hint, hint)
Good Job, Joe and Dianne!
I just couldn’t contain myself when my wife told me, and I saw, that the Japanese Beetles are back. Great.
Pulled soil samples on Tuesday until I got rained out. Was on my way to a “new world record” (OK personal record. I don’t know if they keep records for such things) for acres covered in one day until it started raining. Oh well, still got over 800 acres in a LONG day yesterday.
Ran the gas tank on the ATV almost dry before filling up in Galatia then I headed to Mr Anderson’s farm to meet up with him and took this picture. Mr Anderson and his sons made the pilgrimage to Knob Creek with us this April to enjoy and indulge in burnt gun power. Yesterday he had the ol’ green tractor in high gear side dressing corn ahead of the rain.
This morning, we woke to thunder and lighting that was way too close! The canola is ready to cut and now it is raining small farm animals. Took this picture at a little before 7 this morning as the heaviest rain came across the canola field into the wheat field behind the house. Taking it thought the window didn’t help anything and it really doesn’t do the storm justice.
So here we are on Wednesday with phone calls to make, parts to run down, samples to pull, combine to finish before this weekend, bean drill to clean and prep, auto steer to calibrate, trucker to coordinate with, header to prep and the list goes on………. Man I am tired already.
Update: we have had a total of 1 inch of rain between yesterday afternoon and this morning. That’s enough for a couple of weeks………..
Well its official, the wheat crop is going to hell, and fast. The question is: “Can it fill before it dies?”.
Here is a picture of the wheat on May 21. Green and healthy looking.
Here is a picture of the wheat on June 1. The green in gone and we have that reddish yellow color of wheat that is dying not turning.
And here is the culprit. Common Rust in our case. These pictures are from May 28.
On May 21 there was no need or no apparent need for any fungicide treatment due to weather and temperature conditions up to that point. So we made the call not to apply a fungicide. I still think that was a good decision based on the facts as we knew them at that point. And from what others are saying and from what I am seeing out in other’s fields, it doesn’t appear to have made a difference, rust is here.
The positive out of this is that it looks like my wheat will fill without a problem. It also looks like the benefit of this is that we will harvest earlier than normal……….which is a good thing to me. Got seed beans to plant behind the wheat.
Corn and Canola updates the rest of the week as we work on the combine and associated equipment in preparation for canola and wheat harvest.
Copy of email I sent out this am.
Friends
Kind of a reminder,
I am more than happy to look at fields and help with decisions on replanting etc. BUT you need to be talking to your crop insurance agent before you make any decision. You crop insurance policy may be the determining factor on what you end up doing based on coverage. What might be an agronomic no brainer to me and you might not be the best economic decision based on your policy.
Also, like the fields that were looked at yesterday, it is possible that it will be next week before they could be replanted, and with additional rains, it might be June before they get replanted. (Things can change fast this time of year, they could get planted this weekend if the sun shines and the wind blows.) You need to know what your options are from an insurance standpoint before you do anything at that point. Talk to your agent.
PLEASE don’t rely on coffee shop talk on what your insurance will do or not do. The coffee shop talk cost several farmers a lot of money last year. Don’t get bad advice from the wrong “experts”, talk to your agent and get the straight on what your coverage and options are.
Again, if you need help I am more than happy to assist, and I am not being a smart @$$, but the first thing I am going to ask is “have you talked to your agent and what did your agent say?”.
I hope we get some sun and warm weather to turn the looks of this crop around soon………
Thanks and be safe out there!
(file photo)
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