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| Ohio farmers struggle to finish planting, sidedressing nitrogen |
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Grouping together enough rain-free days to accomplish necessary fieldwork has been a challenge for most farmers in our area since the first large planting window back in April. For the past week, as soils dried, farmers and ag product suppliers have raced to catch up on sidedressing nitrogen with high clearance equipment, addressing weed control issues, completing first cutting hay (finally!) and diving into wheat harvest.
Many cornfields began to tap into earlier sidedress bands within the past couple of weeks and, with drying conditions featuring plenty of sun, developed the deep green color associated with healthy plants. Windshield surveys last week revealed fields with even stands that should tassel this week, acreage exhibiting excellent corn and sickly yellowish corn within the same field and nearly every imaginable scenario in between. Compaction is rearing its ugly head in countless fields with corn planted in such areas showing the inability to properly access necessary soil nutrients.
We have some of the best looking fields I can ever recall for this stage of the growing season and others that likely match some of the worst; some of those within the same neighborhoods.
Early harvest is not generally a sign of a good crop. Harvesting wheat with a week to go in June suggests a few high temperature days while the wheat was still green. After enjoying bumper yields last year, early 2010 reports show yields from the 47 to mid-75 bushels per acre, moistures from 13.5 to 20 percent and test weights as low as a lousy 49 pounds per bushel to as high as 59.5. The latter test weight likely came from a farmer who adjusted his combine carefully to send the lightweight grain out with the chaff.
Grain elevators are testing for vomitoxin, with at least one delivery point indicating no wheat testing over 4 ppm or 15 percent damage will be allowed to dump. One elevator in a nearby county reportedly is not accepting any wheat this year.
Wheat straw demand seems to be high with limited acreage of wheat planted last fall. Several farmers have contacted us about pricing straw that others will bale. Value of the removed nutrients ranges from $30 per ton and up. Organic material value is difficult to quantify although we all know that OM is valuable, particularly our thinner soils.
Soybean plants range from just emerging (recently planted or patched in areas, to V2 (2nd trifoliate) to R1(beginning bloom).
Many June planted fields were touched up last week. Post emergent weed control obviously missed the mark in some fields, with giant ragweed and a few other species hovering over soybean plants. It is doubtful some of those populations will be easy to control at this point.
First cutting was finally completed this past weekend. The hay was coarse, over ripe and produced a bunch. Of course, the common complaint about the late harvest was about how much forage will not be grown because of the significant loss of the second cutting potential.
Some second cutting hay is already harvested producing high quality dairy cow hay. The remaining regrowth from hay cut in May looks excellent. Weed control continues to be an issue in some corn and soybean fields. It appears glyphosate-resistant patches of giant ragweed and marestail are on the rise. With high clearance equipment now freed from N (nitrogen) sidedressing, coverage of remaining weed populations should go quickly.
Once again, the non-farm public is reminded to drive with caution when farm equipment is on public roads. Thanks to all who help to make this a safe planting season! |
| 6/30/2010 |
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