Boots In The Field Report

Ken starts this week with a crop update from around the Midwest. He discusses the ear fill damage that will accompany the green snap he is seeing in some fields. Ken also gives an update on corn and soybean aphids and explains the reduced risk for spider mites. Finally, Ken discusses the sudden death and gray leaf that he is finding in fields.

Ken got a bird’s eye view this week to make his crop report and the crop is looking better than expected. The sins of spring are definitely evident, but the July 4th rain was a grain maker. Ken talks spider mites, western bean cutworm, bean leaf beetle, aphids, disease pressure, northern leaf blight, and getting a handle on waterhemp.

Spider Mite Update: Ken has officially seen Spider Mites in fields around Tazewell, Mclean, and Springfield areas. The dry and hot temperatures have led to a decrease in the Spider Mite’s natural predators and fungi. Ken covers how to scout, and gives an approach to treat the Spider Mites. Ken also gives a pollination and disease update.

In this week’s Boots In The Field Report, Ken gives a corn and soybean growth update, and a weather update. Ken also covers some options when dealing with resilient waterhemp. Ken ends the podcast with an insect and weed update.

Ken covers a lot in this week’s Boots In The Field Report. Ken discusses the current ugly phase that corn is in, and that soybeans are about to be in. Ken also helps identify the difference between the zinc and sulfur deficiencies. On the insect front, Ken warns about cutworm, corn borer, and the corn rootworm hatch. Ken also gave a warning about the roundup resistant waterhemp that is not being completely killed off. Finally, Ken reassures farmers about the heat that is coming for central Illinois.

In this week’s Boots In the field report Ken walks you through how to tell the difference between Zinc and Sulfur deficiency and what you can do about both of them. Ken also shares some reminders about pulling nitrates and looking at your aerial imagery.

Ken does a Boots in the Field Report about replanting, the impact of hoeing, and a recap of what he is seeing in nitrate numbers. He also gives a heads up that the “ugly corn” phase should be kicking off this weekend

Ken gives a recap of planting progress across our testing area in Illinois. He has received a lot of calls concerning this weekend’s frost and covers what that means for both corn and beans. Ken talks about the added dangers of frosted crops in saturated soil and cautions against applying your post herbicide on newly frosted corn. Ken explains how making the planter dance can help you get in to plant beans, what he is seeing from the nitrates already sent in, and the need to get any summer soil testing orders in.

Ken discusses cutworm, cold weather, wheat disease, nitrates, and what to expect in the coming weeks.

In this Boots in the Field Report Ken talks about what to be on the lookout for due to the Central IL weather patterns. He covers: Seed chilling, planting in dry soils, starter burn, cutworm and armyworm feeding, and crusting on your bean fields.

Ken discusses the weather and the opportune rain delay. He also covers the difference between Nitrification and Urease Inhibitors. Ken shares the latest Black Cutworm reports.

Ken covers the major things to consider when trying to figure out when to start planting in Central Illinois and other topics you need to be thinking about for the start of the 2016 growing season.

Ken gives his last Boots in the Field Report of 2015. He recaps the hand shelling day and gives advice for those that have fields that missed the tillage window. Look out in December/January for the return of Technology Tuesday and Agronomy Thursday.

Patience is key in making sure you aren’t pulling tillage tools out of the ground to get traction and not jumping the gun on getting your anhydrous on. Ken also talks about thresholds for fall burndown in this week’s Boots in the Field report. We are looking for volunteers on Thursday, Nov 12th. to help with the hand harvesting plot.

In this week’s Boots In The Field Report, Isaac covers a few timely reminders as we finish the harvest. Including weather, tillage, inhibitors, and weed management.

Ken gives a teaser on some data that came out of the plots this week as well as advice on getting tillage done in dry soil.

Ken reminds us about the importance of full shatter in this week’s Boots in the Field report. While the nice weather is allowing us to get our tillage done, it is calling for more horsepower in our tillage to get complete shatter in the dry ground. Ken also reminds us to make sure we aren’t letting the wear and tear of harvest lead to preventable accidents.

This week Ken talks about doing seedbed preparations while the weather is cooperating. He discusses perfect fall weather and shares strip-till and vertical tillage tips. Ken also gives an update on what he is seeing in the fungicide and nitrogen plots in Il.

Ken gives advice on how to finish 2015 strong. He wants to make sure farmers aren't leaving money in the field with high harvest loss and to be on the lookout for strong presence of diseases such as Tar Spot in corn and Rust in soybeans. He also talks options for tracks left from a wet growing season.

Ken talks about not throwing the baby out with the bathwater when making decisions for next year based on harvest 2015. Due to wild swings in rainfall and temperature it is important to look at all factors when evaluating a particular practice, product, or hybrid.