Have you connected with your agronomist or seed dealer to discuss plans for 2020 on-farm trials?
When it comes to corn and soybean management, there’s nothing that trumps on-farm experience when making profitable decisions, says Pride Seeds market agronomist Matt Chapple.
On this episode of the RealAgriculture Corn School, Chapple reviews some of the agronomic insights he learned from 2019 trials and discusses research ideas he’ll be encouraging growers to pursue in their own plots as corn planting approaches. Last year, Chapple designed plots to get a better handle on population requirements for fixed and flex corn hybrids and determining where these distinct genetics fit on the farm. He also designed plots to gain insight on the potential for high yields with lower soybean populations.
This year, he’ll be taking a closer look at new genetics and hybrid nitrogen requirements throughout the season. There is also lots to learn in fungicide test plots and side-by-side comparisons of new tank mix options. Repeating trials is another strategy Chapple subscribes to. Often trials need to be repeated to gain multiple years of data and experience, especially as growers look to identify specific genetics and agronomic practices that bring yield stability to their farms.
The final piece of the puzzle is always downloading and digesting the data, notes Chapple. It’s no good if the data just sits on the yield monitor. He says it’s also important for the growers and agronomists to note conditions throughout the growing season to understand how hybrids respond to different variables and learn for the future.
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