Remember this feeling, it happens every year. It’s that edgy, ready-to-go feeling that shows up every year around early April. The later it gets, the more the feeling gets amplified. Then you read stories (sorry) about the guy down the road that hit the perfect window in early April and absolutely nailed it at harvest…. Read More
Category: Corn Planting
The s-tine field cultivator isn’t the most complicated piece of equipment you’ll have on the farm, but it sure can prove handy, especially in a less than ideal spring planting season. As Jim Boak, with Salford Machinery, explains in this Corn School video, the s-tine unit’s unique vibration pattern means it’s well suited to working… Read More
The drive to get on the field to plant in a timely manner can sometimes overshadow the importance of planting only when the soil is ready. What’s more, if there’s any tillage to be done before planting, a late start can start feeling very late indeed. But if you head out planting before the soil… Read More
As planting (eventually) gets under way, a little planning and moving of skids of seed can go a long way in not only increasing the efficiency of planting, but also ensuring that refuge requirements aren’t missed. Some seed variety packaging has made meeting the refuge requirements easy with the RIB (Refuge In a Bag) system,… Read More
Is it warm enough to plant? It’s a common question these days and one that has many a farmer out checking soil temps often. The tricky part about spring soil warm-up is that the optimal soil temp for germination isn’t necessary the optimum soil temp for sprouting and emergence of the corn crop. Add in… Read More
Here we go again. It’s time to start thinking about getting into the field. That means taking a real, good look at your corn planter and getting it ready to do the job it’s supposed to do. Not having your planter setup properly is a yield robbing nightmare. In this episode of the Corn School… Read More
Ken Ferrie wants you to slow the planter down. And then stop. Yes, really. While the planting season is a hectic one, rushing, especially in wet conditions, is a recipe for disaster. Ferrie, an independent agronomist, wants farmers to slow down and better match planter speed to planting conditions. What’s more, he wants you to… Read More
Farming would be much, much easier and far less risky if we could control the weather. We can’t, of course, so the first point of any “most limiting factor” list — the weather — is always moot. After that, though, there are several management factors well within farmers’ control that deserve some attention when gunning… Read More
It’s easy to see what’s going on with your corn crop above ground. You can see things like changes in colour, difference in height, physical damage. When it comes to a diagnosis however, in most cases it pays to start looking underground. Root analysis can keep you from throwing good money after bad. Adding nutrients… Read More
Everyone has an aunt or an uncle or someone that uses “blanket” terminology. You know what I mean, they call blu rays and CD’s DVD’s or call all mp3 players “iPods”. We’re all guilty of it on some level, but the truth is terminology is important. Just ask Tony Vyn about using the terms “drought… Read More
An early spring with warm conditions, decent moisture at planting and high-yield-potential genetics make for a best-case scenario in the face of unfavourable weather conditions. The 2012 corn crop generally started out with excellent root structure and good moisture before Mother Nature turned off the top and cranked the heat. In spite of the dry… Read More
Do you know how many pounds per bushel of phosphorus and potassium corn pulls out of the soil? Nitrogen gets all the attention in crop production, but these two nutrients are also very important to corn production, and, in years of decent yields, the total pounds per acre of P and K drawn out of… Read More
There are a number of different elements that have to come together to unlock yield potential in corn and move it to that coveted 300 bushel mark. As we visit field number 2 of the PRIDE Seeds 300+ bushel initiative, we take a look at one of those factors and the issues that can come… Read More
How early is too early to plant corn? The simple answer is that there is no simple answer, at least one that doesn’t involve a healthy dose of hindsight. Depending on a number of factors outside everyone’s control, you can have a banner year planting early or a total bust. It also depends on if… Read More
There is always some risk involved when it comes to early planting of corn. The risk-reward scenario has to be weighed using a number of factors, some of which, like the weather, are out of the farmer’s hands. This year you can add another factor to that scenario: tight corn seed stocks. If something does… Read More