Rows Of Bright Green Corn Seedlings In Weeks
Rows Of Bright Green Corn Seedlings In Weeks
Trent Brandenburg has been getting ready to plant for a couple of months, going over machinery maintenance, seed and chemical orders, and watching the weather. Trent wants to do some spring pre-plant tillage, but needs a little rain first. He does not want to work his soil as dry as it is, because if there is then no rain, the newly-tilled soil will get dry too deep for quick, dependable germination.
Trent does not plan any changes to his usual planting plan this year. He will keep the same balance between corn and soybeans, the same level of fertilizer and crop protection chemical application, and the same seed varieties, that have been successful for him in recent years. Trent does not expect to begin planting until April 5 because of the crop insurance requirement. Crop insurance does not pay for replanting of pre-April 5 plantings. A lot can happen to a newly-planted crop in its early weeks.
With the steady faith shared by most farmers at the beginning of each new crop year, Trent looks forward to seeing the beautiful rows of bright green corn seedlings reaching off to his horizons in just a few weeks.
More from The Field Report
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!
Trent Brandenburg and his family wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!! When asked what a farmer does in December, Trent replied "It's cold!!" Actually, Trent has been finalizing his seed and crop protection chemical orders [...]
Dry Weather Hastens Harvest
September in central Illinois was one-to-three-inches short of average rainfall. Trent Brandenburg took full advantage of the natural drydown and good field conditions to get his crops from the field to the bin. Trent has completed his soybean harvest. He [...]
Not Quite Harvest Time Just Yet
Trent Brandenburg's earliest-planted corn is "about a week away" from drying below 25% moisture. At that level, he could lower his drying expense at the grain elevator. "Now, if there's an incentive..., " Trent indicated that an elevator offering a [...]