2010 Scouting Reports

Brought to you by Prairie Lakes Coop’s Agronomy Support Team:  Cory Neitfeld and Alicia Meissner

Grain Marketing Update:  Aug 31, 2010

Wheat harvest is pretty much over. We will not be taking wheat after the 10th of September and hope to start taking again beginning in December.
 
Bean basis has not changed much lately and futures have continued to remain strong.  I think beans will stay flat until we start to see some combines going.

Corn basis is wide.  There are not a lot of options to sell corn before new crop.  The west coast is shut down for repairs and when they re-open they will open the bean house. We have about a million bushel of corn to move out in September. We anticipate this will get us pretty close to empty and ready for harvest.  At the moment, corn cars have continuing to run about two weeks late.

Thank you for your business.

Tim Guza
Assistant Grain Marketer

Aug 23-27 - Final Reports

Eastern Report Cory Neitfeld: Much of the corn throughout the area has started to dent or is close to full dent now and the milk line is about a quarter of the way down the kernel. After full dent it takes about two or three weeks depending on the weather to reach physiological maturity (black layer).  A few soybean fields have begun to turn color and start dropping leaves. Some fields that were taken over by white mold are lying down or have brown stems sticking up all over.  Many soybean fields are not maturing yet and still are very green. This past week was the third and final Answer Plot session in Belgrade for the year.  There was a good turn out for the event with about 100 growers showing up.  Growing degree units are around the 2000 mark for the year, which are about 300 to 400 away from physiological maturity depending on corn’s maturity.  I would also like to remind everyone that Elrosa will be having their annual plot day south of Sauk Centre on Tuesday August 31.  Hope to see you all there.  This will be my last scouting report for the 2010 growing season. I want to wish everyone a good, safe, and productive fall.

Western Report Alicia Meissner: After this week, we have accumulated 2,040.5 GDU’s. The corn is at about a third milk line and some of the earlier varieties of bean fields in the area are starting to turn.  Depending on the variety of corn, there is anywhere from 2-4 weeks before physiological maturity.  The combines will be most likely be rolling in the soybean fields within 3 weeks.  This week, I did some soil sampling in alfalfa fields and we also seeded a field with alfalfa.  Overall, the growing season has been close to perfect.  With ample amounts of rainfall and plenty of heat, all the crops look good. The only big problem we have seen in the area is White mold outbreaks in some of the soybean fields. 

Aug 16-21

Western Report Alicia Meissner: As everything continues to grow, not much has changed in the fields this week. We have now accumulated 1,971.5 GDU’s since April 15.  The average corn plant reaches physiological maturity at around 2,500 GDU’s and we accumulate on average about 20 GDU’s per day. This means in about 25-27 days corn should be reaching physiological maturity.  The corn is at around the dent stage and the beans are around the R6 stage.  There continues to be White mold popping up in some fields.

Aug 9- Aug 15

Western Report Alicia Meissner: After last week, we are now at 1835 GDU’s. There was anywhere from 2-2.5 inches of rain in the area.  The corn is at dough to dent stage and the soybeans are at R4 to R5.  In a few soybean fields in the area, we have been seeing some White mold damage (shown in picture).  Once White mold has set in there isn’t much that can be done to stop it from spreading. The wet weather and heavy dews have caused White mold to develop.  Almost all the small grain fields in the area have been harvested.  Some farmers are spraying glyphosate to burn down the weeds in the small grain fields. 

Eastern Report Cory Neitfeld: After yet another long week of hot, humid temperatures area crops continue their rapid growth toward maturity. Aphid spraying is all but done now with the numbers diminishing fast.  Soybean plants continue to set pods as they prepare to become mature.  Some cornfields throughout the area have begun to dent as shown in the picture.
Corn yields continue to look tremendous and have some farmers wondering where they are going to store all of the corn. This fall is shaping up to be an early one, which is what many farmers, would like to see after the last couple of falls. Small grain in the area is wrapping up with just a few guys with some left to combine and some straw to bale. Yields on the small grain were all across the board. Some guys had great yields and were super satisfied while others didn’t get what they were hoping to. It was just to warm in some areas when the small grain was heading out. Some of the dairy farmers in the area think that by Labor Day they will be chopping corn silage. From April 15th to August 16 we have accumulated 1800 growing degree-days.

Aug 1-Aug 8

Western Report Alicia Meissner:This week most of the small grains were taken off the fields.  There has been a lot of variation in yield and protein in wheat. The yield has been anywhere between 20-70 bushels per acre and protein between 12 and 15. A lot of farmers in the area are dropping the straw.  So far we have accumulated 1657 GDU’s, which is up from last year at this time where 1215 GDU’s were accumulated.  The corn in the area is at the milk stage and the beans are at the R4-R5 stage.  This past weekend was perfect weather for the corn with hot, humid temperatures. The weather hasn’t been very good for soybeans, with the wetter weather and heavy dews, White Mold outbreaks may happen.   

Special Report: White Mold

Eastern Report Cory Neitfeld: White Mold is quickly becoming a problem in many fields throughout the area. Wet cool weather during flowering helps the disease develop. High plant populations, high fertility, narrow rows, and plants that stay moist for extended periods help fuel this disease.  There aren’t any varieties that are resistant to white mold but there are varieties that do better in controlling white mold, like liberty link soybeans.  Cultivating soybean fields early enough is one way to prevent white mold from demolishing entire soybean fields.  Fungicides for white mold are very ineffective because soybean plants flower for 40 plus days.  A few products you can try are Domark, Proline, and Topsin M, but its not guaranteed to totally eliminate white mold.  Drilled soybeans are also more vulnerable to white mold than rowed soybeans.  Many soybean fields are so tall this year and have been canopied over for a long time already. Because of the tall beans a lot of fields have become a tangled mess from all the storms we have received this summer, causing a lack of air circulation through the rows. Put all these circumstances together and you get consistently damp soybean plants, which is ideal for a white mold outbreak.  Picture 2 shows white mold apothecia that later release the white mold spores into the air.  This disease was estimated to cause a total yield loss of over 94 million bushels from 1996 to 2002. Previous studies across Wisconsin have indicated that for every 1% plant mortality, yield loss is .25-.5 bushels per acre. So if there was 10% plant mortality, yield loss may be 2.5 to 5 bushels per acre. 

Tim Guza, Prairie Lakes Coop Assistant Grain Marketer said that they take a sample of the beans, weigh it, and then pick out the affected beans and weigh it again. The difference is the percent you get docked for your beans.

If you haven’t yet please check your soybean fields for white mold or give the highly skilled agronomist at Prairie Lakes Coop a call to take a look for you.

Special Report:  Grain Update

Grain update by Tim Guza, Assistant Grain Marketer: The market has found some strength in the last week.  Most of this is being driven by Europe and Russia being short wheat. The wheat market has gone up a fair amount in last couple of weeks.  Proteins have coming in the 13 to 14 range.  The yields are a little less than was originally expected.  If rain continues we will be filling the dryers with wheat so we can take it wetter and get it off the fields.

Corn has been very hard to move through the pipe line. The cars have been running about ten days late and it takes about two days to fill us up after loading a train.  Basis should stay fairly weak until harvest. 

Beans are fairly strong in the nearby and I would expect them to be a follower of wheat.

For more information contact Dan, Tim or Martha in our Grain Division.

July 25-July 31

Eastern Report Cory Neitfeld: After another long week of scouting for aphids, results continue to be the same. Some fields have heavy infestation, some are near the threshold of 250 per plant, and in some fields you need to search hard to find any aphids.  With all the storms we have been experiencing this summer bean rows are getting tangled up and hard to walk through.  This makes spraying for aphids with the airplane very beneficial if you don’t need roundup again. Farmers throughout the area continue to battle the rains and try to get their small grain done. I would like to thank everyone that participated in the Rosholt Field Day. It was a huge success with more than 125 people showing up to experience it.

Western Report Alicia Meissner: Most of the soybean aphid spraying was finished up this week.  There are a few fields left west of Hoffman that have been seeing minimal aphid pressure.  Small grains are being harvested; there has been anywhere from 9-15% protein in the area. Most of the corn in the area is at the blister stage and the soybeans are between R3 and R4.

July 29-23

Western Report Alicia Meissner: This week was spent scouting and spraying soybeans for aphid and weed pressure. With the warmer temperatures, the aphid population really exploded in the last week. So far about half of the soybean acres have been sprayed in the area. The rest of the fields will all be close to economic threshold (250 aphids per plant) within the next week.  The soybeans are around the R3 stage which means pods are starting to develop.  Now is a good time to be spraying a fungicide to prevent White Mold outbreaks (shown in picture).  White mold may be more prevalent this year if we keep getting moisture and heavy dew with no wind.  It could especially be bad on bean on bean fields where White Mold outbreaks have occurred in the past and also on narrow rowed fields.  The product we recommend to prevent an outbreak is Domark.  The corn fields in the area are at the R1 to R2 stage. So far we have accumulated 1387 GDU’s from April 15 to today; according to weather.com this is about 87 units above average.  Small grain fields in the area are starting to be harvested.   

Eastern Report Cory Neitfeld: I checked many fields any this week and aphid numbers continue to hold well under the threshold. The next couple of weeks are going to be huge for soybeans growth and development so continue keeping an eye on aphids in your fields. Many acres of corn were sprayed with headline this past week (fig 1).  The window for spraying headline is closing quickly. When the silks begin to turn a brownish color, spraying headline becomes less beneficial very quickly. If you would still like to try a headline application on your corn you better act quickly so you will receive the best return on your investment. I would like to remind all that the Rosholt Field Day will be held on Tuesday July 27, 2010 hope to see you all there.

July 11-17

Western Report Alicia Meissner: It was another warm week, with around an inch of rain falling in the area.  This week has been spent spraying some more soybean fields for the second flush of weeds. Aphids have also been sprayed in some areas with the second pass of glyphosate.  There is quite a variation in aphid numbers throughout the fields in the area.  We are seeing anywhere from 10 in some fields to almost 150 in others depending on the location of the field.  Warrior is the product we have been using for aphids. With a full rate (1.6 oz) of Warrior, there is a 2-3 week residual.  Most of the corn in the area is around the VT stage and can be sprayed with fungicide soon. We did a side by side test (shown in picture) with fall urea vs. fall deep banding with ammonia.  The same rates (180-100-40) of fertilizer were put down on each side. In the picture, we took a cob from the same variety (DKC 42-72 VT3) from each side.  The fall urea side was just starting to tassel and the fall deep banded side was almost done tasseling. After looking at the plot, the fall deep banded side is almost a full stage ahead.  The cob size was quite a bit different between the 2 sides mainly because of the P and K placement with the deep banding.    

Eastern Report Cory Neitfeld: After checking many fields this past week for aphids I continue to see numbers well under the threshold. I have a feeling that the next week aphid spraying will begin and after all is said and done all the soybeans in the area will receive an insecticide.  A few soybean plants have already begun to set pods. It is time to consider if Headline is something you want to apply to your corn.  In the past it has shown tremendous yield bumps and improved stand ability.  The VT stage to R2 stage is the optimum timing for spraying the headline on corn. Headline helps fight diseases like Anthracnose, Eye Spot, and Leaf Blight.  With the extreme heat we have been experiencing small grain fields have been ripening very quickly. I saw the first oats field being cut this past week and probably many to follow next week. From May 1st to July 10 we have accumulated just over 1000 growing degree-days.

July 4-July 10

Eastern Report Cory Neitfeld: After another phenomenal week of warm weather crops in the area continue to explode. Around the area crops are about three weeks ahead of last year.  At the beginning of the week some of the first planted corn fields started showing tassels. (As shown in fig. 1)  I predict many of the fields will be taselling in the next week or some. Soybean fields have also begun to bloom throughout the area. A lot of soybeans began receiving their second shots of glyphosate this past week along with insecticides like tundra for some residual on the aphids.  Soybean aphids have been found in some fields and not others and larger numbers in some than others. We will be using products like Lorsban, Yuma, and Tundra to help control these unwanted insects.  Small grain fields have begun to ripen and some farmers should begin to harvest in the next two weeks.
I would like to take this time to invite all to attend the Rosholt research plot in Westport on July 27, 2010, for an educational packed day and learn what is being done to achieve 300+ bushel corn!  Festivities will begin at 8 a.m. at the plot with pancakes being served for breakfast. You will learn the pros and cons of twin row planted corn over single row, benefits of fungicides, different fertilizer techniques, advantages of precision ag, and much more. There will also be lunch served on the grounds after the tours are completed.  So come and be blown away with the ideas of the future in agriculture. 

Western Report Alicia Meissner: This week the Hoffman area received anywhere from 1.75 to 2.5 inches of rain.  So far we have accumulated 999 GDU’s from April 15 to today.  The corn around the area is anywhere from V10 to VT stage. This is the stage where the brace roots are developed, the ear size is being determined and plant height is determined. Now is a good time to take some tissue samples, around the V10 to V11 stage the plant has rapid uptake of nutrients. By tissue sampling now, you can see what nutrients the plant is deficient in so in future years you can get the nutrients out there to optimize crop potential for that field.  The beans are at the R1 stage.  We have seen a few aphids mainly around groves and some other insect feeding such as Bean Leaf Beetle and Green Cloverworm.  Many of the fields in the area have been sprayed with the second pass of glyphosate.  Some growers are waiting to do their second pass of glyphosate at the same time they spray for aphids.  The wheat has turned a lot in the past week with the warmer temperatures.  The combines might be rolling in 2 to 3 weeks if the temperature stays warm.  This week we went to the Prairie Lakes Rosholt Research Plot near West Port, MN.  There are many different plots set up to find the best ways to maximize yields. On July 27, there will be a plot day to look over the different trials at the plot.   

June 27-July 3

Western Report Alicia Meissner: Early last week, we finished spraying second pass corn and some alfalfa fields after second cutting. The corn in the area is around the V8 to V9 stage. On some of the corn, the flag leaf is sticking up and you can see the tassel starting to come out. Now is the time to start thinking about applying a fungicide to your corn.  Some options include Headline, Headline Amp, Quilt, Quilt Xcel and Stratego.  Fungicides should be sprayed between the VT and R1 stage. This is also a good time to throw in some insecticide if there is a lot of insect feeding on the plants.  Soybeans are at the V5 to V6 stage and should begin to flower sometime this week. Last year, there were some soybean fields with White Mold problems. To prevent this from happening again this year, fungicides can be used. A fungicide we recommend is Domark, which can be sprayed at any stage before R5.   

Eastern Report Cory Neitfeld Soybean spraying is nearing the end as many fields have been hit with at least once with a herbicide. The upcoming weeks we will be busy scouting for aphids so we can stay ahead of these unwanted pests. Aphids numbers can multiply very fast therefore causing damage to soybean plants if not monitored or taken proper action to control them. Figure 1 shows a soybean leaf plastered with aphids. Many area farmers are continuing with their second cutting of hay.  This week should be great for drying hay with warm temperatures and lower humidity all week.  All in all crops throughout the area are continuing to shoot up and look amazing.  Rainfall totals for Sunday morning were anywhere from a half an inch to 1 inch.  That’s all for this week tune in again next week for more updates. 

Grain Update:  Special Report

Yesterday the USDA released there planted acreage report.  They lowered planted corn acreage and reduced the carry out.  This gave the corn market some strength to go up with.  I would expect corn basis to stay neutral to wide there seem to be a lot of corn in the bins in the country yet.

Bean were pretty neutral on the report yesterday.  I would think that they would stay strong due to being a tight supply in the country.  I would expect basis to stay neutral or even strengthen a little.

I think wheat is going to be a follower of the corn and bean market. We will have to see what kind of quality of wheat we have once we hit the fields the end of the month.

Tim Guza
Assistant Grain Marketer

June 20-26

Western Report Alicia Meissner: We received more rainfall this week; in the area we received about 1.5-2 inches of rain. Most of this week was spent finishing up first pass of soybean spraying and some second passes were done on corn fields.  There were also some fields that were getting 28% applied through the irrigator and some other fields were sidedressed with ammonia. So far we have accumulated 684 GDU’s from April 19 until today.  Most of the corn in our area reaches physiological maturity at around 2400 GDU’s and on average 15-20 GDU’s are accumulated per day.  The corn fields are around the V6 to V7 stages. With the warm weather this week, all the fields should be canopied if they have not already. The soybean fields are around the V2 to V3 stages. On some of the early planted soybeans, we will be starting second pass spraying by the end of the week. The alfalfa fields in the area are starting to be cut the second time.  Some weevils have already been sprayed on second crop alfalfa.  The temperatures have been conducive for weevil reproduction so keep an eye out on your alfalfa fields. With the warm weather forecasted for the week, everything should really take off. 

Eastern Report Cory Neitfeld The area continues to receive an abundant amount of rainfall. The area fields seem to be soaking up the water very well. There is very few standing water in the fields around here for all the precipitation we have received in the last few weeks.  Corn spraying is done expect for a few spots that need to be touched up. A majority of the soybeans have received their first shot of roundup and hopefully we will be able to mix the bug juice with the second shot of roundup if needed.  Some farmers have decided to take their second cutting of hay in between rain showers. After second cutting you will need to keep an eye on the pea aphids and leafhoppers. Figure 1 shows the benefits of using roundup as pre harvests burn down on wheat and the effects on next springs weed pressure. The left side received roundup last summer on the wheat and the right side did not.  I hope everyone has a wonderful fourth of July weekend and I will be back again next week with the latest news from the area fields.

June 13-19

Eastern Report Cory Neitfeld After all the rain at the beginning of the week many area fields were left with standing water (fig. 1). Our applicators had to sit still for much of week as we scattered to find dry fields to spray.  With all the rain and heat at the end of the week the corn that remains to be sprayed will need to get hit soon before the rows fully close up. Some soybean fields are beginning to have heavy weed pressure because we weren’t able to spray them with the rain.  Our applicators had a huge weekend covering many acres so we could get caught up. Alfalfa weevils continue to be a major problem to the area.  By now we have covered just about every acre of alfalfa in the area trying to control these unwanted pests.  With second cutting approaching fast guys that haven’t sprayed their alfalfa might just consider cutting it for means of control of the weevils.  I believe we had our last big push for side dressing NH3 last week. The height of the corn is getting to the point where putting on anhydrous is nearly impossible.  After escaping the storms that swept through the state on Thursday crops continue to look exceptionally well.

Western Report Alicia Meissner: It was another wet week in the Hoffman area; about 2 inches of rain fell throughout the week. After this week, about 85% of the bean acres in the area have been sprayed. Most of the acres with bigger Lambsquarter were sprayed with a higher rate of glyphosate and 0.3 ounces of Cadet. The beans turn yellow from the Cadet but they snap out of it within a few days. Most of the beans in the area are around the V2 to V3 stages.  The corn in the area is around the V6 to V7 stage and is getting close to canopying.  Some corn fields have been sprayed for the second flush of weeds before they canopy.  We also sprayed some wheat in the area this week with the second application of fungicide which had to be done during flowering. For this second fungicide application either Prosaro or Folicur was used.  Prosaro is used for both plant health and scab and Folicur is used for scab.  Most of the wheat in the area has headed out and flowered. 

June 6-12

Western Report Alicia Meissner: With the rain, not much has been done in the fields this week.  In the Hoffman area, we got about 1.3 to 1.6 inches of rain.  The beginning of the week I looked at alfalfa fields for weevils and soybean fields for weeds.    The corn has been growing so fast in some areas that we are seeing some white flashing within the whorl or on the new leaf growth. Most of the corn in the area is around the V4 to V5 stage. We also top dressed a few fields this week with urea. Some second passes have also been done on the corn fields this week.  About 50% of the soybeans have been sprayed so far and the rest will be sprayed when the fields dry up. Most people have been going with a high rate of glyphosate on the beans to make sure we get a good kill on the broadleaves, especially the Lambsquarter.  The soybean fields are around V1 to V2 stage. In some fields that I looked at, there were beans still emerging in fields that were planted almost a month ago.  These beans were treated with both a fungicide and inoculant, which leads me to presume that the treatment preserved the seed for this long. The rain this week should help even up the emergence of the last planted soybean fields, since some beans were planted in dry soil. With the warmer temperatures forecasted everything should shoot up this week.   

Eastern Report Cory Neitfeld The first local Answer Plot located near Belgrade, was held on Tuesday. It was moved indoors due to the rain we had received.  They are doing many different studies in the plot again this year ranging from different rates of herbicides to different rates of surfactants.  Figure 1 shows the benefits of using ascend on corn. The right row is treated and the left is not. Ascend is a growth regulator that can be put on the seed or it can be mixed with the liquid starter fertilizer.  I encourage all to attend the next Answer Plot day, which will be held July 21.  Soybeans in the area are anywhere from just being planted to 3 trifoliates. Corn spraying is winding down and soybean spraying should really pick up here as soon as it dries out again. We will be using glyphosate with cadet for extra broadleaf control, add fusillade for light volunteer corn or section for heavy corn pressure. Pursuit and Extreme will also be used. Many of the small grain fields I have been seeing were headed out at the beginning of the week.  One farmer is talking about cutting his oats in the next week and chopping it and no-tilling oats back into it for another crop.  Many acres of corn were side dressed with NH3 and also top-dressed with urea this past week before the rows close up. The rains at the end of the week came at the perfect time to work the urea into the soil.  Rain totals for Friday and Saturday were around 1 1/2inches.  Temperatures for the upcoming week are again going to be around 80 and with the much-needed rain, crops are going to continue to stretch upwards quickly.

May 30-June 5

Western Report Alicia Meissner: After this week, most of the corn spraying is wrapping up and bean spraying has begun. I have spent a lot of my week scouting corn and soybean fields for weed pressure and alfalfa fields for weevil pressure. Most of the alfalfa in the area was just recently cut and still laying in the field. I did find one field that hasn’t been cut yet that had a high amount of weevil damage (shown in picture).  Many larvae are destroyed by the cutting process, and others are left exposed to their natural enemies, high temperatures, direct sunlight and lack of food. Survival in stubble can be reduced by removing windrows and bales quickly, as these provide some protection for the larvae. Green-chopping alfalfa is also an effective way to reduce alfalfa weevil populations (www.ext.colostate.edu). Fields may need to be sprayed for weevils if re-growth is slow; this is most noticeable in the windrows.  Now that the first cutting is done, it is a good time to fertilize your alfalfa field. Thursday night’s rain will help the later planted beans that were sitting in dry dirt get going and help perk up the rest of the crops.  Next week we will probably start seeing more weed pressure in the soybean fields.  We recommend bumping the rate of glyphosate and adding Selectmax or Fusilade to kill any volunteer corn.  With the Fusilade there is a 2 ounce 2 ounce program, if you spray 2 ounces twice and if any volunteer corn reappears, Syngenta will pay for the Fusilade to clean up the corn. If the fields have heavy Lambsquarter pressure we recommend tank mixing a half rate of Cadet, Harmony or Flex Star with the glyphosate. It’s that time of year to be thinking about sidedressing on irrigators or lighter soils. Different options include anhydrous ammonia, 28% or urea.  The cheapest per pound of nitrogen is anhydrous.  Usually with the varying soils, variable rate is a good option to place your nitrogen where it is needed most.  Crop progress is coming along very nice we are ahead of average growing season. 

Eastern Report Cory Nietfeld: Alfalfa Weevils were found this past week. (As shown fig.1) Numbers were low at the beginning of the week but numbers exploded towards the end of the week. These pests chew on the new plant growth causing the leaves to look skeletonized. (fig.2) Fields with heavy infestations look pale white and have short stands. (fig.3) We are using a product called Warrior II to help control these unwanted pests. With another big week of spraying corn in the books the majority of the corn acres have already been covered once.

The window to get your corn sprayed is closing fast with much of the corn at the V4 to V5 stage and excellent growing conditions continuing. (fig.4) Look for some of the narrow rowed corn to start to canopy over toward the end of next week. Some soybean spraying is taking place mainly on fields that did not get a pre put down.  With pre-emergent herbicides working well on soybean ground timing of post emerge herbicides is going to be crucial.  Friday and Saturday mornings rain, though not much was very welcomed throughout the area. The coming weeks forecast looks great with temperature around 80 degrees once again.

Special Report:  Cutworm in Soybeans, Ben Brutlag, Precision Ag Specialist

When checking the stand in a soybean field by Brooten I noticed there were at first glance, skips about one to two foot in size. When checking these areas I found the plant was cut off right at emergence all the way through. Along the side of these areas I found one to three cutworms without any problem they were located about a half inch below the surface.
Throughout the field the number of cutworm and size of “skips” varied, this depended on the type of soil and amount of moisture. In the lower areas with higher moisture the areas were more prevalent same with number of cutworms. On the higher sandy areas the amount of areas were few but still visible with less cutworms in the area.
The remedy to the problem is going to be seven oz of Asana XL as soon as possible, using the residual to help with the kill when they emerge out of the ground. This is based on a threshold of 20% reduction in stand, one foot or greater skips, and or any cut worm present.

Grain Notes by Tim Guza:

 June 1 Report: Corn and bean basis has been narrowing a little. Soybean basis will continue to narrow because most of the beans received at elevators during harvest 09’ were wet. We are awaiting the June 30 planted acreage and grain stocks report. As of today, I suspect the report to lead markets to be bearish unless we see a weather scare in the corn belt. Looking at the crops, we could use a little rain but the crops still look good.

Contact our Marketing Team today for my grain marketing information  Dan and Martha (800) 535-2558 and Tim (800) 851-6560

May 23-29

Western Report:  Alicia Meissner:This week I have been scouting corn and soybean fields.  So far about 95% of the wheat fields and 50% of the corn fields in the area have been sprayed. On a lot of the fields with both grass and broadleaf pressure, we have been spraying a lot of Halex GT which is a product that is a combination of Roundup, Callisto and Dual. The Dual in this product gets rid of the grass and also has residual.  If you go with a full rate of Halex GT, Syngenta has a guaranteed re-spray program if any weeds return before canopy. The fields with just broadleaf pressure are being sprayed with glyphosate and Callisto.  We have also had some farmers using Harness, Camix and Surestart with their glyphosate product hoping for rain on Sunday. Harness, Camix and Surestart are all pre-emerge products that work best with rain activation.  These products are used for both grass and broadleaves and give good residual. The reason for using these products as a post-emerge is to hopefully get enough residual that only one pass is required.  We have also been using beefed up rate of glyphosate to burn down some no-till soybean fields. Most of the alfalfa in the area is starting to get cut.  After the first cutting is finished and re-growth begins, the fields should be watched for weevils and leafhoppers (see picture). The damage from these insects, which includes skeletonized leaves, is most noticed in the windrows. They cause poor re-growth and loss of nutrients in the second crop.  A few products that can be used to get rid of weevils and leafhoppers include Lorsban and Warrior.
Leafhopper (jic.ac.uk); Weevil (ipcm.wisc.edu

Eastern Report:  Cory Neitfeld: Our applicators were out in full force this past week spraying what was left of the small grain and a bunch of corn.  With excellent spraying conditions from the middle of the week toward the end of the week the sprayers were out from sun up to sun set. A lot of the corn acres have been hit with their first pass of roundup.  The majority of the acres were hit with Roundup, Outlook, and Clarity for some extended residual control. Halex GT is another product being used on glyphosate tolerant corn to receive excellent residual.  Many of the fields that had a pre-emergent herbicide put down like Surestart or Integrity have been holding strong with very little weed pressure. A few acres of corn had to be replanted this week because the ground got hard and the corn plants couldn’t grow through it.  With many farmers done or finishing up with the 1st cutting of alfalfa the threat of insect pests will be on the rise. Products like Baythroid and Grizzly will be used to control these pests. Very few units of beans went out this past week. Which tells me that soybean planting is nearly wrapped up. The upcoming week looks promising for our applicators to continue knocking out tremendous amounts of corn acres. I also believe by the end of the week there will be some soybean fields ready to get their first shot of roundup.  For the month of May we have received 1.2 in. of rain, which is 2.2 in. behind the 5-year average for the month. A shower of rain would do wonders around here.  I hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. Tune in again next week for more area updates.

May 16-22

Eastern Report:  Cory Neitfeld: Some dairy farmers in the area have begun to cut their hay. (As shown in fig. A) The early cutting is due to the earlier than average spring we’ve had.  Some guys are cutting already because they have run out of feed and others are trying to better the chances of a good 4th cutting. There has been some phosphorus deficiencies spotted in some of the alfalfa fields around here. This means that after first cutting guys are going to need to spread some extra fertilizer to solve that problem. Products like MESZ and DAP will be used to replenish the nutrient levels.
Small grain spraying had been going full force the entire week.  Many of the fields are being sprayed with Bison Advanced, MCPA, Husky, and Headline. The majority of the small grain spraying should be done in the upcoming week.
Corn planting in the area is pretty much wrapped up. Many cornfields are in the V2 to V3 stages. A few cornfields were sprayed this past week.  Look for next week to start getting busy with post emerge herbicides on the corn.  With these warm temperatures and adequate soil moisture the crops are growing extremely fast as well as the weeds. Again this year a lot of the corn ground is going to be hit with Cornerstone Plus and Status. Some area fields have developed a crust on top, which has some guys out rotary hoeing. The rains we received over the weekend should help loosen up the crust.  From April 15 to May 20 we have accumulated 213 growing degree days (GDD’s) for corn.  That number is actually 80 units behind the five-year average.
It was a very good week for planting soybeans. If I had to put a number on soybean planting I would have to say it is 75 to 80% complete. The first soybeans fields emerged this week (as shown in fig. B).  Some farmers are also worried about their soybeans making it out of the ground because of the hard crust on top of some of their fields.

Western Report:  Alicia Meissner: This past week has been good for the crops. With the warm weather and rain in the area, the corn has really shot up. Most of the early planted soybeans have begun to emerge. The weeds have also grown quite a bit in the last week, especially lambsquarter, pigweed and ragweed. Most of the wheat in the area has been sprayed and a lot of the corn will need to be sprayed by the end of the week. Hopefully we can get more rain this week to keep everything growing and emerging evenly. After last weeks nice weather, about 80% of the beans have been planted in the area. The corn I have been scouting has had very good, even emergence with the forgiveness rains and high temperatures we have got in the months of April and May.          

May 9-15

Eastern Report Cory Neitfeld: Another week of cool, wet weather has left many area fields saturated with water. Rainfall totals were around the 1-½ inch mark.  Not much fieldwork got done before the rains hit and it’s going to take a few days to dry everything out again. The wet weather is making soybean treatments very beneficial for the ones already lying in the ground. I have yet to see any soybeans that have emerged.  The frost that covered the area a week ago affected much of the corn crop that was emerged.

(As shown in figure A.)  Corn plants should grow out of it because the growing point was below ground yet.  It’s going to take the young corn plants a week or two to recover from the damages that were done. The extended forecast has temperatures reaching well into 70’s. With these warm temperatures the crops are going to grow fast and the weeds will come quickly as well. Look for the next week or two to be a huge weeks for soybean planting and for spraying small grain.

Western Report:  Alicia Meissner:   After a mostly rainy week, it finally warmed up this weekend.  This week has been pretty slow in the crop growing world in this region with the cold temperatures and rain.  We spent part of the week talking to farmers about what to spray on their wheat and corn once it warms up.  We also sprayed a couple of fields to burn down the old alfalfa. With the warm temperatures forecasted for this coming week, the burn down should work well. After the frost last weekend, I went out and looked at the corn plants to see the damage.  Most fields that I looked at had some plants that were toasted and others just had the tips of the leaves burnt.  The weeds have also been growing with the warm weather this weekend.  Many of the corn fields in the area will need to be sprayed within the next week or two to keep the fields clean early on.  We recommend spraying a full rate of glyphosate with a tank mix of Calisto, Status or Laudis. The early planted soybeans are going to benefit from the rain and forecasted heat this week. Most of the soybeans planted early should be popping out of the ground this week.

May 2- May 8

Western Report, Alicia Meissner: With the early spring, almost all the corn and just about half of the soybeans have been planted, with some of the corn emerging. Because of the cool, wet spring most of the soybeans we have sent out of have been treated with both inoculant (Vault HP) and fungicide (ApronMaxx). The inoculant helps the plant fix nitrogen better early on by increasing nodules on the roots.  Fungicide protects against diseases such as phytothora, fusarium, rhizoctonia and pythium. The fungicide is most beneficial in cool, wet, and heavy soils. 
The small grains in the area are going to need to be sprayed within the next week or two. We recommend using Puma for grasses, Bronate Advance for residual on broadleaves and Headline for overall plant health. Overall growing conditions have been pretty favorable for small grains.
Because of the early planting dates for corn this spring, pre-emerge herbicides would be beneficial for early weed control to help reduce the amount of passes of Roundup needed during the growing season. A few pre-emerge options we recommend include Camix, SureStart, Harness and Integrity. In the area, about 5-10% of the corn has emerged.  After Sunday morning’s frost, some of the corn got nipped in the low ground. This will not hurt the corn (it may just set it back a week) because the growing point is still below ground.  Most of the corn that is emerged is yellow due to the cool weather and lack of sunshine.  The end of the weeks forecast looks promising for growing corn!

Eastern Report, Cory Nietfeld: The big news this week is the unseasonably cool temperatures and the frost warnings for the area. The cool temps shouldn’t hurt the corn that is already up because the growing point is still below ground. The forecast for the upcoming week is much of the same with cool and wet conditions to start the week.
Due to the unusually early spring and early planting dates many of the area small grain fields are approaching the time to think about spraying. As soon as it warms up I think many growers are going to be spraying.
The majority of the corn crop is planted and beginning to emerge.  Some fields are beginning to turn a little yellow with the cool temperatures, but some warm weather will snap it out of it. Many of the corn acres were covered with a pre-emerge like outlook, integrity, and sure start. Look for the pre-emerge herbicides to work very well this year with the slow timely rains to work them in.
 Do I start planting soybeans or do I wait? That is the question many farmers are asking.  Some growers are slowly starting, others are done, and some haven’t started planting yet.  A few growers I’ve talked to say it’s just too early for beans so they are waiting while others don’t think so. Most of the bean ground is going to get a pre-emerge herbicide put down this year again.  Products like prowl H2O and optill will get used the most. Along with the pre being put down, I would have to say 90% of the beans going out of here are being treated with both inoculants and fungicides.
I would also like to take this time to tell you a little about myself. I grew up on a family farm near Lake Henry and graduated from Ridgewater College last spring with a degree in Ag business.  I have been an applicator in Elrosa for the last two years. This spring I started my transition into the office taking a job as an agronomy sales support person.
The scouting reports will be brought to you from the scouting team here in Elrosa (Byron Fischer, Michael Kragenbring, Josh Laughlin, and I.) I look forward to meeting and working with the farmers around the area.