Harvest 2013 – Kansas & Missouri

Kris Young (Sales Agronomist, Region 6 – Kansas & Missouri)

The 2013 corn and soybean harvest is finally winding down here in the Southern Region (Kansas and Missouri).  I think we would all agree it has been another unique year in terms of the growing season.  When we contrast the past three growing seasons, we have seen wide swings in winter and spring moisture, planting dates, in-season rainfall, timing of in-season rainfall, severity of heat and timing of heat.  As a result, corn hybrid performance can change year to year due to different growing conditions.

The growing season for 2013 started out cool and wet during the spring, which pushed back planting dates anywhere from 1-2 months later than usual.  Most growers were very hesitant about planting corn as late as mid to late May and some switched to soybeans based on the assumption that July would be hot and dry. For most of the region, July was a complete opposite of last year with cooler temperatures and above average rainfall.  Depending on planting dates and hybrid maturity, we had many 100-140 bu/ac dryland yields and some as high as 200 bu/ac.  Overall, corn yields under irrigation were very good with most field averages in the 180-210 bu/ac range.

While the milder temperatures and additional rainfall in July were positive, in general, for corn yield performance, we did have some instances where we saw the top end yield reduced due to prolonged cloudy days and cooler daytime temperatures (<80⁰F).  In high yield environments such as under irrigation, consecutive cloudy days with cooler temperatures can reduce photosynthesis within the plant causing it not to be able to move the necessary carbohydrates into the ear.  As a result, kernels at the tip of the ear begin to abort causing ears to tip back reducing corn yields.  Certain hybrids respond more negatively to this and may have significantly lower yields versus other hybrids.

The different weather pattern we saw in July brought some different diseases.  For the first time, we had Goss’s Wilt confirmed in several fields in Central Kansas.  Goss’s Wilt is a bacterial disease that overwinters in corn residue and can be detrimental to corn yields of susceptible hybrids.  The only means of controlling this disease is planting corn hybrids that are genetically tolerant to the disease.  Most companies have Goss’s Wilt ratings on their corn hybrids.  Growers that are planting corn in Goss’s Wilt areas or are planting corn-on-corn should be planting corn hybrids with very good tolerance to Goss’s Wilt.  Producers Hybrids has some of the best genetic tolerance to Goss’s Wilt in the corn industry.  Our corn hybrids in the 108-day and later have excellent Goss’s Wilt tolerance.  These products include 7013VT2RIB, 7224VT3PRIB, 7393VT2RIB, 7413VT2RIB, 7574VT3PRIB and 7623VT2RIB.

For most of the region, the mild weather of July quickly switched to very hot and dry conditions in August and early September.  This cool, wet weather followed by hot, dry weather caused many corn hybrids to get Anthracnose stalk rot during the later stages of grain fill.  This stalk rot can cause corn hybrids to prematurely shutdown, reducing corn yields and increasing stalk lodging.  Again, many hybrids reacted differently to this based on their genetic tolerance and/or their stage of growth at the time of infection.

Corn hybrid performance varied considerably across the region this year given the range in planting dates and different growing conditions.  Key corn hybrids in the region are 7013VT2RIB, 7224VT3PRIB, 7413VT2RIB, 7574VT3PRIB and 7623VT2RIB.  While all of these products had good performance this year, no single hybrid dominated plots or side-by-sides as we have occasionally seen in the past.  As a result, growers should plant a package of hybrids (minimum of three) across the farm to help manage the risk of one hybrid failing due to genetic limitations or timing of weather.

Soybean product performance was excellent across the region this year.  Key products for Kansas and Missouri include 3602NR2, 3801NR2, 3802NR2, 3900NSR2, 4101NSR2 and 4500NR2.  All of these products have good yield potential, excellent stress tolerance and good tolerance to sudden death syndrome.  Our highest yielding variety was 3801NR2 which dominated all high yield locations, especially under irrigation.

Our P3 plot program for both corn and soybeans was a success this year.  We had several locations across the region allowing us to showcase our new and key products and gather more yield comparisons of new products and against key competitors.  I want to thank all of our Premier Partners and DSMs for their time and dedication planting, signing and harvesting these plots.  We plan to further expand and improve the P3 plot system next year.

I wish you all a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Harvest 2013 – Iowa

Jeff Morey (Sales Agronomist, Region 5 – Iowa)

The 2013 harvest season started off at a good pace for the first three weeks of October.  However, since then we have had a few snow events in parts of the state and heavy rains in other parts of the state. These rain and snow events have slowed harvest, as well as the dry down on corn.

Soybean yields have been exceeding most growers’ expectations.  On the early side, the 1801NR2, 2101NR2 and the new 2302NR2 have shown excellent yields in both plots and field averages. For the mid-maturity group, the 2500NR2 and the new 2702NR2 have shown great yields while under stress. And for those that don’t have any SCN pressure, the 2408R2 soybeans are producing top yields again this year. In the full season areas the 3101NR2, 3300NR2 and the new 3002NR2 have all been performing exceptionally well through this tough growing season.

Corn yields have been highly variable all across Iowa this fall.  Some growers are getting much higher yields than last year, while others not far away have experienced yields lower than last year. The list of reasons for this seems to be very long and includes things like planting conditions, date of planting, weather conditions at pollination and whether or not you caught a rain in the August/September time frame. One of the things that seems to be showing great results often this fall is the SmartStax products. Our 5898STXRIB, 6108STXRIB, 6878STXRIB and 7268STXRIB are consistently at or near the top of most plots.  After looking at some of the corn-on-corn fields this summer that didn’t have a SmartStax product on them, this is the only thing you should be planting in your corn-on-corn acres.

Take a look at the performance of all of our corn and soybean products on the website at http://www.producershybrids.com/yield-results/.  Please contact your District Sales Manager or Agronomist for more information on the best placement of these or any of our corn and soybean products.

Harvest 2013 – Western Nebraska

Scott Dugan (Sales Agronomist, Region 3 – Western Nebraska)

The 2013 growing season was truly a combination of the past four seasons that resulted in big temperature swings throughout the year and periods of too wet and/or too dry conditions. The spring (April/May) brought cool wet conditions that caused delays and forced some growers to plant into less than ideal conditions in terms of soil temps.  Parts of the region received snow May 1. June followed with hot and dry weather that was polar opposite from the spring. Then, July turned out to be an unseasonably mild month with two weeks of cloudy, rainy and misty conditions and periodic hail storms.  After that, August and September were very similar to 2012 in that they were extremely hot and accumulated some lagging GDUs.  Weather wasn’t the only obstacle growers faced: Corn rootworm larvae/beetles, Spider mites, southern rust and stalk rot appeared this year as well.

Overall performance this year has been very good.  Irrigated acres have averaged similar to last year and dryland has been up due to better moisture.  Corn rootworm larvae were heavily populated in some areas and caused major yield damage.  In these areas, the performance of our new fuller season SmartStax have been tremendous!  7268STXRIB and 6878STXRIB have shown fantastic rootworm control and even without rootworm pressures have been finishing near the top of our yield trials. Stalk and root rots are a given side effect of year we have been dealt. The cold planting conditions contributed to the root rots and the mild and wetter mid-season conditions followed by hot drier conditions contributed to the stalk rots that have been noticed this harvest.

Everything considered, the performance of our existing lineup has been great and we have new products in our pipeline that seem to be even better! The yield results in our NET trials show our new experimental products having tremendous performance and look to be great additions to our existing commercial lineup going forward.  To view any plot data visit our website and click the “Yield Results” tab.  You can sort the data to your liking or feel free to contact your local District Sales Manager for additional information.

Harvest 2013 – Minnesota

Aaron Ahrenholz (Sales Agronomist, Region 2 – Minnesota)

As I am writing this the first real snow of the year is on the ground, reminding us that winter is not far away. Some areas of the state are done with harvest, while most others can see the light at the end of the tunnel. It definitely has been a trying year, but for the most part yields this fall were good with many reports of bean yields being much higher than anticipated.

Harvest started with yields for soybeans being higher than most of us were expecting. As I looked at fields this summer, the beans didn’t have a lot of height to them as most were planted much later than normal, thus pod counts were lower. But timely late summer rains helped put some clusters of pods on top and pod fill was excellent (for what its worth, I think we will see some large seed sizes in beans this next spring), thus bringing us some nice yields. 0301R2 had another impressive year this year in the early maturity group, following up a strong performance from 2012. 1002NR2 looks to be a nice addition to our lineup in this maturity range, bringing us excellent IDC, SCN protection and good stress tolerance. 1601NR2 and 1900NR2 had an outstanding year again. These products were in the top 3 in many plots this fall. And on the later side, 2101NR2 had a nice year, bringing a solid defensive package and still able to bring big yields in the right environment.

Corn yields this fall were all over the board, with those that were fortunate enough to catch some timely rains seeing some nice yields while others that were not so fortunate seeing yields lower than normal. This year definitely proved that diversifying your portfolio of products is wise, as the timing of the heat in August had some adverse effects on hybrids depending on what stage of flowering the hybrid was at. At the time, we all wanted heat to help push the crop along as the later planting dates had us wondering if we would black layer in time. But knowing what we know now, with a much later than normal killing frost, I think we would have been better off turning the heat down at flowering and extending the time needed to reach black layer. Again, another reminder that Mother Nature is in control.

Producers Hybrids performance was good again this year, with a few new hybrids bringing added strength to our already solid lineup. On the early side, 4183VT2RIB looks to be a great addition to our lineup. It brings good emergence, flowers early for its RM, and handled the drought stress well. It also looks to have a little better drydown than 4103VT2RIB. 4938STXRIB, which will be available as 4933VT2RIB, is another new product that has looked good in plots all year long. It handled the drought stress very well this year and has been bringing big yields this fall. Couple that with good roots and stalks, and it brings a nice package on any farm. 5634VT3PRIB has had another great year this year. This product did very well in the NET trials in 2012 and looks to be as good if not better this year in the NET trials and P3 plots. It brings excellent roots and stalks, good drydown and has even topped a few plots with hybrids in it as late as 103-105RM, so it has the potential to bring big yields. Both 5898STXRIB and 6108STXRIB have followed up last year’s great performance with another solid showing this fall.

I have been very happy with the performance of both corn and soybeans this past year in our Producers Hybrids lineup. I know that all of us want to see our products on the top of every plot we are in, but unfortunately that isn’t possible. This year we have seen more variability in plots than in years past, so we need to keep in mind that we must use multi year data when we can, and again sell a diversified package to our customers. Thanks for all of your hard work that you do for Producers Hybrids.

Harvest 2013 – South Dakota

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

After an extended planting period this spring, we are having the same thing this harvest season.  Harvest started well with some exceptional yields. Then, a snowstorm hit western South Dakota and rain showers fell on the east side of the state, which caused delays.  Harvest is now winding down and a lot of fall fertilizer is going out.

There have been some phenomenal yields for both corn and soybeans this year in South Dakota. Field averages close to 60 bu/ac on dryland beans is not unheard of this year.  Our soybean lineup appears to be very strong with 1202NR2, 1409NR2 and 1601NR2 leading the way on the early side.  The 1900NR2 and 2408R2 are yielding very well for later beans. There were some differences in planting dates where the earlier maturities moved south better than normal.  That is, if you can call this a normal year.

Corn yields have been exceptional with several products consistently coming to the top of the test plots.  Our new 85-day appears to be doing quite well on the early side, and there is strong performance on a number of products from 91 to 104-day. One of the most impressive plots had yields over 220 bu/ac with 5784VT3PRIB and 6108STXRIB with a population of 20,500 near Platte, SD.  It goes to show what timely rain and outstanding genetics are capable of!  Be sure to check out the Producers Hybrids website for yield results for test plots near you.

I would like to thank all of the cooperators who had a test plot this year.  There is more yield data to look at to help fine tune the capabilities of our hybrids and allow for better placement.  This also shows the advantage of a 3-4 hybrid approach. Adding diversity and spreading out flowering times will help minimize extreme weather events. For additional information please contact your local District Sales Manager.  Plots are continuing to be updated as information comes in, so be sure to check the yield results for new information. Be safe and good luck selling!

Harvest 2013 – Eastern Nebraska

Mark Grundmayer (Soybean Product Manager/Sales Agronomist, Region 4 – Eastern Nebraska)

Harvest 2013: It’s acting a lot like Planting 2013 in eastern Nebraska with delays, rain and snow. The good news is that yields are much higher than expected. Soybean yields started the trend with some tremendous field averages, some topping 70 bu/ac. We can thank the August rains for those yield levels. Dryland corn yields have been pretty amazing as well. Field averages of well over 200 bu/ac have been reported in many areas. Irrigated corn has done equally as well. A NET plot in Platte County averaged nearly 288 bu/ac with five hybrids yielding over 300 bu/ac.

The northeast part of the state was short of heat units, and hybrids finished slow and held some moisture. The southeast area did not have a heat unit shortage and harvest moistures were generally below 18%. The Highway 91 area was the dividing line. Our new products, both corn and soybeans, performed very well across the region. The excellent performance level across our entire lineup allows for extremely solid hybrid/variety packages. I always like to see growers plant 3-4 corn hybrids on their farms. The multiple hybrid approach gives the grower genetic diversity, as well as spreads out flowering date, which can help minimize the impact of an extreme weather event during that crucial time. Soybeans should be planted in a similar manner, with 50-60% of the grower’s acres planted to the maturity group best suited for that particular area, and splitting the remaining acres between earlier and later maturing varieties. Again, this multiple product approach spreads risk across a wider range of dates and allows for harvesting of beans at more optimal moisture levels. There are many university trials showing the yield advantage of harvest moistures above 12% versus 8%.

Our website is a great place to visit, with plot data from our entire sales area being updated regularly during harvest. You can sort by crop, state, county, District Sales Manager, etc. Contact your local DSM for any additional information you may need, or while on our website, feel free to use the Contact Us tab.

Importance of Plots

Trevor Hamre (DSM, Region 2 – Minnesota)

Harvest has been slowly progressing here in the north half of Minnesota. Rain has been plentiful the last week and hasn’t slowed down yet. Yields have been all over the place, depending on if you received any rain. 2013 has definitely been a challenging year to say the least!

With plot harvest just beginning, I would like to take the time to thank the plot cooperators that we work with. This past spring was not kind to the farmer, yet a lot of them took the time to put in various plots for us when they could have been planting their own crops. By them taking the time, we can now get a good look at what is coming down the pipeline, as well as what is working best in each of the areas.

There were many different “types” of plots planted this year within Producers Hybrids.  I will just name a few. We have our “New Experimental Test (NET)” plots, which show the many different varieties coming down the pipeline. With these plots, our growers get a good look at what they might be planting 1-3 years down the road. Another type of plot we began this year is called Premier Product Performance (P3) trial plots. P3 trial plots are available in corn and soybeans and are designed to showcase our new and market-leading products for next year. Competitor products are also included in each plot to show how Producers Hybrids products stack up against the competition.

These are just a few of the different types of plots that Producers Hybrids utilizes to bring new and market leading products to the industry.  All of this would not happen without the generous help of our plot cooperators!  Thanks and have a SAFE and SUCCESSFUL harvest!

Is Your Combine Ready 4 More?

Another crop year is beginning to come to an end, and it leaves many of us wondering, “What is a normal year anymore?”  For many of those in my area, we began the season by planting into extremely dry soils and preparing ourselves to see another year of drought and heat.  Then it started to rain. And rain. And rain.  Driving the area of my territory west of the Missouri River makes me wonder if I’m in West River South Dakota, or driving down a road in Iowa.  The corn and beans were tall and green all year long, and farmers are setting up for a near record year.  The crops in the eastern part of my territory started out as possibly some of the best crops in the state.  My customers there deserved this as that was arguably the worst hit area for drought in 2012.  The cool summer we had (dipping in the 40s in July at night!) made us wish for some warmer weather to help our crop mature.  As the old saying goes, “be careful what you wish for.”  That saying could not have been truer.  We were blasted with heat in mid-August that changed the appearance of our crop in South Eastern South Dakota in a matter of days.  Now, cornfields are turning browner by the day, with some even already in a silage pile, and bean fields that are looking to be ready to combine within a week.  This has me thinking: Is your combine ready for this year’s harvest?

Sure, all of the farmers I know do the standard ‘back the combine out of the shed, grease it up and clean it off, check all the fluid levels, adjust settings according to your crop, and head out to the field’.  All of these steps are important and should not be overlooked, but there is some fine tuning you can do both before the field and in the field to make sure all the hard work, time, effort, and most importantly money you put into this year’s crop makes it all the way to the elevator.

Start with making adjustments according to your combine’s owner’s manual for the crop you are about ready to harvest.  Remember, this should only be a starting point.  As your combine wears over the years, its ability to do certain things will be hindered and adjustments will need to be made.  Make sure you know why you are making adjustments before actually doing them, only make one adjustment at a time and test it before going on to something else.

The combine is not the only thing that needs adjustments.  Your header needs to be tuned up just right too, or the grain will not even get to your perfectly adjusted threshing unit.  Here are a few tips to remember:

Soybeans

• Make sure your reel speed is about 10% – 25% faster than your ground speed.  You can go up to 50% faster if crop is lodged, but a reel speed that is too fast will break pods and cause yield loss.
• Keep reel axle 6-12 inches ahead of cutter bar and as low as possible.  Constantly adjust reel height as conditions change to ensure that the reel is controlling the beans without harming them or throwing beans off of the header.
• Pay attention to bean height off of the ground.  Make sure the header is as close to the ground as possible, but if beans are off the ground, the header can be raised to prevent ground and header damage.
• For draper heads, set reel speed to lightly place beans on platform.  These heads have grown in popularity as of late, so they are worth mentioning.  Make sure the draper speed is enough to keep an even flow into the feeder house.
• Complete harvest as quickly as possible.  This one is probably the most obvious to farmers, but just a reminder to keep the harvest as close to 13% moisture as possible.

Corn

• Keep gathering chains the same speed as ground speed.  If they are too fast they can pull stalks out of the ground and cause ear loss.
• Make snapping roll speed the same as ground speed.  If this is adjusted right, the ears should be plucked half to two-thirds the way up the deck plates.
• Pay attention to stalk diameter and ear size.  This will come in handy when adjusting deck plates.  Too wide of deck plates will allow small ears to be missed.  Too narrow will cause butt shelling and excessive trash to enter the head.
• Set flighting clearance.  A typical clearance for the auger flighting is about 1 inch about the head pan.  Make sure the auger is not carrying over stringy material or damaging the head.

Finally, your adjustments are made and you can see how you did.  Start in combining and checking quite often at how you’re doing.  This is probably the most important step you can take throughout the ENTIRE growing season, as about 60% of corn losses occur at the combine.  The best method I’ve seen so far is one that I learned from my college professor at SDSU, Dr. Gregg Carlson.  As he puts it, this method is ‘Incredibly simple!’  You first need to make a Harvest Square.  This can be easily done by buying some small diameter PVC pipe and 90 degree elbows.  Cut the pieces so they make a frame with an inside diameter of 1 ft x 1 ft.  Keep this in the combine cab at all times.  As you go throughout the field, take your square out and put it on the ground.  It works best to stop the combine and back up 10-15 ft.  First, put the square down in the standing crop and count seeds in the square to account for pre-harvest losses.  Then, count seeds in the square at a few different points in the first 5 ft to account for header loss.  Move back behind the combine to determine threshing loss.  This way, you will know where your problem lies and be better suited to fix your problem.  In corn, keep an eye out for whole cobs on the ground as well.  If they are not falling off prior to the combine, you need to address that problem because those can add up to big losses as well. Keep these points in mind when determining yield loss:

Soybeans

• Approximately 3.5 seeds/sq. ft equals 1 bushel yield loss/acre

Corn

• Approximately 2 seeds/sq. ft equals 1 bushel yield loss/acre
• Approximately 1 cob every 10ft of header width equals 1 bushel yield loss

Remember, these are only approximations.  Seed size needs to be taken in account as well, but will not sway the numbers too much.  If you use these as rules of thumb you will be very close to a yield loss.  Anytime you are determining loss, it is crucial you test at multiple sites throughout the field.  One spot can change drastically from the next.  You also need to make sure losses are not already in the field before the combine hits it, so you adjust the combine.  For those of you with smart phones, there are a few apps on the market now that can help determine yield loss.

At the end of the day, combine losses are inevitable.  As long as you can keep them as minimal as possible, you will have a successful harvest.  Determine what loss you are okay with before starting to check, and when you hit that or are under that number, get back in the combine and relax for a little while before you check it again to make sure it is still harvesting accurately.  If you have questions about harvesting, feel free to give your Producers Hybrids District Sales Manager or Agronomist a call to help you achieve the most out of your crop this fall.  From all of us at Producers, we wish you a SAFE and bountiful harvest!

Interesting Year in Iowa

Jeff Morey (Sales Agronomist, Region 5 – Iowa)

The planting season that won’t end. That is what best describes the spring of 2013 in Iowa. We have growers that are still trying to plant corn for the first time, finish planting corn, have already replanted corn, trying to get started planting soybeans, want to finish soybeans and replanting soybeans.  All of these things are occurring on the same day throughout Iowa. There are also growers that are weighing the option of prevented planting. And just to prove that supply and demand economics still work, the oats you will need for a cover crop on the prevented planting acres have increased in price by 250% in the last 3 weeks…which I have heard has upset a lot of horse owners.

For those corn acres that were planted before the May 1^st snow storm, it is time to get them sprayed.  While most of the corn planted ahead of the snowstorm has been progressing right along, the weed pressure is starting to cause problems. In some cases the PRE herbicide has diluted after all of our moisture and is not as effective anymore. Or where we don’t have a PRE down and need to get started on our post programs, the wet conditions have hindered spraying so much that the grasses are as tall as or taller than the corn in some fields. Some studies have shown as much as a 5-10% yield loss as early as V1-V2 corn stage because of weed competition. And for soybeans, we may lose 1% for every day weed control is delayed past V1-V2 stage.

This would be good year to consider a Late Spring Nitrate Test (LSNT) on your cornfields. Iowa State University Extension Agronomists collected soil samples this spring from the same locations as last fall.  The results have shown that the nitrate-N has moved deeper in the soil profile and in most cases the nitrate-N has decreased from last fall.  Talk to your local extension office for more details on how and when to do the testing.  With all of the rain that we have had so far this year and the yield potential that is still in the field, doing at least one test in every corn field could provide a big ROI.  And the least it would do is provide you with a piece of mind that the N levels are there for a bumper crop.

Planting Affects Everything

Scott Dugan (Sales Agronomist, Region 3 – Western Nebraska)

Weather is always a conversation starter at the coffee shop, but this spring the weather has not only been the starter, but the main topic of conversation.  The last month has provided numerous weather systems that have made the thermometers go up and down like a yo-yo, and therefore, put a major wrench into a lot of growers’ planting plans.  Despite the frustration of the delayed planting date, the moisture was and still is a welcome sight for the region.  Unfortunately the entire region did not receive all of the rains that came with these systems.  The western part of Nebraska is still extremely dry and continues to be in the “severe drought” stage.  Even with the obstacles, planting is slowing moving along.  Planting progress is all over the board though; I have areas where growers are finishing up their corn acres and others that are just starting.  Overall as a region, I would estimate that we are 35%-50% completed (corn acres).

As we trench through this planting season there are just a couple things I would like to touch on.  Planting is the most important operation you will have this season.  It is the one operation that will have an effect on every decision you make throughout the growing season: weed control, side-dress nutrients, irrigation, and harvest.  Accurate depth, spacing, and soil-to-seed contact plays a huge role in your yield outcome.

Depth– too shallow and the crown is forced above the soil surface dramatically affecting nodal root development; too deep and you risk the plant not reaching the surface (common in colder soils and high residue).

Spacing– is critical for maximum sunlight absorption, weed control and even nutrient distribution.

Soil seed contact– wet planting conditions are prone for sidewall compaction.  Make sure that the seed firmers are accurate and that the furrow is closing properly to avoid the seed drying out.

Again, as you start planting or continue to plant, remember to get out and check your depth, check your spacing and your soil-to-seed contact at every field and sporadically throughout as conditions change.   These small things can make the difference between a viable grain producing corn plant and essentially a corn weed.

With a cooler wetter forecast model now being discussed, there are some things to be aware of as the seeds begin to grow.  Cooler/wetter soils will promote more seedling diseases such as pythium, phytophthora and fusarium.  These diseases can cause “dampening off” and influence later infections of stalk rots.  Also, cooler/wetter soils tend to increase certain insect activity such as wireworm, seedcorn maggots and grubs.  Shortly after the corn emerges, one pest to be aware of with cooler weather is black cutworm.  Corn stages from VE-V5 are at a greater risk because the larvae can chew the stalk completely off at the base of the plant.

This spring could not be more different from last year.  There are obstacles to overcome and adjustments to be made.   If there is any way we can help please contact your local DSM or Agronomist and let us know.  Thank you for your business and have a safe planting season.