Seeds for Success

By Louis Sutton
AgVenture Regional Product Manager 

As I have been traveling around in recent weeks, I have seen fields that have been planted for weeks with the seed sitting in cold, wet soils.  Other fields I’ve seen are being planted just because it’s that time of year. In both situations, seed is being planted into cold wet soils, with the soil temperatures well below the needed temperature to properly germinate the seed. In some cases, the seed has germinated on the few warm days we’ve had, but that can still cause other issues.

Confused corn

Effects of confused corn.

parallel growth

Corn seedling grows parallel with the ground.

If you’ve already planted and are now faced with low soil temperatures and wet fields, now is the time to start scouting them. You should look for rotted seeds, insect damaged seeds, confused corn syndrome, side wall compaction and poor emergence. If you run into any of these conditions, your field(s) will need scouting all year – as it’s likely yield-limiting diseases will show up later in the growing season.

If you have yet to begin planting, remember this: There is no substitute for starting the planting season off on the right foot. Even if you plant into the best conditions, we all know that Mother Nature has a way of throwing us many curveballs. Instead of striking out with your yields this fall, proper management and guidance from your local AgVenture Yield Specialist can still make sure your crop is a home run.

Click to find your local AgVenture Independent Seed Company

If you would like to learn more about how you can thrive by becoming an ISC, let us know.

Hear what farmers are saying

“I use AgVenture because of their excellent products, service, and agronomic support. When we need something they respond quickly. I can’t think of any reason why we wouldn’t use AgVenture. AgVenture stressed the importance of new technology on our farm and is helping us maximize our yield maps, soil grid maps, and fertilizer application data. I do business with AgVenture because they are very trustworthy and service oriented.”

- Kansas Farmer

“We’ve had the AgVenture Spangler 'Training Plots' for several years. The plots help us in our corn and soybean selections. For 3 generations, we have been using AgVenture Spangler products.”

- Wisconsin Farmer

“I consider everyone at AgVenture a friend and I can tell that they are really looking out for me and my farming operation. AgVenture is an easy company to work with and you cannot beat the service. When I have questions about my crops I call AgVenture and they are here right away helping me find the answer.”

- Kansas Farmer

“An AgVenture Yield Specialist showed me what my yields could be with AgVenture seed and I thought they were impossible because they were so good.”

- Nebraska Farmer