Northeast Ohio Agronomic Crop Report

As we turn the calendar to April, we will also be officially starting of the 2011 crop season. Most everyone has their seed bought and many have their fertilizer booked. I believe that everyone pretty well knows what their rotation will be. Most farmers do not change their rotations up unless the weather becomes a factor. There are a lot incentives to plant both corn and or soybeans and if there is shift one way or the other it will not be the market but rather the weather that will dictate that shift. Jim Noel of Ohio NOAA agricultural weatherman is predicting a cool wet start to planting with a trend to warmer and dryer weather by summer. The end result for northeast Ohio could be delays in planting at the beginning of the season and some weather worries during the growing season especially around pollination time. The best way to combat dry weather later on in the growing season is to get planted early. Late planted crops tend to be negatively impacted by dry hot weather in July and August.

How do we handle this type of scenario? We have been hearing for a long time, as early as last fall, that drought conditions could be a possibility this summer. Hopefully you considered the possibility and selected hybrids with some drought tolerance. Also you should have selected hybrids with a range of maturities and not put all of eggs in the long season basket. This would allow you to plant your longest season hybrids on you driest ground early and the short season hybrids going in on ground where you might experience delays. Make sure you have all of your weeds under control. You do not need weeds competing for moisture with your corn. Get enough fertilizer on early to keep your corn growing vigorously, developing a strong root system. Deep rooted corn will capture more moisture later on. Plan to side dress at least some of your nitrogen so your corn will develop quickly.
On the Soybean side you need to gear up and plant your beans as early as possible. Too many producers figure they can get away with planting beans in June. In a dry year that is a recipe for low yields. If possible plant your beans at the same time as your corn. The ultimate goal would be to have both planted by the third week in May. There are a couple reasons why early planted beans just work better. First you get beans that develop a canopy quicker. This shades the ground and conserves moisture. You will also be able to have your plants reaching a maximum flowering at the longest period of daylight available. This occurs at the summer solstice or June 21st. The result is maximum pod set at the right time of year. This allows the pods to develop and fill earlier in the year thus avoiding some of the negative effects of dry weather later on. Late planted beans are very vulnerable to dry weather. The beans are short the rows remain open and the soil dries out. The pod set is sparse resulting in low yields.

The bottom line is that farmers need to be continuously planning ahead to keep ahead of the roadblocks that can reduce yield. Be ready to make a change in your cropping plans if necessary. 2010 was a great year and everything fell into place. One thing for sure 2011 will most likely not be the same, no two years seldom are.


Your Agronomic Crop Progress Report for Northeast Ohio

Wheat: The snow is gone and the wheat is uncovered and ready to break dormancy. For the most part the heavy snow cover has protected the wheat this winter and the stands look good. Click on the Agronomic tip for the week to get some tips on apply N to your wheat crop.