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The right order By: Gil Gullickson 03/20/2013 @ 4:10pm
Mixing pesticides and additives with a proper fit in proper sequence is crucial for top performance. You've likely heard the Las Vegas advertising catch phrase, "What happens in Vegas, stays in ...
Talk to your chemical dealer. Now By: Gil Gullickson 03/13/2013 @ 10:19am
If you haven’t nailed down your herbicide supplies for 2013, talk to your chemical dealer. Come spring, there may be tight supplies of certain chemicals.That’s particularly true for soybean preemergence ...
Mulling undecided acres? Check on seed first By: Gil Gullickson 03/13/2013 @ 9:40am
If you are still mulling over undecided acres for 2013, you may find corn hybrid choices are limited. Supplies for high-demand hybrids at this point are scant or sold out. “We put the largest crop in the ...
Get set for 2013 corn By: Gil Gullickson 03/04/2013 @ 11:25am
The clock is ticking for the start of the 2013 growing season. Here are six answers to commonly asked questions that have surfaced during the winter meeting circuit.1. How big a yield hit do I take for ...
In-depth: decisions from precision By: Gil Gullickson 03/01/2013 @ 2:23pm
Today’s combine typically collects data every eight feet. This creates millions of data points across a farm. But how do you sort it out all that in order to make agronomic decisions?That’s created a niche ...
Meet agricultural employees of the future By: Gil Gullickson 02/28/2013 @ 8:26am
Want to make $300,000 per year?That’s what several large farms in need of a farm manager are willing to pay for a few positions that Greg Duerksen is trying to fill. Duerksen, president of Kincannon Reed, a ...
9 trends you’ll see in agriculture By: Gil Gullickson 02/27/2013 @ 9:02am
A growing world population that wants (and can pay) for your products. Non-traditional labor sources. And biological products that protect your crops from pests.Those are just some of the agricultural trends ...
What’s coming in trait stacks from Bayer CropScience By: Gil Gullickson 02/27/2013 @ 8:51am
A glance back at the past shows one new corn and soybean herbicide mode of action after another coming from the 1950s to the 1990s. Examples included glycines (glyphosate), ALS inhibitors (Pursuit), PPO ...
Look At Precedents for Bowman v. Monsanto By: Gil Gullickson 02/19/2013 @ 11:03am
Buried in all the public relations flak flying out of both sides of Bowman vs. Monsanto are previous court cases establishing precedence that could significantly impact the case. Bowman v. Monsanto is being ...
What Vernon Bowman Says About Today’s Supreme Court Oral Arguments By: Gil Gullickson 02/19/2013 @ 10:57am
Vernon Bowman is combination frustrated and bemused about his case that’s being argued today before the U.S. Supreme Court.“Neither side seems to get the point,” says the 75-year-old farmer from ...
App makes scouting made simple By: Gil Gullickson 02/14/2013 @ 2:17pm
If you're tired of jamming crumpled and coffee-stained field-scouting notes into an easily forgotten binder, three Iowa State University (ISU) students have a better idea.Michael Koenig, Stuart McCulloh ...
Time's up for trait patents By: Gil Gullickson 02/14/2013 @ 1:49pm
Excitement rivaling the start of an Olympic 400- meter dash often accompanies new product introductions by agricultural companies. That was the case when biotech's golden boy, Roundup Ready 1 soybeans ...
Corn questions for 2013 By: Gil Gullickson 02/14/2013 @ 9:28am
Many of you couldn't wait to throw your 2012 calenders away and think about 2013. That's an understatement, for 2012 was the worst drought year since 1988.Fortunately, 2013 is here and you can start ...
Post-patent Roundup Ready 1 era is coming By: Gil Gullickson 02/12/2013 @ 3:32pm
Midwest soybean farmers have had access to Roundup Ready 1 (RR1) soybean trait technology since the mid-1990s. Monsanto patented the biotech trait with tolerance to glyphosate herbicides and incorporated ...
Why it doesn't pay to plant bin-run soybean seed By: Gil Gullickson 02/12/2013 @ 3:19pm
Thinking about planting bin-run soybean seed? That really hasn’t been an option for years, as seed and trait companies have vigorously protected their patented varieties. In 2015, though, that could be an ...
Beyond herbicides By: Gil Gullickson 02/04/2013 @ 4:31pm
Herbicides are the main way to manage weeds. Still, there are such huge weed seed banks forming in the Corn Belt that herbicides aren't often sufficient to manage weeds.“We are planting two summer crops ...
Production help is on the way By: Gil Gullickson 02/04/2013 @ 1:49pm
Prices of inputs — like fuel, seed, fertilizer, chemicals, and labor — will continue to rise. Meanwhile, commodity prices will decrease or stabilize through 2025, says Matt Rushing, product management ...
Channel Your Inner Gladys Kravitz By: Gil Gullickson 02/04/2013 @ 11:12am
Remember Gladys Kravitz from the 1960s television show Bewitched? She was the ultimate nosy neighbor who constantly spied on her neighbors. You might want to borrow one of her annoying attributes and find out ...
The return of the billion-dollar bug By: Gil Gullickson 02/04/2013 @ 11:07am
Last July, Mark Moeller drove into Peter Bakken's yard near Beaver Creek, Minnesota, and delivered sobering news.Moeller, a Centrol crop consultant, told Bakken that western corn rootworm beetles were ...
Handheld wind meters By: Gil Gullickson 02/04/2013 @ 10:35am
Ever lick your finger and hold it up in the air to gauge wind direction and speed? Tossing blades of grass works, and so does noticing which direction trees blow.These no-cost wind-detection methods might work ...
Sticking with corn-on-corn By: Gil Gullickson 02/04/2013 @ 10:22am
Ask Robert Jones what he'll change about his family's 2013 continuous-corn strategy after the 2012 drought, and he'll tell you nothing. Zip. Zero. Nada.“It's no use trying to outguess the ...
Those of you who sat in on field days and meetings where Marshal McGlamery spoke always were in for a treat.McGlamery, who served Illinois farmers for 35 years before retiring as Extension weed specialist in ...
New DuPont Pioneer T Series Soybeans Set for 2013 By: Gil Gullickson 01/24/2013 @ 3:40pm
DuPont Pioneer is pegging its new T Series soybeans as performance changers with improved agronomic and defensive traits. The T Series, which DuPont Pioneer officials ...
Pioneer launches new soybean series By: Gil Gullickson 01/23/2013 @ 10:17am
DuPont Pioneer is launching a new series of Pioneer brand soybean products developed through its Accelerated Yield Technology process. The new line of soybean products – named the T Series – includes 39 ...
Enlist Corn Commercial Launch Now Slated for 2014 By: Gil Gullickson 01/18/2013 @ 5:42pm
Dow AgroSciences has modified its commercial launch plans for the Enlist Weed Control System for corn. It is now slated for the 2014 growing season, pending regulatory ...
9 steps to higher yields By: Gil Gullickson 01/11/2013 @ 2:20pm
Finding a diamond in the rough sums up 2012 for Wally Linneweber, who farms with his son, Kyle, and his brother, Joe, near Vincennes, Indiana. Although last year's drought-scorched corn yields across ...
Use tech to bash bottlenecks By: Gil Gullickson 01/11/2013 @ 11:24am
Determining the value of a tractor or combine is doable, but have you ever figured the value of your time?At certain times – like harvesting – your time is worth plenty, particularly if a harvesttime ...
Tech makes soybeans sizzle By: Gil Gullickson 01/11/2013 @ 11:05am
Some farmers typically consider soybeans a sickly sibling to corn.Well, perception is reality. If you treat soybeans like a lesser crop, the legume's yields will always trail those of corn.Shaun Casteel ...
Diesel changes, four-cylinder engines on the way By: Gil Gullickson 01/09/2013 @ 1:57pm
In our February issue, we will profile some new machinery technology that will impact your crop production efficiency. Here are a couple others that you will see, says Matt Rushing, product management ...
4 steps for better corn-on-corn By: Gil Gullickson 01/03/2013 @ 12:58pm
Robert Jones and his family have significant hurdles to face in growing continuous corn near Palmyra, Indiana.Prior to their farming them, some of the Joneses’ fields were continuously cropped to soybeans ...
Aproach fungicide approved for 2013 By: Gil Gullickson 12/18/2012 @ 9:00am
Corn, soybean, and cereal farmers have a new fungicide option for 2013. DuPont officials today announced Aproach fungicide has been granted federal registration by the Environmental Protection ...
Other ways to expand By: Gil Gullickson 12/05/2012 @ 3:35pm
Adding more acres is often how you think about growing your farm. Just remember, there are other ways to grow. In some cases, adding acres without thinking first can be undesirable.“Growing by purchasing ...
Two-phase path to growth By: Gil Gullickson 12/05/2012 @ 3:24pm
Growth is the lifeblood of thriving farms. But how exactly do you do it correctly?Farm expansion can allow you to bring in family members, which can enable the farm to survive and thrive for at least another ...
5 Tips To Better Corn Production and Knowledge By: Gil Gullickson 12/05/2012 @ 2:54pm
Ryan Weeks, Juniata, Nebraska, who’s featured in our December Corn High Yield Team story (page 56) uses several other tools to keep on top of his corn production program ...
How to manage saline seeps By: Gil Gullickson 12/05/2012 @ 1:42pm
If you've ever had cropland salt up, you've been on the receiving end of a saline seep.Saline seeps start by water unused by crops percolating down through the soil. On its way down, water starts ...
A tale of two crops in 2012 By: Gil Gullickson 12/05/2012 @ 10:08am
Drought seemed like a distant thought as Ryan Weeks' combine purred through 230 to 260 bushels per acre of irrigated corn last October.“We started irrigating much earlier than normal,” says the ...
Something old, something new with herbicides By: Gil Gullickson 12/05/2012 @ 9:55am
Sometimes, old fashions make a comeback: World War II leather bomber jackets, 1950s-style crew cuts, patent leather purses, knee-high boots.Then again, there's a reason why some old things stay closeted: ...
Soil moisture recharge unlikely by 2013 By: Gil Gullickson 11/30/2012 @ 1:01pm
Drought-stricken Midwestern areas aren’t likely to have fully recharged soils by the time the 2013 planting season rolls around, says Elwynn Taylor, Iowa State University (ISU) climatologist.Taylor told ...
Normal 2013 weather will pressure crop prices By: Gil Gullickson 11/27/2012 @ 7:02am
Enjoy these crop prices while you can. These lofty levels may not last if normal weather prompts new-crop supplies to surge.“There will be a transition at some point from short supplies and high prices to ...
Where Fall Herbicide Applications May Fit By: Gil Gullickson 11/12/2012 @ 4:20pm
If your fields this fall look like a salad bowl of weeds, you may be considering a fall herbicide application. That’s particularly true if your fields were overrun by ...
9 seed questions for 2013 By: Gil Gullickson 11/01/2012 @ 3:19pm
Here are answers to some of the questions you have about seed for 2013.1. Will there be enough seed?Seed companies say there will be. They use irrigation to dent drought's impact on seed production. Firms ...
How to dash drift By: Gil Gullickson 11/01/2012 @ 2:24pm
Drift has always lurked as a potential threat to applicators as they put pesticides on crops. It will increase, though, due to these factors.Less use of glyphosate-only applications on glyphosate-tolerant ...
Bagging bushels in the Bootheel By: Gil Gullickson 11/01/2012 @ 11:28am
Widespread drought devastated many cornfields across the Corn Belt in 2012. “This year's drought was far worse than 1988,” says Jerry Cox, who farms with his son, Matthew, near Delta, Missouri. “In ...
Start smart By: Gil Gullickson 11/01/2012 @ 10:39am
Odds are you've been on the receiving end of this conversation once in your farming career:“My corn went over 200 bushels this year,” says one neighbor.“So did mine,” says another. “And my beans ...
Double down on weeds By: Gil Gullickson 10/02/2012 @ 10:16am
So what's caused weeds to resist glyphosate and other common herbicides?Well, let's first trot out all the usual suspects:• Repeated use of the same herbicide year after year.• Use of below-label ...
Don't let drought short your 2013 plans By: Gil Gullickson 10/01/2012 @ 11:18am
It's tempting to hunker down after a year like 2012 and expect the worst for next year. After all, it's human nature to pull in your agronomic horns after enduring one of the worst droughts since ...
How to check roots By: Gil Gullickson 10/01/2012 @ 10:55am
Root digs during the growing season can tell you what's going on with your corn plants. Bob Streit, a Boone, Iowa, crop consultant, gives five tips on how to properly do root digs and how to decipher the ...
7 steps to better soybean yields By: Gil Gullickson 10/01/2012 @ 10:08am
Soybean yields have been knocked in recent years for not keeping pace with corn yields.“Two years ago, I would have agreed with that,” says Ron Moore, Roseville, Illinois.In 2010 and 2011, though ...
Narrow Rows Can Help Curb Waterhemp By: Gil Gullickson 09/12/2012 @ 10:06am
Feeling whipped by waterhemp? Well, you’re in good company. While many of you had scorched soybeans from this summer’s drought, waterhemp fared just fine. There’s one ...
Not So Fast on Saving Soybean Seed when Roundup Ready 1 Patent Expires By: Gil Gullickson 09/05/2012 @ 3:19pm
If you’re thinking about saving soybean seed for next year’s planting once the Roundup Ready 1 herbicide-tolerant trait patent expires in 2014, think again. There are many ...
Drought unmasks soil-type impact By: Gil Gullickson 09/05/2012 @ 10:54am
Last fall, Scott Lasater received a view of how soil types impact yield without leaving his combine cab. The Gaston, Indiana, farmer works fields containing a mix of soil types. They range from peat soils with ...
Monsanto Launches New Prescription Planting Product By: Gil Gullickson 08/28/2012 @ 3:21pm
Monsanto has launched its FieldScripts product, which it says provides easy-to-use planting prescriptions and hybrid recommendations to farmers.“We are now entering the era of computerization of the farm,” ...
What is it with corn on corn? By: Gil Gullickson 08/01/2012 @ 2:36pm
Continuous corn and corn-on-corn used to be a snap to grow. But that hasn't been the case in 2010 and 2011 in some regions like central Illinois.“There were pockets that have had really bad luck the ...
How to grow corn in adverse weather By: Gil Gullickson 08/01/2012 @ 10:46am
A little over a year ago, 81-year-old Walter Quandt sat in the shop of his farm that is now operated by his sons, John, Mike, Jeff, James, Jason, and John's son, Justin, near Oakes, North Dakota.When ...
Double-barreled drought market questions By: Gil Gullickson 07/12/2012 @ 5:41pm
This summer’s drought poses double-barrel questions: how high will it go and how low will it go?The first “it” are corn and soybean prices. They’ve skyrocketed in the past month and show no signs of ...
Midsummer used to be the time when you thought the whole game was over for your corn and soybeans. Just plant, spray, and go away until harvest.No more.Instead, more maladies make this period the halftime in ...
New weed control traits on the way By: Gil Gullickson 06/26/2012 @ 3:34pm
There will be some new weed control traits on the way for 2013 and beyond. Dow AgroSciences will unveil its Enlist Weed Control System in corn in 2013, followed by soybeans in 2015. BASF and Monsanto plan to ...
Picking better hybrids and varieties By: Gil Gullickson 06/26/2012 @ 3:27pm
Of all the inputs that farmers can buy, the sole one that makes the most difference is picking the right varieties and hybrids. Jeff Coulter, University of Minnesota Extension agronomist, notes that the ...
Decade of the Bean By: Gil Gullickson 05/25/2012 @ 6:46pm
If the last 100 years have been the “Century of Corn”, Roy Fuchs thinks the next 10 years will be the “Decade of the Bean.” “When we look back at this time in 2022 ...
How to manage corn-on-corn By: Gil Gullickson 05/08/2012 @ 4:18pm
Corn on-corn took some lumps in 2010 and 2011. In some cases, reports of 60 to 70 bushel per acre yield decreases occurred in Illinois for corn-on-corn vs. corn rotated with ...
Four things to know about fungicides By: Gil Gullickson 05/07/2012 @ 2:53pm
Thinking about applying fungicides to your corn and soybeans this summer? Here are four things to know about fungicides for 2012. 1. You have a new ...
Climate change 101 By: Gil Gullickson 05/03/2012 @ 3:26pm
Think climate change is a massive Al Gore-led conspiracy designed to limit how you farm?Maybe. There's a powerful case to be made, though, that man-made climate change is occurring. Worldwide, over 100 ...
Spray-on profits By: Gil Gullickson 05/03/2012 @ 2:52pm
Back when fungicides for use in corn and soybeans were just a gleam in the eye of a chemical company marketing manager, a 1990s discovery intrigued European scientists.They noticed that cereals treated for ...
History of herbicide By: Gil Gullickson 04/06/2012 @ 11:06am
Download the War on Weeds game and play along as you gather ideas on how to manage your weeds.1. 2,4-D debuts in 1946. This broadleaf killer kicks off the row-crop herbicide era. It amazes wide-eyed farmers ...
War on weeds By: Gil Gullickson 04/06/2012 @ 10:44am
If you keep controlling weeds the same way year after year, don't sweat it. You'll always have a job, along with jobs for your friends.“Glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth is the species that has ...
Water management spurs revolution By: Gil Gullickson 04/04/2012 @ 11:16am
Back in 1990, Dwayne Beck was a panel speaker during a central South Dakota program about how the region could boost its agricultural output.“I got up and said if we no-till here, I think we can grow corn ...
Spray-and-go-away strategy leads astray By: Gil Gullickson 04/04/2012 @ 9:44am
For years, relying on postemergence applications of glyphosate on Roundup Ready crops remedied weed worries. Currently, though, the spray-and-go-away approach isn't working.“In a majority of fields ...
How to grow better winter wheat By: Gil Gullickson 04/04/2012 @ 9:36am
Winter wheat isn't just limited to the Great Plains and eastern and central Corn Belt states. It's gaining appeal in traditional spring wheat-growing regions like the Dakotas and Minnesota.“It can ...
2012 herbicide update By: Gil Gullickson 04/04/2012 @ 9:32am
Chemical companies have launched several premixes, formulations, and rate changes for corn and soybean herbicides in 2012. Here are some that you will see.● Liberty single application rates on LibertyLink ...
What's up for corn and soybean diseases By: Gil Gullickson 04/04/2012 @ 9:29am
The telltale small yellow lesions are early symptoms of frogeye leaf spot. This disease, once mainly limited to Southern soybeans, is increasing in the Midwest.Diseases are stealthy yield robbers that can ...
Corn-production tips By: Gil Gullickson 03/21/2012 @ 11:27am
Looking to snap up your corn yields for 2012? Here are some factors to consider for this year and beyond.Carefully pick hybridsUniversity of Minnesota (U of M) trials from 2007 to 2011 showed 60- to 90-bushel ...
Bayer CropScience stepping up seed and trait investments By: Gil Gullickson 03/08/2012 @ 6:24pm
New investments in seeds and traits were on the minds of Bayer CropScience executives during Bayer’s Ag Issues Forum at this month’s Commodity Classic in Nashville ...
Bayer CropScience Expands Wheat Program By: Gil Gullickson 03/08/2012 @ 12:58pm
Wheat is often the forgotten stepchild when it comes to corn and soybeans. “You could almost say wheat looks like the soybean crops of 15 years ago,” says Lykele Van Der ...
Preemergence herbicide use grows in 2012 By: Gil Gullickson 03/06/2012 @ 9:49am
Reminiscing about the good old days in farming conjures up visions of 4-H calves, outdoor hog roasts, and freshly mowed hay.Then again, not everything was good way back when. Remember creeping jenny? This ...
Get your fields set for 2012 By: Gil Gullickson 03/05/2012 @ 2:36pm
The clock is ticking now in terms of the start of the 2012 growing season. Here are five tillage and fertility questions you'll want answered as you plan the season's start in a few weeks.1. Will ...
When to nix winter weeds By: Gil Gullickson 03/05/2012 @ 10:54am
No-till and reduced tillage have lots of perks, Moisture, soil, and time savings are a few. Unfortunately, these systems have one nagging drawback: They create a hospitable environment for winter annuals ...
120 million reasons why you should care about herbicide-resistant weeds By: Gil Gullickson 03/02/2012 @ 12:13pm
If you don’t think herbicide-resistant weeds will ever threaten your fields, Tennessee farmers will tell you 120 million reasons why you should care. Larry Steckel ...
Don't Be a Seed Saving Rebel By: Gil Gullickson 02/21/2012 @ 7:40pm
Think you’ll be able to save Roundup Ready seed when its patent expires in 2015? Not exactly. It’s true that in the first growing season following patent expiration ...
No-till links farmers to local consumers By: Gil Gullickson 02/16/2012 @ 3:04pm
What do you get when you combine direct seed-production methods with a movement to eat more locally? The result is a marketing strategy that's paying off for a group of farmers in the Palouse region of ...
6 points to remember about atrazine By: Gil Gullickson 01/30/2012 @ 3:20pm
Atrazine is in a perennial battle between the agricultural chemical industry and environmental groups. Caught in the middle are state and federal regulators and the farmers who actually apply atrazine on corn ...
5 questions about corn By: Gil Gullickson 01/30/2012 @ 2:56pm
1. How serious is the threat of herbicide-resistant weeds?Dead-drop serious. “Two years ago, I said we were on the edge of the precipice (regarding resistance),” says Mike Owen, Iowa State University (ISU) ...
6 ways to boost efficiency By: Gil Gullickson 01/30/2012 @ 2:31pm
Great athletes like pro basketball's LeBron James make their sport look easy. In reality, it's not easy. Natural talent and endless hours of practice make athletes like James a model of ...
Don’t sweat a drought . . . yet By: Gil Gullickson 01/13/2012 @ 6:45pm
Worried what this “brown winter” and low soil moisture levels in many areas will have on next year’s growing season moisture levels and yields? Don’t sweat it . . . yet. A low soil moisture profile ...
4 ways to make a landlord happy By: Gil Gullickson 01/11/2012 @ 2:29pm
1. Make landlords your top customerSure, ethanol plants and livestock farmers are your customers. After all, that's where your grains often end up. Still, you can't sell to these end users without a ...
Six-row strips boost yield success By: Gil Gullickson 01/11/2012 @ 11:27am
Corn harvest conjures up visions of combines pouring golden kernels into an awaiting truck for delivery to the bin.In reality, there's another harvest occurring from the time corn plants break the soil ...
5 questions for 2012 By: Gil Gullickson 12/06/2011 @ 1:51pm
1. Will my corn rootworm trait work?In most cases, yes. Still, watch rootworm trait performance closely.Last July, Aaron Gassmann, an Iowa State University entomologist, and other ISU entomologists confirmed ...
Planting genetically modified crops remains slow in Europe By: Gil Gullickson 11/23/2011 @ 6:01pm
They look like many U.S. citizens. In fact, many U.S. citizens can link their ancestry to their European forefathers. When it comes to planting genetically modified crops, though, a chasm exists between ...
One Out Of 100,000 By: Gil Gullickson 11/22/2011 @ 6:01pm
The next time you have apply a pesticide to your crops, consider there are at least 99,999 that didn’t make the cut. That’s how many compounds a chemical company like BASF normally evaluates ...
Companies Working on New Herbicide Action Modes By: Gil Gullickson 11/22/2011 @ 2:33pm
Weed resistance to glyphosate has sparked a flurry of new corn and soybean herbicide premixes and even new active ingredients in recent years. Still, the last new modes of action were developed in the ...
What’s coming up from BASF By: Gil Gullickson 11/22/2011 @ 2:28pm
New fungicides and traits are coming from BASF for 2012 and beyond. Earlier this month, BASF invited agricultural media from around the world to its Global Agricultural Solutions Press Info Day in ...
The nation’s mood is sour these days. Rampant unemployment, home foreclosures, and a yo-yo stock market are souring the nation’s mood. A closer look, though, reveals that things aren’t that bad ...
7 steps to better weed control By: Gil Gullickson 11/01/2011 @ 3:07pm
Getting your crop off to a quick start hinges on your ability to nix weed competition. (After all, you want a nice clean field at the start and not a waterhemp-choked one like this one.) Here are seven factors ...
Top 10 changes in ag: Fungicides and implement guidance By: Gil Gullickson 11/01/2011 @ 11:19am
Picking the top 10 crop technologies in recent years is a task that can provide endless coffee shop chatter. That's the job Successful Farming magazine has taken with this series.Last issue, cover crops ...
New crop price plateau? By: Gil Gullickson 11/01/2011 @ 11:11am
Are this year's $6- and $7-per-bushel corn and double-digit-dollar soybean prices too good to be true?“We were at $3.80 (per bushel) corn not that long ago,” says Brent Gloy, Purdue University ...
Atrazine gets an OK By: Gil Gullickson 11/01/2011 @ 11:05am
Atrazine is often the poster child for links between farm chemicals and human cancer rates. Still, an extensive multiyear federal Agricultural Health Study (AHS) recently found no consistent association ...
Whatever happened to soybean rust? By: Gil Gullickson 11/01/2011 @ 10:58am
The scare over soybean rust last decade could have jokingly been referred to as the Agricultural Media, Chemical Company, and Plant Pathologist Full Employment Act of 2005.That year, farm magazine articles ...
How to manage corn nematodes By: Gil Gullickson 11/01/2011 @ 10:53am
So what's wrong with this field? Compaction? Herbicide damage? Early-season cutworms? Could be all three. In this case, though, the culprits were nematodes that feed on corn.You may think corn nematodes ...
How to keep traits straight By: Gil Gullickson 11/01/2011 @ 10:01am
Seed corn buying used to mimic a leisurely Sunday afternoon drive through the countryside. Today, though, deciphering a complex menu of trait-laced hybrids resembles zipping through a busy freeway at rush ...
Tested by adversity By: Gil Gullickson 11/01/2011 @ 9:43am
If Job of Old Testament fame lived in 2011, chances are he might be a southeastern North Dakota corn farmer.In the Bible, Job was a righteous man who lost his possessions, family, and health. Through it all ...
Scout for bean stressors By: Gil Gullickson 09/30/2011 @ 1:35pm
After Roundup Ready soybeans debuted in 1996, growing soybeans seemed like a breeze. Just plant, spray, harvest, and you were done.Well, maybe it wasn't that easy. Still, raising soybeans is more ...
Halt harvest losses By: Gil Gullickson 09/30/2011 @ 11:43am
Remember Where's Waldo? He's the red-stripe shirt and bobble-hat cartoon character that kids (and adults) try to find amid dozens of people doing dozens of activities. You don't have to find a ...
Top 10 changes in ag: Cover crops and seed treatments By: Gil Gullickson 09/30/2011 @ 11:29am
Pity the person who has to compile the NFL Films' top 10 list.Sure, there are clear-cut winners like the number one “Weather Football Game.” That's the sub-zero frostbitten 1967 Ice Bowl between ...
Don't sweat the small stuff By: Gil Gullickson 08/31/2011 @ 1:47pm
Rather than worrying how to squeeze the last bushel out of corn, Dave Diedrich concentrates on major factors like rotation mix and tiling.At first glance, Diedrich seems to take a nonchalant approach with his ...
First In-Field Resistance to Bt Corn Targeting Rootworms Documented in Iowa By: Gil Gullickson 08/10/2011 @ 1:27pm
This report, written by Christian Krupke, Purdue University Extension entomologist, appeared this month in Purdue’s Pest & Crop Newsletter. • Following reports of high damage in Iowa ...
What's new with fungicides By: Gil Gullickson 07/28/2011 @ 4:21pm
Farmers have some new fungicides to choose from in 2011 and 2012. Here's some of what's new this year and next.New for 2011MANA launched Incognito 4.5F fungicide this year for crops including ...
Precision agriculture considerations By: Gil Gullickson 07/22/2011 @ 3:17pm
Thinking about getting into precision agriculture? Many farmers have adopted technologies like variable-rate technology, guidance systems, and automatic section control. Here are some benefits ...
Here are some cool precision agriculture tools and other techy gizmos that Phil Rasmussen, director of the Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Center in Logan, Utah discussed ...
New crop price plateau? By: Gil Gullickson 07/19/2011 @ 8:44pm
Are today’s $6 and $7 per bushel corn and double-digit dollar soybean prices too good to be true? Maybe, but they aren’t a flash in the pan either. Scott Irwin, University of Illinois (U of I) ...
Early weed control keys corn yields By: Gil Gullickson 07/18/2011 @ 1:49pm
There's some good news on the weed-control front in corn.“Corn is traditionally a heavy preemergence (herbicide) market,” says Shawn Potter with Syngenta. “Farmers are predisposed to using ...
Wondering what to do about hail-damaged corn? BASF’s Headline products could help it recover and protect it, says Nick Fassler, BASF technical market manager for fungicides. BASF obtained a ...
Federal Study Shows No Link between Atrazine and Cancer, says Syngenta Official By: Gil Gullickson 07/17/2011 @ 11:31am
Atrazine is often the poster boy for links between farm chemicals and human cancer rates. Still, an extensive multi-year federal Agricultural Health Study (AHS) recently found no consistent association ...
What Bayer is Up To With Wheat By: Gil Gullickson 06/30/2011 @ 10:04pm
Wheat has taken a back seat to corn and soybeans in recent years. However, companies are placing more emphasis on wheat these days. “Wheat is a bastion of potential improvement in yield ...
What’s Up With Crop Diseases By: Gil Gullickson 06/30/2011 @ 10:03pm
This year’s soggy weather in many locations has set the stage for future foliar diseases this growing season. Mark Carlton, an Iowa State University Extension agronomist, outlined the situation in ...
What’s Up With Cover Crops By: Gil Gullickson 06/29/2011 @ 10:26am
Cover crops have been around for a long time. Until recent years, they prompted little interest. That’s changed. “There is a lot of momentum for cover crops in the Midwest,” says Jeremy Singer ...
Weather, Stock Market, Worldwide Economics Impacting Corn and Soybean Markets By: Gil Gullickson 06/24/2011 @ 1:21pm
“How many of you have torn up your marketing plan this year?” asked Jim Jensen, Iowa State University (ISU) farm management specialist, to farmers in mid-June. Like other farmers, those who ...
Seed Treatments Help Control Nematodes in Corn and Soybeans By: Gil Gullickson 06/24/2011 @ 10:19am
There’s an old gardening saying that states: "One for blackbird, one for the crow, one for the cutworm, and one to grow." If you applied that to farming, you’d be bankrupt before year’s ...
Phoenix brand unveiled by Syngenta, Beck’s, for 2012 By: Gil Gullickson 06/17/2011 @ 3:21pm
Syngenta today announced the launch of Phoenix, a new seed brand that expands grower access to Syngenta germplasm and Agrisure traits. The Phoenix brand offers growers the opportunity to purchase ...
Prevented Planting Considerations By: Gil Gullickson 06/03/2011 @ 11:12am
Thinking about taking the prevented planting option? Many crop producers are considering it. Here's a link to prevented planting resources that can help you make a decision. It's from Purdue ...
Wheat yield woes ahead? By: Gil Gullickson 06/01/2011 @ 11:53am
Judging from previous experience with a La Niña weather system, wheat growers in much of the U.S. may be facing a challenging production year in 2011, says Mary Knapp, Kansas state climatologist.“This ...
The Sound of Volunteer Corn By: Gil Gullickson 05/26/2011 @ 4:24pm
Remember the song How do you solve a problem like Maria from the 1965 movie The Sound of Music?Well, if Rogers and Hammerstein were writing about growing corn, they’d write this song: How do you solve a ...
Corn herbicide changes for 2011 By: Gil Gullickson 05/26/2011 @ 4:21pm
There have been several label and product changes made in corn herbicides this year. Here are a few highlights we picked up on a few weeks ago at the Commodity Classic in Tampa, Florida. * Realm Q ...
New fungicides for 2011 and beyond By: Gil Gullickson 05/25/2011 @ 2:46pm
Fungicides for corn and soybeans a decade ago were a pretty remote market. Back then, farmers mainly applied them to fruits and vegetables. That’s changed. Fungicides have been mainstreamed into ...
New fungicides for 2011 and beyond By: Gil Gullickson 05/25/2011 @ 2:46pm
Fungicides for corn and soybeans a decade ago were a pretty remote market. Back then, farmers mainly applied them to fruits and vegetables. That’s changed. Fungicides have been mainstreamed into ...
Defensive soybean genes aim at these diseases and maladies By: Gil Gullickson 05/24/2011 @ 3:19pm
Soybean pathogens build up quickly in a tight rotation like corn and soybeans. That’s led seed companies like Pioneer Hi-Bred to incorporate a wide array of defensive traits. “A bean will be in ...
Whatever happened to soybean rust? By: Gil Gullickson 05/24/2011 @ 3:15pm
The scare over soybean rust last decade could have jokingly been referred to as the “Agricultural Media, Chemical Company, and Plant Pathologist Full Employment Act of 2005”. That year, farm ...
How to determine total insect damage By: Gil Gullickson 05/23/2011 @ 2:33pm
Want to find out the total damage of all pests that attack your corn? Syngenta Seeds’ multi-pest calculator enables farmers to do this. “It gives you the dollar amount of the total damage ...
iGrow provides tailored information for South Dakota farmers By: Gil Gullickson 05/17/2011 @ 4:01pm
Over forty years ago, futurist Alvin Toffler wrote Future Shock. The groundbreaking book predicted an accelerated rate of technological and social change in the future will leave people overhelmed and ...
Crop prices and land values are skyrocketing upward. The economy is recovering, albeit slowly. U.S. grain exports continue to hum along. Meanwhile, this is coupled with tight grain stocks. So what’s ...
Pioneer, NBC team up By: Gil Gullickson 05/10/2011 @ 3:12pm
Educating students who will be future consumers and perhaps future employees is key for success in any industry. That’s what Pioneer Hi-Bred intends to do through a partnership with NBC Learn, the ...
Walk your cornfields By: Gil Gullickson 05/05/2011 @ 9:09am
To an outsider, corn farming looks like a sweet deal. A few weeks spent planting, a few more spent spraying, followed by a fishing trip thrown in before harvest. Then it's off to Florida for the ...
Hybrid barley may spawn hybrid wheat By: Gil Gullickson 05/04/2011 @ 9:53am
Hybrid wheat has long been a distant gleam in the eye of wheat breeders.“The main advantages to hybrid wheat are crop stability and heat tolerance,” says Rob Bruns, who heads Syngenta's North American ...
The soybean crashers By: Gil Gullickson 05/04/2011 @ 9:35am
Ever had some pesky relatives or neighbors show up on your doorstep at the most inopportune time?Most often, a polite brush-off gets them to leave. No such luck exists, though, with two unwelcome guests that ...
The audience raptly watched film clips in silent skepticism.“That comes off a lot harder sitting here,” quipped filmmaker Robert Kenner.The scene was earlier this year at the 2011 Bayer CropScience Ag ...
State of the traits By: Gil Gullickson 04/07/2011 @ 2:26pm
Fifteen years ago, the transgenic gleam that burned in the eyes of agricultural scientists for ages became reality. That's when Roundup Ready soybeans and Bt corn debuted. These products quickly nixed ...
Fend off soybean weeds and diseases By: Gil Gullickson 04/05/2011 @ 10:14am
Soybeans often hover in corn's shadow. It's not like this when it comes to pests, though. Glyphosate-resistant weeds and diseases pay plenty of attention to this legume. Meanwhile, some reports link ...
Don't simplify; diversify By: Gil Gullickson 04/05/2011 @ 9:38am
William of Ockham might have been a great theologian when he developed Ockham's Razor back in the fourteenth century. Still, his belief that the simplest solution normally is the best wouldn't work ...
Zap weeds early for a clean start By: Gil Gullickson 04/05/2011 @ 9:31am
Corn yields of 200+ bushels per acre make a corn grower smile from ear to ear. Early weed control, though, could make this smile even wider.“Folks are tickled when they get corn yields of 210 to 215 bushels ...
No more pink panther By: Gil Gullickson 03/15/2011 @ 3:09pm
Back in the 1970s, the term “Pink Panther” didn't just apply to the Saturday morning television cartoon character. It also described those who handed the seed treatment Captan. This pink product was ...
Dow AgroSciences’ new herbicide-tolerant system that includes tolerance to 2,4-D and ‘fop’ herbicides now has a new name. Dow unveiled its Enlist Weed Control System at last week’s ...
Remember Clayton Yeutter? This is a pop quiz for those of you who started farming in the mid-1990s. You may not remember the former USDA Secretary who served from 1989 to 1991.For those of you who do, Yeutter ...
BASF is launching a new fungicide that includes the corn and soybean market named Xemium. BASF officials briefed the agricultural media about Xemium during March’s Commodity Classic in Tampa ...
Bayer CropScience rolls out new products for 2011, beyond By: Gil Gullickson 03/04/2011 @ 10:21am
New products for farmers are always popping at the Commodity Classic. Here’s a look at some products Bayer CropScience has coming down the pike in 2011 and the next few years. Bayer officials discussed these ...
Bayer CropScience rolls out new products for 2011, beyond By: Gil Gullickson 03/04/2011 @ 10:14am
New products for farmers are always popping at the Commodity Classic. Here’s a look at some products Bayer CropScience has coming down the pike in 2011 and the next few years. Bayer officials discussed these ...
Corn-on-corn By: Gil Gullickson 02/28/2011 @ 10:59am
Thick residue has always been a thorn in the side of farmers who grow corn-on-corn.That was particularly true in states like Illinois in 2010. Although many corn yields suffered, corn-on-corn particularly took ...
It's in the bag By: Gil Gullickson 02/14/2011 @ 3:39pm
You first saw it in 2010 when Monsanto and Dow AgroSciences unveiled SmartStax. This was – and still is – the king of trait stacks. It has six above- and below-ground insect traits and two ...
Corn technology shifts By: Gil Gullickson 02/14/2011 @ 1:21pm
Last year was known as the corn year that wasn’t. In some areas, like most of Minnesota, 2010 was a banner corn year.It started that way across most of the Corn Belt, too, with bluebird planting ...
The soybean crashers By: Gil Gullickson 02/14/2011 @ 10:50am
Ever had some pesky relatives or neighbors show up on your doorstep at the most inopportune time?Most often, a polite brush-off gets them to leave. No such luck exists, though, with two unwelcome guests ...
Halt resistant weeds By: Gil Gullickson 01/26/2011 @ 2:10pm
Herbicides are a cornerstone of weed control. Sometimes, though, they’re too good. In some cases, repeated use of a successful herbicide selects for resistant weed biotypes.There are ways to prevent ...
Hybrid selection key component for 2011 By: Gil Gullickson 01/26/2011 @ 2:01pm
Before 2010, corn was thought to be bulletproof. Great genetics. Amazing insect and weed traits. Precision agriculture technologies that match nutrients with plant needs. With all these tools at your ...
Cushion yourself By: Gil Gullickson 01/26/2011 @ 11:01am
A speaker at a 2007 farmer meeting salivated like a puppy eyeing a pork chop as he described agriculture’s rosy future.This was about the time when corn and soybean prices were making their ascent ...
Several strobilurin fungicides are labeled for application on corn at around the V5 or V6 stage. A 2010 University of Illinois trial examining several application stages found the best response occurred ...
Corn fungicides added around tasseling time have done an excellent job in curbing southern corn rust in Illinois. “If we see southern rust moving up to Illinois around the Fourth of July ...
University of Illinois (U of I) trials in 2010 found the most profitable use of strobilurin fungicides occurred when application was based on: * Disease risk, such as hybrids susceptible to disease ...
Frogeye leaf spot is a disease that’s increasingly becoming a problem in soybean fields in states like Illinois. Your first step in fighting this fungal disease is to plant frogeye leaf spot resistant ...
Drainage keys agronomics for these Minnesota farmers By: Gil Gullickson 01/12/2011 @ 3:03pm
During his crop-consulting career, Mark Bernard has heard farmers complain about the costs of all kinds of inputs. Seed. Fertilizer. Machinery.There’s the price of one input, though, that never raises ...
Chemical rate controllers By: Gil Gullickson 01/12/2011 @ 2:50pm
You can “barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, sauté it . . .” babbled character Bubba Blue in the movie Forrest Gump regarding the different ways shrimp could be fixed and prepared.Well ...
Corn nematode control tools By: Gil Gullickson 01/07/2011 @ 2:26pm
Chlorosis. Stunting. Root damage. Yield loss. So which of the many maladies that annually impact your corn cause these symptoms?Could be herbicide damage. Could be soil compaction. Or it could be a ...
Pioneer Hi-Bred will be launching eight hybrids this year across five hybrid platforms that company officials say will add yields in water limited environments. In 2011, Pioneer will target western ...
Chemical injection a perk of some chemical rate controllers By: Gil Gullickson 01/03/2011 @ 2:19pm
Several chemical rate controllers feature chemical injection. In these systems, a large tank houses only water. A small amount of chemical is injected into the lines carrying water to spray booms. These units ...
What's up in Iowa agronomics By: Gil Gullickson 12/21/2010 @ 6:26pm
There was a whole lot of agronomy discussed during this month’s Iowa State University (ISU) Integrated Crop Management conference. Here are a few things Extension specialists discussed. Mix ‘em ...
Ag chemical update By: Gil Gullickson 12/15/2010 @ 2:13pm
Traits garner the crop headlines these days – with less attention being paid to agricultural chemicals.Still, there’s lots going on with the ag chemical side. CropLife America ...
Emerging solutions By: Gil Gullickson 12/14/2010 @ 2:27pm
Back when generic glyphosate was bumping around $25 per gallon a couple years ago, searching for alternatives was smart economics.That’s what brothers Shawn and Jeff Adam of Batavia, Iowa, who farm ...
The Drawback to Simple and Convenient Systems By: Gil Gullickson 12/03/2010 @ 6:52pm
Mike Owen has seen some good things happen in crop production during his career as an Extension weeds specialist at Iowa State University (ISU). Bad things often come to his mind first, though. He ...
Soybean yields rise over 20 years with less land, energy, and water By: Gil Gullickson 12/03/2010 @ 6:46pm
Soybeans yields are saddled with the reputation that their yields lag those of corn. Still, a glance backward shows U.S. soybean yields have risen 29% on average over the past 20 years. The reason? ...
Commodity price spike has Syngenta Crop Protection hopeful for 2011 By: Gil Gullickson 12/03/2010 @ 6:43pm
This fall’s commodity price spike bodes well for crop input companies in 2011. Vern Hawkins, Syngenta Crop Protection president, notes the firm’s recent third quarter sale volume for this year ...
Bayer CropScience focuses on wheat By: Gil Gullickson 12/03/2010 @ 6:35pm
Collaboration with Australian firm aims at high-yielding wheat varieties, traits Bayer CropScience has entered the wheat business with its collaboration with the Australian ...
What’s coming down the pike from Bayer CropScience By: Gil Gullickson 12/03/2010 @ 6:32pm
HPPD-inhibitor resistant trait, new corn rootworm-resistant trait in the works There’s a flurry of new products coming down the pike from agricultural seed and ...
Lessons learned can apply on the farm In the United States, Friedrich Berschauer could pass for any veteran businessman. In Germany, though, his position as chairman of the board of ...
The new glyphosate By: Gil Gullickson 12/03/2010 @ 6:12pm
A broad-spectrum, low-cost residual herbicide might be reality someday Picture this: A herbicide with a weed spectrum that rivals glyphosate. Plus, it has residual, something which ...
Managing nitrogen key for these farmers By: Gil Gullickson 11/22/2010 @ 9:52am
Remember the three Rs of your school days? Reading, w(R)riting, and a(R)ithmetic?Well, Ron Alverson and son Keith, Chester, South Dakota, have their own R series -- the four Rs of nitrogen (N) management for ...
Seed prices level off By: Gil Gullickson 11/10/2010 @ 11:32am
A few weeks ago, I swapped stories about past teachers with a colleague.Some I mentioned were memorable. A math teacher who worked his love of horse racing into pony-filled story problems. (Fun, but I learned ...
Syngenta is taking full ownership of GreenLeaf Genetics, LLC. This move dissolves a joint venture between Syngenta Seeds, Inc. and DuPont business Pioneer Hi-Bred. Company officials say this ...
Syngenta is taking full ownership of GreenLeaf Genetics, LLC. This move dissolves a joint venture between Syngenta Seeds, Inc. and DuPont business Pioneer Hi-Bred. Company officials say this ...
Late N applications can pay By: Gil Gullickson 10/29/2010 @ 12:22pm
In many cases, farmers can garner full yields even with late nitrogen (N) applications. Peter Scharf, University of Missouri Extension soil fertility specialist, created this graph that shows the effect of ...
Emerging Solutions By: Gil Gullickson 10/25/2010 @ 12:28pm
If you ever doubt how quickly herbicide-resistant weeds multiply, ask Sid Fogg. The story the Heth, Arkansas, farmer tells is typical of many mid-South farmers.“A couple years ago in 2008, we had a pretty ...
4 considerations regarding 2011 corn hybrids By: Gil Gullickson 10/22/2010 @ 9:36am
It used to be you’d have a few weeks after harvest before thinking about next year’s corn hybrid lineup. No more. The selling season now starts in late summer and is well underway at harvest.Here are four ...
Picture this: A herbicide with a weed spectrum that rivals glyphosate. Plus, it has residual, something which glyphosate doesn’t have. It also breaks down quickly in the soil, has a low active ingredient use ...
Remember last winter, when many of your became sick and tired of cleaning snow out your farmyard day after day? Well, last year’s rough winter in many parts of the United States prompted some heartburn in ...
Agricultural pesticides face rigorous route to market By: Gil Gullickson 09/10/2010 @ 2:32pm
The odds are stacked against a molecule on its way to making it as an agricultural pesticide on the market.“It’s very difficult to get a compound to market, but it is not impossible,” says Leonardo ...
Combat glyphosate-resistant weeds with the old & the new By: Gil Gullickson 08/24/2010 @ 2:32pm
Herbicide resistant weeds -- not just those resistant to glyphosate -- are continuing to wreak weed-management havoc. “There are biotypes no longer controlled by previously effective herbicides,” says ...
Farmers for the Future: Launching young farmers By: Gil Gullickson 07/28/2010 @ 11:00pm
Remember the 1995 movie, "Mr. Holland's Opus?" Its end showed scores of former students who reaped lifetime lessons taught by a humble music teacher.Well, Roger and Monie Thompson have created a similar ...
The power of drop size By: Gil Gullickson 07/27/2010 @ 11:00pm
Remember that old Maxwell House coffee tagline, "Good to the last drop?"Well, focusing on drop size can help boost pesticide efficacy and reduce the chances of off-target application, too. This joins ...
What’s up with weeds By: Gil Gullickson 07/12/2010 @ 11:00pm
The weeds were popping right along with the crops after a soggy first half of the 2010 growing season at last month’s South Dakota State University (SDSU) plant science farm tour in Brookings, South Dakota ...
One day 14 years ago, Adam Moody sat in his car in a grocery store parking lot. He was visibly dejected. "While other farms had gotten larger or put animals under confinement, my dad and I had just maintained ...
