Weather is described as what temperatures, sunlight and rainfall conditions are in a few seasons, while climate is the longer term averages of the same items. In a visit with Elwynn and his protégé I commented that in the last two decades or so we had seen abnormally warm and sunny weather earlier in the spring, followed by abnormally cooler and cloudier conditions in the last half of April and even into May. The lack of heat and lack of sunshine is definitely not being conducive to getting any fieldwork done in a major portion of the Midwest, Mideastern states, and the northwest. Ff the radar screens were correct it was snowing in the Northern high plains including both of the Dakotas late last week.
Based on Nebraska progress reports they have as much as 10% of their corn acres planted in the sandhill country. In Iowa there were quite a few field cultivators running mid to late week as well as a few planters. With rain on Friday, Sat and Sun plus more forecast on Monday and Thursday everyone needs to prepare for the first planting opportunity and hope that any liquid application could be made prior to planting without any 25 to 40 mph breezes. Both meteorologists, Simon Atkins and Eric Snodgrass, have confirmed that the wind presence and velocities have unusually strong and constant this spring. Hopefully the atmospheric forces even out once the application season arrives. In looking ahead to what signals are developing on a global scale and translating them into a forecast, the flow of cold water was reversed and the trend now for both Americas is back to LaNina conditions and not El Nino. Our body of cold water is not as massive as it is off Chile, but if it strengthens over the next sixty days it could set up a blocking ridge. All of the seven corn and bean producing states are behind in normal planting progress.
Supply Chain Disruption
When the issues and status of supply chain disruption for fertilizer, fuel, parts and other input products are discussed, things are no clearer than they were months ago. Lack of specific electronics, gauges and meters may cause pieces of equipment to be shut down and unavailable for farmers during the critical planting season.
As to the Soviet record on preparedness and equipment maintenance, here is a short and true story: A brother-in-law was a higher up in the U.S. navy and he was invited as an honored guest to a Soviet Naval Event where the presenting country wanted to show the U.S. Navy personnel how ‘ship shape’ their vessels were. The Soviet the top ships cruised by the U.S. viewing platform and appeared to be well maintained with shiny new paint. However, those seated in a different spot noticed that the side not shown to the viewers were all rusty because they had no money for paint and maintenance.
How the warfare in the Ukraine may be affecting us beside the financial and political effects is that all small grain and sunflower prices are the highest ever. The state of Iowa in the 1880s and 1890s had quite a few acres of small grains including wheat. With their lower input costs, the small grains could be come in as a lower input crops if N and other fertilizer costs remain high.
Crop Happenings
One thing we definitely don’t need in 2022 is a delayed planting season for corn. Realize that the ground has remained cool and the nights are still dropping into the 30s this week along Hwy 20 and 30s. It has been best to continue to plant the medium to full season hybrids into mid-May. The earlier hybrids have been improved greatly but moving them south is often a crap shoot. If we get a week or two of drier and sunny weather, a major % of the corn could be planted in 7 to 10 days. The greatest burden would likely be on the spray rigs applying herbicides and UAN mixtures applied preplant. The rigs and their drivers need a bit of down time for maintenance. Getting what fertilizers are needed yet into place may take additional time as demand for truck drivers remains high.
In recent seasons the more aggressive soybean growers have been planting a portion of their SB acres before or at the same time as they are planting their corn in the hopes of having their bean plants form more nodes on the main stem and subsequently producing higher yields. There can be a nice correlation between the two. Another way of increasing podded node count on the plant, which would be to help the plant form additional side branches. For that you can apply a cytokine producing bacteria, or applying Spraytec’s Impulse. Applying both can produce plants with 7 or more branches per plant. The challenges then will be to increase pod retention, branch strength thru foliar Ca applications, and finally boost seed size. Those are all doable with a strong foliar fertility program and good plant health, preferable using amino acid chelated minerals to increase the immune response in plants.
Insect Issues
The cooler weather may be slowing down the insect issues that operate on a base 50 F temperature scale. The bean leaf beetle population is expected to be lower as less snow cover allowed freezing temps to kill more of the overwintering beetles that had burrowed into and under plant debris.
The seed corn maggot eggs have begun to hatch as they operate on a base 39 F clock. They can tunnel into both small corn and soybean plants or chew into the bean cotyledons. Be alert to them and scout any early planted fields as they can destroy the young plants.
The university black light traps have been catching in-migrating black cutworm moths all the way to the IA/MN border. The ISU extension entomology team is posting their trap catches for them.
Fertilizer Issues
Last summer and fall many growers and CCAs were finding very low K levels when they pulled leaf and soil samples to monitor those mineral levels. Some of those levels were false lows due to the drought effects on the sheets in the clay particles in the soils. With recent rains some of the low K soil tests should improve now if tested again. The fields with actual low K test levels will be those where a spring K application may be recommended. In the past the normal response was to apply the 0-0-60 or 50 hoping to satisfy in-season demand. In recent seasons fertilizer researchers and their retailers have developed liquid K products that can be Y-dropped or foliar applied. Fewer pounds or gallons can be applied if test levels are low, as increased efficiency can be expected.
Disease Issues
At extension and retailer meetings one point of discussion was the newer corn disease called Tar Spot. It showed up in several eastern corn producing states beginning in 2017 or 18. Then last year growers and crop scouts reported of fields that had enough spots on the leaves of plants that they reduced yields in Michigan by 60 to 100 Bu/A. We have seen it at light, but increasing incidence in IA and MN. The common recommendation for control was to purchase and apply one of the newer 3-way fungicide mixes containing an SDHI (carboxamide), and that best results and longer residual would be obtained by making two applications. How accurate or valuable is that information? Knowing that even three-way fungicides have not been the answer in S. American fields in controlling fungal diseases, we did our own disease investigation using the state-of-the-art X-Ray Defraction Scanner to make our own determination. To read what we found out and what method and products would best treat this disease, go to our website www.CentralIowaAg.com, then go to ‘News’, and then ‘Educational Articles’. Your soil’s health may depend on it.
Bob Streit is an independent crop consultant and columnist for Farm News. He can be reached at (515) 709-0143 or www.CentralIowaAg.com.