Growers are Ready for Fieldwork – Soil is Not
It’s Pretty Spongy
Trent Brandenburg wants to begin his spring fieldwork, but reports the soil is “pretty spongy”. He is hauling grain and is hampered by the wet soil in getting his trucks into his bins to load. This past week’s bright, sunny days in Central Illinois bring on the urge to plant. “Last year was a good year for soybeans,” Trent observed, commenting on Piatt County, Illinois, having the largest per-acre soybean yield in the United States.
“I don’t have a crystal ball,” Trent continued, as he plans to stick with his 50-50 corn-soybean acreage split. “Corn prices are good, too,” Trent continued. Trent’s fertility inputs are stable, but costs are up. He expects to use more fungicide to keep his yields up, even though crop protection chemicals are more expensive. “You have to keep the yield up, in order to have bushels to sell,” Trent concluded, hoping continuing high market prices will minimize his profit squeeze.
More from The Field Report
From Drought To Ponding And Replanting
In barely months, Trent's challenges have gone from extreme drought to repeated ponding and replanting. Trent has replanted some corn and soybeans twice, only to have the ponding return yet again. "I don't think I will try to replant corn [...]
Corn And Soybean Planting Done, Some Germinated, More To Come
Trent Brandenburg is happy to have completed his corn and soybean planting by the 15th of May. "It's slow," he said, commenting on the germination delay by the recent cool temperatures. Moderately heavy rains the last few days have caused [...]
Worked Some Fields, With A Sunny Day Could Begin Planting
Trent Brandenburg has "worked a couple of fields, they're barely ready" after several days of rain last week. "If we get a sunny day tomorrow I could plant some," Trent continued. The long-standing extreme drought in central Illinois has been [...]