Great conditions helped eastern Corn Belt farmers make good planting progress. A recent weather shift now threatens those tender, early emerging seedlings and has growers weighing their options.
Today’s guest blogger is Kurt Hohlbein, a Case IH crop production specialist, serving northern Indiana, Ohio and western Michigan.
Corn in my territory is estimated at around 80 percent planted, and soybeans are estimated at 70 percent complete. Field prep continues for some growers in my area. Most turn to field cultivators and vertical tillage to get the job done.[Tweet “Standing water in some fields has sparked conversation about replants. Via @Case_IH #BeReady “]
Much of my territory enjoyed great planting conditions — until May 9, when we received heavy rains. More rain is forecast, this time accompanied by high winds. If the weather prognosticators are correct, those conditions will not help the newly emerging crop or the germinating seedlings. Standing water in some fields has sparked conversation about replants. But we will need to wait and see what the next week brings to determine replant eligibility.
Case IH equipment has helped keep the season rolling efficiently. Early Riser® planters, Precision Disk™ 500T air drills and all the tillage equipment has performed very well this year.
The main advice I have for the producers is to double-check the settings in their monitors before heading to field each day. Make sure all the data is correct, and download the saved data from the day every evening. #Plant15 has been a success. Now we need to see what Mother Nature decides.