Nick Benson shows us the sidewall compaction side by side to a normal corn stalks. For more information, tune into Nick Benson’s most recent YouTube video:

http://youtu.be/kM2xrMgUuxE

Getting rid of crop residue can allow the soils to warm up quicker and dry out faster in the spring.  But there is a fine line between removing residue to provide such benefits and leaving so much residue that it actually impedes crop development.  Taking time to develop a crop residue management plan this fall may greatly improve crop emergence and reduce disease problems next spring.

Options to manage crop residue include: tillage, chopping, the use of residue cleaners or burning.

If you believe burning is your best option, keep these tips in mind from county conservationists, who were recently interviewed by the Iowa Farmer Today:

• The best time to burn is when grass has gone dormant, after the first killing freeze and into April or early May.
• Conditions need to be favorable to prevent a wildfire.  The National Weather Service offers a fire weather forecast on its website.  Also be cognizant of whether there is a ban on burning in the area.
• Fire breaks should be established by creating a line of bare soil to stop the fire.
• Once a burn is scheduled, notify the local fire department. That puts the department on alert in case the fire burns out of control.  Once the burn is done, the local fire department should be notified again.
• Smoke also needs to be managed to avoid having smoke cover a road.

We’ve heard several reports about uneven corn stands this season, and compacted soils is one reason for some of the variability that’s now evident in the fields.    Today we’re following up our recent posts, Uneven Corn Stands Part 1 and Uneven Corn Stands Part 2, with a video example of compaction.

Steve Bailie, Latham RSM, recently shot this footage in his Southwest Wisconsin territory.  While completing fall tillage operations, the grower entered this field when it was too wet.  This action led to deep wheel tracks in the soil and compaction in the seedbed.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSb1yf4p7nY[/youtube]

Here’s a photo of corn plants from the same field, eight rows apart.  Compaction took its toll on the plant on the left.

Make adjustments to your crop management plan this year to avoid situations like these from happening to your acres in 2012.  The majority of yield is determined during planting. Good things come to those who wait for the right seedbed conditions. For more tips on how to avoid soil compaction, read Mark Grundmeier’s post.

While there are many benefits to planting early, planting too early can have negative impact on yield.  Planting in soils that are too cold or too wet will cause seeds to sit dormant and become more vulnerable to diseases, insects and animal predators.

Let soil temperatures and soil conditions – not the calendar – dictate your planting date. For a map of current soil conditions throughout Iowa, click here. We recommend waiting until soil temperatures in a region reach between 55 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit before you plant soybeans or 50 degrees before you plant corn. Remember, soil temperature for soybean planting is more critical than for corn. The main reason for this is because soybeans can germinate in a soil environment of about 55 degrees Fahrenheit, but if the air temperature after germination hits 28 degrees Fahrenheit or less, the young seedling can be killed with the growing point of the plant right at emergence. Adversely for corn, the growing point stays under the surface until much later.

If planting conditions aren’t fit for planting, yield may be sacrificed due to:

• Chilling Injury – Imbibitional chilling can negatively affect both corn and soybeans. This happens often when farmers jump the gun and plant in soils that are too cold. For a seed to germinate, it must absorb water, which usually happens within a few hours of planting. If the water is too cold, tissue damage will occur within the seedling and will either kill it or drastically slow down emergence. This can allow diseases and other problems to enter. Typical symptoms of chilling injury may include a swollen seed that has not germinated, as well as a fragile or absent primary root.
• Soil Compaction – If mud sticks to your tires and ruts are deeper than an inch, the field is too wet to work.  Compaction will likely result, causing decreased germination, root and plant growth, as well as nutrient uptake.
• Soil Crusting – Wet soil at planting can cause a crusted layer to form, which may delay or prevent seedling emergence.  Soybean hypocotyls can easily break as they push through the crust, which may result in significant stand reductions and lower yield potential.

There are several factors to consider when managing soybean production in no-till conditions: variety selection, insect management, disease management, fertility management and weed management.

“Choosing a variety is the single most important decision a soybean producer can make to maximize yield,” says Aaron Saeugling, Iowa State University Extension Field Agronomist.  He also recommends that growers choose varieties that have the ability to excel in a given environment because no-till varieties requires more than just picking the highest yield variety in a seed plot.

As for fertility management, Saeugling says fall is the best time to build your farm’s fertility program. You need a quality soil sample for the basis of fertilizer. Click here to read Tuesday’s blog post for soil sampling guidelines.

For more tips on no-till soybean management read the complete article here.

 Source: Iowa Soybean Association’s E-Gold Standard Newsletter.