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Official Hiring Announcement: Malachi Ijams is scheduled to begin working for the firm starting in August of 2024. As our company continues to grow, expand its product offerings, and deepen our support to the crop production community we are excited to add to our family of employees. His experience in chemical and fertilizer application will broaden our expertise and abilities to hold to our true core values of discovering what farmers need and then working together to craft a solution to solve that challenge. We feel blessed to have this opportunity of working together into the future. Malachi has lived in the area all his life and lives in north eastern Vernon County with his wife Maggie, and two young sons. On behalf of us all Malachi, welcome aboard.

How do you deliver better insights to make farmers more successful? TOP Ag Services LLC  and Dirks Bros share more than office space. We are collaborating to offer farmers more effective agronomy services. Whether it’s crop scouting, agronomic research, or testing the latest hybrids, products, and ideas, we’re combining our experience and resources to improve our agricultural community. This includes the future development of a location next door to TOP Ag Services’ current facility. Dirks Bros LLC is a local family-owned company offering results-driven crop fertility management services since 2019. Stay tuned for exciting developments over time! #collaboration #innovation

Received an email from Pat Miller of black cutworm in the area. If you have not put down a herbicide yet, this is the perfect time to include it. Hero offers a guarantee for a period of time, I believe 30 days but don't quote me on that. Keep an eye out for this! If you have concerns and need me help walk, give me a shout. Call 417-684-5301 or email: wendell@topagservices.com Credits: Pat Miller, University of Missouri, Extension Black cutworms https://extension2.missouri.edu/g7112 Armyworms https://extension2.missouri.edu/g7115 Photo Credit goes to: University of Minnesota Extension https://extension.umn.edu/corn-pest-management/black-cutworm

"Every storm runs out of rain, just like every dark night turns into day." Gary Allen I have been thinking about the storms that are moving in. This has caused me to think of what we can do as farmers against powerful Mother Nature. From an "out in the field standpoint" not much far as stopping a hailstorm or a flooded crop. However, we can look at the insurance coverage and the option to add wind, hail, etc to your policy. Now is the time before this event materializes. From the pricing we have done for our farm, it seems there are some really economical options to add to revenue protection. While we cannot stop adverse weather, we can prepare mentally and financially. I thought it important to drop this quick note as this rain moves in to be aware of your options and call your crop insurance agent to make sure everything is signed properly and the added coverage if needed is there. It seems important to prepare to run the marathon, not win the short dash. Good Luck!

“From one seed a whole handful: that was what it meant to say the bounty of the earth.” -J.M. Coetzee On April 10, 2019 weather forecasters calculated a sharp gradient to setup near the Bates and Vernon County areas on the evening of April 13, 2019. This would result in cold wet rain to fall on newly planted corn ground. This forecast was quite different in our area than the forecasted event as that dry line pushed south and east. The difficulty they had in placing a storm with this sharp of gradient laid aside, let's look at a possible example of what could have happened had that event materialized on us. This is why your agronomist warns of seed imbibing cold water as its first drink. The pictures included here show corn seedlings not so far south of us that hit this cold wet event too soon after it went into the ground. Read on to the end of the article. Next week the forecast has high rain risks in it, and we touch a little on research done on saturated soils. It is insightful to know a little of the science behind seed germination. Truly, this is an amazing event. A corn kernel weighing about 1/100th of an ounce can multiply to 500 fold. No human invention can perform this miracle. -The Seed Kernel is a living organism, in a position of quiescence. It is resting, but alive. If a kernel is kept in optimum conditions (cool & dry), it will respire at a slow metabolic rate for years without much reduction in viability. -Water level in the soil needs to be around 30% for germination to start. You can estimate this by gripping a lump of soil. If it is slightly moist, forms a weak ball that can be broken by throwing at the ground, and leaves no water stains on your hands it is between 25-50% water level. -Temperature effects on the kernel can bring varied results even as different hybrid genetics react differently to cold weather. Also, different seed sizes can change the speed of imbibition of water. Larger seed will take longer than smaller seed, for example. This difference is minute, but when a seed is planted hours apart from another this can make a difference on a the ultimate effect of cold temperatures on the seedling. A 50 degree soil temperature or higher is important to plant into. -Oxygen is a critical, but not often thought of component in germination. The speed of respiration increases as kernel begins the germination process. This is a concern in water saturated soils. If these conditions persist, seed mortality will occur. Corn vs Soybean Morphology at emergence Corn goes through hypogeal germination (seed kernel stays below ground) and soybean goes through Epigeal germination (seed kernel is pulled above the ground). Both, corn and soybean seedlings change according to light from the sun. When soybean cotyledons encounter light, they start the process of photosynthesis and turn green. When the corn coleoptile still below the soil surface senses red light from solar radiation this causes a change in one or more corn growth hormones. Since the depth at which the seedling senses red light is fairly constant, the depth of the crown is nearly the same if the seed depth is 1" or greater. Thus making it easy to mark the seed's planted depth even after kernel has wasted away. Summary It is my opinion that cold temperatures hitting a freshly planted seed via cold air, water, or both can sicken and weaken the seedling. This problem occurs rather quickly by comparison to warm temperatures and excess water. Water excess and the resulting lack of oxygen is a problem that wastes away the seed's or seedling's viability over a longer period of time by contrast. Typically, an older corn plant with a healthy, robust root system will handle wet saturated soils better than a plant with roots that are trying to grow in a seed trench that was smeared, have struck a compaction layer, or is unable to intercept nutrition as soil levels are at or below critical levels inhibiting root health. The more roots the better as the corn plant will kill its own roots to convert this material to oxygen. I then ask a question: "Could drought tolerant hybrids fare better in saturated soils?" Typically, drought resistant corn products have a larger root mass. Here is a direct quote from a scientific study on saturated soils: "High variability was observed among corn hybrids in response to prolonged soil waterlogging for 14 days or 21 days for various growth parameters. However, some corn hybrids had higher growth (Hybrids #5, #6) in optimum moisture conditions compared to other hybrids. In addition, some hybrids were more susceptible to waterlogging as indicated by the reduction in plant height and biomass production. Higher variability in hybrid responses to waterlogging and comparatively shorter duration of greenhouse experiment make it difficult to identify one or more hybrids from this experiment showing greater resistance to waterlogging stress than other hybrids." "These results indicate that waterlogging tolerance traits may be present among commercial corn hybrids. Exact mechanisms for this tolerance were not explored in this research, but it may be important for future research to examine these mechanisms and the conditions under which optimal expression of the traits can be stimulated. "Inclusion of more diverse genetic lines that have major differences in traits that may affect flood tolerance, such as stomatal opening and root growth, also may be necessary to identify specific flood tolerance traits as they are expressed in the field." The complete study can be found here: Screening Corn Hybrids for Soil Waterlogging Tolerance at an Early Growth Stage Gurpreet Kaur Brendan Zurweller Peter P. Motavalli Kelly A. Nelson https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/9/2/33/htm As always, if you need anything feel free to reach out anytime: 417-684-5301 or wendell@topagservices.com Works cited Estimating soil moisture by feel and appearance https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcs144p2_051845.pdf Seed Science: Seed Germination by Alex Johnson https://www.farmprogress.com/seed/seed-science-seed-germination Emergence and Seedling Characteristics of Maize Native to the Southwestern US - Scientific Figure on ResearchGate. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Diagram-of-maize-seedling-parts_fig1_317138012 [accessed 25 Apr, 2019] SOYBEAN ANATOMY GLYCINE MAX PLANT AT GEOCHEMBIO TAXONOMY BRIEF FACTS http://directorioweb.me/soybean-anatomy/soybean-anatomy-glycine-max-plant-at-geochembio-taxonomy-brief-facts/ Delta Research and Extension Center, Mississippi State University, Stoneville, MS 38776, USA Plant and Soil Sciences Department, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA Department of Soil, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA Division of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri, Novelty, MO 63460, USA Professionals consulted David Hughes, CCA Agronomist near Columbia, MO Alex Long, CCA Agronomist for Beck's Hybrids for MO

Here is an article on pre plant burndown from Joe Bolte at the Southern Illinois PFR location. The fall of 2018 brought many challenges to the region, making it difficult for fall anhydrous applications or a fall burndown. The February issue of CropTalk had the first part of this series. We hope to give you insight on options for spring management if you did not finish your traditional fall fieldwork. The first article, available on the Beck's website, focused on considerations for applying spring anhydrous. This article will focus on how to maximize the efficacy of a spring burndown. Managing Marestail in the Spring Marestail has an extended germination period, meaning it can germinate in the fall or spring. Marestail that germinates in the fall overwinters as a rosette and bolts in the spring. Germination in the spring can happen very early, just as soil temperatures start to rise. Whether the plant germinates in the fall or spring, controlling marestail when it is small is the key. Rosettes are much easier to control compared to plants that have bolted. This means an EARLY burndown is key. How early? Applications should be made as air temperatures start to rise and the plants are actively growing for the herbicide to be effective. A spring burndown not only controls marestail, but also allows you the opportunity to control early emerging summer annuals like giant ragweed. What Are My Control Options in the Spring? In the spring, there are very effective options when it comes to marestail control. Products such as Sharpen® result in very effective control of marestail and giant ragweed, though most populations are resistant to glyphosate. Tank-mixing Roundup PowerMAX® with Sharpen can help control winter annuals that are susceptible to glyphosate, such as shepherd’s-purse, henbit, purple deadnettle, penny cress, etc. Reducing vegetation can also help eliminate areas for cutworm moths to lay their eggs in early spring. A burndown offers the opportunity to use other herbicide modes of action (MOAs) and sites of action (SOAs) that cannot be used in-season. Gramoxone® tank mixed with metribuzin can be very effective on smaller marestail plants. This also allows the opportunity to use a group 22 + 5 herbicide, which cannot be used in-season. What about Growth Regulators? Growth regulators are very effective on marestail, even after the plant has bolted. Products such as 2,4-D, tank mixed with glyphosate, are very effective on marestail, and giant ragweed. However, as Enlist E3™ soybeans become available, we need to start looking at other burndown options such as Sharpen, Gramoxone and metribuzin to avoid over-reliance on 2,4-D. Dicamba is also very effective on marestail and giant ragweed. However, another MOA should be used to avoid over-reliance on dicamba if Xtendimax® is applied in-season to Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® soybeans. Does This Change My Pre-emergence Application? Products like Gramoxone will not have any residual value, while products such as Sharpen and metribuzin can have residual activity depending on the rate. The burndown application needs to be applied early enough to control the marestail while it’s small. However, this leaves more time in between the burndown and pre-emergence application. This may allow new flushes of weeds, reducing the efficacy of the pre-emergence application. Pre-emergence herbicides need to reach the soil surface to be effective. If planting is delayed, select burndown products that have residual value such as Sharpen and metribuzin. For the pre-emergence application, select products that have residual and post-emergence activity or, add a product with post-emergence activity. Remember, this is only intended to clean up a few escapes. If there is heavy weed pressure, a second burndown application is needed to ensure the preemergence herbicide reaches the soil. Individual results may vary. Always read and follow label directions. https://www.beckshybrids.com/Blog/ArtMID/841/userid/121/ArticleID/2181/CropTalk-Falls-Unfinished-Business-Part-Two-Herbicide-Burndown Full Credits go to Joe Bolte with Beck's Hybrids

“The more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in combat.” -Richard Marcinko As we continue to patiently wait for go time, there are some little details that can be overlooked; especially on the planter. Another walk around the planter looking over the components can sometimes reveal an item not set correctly or a part that at second look needs replaced. Obviously, now is the time to sweat over this. Here are some items to look at on our equipment to make sure it eliminates unnecessary downtime. Planter Details Tire Inflation: proper & consistent air pressure will keep seed at a consistent depth, reduce compaction, and extend the life of the tires. Maybe, the tires were inflated a few weeks ago for planting. Now is a good time to recheck the tires to see if one has a slow leak that could let you down on a dry sunny day. Level planter front to back: place a level on the bar front to back and level. Not level planters affect seed discs, angle of seed tube, and closing wheels. Don't eyeball it, I did that a few years ago until a business partner pointed out that the draft tubes point up. This gave me the deceptive visual that the bar was level when it was not. Check bushings on parallel arms: This is a big (& expensive) project and may be best to wait on till winter if possible. Precision Planter Solutions from our own state of Missouri has perfected a system of flange bushings that can greatly reduce the cost of this undertaking. Loose parallel arms cause chatter going through the field. Disc openers 14.5" or less replace. With the year like we have with short time to get things done, might be wise to consider 14 5/8" as the minimum. Hopefully, avoiding down time. Check down force: With ample moisture we will not want to use too much down force. Adjust this feature accordingly. This may be a setting to be fine tuned in the field. Make sure closing wheels run true to the trench. You can use a fiberglass field flag from your Beck's Hybrids dealer to place in the seed disc opener and lay it parallel out the back between the closing wheels. This will give you a visual on where to adjust the closing wheels left or right. Check Seed Meters: Ideally, place them on a stand by a professional. If that is not feasible, find a level pasture or grass to drive and check them with old seed in a bag from last year. Final tip: Before planting tie up several closing wheels with wire and check seed placment consistency in level pasture or short grass area. With seed drives off, plant in a dry area of a field ends and check for gauge wheel down force, seed trench depth, etc to make sure the settings and changes are correct. Planter Monitor Field Boundaries & Names: Like the post says under Ag News on this website, make sure that all monitors on the operation share common field names and boundaries. Data can be corrupted from data that is not recorded into the same boundary. Operate the GPS system out in the yard and make sure you are able to utilize the full service you are paying for. If you are subscribed to RTK and the system you pull off of is not working right, it will be frustrating to be sitting without service on a beautiful dry day to plant. Go through the monitor firmware updates and make sure each device has a current and equal update. Out of date firmware can be a headache in intermittent communication to controllers on your equipment. Go over planting prescriptions if you are utilizing this. TOP Ag Services now offers this service to prep monitors and create scripts customized for your field. Make sure zones cover fields correctly and that default populations entered for each field. This will insure if there is a glitch, the planter will default to a planting rate instead of shutting off. Backup and upload any stray data to your FARMserver® account. Then, delete old data out of your planter monitor. This can improve the speed and performance of the display. Tillage Equipment & Practice Tillage tool tongue level with draw bar: This will minimize wear on the equipment and will create a seedbed no deeper than necessary. Insure no air is in hydraulic lines: Cycle equipment several times to purge air. Air compresses and will cause a wing to sag if not purged with oil. Level implement Left to Right: This is important to insure an even seed bed. Lower implement on level ground until almost touching. Then, measure with tape measure at the bottom of the frame to the center pivot on the walking tandem or at the wheel spindle if single wheel is present. Make sure that gangs or shovels are equal distance from the ground. Is something bent or in need of adjustment if not equal? It is important ahead of spring rains to only work the depth needed to do the job. If one side of the tool is shallower than the other a deeper than necessary job gets done. This potentially will bury corn seed after pounding rain and cause uneven emergence. Tillage depth: depth like was mentioned should be only as deep as necessary to make implement level and do the job. If this is a weed removal pass then you will have to go deeper. If, this is a pass to create a seed bed only on clean soil then as shallow as possible and still be level creates a smoother seed bed for the corn seed. Gauge Wheels: If this is a part of your tool's settings, make sure they are set appropriately. They can make a big difference on an even seed bed. Finally, as a closing thought. Is tillage the best tool at this point to control winter annuals? It might be. Or, is a sprayer that can get over the ground quicker and stop the build up of messy trash on top of the ground a better option. Then, chop it up with a high speed shallow pass of the tillage tool ahead of the planter? Not saying one way or the other. Just giving an extra thought on how to tackle some of the henbit that is taking off. Now, we have options. Later, this might be a problem that is harder to correct. The visual in population of henbit by tillage practice is striking. There would be an almost complete control, if this field had been sprayed with Basis Blend or an equal. You can see it below or by following this link: https://www.topagservices.com/videos-audio Fertilizer got put on before all this rain by many. Now, we wait for the next battle! Get ready, for soon we ride! If you need anything, don't hesitate to call. 417-684-5301 or wendell@topagservices.com

Integrated Pest Management of Missouri University has been monitoring inversions since beginning of 2015. This has been through a monitoring network established throughout the state. They have also studied how inversions affect auxin chemicals, particularly dicamba. With Xtend already in the market place for several years and Enlist on the horizon, there continues to be a concern on how successful apps on our phones predict inversions, whether inversions occur only at sundown, & the fact that not every field is created equal when it comes to the temperature inversion. Below is the link to read their article. I have included the bullet points from the paper for those who want to just skim the highlights. If you have time, though; it is a thorough piece based on real world studies. 1. Inversions are common. In June & July, 2018: Inversions formed more than 60% of the evenings. 2. Inversions begin forming prior to sunset. Sometimes more than 2 hours. 3. A field's surroundings influence the time when inversions form. Inversion form more quickly downwind of tree lines, for example. 4. Cool air is going to the lowest point of a field. Low areas are at greater risk for dicamba injury. 5. Mobile apps are still in validation stages. Most apps base data on higher heights than at ground level where the inversion forms 6. Dicamba can be detected in the air more readily following application during inverted air temperatures. IPM detected 3x more dicamba in the air applied in an inversion versus on label app during the day. 7. Smoke bombs are good indicators of inversion forming. MU used Enola Gaye Smoke Grenades to see how quickly the smoke cloud dissipates. -In conclusion, much has been learned about inversions and much more is to be learned on this topic. On the ground "cues" like clear skies, reduced winds, & sound/smell amplification can be signs of an inversion to be formed or forming. Here is the link to the article: https://ipm.missouri.edu/IPCM/2019/4/inversion/ All credits go to: AUTHOR Mandy D. Bish University of Missouri Division of Plant Sciences (573) 882-9878 bishm@missouri.edu Kevin Bradley University of Missouri Division of Plant Sciences (573) 882-4039 bradleyke@missouri.edu

“Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least.” ― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Here are some thoughts to take with you this week for those that received little rain & can use this weather for field work. Weather outlook: End of week storm looks to bring substantial rain according to the ECMF guidance. However, there are model disagreements on the amounts to fall in SW MO and SE KS. It looks to be more rain towards Joplin and less towards Belton at this point. The warmth we will have over the next few days is storm induced but may bring field work opportunity. Soil Temperatures this morning at 7am were 48.9 at 2” and 48.4 at 1.5” up from Saturday morning of 46.7 at 2”.  By the weekend however; we may see night air temps in the mid 30s, bringing soil temps back down. Keep this in mind with field work this week, some of it is repeat from the last report. Just updated for the weather conditions ahead: If P & K is not on, prioritize this app this week.  The quicker we can spread this on the sooner it can start breaking down, especially on soils that are at critical levels. Apply NH3 if soil conditions are dry enough. Let’s stress the part about dry enough. Smearing in this product can cause not only losses, but also severe compaction outside of tram lines. Wet soils are extremely vulnerable to being damaged. As soils approach capacity levels and because water cannot be compressed, the tire track creates a ram effect of pushing the compaction layer deep into the subsoil below our normal tillage but harmful in establishing deep roots for the crops. As has been mentioned in the previous article corn response to early N is less important than the damage that can be caused by applying it with high compaction and N losses. But, if soil conditions warrant; apply. Evaluate weeds, and apply burndown as needed. Killing winter annuals before they get any bigger is important to allow sunlight to warm and dry saturated soils, inhibit host sites for egg laying black cutworm moths, & maintaining control of marestail before they shoot the stalk and become resistant to herbicides. (Keep an eye on your corn stalks going to soybeans as well.) If you are using tillage, keep soil compaction in mind. Like was just mentioned, pushing a tillage operation on too wet of soils will degrade soil structure and cause problems with water infiltration later on. There are cheap generic chemistries that can be used to kill and hold back the weeds till we plant if needed. And, Beck’s PFR data shows that best soil conditions make more of a consistent yield difference than planting exactly on time with corn. (Soybeans are more calendar driven due to their sensitivity to daylight.) This means soil temperatures averaging at least 50 degrees or more and consistent adequate moisture not too wet and not too dry in the seed zone. Planting at 2” helps even out the high/low temperature swings from day to night, and also places the seed in a uniform moisture zone. In dry conditions, the seed may need to be planted up to 3” to find consistent soil moisture. While this may seem extremely deep, understand that the coleoptile on the seed shoot of corn has the potential to stretch to a whopping 6”. With the cold temperatures ahead, be cautious of planting. The weather 3-5 days after corn is planted makes as much or more impact as the day it is planted. Be watching the 5-7 day forecast and adjust accordingly. Also, go over that planter one more time! Making sure the equipment is giving us the consistency that is needed for even emergence. Proper seed to soil contact is vital to this. Those few bushels lost from improperly installed  or set equipment is all in your profit zone! Finally, Please be safe! Avoid backing up equipment, go around the block if needed. Be aware of your surroundings and who is in your area. The only thing we can’t replace is our loved ones. Have a good week! If you need anything, feel free to call any time.

“You can create something that is pure genius, but you have to get your timing right.” -Lang Leav Growers in Missouri use a wide variety of practices and multiple sources to apply nitrogen to corn. This article main focus is on the application after corn has been planted. For this article, we will assume a pre plant nitrogen source of NH3 or some dry variant was used (i.e. Urea, AMS, or Nitrate). With the heavy rain that followed the majority of planting, I am getting asked; "How much Nitrogen is left? How will I know how much extra will need to be top dressed for full yield potential?" Some Nitrogen no doubt was lost or moved quite deep into the soil profile. The good news is most fields had nitrogen applied in the spring due to the wet winter. This will be a good thing to keep losses less than if applied last fall. Application Timing: Iowa State University finds that maximum uptake of N occurs in periods of maximum growth. This is roughly between V9 and V18, which is around hip high if you are taller than me, to just before tassle. Applying nitrogen prior to, yet as close to this point as possible would be a best management practice (BMP). This minimizes loss from that point on and also places the nitrogen just ahead of when the corn needs easy access to it as well. In a year with frequent rain chances, we might take advantage of anytime around knee high on that we have. If, for example we have a shot around the first week of June; I would go for it even if corn is not at V9. Application Rate: Even with the new technology of quick soil scans and tissue testing MU finds that crop color appears to be the most reliable indicator of how much N is needed. One practice that can be really helpful in this was given to me by David Hughes, a field agronomist in the state of Missouri. When applying nitrogen to your field, apply one pass with your implement with double the rate. For example, if you are applying actual 120 lb NH3 in February or March, make one pass in a field with 240 lb. This pass will have sufficient nitrogen regardless of rainfall, and will be your check strip to identify how much N is lacking on the rest of the field. Applying this test strip next to a grain bin can allow you to see a broad area from higher up. If you have a drone aircraft available or know someone who can fly one for you will work as well. When applying your post app now, you might use this same strategy. This will be your indicator as we move toward tassel to give you the confidence you have enough N on for the rest of grain fill. Nitrogen Fertilizer Sources: Ammonium nitrate, urea, and urea-ammonium nitrate (UAN/liquid/32%) are the three main N fertilizer sources used in Missouri in a post app. All are excellent nitrogen products. Thus, the decision maker here should be focused on the logistics of application. Since prompt application is so important, any small perceived advantage of one product over another would be erased if it interferes with the timeliness or the correct placement of this app. Choosing a source that is easily found, commonly applied, and equipment that is more readily available can help guide which product is best for your farm. On all the dry products, I can't stress enough the importance of making sure the spinner is pan tested for even broadcast. If you are hiring this done make sure you have this conversation about the truck's spinner calibration. If applying: Ammoniam Nitrate: One of the good things about this product is it does not take much rain to activate. However, many facilities do not carry this product due to liability, and this product burns the leaves the worst of any of the products on post app. Urea: using volatilization inhibitor on this product for surface broadcast is important. Any other product that slows the conversion rate of at this time of the year would not be a good idea (like Super U, etc) UAN/liquid N: do not broadcast on high residue surfaces, yield penalty can result. Injection with coulters or Y drop is preferable. Dribbling solution can also be done if other two are not an option. Some other Nitrogen BMP to consider: -Use application practices that minimize soil compaction. -Ask your dealer to know which hybrids are the most affected by nitrogen practices -Have good weed control, large weeds can drain substantial amounts of N away from the crop. Works cited in this article: https://plantsciencesweb.missouri.edu/nutrientmanagement/nitrogen/practices.htm Best Management Practices for Nitrogen Fertilizer in Missouri Peter C. Scharf Plant Sciences Extension John A. Lory Plant Sciences Extension In collaboration with: Judy Grundler Missouri Department of AgricultureMissouri Corn Growers AssociationMO-AG/Missouri Agribusiness AssociationDOW AgroSciencesU.S. Environmental Protection Agency Agronomist David Hughes

"The best way out of a difficulty is through it." -Will Rogers The quote above is true for what farmers do best. With the excess rain across your fields, I hear a common thought: "This is a year like none other, but we will get through it." Unlike other industries, there is no strategy that can change many of the factors that affect growers. Thus, the mission and the focus of TOP Ag Services' updates is to: Help manage risk, reduce risk, and when that is not feasible move risk to a less vulnerable position. Today's topic is on soybean populations as we trend later. Those that were at our meeting at the Rich Hill Lion's Club building last spring heard me talk on the results of our farm's population reduction studies. It is no secret that I am a fan of reducing seeding rates on soybeans. The results of these studies over the last view years when coupled with variable rate planting can be beneficial. Beck's PFR also bears out the benefits of lowered seeds/acre on soybeans. To quote Travis Burnett, Beck's PFR agronomist: "The improvement in seed treatments and the placement of the seed also enables soybeans to succeed at lower populations than previously believed." These results are positive if the following are true: The soil type is MP-HP (think of soils in which soybeans easily establish themselves and have greater potential on yield) Early Calendar Date The calendar date is the widespread component that affects our decisions in a year like we have had so far. Since we are trending later into the growing season, we are changing to planting higher rates. Right now, in early June I would say 140-150k on most soils. If we get to the crop insurance date cutoff, I would tend to bump those 10-15k. After that date, 160-180k. (A special note for bottom ground soils that bake hard in the warm June sun: adding a little to the above numbers for these especially ornery pieces of dirt can help emergence) None of these numbers should be looked at verbatim. They are a guide to start. There are differences in equipment, soils, tillage, and cover that can change the plan of attack. The important thing is to be in contact with your "guy" you call for agronomic decisions to fine tune a seeding rate. As always, feel free to reach out to me anytime. I am ending with something a little different today. It is a challenge that will cost you nothing in terms of inputs or equipment. Here it is: -Make one round with your planter in a consistent part of one field planting soybeans between 1" and 2" this planting season. Beck's PFR data for 4 years shows that the highest ROI on soybeans is at 1.5" planting depth. Going from ½" to 1" is a 4 year average of 5.3 bpa alone. Going to 1.5" adds an additional 1.8 bushel. The question I get, and rightfully so is: "What if they don't come up?" Let's consider the following: Seedlings planted 1-2 inches have the root and stem infrastructure to support pushing the cotyledons through the rain packed crust. The first ¾" of soil is the hot zone for your residual barrier. Soybean roots below that that chemical barrier are able to start nutrient scavenging and nodulation earlier and more quickly Speaking of which, nodulation primarily occurs at the depth in which soybeans are planted. Nodulation does best in an environment of consistent temperatures and even moisture. Deeper seeds will experience less impact from the hot summer sun or hard drenching rains as the upper 1" is subject to greater swings in temperatures and moisture levels. (paraphrasing Luke Schulte, Beck's field agronomist) Finally, there may be circumstances in which a ½" soybean will come up better than one planted deeper. However, 5.3 bpa extra to plant at 1" really gets my attention. Especially, when there is no cost to overcome its profitability. At $8.00 per bushel this returned in the PFR fields a whopping average $42.40 ROI with no upfront cost. As with anything new on your farm, I recommend trying it, but sparingly. Observe the results, then expand implementation if it is verified. A wise old friend of mine once told me: "Research slowly, verify, then implement quickly!" Article credits go to: Josh Wallace, seed advisor for Beck's Hybrids in SW Missouri Travis Burnett, PFR agronomist in Indiana https://www.beckshybrids.com/pfresearch/Detail/ArtMID/1316/ArticleID/2084/2018-Multi-Location-Soybean-Row-Width-and-Population-Study Luke Schulte, field agronomist in London Ohio https://www.beckshybrids.com/pfresearch/Detail/ArtMID/1316/ArticleID/1225/2017-Multi-Location-Soybean-Planting-Depth-Study

Here is a side note on insect pressure found in newly emerged soybeans: Insects while scouting fields seem to be more than normal. Defoliation rates on small soybeans also seem to be more than normal. If you are needing to apply a herbicide pass, this would be a good time to apply a cheap pyrethroid to knock these guys back until soybeans can get good foliar growth. A name brand product like Baythroid would be a 2.5 fl oz rate. Soybeans are most sensitive to yield loss when they are just emerging from pest feedings as they do not have much to lose to begin with. Also, bear in mind that some of this may have come from slugs, especially where there is ground cover in no till situations. Insecticides do not work on slugs. Since salt will kill these slimy creatures, a fertilizer may be used. Potash, apply 30-40 lb or more per acre. Other fertilizers can be used, but Potash will stay in the ground for future crops, even if not needed today. UAN 32%, apply 10-15 gallons per acre. This option will burn the leaves, and may defoliate the plants. Do NOT use a herbicide with this option. I like this option the least, as the purpose of killing slugs is to keep leaf structure on the soybeans, and the treatment does more damage possibly than the pest. And, with all of this using the above products require timing. The effectiveness of these practices will be predicated upon the slug crawling through the salt. A rain shower will dilute the salt enough to render the product useless. Typically, an application of dry product during the day before a clear night with heavy dew would be ideal. Or, an application of UAN in the evening into overnight hours would increase the likelihood of control. Last week a lot of acres were probably planted on your farm. Keep an eye on these emerging plants in this adverse weather. We want all the plants this year we can get. Finally, I have heard of a few accidents occurring this year. Please, be safe in the harried season we are in. Most importantly, we want all to return home safely every night. Good Luck! People and works cited to create this article: Alex Long, Beck's Hybrids agronomist for Missouri Brian Buesing, with Burns Custom Spraying Slugs in Soybeans, Chad Lee, Director, Grain and Forage Center of Excellence, University of Kentucky https://www.kygrains.info/blog/2017/5/31/slugs-in-soybeans