Consider This…

Pete Wingert (DSM, Region 2 – Minnesota)

After a very gloomy stretch, it seems like we have finally (maybe) left winter behind us. Before we head out to the fields and plant away, make sure you consider the following items.

Soil Temperature

According to the MN Department of Agriculture’s soil temperature map, on April 25^th  the soil temperature was 45 degrees in SE MN. It is recommended that the soil temperature reach at least 50 degrees before dropping that first seed in the ground. A greater soil temperature results in quicker emergence and less stress on the plant. Track your areas soil temperature with helpful resources such as the following http://gis.mda.state.mn.us/maps/csgsoil.htm

Preparing your Planter

Checking over your equipment is another essential step before heading to the field, saving time and money when the conditions are favorable. Jeff Miller of Cornell University has some great tips for preparing your planter including seed and fertilizer calibration. Learn more here.

Tillage Considerations

When your equipment is ready, and the soil temp reaches 50, you’re good to go right?  Think Again—before you head out to the field, check to make sure that the soil is not too wet. Even if you don’t get stuck, compaction is likely to happen, having a negative impact on your yield. Read more about these tillage considerations and recommendations here.

With these three considerations, we look forward to a successful planting season. Be sure to contact your local Producers Hybrids DSM with any questions you may have and remember, even when the weather doesn’t cooperate — Producers Hybrids is always Ready for More.

Stick to Your Plan

Jerry Mathis (Sales Agronomist, Region 1 – South Dakota)

As I sit down to write this article on Monday afternoon, it is snowing across most of South Dakota with a winter weather advisory across the southern half of the state. The month of April has been a lot more like a typical March. While the white stuff isn’t exactly what we had in mind, the moisture has been very much welcomed.  With temperatures going from a high of 34° on Monday to an expected 71° on Sunday for southeast South Dakota, there’ll be a lot of anxious people waiting to get into the field with more normal temperatures. The snow has been melting quickly and with the power that the sun has, soil temps will rise quickly as well.

With the planting dates that we will experience, there will be a rapid push to get as much corn planted as quickly as possible. We will not be having an early start to planting, but at this time we are not late.  The one thing I recommend while everyone is busy planting is to stick to your plan. There are times when you may have a hybrid loaded up and don’t want to take the time to change the variety for the field you are going to plant next, which may end up costing you yield in the end. It’s usually worth the time to make the switch.  Getting the right variety on the right soil type can be a big factor when it comes to maximizing yields. Remember, you only have one time to do it right.

With the equipment that we farm with it doesn’t take too much time to cover a lot of acres. With that in mind, remember these four things:

1).   Stick with the original plan and match the right variety to the soil.

2).  Make sure all planting equipment is ready.

3).  Keep planter speeds at optimum speed for accurate planting.  You don’t get a second chance.

4).  Stay safe and keep out of the mud.

If you have questions or seed needs contact your local dealer or sales representative.

Don’t Panic Yet

Tyler Afrank (DSM, Region 4 – Eastern Nebraska)

25 degrees, windy, and snowing with accumulation. Sounds like something you’d see in January or February, right? Well, this was the setting in Norfolk, Nebraska today, APRIL 18^th!

Nearly everyone I have talked to recently has expressed concern, disgust and even amazement with the cold, snowy weather we’ve had and how far behind things are this year. I have been getting several calls with questions regarding current soil temperatures, temperatures needed for germination, and possibilities of switching seed for shorter maturities.  So, out of curiosity I looked some things up. According to University of Nebraska research, the ideal planting period for Nebraska is, on average, May 1^st through May 15^th. Optimal time for Northern Nebraska falls in the window from May 5^th to May 20^th, and from April 25^th through May 10^th in Southern Nebraska (Klein, B.).  Most accounts in this area are confirming ground temperatures in the mid to upper 30s at the present time. While most sources agree a ground temperature of 50 degrees is necessary for germination (University of Nebraska recommends 55 degrees), we need some heat before seed is put into the ground. As far as switching varieties goes, give it some time. We have several weeks to go before we get to that point.

Although we are getting a later start this year than last, try to keep a few things in mind. Last year was unusually early in regards to planting dates, making it seem even later this year. Even though it is cold and wet, at least we are finally getting some much needed moisture. Try not to panic; we’re not to that point yet! Also, be sure to check out the Producers Hybrids website or Facebook page for a good article in regards to cold saturated soil effects on corn germination and emergence. Thank you for choosing Producers Hybrids, and be sure to contact your DSM, RSM, or Agronomist with any questions regarding your operation this spring.

References

Klein, B. (2009, April). How Corn Planting Date Can Affect Yield. CropWatch. Retrieved from http://cropwatch.unl.edu.

Pathak, T. (2011, February). Soil Temperature: A Guide for Planting Agronomic Crops in Nebraska. CropWatch. Retrieved from http://cropwatch.unl.edu. 

Seed Delivery Time

It’s that time of year! Your Producers Hybrids seed is coming your way if you haven’t already received it.

Half Day Service

Gene Riley (DSM, Region 5 – Iowa)

I have always taken pride in trying to give our Producers Hybrids dealers and customers half day service. When it is planting time, it is PLANTING TIME. As a District Sales Manager in West Central Iowa, I have extra seed scattered throughout my district for last minute needs. I, along with all Producers Hybrids District Sales Managers, try to place extra seed at 4 to 6 different dealers throughout our territories, so that we have seed only 5 to 20 miles away from all of our customers. So, if you need seed at 10:30 at night or 6:00 on Sunday morning, give me or your District Sales Manager in your area a call. We still have a good supply of key hybrids like 6424, 6624, 7014, and 7394.

Producers Hybrids (as part of AgReliant Genetics) has become the third largest corn seed company in the United States. With that growth, Producers Hybrids has expanded and our territories have gotten smaller. This makes it more possible for us to give all our customers excellent service. Producers Hybrids District Sales Managers are here to help make your planting season run smoothly and less stressful. So, if you have questions about population or which hybrid to put on what piece of dirt, give us a call. We know you are sitting in that cab with a lot of things on your mind and have a lot of time to think. Call us when a question pops up in your mind. We are here to help and make your farming operation more profitable.

Feel free to call support staff in Iowa also:

Mitch Barlow-Iowa Regional Sales Manager

Jeff Morey-Iowa Sales Agronomist

Ginny Beckman-Iowa Customer Service Representative

Not Time Yet…

Bodie Meyer (DSM, Region 3 – Nebraska)

It is amazing how different things can be from year to year!  If you were to compare April 9th, 2012 to April 9th, 2013, there’s a huge difference.  It was nearly impossible to try to keep guys from planting corn last year at this time.  The temperature on April 9th of last year was 64 degrees and the soil temperature was warm enough to provoke some growers to start planting on or before the dates allowed by crop insurance companies. Now look at it! We have snow and ice and the soil temperature is not warm enough to begin planting.

It’s definitely not warm enough for planting yet – we still have ice on the trees!

Soil temperature in early April in northeast Nebraska.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you have the itch to begin planting, here’s a chart that shows the earliest planting dates for corn and soybeans in several states throughout the Midwest:

Be Patient, Prepared & Diversified

Kris Young (Sales Agronomist, Region 6 – Southern)

One year ago today, many growers were well into planting corn and I was planting plots already.  Just yesterday, I had about ½ inch of snow with the biggest snowflakes I have ever seen.  My kids were super excited watching the big, thick snowflakes floating down from the sky.

I know many growers in my area are getting impatient and feel like they are losing yield each day they are delayed to plant.  They remember from last year that the earliest corn they planted yielded the most.  Our calendar date tells us we are at the beginning of the planting corn season in the Eastern part of Kansas and Southern part of Missouri.  However, our soil temperatures today are showing less than 50^oF.  When it comes to planting dates for corn, it is okay to be early but not okay to plant in less than ideal soil conditions.  Remember the following key planting factors to reduce risk and maximize yield potential this season.

Soil Temperature – Above 50^oF is the starting point for “ideal”.  Seed planted into soils with a temperature below 50^oF will absorb water and swell, but will not initiate root and shoot growth.  This opens up opportunities for insects and diseases to attack seeds resulting in poor emergence. Corn typically requires from 100-120 GDD (growing degree days) to emerge.  Under cooler soil conditions (50-55^oF), emergence can easily take up to 3-4 weeks.  As soil temperature approaches 70^oF, emergence can be as little as 7 days.

Planting Depth – The recommended planting depth for corn is 2 inches.  The absolute minimum depth should be 1.5 inches.  This depth is important for establishing a healthy crown below the soil surface.  The crown is where the growing point originates.  Shallow planting depths can cause the crown to be closer to the soil surface if not right at the surface.  High temperature and dry soils at the surface can restrict crown development and damage the growing point.

Seed Spacing – Equal spacing between the seeds in a row help the plants compete equally for water, sunlight and nutrients.  For a planting population of 30,000 seeds per acre, the equal distance between seed is 7 inches.  Any deviation over 1 inch (6 inch spacing rather than 7) can be a yield penalty as high as 2.5 bushel per acre.

Plant Emergence – Plants that do not emerge uniformly do not compete equally for water, sunlight and nutrients, similar to plants not spaced evenly.  Based on research, there is a greater yield penalty for uneven emergence of plants versus the uneven spacing between plants.   A consistent planting depth across the field into adequate moisture will greatly enhance uniform plant emergence.  Make sure your planter is in good working order and don’t forget to set your planter at each field and when you change seed size.

Planting Dates – Planting date is important, especially field-by-field.  Last year, we had a severe heat stress (110^oF) period for about 3 days.  The same hybrid planted 2 days apart under the same management conditions had different pollination outcomes.  One pollinated well while the other was significantly less.  Diversifying planting dates is important for managing risk against stressful environmental conditions occurring during critical reproductive stages (tasseling – blister).  You can also manage this risk by planting multiple hybrids with different maturities.

The most important lesson I learned in 2012 was to be diversified.   Timing is everything and is the difference between success and failure when growing corn in extreme drought and/or heat.  We know we could experience the same type of heat and drought stress in 2013 as we did in 2012.  The difference will be the “timing” of when this occurs.  So be patient on when to start planting, be prepared with your planter, be diversified in your planting dates and hybrids and then go plant!  Above all, be safe and optimistic each day.

Be Specific, Not Speedy

Aaron Ahrenholz (Sales Agronomist, Region 2 – Minnesota)

It is April 1^st as I am writing this, and when I look out my window there is snow on the ground and the temperature this morning was a balmy 18 degrees. By no means am I a meteorologist, but I think it is safe to say that the start of planting season this year will be normal at best if not slightly later than what we have had the past few years. When conditions do become fit for planting, I know all of us will be ready to go and try to get as much done as quickly as we can. If we get started a few days or a week later than normal or if a rain event is on the way, it can be easy to push the throttle ahead and try to get a few more acres done in a day.

This winter I had the opportunity to hear about Precision Planting from a few different speakers.  They spoke about planter settings, products and features. I am not here to promote any certain brand of product, but there were some very good points that were made that pertain to every grower that will be putting seed into the ground this spring, no matter what type of planter you may be using. Here are two of the main points that I took from these meetings pertaining to planting speed and how it can affect yield:

Spacing: On average, every 1-inch deviation in plant spacing resulted in a 2.5 bushels/acre loss of yield. Here is an example with 6-inch spacing being the target:

6  6  6  6  6  = 6-inch average

5  7  6  5  7  = 6-inch average

Both checks averaged a 6-inch spacing, but the bottom example had a deviation of 2 inches from high to low, thus potentially reducing yield by 5 bushels/acre.

Uniform emergence: At 30,000 plants per acre with an average ear size of 18 rows around by 36 kernels long, if we were to lose one viable plant per 1/1000^th of an acre (on 30 inch rows this would be one plant in 17ft 5 inches per row) thus reducing our stand to 29,000 ppa, this would result in a yield loss of about 8 bushels/acre. This one lost plant could be the result of a skip that occurred from seed being jarred off the plate or from planter bounce resulting in a kernel getting planted too shallow and not having adequate moisture to germinate right away, resulting in delayed emergence and thus basically becoming a weed from then on out.

Other factors can certainly cause both of the above mentioned things to happen (check out some of our prior blog posts on planter maintenance), but excess planting speed usually is the main reason for these to occur. I wish there was a planting speed that I could guarantee would work on all of your fields every year, but as you all know every field is different. However, there is one constant. What you do on that one day of planting will ultimately affect your operation for the following 364 days or so until you get the opportunity to plant another crop. If we are going to continue to feed the growing world population, we are going to need to maximize yield and it all starts at placing that seed in the best situation possible.

Have You Noticed?

Ready for More. You’ve heard this phrase from us quite a bit throughout the last year.  Although this statement encompasses many different aspects of our company, the overall idea of the statement “Ready for More” really defines who we are at Producers Hybrids and has prompted us to transform ourselves to better fit this mantra.

Have You Noticed?

You may have noticed some aesthetical changes more recently.  Our brand colors have evolved to red, black and white.  These colors are found in our logo, on our pickups, at farm shows and other marketing materials and apparel throughout the company.  The biggest change you may have noticed is our logo.

 

When we were founded in 1987, the Midwest seedsmen who founded the company were devoted to developing a seed company based on three basic values: respect for people, integrity in business and fairness to the farmer.  We are still devoted to these three core values, along with a drive to push forward and provide the best genetics and products to our customers.  This blend of past and present can be seen in our newly updated logo.

The Producers Hybrids logo is our brand identity.  Over the course of the last 25 years, our logo has taken on a life of its own without consistency.  Our logo needs to represent the brand with consistency, which is why we have decided to make a few changes.  We value the history of the company and the humble beginnings, and this shines through in the same crescent and Producers Hybrids type that appear in our logo.

Are You Ready for More?

Producers Hybrids is a leader in the seed industry, and our logo and brand image have evolved to support this.  As part of AgReliant Genetics, the third largest corn and soybean seed company in the United States, we are growing fast and our dealers and customers demand leadership, professionalism and progression from the Producers Hybrids brand.  Our newly updated logo and brand image showcase our strength and leadership in the seed industry. We look forward to continued growth and new partnerships while never forgetting our humble beginnings. We are truly Ready for More, and our brand and logo are, too!