Scout fields after wet weather

CHENOA – As the weather hopefully improves throughout May, one area agronomist recommends scouting planted corn and soybean fields as soon as possible.

Nic Roth with BCS, LLC says you want to look closely at those fields starting to emerge in order to make the proper replant decisions. There could even be instances where entire fields need to be torn up and planted again. One thing is certain: most growers in Central Illinois are in the same boat since most of the corn went into the ground in a short amount of time.

“I would imagine there probably will be some replant,” Roth told The Central Illinois Farm Network last week. “To what extent, it’s kind of hard to evaluate until we get some warm weather to see what actually will germinate and grow beyond the surface.”

For young corn to survive a cool wet weather spell we just experienced, it depends on what stage of growth the seed is in, how long it has been in the ground and if the seed has already received a warm drink from rain.

“If they have gotten that, they’ve got a better chance of surviving,” Roth added.

Those seeds put into the ground right before the recent wet spell are at a higher risk of not surviving, since they were exposed to cooler temperatures and cold rain. Once in a while, seeds underground never emerge due to disease pressure or other issues.

Roth is amazed at the effectiveness of seed treatments in the past few years.

With the cool saturated soils, it is also important to examine nitrogen levels after planting and prior to side dressing.

“You can take a simple nitrogen test and it will tell you where you are at for the year currently and give you an idea of where to go from there for the rest of the season.”

In the area BCS serves, Roth says a fair amount of corn has been planted along with a few soybean fields.

“There’s plenty to do,” Roth concluded.

The BCS main office, located between Fairbury and Chenoa on Route 24, can be reached at 815-945-7076 or online at www.soilbalance.com.