ASK THE AGRONOMIST BLOG

Drones are changing the future of agriculture. As part of Stine’s research efforts, we frequently deploy drones to assist with in-season scouting. For years, this innovative technology has provided added value to seed retailers and crop producers as they offer a different perspective of the field. Now, drones are even more advanced and capable of surveying what lies beneath the crop. Some growers even use drones for agriculture spraying.

Stine’s agronomy team relies on the use of drones for agriculture research each growing season, including in our Product Development Plots (PDP). This year, the team is already planning ahead on how they will use drones to focus on disease characterization and product placement.

“We’ve used drones on the research and development side to scout crops for some time now, but this year we’re taking it a step further,” says Stine® soybean technical agronomist Tyler DuBay. “As soon as the growing season hits, we plan to use drones to strengthen our soybean disease scoring to provide more accurate results for our 2025 seed catalog. This will help growers get a better sense of how our soybean products stand up to certain diseases.” 

IDC scoring

The benefits of drones are impressive. Once the first seeds of the season are planted and emerged, Stine will use drones to scout soybeans to determine iron deficiency chlorosis (IDC) scoring. If you’ve reviewed the 2024 Stine Seed Catalog, you’ve likely seen how we classify IDC ratings as very good (VG), good (G) and average (AV). We hope to improve these ratings for our 2025 products.

“Drones allow us to detect IDC in fields in a more consistent manner,” says DuBay. “Sometimes, human observation and scouting can only do so much and can be subjective. Drones can survey more acres at a faster rate and eliminate any subjectivity.”

Both the agronomy and research teams plan to conduct IDC scoring in plots this summer, so they will combine efforts to determine cumulative results for the upcoming catalog.

SDS scoring

In addition to the benefits of drones for IDC scoring, our agronomy team will also look into sudden death syndrome (SDS) — our first time using aerial crop imaging for SDS scoring.

“This winter, I found research by Kansas State University about using drones to detect SDS,” says DuBay. “This piqued our interest because no other seed company or university is doing this research. For 2024, Stine will lead this effort with consultation from K-State. It’s an exciting venture for us this year.”

Our SDS research plot is planned for southeast Iowa this spring. DuBay will manage the plot and do both manual and drone scoring and then compare findings to check for correlations.

“If we can do SDS scoring via drone and prove it works, we can take it everywhere. We’ll deploy it in our PDP program throughout the country,” says DuBay.

DuBay hopes to check for white mold in plots as well. While white mold isn’t something that can typically be detected by drone, it’s a process he’s looking into to get more data points.

Different technologies, different functions

There are different types of drones in agriculture that provide aerial crop imaging. In addition to disease scoring, Stine’s agronomy team uses drones to look at stand counts and plant heights in corn. For soybeans, we look at maturity scores and canopies to determine yield predictions. Stine’s research and agronomy teams will use a combined 20 drones this season, with different technologies including standard Red, Green, Blue (RGB) devices and multispectral — a technology that uses six different sensors on the camera.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension notes multispectral drones “involve sensors beyond standard RGB cameras, along with image processing, to generate maps of crop condition, or stress.”

The multispectral camera on drones allows us to measure the amount of leaf area on plants and canopy growth. This helps us project a ranking of yield without raw yield data.

“Planting doesn’t slow us down; combining does. If we could get yield predictions to work, then we wouldn’t have to wait to combine our early generation products in our plot program,” says DuBay. “For example, we could use drones to detect which five products are performing and have the best yield potential and move those forward without waiting for harvest results. We can essentially work a month ahead.”

While this technology is still in its early stages, Stine is working with other companies to help us get there.

“The drones take the pictures, but there are some very small, niche groups working in drone technology that have designed platforms with very complex algorithms that allow for machine learning of all the data we collect across the U.S. in our research and plot programs each year,” says DuBay. “Each year, the predictions are getting better.”

The ultimate goal

The ultimate goal of our drone research is providing higher confidence in our yield data and placement of products in addition to homing in our disease ratings. We also want to find the highest-yielding products more efficiently and quicker than manually reviewing each field. Drones will allow us to do that and, ultimately, help us put more plots in across the country.

“The goal with disease scoring is to try to make results objective versus subjective. This will help the farmer gain confidence in scoring by seed companies,” says DuBay. “People’s opinions change about diseases, making manual data somewhat subjective. Using drones gets rid of the bias. What usually takes a day to manually rate can now take 15 minutes.”

Right now, we can plant and monitor about 1.2 million plots per year. Drones can allow us to test up to 10 million plots across the U.S. and Canada, according to DuBay. 

What’s in store for the future?

The future of drones in agriculture is vast. In the coming years, Stine may look into LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology to detect lodging and other scores.

“While it is not our focus right now, the technology has proven it can work for corn. It can sense when corn has fallen over or lodged,” notes DuBay.

For now, we’ll keep searching for and testing new drone technologies and platforms to improve our product research and, ultimately, advance our offerings for our grower customers. The horizon seems endless for the types of technologies available, and Stine will always test what we can to improve the future of farming.

“I can envision satellites starting to come into account as well, where in the future we start using satellite imagery instead of drone imagery,” says DuBay. “We’ll always be prepared to go where the technology takes us.”

To learn more about drones for crop research, contact your local Stine sales rep or agronomist. Stay tuned for future content related to our drone program as this year’s planting and growing seasons progress.

For Stine^® Seed Farm manager Steve Luther, properly inspecting every planter in the farm’s fleet is essential as it’s where the crop season begins.

“Your planter has to be in tip-top shape as it’s where the inception of the crop starts,” says Luther. “You need to ensure the seed is getting into the ground at the right singulation and you have an ideal seed trench to encourage proper emergence.”

Luther and his team began planter maintenance in early January. While each planter is different, it’s important to follow the manufacturer’s settings and instructions closely to ensure the equipment is prepared for the season.

Start inside then move outward

Luther recommends starting with the inside mechanics of the planter before moving outward. His annual planter prep checklist includes:

• Measure the disc blades. Disc blades are essential to help set the bottom of the trench. Recommendations are different for each planter brand, but you want to ensure the disc blades have good contact with the soil for planting and do not need to be replaced. Consult with the manufacturing specs for proper measurements.
• Check the condition of the scrapers. Disc blade scrapers help clear dirt and other residue for the disk openers to properly operate.
• Maintain the disc blade openers. The disc blade openers need to be in proper working order and cleared of debris to dig the soil trench and maintain an ideal seed wall. If your discs are worn, chipped or cracked, it’s important to replace them.
• Review the gauge wheels. Gauge wheels have a lip inside of them that runs against the blade. These act as a “squeegee” that runs against the disc blade opener. If they are worn, they will not create a firm sidewall for a proper trench. “You don’t want your sidewall to be too loose,” Luther notes. “Gauge wheels help prevent that from happening.”
• Check the closing wheels for wear and tear. Closing wheels are an essential component of the planter. They follow the disc blade openers and close the seed furrow to protect the seed from the outside elements and are designed to create and firm seed bed with good seed-to-soil contact.
• Change the delivery belt and or seed tubes. If your planter has a seed cartridge delivery belt, replace the belt when needed. “Because of the number of acres we plant on the farm, we typically replace the belt every year,” notes Luther. “Some planters may not have belts; they may have seed tubes that require inspecting.”
• Retorque the seed plates. Check that the torque in your seed bowls/plates spins properly. You don’t want the seed bowls or plates to spin too freely or have a lot of drag. Set them to the manufacturer’s recommendations. The seed plates are critical to delivering the seed from the box/hopper and into the seed tubes.
• Check the components inside the seed meters. Look for wear and tear. Inspect the brushes to ensure they are still in good condition so they can separate the seed from the seed chamber and the drop chamber. Inspecting the seed eliminators is very important as well. This allows for better singulation and helps avoid seed doubles. Seed meter lid seals are often overlooked; make sure that they are not worn down. These seals need to contact the seed plate. Lastly, inspect your knock-off wheels to make sure they are operating correctly; it can be common to have springs either worn or missing on the knock-off arm.
• Row cleaners. Whether you are a minimum till, no-till or conservation tiller, you likely have row cleaners on your planter. Make sure all row cleaners are functioning well and preset to the manufacturers’ recommendations to help clear rows of any unnecessary residue.
• Check spray systems. Some planters are equipped to handle in-furrow treatments. Make sure the spray system works and is calibrated correctly on these types of planters.
• Ensure all other equipment is serviced before planting. At Stine, we have each tractor and our planting equipment serviced before the planting season; this includes updating the software. “Manufacturers often update software, so it’s important to have them calibrate your systems with the latest software updates,” notes Luther. “I’ve had a software error knock us out for an entire day in the field, and it’s something that could have been avoided if we had gotten the software update before we started planting.”
• Do a test run on all equipment. “We test-run everything on the farm at least once. Whether it’s in the driveway or out in the shop, you can simulate how equipment will run in the field,” says Luther. “Timing is of the essence during the busy planting season. It’s important to try to eliminate what could go wrong before it does.” 

Seed trenches are critical

One important element that is often overlooked is the seed trench (or furrow). Luther notes it’s necessary that the seed trench is firm, and that your closing wheel does its job to ensure the best seed-to-soil contact. This is critical for getting good seedling root growth and for the early stages of the plant, including emergence and standability.

“Don’t just check your seed-to-soil contact in one field; you need to check it every day,” says Luther. “Conditions change daily, and the mechanics can work differently depending on soil moisture, so you need to assess what that looks like each day and adjust your equipment accordingly to achieve the best seed trench.”

Luther adds that it’s important to know the extended weather forecast, including the ground temps and ambient forecast. You need to ensure the soil is warm enough to get the seed germinated. It’s easy to get seed in the ground on a warm spring day, but the weather can turn quickly. Cold, wet soil is a recipe for poor stands and lower yields.

“You want your seed to germinate,” Luther notes. “Planting depth can depend on soil structure and the moisture level. For instance, last year was a dry year, so Stine had to plant corn at 2.5 to 2.75 inches versus the recommended 2-inch range to get that seed to the moisture it needed.”

Luther notes you don’t want to get any deeper than that on corn, but you need to be mindful of how the weather and soil structure can impact planting and the seed trench.

To learn more about planting equipment maintenance or if you need assistance with your planting plan, contact your Stine sales rep or agronomist.

Tuesday marked the first day of spring. As temperatures continue to rise, don’t be tempted to change up your planting plan without careful consideration. Even if one field is ready before another, product recommendations are purposeful, and planting shouldn’t be rushed.

“While there are some benefits of early planting, you never want to sprint to be the first in the field,” says Bill Kessinger, technical agronomist for Stine®. “Mother Nature can turn in an instant, leaving crops susceptible to chilling and unfavorable soil conditions. Patience is critical this time of year.”

Dangers of planting too early

Planting early can put crops at risk for issues like imbibitional chilling, uneven emergence or sidewall compaction. Each limits the crop’s ability to thrive and produce a viable root structure to support a healthy plant.

Corn and soybeans can be affected differently if not planted into an ideal seedbed. Corn takes approximately 90–120 growing degree days (heat units) for a plant to emerge, but that all depends on soil moisture and temperatures. Typically, corn needs a consistent temperature of 50 degrees Fahrenheit and good soil moisture to encourage germination and even emergence.

“If corn sits in the ground longer than it should, the plant is forced to live off the energy and nutrients stored in the seed, which doesn’t allow for a good start. This can impact the crop during the early vegetative stages and weaken its root structure in the long haul,” says Tony Lenz, Stine technical agronomist.

Specifically, if corn receives cold moisture within 48 hours of planting, it can disrupt the germination process as it imbibes 30% of its weight in water before it germinates. This is called imbibitional chilling. It can lead to issues with the developing embryo, including corkscrew effect of the mesocotyl, which can result in the death of the seedling.

Soybeans are also susceptible to chilling injury as the cool temps can affect the seed coat, or the protective layer of the soybean. While soybeans are better equipped to handle chilling, it can cause uneven or delayed emergence. 

Product allowances

Agronomists work hard to help put the right product on the right field. Product recommendations are intentional and require specific conditions and growing degree days to achieve their maximum yield potential.

“Stine agronomists and research experts spend years studying the products we place in growers’ fields,” says Lenz. “We know firsthand the best conditions for optimal growth and carefully help our growers select the right fit for their field. But what we can’t account for is when growers do not plant within the timeline or in conditions recommended for that specific product.”

Whether you’re considering planting early or late, consult with your local Stine sales rep or agronomist to see how timing changes may impact the specific hybrids or varieties selected for your fields.

Other planting considerations

In addition to sticking to your original planting plan, Stine agronomists recommend several tactics to help keep #Plant24 on track. 

• Make sure soil conditions are ideal before planting. Soil temps should hold at a consistent 50+ degrees Fahrenheit for several days, and the extended weather forecast should be favorable for planting (e.g., no dips in temps or cold precipitation for the first few days after planting).
• Pay attention to moisture levels in the soil to avoid sidewall compaction. Avoid planting into too wet soil. This can result in uneven emergence or roots that grow sideways versus straight down.
• Consider seed treatments to protect the seed. Consult with an agronomist if you have concerns about insect or disease pressure that may affect your fields this year as a result of the warm, dry winter.
• Know the restrictions for federal crop insurance and planting dates. According to the University of Minnesota Extension, “Farmers with Federal crop insurance will lose replant coverage if they plant before the earliest allowable planting dates specified by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Risk Management Agency.” This is true even if growers need to replant for reasons other than freeze damage or poor emergence.
• Remember planter maintenance to avoid mid-planting season breakdowns that will impact when and how you plant seed. This can also ensure proper seed-to-soil contact for optimal planting depth and emergence.
• Be flexible. Weather changes may alter agronomic recommendations for your crop. Lean on your local seed rep or agronomist for assistance throughout the busy season.

As we forge ahead to #Plant24, don’t forget to have patience and stick to your planting plan. If you have any questions along the way, contact your Stine sales rep or agronomist. Here’s to a successful planting season!