Field Report -- May 14

Kindred, ND
Well the wind is blowing and still blowing ... The corn and the beans are going in the ground and I have a feeling if it does not rain the crop will all be in within two weeks. All and all the seed bed is probably the best it has been in a long time. I have talked to quite a few guys that have been planting in sterile seed beds, mainly so they do not have to worry about the wind, but also to conserve moisture. -Ben

Hunter, ND

Corn planting has been going really well over the last week. A few guys will be finishing up over the next few days while others are waiting for some wetter ground to dry out and have switched to beans. Most guys will be switching to beans right after they finish corn so bean planting will go fast as well. The ground temp hasn't warmed up very fast since last week’s planting, but after checking some of those fields, we do have some action. Below is a picture of some 76R92 that was planted last Wednesday and as you can see it is just sprouting. Which should really take off this week, with the warmer weather ahead. Good luck to all with planting! -Kaelin

76R92 planted last Wednesday is sprouting!

Eastern I-94 Corridor
The picture below was taken yesterday morning while planting a corn plot at Sky Farmer Ag. Both corn and soybean planting is in high gear. The I-94 corridor, soil conditions have been good overall for planting, but a rain this weekend would bring a smile to many producers. -Mike L

Brad and Patrick Fowler planting corn at Sky Farmer Ag

NE North Dakota / NW Minnesota
Planting is wide open and going well. There are no planting separations this year. Beans, corn, potatoes, and beets are all going in the same day! I think the biggest crunch is getting enough fertilizer to handle the rush. It is a logistic nightmare as we might expect with the short season. It is very hard to believe that 10 days ago we were all wondering if or when we would get in the field! I believe we are continually seeing how dry our soil was after last year’s drought as evidence by how quickly fields are being planted. -Rocky

Southeast North Dakota
The perfect weather event would be a nice 1/2 inch of rain. That would be just enough to add some moisture in the planting zone, but would not delay operations any more than a day. Worked fields are drying out on top, but are being worked up beautifully. Planting is going in all areas. Corn is going in fast except for where fertilizer spreading is backed up and growers are waiting. Several growers will finish up with corn this week without any obstacles. Soybeans are going in if fertilizer is holding them up. Many growers are hitting the soybeans hard this week. May 10-20 is prime time for bean planting. -Rich

Field Report -- May 9 -- Planting!

 

Prosper, ND
Planting has kicked into full gear as of Tuesday.  For the most part everyone has said that the seed bed has been as good as it ever has. Plots have been going in the ground around the farm as well. We also have Precision Planting based out of Tremont, Illinois doing research at the farm this year, so it will be fun to watch that as the year goes on. -Josh

Kindred, ND
Corn planting has started in the Kindred area. I spent the past few days making the last of our corn seed deliveries, and it looks as though it was just in time. Some wheat has been seeded, and I have heard of some beans going in the ground, but not in this area. Most of the growers that I have talked to say that last year’s beet ground and last year’s corn ground have been going the best, as it was the first ground to dry out enough. The weather seems to be cooperating thus far, with Saturday having the coldest low at 34 degrees. Soil temp is 53 degrees at 4" just west of PFS Kindred. Everyone has been waiting patiently to get in the field, well, maybe not patiently, but waiting none the less. Now that we are going, stay safe and happy planting! -Kasey

Eastern I-94 Corridor
Planting corn is in high gear across my territory. It started Monday and is picking up every day. Plots are going in as well. The first soybeans went out with a grower yesterday. Field conditions are awesome and the field beds we are planting into are beautiful. -Mike L

Devan planting plots on Mike's Farm at PFS.

NE North Dakota / NW Minnesota
We are still having some major flooding along the Red and a few overland areas also. Cresting for most will end this weekend. Other spots are just getting started with Crookston/Climax/Shelly leading the way. I expect activity to increase daily with next week being a big week for all (hopefully). -Rocky

76F82 being planted in Alvarado, MN

Central North Dakota
Planting is underway in the south fairly steady. In the northern part of the state, guys are going but need to be a little more selective about what field they are working. Lots of small grains and corn going in and a few reports of soybeans. -Jeff

Southeastern North Dakota
We are getting underway with field operations including fertilizer spreading, spring seedbed tillage, and wheat, sugarbeet and corn planting. Soil temps are still cold so growers are starting to plant but not pushing it hard until soils warm a bit. There is more planting activity south of I-94 than north. A grower by Rosholt, SD was 1/2 planted on corn yesterday. In Richland County, I have gotten reports of a handful of growers planting soybeans only because a field specified for beans is fit and they don't have a field fit for corn yet. -Rich

Mike Larson on our plot planter, planting our first corn and soybean plot of the year at Lisbon, ND for Wiltse Seed.

Later Planted Corn Needs Less GDU's to Mature

The average GDU accumulation at Fargo from May 1-22 is 239 according to NDAWN data.

Studies by Purdue University show over three years that early corn hybrids utilized an average of 244 less GDU's to reach maturity when planted the end of May rather than the end of April or early May.

I'm Norwegian - so I'm kind of conservative. Let's say 150-200 fewer GDU's are needed to mature. It is about a wash or within 2-3 days of a wash. So, what does that mean?

It means you've barely lost any time to mature your corn when planting at the end of May instead of the first of May. That helps answer the question of making maturity when planting in late May rather than early May, doesn't it? So why don't we plant the end of May every year, you ask? Well, if fields are fit and dry enough to plant, the longer season provides an additional 244 heat units to produce a few more bushels and dry-down in the fall.

This data provides another reason, and some piece of mind, to stick with your "full" maturity hybrids until "at least" May 20. What am I talking about with the term 'full maturity' for your farm? Example: If you plant the majority of your farm to 90 day corn, some 95 day and some 85 day, your full maturity is 95 day. So my recommendation is this: if you are past the 20th of May, drop off your 95 day from your plan (or some of it), IF you are undersized with your drying setup. If you are set up well with drying capacity, stick to that full maturity corn for a few more days (May 25).

KEEP YOUR RESOLVE or plan to make less money for tax purposes. My sense of humor came out there ... sorry. I hope this helps the conundrum rolling around in your mind.

Peterson Farms Seed Featured in Bell State Bank's Newsletter

Recently, Bell State Bank & Trust interviewed Carl Peterson for the April issue of their AgViews Newsletter. Here is an excerpt of that article. To read the entire Q & A with Carl, click here.


Long-time Bell State Bank & Trust ag customer Peterson Farms Seed started in 1996 on the Peterson family farm near Harwood, ND. Today, the company is one of the major seed providers in the north-central region, with its own independent research program, a commitment to exceptional product quality and service, and educational and best-practices opportunities for farmers through Peterson University.

Thank you to Peterson Farms Seed owners Carl & Julie Peterson, who took time before the planting season to answer AgView's questions about their business and its place in ag industry.

In your opinion, how much of the increase we’ve seen in soybean and corn yields the past 5-6 years are related to genetics and how much to other agronomic factors? That is a really interesting question. There are always natural variations and cycles. However, nationwide, yields have increased on trend lines for many many, many years -- a little more than a bushel per year for corn and about one-third of a bushel per year for soybeans. Breeders and agronomists argue a bit about the source of that increase, but the reality is that our crops are produced in systems that include breeding, cultural practices, chemistry, fertility and GMO traits. We need all of those factors to create the incredible productivity we enjoy. If you remove any of those factors, our productivity decreases, often dramatically. And of course that is something to think about when folks talk about radical changes in our food production systems.

What are your thoughts on the concerns about Roundup-resistant weeds? I don’t like them! I would argue that Roundup-ready crops have been one of the very top innovations in agriculture in the past century. Over time, any dramatic change in farming practices causes change in the weed spectrum that challenges the dominant practices We need to adapt to meet the challenge That may mean adding pre-emerge chemistry to the mix, it might mean planting Liberty Link soybeans, or it might mean tweaking crop rotations In the short term, however, we need to make certain that farmers are on top of the situation as it develops on their farm In other parts of the country, there have been fields disked up because they were too late with weed control

What is the average life of a corn or soybean hybrid? About three years, on average Some extremely strong products will last four or five years, but as trait innovation continues and breeding progress accelerates, product life cycles shorten Farmers need to trust their seed suppliers more than in the past, because the farmer simply doesn’t have time to “test” these new products on his farm Peterson Farms Seed’s goal is to earn the farmer’s trust so that together we can become more productive

What do you see as the next big trait that genetics will address? Will it be drought, insects, disease? All of the above We demonstrated one drought product at our 2012 field day, a second product is just reaching the market, and there are several right behind Some of these address short-term drought, and others address more chronic water shortages, so they are targeted to different markets Insects continue to adjust to current strategies so there will be a continued effort in this area The next major shift will be to output traits: higher protein levels or specific amino acids or improved oil quality. This will be industry changing, in time.

How do you compete with the Pioneers, DeKalbs and other major brands of the world? I would answer that by looking at what is needed to succeed:

1. Access to great genetics. We run the largest independent yield testing program in this region As such, we test genetics from more sources than any other company And we have access to a broader range of genetics than the major companies, who are constrained to work within their own breeding programs.
2. Access to the latest traits. We work very closely with every trait provider In fact, we have licenses for every GMO trait currently on the market for corn and soybeans. There is truly no other company in this region with as broad an access to technology as Peterson Farms Seed.
3. We live here! It is pretty hard for a company headquartered in St. Louis, Mo., or Johnston, Iowa, to understand the differing needs of growers in North Dakota and Northwest Minnesota To us, this region is the only thing that matters! That gives us a pretty significant edge.
4. As a smaller company, we are quicker to respond to changes and farmer needs. We can identify a problem, discuss alternatives and implement a solution before the folks in those huge companies even decide who to put on the committee to discuss the issue!
5. As the largest independent company in this region, we are large enough to be important to the major players and to gain access to all the latest traits and genetics.

Our goal is that our customers will grow better crops and be more successful. Thanks to Bell State Bank for asking such great questions! To read the entire Q & A with Carl, click here.

Planter Meter Maintenance

We’ve stated in the past that by conducting over 600 stand evaluations in regional corn fields over the past two years, and have discovered that the biggest single step most corn growers can take to raise their yields is to improve the performance of their planter.

Peterson Farms Seed has recently become a dealer for Precision Planting products and services. Precision Planting has distinguished itself as the preeminent source of add-on planter products, bringing exciting technology to crop planting.

As planting is just around the corner, take a few minutes to watch Ben Askegaard demonstrate how to examine your planter meters. Through our Plus20 Agronomy Club we have discovered that increasing singulation (minimizing seed multiples and skips) by 1% can give you an increase of 3-5 bushels per acre. It is one of the simplest things you can do to increase your yields.



A big part of Peterson Farms Seed's mission is to provide unparalleled agronomic support to growers, resulting in higher yields. The Ag Bites video series provides in-field reports and practical agronomic tips to inform and educate our customers in that effort.

Keeping Your Resolve ... Your Original Corn Plan is a Good One!

All the equipment in the shop is ready to go. Can't find a single thing left to check out or fix. I've even waxed the tractor, for the third time. I'm sick of having coffee at the café until 9:00. I am thinking too much about what could happen. All I know is that I want to be putting in a crop and instead, winter just won't give up!!!!! The calendar, the snow, the cold ... the corn seed that I bought, well, it maybe too much maturity. Good grief, another day of white again today, what the heck am I going to do? I want to plant corn but it is getting late. I swear it is May 20th right? No wait, I guess it is only April. Yes, but last year at this time I had a lot of my acres planted already! What should I do? Maybe I should forget about corn and plant soybeans? I don't know. If it shapes up, how can I get my crop in fast enough? I know I will just need to plant as soon as I can get across the field. Forget about fit field conditions, I just need to get this stuff in the ground! Maybe I should sweep the shop floor again. I hate to admit it, but the soap operas are getting interesting ...

Sound familiar? Well, maybe a little exaggerated but ............. but maybe not.

Let's talk some realities that may help in this year of no April showers and flowers. OK. First, it looks like the weather trend is changing. We will be going from "winter" to early "summer like" weather patterns over the next two weeks. By May 1st we should be starting to dry. By May 20th we may be done planting corn. Sounds too good to be true, huh? Well, I think it is very possible.

First, the field conditions are not saturated like we are used to over the last 20 years. Once we get the temps, our fields will shape up much faster than normal. We may not get in the field until May 10th, but that is ok. I REPEAT, THAT IS OK. In 2011, we didn't get started until then and we had a great crop of corn. We got the fall tillage done. You are one big step ahead of normal, right?

DO NOT CHANGE YOUR HYBRID PLAN UNTIL AT LEAST MAY 20. I have been around corn for 30 years now, and I can attest that you do not want to change from your "PLAN A" hybrids until that time. Why? First, we usually only get about 100-150 good heat units in May on an average year. It takes close to that many heat units for emergence, so it is not that critical for the seed to be sitting in the ground before it is warm enough for emergence. Think about how many times you have planted into cold or wet soil in the past and had your seed lay there before it emerged, loosing vigor and imbibing cold water if it is wet in the planting zone? Plus every time you have delayed emergence, you have uneven emergence. A corn plant two leaves behind its neighbors is a weed, not a productive corn plant. Did that cost you anything? You bet it did.

Waiting a few days and having your corn emerge fast and even is worth many, many bushels. And remind yourself of that when your neighbor is out there mudding and you are not. You are going to be the smart one in the end. Think about the lost bushels of an early hybrid planted before it should be. That alone can be 20-30 bushel. You are money ahead if you keep the priorities straight. Population and emergence uniformity is extremely important for corn. You know it is, so don't compromise by mudding it in, driving too fast or cutting corners on field preparation. Pushing it just because you are afraid of a rain event delaying you is more costly than planting a little later in good conditions. Corn isn't $2.50 anymore, so don't worry about having to spend a few dollars drying your corn this coming fall. The added bushels gained will more than take care of your drying costs. All of these things can add up to 20-30-40 even 50 bushel gains or losses in corn. Think about that instead of all the "what if's".

YOUR ORIGINAL PLAN IS GOOD. Don't change a thing until after May 20. Then you should consider dropping off your biggest corn and dropping back a few days maturity if it is available. NO use changing maturities unless it is a least a 5-10 day maturity change. You're a durable northern corn grower with a good plan. Keep your resolve....

Carl Speaks on the History of Seed

Last fall, Carl had the privilege to speak at the  2012 Governors’ Conference on North Dakota History.

Being his wife, my first thought was, “well…I guess he is getting pretty old. He probably does know quite a bit about the state’s history.” But, that isn’t very fair. He was asked to speak on a subject that he really does know a lot about – SEED!

The topic he was given was Seed Advances from Mesopotamia to St. Louis. As you can imagine, he had to do quite a bit of research to learn the origins of seed all the way back to Mesopotamia.

Interestingly enough, the history of seed through the 19th century can be told rapidly – not much happened. Advances started coming more quickly in the 1930’s with hybridization. And the changes that have been made in the last twenty years are truly mind-boggling!

But, hold on to your hats! The advances that are certain to come in the next twenty years will surely dwarf the previous 3,000 years all-together! Because of our independence, Peterson Farms Seed is in a great position to assess the needs of farmers in this region and respond with products to meet those needs – from multiple technology partners, rather than utilizing one single technology solution.

Recently, I received a dvd of Carl’s presentation from the 2012 History Conference, and we’ve posted it to the PFS youtube channel. It is not a fancy recording, but you can clearly hear his talk and see his charts. If you’re interested in North Dakota’s agricultural history, you may want to take look. The first part talks about seed advances. At about 16:00, he begins talking about ND’s historical crop acreage.