Decent grain fill despite dryness
ASHKUM – Farmers are seeing decent grain fill in area fields as plants were able to maintain many of the kernels that were pollinated.
“Most everything that I’ve been through in over 100 fields here in the last couple weeks, we really did have good pollination timing,” Sean Jordal explained during the recent ProHarvest Seeds customer appreciation night and plot tour.
Pollination managed to be decent despite all of the heat and dry weather growers experienced here in Central Illinois. Now, we just need to finish out those kernels and get them to grain market size as there are concerns if the dryness continues.
Jordal describes this year’s corn crop as a story of three chapters – that planted early in April, the May planted corn and late plantings in June. The later corn has the continued chance for drought stress and overall late season plant health.
“Much of the (later) corn is just coming into full brown silk so there might be an opportunity if guys want to do a fungicide treatment. We are also seeing aphids and other insects moving into our corn crop.”
When it comes to soybeans, the end goal is filling the pod as much as possible and getting good bean size. A nice cluster can form on top of the plant due to late-season rains and this can result in higher bushels at harvest, according to Jordal.
Not only did ProHarvest have its full corn profile on display during last week’s plot tour, but the company also featured various soybean technologies. Since ProHarvest is an independent seed company, it does not have to wave the banner for just one soybean technology.
“We will represent for the 2020 growing season: Xtend, Enlist, GT LL’s as well as conventional soybeans,” Jordal noted.
Jordal believes growers must properly manage herbicide programs moving forward by using all of the tools available over the next several years in order to maximize productivity and minimize the potential for weed resistance.
More information can be found at www.proharvestseeds.com or by following @ProHarvest Seeds or @ProHarvest Agronomist on Twitter.
