Compaction Effects Felt Long After Fall Tillage and Spring Planting
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.
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.
Latham Corn Product Specialist Nick Benson is seeing above-average pressures of corn borer in his northeast Iowa territory. If your acres aren’t protected by a corn borer trait, Nick advises you to check fields as soon as possible for corn borer larvae and consult with an agronomist about treatment if thresholds are met.
Click the video below for information on how to scout your fields for corn borer.
Female moths have dull, buff colored wings while males have brown colored wings.
Corn Borers damage plants when their “boring” tendencies disrupt the plant tissues and interfere with water and nutrient uptake and transfer. Boring into plants creates a wound providing opportunity for infectious disease to enter the plant. Lastly, corn borers can cause weakened stalk and ear strength leading to lodging or ear drop. It’s important to catch these pests early on in the infestation stages to prevent severe damage to the integrity of your plants.
Late-stage larvae commonly tunnel into the earshank of corn.
Management approaches differ according to generation of corn borer, stage of growth in the corn plants and the cost analysis in your field. Iowa State provides these guidelines, but it’s advisable to run an individual analysis and consult with your agronomist for recommendations to suit your unique situation.
For more information on corn borer or management approaches, don’t hesitate to ask questions in the comment box below, or contact us directly.
Franklin County 4-H to Hold Pancake Breakfast July 17
WHO: Everyone!
WHAT: Pancake breakfast
WHEN: Sunday, July 17, 2011, from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m.
WHERE: 4-H Food Stand on the Franklin County Fairgrounds
Help support the Franklin County 4-H Scholarship Endowment! All are invited to enjoy food and fellowship during a pancake breakfast presented by Franklin County 4-H.
Free will donations will be accepted to support the youth scholarship endowment fund.
We at Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds wish all of you a Happy and safe 4th of July holiday. We’re proud to be Americans, and thank all soldiers and veterans for fighting for the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. God Bless the USA!
One reason I’m still celebrating “June Dairy Month” on the first of July is because I want to savor as much of summer as I can. (It seems like the summer passes too quickly once we’ve celebrated the Fourth of July.) Another reason that I’m featuring dairy recipes today is because they will make it easy to entertain guests over the holiday weekend.
Whether you’re planning to celebrate this weekend with a group of 4 or 40, TheFieldPosition.com has the perfect dessert for you! This quick, easy Chocolate Mousse recipe is a cool treat on a hot summer’s day for a Party of 4. The Buster Bar Dessert easily feeds 12 people, while Brownies in a Roaster serves 40.
May you and your family enjoy a safe and fun holiday weekend as you celebrate our nation’s independence and pay tribute to those who have fought for our freedom! From patriotic printables to celebratory centerpieces and hand-made parade wear, FamilyFun offers dozens of craft and game ideas for kids of all ages.
If the weather cooperates, our family will spend as much of the weekend outdoors as possible. We’ll golf, swim, bike and, of course, watch the fireworks.
What’s your favorite way to celebrate the Fourth of July?
Buster Bar Dessert
Ingredients:
1 package of Oreo® cookies
2 c. powered sugar
1 can evaporated milk
1½ sticks margarine or butter
¾ c. chocolate chips
1½ cups Spanish peanuts
½ gallon of vanilla ice cream, softened
Directions:
Crush Oreos and then stir in melted margarine. Pat mixture into 9×13 pan. Set aside.
Mix together powdered sugar, evaporated milk, 1 stick margarine and chocolate chips.
Then boil these four ingredients for 8 minutes, stirring constantly. Let the mixture cool completely.
Meanwhile, sprinkle ¾ c. Spanish peanuts over the Oreo crust. Then slice ice cream over the nuts. Sprinkle ¾ c. Spanish peanuts over the ice cream. Then pour the cooled chocolate sauce on top and place in the freezer.
COOK’S TIP: This dessert is also festive during the holidays. Use the holiday Oreo cookies with peppermint ice cream.
Ames, Iowa company to help small farmers in Africa
Daniel Krohn
Guest blog by:
Daniel Krohn
Sustainability Lead,
Becker Underwood
Becker Underwood located in Ames, Iowa, is a leading-edge developer of biological and specialty products, including seed colorants and polymers, inoculants, beneficial nematodes, mulch and turf colorants and a wide range of agricultural and horticultural solutions. The core of our business is based on increasing agricultural yields by utilizing biologically-based products, with high efficacy, but with low environmental and social impact. All while playing a role in feeding a growing global population.
In 2008, we set out on a mission to address sustainability throughout all of our business practices. Earlier this year we implemented our sustainability strategy, “NET positive,” a goal that Becker Underwood – through its processes, products and policies – has an overall positive impact on the environment and society.
One of our major projects has been our partnership with Iowa State University and the Gates Foundation to help small farmers in Africa by providing them with sustainable biological products that will help improve their yields through inoculation.
The soil conditions in these countries are one of the many hurdles these farmers face. Low amounts of phosphorus and nitrogen in the soil, in addition to extremely dry conditions, are challenges that must be overcome in order for optimal crop growth. Our introduction of inoculates to the land, while not a common practice, allows for more available nitrogen in the soil. Seventy-nine percent of the air we breathe is made of nitrogen and inoculated legumes are able to convert and use this nitrogren. The nitrogen provided by inoculated legumes grown in rotation with other crops helps boost yield and lower fertilizer costs of crops such as corn or small grains, all in an environmentally safe manner. It is our goal, with this process, to double bean production in these areas.
To learn more about ISU’s Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods program in Africa, watch this video. To learn more about Becker Underwood’s sustainability initiatives visit our website, www.sustainbu.com.
Yesterday, I blogged about the importance of determining the causes behind uneven corn stands in the field. Things to consider included: planting conditions at the start of the season, possible excessive planter speed over rough soil or residue, planting in unfit soils, shallow or excessive planting depth, failure to close the furrow or worn planter parts. I also provided a link to help make planter adjustments that promote those “picket fence” stands in your field.
But what if everything I mentioned in yesterday’s post was done properly and you still end up with uneven corn? Dig up those poorly performing plants! Nearly all unevenness results from a problem under the soil surface. Some potential culprits to check for include:
Insect damage by pests such as wireworms, seed corn maggots, white grubs, sod webworms and black cutworms.
Seedling diseases and/or rotted kernels.
Fertilizer injury, including Anhydrous ammonia or the subsequent nitrate salt formed in the ammonia injection band. This injury can be eliminated by applying ammonia in good soil conditions and not planting directly into the ammonia injection band.
Varying amounts of residue cover in a field, which can affect soil temperature and soil moisture.
Cooler soil temperatures not only affect plant growth but also microbial activity responsible for nitrogen and/or sulfur mineralization and the micorrhizal fungal activity instrumental in phosphorous acquisition from the soil. It’s not uncommon to observe soil temperature under varying amounts of residue differing by as much as 10 to 12 degrees Fahrenheit into June.
Patchy weed growth left to compete too long within a field often results in uneven corn.
It’s not uncommon for fields to emerge and appear even until the plants reach the V2 stage of growth. Until V2 a young plant survives mostly upon food storage in the kernel and water and nutrients received through its primary root system. At approximately V2, the plant’s photosynthetic area has increased in size until it provides significant food and energy and the secondary root system (main plant root system) has developed enough to gather significant water and nutrients.
Plants at V2 that have lost or diminished primary root systems and underdeveloped secondary root systems will become smaller, poorer doing plants when compared to the increasing growth of their unimpaired neighbors. As time goes on, the healthy, rapidly growing plants accentuate the unevenness as they “grow away” from the poor performing plants. Fields emerging the same day but exhibiting unevenness prior to V2 usually contain plants with rotted kernels or have lost their primary root systems.
A large number of uneven corn stand cases are always tied back to unfit soils at planting time and resulting soil compaction. Having mentioned that, I’ll leave you with a link and the Top Ten Reasons to Avoid Soil Compaction as provided in a recent issue of Corn and Soybean Digest.
It’s important to examine the cause of uneven corn to avoid the situation in the future, if possible. Some common reasons for uneven corn may be a result of: the planting trip; varying planting depths due to excessive planter speed over rough soil or residue; planting in soils that are too wet; shallow planting depth; excessive planting depth; failure to close the furrow; or worn planter parts.
To help provide “picket fence stands,” make planting and planter adjustments. It’s important to match the planter speed to field conditions and to avoid planting seeds in extremely poor soil conditions.
Photo of root development on corn plant enduring sidewall compaction after being planted in wet soils.
Planting in soils that are too wet can lead to sidewall compaction. This spring I saw where two sidewalls compacted, causing the plant to come out of the ground in two halves. The under-developed root systems resulting from the compaction are often confined in a flat plane within the furrow trench. Planting in too wet of soil, especially with coulters, allows sticky soil to build up on gauge wheels resulting in planting depth differences.
Shallow planting places seed in differing soil moisture levels and can potentially delay emergence dates. Shallow planting also can lead to a shallow secondary root system. “Rootless corn” may result, or plant development may be greatly delayed compared to neighboring plants. Excessive planting depth, especially in challenging environment seasons, can result in uneven emergence, too. However, I have far greater problems over the years with planting too shallow than I have with planting too deep.
Failure to close the furrow is usually caused by poor soil conditions, improper closing wheels for field conditions, incorrect down pressure, or planting in sod. Worn or improperly adjusted planter parts can cause or aggravate all the previously mentioned problems.
Although the 2011 planting season may be over and done, it’s important to monitor crop progress throughout the growing season and take notes. Avoiding these same mistakes during next year’s planting season can help improve plant stands and lead to healthier, higher yielding plants.
Plenty of Blue Sky & "Strawberries in a Cloud" for this Iowa Farm Family
Scott Jencks farms with his father, Warren, and his brother, Mark, in Fayette County. They farm some of the best ground in the state of Iowa, and then again, some of their fields present more than a few growing challenges.
“Seed technology and equipment technology has come a long way in a few years. We’re looking forward to using Latham’s Seed-2-Soil® program to organize all of our data in hopes of increasing our overall productivity and efficiency,” says Scott. “We’re running populations between 27,000 and 37,000 for the first time this year. We’re pushing populations where we can and bringing them down where we can’t. I’m really looking forward to this fall when we’ll see how it works!
“We’ve been working with Nick for four years now, and his recommendations have proved so valuable that we don’t even question him anymore,” says Scott. “Nick creates a prescription planting plan for each field and places Latham® corn and soybean products where they will work best for our soil and farming conditions. One of the things that we like best about working with Nick is that he’s interested in more than just selling us seed. He also has walked us through planting populations, tillage system and residue management. He’s become a real partner in our operation.”
The Jencks family: Scott, Linda, Seth, Megan and Kelsey
Figuring out how to make things work better is Scott’s true passion. He earned a degree in Automotive Technology from Hawkeye Community College and worked for five years as a mechanic. His time away from the farm made him realize just how much he missed it, so Scott began farming full time in 1993. Then he and his wife, Linda, were married one year later.
“Scott and I both grew up on farms around Hawkeye and love the freedom of living in the country,” says Linda. “Once the chores were done, my siblings and I found something to do outside for the rest of the day. It was such a carefree childhood, and I always wanted that for my kids.”
Dream it and you can achieve it, as the old saying goes. Today the Jencks are the proud parents of 14-year-old triplets, who enjoy playing outside with their pets and spending time by the creek. Their son, Seth, also keeps busying playing baseball, football and basketball. Their daughters, Megan and Kelsey, enjoy participating in band and choir. They’re really looking forward to starting high school next year and having the chance to become involved with speech and drama.
Because they all enjoy being outside, the Jencks’ extended family enjoys spending time together each summer at a cabin in northern Minnesota. Adults and kids alike go fishing, boating, tubing and water skiing. They also go for bike rides and spend time reading.
“Every time I say that I’m going to make Strawberries in a Cloud, my kids get excited. It makes a great potluck dish, too,” says Linda. In addition to being a busy mom and wife, she also works as a speech pathologist for Keystone AEA in the New Hampton School District, pre-school through 12th grades.
Summer is definitely a time of potlucks and family gatherings. What’s your favorite go-to dish?
Nick Benson, Latham’s corn product specialist for the east, has been seeing Twisted Whorl Syndrome in fields.
Corn plant with signs of Twisted Whorl Syndrome
This syndrome is most evident in the late V5 to early V6 stages, when corn has five to six visible leaf collars and is about knee-high. The lowermost leaves appear normal although some may exhibit some crinkled tissue near the base of the leaf blade, according to a newsletter article by Purdue University. Beginning with the sixth or seventh leaf, the whorl is tightly wrapped and bent over at right angles to the ground.
While the cause of Twisted Whorl Syndrome is not fully understood, there are some correlations between weather. This phenomenon is more often
Ribbing on lower leaf results from Twisted Whorl Syndrome.
present when there has been a sharp transition from periods of slow corn development (typically, cool cloudy weather) to periods of rapid corn development (typically, warm sunny weather plus ample moisture).
There is little or no effect on yield from periods of twisted growth. By the time the affected plants reach waist to chest-high, the only evidence that remains of the previous twisted whorls is the crinkled appearance of the most-affected leaves.
Click the video link below for a short “How To” from Nick Benson on identifying Twisted Whorl Syndrome in your fields.
