Many farmers are calling this year’s corn crop a disaster. For two good reasons – thousands of corn acres didn’t get planted due to relentless rainfall and the corn which was planted is less than ideal.
“Farming is never easy, but this one was the worst in my 31 years of ...
Fewer corn acres will have a significant effect on the ag supply chain.
Lindon Gord knows what to expect with a reduction in corn acreage in DeKalb County. “Less crop means less equipment use, less repairs, and less parts,” said the general manager and partner of DeKalb Implement.
In DeKalb County about ...
By now farmers are usually scouting their growing crops. In early June, farmers were still struggling to get crops planted due to unrelenting rainfall.
The number of acres of corn and soybeans not yet planted is unprecedented. Only about 15% of corn had been planted by June 1st in DeKalb County. ...
Last year’s corn yield potential was limited in local fields.
The 2018 growing season began with frequent May and June rains. While rainfall totals for May and June were 6.5” and 7” respectively, most of DeKalb County received rainfall on 11 days in May and 12 days in June.
Many acres in ...
Farmers plant treated corn and soybean seeds to protect the seeds against early season
pests and diseases.
Insect pests can harm crops in the early stages of emergence, by damaging young plants and by acting as vectors of viruses. Seed treatments can provide protection from these above-and below-ground insects.
Fungal diseases can ...
While farmers certainly welcome warmer temperatures, the possible continuation of an active weather pattern could dash hopes of early spring fieldwork.
“A very active weather pattern is setting up,” Eric Snodgrass said. Snodgrass is an atmospheric scientist with Nutrien Ag Solutions and co-founder of Agrible. “We could see a parade (of ...
Expect soybean prices to average around $9 and corn to be under $4 this year, says Scott Irwin, University of Illinois ag economist.
Irwin’s analysis shows the best times of the current price era could be in the rearview mirror, although chances of a rally always exist in such a cyclical ...
It’s that time of year when farmers are harvesting wheat and baling wheat straw. Farmers harvest about 4,000 acres of winter wheat in DeKalb County.
Locally, wheat is harvested in early to mid-July, depending on the weather and how quickly the crop matures.
This year’s wheat crop endured the second-coldest April followed ...
Farmers are using unmanned aerial vehicles to assess plant health.
Jamie Erlenbach and Chris Paulsen use their drones to check the health status of their corn and soybean fields. It’s one of their newer crop scouting technology tools which provides aerial images of their growing crops.
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), better known ...
Fertilizer applications put required nutrients back into the soil.
Why do farmers use fertilizers on their farm fields?
Soils matter for growing corn and soybeans. Farmers need healthy soils to produce healthy crops. In order to create healthy soils, farmers use a variety of fertilizers to build up nutrients in their soils.
Fertilizers ...
