Tim Laatsch recommends having "boots on the ground" during on-farm research. A trusted partner on site can help with taking measurements, laying out treatments, and marking plot corners, so you can stay in the cab and execute the trial properly and accurately. Photo by Koch Agronomic Services.
If you want to make smart, well-informed decisions on your operation, you need relevant, high-quality data to support those decisions, says Tim Laatsch. A great way to achieve this? On-farm research.An...
On the Hardwick brothers' Somerset Plantation, they do a lot of variety trials with seed companies, which helps them determine which hybrids to plant next year. In this photo they are finishing planting their corn variety trials. Photo from the Hardwicks.
With last year’s season completed and this year’s yet to begin, now is a natural time to reflect on your farm’s performance and how you can improve in the future. One way to make your decision-making...
An Oregon wetland resource manager examines a soil core sample. Proper soil sampling should accurately capture the variability of a field and provide useful data for input and management decisions. Photo by Jack Dykinga, USDA ARS.
With harvest either underway or on the horizon for most growers in the U.S., now is a good time to prepare for your soil sampling program.Most universities and the NRCS recommend taking soil samples in...
Middle Tennessee State University soil scientist Samuel Haruna analyzes a soil sample from his research fields to see how cover crops impact soil temperature. Photo provided by Samuel Haruna.
You can pick the right seed, use the right equipment, apply the right inputs, and plant at the right depth, but without the right soil temperature, your crops are likely to struggle. One practice that can...
Every year foliar diseases take a hit to corn yields across the U.S. and Canada. One way to protect corn bushels from these diseases is with corn fungicides.But in economic times when margins are tight,...
When it comes to fertility in crop production, nitrogen is one of the most critical nutrients involved. “Nitrogen plays an important part in many essential functions and compounds necessary for life,”...
This high-clearance sprayer makes variable-rate nitrogen applications to corn based on sensor readings. The sensors monitor plant stresses that are frequently related to nitrogen status. Photo by Peggy Greb, USDA ARS.
For growers who are trying to follow the “4Rs” of nutrient stewardship — applying the right fertilizer source at the right rate, at the right time, and in the right place, as set forth by The Fertilizer...
When you picture what’s happening below ground in your fields, you probably imagine a web of roots branching out to provide your crops support, nutrients and water. But root growth isn’t the only thing...
Many farmers across the U.S. experienced wet weather last growing season. According to NOAA, the 12-month period between July 2018 and June 2019 set the precipitation record in the U.S. with an average...
Jason Mauck's intercropped soybeans growing between 19-inch quad rows of wheat. By focusing on the wheat for capturing nutrients, suppressing weeds and feeding soil life vs. high yields, Mauck has seen over 100-bushel soybeans with significant input savings. Photo by Jason Mauck.
In Gaston, Ind., Jason Mauck is farming a little differently from his neighbors. Unlike the typical corn-and-soybean monocropping system, for the last 5 years Mauck has been doing low population, wide-row...
When it comes to creating a cover crop mix, the options are endless. You need to determine what kind of species you’ll use, how many you’ll use, and at what seeding rates. For anyone new to cover crop...
Wet conditions across the country forced many farmers to forgo their plans for the season and take prevented planting payments instead. The USDA says that as of July 8, 2019, its paid roughly $184 million...
Some growers may have had no option but to plant green — as shown above — into their cover crops this year because of poor weather conditions. In this photo by Ted Kornecki, USDA Agricultural Research Service, the farmer is terminating his cereal rye with a roller at the same time he is planting his cotton.
With May 2018 to April 2019 being the wettest 12-month period on record, according to NOAA, many farmers across the nation were forced to delay planting. In fact, for the first time on record, less than...
If you’ve considered using cereal rye as a cover crop in front of corn, you’ve probably been warned that your yield would suffer.And the truth is it might. Research has shown that corn yields can take...
While there are numerous reasons for using cover crops, a primary one is improving soil health.In fact, it’s the one benefit most farmers using cover crops have experienced: In the most recent Cover Crop...
If you’re a farmer, at some point you’ll likely experience a late harvest, whether it’s due to Mother Nature or an equipment problem. And if you plan on seeding your cover crops after your crops are...
If someone asked you, “How do plants take up the water and nutrients they need?” you’d probably tell them through the roots. But did you know that for many crops, those roots aren’t working alone?That’s...
Experts warn that growing continuous peanuts or other legumes close in rotation to the peanut crop can have detrimental effects on peanuts — namely soilborne diseases. This includes leguminous cover crops. Photo by Jack Dykinga, USDA Agricultural Research Service
It’s common knowledge among peanut farmers that the farther out you space your peanut crops in your rotation, the better off the peanuts will be. Research backs this up. Jason Sarver, Extension Peanut...
A common concern growers may have when they move to a no-till system is nutrient stratification.Without tillage to mix fertilizer into the soil, no-tillers may wonder whether the nutrients applied to the...
As we learn more about what goes on in the world beneath our feet, increased attention has been placed on soil organic matter.And for good reason. While it only makes up a small percentage of most soils,...
When it comes to cover crops and nutrient management, a lot of the focus is on what cover crops can do for soil fertility. Depending on the species being used, they can prevent leftover nutrients from running...
You probably know that having a crop rotation is a good thing. Growing different crops back to back provides several benefits, such as preventing pests and disease, improving soil health and reducing fertilizer...
Cover crops not only helped Russell Hedrick win the 2016 North Carolina Dryland and No-Till Dryland yield contest, they also saved him $123 per acre on fertilizer and herbicide costs.
There are many factors that can influence corn yield. In fact, Fred Below, a plant physiologist at the University of Illinois, identified seven of them, which he dubbed the “Seven Wonders of the Corn...
Grasses like cereal rye are a good species for beginning cover crop users as they grow fast and have fibrous roots. Photo by Stephen Ausmus, USDA Agricultural Research Service.
In 1995, Pennsylvania farmer Steve Groff was speaking at an event when he asked the audience the question: Do cover crops pay off?His thinking at the time was that he had been no-tilling since 1982, and...
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