Hoegemeyer - the right seed

Looking out the window this morning it sure doesn’t seem like mid May.  The weather has been cool and wet for the most part and hasn’t allowed planting to progress as many would have liked.  The forecast for the next 10 days looks to be warmer and drier, meaning that planting will be in full swing.  I’m sure the crop on everyone’s mind right now is corn.  Getting corn acres in is important, but don’t forget that planting your soybeans early is a key to maximizing yield.  If you have access to two planters, using one to plant soybeans may pay off big in the long run.
According to UNL Agronomy professor Jim Specht a rule of thumb for increasing soybean yields is to “Have the soybean canopy green to the eye by the 4th of July.”  Early planting has proven to increase yield for a number of reasons.  One can be attributed to capturing solar radiation early in the growing season.  If the crop is out of the ground early it will have more time to capture the energy of sunlight and convert carbon dioxide into carbohydrates, protein, and oils, all adding up to increased yield (Figure 1). 

Figure 1. Comparison of development of soybeans planted at four dates in late June 2003 and 2004. The signs indicate when the 4-row strips were planted. (Photo courtesy of Jim Specht, UNL)

An earlier planting date will also increase yield by adding more nodes per plant.  Once a soybean puts on its first trifoliate leaf, it will add one node every 3.75 days.  This is relatively independent of temperature so those later planted beans will likely not “catch up” in terms of number of nodes developed.   Nodes are where the plant flowers put on pods so more nodes = more pods and more pods = more yield.  UNL research has shown anywhere from a 1 to 10 bushel per acre increase by planting soybeans early depending on spring weather conditions with an average increase of 3 bushels per acre over the last 7 years.  After May 1, producers lose between 1/4 and 5/8 of a bushel per day that soybean planting is delayed. 
 

If your operation has the equipment, try planting some soybeans along-side your corn this growing season.   Some of the most successful farmers are those who think outside the box and are willing to try new approaches in their farming operations.  Come harvest, early planted soybeans might just pay dividends.

It is always a great feeling when you’re done planting and are ready to clean up and put the planter away.  However, as the plants start to emerge, take some time and check out your fields.  It may pay you a big bonus!  As you go out to your field(s) take along a trowel and knife plus be prepared to take some notes as you inspect those newly planted fields. 

Uneven Emergence and Stands - dig with your trowel and assess things.
• Was the seed placed in both wet and dry soil and did poor seed to soil contact occur in some areas?
• Are you seeing areas with poor seed furrow closure? 
• Are the slower emerging seedlings planted in heavy trash areas that stimulated cooler soil or maybe caused the planting units to be lifted up more; or on the extreme, did the trash cause hair pinning?
• Does the depth of the seed vary because of clods or root clumps related to planter speed?
• Was the seed planted in wet conditions where mud accumulated on the depth gauge wheels?
• Are you seeing any insect pressure (wireworm is an example)?
• Don’t forget about gophers and turkeys digging up seed.
• Does the field have dramatic soil type changes or other problems to note?
• Are there areas where the soil was compacted by equipment or livestock tracks and/or truck load out areas?
• Are you seeing any chemical or fertilizer problems?

Planting in Cool or Wet Soil - can cause a lot of emergence problems.
• If soils were wetter when the field was planted, check for sidewall compaction.
• If soils were cold and overly wet, check for seed imbibition or see if germinating seedlings are “corkscrewing”.
• Are the slower/delayed seedlings in areas where the soil crusted?
• Check for cutworm, white grub or other insect problems.
• Are seedlings damping off in areas due to some soil borne pathogen.  (Might see more in trashy areas.)
• If you use seed rebounders, did they drag any seed?
• Note if there were wet areas and where they were in the field around the time it was planted.
 

Planting in Cool or Dry Soil - can cause emergence problems too.
• If you are putting higher rates of fertilizer in furrow, check for fertilizer burn to the seedlings.
• If you are you seeing seeds that germinated and started to root and then died, they may have run out of moisture.
• Check for poor seed to soil contact, were there any clods?
 

Are You Seeing Doubles / Triples or Skips?
• Make sure you note this so that the planter problem is remedied before it is put in the ground again.
 

Competition?
• Be sure to note any areas that indicate potential for weed problems and escapes.
• For future reference note any problem insect areas too.

These are some things to consider but be sure to check those fields; it may prevent a few headaches and pay you big dividends too!
 

As planting season rapidly approaches, I was trying to think of a cutting-edge agronomy topic to blog about. However, after some thought I have decided to hit on some pretty basic, yet extremely important, topics regarding crop stand and establishment. A typical bag of seed today is loaded with “technology” but it cannot be unleashed without some good old fashioned sound agronomic practices. Once corn and soybean crops approach canopy early in the summer, the vast majority of their yield performance is out of our control. There are a few inputs such as foliar fungicides and insecticides which we still have at our disposal if the situation warrants, but for the most part we are at the mercy of Mother Nature in terms of temperature, rainfall, and sunlight intensity which are key factors for yield. Prior to that however, there are several things that are very much in our control. Rapid establishment of a uniform crop is of utmost importance if we want to even have a shot at approaching full yield potential at the end of the year. The following are a few key points to consider as planting time nears:

1. Proper Planting Depth – As simple as it may sound, shallow planting depth with corn can lead to many significant problems. When seed is planted too shallow, fewer root nodes are able to establish beneath the soil which leads to a restricted and overall lesser root mass. Plants may emerge uneven, lodge later in the year, be more prone to nutrient deficiency symptoms early in the year, have reduced water uptake under drought, and be more prone to rootless corn syndrome if soils are dry early in the year. Anything less than 2 inches is typically not ideal for most soils.

2.  Compaction – Anything that limits root development will usually limit yield. Stay out of fields when they are wet. An extra 24-48 hours can make a big difference in regards to side-wall compaction. Avoid excessive down pressure unless needed to ensure proper planting depth. Spike toothed closing wheels have been shown to help avoid side-wall compaction in damp soils by enabling fracturing of the side-wall. However, the best practice is too simply stay out of fields when questionable.
 

3. Seed Spacing – Most planters are quite capable of accurately planting a wide range of seed sizes if utilizing the correct plates and air pressure. For finger units make sure backing plates are not worn and fingers are all working properly. Unfortunately it is impossible to “manufacture” seed size equally across many different hybrids and varieties. Excessive planter speed works against you. One study I saw showed a 24 bushel decrease in yield when planter speed was increased from 4.5 mph to 7 mph. Across 1,500 acres of corn that is…………….well a lot of $$$$$$$.

4. Early Season Weeds – Start with a clean field if at all possible. Both corn and beans (especially corn) are sensitive to early season weed competition even at low to moderate pressures if the weeds emerge ahead of or at the same time as the crop. Post applications of glyphosate have enabled many of us to clean up messes but in many of these cases significant bushels have already been lost. Most corn acres utilize a pre-emergence herbicide but many soybean growers still rely too heavily on post emerge only. Consider using a pre-emergence herbicide ahead of soybeans at least on a percentage of your acres. Holding back grass and small seeded broadleaves including marestail, waterhemp, and lambsquarter is often very beneficial.
 

5. Crop Residue – Excessive surface residue can present challenges ranging from poor seed to soil contact to nutrient immobilization. If applicable, set row cleaners low enough to move most residue out of the row zone to ensure hair-pinning does not occur and good seed to soil contact is established. However, avoid setting them too deep. Moving a lot of soil is undesirable, as it creates a place for water to accumulate or wash on sloping fields. Fields with excessive surface crop residues may be more prone to nitrogen immobilization if your sole primary source of N is broadcast surface applied.
 

* Any portion of yield potential lost early in the season is gone for good with little chance of recovery in full no matter how favorable the growing season is later in the year. The five topics discussed here can go a long way toward ensuring that our crop(s) get off to a good start and maintain optimum yield potential.   If you have questions, contact your local Hoegemeyer agronomist, district sales manager or dealer.