From the field: 2022 Planting Observations
As I have been out looking at fields recently, I have seen a few things that you should keep top of mind this time of year.
A Western Perspective on Plant 22
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.
Physical & Mental Readiness for 2022 Growing Season
We are but a handful of days or weeks away from the ever-important start of the 2022 growing season. It is IMPERATIVE to be extremely prepared for the start of the season; both physically (equipment, cropping plan details, seed, tillage, etc.) and mentally (business-minded, positive, and with well-informed advice from a great farming Circle of Influence).
ID the worm: Wireworm or False Wireworm
Two of the pests that you could be seeing this year are Wireworms and False Wireworms. I will cover the differences between them and tell you a quick way of telling them apart without having to send them to a lab or count body parts. Both pests can attack your corn seedlings and reduce stands or stunt plants thus reducing your yields.
Hidden Yield Robber: Floppy or Lazy Corn
So, what is Floppy Corn and how can it be controlled? Floppy Corn, as I call it, is when the corn lays over or gets floppy at about V6 to V8 corn plant development. This can be confused with herbicide damage or shallow planted corn, which is called the same thing, so it needs to be looked at to find what is really causing the corn to lay over. Poor root development, not the hybrid’s genetics, is the cause.