Moe's Diagnostic Centre

2010-07-07T10:19:00.000-07:00

YIELDS AND WHEAT QUALITY BOTH EXCELLENT
Pioneer brand 25R39 is a new soft red winter wheat for 2010 fall.It has performed extremely well in both on farm plot comparisons as well as the OCCC Winter Wheat Trials.Pioneer yield data would support 25R39 as the highest yielding soft red winte wheat variety that has ever been released from Pioneers wheat breeding research.
Pioneer brand 25R56 is also a relatively new Pioneer soft red winter wheat that has also performed extremely well.Both varietes have greater genetic yield potential than Pioneer 25R47. 25R56 is a bit shorter soft red wheat than 25R39.No-til farmers preferring less residue may have a preference for 25R56 while those liking more residue or baling their straw may prefer 25R39.Both varieties should prove to offer additional yield
opportunity for the Ontario farmer.

2010-07-04T20:29:00.000-07:00

MY SOYBEANS APPEAR TO BE STALLED OUT COMPARED TO MY CORN CROP.WHY IS THIS ?
You will hear growers up and down the back concession roads questioning why their soybeans appear to be stalled out compared to their corn.The answer is pretty simple.The average planting date for corn this year was April 27th while the average planting date for soybeans was closer to May 25th.This big difference in planting date is showing up in the crops growth and development.I don't think its so much that anyones soybeans have stalled out as much as its a reflection in how much additional growth corn has been able to make due to the extra sun and heat it has accumulated.You must remember that when corn hits the V7 stage of growth its growth rate appears to take on an exponential rate of development.Many soybean fields on the other hand are only in their 3rd to 4th trifoliate leaf stage and their growth by comparison seems relatively slow.

2010-07-04T19:42:00.000-07:00

MY SOYBEANS DISPLAY DIFFERENT SHADES OF GREEN - WHAT CAUSES THIS ?
The above colour difference is due to a recent herbicide application.Under certain environmental conditions there will be a lightening up in the chlorophyl concentration and a so called limy green or yellowing observed.It generally lasts for only a temporary period.
ON the other hand mottled shades of green across a field is generally an indication of different N rate availabilities caused by differences in root nodulation and Soil N mineralization.
Temperature differences across a field due to differences in residue coverage,soil texture differences,internal drainage differences, top soil depths and Organic matter differences are what makes differences in soil N mineralization and nodulation take place which in turn causes a crop to take on different shades of green colour.
The less N being made available is generally a big factor in why the crop appears lighter in colour.With time these colour differences will disappear and the crop will seemingly even out.
Then again differences in green colour across a field can be nothing more than the differences in the chlorophytic green expression that different soybean varieties can express at an early growth stage.The above photo is a good illustration of this as it is actually a soybean plot that shows a big contrast in green between one variety and another.

2010-07-04T19:11:00.000-07:00

FINE TUNING N APPLICATIONS
Growers continue to struggle with knowing just how much N is being made available to their crops from the fall and spring manure applications that they've made.Well the above piece of equipment is meant to help resolve some of those concerns.By passing through the crop at V8-V11 light sensitive chlorophyl meters can help detect the plants N status
Light sensitive meters read the chlorophyl content of the crop on the go across the field.Low chlorophyl readings will cause an increase to the application rate of 28% that is injected between the rows.On the other hand if chorophyl readings are satisfactory no additional N will be applied.

Ideally a grower needs to incorporate a few higher N rate check strips across his farm as a comparison to his standard manure applications.With repeat chorophyl meter
readings a higher degree of confidence can be generated with the manure N levels that are being achieved to support the crops growth.This can in the long run lead to better N management and better soil water quality conservation..

2010-07-02T04:59:00.000-07:00

HORMONAL HERBICIDE INJURY
Every year some farmer somewhere will experience hormonal herbicide injury like that shown in these photos.
Hormonal herbicide injury is a function of rate, application timing ( crop size ) and weather both at and following the timing of application.
The knarling of a crops brace roots like that shown can lead to lodged corn if and when severe windstorms strike throughout the growing season.
I recognize that growth regulator herbicides can play an important role in providing growers residual herbicide activity BUT they certainly have to be used with a degree of caution.

2010-07-02T04:26:00.000-07:00

SOYBEAN CYST NEMATODE ALREADY ACTIVE
If your soybeans start to express a lightened up yellow colour in areas of fields that have GOOD DRAINAGE and friable soil structure you may want to start doing some probing in the root zone.
Fields that start looking yellow this time of year in areas of fields that you wouldn't expect to see off colouring may be giving you the hint that cysts are already active.
Cysts siphon off nutrients making the plants roots and nodules less functional.As a result you will often see areas of fields begin to lighten up in colour and show more of a yellow
cast much like the above photographs depict.SAMPLING YOUR SOIL and sending it off to a lab is the surest fired means of determining whether you hve cysts or not.Many a field gets overlooked every year and its unfortunate that more growers don't take the hint to test when they see this.

2010-07-02T04:01:00.000-07:00

UNLIKE CORN SOYBEANS ARE A DAYLENGTH SENSITIVE CROP
Soybeans are photoperiod dependant crop.What this means is that once daylengths start to shorten after June 21 soybeans are triggered into flowering.If you have several different soybean maturities planted you will find that they will flower at different times.Your earliset maturing varieties will flower first followed bu your later maturing varieties.The key to maximizing the genetic yield potential bred into any variety is to maximize its vegetative growth before flowering occurs.What this means is that you should attempt to have 6 True Trifoliates established before flowering begins.Larger vegetative plants have more carbohydrate reserve to reduce early pod abortion when plant stresses set in.This ultimately leads to MORE YIELD.

Lets consider what it takes to make 6 True Trifoliates happen before first flowering occurs.To put it into perspective I'll use a timeline chart :

Grower A – Plants His Soybeans May 5

2 weeks to emerge – May 19 ( VE )
5 days for full development of Unifoliates – May 24 ( VC )
6 days for 1st true trifoliate ( V1) May 30 } Nodules are forming
6 days for 2nd fully developed Trifoliate ( V2 ) June 5 } Limy looking beans
6 days for 3rd fully developed trifoliate ( V3 ) June 11
6 days for 4th fully developed trifoliate ( V4 ) June 17
6 days for 5th fully developed trifoliate ( V5 ) June 23
6 days for 6th fully developed trifoliate ( V6 ) June 29

Voila! To maximize soybean yields means you have to start thinking about planting soybeans when you start planting corn.

2010-06-20T10:55:00.000-07:00

THE ART OF FARMING
Mid to late April plantings are just fine provided soils are suitably fit for planting.
The unfortunate part is that there may be areas in large 60-70 acre fields that are not fit.
When you proceed to plant these areas anyway you run the risk of creating subtle compactive zones in the soil profile.Sidewall smearing can become a real issue in restricting early season root development as well as lower seedtrench compaction which will restrict a young seedlings roots from penetrating to lower soil depths.
The result is a lack of even crop development.Certain tight areas may exhibit yellow due to slow N nitification or slower seedling root development.Other even tighter areas may exhibit N denitrification due to cooler and pastier soil conditions.These tighter soil condition areas will also be slower to drain when any rainfall event occurs.You must be cognizant of the fact that the roots of young corn seedlings will not grow into cool,moist pasty soil conditions.They will produce as many lateral roots as they can until soils dry enough that they can grow deeper.The unfortunate part of this is that any soil restrictions impeding lateral root development will stall out a young corn crop hurting its yield potential.

2010-06-19T20:24:00.000-07:00

WHAT IS IT ?

2010-06-16T17:28:00.000-07:00

Wheel Traffic Compaction - Agricultures #1 Enemy
The plant on the left in the above photo comes from an 100 ft section of row where the tire of the row crop sprayer unit ran.
If you double click on the above photo and check out the centre corn row you'll see where the tire of the sprayer unit ran on the corn row.
The above photo is a side angle shot of the same corn row showing stunted smaller plants that are expressing a purple florescence because of their restricted root development.
Tightened soil consolidation caused by the sprayers weight load is making these corn plants find it difficult to find air space in which to push their roots.This points out very clearly how crucial it is to avoid soil compaction.

2010-06-16T09:37:00.000-07:00

SIDEDRESSING SHOULD ALWAYS BE COMPLETED BY 6 TRUE LEAF CORN
To optimize corns yield performance sidedressing should always be completed by the 6 true leaf stage.
The above grower is cutting it pretty close.There is always a short lag time between the application of sidedress N and the uptake by plants.
By the time corn reaches 6 true leaves growth is becoming much more accelerated and Nitrogen usage per day is reaching 3+ lbs.It is important that the crop is on full feed by this time.

Not only is corns N use requirement growing but the cell division of ovules determining kernel row set occurs within a week to 10 days of corn reaching 6 true leaves.Better kernel row set is initiated when corn has all the N requirement it needs at this time.

Another good reason for making certain that sidedressing is completed by the 6 true leaf is to avoid root pruning and the increased loss of headland plant stand that can occur with late sidedressing.When sidedressing starts at the 3 true leaf stage it provides a good safety measure in assuring that all your corn will be sidedressed by 6 true leaves and on full feed to optimize yield performance.

2010-06-16T07:10:00.000-07:00

PURPLE CORN GENERALLY SIGNIFIES SOMETHING RESTRICTING NORMAL ROOT DEVELOPMENT
Anything that restricts normal root cell divison can cause a hybrid to cast a purplish flourescence
in its upper canopy.Cold soils, wet soils, compacted soils, root pruning from insects, fertilzer burn or anything else that can restrict a plants root development
can cause a hybrid to express PURPLE CORN SYNDROME.
The corn in the above photo is expressing a purplish fluorescence because of all the wet weather we've been experiencing in the last 3 weeks and the side-hill seep that is occurring because of it.Side-hill seep will keep soils much cooler and wetter than other areas of a field and the plants root growth and development will be slowed.As a consequence the anthocyanin genes that a hybrid carries will cause the accumulated sugars in the above ground tissue to trigger a purplish florescence to be cast.
The amount of purplish florescence cast is a result of the number of anthocyanin genes a hybrid carries.Hybrids can carry anywhere from 2 to 8 genes.Those that carry more will cast more purplish florescence than those that carry fewer.
When growing 2 hybrids side x side it is possible to have one hybrid express a lot of purplish florescence and the other one to express very little.When you see this don't get caught up into thinking that the hybrid expressing less puplish pigment is not being hurt by whatever soil stress is causing the slower root growth.Labratory work has shown that hybrids that don't express much purplish florescence in their canopy under the prescence of root restrictions are slowed in their above ground cell divison to the same degree as hybrids that express a lot of purple anthocyanin expression.The key is to assess what factors are causing the corn to purple in the first place.Once you resolve those factors you will be on your way to producing higher yielding better performing crops.

2010-06-15T18:31:00.000-07:00

ASSESSING OFF COLOURED FIELDS
A number of corn fields across the countryside are expressing a degree of yellow and shorter statured growth that has many growers asking what is going on with their crop.In many instances this yellowing takes on the presence of what visullay appears as Mn, Zinc , S, or Mg deficiency.

Though the crop may be currently expressing what appears to be a micronutrient deficiency of one kind or another I don't believe that most soils are actually short of these micros.What I do believe is that the crop is temporarily experiencing an environmentally induced micronutrient deficiency.

The abundance of rain that we have been receiving over the last 2-3 weeks has temporarily curtailed downward root growth thereby diminishing the plants ability to extract the necessary nutrients for normal growth from the total soil volume.When this occurs the reduced uptake of N as well as micronutrients makes the plant take on a pale green to limy yellow colour.

Don't be overly alarmed at this temporary yellowing in your corn crop.Roots just need to be given an opportunity to explore more soil volume to search out the necessary nutrients that will turn your crop back to a vibrant rich dark green.

Give the crop a week to 10 days of drier warmer weather and voila roots will proliferate to a deeper depth finding more available micronutrients and utilizable Nitrogen

Growers will be amazed at how readily the crop will take on a new resurgence of growth and turn from a dreaded off coloured limy green to a rich healthy vibrant green.

2010-06-14T16:45:00.000-07:00

DON'T GIVE WEEDS THE UPPER HAND
I cringe every year when I see weed pressures like that above robbing growers of precious yield.To optimize the yield performance of corn it is Critical to keep Weeds out of it between the 3 - 8 leaf stage.
Roundup Ready Corn was developed to give growers crop safety and more options to control tough to kill weeds.Unfortunately the fact that Glyphosate can be sprayed on large corn without any deleterious crop injury has lulled too many growers into a false sense of security.
Yes large weeds can be controlled by late glyphosate applications and by the time harvest rolls around you can think you were a genious by how clean your crop is BUT the fact remains that yield was lost.Though the weeds in the above photo have been controlled they were left too long and they will have hurt this crops yield performance.DON'T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU !
The highest yielding weed control system that can be employed is to spray two applications of glyphosate on glyphosate resistant corn.The first spray application should be made at the 3 true leaf stage and the second at the 7 true leaf stage.Why anyone would leave this kind of weed pressure to impact their crops performance is beyond my comprehension.
Growers who feel that this could put too much reliance on the use of Glyphosate can achieve the next highest yield performance with a pre-emerge spray application followed by an in crop application of glyphosate at the 5 - 6 leaf stage if needed.
Another option that can be successfully used by growers is to spray Glyphosate at the 3 true leaf stage and lay down a grass or broadleaf tank mix residual at the same time.
Whatever you do please try to avoid letting weeds getting an upper hand.
Glyphosate resistant corn is a wonderful technology but its got to be used properly in order to maximize yields.

2010-06-14T15:59:00.000-07:00

COULD THOSE BE CORN ROOT NEMATODES ?
YOU BE THE JUDGE.
DOUBLE CLICK ON THE PHOTO TO THE LEFT TO ENLARGE IT and THEN TAKE A CLOSE SCAN OF THE ROOTS TO SEE IF YOU CAN DETECT ANY SWOLLEN CYST LIKE STRUCTURES.
DO THE SAME THING WITH THE PHOTO BELOW.CAN YOU SEE ANY SWOLLEN CYST LIKE BULBOUS STRUCTURES ON THESE ROOTS?
PLANT and SOIL SAMPLES HAVE BEEN SENT INTO THE LAB FOR CONFIRMATION.
WE'LL KEEP YOU POSTED.
The smaller plants to the left are suspected to be infected with corn root nematodes.All plants should be the
size of the plant on the right.
Suspected field of corn root nematodes.
Corn root nematodes have been far more recognized and discussed in the US but it just may be something that we will have to start talking about and diagnosing here in Canada.

2010-05-28T13:03:00.000-07:00

FERTILIZER BURN - SOMETHING THAT CAN BE AVOIDED
Fertilizer burn occurs every year to some extent.Experience has taught me that once the combined broadcast application of ammonia from urea and the salts of potash exceed 200lb/ acre on sandy loam soils fertilizer burn can become a reality.Once combined levels exceed 220lb/acre on sandy loams and soils remain dry for any extended period the severity of burn will increase.Over 240 lb/acre of the two combined and you're in for BIG TIME BURN.Add a liquid pop-up fertilizer to the mix and you are adding insult to injury.Even heavy manure applications on sandy soils can lead to fertilizer burn.The best way to confirm fertilizer burn from salts is to take cores of soil 2 inches deep right through plants suspected of burning from salt injury.
A simple laboratory test will corfirm your suspicions.

You can be 99.9% certain that fertilzer burn has occurred when you dig up plants like those shown on the right side of the above photo and you see NO RADICLES.
When radicles are missing or appear as blackened tips its a strong tell tale sign that they were burnt from too much ammonia and salt injury.

The surest means of avoiding fertilizer burn is to split your potash and N fertilizer applications.Of course you should never exceed 10 lb of N + K in a liquid pop-up on the seed and you should never exceed 70 lb of N + K in a 2 x 2 band.

2010-05-26T02:04:00.000-07:00

CRITICAL WEED FREE PERIOD IS 3 - 8 LEAF CORN
The above photo is meant to depict a light weed infestation.Though this corn is approaching the Critical 3 leaf stage there is no urgency here to need to apply Glyphosate or a tank mix partner.Research will show that when weed pressures are light applications can be made by the 4th or 5th leaf and yields will not be suppressed
The above photo is meant to depict an average weed pressure.In this case weeds are more prevalent and the potential for them suppressing yield is very real.Though these weeds are very small they still represent a competitive factor to small 3 leaf corn plants.Glyphosate and any tank mix partner should be applied immediately to avoid possible yield loss due to their presence.In this case because weed pressures are heavier and the crop very small a residual tank mix partner would be recommended.
The above photo is meant to depict a very high weed pressure.With weed pressures this high the grower may have been better off applying a pre -emergent residual spray and then waiting to the 6-7th leaf stage of corn to apply glyphosate as a final spray application.This grower should have already applied his glyphosate and tank mix residual partner.YIELD OPPORTUNITY IN THIS CASE HAS ALREADY BEEN JEOPARDIZED.

2010-05-23T15:53:00.000-07:00

NEARLY 100% RECOVERY EXPECTED FROM MONDAY MAY 10ths FROST
Growers across SW Ontario have been expressing concern over their corns recovery from Mays early freeze.They are finding a number of plants that are having a difficult time of unfurling their leaves and expressing a hooked candycane apperance much like that shown in the above photo.I have had to reassure many a grower that they have NO REASON to worry.Their crops are still actively growing and getting bigger day by day.Plants that express this shepherds hook will eventually break free with Little to NO YIELD LOSS expected.
Just to give you an idea of the type of recovery that you can expect I purposely untangled the corn leaves of the two plants shown in the first photo above and I then took a picture of them untangled.
I think you'll agree that you have a much different perspective of how you'd expect the two plants in the photo above to perform as compared to the two plants in the first photo above.Fact is they are the same two plants.I just speeded up what the recovery will look like by untangling their leaves.HANG IN THERE - THIS YEARS EARLY PLANTED CORN CROP HAS A LOT OF YIELD POTENTIAL BEHIND IT !

2010-05-23T13:48:00.000-07:00

ONTARIO's ALFALFA HARVEST BEGINS IN EARNEST
Alfalfa silage harvest began in earnest this past week across SW Ontario.This is roughly a week ahead of normal.Though to put up high quality ALFALFA SILAGE with 20% protein ,30% ADF and 40% NDF digestibility scores requires harvesting at between the bud stage and first flower.

Both photos above were taken on Wed May 19 on farms loacted between Mt Elgin and Norwich Ontario.Pioneer will be releasing 2 new alfalfa varieties for Ontario forage producers this year.Current Pioneer favourites for putting up BIG TONNES of high quality alflafa silage are Pioneer brand 55V48 and 54V46.Both are intensively managed
alfalfas that will allow 3-4 cuttings per year.

2010-05-23T13:27:00.000-07:00

ONTARIO's WHEAT CROP 7-10 Days Ahead of Normal

The maturation of the 2010 Ontario wheat crop is running 7-10 days ahead of normal.The overly warm month of April is responsible for making this occur.Most of the SW Ontario wheat crop will head over the next week.Much of Essex and Kent Countys' crop is already in head.It generally takes 6 weeks from heading to when combines start rolling.The above photo was taken Wed May 19 just west of Ridgetown.
Average to just slightly above average yields are expected.

2010-05-23T05:40:00.000-07:00

PIONEER WHEAT VARIETIES LOOKING GOOD IN 2010

The newest Pioneer soft red winter wheat variety is Pioneer brand 25R39.This is an awnless soft red with the highest yield potential that has ever been released from Pioneers' breeding program for Ontario producers.25R39 is the tallest and latest to head of Pioneers' soft red winter wheat varieties.For growers wanting TOP YIELDS and more straw 25R39 is the one to beat.
Pioneer brand 25R56 is an awnless soft red that grows shorter than 25R39.For growers not wanting a lot of straw Pioneer 25R56 would make an ideal choice.Experience has shown that 25R56 has a tendency to have a very fast drydown.As wheat varieties approach their maturity 25R56 may not appear be as mature but in a very few short days it will dry down faster and be one of the first soft reds ready to combine.

Because of its fast drydown 25R56 has a bit of a tendency for some pieces of its head spike to appear in its harvested grain.Though this may seem unsightly at first it has never been a problem in 25R56 receiving grade 2 wheat status.

Another comment that has been fed back to us is that 25R56 has a tendency to thresh harder than our other soft red winter wheat varieties.Despite these comments one cannot overlook the fact that 25R56 is one of the highest yielding soft red winter wheats in the marketplace today if not the highest.

OLD FAITHFUL as she is called ! Pioneer brand 25R47 has long been a standing favourite of the Ontario farm marketplace.Probably no soft red winter wheat has ever been grown on more acres in its lifespan than 25R47.It just continues to deliver strong stable consistent yields year after year.People grow it because they like it and they can count on it.
You can put the combine on automatic pilot with this one.
The above photo taken just west of Ridgetown Ontario shows a nice plot of Pioneer soft red winter wheat varieties.( Double click on the photo to gain a close up )
Pioneer brand 25R51 is an awned soft red winter wheat.The key attribute that 25R51 brings to the Ontario marketplace is its FUSARIUM HEADBLIGHT RESISTANCE.

With the continual worry that growers express over the potential downgrading of their wheat I'm rather surprised that more growers don't take advantage of this varieties strength.

I have long expressed that if growers were to grow 25% of their acres to Pioneer brand 25R51 they would never have no worry over achieving grade 2 wheat status.

Pioneer brand 25R51 will be the first Pioneer wheat ready to harvest in July.Storing 25R51 in a separate BIN would allow growers to blend their 25R51 with any other Pioneer soft red wheat variety that might express some fusarium headblight ( or tombsone kernels ) in a BAD FUSARIUM HEADBLIGHT YEAR.

I only suggest growing 25R51 on 25-30% of ones acres as the variety does express a 3-4 bu per acre yield drag from other Pioneer soft red winter wheat varieties.On the other hand Pioneer brand 25R51 offers a significant yield advantage over companies Fusarium tolerant winter wheat varieties.

2010-05-18T22:05:00.000-07:00

GROWERS HAVE OPPORTUNITY TODAY TO ENHANCE YIELDS WITH HIGHER PLANT POPULATIONS

Many growers today are not realizing the full yield potential that todays newer hybrids are capable of delivering.Todays hybrids have the unique capability of being able to deliver more yield through higher plant populations.Improved disease tolerance, stalk strength,silking strength,drought tolerance,herbicide tolerance and corn borer resistance have all paved the way to allow todays hybrids to deliver more harvestable grain yield when seeded at higher seeding rates.Growers have the ability to take advantage of this opportunity but they will first have to adjust their seeding rates upward if they are to ever realize it.The photo above shows the spatial distribution of a hybrids population when dropped at 32,000 seeds per acre.All Pioneer hybrids will respond favourably to this seed drop.( Double Click on these photos to make closer observations )

Growers dropping 32,000 seeds per acre, like that shown in the above photo, will likely end up with FINAL stands near 30,000.One has to remember that the average warm germ over a multiplicity of seed lots will be 96%.On top of that growers will generally lose another 2%.( 32,000 seed drop with a 6% plant stand loss equates to a FINAL STAND of 30,080.One can generally expect to see FINAL PLANT SEEDS of roughly 2,000 per acre less than what one seeds )

There are a number of Pioneer hybrids that will respond even more favourably when dropped at a 35-36,000 seed drop.These tend to be more determinate ear sized hybrids.

Increasing plant population to 35,000 seed drop should be relegated to your more productive farms that have historical farm averages of 150+ bu per acre. It goes without saying that achieving improved yields with dropping higher plant populations requires the application of good farm management skills.

Pioneer agronomy science researchers have evaluated all Pioneer hybrids for their yield responsivity to increased plant population.You can find this info by accessing Pioneers growing point website or by asking your Pioneer sales rep.

On choice soils of 190 + bu /acre capability there may be even more opportunity to capture more yield from some Pioneer hybrids when dropped at 37,000 seeds per acre.Seed drops of this magnitude are not for every farm or every farm manager.Be sure to do yourself a favour this coming year.At least make a committment to start assessing the extra yield potential that Pioneer hybrids can deliver you by evaluating higher seeding rates on your farm.

2010-05-18T21:36:00.001-07:00

The above corn and soybeans were planted on a farm just south of Parkhill within a couple of days of each other.The corn was planted just ahead of the soybeans.The photo was taken on Monday afternoon May 17.

2010-05-18T21:36:00.000-07:00

2010-05-18T06:07:00.000-07:00

CORN RECOVERING NICELY FROM MONDAY MAY 10ths FREEZE
Some growers have questioned whether corn will be able to make a full recovery from the frost of May 10.Many fields show the new leaves pushing up but being caught or entangled with the older frozen plant tissue like that shown in the above and below photos.PLEASE BE ASSURED THAT THIS WILL POSE NO THREAT TO CORN BEING ABLE TO EVENTUALLY BREAK FREE AND GROW ON IN A NORMAL MANNER.
THERE IS NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THERE WILL BE ANY DELETERIOUS CONSEQUENCES FROM MONDAY MAY 10ths FREEZE.FACT IS THE HIGH YIELD PROSPECTS FOR THIS YEARS EARLY PLANTED APRIL CROP ARE EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD !

2010-05-15T05:52:00.000-07:00

PROSPECTS OF CORN RECOVERY LOOK GOOD! FARMERS AND SALES REPS BREATHE SIGH OF RELIEF

48 hours in a WARM growth chamber shows clearly that recovery is well on its way for the plants in the above photo that were hard hot by Mondays freeze.These are the same plants that are shown in the first photo of Wed May 12th's blog posting.
This shot shows the recovery of the plants shown in the second photo of Wed May 12th's blog posting.Though these plants were never in question they were placed in the same growth chamber just to have a comparison check to the plants that were hit hard by frost.
The above photo comes from a sandy loam farm in the Strathroy area.This field was planted on April 20th and had reached the 3 leaf stage when hit by Mondays freeze.As you can see the new green growth at the soil line is giving indication that this crop is on its way to recovery.DOUBLE CLICK ON THE PHOTO TO SEE A BETTER CLOSE-UP.I am very hopeful now after viewing several fields on Friday afternoon that frost recovery for most fields will be excellent and very few fields will need any replanting.I did find some plants on some sharp sand knolls showing no sign of recovery but these were limited.With the early planting date on this years crop OVERALL YIELD POTENTIALS STILL REMAIN EXCELLENT.

There are two management tips that still need to be taking into consideration. Herbicide applications should be delayed until plants have regained some growth momentum or at least one to two new true leaves.The last thing you want to do is place an additional stress on the plant right now.The other management tip is to remember that the crop will behave physiologically like it had developed the two leaves it lost from the frost.You need to keep this in mind when reaching the upper limit of growth for certain herbicides.Also remember that sidedressing is best completed with 6 true leaf corn.That means 6 true leaf corn will be reached with 4 true leaves showing on this crop - thats if you were at the 2 leaf stage when your crop froze.

2010-05-12T17:36:00.000-07:00

CORN CROPS RECOVERY DEPENDANT ON SUN and HEAT
Many growers have been questioning the viability of their plant stands.To help get a better handle on this a number of poor looking plants, shown above, were placed in a Pioneer growth chamber today to determine their recovery potential.Results should be known within 48 hrs.
The above set of healthier looking corn plants, taken from the same field as the first photo of poor looking plants, were also placed into a Pioneer growth chamber today.We will keep you posted on the results of these comparisons.
So much of the crops potential for recovery now lies in the balance of how much sun and heat we can expect to receive over the next 72 hours.Detrimental soil fungal pathogen activity is favoured by cool wet soil conditions whereas a return to favourable plant growth will be a function of the amount of sun and heat we receive.Even the couple of hours of sunshine received this evening has had its benefits in reinitiating some new plant growth as shown by the new green tissue at the base of the above plant.
The above photo also provides one with a ray of hope with the evidence of new green plant tissue pushing up from the soil line.

2010-05-12T03:55:00.000-07:00

WIDESPREAD FROST HITS THE SW ONTARIO CORN CROP IN THE EARLY HOURS OF MONDAY MORNING MAY 10
Growers woke up Monday morning May 10 to frozen corn.Temperatures at sundown Sunday May 9 were approaching the freezing mark.By 3:00AM temperatures had dipped to -4.4C near the London airport. Recorded lows at the soil line reached -5.9C. By 6:00AM temperatures ranged from -2C in the Hamilton, Brantford and London area to -1C at Dresden Ridgetown and Chatham.By 10:00AM most emerged corn was taking on a limp darkened watery black-green appearanace much like that shown in the photo above.
Many factors are involved in how frost interacts with the crop.Planting depth,soil texture,residues, soil moisture reserves,topography and the geographical lay of the land can all have some degree of influence.Double click on the photo above to see more clearly how the two plants on the right are both frozen while the plant to the left is not.
Experience has taught us that the best way to diagnose frost injury is to give the crop an opportunity to respond to further growth.This means usually giving the crop 3-5 days before making any final assessments.Emerged to 2 leaf corn is more apt to bounce back favourably from an early season frost than corn that is in the 3 - 4 leaf stage.There are 2 reasons for this.First there is less dead plant tissue for the new emerging growth to push up through and secondly with 3-4 leaf corn the starch reserves of the seed have become pretty much exhausted.The first 4 leaves are in the seed and the endosperm starch of the kernel acts as the energy source to fuel the growth and development in the emergence of these first 4 leaves.If these leaves succcumb to frost the plants only reserves for initiating further growth are those in the mesocotyl.
New fresh green tissue rising up from the soil line like that shown in the above photo is ones surest indication that the plant is still alive and beginning to regrow.

2010-05-09T10:38:00.000-07:00

SW ONTARIO PIONEER REPS ARE CONDUCTING OVER 160 PRODUCT ADVANCEMENT TRIALS ( PAT TRIALS) IN 2010

Pioneer sales reps are heavily involved in the evaluation process of potential new Pioneer products for the Onatrio farm marketplace.By planting and weighing on farm Pioneer PAT trials Pioneer reps contribute a substantial amount of data that aids in the potential advancement of New corn hybrids and soybean varieties for Ontario farmers.

Every year Pioneer hires an Agronomy Intern to help assist in the planting and data collection that comes from Pioneers extensive on farm PAT trial program.This years Agronomy Intern is Bruce Betzner who hails from Lynden Ontario located close to Hamilton.Bruce is the son of Pioneer sales Rep Joe Betzner.Bruce will help Pioneer sales reps plant and evaluate the performance of potential new Pioneer products in a geography that covers from Grandbend to Hamilton down to Niagara Falls and back along Lake Erie to Detroit.

PAT SEED is organized ahead of planting by clearly numbering each product for its respective turn to be planted.
When Bruce is unable to reach a Pioneer Sales Reps location others in the reps family will often pitch in to help make the planting process go smoothly.In the case above Megan Tyhurst daughter of Tom Tyhurst near Dresden,Ontario can be seen pitching in a hand.
Instead of removing planter boxes between each products fill-up some reps have streamlined their planting process by utilizing a shop vac and a portable generator.This has certainly made the job of planting a lot of PAT hybrids much easier and more time efficient.Brad Gawley can be seen above vacuuming out one of Tom Tyhurst planter units while his daughter Megan can be seen in the background retrieving a sample bag of a new PAT entry for the next planting.
Megan can be seen above pouring seed of a NEW PAT ENTRY in one of the hoppers of her dads planter.
Of course making sure that each plot gets properly recorded and staked is of fundamental importance in the entire plot planting process.The staked hybrid shown in the foreground is a unique new PAT ENTRY in that it is one of the first Pioneer hybrids to ever be evaluated for it dual-mode-of-action for corn borer control.This is a compliance requirement of the CFIA ( Canadian Food Inspection Agency )in order for companies to be able to reduce their percentage of Corn Borer Refugia requirement.X03A139YHR offers 2 modes of action for corn borer protection.

2010-05-07T05:21:00.000-07:00

PIONEER ALFALFA - AS GOOD AS ALFALFA GETS !
In early April growers were busy preparing and seeding this years alfalfa crop.Fine firm seedbeds are the order of the day in establishing good alfalfa stands.A fine firm seedbed helps both seat the seed at the right depth and holds moisture for uniform early germination.Ideal seding depths are between 1/4 and 1/2 inch.The number one reason for poor stand establishment in alfalfa is seeding TOO DEEP.You can't beat cultipacking a field both before and after seeding like that shown above and below.

Alfalfa is best seeded on well drained friable soils.Hard pan soggy soils are no place for alfalfa.To grow persistent stands that will produce 5 tonne of dry matter per acre you will need to keep soil PH's above 6.5.Alflafa is a heavy feeder of Calcium and magnesium.Nearly 30 lb of Calcium is removed per tonne and nearly 10 lb of Magnesium.High Soil Phosphorus and potash levels are also required as close to 15 lbs of P205 and 50 lbs of K20 are removed per tonne of dry matter produced.

Alfalfa is best seeded at somewhere between 16 and 20 lb per acre.Higher seeding rates will provide higher leaf to stem ratios in the initial seeding year which is the preference of many high producing dairy herds.The addition of 2-3 lb of a grass like timothy is sometimes preferred by producers putting up baled hay as the grass will help in the drying process.Double click on the above photo and you will see how these young alfalfa seedlings are progressing.

Many of last years seedings look strong like that shown here.Growth has been exceptionally strong this spring and first cut yields of last years seedings look like they could be exceptional.

First cut harvest could start as early as the last week of May for those producers taking cuts at 1/10 bloom.Pioneer provides alfalfa varieties that will cover the entire spectrum of growers needs.Pioneer brand 55V48 and 54V46 are exceptionally high yielding varieties bred for the intensive alfalfa manager who prefers to harvest 3-4 cuts of big tonnage high quality alflafa silage per year.
Pioneer brand 53Q30 and 54Q25 can be used for producing good high tonnage alfalfa silage but are best positioned with growers preferring to put up high quality alflafa hay.For producers in need of a Leafhopper resistant variety Pioneer offers Pioneer brand 54H91.

2010-05-06T22:08:00.000-07:00

2010 Spring - CONDUCIVE TO EARLY PLANTINGS and GOOD STAND ESTABLISHMENT

Uniform stands of corn can be found popping up throughout SW Ontario.It takes roughly 150-175 CHU, depending on the hybrid,seedbed conditions and planting depth, for corn to emerge.
This field shot above was taken Tuesday May 4 of a field just west of Granton Ontario.It was planted April 19th.

The shot above was taken near Dresden Ontario.It was planted on Friday April 23.
The photo of the field above was taken near Springford Ontario.It was planted on Tuesday April 20. No matter where you drive in SW Ontario strong looking stands of corn like those shown above can be found.Though its a long way to the finish line a lot of the Southwestern Ontario corn crop has gotten off to an excellent start.It certainly points the way to a potentially heavier and drier corn crop for the vast majority of SW Ontario producers to harvest.

2010-05-06T19:38:00.000-07:00

WELCOME BACK !
I look forward to helping you keep updated on the progress of our 2010 SW Ontario corn, soybean, wheat and alfalfa crops.

The spring of 2010 will undoubtedly go down as one of the most unique in the history of SW Ontario agriculture.To have 70% of the Ontario corn crop and 5% of the Ontario soybean crop planted by May 1st is unprecedented.
The shot above was taken on Hwy 21 just south of Thamesville on Thurs May 6.
Its truly remarkable how fast the corn crop can be planted if farmers have favourable weather.
Of course the size of todays farming equipment certainly helps make things happen in a hurry.The shot above was taken on Veterans Memorial Hwy just north of Dundas Street on the east side of London today.

It will be interesting to see how much truth lies in the old adage

" plant in the dust and your bins will bust."
Certainly planting conditions have been very favourable this spring.

Without any heavy rains, the majority of seedbeds have worked up in great shape providing a conducive environment for uniform emergence.
The shot above was taken on Wed May 5 on 78 Hwy just west of Dresden, Ontario.

2009-12-29T07:34:00.000-08:00

Residue Management and Seeding Product Engineers have been working on new concept designs to condition and incorporate the residues from todays higher yielding corn crops for nearly two decades now.Good examples of such tried and true performance units is this 22 ft RTS unit from Salford working in the residue from a 200+ bu/acre Ontario corn crop.The concept with a Residue Tillage Specialist ( RTS ) Unit is to allow gangs of fluted coulters to cut,incorporate and help condition stalks.Some growers have found a single pass of an RTS unit in the fall followed up with another in the spring can be sufficient enough for creating excellent seedbed conditions for planting while other growers use the RTS unit to condition residue ahead of their primary tillage tool - not to provide clearance but to provide faster decomposition as it greatly reduces the risk of having layers of buried partly decomposed residue keeping the soil wetter and cooler in the spring.

The objective of the Residue Management Engineer Specialists at Salford over 20 years ago was to create a series of Primary Tillage Tools that would either match or exceed the yield performance of the mouldboard plough. They recognized 3 important things from the beginning :

1)They would need to create tillage units that would better help growers manage crop residues.Their concept was that of creating tillage tools that would not only condition the soil much like a moldboard plough but create a soil environment that would improve upon the ability of the moldboard plough to regulate the soils temperature, water and aeration balance.

2)They recognized that their units would need to manage the soils Carbon /Nitrogen ratio better than the mouldboard plough if they were to ever equal or exceed its performance and

3) if they could achieve their above two objectives they knew they could accelerate the adoption of their new residue management units because of the improved efficiency they would deliver over the moldboard plough for eliminating headland travel,back furrows and lifting the primary tillage speed limit.

The 9800CTS ( Conservation Tillage Specialist) Unit above behaves much like their 9700CTS unit other than that it comes with heavy duty spiral rolling harrows on the front and rear.The front roller acts to crimp and condition stalks while the rear roller acts to help level,distribute and further condition residue.The intent of these additional heavy spiral duty rollers on the 9800 is to help growers better manage the crushing , crimping, breaking and incorporation of massive amounts of corn residues.

The 9700CTS unit shown above behaves much like the 9800CTS in that both disrupt all the soil much like a mouldboard plough.They both have optional points ( from 2.5" to 4" mounted over a 17" share mounted on 16" spacings. As you can see the 9700 unit has no front or rear spiral rolling harrows like the 9800 unit does.

To better accomodate the needs of growers preferring the soil conditioning of a mouldboard plough and to allow them to proficiently handle the increased residues of todays higher yielding corn crops Salford Engineers lengthened out the gang spacing of their mouldboard ploughs as well as increased their throat clearance.It was discovered that by making these two engineering changes there was almost no limit to the amount of residue that could flow freely through their new units.It was even discovered that there was no longer a need for plough coulters.

As you can see its the ability of these units to help growers speedily manage heavy amounts of residue that is most appealing.They are gaining greater and greater popularity.Their appeal lies in their ability to condition the soil much like a mouldboard plough as well as leave residues crushed and crimped, with sufficient incorporation and soil levelling, to allow one pass seedbed preparation in the spring.

With these Heavy Duty Residue Management Units growers no longer need to concern themselves with the extra residue left remaining in their fields after harvesting todays higher yielding 200 + bushel corn crops. On the contrare, growers can now embrace the extra residues remaining after harvest and begin enjoying the increased opportunity that these higher residues can have in enhancing the yield performance of future crops.

The above photo shows how one fall pass in 220 bu/a corn residue can provide a well mixed soil with crushed, crimped and sufficiently incorporated residues to allow good soil bacterial action in achieving a desired 10:1 Carbon Nitrogen ratio. It also shows how a single tillage pass in the spring is all that will be needed to prepare this field for spring planting.

2009-12-08T20:03:00.000-08:00

Sounds Like a Heap Lot Of FUN doesn't it! Come Gather with your neighbours for some food, fellowship and a heap lot of Pioneer yield data to boot.

And no one does it better than Joe Elliott of Florence ,Ontario.Joe has been holding his post harvest Plot-HotDog Day for years now.As he puts it, " It just gives the folks a chance to come out,meet with their neighbours, enjoy each others company and take a short refreshment break from the rigours of the falls hectic harvest pace. Its just great to see folks gettin' together to share a little time.After all thats what lifes about -havin' fun chatting ,catching up on the news and enjoying a hot dog and donut in the process "

AND OH DO THOSE BBQ'd HOT DOGS TASTE GOOD !!!

Of course Joe throws in a little measure of business just to make things complete.

Of course it doesn't hurt to have some doughnuts to go along with everyones hot dog !

Joe prints up 50 copies of 1 and 3 year yield data as well as all the corn and soybean plots in his surrounding Counties.As Joe puts it, " You just gotta take a look a the BIG PICTURE when you're trying to make decisions on what to plant for next year.I've seen too many folks fooled by just looking a limited number of local plots.The weather they got 30-40 miles away be be what we get next year and vice versa. I really like the 3 year report best "

And yes the folks do come out in BIG NUMBERS and they do enjoy themselves HAVING SOME FUN !!

Of course Joe makes sure that there's some hot fresh brewed coffee to keep the folks warmed up !

2009-10-22T15:39:00.000-07:00

Every grower this fall will be faced with a judgement call as to when harvest should occur for the different fields they farm.Though corn may be standing straight-up today it doesn't necessarily mean that it will remain standing that same way in three weeks time.For sure every grower should evaluate their fields by doing the push test.This will confirm which fields have good stalk integrity versus those fields that do not.Corn that has good stalk integrity can remain in the field and it will continue to dry.Over the last 10 days corn has been drying at the rate of about .4 -.5% per day. It takes 35 Ontario CHU's to drop 1 point of moisture from Physiological maturity to 25% moisture.After that it will take nearly 50 CHU's to drop corn by 1 point of moisture. The biggest concern that growers will have taking wet corn directly to the elevator is possible dockage for low test weight.A TW of 54.1 lb per bushel is required to be classified as Grade 2 corn.One cannot generate a true test weight on wet corn.For each point of moisture removed from wet corn, test weight will generally increase by .2 lb per bushel.In other words if your corn is harvesrted at 30% moisture and registers a 52.7 lb TW on a wet weight basis it would actually register closer to 55.6 lb TW as dry corn basis.

Every October Pioneer sales reps become very busy conducting field plot weigh offs for their growers.In the above photo Pioneer Rep Al Merrick of Strathroy Ontario is conducting one of his many plot comparisons.In this case he is actually holding his own field plot day.

Each hybrid in a growers plot is measured for its wet weight,its harvest moisture and its test weight.Plot length and row width as well as the number of rows harvested are all recorded as well.

On site computer calculations give a quick assessment of yield for each hybrid weighed.Growers find this kind of information very valuable in making next years hybrid selections.

As you can see, from this early harvest plot Of Al Merricks', harvest moistures are still running very high though yield propsects look very good.Take note of the lower test weights being recorded with this very wet corn.Bear in mind that these test weights will go up considerably as the corn is dried.

Of course it goes without saying that part of a good plot day is the refreshments and socializing that growers take part in while taking a break from their own busy farming schedules.

Its just amazing how good a pot of baked beans, roast beef on a bun,oatmeal and peanut butter cookies as well as a hot cup of coffee tastes on a cool fall harvest day. It truly makes growers recognize the value they play in the food chain.

THE BIG YIELDS OF THIS PLOT MADE EVERYONE GO HOME WITH MORE OPTIMISM FOR A GOOD HARVEST THAN WHEN THEY ARRIVED.KUDOS TO AL and JANICE MERRICK FOR PROVIDING THEIR GROWERS WITH NOT ONLY SOME EXCELLENT PLOT HARVEST RESULTS BUT ALSO A GREAT HARVEST MEAL.

2009-10-20T20:53:00.000-07:00

Dr.Scott Heuchelin Research Pathologist from DesMoine Iowa recently toured and evaluated several GIB EAR MOULD SCREENING TRIALS set up across Southwestern Ontario.Scott conducts GIB EAR MOULD screening and research evaluation work for Pioneer in not only Canada and the U.S. but also in Mexico,France and Hawaii.In the above photo he can be seen discussing the pathway of gib infection with Pioneer Sales Rep Neil Rose from Erie Beach, Ontario

Dr.Heuchelins expertise on understanding hybrid differences in GIB EAR MOULD TOLERANCE is readily sought after by Pioneer Sales Reps across Ontario.In the above photo Scott is sharing his knowledge with Pioneer Sales Reps Janice Anderson and Neil Rose.

Pioneer Product Managers gain invaluable knowledge from Scott on hybrid tolerance differences to GIBBERELLA EAR ROT INFECTION.Above Dr Heuchelin discusses a hybrids tolerance level with Pioneer Product Manager Gustavo Gonalez-Roelants.

Pioneer sales rep Pat Unger from Alymer Ontario is shown above in his GIB EAR MOULD EVALUATION PLOT discussing his concerns with this years slow crop development. Research Pathologist Scott Heuchelin recently stopped by Pats farm to conduct plant tolerance evaluations.

Dr.Scott Heuchelin can be seen above sharing his research findings with Pioneer sales rep Mark Sloot from Marks' GIB EAR MOULD TRIAL planted just south of Boston, Ontario.

2009-10-12T05:36:00.000-07:00

Western Bean Cutworm damage in Ontarios corn crop is becoming more and more evident.These shots taken just south of the town of Exeter Ontario give an indication of the kind of damage these ravaging pests can cause.As you can see above entire chunks of ears can be eaten away.How much yield loss incurred will be directly proportional to the amount of western bean cutworm damage one experiences.

Western bean cutworm larvae are very aggressive in their devouring of the corn kernel.They burrough into the cob and chew on the kernels in such a manner that they literally grind the kernel starch into a mealy flour.Not only is there a loss of yield but grain quality can be drastically affected due to the increased potential for gib ear mould infection and subsequent vomitoxin development.

This shot shows a Western Bean Cutworm larvae on an ear of corn.WBC larvae can be very ravaging pests.Outside of scouting and spraying the only sure fired method of control for this
insect is HERCULEX1 and HXX corn hybrids.All other forms of BT will not control Western Bean Cutworm.

A very distinctive characteristic of Western Bean Cutworm Laravae is how they will often burrough through the husks and into the cob of an ear much like the entry of a 22 calibre rifle shot.Given that Herculex hybrids will control Western Bean Cutworm it would be advised for growers to scout their fields of other competitive BT brand products to determine if they have any damage.

2009-10-06T20:20:00.000-07:00

We generally don't see severe Northern Corn Leaf Blight ( NCLB ) in Southwestern Ontario for two very good reasons.Growers rotate their corn crops well and breeders have done a good job of selecting better NCLB resistant hybrids.The photo above depicts what NCLB looks like when it does pop up.The leaf on the right shows eliptical oblong lesions of northern leaf blight that are causing premature death of plant tissue.Because this infection is occurring very late in the grain fill period it will not likely have any impact on grain yield though it may have some affect at reducing stalk strength qualities.When NCLB hits hard and early which is generally infrequently, in SW Ontario, it can cause yield reductions and seriously impact stalk strength.

The above photo shows how NCLB is negatively impacting the hybrid on the right while the hybrid on the left is being barely impacted.Breeders have done an excellent job of breeding improved NCLB resistance into todays hybrids

The above photo depicts the impact of anthracnose stalk rot.The plant in the rear has already died from anthracnose infection.You can see how the stalk is already dead brown while the stalk in the foreground is a vibrant green.Anthracnose stalk rot is the #1 disease impacting Ontarios corn crop.Early premature death due to anthracnose stalk rot can cause considerable yield losses.Grain will be lighter in test weight and harvestability severely hampered when anthracnose hits hard.Infection takes place at an early stage in the plants growth and remains in remission within the plant until the stresses of grain fill create an opportunity for infection to spread into the stalks vascular bundles. When the plants phloem and xylem system are cut off any further uptake of water and nutrients is curtailed and so the upper part of the plant starts to display a grey green wilt.With time this grey green appearance turns to a dead brown senescence.This is often referred to as top dieback.There are significant differences in the degree of hybrid resistance to anthracnose stalk rot.This is one disease that you don't want to fool with.

My recommendation is to make sure that the hybrids you grow have a minimum 4 score for anthracnose stalk rot.Hybrids with a 5 score will give you an added insurance of protection.

When you see serious anthracnose stalk rot infection you need to make sure to do the PUSH TEST to evaluate which fields should be considered for early harvest.The last thing you want to do with serious anthracnose stalk rot is to leave a field to the ravages of mid to late November winds.I've seen fields in the past standing 95% one day and 100% flat on the ground the next.

HARVESTING FLATTENED CORN FROM ANTHRACNOSE STALK ROT IS NOT A FUN JOB !!

2009-10-03T14:35:00.000-07:00

EAR SAMPLES OF PIONEER HYBRIDS 38A57 HX/LL/RR2

Rated at 2850 HU
It is later than 38M58 ( 96 CRM to silk vs 93 for 38M58 )
Will run slightly wetter than 38M58 as it silks later and dries more slowly
Produces an orangy glossy high test weight grain ( 8 )
Advanced as a companion for 38M58 for growers wanting
better roots ( 8 score ) and HEAVIER TEST WEIGHT
A defensive hybrid for tougher yielding soil environments.

Plant Population responsive hybrid particularly on high yielding soils– Check out
its population Responsiveness using the PIONEER OPTIMUM PLANT
POPULATION CALCULATOR on Pioneer Growing Point
Optimal economic planting rate on 140-190 bu/acre land is 35,000 seed drop

Watchouts
Average stress emergence score ( 5 )
Below average early growth
Below average Gib Ear Mould Tolerance ( Scores a 4 )
Doesn’t perform as well south of zone
37V63

A new 2950 HU Triple Stack Hybrid for Continuous Corn Growers
Late to flower for its maturity ( 101 vs 99 overall CRM )
Offers excellent stress emergence and good early growth
Very good drought tolerance
Key strength is its above average tolerance for Gibberella ear rot
Research data would support it outyielding 37Y14 by 3% with slightly drier harvest
moistures
Plant Population responsive hybrid particularly on high yielding soils– Check out its
population responsiveness using the PIONEER OPTIMUM PLANT POPULATION
CALCULATOR on Pioneer Growing Point
Optimal economic planting rate on 140-190 bu/acre land is 35,800 seed drop

Watchout
Below average for roots ( may see occasional root lodging ) 4 score for roots

37Y14 - HXX/LL/RR2

A popular Triple stack hybrid with excellent plant health and drought tolerance
Rated at 2950 HU for maturity
Produces nice quality grain with a solid average to perhaps above avg gib ear mould
tolerance

Very population responsive hybrid
On 140 – 190 bu/a land optimum economic seed drop is 36,300

Watchout
Flowers late for its maturity ( 101 CRM )
Average early growth and narrow leaf can make it appear much slower growing
in the spring than what it really is

P9990XR - HXX/LL/RR2

• A New triple stacked 99 CRM hybrid rated at 2950 CHU
• Flowers early for its maturity ( 95 vs 99) and much earlier than 37Y14 ( 95 CRM vs
101 CRM )
• This should help it move north better
• Advanced as a potential replacement for 37Y14
• Research data supports an approx 3 % yield improvement over 37Y14
• Good companion for 37V63
• Limited husk cover ( 3 )
• Great roots ( 8) Above average drought tolerance score

Watchouts
Average GIB EAR MOULD TOLERANCE
Avg early growth

37F75 - Double Stack Hybrid Rated at 3050 HU

Has an excellent track record as an an agronomically sound solid yielding hybrid.Offers growers above average gib ear mould tolerance for lower vomitoxins.

P0125HR - HX1/LL/RR2

Rated at 3050 HU
An exciting New Hybrid that delivered Fabulous yields in 2008
Should eventually replace 37F75 ( Flowers earlier than 37F75 100 CRM to silk vs 103 for 37F75 )
Should produce drier corn than 37F75
Offers Excellent Stress Emergence ( 7 ) and drought tolerance ( 7 )
A tall hybrid for its maturity with high ear placement
Brings both above average stalks and roots
Initial yield data would suggest similar performance in both high and low yield
environments
Need to confirm its Gib Score of 5
An excellent dual purpose hybrid for both grain and silage
Characterized by growthy upright reaching leaves
Brings an attractive deep dark green field appearance

Watchouts
Tall plant height and high ear placement may be a deterrent for some growers
despite its high yield capability
Can express purplish florescence in cool slow growing springs

P0125XR – HXX/LL/RR2 ( TRIPLE STACK VERSION OF P0125HR for
CONTINUOUS CORN GROWERS )

36V53 - HX1/LL/RR2

A double stacked hybrid rated at 3100 HU
Offers impressive yield for its maturity
Offers exceptional emergence and early growth
Good stalks and roots
Delivers Exceptional drought tolerance
Plant Population responsive hybrid particularly on high yielding soils–
Check out its population responsiveness using the PIONEER OPTIMUM PLANT
POPULATION CALCULATOR on Growing Point
Optimal economic planting rate on 140-190 bu/acre land is 35,500 seed drop

Watchout
Average Gib ear Mould tolerance
Slightly Below avg score for test weight

P0377XR – HXX/LL/RR2

A new 3100 HU Triple Stack offering for continuous corn growers
Quite similar to 36V75 for most traits
Flowers normal but dries FAST
Can deliver the yield of much fuller season hybrids
Slightly earlier than 35F44 with slightly more yield potential
Potential companion for 35F44
Good stalks and roots
Has good ear flex – produces favourable yields over a range of plant densities

Watchouts

Lighter test weight hybrid than 35F44
Scores slightly below Average for Gib ear mould tolerance
Best positioned on highly productive ground

35F40 – HX1/LL/RR2

An exceptionally early to flower hybrid for its overall maturity
Though rated at 3150 HU behaves like a 3000 HU hybrid to silk
This allows more northerly movement
A leader hybrid
Excellent silage hybrid
Can be planted in all soil environments – offers consistent stable yields
Offers exceptional drought tolerance
Good solid average Gib ear mould tolerance
Plant Population responsive hybrid particularly on high yielding soils–
Check out its population responsiveness using the PIONEER OPTIMUM PLANT
POPULATION CALCULATOR on Growing Point
Optimal Economic Planting Rate on 140-190 bu/acre land is 34,000 seed drop

WATCHOUTS
During cool springs will have a tendency to cast a purplish florescence
Its Exceptional plant health makes it a bit slower drying down in the fall
Can produce yellow ripe grain on a green stalk

35H42 – HX1/LL/RR2

A tall hybrid rated at 3250 HU for its maturity
Late to flower for its overall CRM
Small tassled hybrid
Very upright leaf architecture
Excellent stress emergence hybrid
High test weigt hybrid
Above average GIB EAR MOULD TOLERANCE
Offensive natured hybrid – PERFORMS BEST IN GOOD SOIL ENVIRONMENTS
Tremendous Ethanol extraction hybrid – one of the best

2009-09-23T19:43:00.000-07:00

NEW PIONEER NOMENCLATURE AND NEW HYBRIDS FOR 2010.The first two digits of the new Pioneer numbering system stand for the hybrids maturity.In the instance above the first two digits are 01.This indicates that this is a 101 CRM hybrid.The last two digits 25 are designated breeder numbers.The H stands for Herculex1 meaning the hybrid carries( Corn borer resistance ) and the R stands for Round-up Ready meaning it is a ( glyphosate resistant )
hybrid.

P0125HR - HX1/LL/RR2

Rated at 3050 HU
An exciting New Hybrid that delivered Fabulous yields in 2008
Should eventually replace 37F75 ( Flowers earlier than 37F75 100 CRM to silk vs
103 for 37F75 )
Should produce drier corn than 37F75
Offers Excellent Stress Emergence ( 7 ) and drought tolerance ( 7 )
A tall hybrid for its maturity with high ear placement
Brings both above average stalks and roots
Initial yield data would suggest similar performance in both high and low yield
environments
Need to confirm its Gib Score of 5
An excellent dual purpose hybrid for both grain and silage
Characterized by growthy upright reaching leaves
Brings an attractive deep dark green field appearance

Watchouts
Tall plant height and high ear placement may be a deterrent for some growers
despite its high yield capability
Can express purplish florescence in cool slow growing springs

This NEW hybrid is rated at 99 CRM for maturity.The X stands for Herculex Xtra meaning the hybrid is both corn borer resistant as well as rootworm resistant.The R stands for Round-up Ready meaning it is a glyphosate resistant hybrid.So P9990XR is a 99 day Triple Stack Hybrid.

P9990XR - HXX/LL/RR2

• A New triple stacked 99 CRM hybrid rated at 2950 CHU
• Flowers early for its maturity ( 95 vs 99) and much earlier than 37Y14 ( 95 CRM vs 101 CRM )

• This should help it move north better
• Advanced as a potential replacement for 37Y14
• Research data supports an approx 3 % yield improvement yield over 37Y14
• Good companion for 37V63
• Limited husk cover ( 3 )
• Great roots ( 8) Above average drought tolerance score

37Y14 - HXX/LL/RR2

A popular Triple stack hybrid with excellent plant health and drought tolerance
Rated at 2950 HU for maturity

37V63

A new 2950 HU Triple Stack Hybrid for Continuous Corn Growers
Offers excellent stress emergence and very good early growth
Very plant population responsive hybrid. On highly productive soils of 150+ bu/acre land should be dropped at 35,000 seeds per acre.Check out the Pioneer Optimum Economic Planting Rate Calculator on Pioneer Growing Point

Very good drought tolerance.
Key strength is its above average tolerance for Gibberella ear rot
Research data would support it outyielding 37Y14 by 3% with slightly drier harvest
moistures.
38M58 - HX/LL/RR2

A solid dependable performing double stacked hybrid with great yield potential for its maturity.
Rated at 2800 HU
A short tight shanked hybrid that hides its yield
Produces long deep kernels of beautiful high test weight quality grain
Exceptional Gib Ear Mould Tolerance ( 7 Score ) Perhaps one of the cleanest lowest vomitoxin producing hybrids that has ever been marketed
Excellent drought tolerance
Offers above average stress emergence

Watchouts

Growers will often overlook the 38M58 family because of its small ear size.Its tremendous high yield performance is a function of its high shelling percentage - something very common with most Pioneer hybrids.

38M58 is a very population responsive hybrid family.Many growers could increase their yield performance with this set of genetics by increasing their plant populations on consistent producing 150+ bu/acre land to 35,000 seed drop.

P9512XR – HXX/LL/RR2

A NEW EXCITING Triple Stack 2850 HU hybrid for continuous corn
growers
Advanced as a potential replacement for 38M60
Research Data would support it outyielding 38M60 by 5+ bu/acre
Early to flower for its maturity ( 92 CRM vs overall 95 CRM maturity )
Offers Good stress emergence and above average drought tolerance
Limited husk cover ( 3 )

Watchout
Slightly Below average root score

38N88 - HX1/LL/RR2

Rated at 2700 CHU
Showy hybrid for its maturity
Produces consistent dependable yields – A yield leader
Above avg roots and stalks
Good TW and good gib ear mould tolerance
Very upright leafed architecture
Early flowering hybrid for its maturity ( 89 CRM to silk vs 92 overall CRM )
Deep kerneled hybrid
Very plant population responsive hybrid.Check out the Pioneer Optimum Economic Planting Rate Calculator on Pioneer Growing Point

38H08 - Rated at 2750 HU
Big yielding hybrid for its maturity
Very good stress emergence and Very good drought tolerance

Tall hybrid with fast drydown
Stalk strength is average
KEEP POPULATION DOWN for grain ( Max 30,000 drop )
PHD hybrid for silage

WATCHOUT

BELOW AVERAGE TEST WEIGHT SCORE

Definitely wants to be kept in zone

2009-09-23T19:03:00.000-07:00

FROST INTERACTIONS

2009-09-14T20:06:00.000-07:00

You'll need to double click on the above photo to observe the small cysts growing on the roots of this soybean plant.I've highlighted in red a few for you.Roam around using your scroll bars to see just how many more you can find.There are many more present.The unfortunate part for this grower as well as hundreds of other growers in Southern Ontario is that there is often no above ground symptomology indicating that cysts are present. These plants roots came from a field near Wallaceburg Ontario that gave absolutely NO ABOVE GROUND SYMTOMOLOGY that cysts were attacking the plants roots. Yields reductions with cyst pressures like that shown will often run in the 5 -8 bu/acre range. This is way too much yield to be sacrificing to cysts.Growers need to be testing their soils for cysts and making the appropriate crop rotation and varietal selections to help counteract this huge yield robbing disease.Your sales rep can help you out in this regard by submitting samples for you to a accredited cyst testing diagnostic lab.

2009-09-07T17:41:00.001-07:00

Maturation has progressed nicely for these 2950 -3100 HU hybrids taken from a test plot near Dresden Ontario.With early dent formation another 20 -22 days should put these hybrids close
to physiological maturity.

2009-09-07T17:28:00.000-07:00

These samples were photographed on Sat Sept 5th.This is 38 days after pollination for most of these hybrids.As you can see early dent has just begun.In another 20 days physiological maturity should be reached for the earlier maturity hybrids ( Pioneer brand 36V53,P0377XR and DKC 52-59) while in 24 days physiological maturity should be reached for the later maturity hybrids ( Pioneer brand 35F40,P0518HR and 35H42).This would put us to Sunday Sept 27th to reach full maturation for the early hybrids and Oct 1st for the later hybrids.Grain moisture at Physiological maturity usually runs 32-33%.

2009-09-06T11:48:00.000-07:00

YELLOW SOYBEANS were a big subject of conversation this past year.Though many acres experienced this phenomena there were many different reasons why it occurred.Perhaps you were one of those growers who had yellow beans and have been wondering why.My objective in the following expose of shots will be to help you better understand why this may have happened on your farm.Your challenge will be to look through the shots as well as notes I've posted to see if you can match up what your fields looked like and the reasons why it may have happened. In the above field shot taken near Dresden Ontario the soybeans on the left were No-tilled while the soybeans to the right were conventionally tilled.As you can see the conventionally tilled soybeans are greener.The reason for this is the greater soil warmth in the conventionally tilled ground.It allowed soil bacteria to nodulate the roots sooner as well as allow faster nitrification of soil organic matter .Soil temperature differences between No-til and conventional tilled fields this past spring ran in the 3-4 degree F range.
No til soybean fields planted into corn stubble remained much cooler than usual in the spring of 2009.First the amount of corn residues remaining from the 2008 bumper corn crop was much greater than normal and secondly the well below normal temperatures for May , June and July lead to much slower growing cooler seedbeds.Yellow soybeans were the end result.Slower nodule formation as well as slower nitrication of soil organic matter kept beans yellow for an extended period of time.

Very early yellowing of many first time soybean fields occurred because soil temperatures were too cool to allow proper nodulation of the roots.Research has confirmed that soil or seed applied rhizobium will not be effective at forming N fixing nodules on soybean roots until soil temperatures reach 21-23 Celsius.In fact little to no nodulation will occur at soil temperatures below 19 Celsius. The shot taken above was of a first time soybean field planted on a tobacco sand south of Courtland Ontario.The grower involved had done a thorough job of inoculating his beans prior to planting but root digs confirmed that very few nodules had formed.To remedy the problem the grower was advised to apply 50 pounds of actual N per acre as NH4NO3.(soybean leaves need to be dry when doing this so as to not cause sticking and burning of the leaves )
Much of the yellowing noted in other fields,like the one shown above here near Ingersoll Ontario, can be traced back to differences in top soil structure and subsoil textures.These differences were more pronounced in 2009 because of our much cooler and wetter May, June and July weather.The field above expressed symtolmology of potash deficiency in areas of the field where water had laid and plant stands had been severely thinned.Early plant stand reductions is indicative of a cooler and wetter seedbed giving rise to early damping off organisms like pithium,fusarium and rhizoctonia.Upon doing root digs the reddish brown lesions of rhizoctonia were very evident as well as poor root nodulation.In instances like this additional potash applications are recommended if soil tests depict low readings. Continued use of seed treatments including Cruiser is also recommended to help stand establishment.It is hoped that a warmer,drier spring will give a much more favourable result in another cropping season.
The plant on the left of this photo was dug from an area of shorter growing yellow soybeans.As you can see there are very few nodules.The plant on the right was dug from an area of healthy growing green plants.As you can see there is a significant amount of root nodulation on this plant.My observations lead me to believe that when soybean plants are not able to fix sufficient N for normal plant growth they appear to be more predisposed to expressing other soil nutrient deficiencies, particularly potash.

Overcast cool growing conditions gave way to above average rainfall for many localities. This often compacted the soil leading to standing water.Nothing is more compactive or detrimental to soil health than excess soil water.
When evaluating yellow areas of fields one can gain a much greater appreciation of the soil tilth and health by using a soil pentrometer.A soil pentrometer measures soil resistance to root growth. Areas of fields that expressed more yellowing this past summer often registered much higher soil pentrometer readings indicating a much more consolidated top soil layer.Tighter soils do not drain as well making for cooler slower growing roots. Restricted roots are much less efficient at searching through the soil profile to pick up valuable soil nutrients and producing good nodulation.Less than healthy actively growing roots can give way to disease infection.Another good way to get a handle on soil health is to dig a 15 inch deep hole with a shovel and then insert a soil thermometer in the side walls at different depths to get an indication of soil temperatures.Wetter pastier soils will be cooler.( Photo coutesy of Pioneer Hi-Bred International Agronomic Image Library )
The above photo provides a clear illustration of a tighter compacted soil.Rather than roots running vertically downward through the soil profile these roots are running laterally to the soil indicating that there is something obstructing their downward movement.Soil compaction is still growers number #1 yield robber.We need to be conscious of avoiding fall or spring tillage on less than completely fit ground and we need to be installing tile drains where water problems persist.
When roots are restricted from properly growing down through the soil profile it often paves the way for root rot organisms to invade them.In this case these roots are expressing a significant infection of Rhizoctonia root rot. The red brown lesions formed on the root surface can lead to other soil pathogens infecting the root as well.Improving soil drainage and using proper crop rotations will help reduce rhizoctonia root rot infections.
Manganese deficiency can cause a significant yellowing of the soybean canopy.Fortunately it can be easily remedied with foliar spray applications of MnSO4.Usually one spray application is sufficient to green beans back up but in the odd instance it may take up to 2 spray applications 10-14 days apart.
A more detailed shot showing the interveinal yellowing that Mn deficient soybeans will express.
A close up shot showing the early symptomology of Manganese deficiency.Note the prominent interveinal yellowing.
Manganese deficiency will often show up in soybeans under drought prone environments.In the shot above you can see how more Manganese was made available from the soil tightness created by the Tarragator wheel tracks from spring.
Parts of this field near Strathroy Ontario are expressing Sudden Death Syndrome ( SDS).One needs to be very conscious to assess the roots of such a field as often soybean cyst nematode infection can act as a precursor to SDS infection. The wounds created by cysts will often serve as portal of entry site for fusarium solani infection that can lead to SDS development.
This is a close up shot of what Sudden Death Syndrome ( SDS ) appears like.Note the start of the interveinal chlorosis of leaf tissue between the midveins.
A more progressed shot of Sudden Death Syndrome .
When Sudden Death Syndrome ( SDS )strikes hard you may be able to obseve differences in varietal tolerance much like the field shown above here growing near Chatham, Ontario.When this happens you may have to evaluate the SDS scores of the varieties you'd prefer to grow.
The only true way to diagnose SDS is to cut open both healthy and non healthy plants and examine the non healthy plants for any brown discoluration in the plants xylem and phloem system in the outer rind or the presence of an oily silvery grey apperance to the lower stem and root crown much like that shown in the above photo.

Though soybean cyst nematodes will generally make a field appear yellow and variable in plant height it doesn't always have to express itself in this manner.Sometimes you can find cysts on the roots of a reasonably uniform crop much like the one grown here near Tilbury,Ontario. The only true way to get a handle on cyst pressure is to take a soil sample and have it analyzed for cyst pressure.If cysts are hanging around they will generally make a crop mature earlier and yield less.This is because cysts will reduce nodule formation.Cysts actually make soybean roots a less conducive symbiotic host for N fixing bacteria that form the roots nodules.With reduced root nodules less N is fixed and a less healthy plant will mature sooner.
The only unique sign of Soybean Cyst Nematode ( SCN ) is the presence of cysts on the roots like those shown in the above photograph.This is why a close examination of the roots is crucial in identifying cyst damage.When in doubt a soil sample should be sent to a soils lab for cyst screening.( Photo courtesy of South Dakota State University )
Cysts are extremely small in size and have a tan yellow to creamy white colour depending on their age.As you can see in the above photo they are extremely small in comparison to soybean nodules.It often takes a good pair of keen eyes to spot them on the soybean plants fine root hairs. ( Photo courtesy of McGawley )
This is a microsopic shot showing how cyst juveniles can penetrate the root hairs of a soybean plant.The key difference between a cyst resistant variety and a non cyst line is that once the cysts penetrate the root they are unable to set up their feeding sites and reproduce.Rotation with non host crops and cyst resistant lines is the key to keeping SCN populations low and yields high.( Photo courtesy of J.D.Eisenback )

2009-09-06T03:20:00.000-07:00

Many growers across Southwestern Ontario were busy this past week harvesting their third cut of alflafa before the Critical Fall Harvest Period.The above and below photos were taken northwest of Woodstock.Pioneer has a full compliment of Alfalfa varieties to meet the needs of different producers.Pioneer brand 54V46 is a fast growing alfalfa meant to be intensively managed.With its fast regrowth characteristics 54V46 can deliver dairy producers a good 3-4 cuts per year depending on how its managed.All Pioneer alfalfa varieties offer excellent disease resistance to bacterial wilt,phytopthora root rot,fusarium wilt,anthracnose and verticillium wilt.Perhaps what sets Pioneer alflafas apart more than than anything else is the stand persistency and superior forage yields they deliver in the 3rd and 4th year of the life of their stands.
Pioneer brand 54V48 is a new intensively managed variety that offers improved yield performance and excellent winter hardiness.When harvsted on a 4-5 week cutting schedule it can meet the rigorous demands of the intensive managing dairy producer looking for either 3 or 4 cuts per year.
Pioneer brand 53Q30 is a solid dependable performing variety for growers who may not have the preference for an intensive managed 4 cut system but want a good high yielding variety for alfalfa silage or baled hay in a 2 or possibly 3 cut program.The slower growing maturation characteristics of 53Q30 gives growers the opportunity to have a slightly longer harvest window for achieving higher Relative Feed Values (RFV) when baling hay or putting up silage.The earlier fall dormancy characteristics of Pioneer brand 53Q30 helps give it a solid winterhardiness score.
Pioneer brand 53H92 is a leaf hopper resistant variety.For producers wanting protection from leafhopper on a portion of their acres 53H92 is an excellent choice.
In years when leafhopper pressure is a concern 53H92 will deliver superior yields of excellent quality forage.

2009-08-30T18:14:00.000-07:00

For the most part the Southern Ontario soybean crop is at the R5 - R6 stage of crop development.The R5 stage of growth is reached when seed in the plants top pods reaches 1/3 of a cm.in length.The R6 stage of development is reached when seeds fill the cavity within the plants top pods.The plant in the photo above and below could be considered to be the R6 stage of crop development.
Seed is filling the cavity of the pod in the above shot.This is considered the R6 stage of crop development.
In the above photo seed has not yet filled the cavity of the pods but is more than .3 cm in length.This could be considered a plant mid way between the R5 and R6 stage of reproductive growth.
These plants still have small pods at the top no more than 3/4 of an inch in length.These could be considered to be in the R4-R5 stage of crop development.
This plant too is in the R4-R5 stage of crop growth.Yields can be significantly impacted by stresses in this period.August is the crucial month for soybean pod fill and for the most part we have had very favourable weather during the pod fill period.Though we started with slow growth from May through to late June we have not experienced any severe drought stress to really hurt soybean pod fill.If anything the 2 biggest diseases we have experienced is white mould and SDS ( Sudden Death Syndrome )Soybean Yields for most growers should be respectable.

2009-08-30T15:57:00.000-07:00

The number one factor hurting the performance of this years corn crop is uneven emergence.Soils were
slow to dry in the spring of 2009.The cool moist weather of late April and early May lead many fields to remain pasty at the 2 inch depth.This made it extremely difficult to avoid planters from creating sidewall compaction in the slower drying areas of fields.As the planters double disc openers moved through the soil they often created a pressure point against less than totally fit soil leaving the sidewalls of the seedtrench to compress.As these areas of the field eventually dried it created a tighter more condensed rootbed environment for the young seedlings roots to penetrate.This in turn created a delay in plant growth in these areas leading to smaller rooted, smaller stalked plants to develop.The end result is what you see in the photo above and below.Smaller ears that in some instances are not nearly as well pollinated as we'd like them to be.
Note the smaller stalks of these plants.Smaller stalks are a prime indicator of delayed emergence due to either cooler seedbeds slowing plant growth,sidewall compaction in the seed trench causing restricted plant development ,crusted soils or leafing out underground.When a plants development is significantly delayed it can lead to poorer pollination like what you see here due to insufficient pollen being present to fertilze silks when they eventually emerge.
An illustration of small stalk diameter.Consistent uniform stalk diameter is the key to uniform emergence.
Consistent ear sizing with good ear tip fill like that shown here is the end resolve of strong uniform emergence.This can only occur with uniform planting depth, excellent seed to soil contact and dry friable seedbeds with no sidewall smearing and good soil warmth transmission.
Consistent ear sizing like that shown in the above photo was characteristic of nearly every growers corn fields in 2008.Why you ask ? Because last year soils came through the winter in great shape.There were no pounding rains in late April and early May to compress soils and make them hard to dry.And soils were warmer in the spring of 2008 because of it.Also in 2008 no rainfall event of any significance occurred between April 23 and June 9th.This lead to the most consistent uniform stands of corn that I've seen in a long time.Followed up with sufficient timely rainfall and voila we experienced the biggest highest yielding corn crop in the history of Ontario farming.
Ear sizing will be propionate to stalk diameter development.Take a good look at the stalks of these eared plants in the photo below.
Produce consistent large diameter stalked plants like those shown here and you're on your way to BIG YIELDS !!!If you are finding too much variation in stalk diameter in your fields then you need to start asking yourself these questions?
Did you push your planting date ?(in that was the field really fit for planting - there was more evidence of sidewall smearing in more corn fields in the spring of 2009 than I've personally seen in a decade)
Did you plant deep enough ?( ideal planting depth is between 1 3/4 and 2 1/4 inches
Are you getting too much planter bounce ?( ideal planting speeds are between 5 and 6 mph depending on planter type
Are you leaving your fields level enough ?
Are you clearing sufficient residues ?( with trash whippers) to avoid seed furrow pinching and improve seedbed temperatures
Are your units properly calibrated ?
Are your double disc openers worn too much ? ( they should have at least 2 and 3/4 inches of contact at their front cutting point and they should be at least 14 7/8 inches in diameter
Are your depth gauge wheels properly shimmed in ?
Have you installed Seed Firmers ?
Did you check both your closing wheel alignment and down pressures ?
NOTHING BEATS UNIFORM EMERGENCE FOR HIGH YIELD CORN PRODUCTION !

2009-08-28T03:26:00.000-07:00

If you are planning on growing corn on corn in 2010 you need to be seriously considering growing a rootworm resistant hybrid.If left controlled rootworm larvae can do serious nodal root pruning that can cause significant yield loss as well as reduced harvestability from root lodging.The above photo is a shot of adult Rootworm Beetle feeding on the silk of a corn plant.
The silks on these ears have been pruned by adult beetles.
If silk pruning by beetles occurs before pollen shed it can lead to a serious reduction in kernel set like that shown in the above photo.
<These are the larvae that prune roots below ground between June 20 and July 25th.Depending on the year they can wreak a lot of havoc with the roots of corn.
Double click on the above photo and you'll see how much root pruning has been done by larvae and the rootworm larvae pressure at this site was not all that high.

2009-08-27T20:22:00.000-07:00

A big part of the lure to Glyphosate Resistant soybean production has been the ability to consistently grow clean weed feee soybeans.
When you travel through the countryside it is quite easy to pick out the Glyphosate resistant soybean fields.Like the one above they generally look impeccably clean.
NO HOES NEEDED HERE !
Unfortunately the same cannot be said for conventional IP soybean production.The lure of a premium may be nice but it certainly requires a demanding herbicide regime to keep weeds down.
In many cases it takes two sometimes three spray applications to try and keep weeds in check in a conventional IP program.Even then fields at times may not be satisfactorily clean.
Some growers will be required to apply a preharvest burndown of glyphosate in order to properly harvest fields and hopefully still salvage a premium.
WEEDS !
WEEDS !
WEEDS!
AND MORE WEEDS !
Preharvest burndowns will definitely be needed to allow harvest of these IP fields.
IP Premiums sound nice but they certainly don't come without their fair share of challenges.An intensively managed weed control program is a definite must for any grower to have a chance at achieving his premiums.The risk - reward efforts of a Conventional IP PROGRAM must be carefully weighed by any producer venturing down this path.

2009-08-27T19:08:00.000-07:00

This shot depicts two of the quintessential elements to high yield corn production.UNIFORM EMERGENCE and UNIFORM SPACING.If you want to grasp a better handle on how uniformly your crop emerged in 2009 go out into your fields and start measuring stalk diameter.Take a close hard look at the uniformity of stalk diameter in the above photo.There is a definitive correlation between stalk diameter and emergence.If you are finding too much difference in stalk diameter in your fields then you need to start asking yourself these questions ?
Did you push your planting date (in that was the field really fit for planting - there was more evidence of sidewall smearing in more corn fields in the spring of 2009 than I've personally seen in a decade),did you plant deep enough ( ideal planting depth is between 1 3/4 and 2 1/4 inches,are you getting too much planter bounce( ideal planting speeds are between 5 and 6 mph depending on planter type,are you leaving your fields level enough ,are you clearing sufficient residues( with trash whippers)to avoid seed furrow pinching and improve seedbed temperatures,are your units properly calibrated,are your double disc openers worn too much ( they should have at least 2 and 3/4 inches of contact at their front cutting point and they should be at least 14 7/8 inches in diameter,are your depth gauge wheels properly shimmed in, have you installed Seed Firmers and did you check both your closing wheel alignment and down pressures.NOTHING BEATS UNIFORM EMERGENCE FOR HIGH YIELD CORN PRODUCTION !

The greater degree of stem diamter uniformity you find in your fields the greater degree of higher yield performance you'll achieve.If you want to score yourself on how uniformly you're getting your crop to emerge I'd suggest purchasing a micrometer for measuring stem diameters.The above photo illustrates how stalk measurements can be taken with a micrometer.( Photo - Courtesy of the Pioneer Agronomic Image Library
DesMoine Iowa )

2009-08-27T17:39:00.000-07:00

The above photo depicts all too well what can happen to corn roots when growth regulator herbicides are applied over the top of corn past the 6 inch stage of growth.In this particular case glyphosate and 2,4-D were applied over the top of corn at the 6 true leaf stage.When corn is this big there is simply too much surface area for absorption of the growth regulator herbicide.With excess herbicide accumulation at active growing points the brace roots have become twisted and contorted as shown.
With the significant amount of brace root fasciation that has occurred the plant has no nodal root structure above ground to support its upright stance.As a consequence the hybrid is leaning on a 45 degree angle to the soil.This will undoubtedly make harvest more of a challenge.
The good news here is that despite the significant amount of root leaning the hybrid pollinated well and should still be able to be harvested with some extra care.The field will be slated for early harvest.
This is a close-up shot of how the brace roots have fused together.Growth regulator type herbicides can do this to roots when applied at a late stage of growth.
This is another shot showing how twisted and fused the above ground nodal root structures have become.The moral of this story is be sure to NEVER APPLY
growth regulator type herbicides to corn over the top after corn is above 6 inches in height.

2009-08-24T21:41:00.000-07:00

This is a shot of how relative maturity, ear sizing,grain type are all setting in on a number of similar maturing 2950-3050 HU hybrids from a test plot near Dresden,Ontario.
Ultimately the real benchmark separating the performance of these products will come in at harvest as test plots across the countryside are weighed.
( the second hybrid shown is a representative cob of DEKALB DKC 50-19 VT3 - all others are Pioneer brand hybrids.The last hybrid shown is a new triple stack hybrid rated at 2950 HU.Its addressed with the new Pioneer nomenclatured numbering system.
The P stands for Pioneer.The first 2 digits stand for the hybrids overall CRM ( Comparative Relative Maturity - Rating )In this case it is a 99 CRM hybrid.The last two digits are random based on breeder designations.The X stands for Xtra meaning Herculex Xtra or Triple Stack and the R designates that this is a Round-up ready hybrid )

2009-08-24T21:29:00.000-07:00

This is now 27 days after pollination for this hybrid.As you can see it has reached the late milk stage
Pioneer brand P0125HR is a new 3050 HU Double Stack hybrid that poses to be a solid new product for 2010.Last year in limited strip trials the hybrid exhibited stellar performance.The excitement builds to see just how well it will perform again this year.Stay tuned as Weigh Wagon data in 2 months time will give us the answer.

2009-08-24T20:31:00.000-07:00

Every year we seem to experience some BLUNT EAR SYNDROME in some locality.This year is no exception. This shot taken near Thamesville,Ontario shows how the ear on the plant appears very sharp pointed.A dead give-away,with some additional ear pinching, that something during pollination went wildly wrong.
Usually associated with Blunt Ear Syndrome is silk balling,giving indication that the hybrid incurred some kind of stress that diminished its ability to push silks out.
There are very few answers to explain exactly what goes wrong in the plant to cause BLUNT EAR SYNDROME to occur.Everything from prolonged cold soils,to cold temperature stresses at the 10-12 leaf stage, to herbicide interaction,to a weak silking hybrid, to some type of soil disease not yet understood have all been blamed for BLUNT EAR SYNDROME but to this day no one really knows why.
Growers can be fortunate that BLUNT EAR SYNDROME only impacts a limited number of acres and a limited number of growers each year.When it does impact a grower though it can be nasty.Yields have been cut in half when Blunt Ear Syndrome becomes severe in a field.
The interesting thing with Blunt Ear Syndrome is that it may show up one year and not impact a grower for several more years to come.There are definitely some hybrid differences,though its difficult to predict when or why a hybrid will react with Blunt Ear Syndrome or sometimes referred to as Beer Canning worse than another hybrid.

2009-08-24T18:36:00.000-07:00

White mould can be one devastating soybean disease.And it all starts as just a small spore thats released from these inverted appearing mushrooms on the soil surface.As the black sclerotinia seed from a previous soybean crop germinate they produce these inverted mushroom like structures at the soil surface.At just the right time these fruiting bodies release large numbers of ascopores into the soybean canopy.If a spore lands on a wet dying petal that remains moist for 2-3 days the infection process is on its way.( Photo - Courtesy of the Pioneer Agronomic Photo Library - DesMoine,Iowa )
Once the thread like infection strand has penetrated within the stalk the growth of white mould mycelia begin their process of shutting down the plants phloem and xylem network ( in other words they block off the plants water and nutrient plumbing devices that feed the upper plants leaves )The end result is a wilting death to the upper leaves.
Once infection has occurred at a flowering node the white cottony mycelial growth will begin both its downward and upward ascent of the plants stem.
It doesn't take long for the mycelial threads to develop black fruiting bodies called sclerotinia.
These seed like structures( sometimes referred to as rat turds by farmers )can be already seen formed in the above photo.( Double click on the shot and you should be able to detect several )
As growth progresses white mould can spread quite profusely throughout the canopy as seen by the amount of stem infection these plants display.
Yield losses from severe white mould ( 50% plant infection can approach 15 - 20 bu / acre )All companies are well aware of what white moulds potentially devastating impact can be. Research is being conducted in several arenas to help overcome it.
In the meantime if a grower is seriously plaqued with WHITE MOULD all he can do is follow these helpful suggestions.1) Do not over fertilize a field either with commercial nutrients or manure.Excess foliage growth and leaning soybeans can lead to more white mould development because of more humid and darker shaded canopies 2)Select above average white mould tolerant narrow line soybean varieties with exceptional standability to avoid early season lodging 3)If posssible grow strong yielding but earlier maturity soybean lines for your geography.Earlier maturing varieties will not grow as big and lush by the time they flower and so they can often avoid white mould infection because of greater air movement and sunlight penetration into the lower canopy.4)If possible consider widening your row spacing and reducing your seeding rate.Soybeans should always be seeded according to their seed size.If you are planting a small seeded variety you may be dropping too high a plant population.Consider moving to a 20 inch or wider row spacing and dropping only 150,000 seeds per acre.6)You might consider using atrazine in your corn crop prior to rotating to soybeans.There is some evidence to indicate that the L-isomer of atrazine controls a percentage of the germinating sclerotinia and 7)You might want to consider cultivating wide row soybeans.There is evidence to show that when cultivation is done when sclerotinia are germinating a percentage can be controlled through soil disturbance.
Bottom line is that we will inevitably see some white mould show up in soybeans when we experience lush moist growthy years.
When its all said and done I don't mind seeing some white mould in a soybean canopy.When you see white mould its making a statement that growth has been strong and lush and that yields are likely going to be favourable due to better pod set and larger seed sizing.It reminds me of the grower who once called me to come look at his mouldy soybean crop.After examining the field for an hour or so I left him telling him that I'd have to get back to him to see how they were going to yield.His reply was that a he couldn't afford to grow a soybean that moulded like the one he had planted.I just said that we'd have to wait and see.A call came back to me about a month later.It was the same farmer.He said he'd called because he wanted me to know just how the field had turned out.I replied with, " well,whats the verdict " His comeback was that as much as he'd once stated that he couldn't afford to grow the variety, he now indicated that with what it had yielded he couldn't afford not to grow it.The moral of the story is that we probably shouldn't be too quick to judge how things will turn out when it comes to white mould.They sometimes aren't near as bad as we think.

2009-08-24T18:18:00.000-07:00

Proper product positioning is ever so critical to a growers success.The moral to the above story is that if you have moderate cyst pressure levels ( 1500 - 2000 eggs/100gms of soil) don't be deceiving yourself into thinking that you can get by without a cyst resistant variety.And if you have ever experienced any kind of Sudden Death Syndrome concerns in the past the cyst resistant variety you grow needs to have a respectable SDS score as well.In the above photo the variety on the right has both cyst resistance and an above average score for SDS while the variety on the left is susceptible to cysts.The yield loss could be half.

2009-08-24T17:06:00.000-07:00

Purple seed stain of soybeans is the end result when plants become infected with Cercospora Kikuchii during pod fill.( Photo coutesy of the Pioneer Agronomic Photo Library - DesMoine Iowa )
This leaf is infected with Cercopsora Kikuchii.The disease is favoured by warm moist weather during pod fill.More of it is being seen this year due to the type of year we're experiencing.
Manganese deficiency has shown up some this year but not nearly as bad as years when it has been droughtier.Foliar applications of MnSO4 work much better than soil applied.Often 2 applications are required.This is one foliar micronutrient spray that can work quite well.
When you start see plant symptomology from Sudden Death Syndrome show up this bad its time to start asking your seed supplier for his best SDS variety that fits your maturity and has all the other important agronomic seed traits you desire.
Though some years powdery mildew can be fairly aggressive it is mainly a cosmetic disease.Seldom are yields hurt by it.One of the more popular varieties yet more susceptible varieties back in the early 80's was Corsoy 79's.
Downey mildew has been showing up more prolifically in fields during the last week to 10 days.Very seldom is it considered a yield robbing threat.Its just good to know what it looks like when you see it.

2009-08-21T18:50:00.000-07:00

Sudden Death Syndrome ( SDS ) can only be differentiated from Brown Stem Rot ( BSR ) by cutting open the lower stem and root crown to see if there is any grey brown oily appearance visible in the lower stem and root like that shown in the left plant stem in the above photo.The right plant stem is of a normal healthy plant.BSR ( Brown Stem Rot will not express this symptomology but instead display a brown discolouration in the pith tissue - see photo below ) PHOTO COURTESY OF SUZIE DEVOLDER - Chatham Diagnostic Lab
Brown Stem Rot ( BSR ) differs from SDS in that when plants are sliced open the pith tissue appears brown as shown above.( double click on the photo for a better view )PHOTO COURTESY OF SUZIE DEVOLDER - Chatham Diagnostic Lab
This is another shot showing how BSR infects the plants pith tissue turning it brown.The top plant stem shows the BSR infection while the bottom plant stem is healthy.If you take note of the leaf symptomology for both BSR and SDS in the above photos you'll see that these two diseases cannot be differentiated by leaf tissue death alone as they both appear relatively the same.The only true way to truly differentiate them is to cut stems open and take note of how the infection is expressing itself.Both diseases usually start to show evidence of upper leaf tissue death sometime in early August as pod fill progresses.Through the use of molecular markers Pioneer has been able to breed several highly resistant lines to both SDS and BSR.If either of these diseases is a concern of yours talk to your Pioneer sales about varieties that could help resolve your problem.( double click on the above photo for a better view )PHOTO COURTESY OF PIONEER IMAGE LIBRARY - DESMOINE IOWA

2009-08-21T17:21:00.000-07:00

These shots of Sudden Death Syndrome ( SDS ) were taken near Florence, Ontario.Double click on the above and below photos and you'll get a more clear impression of just how much infection has occurred in this particular field.Notice how the leaves on infected plants are wilting and curling.
SDS is more pronounced this year because of the prolonged cool wet spring we experienced.Infection through the roots does not always coincide with cyst infection but it often does.The field above has a history of relatively high cyst pressure.Though the variety grown was cyst resistant that alone will not stop juvenile cysts from penetrating their needlepoint proboscus through the root membranes.These wound sites can serve as portal of entry sites for fusarium solani fungi to penetrate and block off the phloem and xylem network causing the plants upper leaves to starve from the lack of water and assimilates.
Notice how interveinal chlorosis of the upper leaves occurs as fusarium solani fungi infect the roots and block off the plants phloem and xylem.
This shot shows the initial appearance of leaves as SDS gains a foothold in the roots.
This shot shows more clearly how leaf tissue between the veins dies completely as SDS infection increases in the lower stem and roots.
A well trained agronomist can ID Sudden Death Syndrome in the field but for the average individual you are probably best to submit plant samples to a lab for conclusive analysis.SDS by just leaf apperance cannot be distinguished from BSR ( Brown Stem Rot )The key to diagnosing SDS is the grey brown oily appearance that the lower stem and root crown display when they are cut open.You'll note the grey brown oily appearance in the photo above.( PHOTO IS COMPLIMENTS of SUZIE DEVOLDER - Chatham Diagnostics Lab )
This shot shows clearly how an infected SDS plants lower stem and root crown appear alongside a healthy plants lower stem and root crown.( Top stem is infected while the bottom stem is from a healthy plant )The key then to determining if SDS is the culprit is to slice open the lower stem and root crown and look for a grey brown oily appearance. ( PHOTO IS AGAIN COMPLIMENTS OF SUZIE DEVOLDER - Chatham Diagnostics Lab )

2009-08-19T19:08:00.000-07:00

Pioneer Herculex BT differentiates itself from the rest of the industry by being the only BT that controls Western Bean Cutworm.The shot above is of a YG BT hybrid while the shot below is a Pioneer Herculex Bt hybrid.( Photos are compliments of the Pioneer agronomy photo library - DesMoine Iowa )We have not experienced any ear damage from Western Bean Cutworm in Ontario as of this point in time.We did catch over 300 Western Bean Cutworm moths this spring in a series of 55 traps placed mostly in the bottom 8 counties of Southwestern Ontario.It is only a matter of time before someone does report ear damage from this ravaging insect pest.

Pioneer Herculex BT differentiates itself from the rest of the BT's in the industry by controlling more corn rootworm larvae than other BT's.Rootworm Beetle traps like the one shown above here trap fewer adult rootworm beetles from the roots of Herculex BT hybrids than they do from the roots of YieldGard BT when grown in continuous corn rotations.

Pioneer Herculex BT differentiates itself from the rest of the industrys' current BT's by controlling Black Cutworm in the spring.The shot above shows how 6 rows of Pioneer HX1 BT are not affected by Black Cutworm while the rest of the field planted to another BT event is damaged badly by Black cutworm.Its because of this superior above and below ground insect protection that Pioneer calls Herculex the BETTER BT.Try it and you'll see for yourself.( all photos above are compliments of the Pioneer Photo Agronomy Image Library - DesMoine, Iowa )

2009-08-19T07:06:00.000-07:00

This is a close up shot of corn rootworm larvae.Rootworm pressures were not all that heavy this year due to the amount of moisture we received.
Small baby rootworm larvae are
very small.Heavy mortality can occur in a wet year like we've experienced in 2009.
When rootworm larvae pupate they emerge from the soil as adult beetles.In this case as Western Corn Rootworm beetles.The big concern with heavy beetle emergence is the potential for silk clipping which can affect pollination and reduce seed set.Rootworm beetles have clipped all the silks from this plant.If pollen shed occurred before silks were clipped then seed set may not be affected.However if pollen shed occurred after silk clipping then fertilization will be impacted and poor seed set will be the end result.( PHOTO COURTESY OF PHIL BAX )In this case poor seed set has occurred because of beetle silk clipping before pollination.The one good thing about Heculex Xtra (HXX) hybrids is that they offer the industrys best control of rootworm larvae so that very few adult rootworm beetles ever emerge from the soil profile to cause any silk clipping injury.

2009-08-19T03:33:00.000-07:00

These shots taken in the Tilbury,Ontario area on Tuesday Aug 18 show clearly that Aphid populations are building in this area.
Spray applications are warranted when aphid numbers per plant begin exceeding 250 on several examined plants in 5 to 10 locations of a field.If soybeans are under no stress with ample soil moisture one can hold off spraying until 400-450 aphid counts per plant are being reached.Given the week to 10 day later start to flowering this year spray applications may be warranted up until Aug 25th.Expected yield advantages to spraying could still reach between 4-5 bu per acre if aphid numbers are past threshold.
This shot is of an aphid lion the larval stage of a lady bug
The one good thing about this field was that beneficial predators appeared to be both high and growing in number.This is the very reason that field scouting is required.You need a benchmark to determine if aphid numbers are staying constant,on the decline or are on the incline.Beneficial predators can do you an awful lot of good.

2009-08-16T18:58:00.000-07:00

Double click on the above photo and you will clearly see
the reddish brick coloured lesions on these soybean roots.THIS IS RHIZOCTONIA ROOT ROT.Rhizoctonia root rot is a fungal pathogen that will infect soybean roots after an extended period of cool moist weather.One will generally find the greatest expression of Rhizoctonia root rot in side hill seep areas as well as areas of fields with poorer internal drainage.Once infected rhizoctonia will begin deteriorating the roots surface tissue causing them to appear scarred and tattered and they will take on a reddish brick coloured appearance.Rhizoctonia root rot can kill plants.Generally they will die in one, two,or three foot sections of row beans or it can express itself in fairly large slower growing areas of solid seeded soybeans.Rhizoctonia root rot is not believed to be a big yield robber.As such Plant breeders are not breeding for specific resistance to this disease.The best means for controlling Rhizoctonia is to avoid soil compaction,improve internal drainage and extend your crop rotations so that soybeans are never grown on a field anymore than 1in 4 years.This will help avoid any kind of soybean disease build-up not only for rhizoctonia but all other soybean diseases as well.You will note in the above photo how these soybean plants express a hook in their roots.This is a sure sign that these plants experienced soil compaction within three to four inches of the soil surface.With no soil obstruction soybean roots should grow straight downward.

2009-08-16T12:17:00.000-07:00

The above photo shows how severe soybean cyst nematode pressures can affect a non-cyst resistant soybean variety.Growers should be testing their fields long before reaching this stage of Soybean cyst nematode injury.Soybean cyst nematode infection doesn't have to look anywhere close to what these shots show before significant yield losses can occur.Rotation and the selection of a good cyst nematode resistant variety can prevent such a problem from ever occurring.
Undetected Soybean cyst nematode injury is still rated as the #1 yield robber in soybean production across North America today.Its estimated that growers lose roughly $1 Billion dollars from this devastating disease annually.Once cyst levels reach 1500 + eggs per 100 grams of soil fields can start to show a rolling
affect like that in the shot above.There has been much historical evidence to show that fields can appear to look perfectly healthy and yet still have cyst infection in their roots.THATS WHY SOYBEAN CYST NEMATODE IS OFTEN REFERRED TO AS THE SILENT YIELD ROBBER.
Soybean leaves will start showing a definitive yellowing to their perimeter leaf edges as nodule formation in the roots is severely curtailed and nitrogen production limited.The end result is leaf yellowing much like that of corn firing from N shortage.Not all of this yellowing may be the direct result of less nodule formation and less N-fixation by fewer functioning nodules.Some of it may be the direct result of poorer root development and less potash uptake from the soil profile.Other detrimental soil pathogens that can infect soybean roots as a result of soybean cyst infection are Brown Stem Rot and Sudden Death Syndrome.
The field above shows a more moderate infection of SCN ( soybean cyst nematode )Yield losses with this kind of visual expression can still run 8-10 + bu per acre.
These shots again show how yellowing can occur along the plants leaf margins when cyst pressures are high and a non cyst tolerant soybean variety is grown.The good news for growers is that their fields don't ever have to look like this.They can be managed.Between good crop rotations and the selection of high yielding cyst nematode resistant varieties growers can produce high yielding soybean crops that have very little to no yield loss from cyst nematodes.
If you have any suspicions about any of your fields or you want to learn more talk to your Pioneer sales rep today.Pioneer has a number of excellent performing cyst nematode resistant varieties on the market today.Soybean Cyst Mematodes have been detected in most Southwestern Ontario Counties.Anything that can cause soil movement from one farm to another can cause cyst movement.ie wind erosion,soil movement on birds feet,human transfer through soil on boots,soil movement through machinery via auction purchase,custom work etc.

2009-08-16T10:59:00.000-07:00

Spider Mites are not considered to be a serious threat to modern day soybean production but when they do appear they can cause their fair share of yield reduction. So when you see them be prepared to control them.They will always start at the field edge like the above photo shows and then work their way on into the field.You will recognize them by how they stunt and lighten up the crops colour.Notice how the soybeans are a lighter green in the foreground of the field shot below.Don't be surprised if you feel itchy after walking through a soybean field infected with spider mites.They will cause you to feel that way.Spider mites can infest corn as well but it is far more rare than soybeans and it will generally only happen under the severest of droughty conditions.
You can detect their presence by taking a severely stippled soybean leaflet like the one below and firmly shaking it against a blank white sheet of paper.Spider mites will be just barely visible to the naked eye.They are .5-1.00 mm in length rounded, eight legged and yellowish brown with two dark spots on the sides of their abdomen.
When you tap a leaf like the one shown here against a white sheet of paper don't be surprised if you see hundreds of small microscopic round bodies moving on the paper.These will be spider mites.Though they are small they can cause a great deal of damage.In fact when left uncontrolled in a hot dry year they can kill an entire field of soybeans.
Notice the reddish bronzing on the underside of this leaf.Careful inspection with a magnifying lens will show that there is a lot of cobwebbing already present and a high pressure of spider mites evident.Here's a magnified lens shot of what a spider mite looks like.
Once the wheat crop matures or wheat harvest is completed spider mites will begin their move into green lush soybean fields like that shown above.Two Spotted Spider mites will generally only infest soybean fields when grassy borders or adjacent fieldcrops have dried up from heat and drought stress.They move in from the field edge much like that shown in the photo below.Their early dectection is key to curbing their activity.A field perimeter spray application of Cygon,laygon or Matador can stop their further movement.
Spider mites feed on the underside of the soybean leaf.Their feeding will cause leaves to first start showing a stippling appearance and then eventually curl and bronze.

2009-08-12T18:45:00.000-07:00

Maturity wise, corn goes through the 5 stages of 12 once it has pollinated. EXAMPLE - 12 Days from Pollination corn will be Blistered
- 24 Days from Pollination corn will be milky
- 36 Days from Pollination corn will be Doughy
- 48 Days from pollination corn will be fully dented and
- 60 days from pollination corn will be physiologically mature and have all of its yield.Kernel moistures will run 32-33%. The above photo shows the kernel development that has been made by Pioneer brand P0125HR in 15 days since silking.With good moisture and daytime temperatures corn is making nice maturity progress.This cob has 16 rows around and is in the milky stage of kernel development.( double click for a close-up )The shot of the cob of P0125HR to the right was taken on Wed Aug 12th.This is exactly 15 days since it silked.The cob has pollinated well and there are conservatively 36 kernels per row that are developing.It is in the milky stage of kernel development.
This shot shows the developing
cob right at pollination on July 28th.

2009-08-12T13:52:00.000-07:00

New transgenic Rootworm resistant hybrids have given farmers the opportunity to grow continuous corn without the use of insecticides.The above photo illustrates how Pioneer brand 35F44 has little to no rootworm scarring while its non rootworm resistant,Glyphosate tolerant isoline,Pioneer brand 35F37 shows fairly significant rootworm feeding.Both bybrids were grown in a continuous corn rotation.They are being evaluated in several rootworm resistant feeding trials this summer in continuous corn ground across Southwestern Ontario.One must keep in mind that the only value that Rootworm resistant hybrids provide growers is the protection they can give against any possible rootworm feeding.Outside of that Rootworm resistant hybrids behave no differently from any other hybrid.So the key to using New Rootworm resistant hybrids is using them where there can give an economic payback and that is in a continuous corn situation.
Double click on the above photo and you will get a closer look of how the roots of Pioneer brand 35F44 ,in the foreground ,compare to its conventional RR isoline Pioneer brand 35F37 in the background.

This is a shot of one of the roots of Pioneer brand 35F37.As you can see there is quite a bit of root pruning that has taken place here.( Double click on the photo for a better close up - be sure to scan around )This particular root has nearly a full node of roots missing.The degree of yield loss that this could cost a farmer would be highly dependant on the years weather.A relatively stress free year with adequate moisture might only mean a loss of a couple of bushels per acre.However a highly stressful year with limited rainfall could end up costing a grower a loss of 20 bu/acre.
Pioneer PAT intern Blair Freeman is seen here evaluating a root from one of Pioneers' root dig locations.

Soil is being washed from the roots here so plants can be more accurately assessed and scored for any rootworm injury that may have incurred due to rootworm feeding.Rootworm larvae will feed on corn roots from June 10th-15th through to silking.By that time rootworm larvae will have grown full size and pupated into adult rootworm beetles that emerge from the soil and start clipping silks.Southwestern Ontario farmers will experience feeding damage from both the Green Northern and striped Western Rootworm Beetles.
The roots in each pail represent randomly dug plants from different hybrid rootworm treatment comparisons.Randomly dug plants from each hybrid treatment are tagged and placed in separate pails to allow proper evaluation and scoring.Pioneer is conducting numerous on farm rootworm comparison studies this summer with different hybrid traits and technologies.Your Pioneer sales rep can fill you in on the full details.

2009-08-11T17:36:00.000-07:00

Bacterial blight is becoming evident in growthy soybean fields in Southwestern Ontario.This shot was taken near Waterford.
In general bacterial blight is not considered to cause much yield reduction.Most varieties are susceptible to it.
Brown stem rot is another foliar disease becoming more and more evident in soybean fields.Brown stem rot infects through the roots by growth stage V3 and then colonizes in the stem causing interveinal leaf senescence as shown in the photo.Severity of infection is often correlated to soybean cropping history,soybean cyst nematode infection,optimal soil moisture conditions in the early pod fill stages and soil pH's below 6.5.Considerable research has been conducted on BSR and there are many good highly resistant soybean varieties available today.Given that soybean cyst nematode infection is often the precursor to brown stem rot infection
growers are best advised to sample their fields for cysts and begin growing Cyst nematode resistant varieties if they in fact have cyst pressure.
The above photo shows the early stages of white mould infection.Double click on the photo and you'll see the white cottony growth on the stem at each flower node.Development of white mould takes place when sclerotinia ascopores float up from the soil surface and land on the wet flower petals and then germinate and grow through the flower petals into the stem of the soybean plant.This eventually leads to a blockage of the phloem and xylem network causing nutrient flow to be cut off to the upper plant and ultimately leading to wilt and death.Areas with growthy soybeans that have received significant rainfall over the last two-three weeks are now starting to see the signs of white mould expression.Growers who experience serious white mould are best advised to reduce their plant populations, move to wider row production for better air circulation and sunlight penetration and grow the best white mould tolerant varieties available that provide the maturity and agronomic characteristics they require.

2009-08-11T03:45:00.000-07:00

<The vast majority of Southwestern Ontarios' winter wheat crop has been harvested now.Yields for the most part were very acceptable.The exception being fields planted after Oct 14th.Prolonged wet weather lead much of the soft white winter wheat crop to sprout and go feed grade.In certain localties sprouting and grade discounts even occurred in soft red winter wheat varieties.Pioneer Brand 25R56 is a new awnless soft red winter wheat that performed very well.It offers a slight yield improvement over Pioneer brand 25R47.In 25 weigh wagon comparisons to date Pioneer brand 25R56 holds a 6.2 bu/acre yield advantage against competitive varieties.Pioneer brand 25R56 has similar height,winterhardiness and leaf blight resistance as Pioneer brand 25R47.Its fast drydown will make it slightly earlier to harvest.
Pioneer brand 25R39 is the newest addition to the Pioneer soft red winter wheat line-up.This is a new awnless variety that grows a bit taller than Pioneer brand 25R56 and offers exceptional yield performance.In weigh wagon comparisons to date it holds a 6.8 bu per acre yield advantage versus competitive varieties.
Pioneer brand 25R51 makes the perfect companion for all other Pioneer soft red winter wheat varieties.It offers impeccable fusarium headblight resistance which offers growers the opportunity to market grade 2 wheat year in and year out.
Pioneer brand 25R47 has been the leading soft red winter wheat variety grown in Southwestern Ontario for several years now and it still holds a solid yield advanatage versus competitive varieties.

2009-08-01T13:40:00.000-07:00

Though its been one of the latest starts in 35 years for the wheat harvest in Southwestern Ontario growers are generally reporting very favourable yields.Double click on the photo and check out that red clover catch.
This is a certified seedfield of Pioneer brand 25R47 being harvested just northwest of Dresden,Ontario.
The seed size of this particular field was large and seed quality excellent.
Though the yield for this seedfield has not yet been exactly determined its expected based on V-Box loads that it will run well in excess of 100+ bu /acre.

2009-08-01T06:14:00.000-07:00

The above photos show a catch of 17 Western Bean Cutworm moths caught in one of our Western Bean Cutworm traps located on Hwy 59 just north of Springford.Western bean cutworm is new to Ontario.Growers should be aware of its presence as the larvae of Western Bean Cutworm can do ravaging damage to the ear.The good news for growers is that if they have planted Herculex1 Bt corn they will be safe from most of the ravaging damage that this corn pest can cause.Herculex 1 Bt will control 85-90% of larval egg hatch.

2009-08-01T05:21:00.000-07:00

The above photo is a shot of northern corn leaf rust.Leaf rust is a fungal pathogen and the cool moist year we are encountering is conducive to leaf rust development.Leaf rust should be monitored because if it continues to develop we could lose valuable photosynthetic leaf tissue reducing carbohydrate production which could lead to cannabilization of the stalk reserves to complete grain fill.This could lead to the ugly rearing of saprophytic anthracnose stalk rot and deterioration of stalk qualities and subsequent standability issues.Much of this depends on just how cool and wet the month of August and September will be.
The above photo is a shot of Corn Eye Spot.This is another fungal leaf disease that can deteriorate valuable photosynthetic tissue.Again if eye spot continues to develop with wet cool weather the halo of rings shown here will grow menacingly larger and coalesce to cause the leaf to show large areas of dead tissue.
The possible development of this all hinges on how moist and cool the weather of August and September remains.Eyepot again can lessen the plants ability to produce sufficient carbohydrate for grain fill leading the plant to want to cannabilize its stalks for maximizing grain yield.The plants focus is on producing fully developed kernels and it will try to do so at all cost.

2009-07-30T21:26:00.000-07:00

Soils conditions this spring were not conducive to ideal corn plantings.With pasty subsoils that refused to dry out it lead to many a grower squeezing his ground and creating sidewall compaction with double disk openers.As usual as the compacted ground dried it lead to a restrictive layer that developing nodal roots could not penetrate.The end resolve is what you see in the development of the plants roots on the left in the photograph above.Tomahawk roots restrict the plants ability to search as much soil volume leading to less moisture and nutrient uptake which leads to less yield.

2009-07-30T19:37:00.000-07:00

Soybean growth in no-tilled corn fields like this one planted northeast of Glencoe are much shorter than normal for this time of year - Wed July 29.The shots of the two plants below were both taken from this same field.The first plant below has not begun flowering while the plant below that has one flower showing.( Double click on these two photos for a more detailed close-up )There are thousands of acres in this same phase of maturity ( R1 - R2 ) across Southwestern Ontario.Cool night temperatures have delayed flowering by a good week to 10 days this year.Though this has some growers concerned there is really no need to be overly alarmed.Shortening daylengths will trigger flowering and it will occur at a profuse rate.Though the crop in the end may not be as tall as normal there is still a good 15-18inches of growth that can be made in the month of August.Soybeans will generally continue to develop plant height until the week of Aug 20th.The one good thing about shorter soybeans is that there should be very few concerns regarding white mould.Keep in mind that a great deal of the soybean plants yield is yet to be determined.There is still hope for a respectable yielding crop.A week to 10 day delay in flowering should only translate into a maturity delay of 3 possibly 4 days.
No flowers were yet evident on this soybean plant photographed on Wed July 29th.
Only 2 flowers could be found evident on this plant from the same field.Despite flowering being delayed by about a week to 10 days shortened daylengths in the early part of August will trigger profuse flowering and rapid pod fill development will follow suit.From a pure physiological perspective maturity of the crop is really only behind by a few days.I can assure you that soybean harvest will not be overly delayed and opportunities to plant a wheat crop in late September to early October will still occur.

2009-07-29T20:55:00.000-07:00

Every hail event is different and has to be assessed one event at a time on its own uniqueness.This particular hail event occurred at the 11th true leaf stage of the crop.Though this event did slice the leaves some and do some minimal bruising to the stalk the overall yield reduction it will cause will be minimal.Based on the Crop Insurance Societies of America hail simulation tables it would suggest expected yield losses in the 1-2% range.The above photo depicts how the new leaves V12-V19 have developed just fine since the event occurred.
The above shot shows how the lower leaves(Leaves 5- 12)
have been shredded though very little defoliation of leaf tissue has occurred.Hail injury can cause wounds that will lead to common smut infections.When lower stalks are severely bruised it can lead to increased stalk breakage near harvest.

We know a great deal about how corn will react and perform when impacted by hail at different stages of growth based on simulated research work commissioned by the Crop Insurance Agencies of America.

2009-07-29T20:20:00.000-07:00

The above soybean shots serve to illustrate just how bad slug damage has been this year in Southwestern Ontario.Slug damage has been far more pronounced because of the cooler wetter growing conditions that we've experienced.A number of replanted fields have been markedly damaged a second time.Growers are frustrated that there is no seed treatment or other economical chemical application that can help them overcome this aggravating pest.If you double click on the middle photo above you will see two pesky slugs chomping away.

2009-07-29T20:05:00.000-07:00

The two shots to the left were taken of the same corn plant 2 days apart.As you can see silks can grow at the rate of nearly 3/4 inch per day under good growing conditions.

2009-07-29T18:35:00.000-07:00

The above field of soybeans was planted this spring without inoculant.It has never been planted to soybeans before.As you can see without Rhizobium inoculant to help nodulate the roots the crop is yellow from a lack of Nitrogen production.Once the crop reaches the R3 stage it is best to apply 50 lbs of supplemental N prior to a rainfall event.This can add a nice yield boost.
The above photo shows the crops roots with no nodules evident.
The above photo shows an adjoining field of soybeans that was also planted this spring without inoculant.This field was planted to soybeans once before in the previous 10 years.It would appear that the inoculum from that one preceding bean crop has been enough to nodulate this crops roots.As you can see the crop looks dark green and appears as if it is producing adequate N.
The shot above shows how well the roots of the above crop have been nodulated.When planting Virgin soybean ground for the first time bombard the soil with high rates of inoculum.It is best to double treat seed with two different sterile inoculants that both contain Race 532C.A nice yield advanatge can be achieved by doing so.Growers farming coarse sandy soils or soils with pH's below 6.0 are best advised to inoculate their soybean crops every year to optimize yields.

2009-07-29T17:33:00.000-07:00

There are many good catches of underseeded red clover as you travel through Southwestern Ontario.The one shown here is underseeded in a heavy stand of Pioneer brand 25R56 soft red winter wheat.Clovers are invaluable at improving soil structure.Good catches can reduce the need for Nitogen application to a following corn crop by up to 70lb per acre.Higher N prices make it agronomic sense to underseed wheat with clover.Best management practices to establish a good stand of clover include 1)incorporation of the soybean residue either by utilizing a coulter cart in front of your No-til drill or a single pass of a high clearance cultivator prior to planting 2)Inoculation of your clover seed 3)underseeding early ( preferably the first week of March 4) use of a minimum of 8lb per acre seeding rate but preferably 10 and 5)purchase of underseeding crop insurance to protect your investment.

2009-07-28T19:59:00.000-07:00

The side photo shows how the Western Bean Cutworm phermone lure hangs from the top of a trap containing windshield washer fluid and a touch of dishwasher soap.
Over 60 Western Bean Cutworm moths have been captured to date in our WBC trapping network throughout Southwestern Ontario.All traps were numbered.The above trap was number 16 located just south of Rodney,Ontario in Elgin County.This insect pest is new to Ontario and should not be taken lightly.It can be a very ravaging insect pest.It's hypothesized that Western Bean Cutworm moths may have migrated eastward across the corn belt in response to the adoption of YieldGard BT corn.Yield Gard BT corn has provided excellent control of both the Corn earworm and European Corn borer but it has not controlled the Western Bean Cutworm larvae.Control of both the more aggressive corn earworm and corn borer has left room for the easterly migratory movement of the Western Bean Cutworm moth.The good news for producers is that Pioneer Herculex1 BT hybrids will
provide up to 90%+ control of this potentially damaging insect pest.

2009-07-27T23:51:00.000-07:00

We've witnessed a stronger than usual relationship between plant height and seeding rate this year at the Pioneer demonstration farm near Chatham,Ontario.The shorter soybeans in all photos above were planted at 100,000 seed drop in 20 inch rows while the taller soybeans were planted at 260,000 seed drop. We have conducted plant population studies from 100,000 to 275,000 seed drop for years now and yet we have never quite experienced the differential in plant height that we are seeing this year.Of course the real proof of whether higher plant populations would have paid this year will come through at harvest.Our previous work would say that no more than 175,000 seed drop is needed to optimize yields on these Beverly Silt Loam soils at Chatham.

2009-07-27T22:48:00.000-07:00

Ear shoot initiation and silk emergence occurs when a hybrid has reached its appropriate heat unit accumulation for reproduction.A cool backward year like 2009 favours early silking hybrids as they will start their grain fill period sooner and have more opportunity to reach physiological maturity before a killing frost occurs.They offer a much greater chance for growers to achieve better yields and higher test weight corn in a low heat unit year.The above shots were taken of the same corn plant.As you can see Silk elongation is occurring before pollen shed has started.This is exactly what breeders prefer.They have strived for years to develop hybrids with better silking - pollen shed synchrony.Breeders want a hybrid to shed its silks before its pollen as this will improve a hybrids overall yield stability.

2009-07-27T22:24:00.000-07:00

Rainfall patterns have been sporadic again this year.As you can see by this front passing through some growers will report rainfall amounts of an inch while others will report 1/10th.
With the cooler July temperatures (nearly 6 degrees off normal)moisture concerns have not been as big an isssue this year as usual.For the most part Southwestern Ontarios' corn crop remains lush and green though later than what most growers would like to see.

2009-07-27T21:30:00.000-07:00

The photo above is very depictive of 40% of Southwestern Ontario's corn crop that was planted between May 12 and May 19th.Though silking and tassle emergence on the 30th of July is not early it does indicate the lateness of this years crop.Another 30% will not flower or pollinate until August 7th -10th.It takes roughly 60 days from pollination to reach physiological maturity.That means at least 30% of Southwestern Ontarios corn crop will need until Oct 10th to safely reach maturity. Grain moisture contents at maturity are genearlly in the 32-33% moisture range.An open October will be needed to ensure any kind of drydown.

2009-07-27T20:57:00.000-07:00

This shot shows the plants 17th,18th,19th and 20th final leaf.You can see the tassle beginning to extrude.Pollen has not yet been shed.
This shot shows the plants 13th, 14th 15th and 16th true leaves.If you look closely or double click on the photo you'll see silk emerging from a small ear shoot just above the node of the 14th leaf.On this particular plant an ear shoot ( though not visible )is also protruding from just above the node of the 13th leaf.
This shot shows the 9th 10th,11th and 12th true leaves.
The 4 shots above are of the same corn plant.They were taken in the manner shown to illustrate the total number of leaves an average 95-103 CRM hybrid produces.The immediate shot above shows the plants 5th,6th 7th and 8th true leaves.

2009-07-27T20:14:00.000-07:00

The 5th true leaf of corn will always extend from the second stalk node above the soil line.By knowing this you can continue to count the total number of true leaves that any hybrid will produce.The first 3 leaves that were originally in the seed will have senesced by now and will not be found as they will have already begun to decompose .You may in some circumstances still detect the 4th true leaf as shown above extending from the first node above the soil line.Most 95 - 103 CRM hybrids will produce a total of 20 true leaves.Fuller season hybrids may produce 21 or more.

2009-07-13T17:47:00.000-07:00

The first 30% of Southwestern Ontarios earliest planted corn acreage ( that planted between April 25 and May 10th ) will be coming into tassel within 8 to 13 days time - somewhere in the July 21 - 26 time frame.These fields are in the 14th - 16th true leaf stage today.Yield parameters such as number of rows around the cob and the number of kernels for the length of cob have already been set.

2009-07-12T10:04:00.000-07:00

The above photo was taken at the Ontario Cereal Crop Committees' Fusarium Headblight Screening Trials at the Ridgetown Ontario Campus c/o of the University of Guelph. Pioneer brand 25R51 soft red winter wheat offers growers the best insurance of marketing grade 2 wheat.Of all the wheat varieties on the market it will provide without question the cleanest sample in regards to fusarium headblight.My recommendation to Pioneer sales reps and growers alike is to plant 1/3-1/2 their acres to 25R51 and the rest of their acreage to Pioneer brand 25R56,25R39 or 25R47.
The opportunity to blend your crop is then afforded with such a strategy.
If you double click on this photo you can grasp a good perspective of just how much fusarium headblight has infected this head of wheat.

Though not at high levels evidence of Fusarium headblight infection could be noted in wheat fields across Southwetern Ontario a week to 10 days ago.

2009-07-12T09:42:00.000-07:00

Its been known for years that the Downey Mildew Fungus can cause Crazy top in corn but what has not been observed very often is the same crazy top disorder in wheat.Infection can only occur when plants are covered in water and their leaves are scarified by abrasive soil particles.The scarified leaf surface acts as a portal of entry for the mildew fungus.Once inside the plant it disrupts the reproductive system in a manner that causes it to produce a multiproliferate of leaves rather than grain.There is no worry of spread as the only way the fungus can cause this reproductive disorder is when soil and water cover over the entire plant at an early stage of development.

2009-07-12T09:15:00.000-07:00

From our 50 Western bean cutworm traps in the 5 Southwest Counties ( Essex,Kent,Lambton,Elgin and Middlesex ) we have caught 8 Wetern bean Cutworm moths like the one shown above.Western bean cutworm larvae can cause devastating damage to the developing ear of corn.Herculex1 hybrids are the only BT corn hybrids on the market that can control it or at least 85-90 % of it.

2009-07-11T20:31:00.000-07:00

Aphid colonization on new leaflet
Close up magnification of an aphid
This comparison shot was taken in 2003 at Chatham.The healthy looking soybeans were sprayed on July 13, 2003.
When aphid numbers soar controlling them can make a significant difference as shown in the above and below photo.IP growers can be particularly vulerable as shrunken, distorted and shrivelled seed can cause loss of an IP premium in a hurry.
Aphid numbers are reaching threshold levels in pocket areas north and east of London.Spraying will be warranted when 1) samples of 20 new vegetative leaflets taken from at least 5 different areas of a field ( covering 80% of the field )show an increase in aphid numbers above the threshold level of 250 per plant when soybeans are in the R1 - R5 stage of development ( flowering to first early pod set)The chart below shows how greater yield response is achieved with early spraying if aphid numbers are high enough and on the rise.

2009-07-11T20:18:00.000-07:00

In order to avoid interferance with proper ear set foliar fungicides are best applied at brown silk.The shot above comes to you compliments of the Pioneer Agronomy Services Department - Johnson Iowa.It shows what can happen if foliar fungicides are applied to corn prior to tasselling.

2009-07-11T17:28:00.000-07:00

The heavy spring rains we experienced back in early June are but a fading memory but the damage they caused our soils is still very evident.Water is a forceful agent.As it strikes the ground it breaks down soil aggregates causing them to lose their structure.In many ways the damage rain droplets do to soil structure can be likened to the explosive nature scud missles do to buildings.
As soils compress from the heavy weight load of water they lose their oxygen supply.Without sufficient oxygen root growth slows.Cooler soil temperatures and fungal pathogens further restrict root growth.With time a significant differential in top growth becomes evident between areas of fields that have the best internal drainage to those that have the worst.This can be noted in the top photo.This is going to lead to considerable variation in silking across fields and considerable variation in harvest moisture.This will also pose a considerable challenge for growers who are contemplating applying a foliar fungicide.To avoid potential interferance with pollination and ear set foliar fungicides are best applied at brown silk.

2009-07-09T19:10:00.000-07:00

Do you notice a difference in the nodal root system of the two corn plants shown above? The plant on the left was grown in a simulated moderate weed pressure environment where the weeds grew 4 inches from the plant.Notice how its nodal root system is shorter and how they are growing straight down almost as if it was trying to get away from any neighbouring weed competition.In reality corn plants do read their environment and they will respond to it.It has been discovered that it is the reflected light ( called phytochromes ) that comes off nearby competitive weeds that makes the corn plant react in this manner.The corn plant on the right was grown in a simulated weed free environment.As you can see its nodal root system is much more prolific and reaching out in all directions.It will be able to interface with more soil volume thereby having greater opportunity to extract more water and soil nutrients from a greater volume of soil.This experiment helps shed some light on why researchers
are adamant that you need to keep the crop weed free from the 3 true leaf stage until the 8 true leaf stage in order to maximize yield.

2009-07-08T21:50:00.000-07:00

Spray timing trials like the one shown here are conducted each year by the University of Guelph to document the amount of yield loss in corn if weeds are not controlled between the Critical 3 and 8 leaf stage.The corn in the first shot above was sprayed at the ideal 3 leaf stage of corn on June 5th.
Weeds were allowed to continue to grow in this second shot for an extra week until being sprayed on June 12th at the 5 leaf stage of the crop.Even though you'd tend to visually think the crop looks just as good, previous weed control timing studies have shown that there will be anywhere from .5 to 3.3 bu/acre/day yield loss due to the additional week of weed competition.
Weeds in this third shot were not controlled until June 19th when the corn was sprayed with glyphosate at the 7 leaf stage.As you can see leaving weeds to compete with the corn for this length of time has really hurt the crops ability to perform.Though the weeds have been killed and come harvest the grower will have a clean weed free field he will unknowingly have suffered some serious yield loss.
This last shot goes one step further to show the magnitude of impact uncontrolled weeds can have on the crop if spraying is delayed until the 9 leaf stage of growth or in this case June 26th.This is 3 weeks later than the ideal 3 leaf stage that was sprayed on June 5th.Though this is much longer than what most growers would ever leave weeds to compete with a crop it still goes to show just how much weed competition can hurt a crops performance.The take home message here is that for growers to maximize the yield performance of the hybrids they grow they need to keep their crop weed free from the Critical 3 -8 leaf stage in order to maximize yield.

2009-07-08T20:32:00.000-07:00

Growers have found their No-til soybeans this year growing slower and staying yellower longer than normal as compared to their conventionally tilled soybeans.The fieldshot above shows
exactly what many growers have been experiencing.Part of this can be explained by the wetter and cooler spring that we've experienced.The extra 4-5 ton per acre of corn residue from last years bumper corn crop has not helped matters as it is contributing to keeping soils much more moist and cool.Soil bacterial populations are also tying up N as they break down the extra Carbon that has been added to the soil from last years bumper yields.The C/N ratio of corn stover is roughly 60:1 and the soil microbes job is to keep the soils C:N ratio at 10:1.The unfortunate part of this is that to break down this extra carbon load the soil micobes are tying up in their bodies most of the mineralized N that is in the soil.Though the soybean plant in the early part of its life depends on a bunch of this same mineralized N to keep it green and growing it is experiencing some serious competition from the soil microbes for N thereby leaving the soybean crop short of its needs and looking much yellower than normal.Because soil N mineralization has been very slow this year the plant is having a difficult time coming up with sufficient N to stay a healthy green until its nodules are formed.Once nodule formation occurs and kicks in gear the plant will be able to produce all of its own Nitrogen needs and turn a deep dark green.It takes roughly 8 lbs of N to produce 1 bu of soybeans.It remains to be determined whether an additional 30-40 pounds of N this year would have helped soybeans overcome this early N deficient period and produce more beans come harvest.There are a few locations that have tried broadcasting an additional 30-40 lb of N to their crop to see if this will have any beneficial result.Though this is not something that is normally recomended we will have to wait and see if under the circumstances of 2009 it has any value.
Conventionally tilled soybeans like those shown above have had the advantage of a slightly warmer seedbed this spring.This has helped the crop in two ways.First the warmer soil temperatures have allowed bacterial populations to mineralize N at a faster rate which has helped make the crop greener.Also the warmer soil tempeatures have helped improve the speed of Nodule formation so the plant can begin fixing its own N sooner.
We wouldn't normally expect to see No-til soybeans like those shown here staying dramatically yellower than conventionally tilled soybeans for such a long period of time.A factor that could be contributing to their extended yellowness is their slower growth rate.If soybeans are sprayed with Glyphosate,the Glyphosate/Enzyme complex moves to the plants meristematic tissue.With slower growth this higher concentration of Glyphosate-enzyme complex will cause plants to yellow flash.The only resolve to this dilemma is to hope that we receive some Warmer 80*F+ temperatures to move crop growth along.

2009-07-08T14:28:00.000-07:00

In a wet cool year like 2009 slugs have been a menacing problem for many a corn grower.Generally speaking slugs would not normally be bothering 7 true leaf corn like that shown in these photos taken on July 7th around 7:30 PM in the evening.However with heavy residues to hide in and lots of cloud cover they have continued to be a greater concern for a longer period this year.Double click on the photos and you'll gain a greater appreciation as to how much leaf leaf tissue that they have already consumed.
Though this large 7 true leaf corn should survive this slug invasion the smaller 5 true leaf corn shown below may not be as fortunate.
The amount of leaf tissue consumed on these smaller plants is considerably curtailing their growth.
There are many plants that have suffered so much leaf defoliation that they have already died.
This field located just south of Mt Brydges along the 402 was planted in wheat residue.Though trash whippers were used to clear the wheat residue from the corn row the cooler moist soil and the wheat residue itself has served to provide a haven for slugs.There is no proven solution to control slugs.Though some growers have sprayed a 28% N solution near dusk results have been mixed as to its benefit.

2009-07-04T12:44:00.000-07:00

It can never be stated enough how important it is that growers know exactly what traits and technologies they've purchased and what hybrids they should plant in each field.In the case of the grower above he had been planting glyphosate resistant corn when he moved to this field and filled up his planter with a non glyphosate resistant hybrid.As you can see when he sprayed the field in the second week of June with Glyphosate the non - glyphosate resistant corn was killed off. The small corn shown in these shots is now the new June 15th replant corn. Every year someone somewhere makes a costly mistake like this.This is exactly why EXPLICIT FIELD PLANS of what hybrids a grower should plant in each field should be well laid out on paper ahead of the planting season.

2009-07-04T11:15:00.000-07:00

The shot to the right shows how important planting depth is in establishing good soybean stands.The beans to the left of the yellow line were seeded 1 3/4 inches deep while those to the right were seeded nearly 2 3/4 inches deep.

The photo to the right is a lateral view of the shot above.The soybeans below the yellow line were planted nearly 2 3/4 inches deep while the soybeans above the yellow line were planted 1 3/4 inches deep.As you can see the deeper planted soybeans took longer to emerge and didn't establish as good a plant stand.This clearly demonstrates how important seeding depth can be. Attention to planting depth is a vital management consideration in the successful establishment of any good soybean stand.

The smaller shorter soybeans in the photo to the left were planted 3/4 inch deep in soil that was not fit this spring.The drill actually left slits in the soil and in some cases the soybeans were laying in an exposed seed trench.Heavy rains eventually washed soil into the seed trench covering the beans.Crusted soil then made it difficult for the beans to emerge.You can see evidence of their struggle to emerge by the amount of twisting evident in their hypocotyls.The soybeans to the left were planted in much drier soil at a depth of 1 1/2 inches.These beans started their germination process immediately and due to their growth were well on their way to emerging when the heavy rains hit.You can see that they emerged without much of a struggle as their hypocotyls are straight and true. Planting depth is a vital consideration in producing good soybean stands and top yields.