The cropping tightrope walk of 2021 in the Midwest continues. As was reported earlier this week over 50% of the Midwest was in the abnormally dry to some stage of drought. In a year where grain prices have soared due to low supplies and the financial success of producers and the adequacy of feed grains worldwide has been depending on getting at least a few inches of rain in June. Finally, as of June 20, the skies opened up early on Sunday morning and as of 9 AM raindrops are still falling with more predicted during the say. In our drive over to Paton on Saturday and in travels across Iowa and surrounding states in almost every field the corn plants were showing leaves indicative of moisture shortages. Let’s wait until Monday morning before we estimate how long the receive moisture amounts will sustain a rapidly growing corn crop.
Expect every plant to show a growth spurt as the new cells formed were lacking the moisture to expand. Thus, the corn plants that have reached the waist high level on a 6’ person could soon grow to chest and shoulder high.
The sharp drop in prices we saw during the past week can be explained as grain traders who had profited on the fears that grain production was being threatened by the dry weather were wanting to capture those profits. The reaction of huge down days was greatly overdone since there are such large deeper soil profile moisture deficits that one rain will not fill. Steady rains will be needed thru Sept.
Has everyone else out there recognized the disappearance of face masks. Most Ag people recognized early the facts and falsehoods of the plandemic. Will we get to see Fauci, Baric of the Univ of N Carolina, and Daszak called to testify before congress and reap their reward? GreatGameIndia uncovered the documents proving that Moderna sent their vaccine samples to UNC on Dec 12, 2019, months before any news of the first outbreak in China was released. Certain people recognized the financial and political gains that could be made at the time and really got greedy. Dr. Fancis Boyle of the U of ILL was 100% right all along. Isn’t it surprising how many people were so gullible and refused to accept the facts? And to get the correct facts we had to listen to news reporters in Australia and Turkey as well as renegade medical people and independent reporters who actually do their own research.
Soil Health
There was a great regenerative Ag conference over in SE Iowa on June 7 th at the Wash Co Fairgrounds. There were over 250 attendees listening to the very good group of presenters. Dr. Rich Haney spoke several times and gave a simple message. All along he has developed his test to measure what nature has been doing for eons. He also said his test was not intended to be the final method that can be used to measure soil quality and the yield potential of soils. In his first power point I saw nearly 10 years ago he explained that our great soils in the Midwest were the result of tall grass prairies being grazed and trampled by the huge buffalo herds that roamed during the year. Yearly moisture amounts varied and there were droughts years, but were typically sufficient to create enough foliage to feed the herds.
I had never met Rick in person until now. He began life after high school in several different professions. First as a feedlot cowboy, which is about as dusty and hot as any job. He followed it by working as an electrician and then upholstering furniture. He started college when he turned 42 and went on to his PhD in a field he loved. He was just trying to find out how nature and the good Lord had intended the soil and microbes to interact.
Be aware that there will be a Soil Health Academy Conference in NE IA this coming week. Their ideas and proven results for increasing soil OM quickly by using cover crops have my attention, since that represents increasing drought tolerance in each field. A number of top growers and educators will be in attendance.
Crop Growth
Two to three weeks ago there were lots of skunky looking corn and soybean fields. Such periods of poor growth have become more common in recent seasons. There may be several causes of the different problems. First of all, the soils remained too cool and too dry as the plants were trying to grow. Nutrient demands were high, but without sufficient moisture and heat microbial mediated mineral release was not happening. A field inspection of the corn leaves showed a variety of mineral deficiencies, with zinc deficiency being perhaps the most common. A very good mineral expert from Australia always called zinc his drought fighting mineral.
Seed size and seed weights in recent year have often been smaller and lighter. One smaller seed company cold tests all of their seed on a monthly basis to detect any quick drop-off in germination and cold vigor. There are lots that in certain years can do that. One Iowa consultant has his customers send samples from their larger seed lots to germ labs to test each for cold germ and early vigor. Work by a noted Canadian researcher equates high mineral and oil levels in the seed to better germs and early vigor.
Most herbicides are categorized into families by which physiological process they alter or block. The grouping could instead be done by revealing which minerals are being chelated. If a crop is growing slowly or otherwise affected by lack of a mineral in sufficient amounts, then has a herbicide applied to it that affected the same mineral (s), its recovery will be further delayed. In both mammals and plants, the primary physiological pathway is called the P450 cytochrome system. Its activity level is affected by temperatures and sunlight amounts, both energy factors. Our cooler and cloudy May conditions lessened the ability of the plants to respond to or break down applied products.
The dry nature of the 2020 growing season has had an effect on 2021 plants. Lack of rain, sometimes as much as a 17” deficit from normal, increased the chance of carryover of certain herbicides. Herbicide families can also be categorized as to whether they are degraded by microbes or by chemical reactions in the soil. Hot and dry conditions typically slow or stop both systems. This is the cause of a few fields showing carryover of certain PO herbicides.
The rate of corn growth the last the last two weeks as been rapid with the many 90-degree days and excess in GDU accumulation. The same cannot be said for many bean fields where the many V2 or V3 beans are being adversely affected by the heat and drought. Across the area affected by the frost in late May, growers are seeing the replant beans grow very slowly.
Tissue Testing
More growers have been stating their intentions to actually begin taking tissue samples for lab analyses. For years they have been having sol tests take, typically on a 4-year cycle when on a C/SB rotation to measure the mineral levels in the soil. Now they recognize that only a tissue test will inform them what % of their applied fertilizer actually made it into the plants.
The rules to apply on corn are to send in: the entire plant if the plants are less than 12” tall; the top leaf with an exposed collar if prior to tasseling; and the ear leaf, if near or after tasseling.
I was looking at the guidelines provided by different sources as to how to interpret tissue test results. They vary a lot with a major weakness being that they are often formulated by averaging the results from submitted samples from the previous year (s). Growers aiming for above average yields need to use interpretations tabulated from growers who have above average yield goals, and not from one of their usual information sources.
Another interpretation variable this year is due to the formulation of any foliar product. Is the fertilizer company chelating their mineral products using EDTA, sugars, phosphites, or amino acids? The last three offer much improved plant update and systemic movement into and throughout the plant. It is interesting how many of the rules in this foliar science originated in the animal nutrition arena. Educate yourself as much as you can on this topic, as adequate plant nutrition creates more disease and drought resistant crops.
High Yield Beans
Hopefully the stage has been set for many growers in their quest to improve on their best bean yields. Planting early did not work out as planned due to the frost and cool, cloudy May. As your bean plants approach V5 and R1 it is time to follow thru on the management plans made during the winter months. Foliar applications of products like Seed Set, Advance, Impulse, P and Sugar combos and hormonal products to spur more branching, increased flowering and pod retention, and increased branch strength. These will all need to be applied during this time period thru to R3. Increasing seed size with post R3.5 applications need to follow.
Insects and Diseases Spotted
It has been too dry for major problems with most diseases. However small lesions for GLS have appeared already and Goss’s Wilt lesions have been seen in MN and Wis. Southern Rust has been diagnosed and reported in KS. Be ready for these if you have mineral deficiencies or genetic susceptibility to those diseases.
2021 is due to be the 4th year in the 5-year E. corn borer cycle. If you’ve planted conventional corn varieties be watching your windshield for moth splatter when driving at night and any local light trap catches.
I saw my first Japanese beetles last week. They will be emerging over the next few weeks south to north across the state. Specialty crops are especially vulnerable.
Bob Streit is an independent crop consultant and columnist for Farm News. He can be reached at (515) 709-0143 or www.CentralIowaAg.com.