Green grass, the sound of a tractor humming in a field across the section, the smell of diesel mingled with blooming trees on a crisp, spring morning make it a whole lot easier to get up and off to a fast start during the growing season. Your crops, however, require more.
Not all farms, fields or soils are suited for the classic corn-soybean rotation. Experience and the right red equipment have helped Minnesota’s Connelly brothers go corn-on-corn exclusively each of the last four years. It’s the best option across their operation.
Before you put a bow on this year’s harvest, take steps to button up your grain bins. And then have a monitoring plan to prevent spoilage and grain-quality losses.
After buying a high-yielding racehorse hybrid, you wouldn’t head to the field before checking your planter’s settings. It makes sound economic and agronomic sense to stick with the same logic when it comes to your fertility program.
Fall nitrogen application — usually in the form of anhydrous ammonia — is an important crop production practice across many northern Corn Belt states. The window to get the job done is tight. Reliable, agronomically designed equipment from Case IH helps ensure it gets done right.
You can’t measure what you don’t monitor. Assuming the old business adage is true, do you have a strategy for evaluating this year’s crops? Before your attention fully shifts to harvest prep, now is a good time to plan your approach.
Brad Wade, who farms with his family near Plain, Illinois, anticipates a great view this harvest season. From the seat of his combine, he’ll be able to see how well his planter performed. The right planting equipment makes all the difference.
At this point in the growing season, yield potential becomes reality. How do your crops look? By estimating yields, you can do more than satisfy your curiosity. Sound estimates can help you prepare for harvest and make better decisions.
Harvest starts at your combine’s header. It’s also where you can begin to reduce grain losses and increase harvest efficiency. As you prep your combine for fall, consider upgrading to the latest header technology.
Most years, you would be happy to kick a little mud off your boots in July. But when those boots are hip waders, the situation is serious. If you’re dealing with wet, saturated fields this summer, careful management can help those crops finish the season strong.