Replant or Not?

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While many Midwest farmers have yet to get their corn in the ground, others are contemplating whether or not to till up their poor crop and try it again. Poor stands have resulted in some fields where cool temperatures and wet soils put significant stress on seed germination and corn seedlings.

There are three important steps farmers should take when deciding whether to replant:

  1. Evaluate the existing stand for population and uniformity.
  2. Compare yield potential of the existing stand with yield potential of the replant.
  3. If the decision is made to replant, consider various management practices to optimize yield by protecting your crop.

When evaluating corn stands, only count plants that have a good chance of survival. Observe the uniformity of the stand across the field to determine whether the entire field – or just portions of it – must be replanted. Click here to watch Steve Bailie, Latham’s Regional Sales Manager in Wisconsin, explain how to do a stand count. ISU Ag Economist William Edwards also has a developed a replant calculator, based on price expectations and the extra costs associated with replanting that might be helpful.

A chart in a recent issue of Integrated Crop Management will also give you an idea of potential losses from later planting dates. As Roger Elmore writes, however, this may be the kind of year where late planting has little or no penalty.

Another factor to consider on replanted acres is pest management. Most soil insecticides cannot be legally applied twice in the same growing season in the same field. With this in mind, replanting with Latham® brand corn containing the Genuity® family of traits provides farmers with more options to combat insects. Contact your local Latham representative or call 1-877-GO-LATHAM (1-877-465-2842) for assistance.

Agronomic Spotlight: Assess Corn & Soybean Stands

Crop Report 05/09/12: Planting is a Test of Patience

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In spite of widespread rain showers during the past week, corn planting remains ahead of schedule. Iowans had planted 64% of their corn acres by Sunday, which is ahead of last year’s 52 percent and the five-year average of 58 percent. Nebraska advanced to 74% of their corn acres planted and Minnesota to 73%. Just 34% of Wisconsin’s corn crop was in the ground as of Sunday, that’s 16% more than a week ago and 4% ahead of the 5-year average. Soybean planting is a bit slow, as well.

“We’re still within the window to plant corn and achieve high yields. Farmers have until late May to get their seed in the ground,” Roger Elmore, professor of agronomy at Iowa State University with research and extension responsibilities in corn production. “It’s far better to wait for good soil conditions than it is to ‘mud in’ your seed.”

Planting early ensures the best yields if weather conditions are right. Planting in wet soils can lead to other, yield-robbing situations like compaction. Forty-one percent of Iowa’s corn crop was planted in just 4 days, so it won’t take long for the remaining seed corn to get out of the bag and into the ground.

Select a territory in the drop-down menu below to view a region’s most recent crop updates.

Old McDonald’s Farm and Disney Don’t Portray Modern Farmers

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Photo courtesy of AgriNews.com

“Musings of a Pig Farmer”
by Larry Sailer

During my talk last month at the 140confDM / State of NOW Conference in Des Moines, I mentioned Old McDonald’s Farm. Then conference founder Jeff Pulver (a city dude) asked Deb Brown (a country girl who lived for decades in Chicago) if today’s farms are really like Old McDonald’s Farm. Now I need to say that Deb does not farm, but even though she lives in the middle of farm country, she did not have an answer. Deb’s speechlessness made me realize how important it is for farmers like me to share our stories with all consumers, even those who live in rural areas.

Sharing my knowledge of modern farming with consumers, our customers, is the reason I agreed to speak at the 140 conference in the first place. As I stated in my talk, one of the things I try to do is first listen to what town folks have to say. I listened that day in Des Moines, and I learned that bacon is beloved! After I mentioned Bacon Fest, bacon was talked about the rest of the day!

Now back to Jeff’s question… Farming has changed greatly over the years. Unfortunately, people without a direct connection to farming often don’t see just how many improvements have been made. They only know what they hear and see through the media. Think of the images portrayed by Disney® cartoons. As a result, two or three generations have been led to believe that animals are like humans: They talk. They walk. And Porky the pig even hunts like a human. Being the old grumpy pig farmer, I can’t help but think how these shows have skewed the perception of farming.

The need is great to educate consumers about where their food comes from and how it is produced. It takes a real effort for a busy farmer to leave his/her farm and drive to a school or civic group meeting – or to a 140 conference – where people can listen, ask questions and share experiences.

There are many programs and groups in place to share the real story about farming and ranching, but we have a big job to do! Unless we make a concerted effort to educate, people like a young Desmund Adams won’t know how food gets to a grocery store. Desmund, who was raised in Chicago, commented during the 140confdm that he was 17 years old before he knew that meat came from an animal that was raised on a farm. His point is well taken: agriculture needs to do a better job of sharing farmers’ stories. You can help by sharing “Musings of a Pig Farmer” with your friends and family! Ask them to send me their questions by posting comments.