Agronomy Update: Kicking Off Our 2020 Agronomy Updates
BY DAIRYLAND SEED AGRONOMY TEAM
Ready for Spring!
It was the best of times; it was the worst of times. These words which Charles Dickens penned to open “A Tale of Two Cities” may be apropos for today. On the one hand, the Covid-19 pandemic is a global crisis, and may bode “the worst of times”. On the other hand, and more pertinent to us in agriculture, it is spring! And that is often “the best of times” in my opinion. A time to put into action the planning of the past few months, a time to put seed in the ground. It is a time to look forward, anticipate, and marvel at a new crop springing forth.
Enough philosophizing for now. I do hope you are well and eager for spring. For our part, the Agronomy Team at Dairyland Seed is definitely looking forward to the season. This is our first group newsletter of the season, and we’re happy to send it out. We meet weekly (or biweekly) via conference call and collectively put together some thoughts and timely tips for the growing season. We hope it is useful, and we invite your comments and questions as we move toward planting and the growing season. We wish you good health and a successful spring. Let us know what we might do to assist you.
2020 Planter Tips
As I get around to various customers and dealers this time of year, I observe most everyone focused on the same task….tuning up the planter. This is time well spent. An hour of repair and maintenance now costs you no planting time. It starts to add up later in April and May when the planter is setting idle for repair.
I remember one agronomist mentor of mine saying “The sins of planting last all year long”. Worn chains, disc openers, press wheels, bearings etc. all can impact where and how the seed is placed. And, once seeds are in the ground, short of a replant, which isn’t cheap, you are stuck with what’s there.
A properly operating planter keeps you from playing catch up as well. Repairing a planter on sunny day during planting time may very well have you planting on a day that’s not as fit to plant. We want to maximize the number of hours spent planting in good to ideal field conditions.
Recently Dairyland Seeds Agronomist Branden Furseth and Dairyland Seeds dealer Jim Waldron discussed a few pointers for planter tune-up. Catch their discussion at: https://youtu.be/rQhGU7kmWXc
Alfalfa Winterkill Assessments
It’s time to start thinking about assessing your 2020 alfalfa stands. The winter temperatures were relatively nice to alfalfa, but the amount of moisture through fall and winter may lead to some adverse effects. Here are some reminders as you get into your fields:
- Recall any notes from fall stand assessments for comparison.
- Don’t discount a field too soon. Sometimes a stand that looks bad in March can come around by mid to late April, if only to convince you of taking one cutting before termination.
- What to look for: dig plants and split the taproot open. We like to see white and they should smell like fresh cut alfalfa. Brown/yellow, rotten and mushy tap roots/crowns are dead plants.
- The presence of black lesions (likely phytophthora), while not good, can be tolerated if the crown has not been choked out.
- Stand assessments are best done with stem counts. Survey the entire field.
| Stem Count per sq ft | Assessment | Yield Potential | Comments and Actions |
| 55 or more | Good | 100% | Good stands. |
| 40-55 | Marginal | ~80-100% | Decision will depend on operation. Extend longevity by reducing stress: good fertility and insecticides. Factor in feed needs, tolerance for poor stands, budget, etc. |
| less than 40 | Poor | <80% | Terminate or consider rescue options. Possibly take first crop then terminate. |
Weed Control with Enlist E3™ Soybeans
In discussing how to control weeds in Enlist E3™ Soybeans I tell producers “it’s not the same its Better.” Much like with any other weed control system you want to start clean with pre-emerge herbicides such as Sonic®, or Surveil® type of products, or in No-till or reduced till apply your burndown much like you would normally do. By utilizing a quality pre-emerge herbicide you:
- Eliminate weeds prior to germination or emergence which increases yield;
- You provide different mode(s) or site(s) of action that help reduce herbicide resistance;
- Reduce quantity and size of weeds that do emerge which enhances herbicide effectiveness of later applications
What differentiates Dairyland Seed Enlist E3™ Soybeans from other herbicide tolerant soybeans is that Enlist E3™ Soybeans are not only high yielding but they also offer herbicide tolerance to not only glyphosate, and glufosinate (Liberty®) but also to 2,4-D choline which is found in Enlist Duo® and Enlist Onev herbicides which contain Colex-D® technology. Enlist E3™ Soybeans offer producers and customer applicators more flexibility in application timing as well as near-zero volatility when applying Enlist Duo® or Enlist One® herbicides. Enlist Duo® and Enlist One® with Colex-D technology are the only herbicides containing 2,4-D that are labeled for preemergence or postemergence use with Enlist™ crops.
If you have questions about using Enlist Duo® or Enlist One® herbicides on your Dairyland Seed Enlist E3™ Soybeans, contact your local Dairyland Seed Agronomist or www.Enlist.com.
Please contact your Dairyland Seed agronomy team member if you need assistance as harvest winds down.
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| Brian Weller Western Region 507.456.3034 |
Dan Ritter Central Region 219.863.0583 |
Branden Furseth Northern Region 608.513.4265 |
Rod King Eastern Region 574.596.6721 |
Terry Jones Eastern Region 419.630.3115 |