Stine® Seed Company Technical Agronomist Bill Kessinger is a tenured expert in all things agronomy. Recently, he met with Stine’s leadership and sales team to provide an overview of conversations he’s having with growers about issues they’re experiencing due to the wet planting and growing season this spring. Delayed planting and replanting continue to be a concern, even heading into mid-June. Kessinger has timely advice for some of the situations growers might be facing right now.
“A lot of calls coming in are focused on delayed planting or managing damaged crops caused by wet conditions this spring,” says Kessinger. “What I tell growers facing tough decisions right now is to make a business decision, not an emotional one. Don’t panic if crops look tough. Think of your goals and discuss options with your local agronomist.”
Delayed planting or replanting of corn and soybeans
Kessinger's top advice for growers experiencing delayed planting or replanting situations is to stick to products in your maturity range and decrease populations in corn but increase soybeans planting populations.
“As you delay planting in soybeans, you want to increase populations,” says Kessinger. “Soybeans grow by day length and put more flowers on closer to the summer solstice. The later you plant them, the shorter the time frame for vegetative growth.”
Increasing the planting population allows growers to get more nodes on the plant and vegetative growth in the fields, helping achieve a better canopy and more yield in the long run. He also notes growers will want to stick to the mid- or later- maturity range for their region without straying too far from the original plan.
“If you’re used to planting 2.5 maturity soybeans and your early side is a 2 and the late side is a 3, stay in the middle to upper end of that maturity, so maybe a 2.4 to a 3,” says Kessinger.
The same maturity strategy is true for corn, but the planting population recommendation is reversed.
“In corn, you want to bring populations down,” says Kessinger. “Since corn relies on growing degree units, there’s a tighter and faster time frame. Growing degree units add up quicker and slightly alter plant growth the later you plant. You want to bring those populations down so each plant has a better opportunity for effective pollination and to reach its full yield potential.”
For example, if your desired population for cornfields planted in late April to the beginning of May was 36K–38K, he recommends bringing it down to 32K–33K for June planting.
“If you’re planting corn this late or in a replanting scenario, you can’t expect to get 100% of your yield goal,” says Kessinger. “Now, growers should shoot for 80%–90% and do what they can to conserve efforts.”
Half-life of herbicide chemistries
Agronomists are also fielding calls about slow-growing crops or ones with noticeable water damage. Kessinger notes growers with this problem need to get a hold of weed control fast.
“Water-damaged crops are not going to canopy as quickly as they normally would,” he says. “Unfortunately, the half-life of herbicide chemistries goes down significantly the more moisture you get, leaving crops more exposed to weed pressure. Growers must stay on the front end of chemistries.”
In anaerobic, or wet conditions where oxygen is depleted from the soil, herbicide chemistries applied early in the season aren’t going to perform as they have in the past. Kessinger notes they’re even seeing some corn turn white because of the moisture’s effect on HPPD chemistries.
“Crops can’t metabolize herbicide chemistries as well in a wet year,” he says. “Fortunately, most damage to crops is visual at this point. Growers should contact their local sales rep or agronomist if they spot any issues, and we can help keep a watchful eye on it.”
Nitrogen leaching
With rain comes nitrogen leaching. Since nitrogen is an essential macronutrient of crop production, Kessinger stresses the importance of growers checking their nitrogen levels to see how much has moved or leached from their field.
“If you split apply nitrogen and received heavy rains after, you need to come in with your side-dress earlier than you’ve done in the past,” he says.
Nitrogen enhances the photosynthesis process of the plant, which is critical in the early stages of plant development for overall growth and grain fill. Growers considering a side-dress of nitrogen should also look into adding sulfur — a nutrient that helps metabolize nitrogen.
Fungicides for added protection
Wet conditions lead to higher disease pressure. With plants that may already be struggling to thrive, fungal disease can hit hard and fast this year.
“Fungicides will be important for root rot and stalk diseases this growing season,” says Kessinger. “Fungal diseases are coming in, so growers should have risk management strategies in place.”
He notes they should be prepared for pythium, crown rot, stalk rot, fusarium and more this summer.
“There will be a lot out there for growers to manage as the crop progresses,” says Kessinger. “Growers need to approach anything they do from an economic standpoint. In other words, don’t throw good money at a bad crop.”
If you have a crop that’s struggling, think about your yield goals for the field. With added crop inputs and agronomic practices, is that yield still realistic? Talk to your local sales rep or regional sales agronomist to see what makes the most sense. Remember, Stine is always here to help.