If asked, most people can tell you their Social Security number and maybe their spouse’s birthday, but how many producers could accurately tell you the average pH of their farm? Hopefully, the response is, “It’s 6.5.”, and not “Less than 6.” or “I don’t know.” When it comes to crop inputs, soil pH tends to take a back seat compared to the “cooler” inputs such as nitrogen and seed variety. A soil’s pH can have an impact on nutrient...
All Posts from 2019
|
October 18, 2019 |
|
October 10, 2019 In modern production agriculture, sometimes we need to see proof before we can believe.
Every year growers perform on-farm research trials to search for a yield advantage from seed selection, herbicide application, fungicide application, seed treatment and the list goes on. In most cases these tests result in positive or negative yield responses and a corresponding positive, negative or flat return on investment. ... |
|
October 08, 2019 This article was originally published in the September issue of Soy Perspectives magazine. You must gain control over your money, or the lack of it will forever control you. That’s the mantra of financial planning guru and broadcaster Dave Ramsey. Agricultural financing experts say his advice holds true, even as new financial management tools... |
|
October 04, 2019 Driving across the northeastern part of the state it isn’t hard to spot fields that were intended for soybeans this growing season, but have unfortunately now become prevent plant acres. The only good news for the soybean grower in this situation is that the impact of leaving fallow acres may be less harmful than you think. Leaving bare ground greatly increases the risk of soil erosion and fallow syndrome for the following crop year... |
|
October 01, 2019 Illinois producers spend a lot of time developing a strong corn nitrogen program and implementing it throughout the growing season. We know that nitrogen is very important to a growing corn crop, but it’s just as important to a soybean plant. However, realistically, how much time is spent managing soybean’s nitrogen needs? There’s still an ongoing debate regarding how much nitrogen a corn plant needs, but it will likely fall between 0.9 to 1.... |
|
September 30, 2019 The answer? Yes. Well, I hope we do.
The opportunity to sow wheat may seem bleak after a tasking 2019 planting season, but for a good portion of Illinois, especially for us in God’s Graceland (Southern Illinois), wheat is still an important crop within our farming operations. As with all cropping systems, hybrid selection and good seed-to-soil placement are prerequisites for any strong crop foundation. ... |