Almost Fair Time ! - Cropwatcher 7-24

Things are really starting to come out and grow on the farm. Fieldwork is almost done just a little more spraying to do. Here is a Pic from Corn College an awesome event once again I learned alot. See you at the Fair !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Todd Easton Coles County July 24 2009: Crops are working hard to catch up with where they would like to be at this time of the year. And, despite the abnormally cool weather, they seem to be making progress. The majority of the corn that was planted in late May is at, or rapidly approaching, the pollination stage. The yellow planes have been flying over us on their way to apply preventative fungicide. Many of us still are not sure how much of that we will do. It will be interesting to see if what does get applied ends up helping the corn yields. Soybeans are in all ranges of maturity with the most mature I have seen approaching the beginning bloom stage. Keeping the weeds out of the beans is a real chore this year. The sprayers will be working hard for awhile longer. This week brings our county fair, which almost always brings rain, and that would be good for both crops. Drought stress is the last thing this crop needs after all it has been through.

Cropwatcher 7-10-09 Scout and Wait

Bill and longtime friend Chester Higganbotham discussing the worlds biggest tractor at penfield

WOW what a machine

Todd Easton Coles County July 10 2009: We are finally in the scout and wait stage here in Coles County with possibly one more sprayer trip over the Beans being the last thing on the list of fieldwork to do. Even most of the latest planted corn made the old knee high by Fourth of July benchmark which I have always said needs to be changed to head high by the fourth if you’re talking high yielding corn nowadays. It also not surprising for this year that it did rain on our parades on the fourth with reports averaging 2” for the week that this shallow rooted crop actually did need with exception to the low spots many of which may just have to be bare dirt for the remainder of the season. Corn is ranging from V8 to pollination for the late April plantings. A very few fungicide applications have already been made and many growers are scratching their heads over weather to apply expensive fungicide in light of the recent negative market action. Soybeans are starting to look better all the time ranging from V2 to R1 stages with spray applicators running hard to shut down the very aggressive weed outbreaks out in those fields. Until next week keep cool and be sure to take time out with the family for the exciting Fairs and Farm Shows going on all around.

CropWatcher 7/3/2009

by this weekend we should have everything except scouting done about time (may need to spray beans again in July)


Todd Easton Coles County July 3 2009: I think I can safely say planting for 2009 is almost wrapped up. After a long wait for the wettest fields to dry out work resumed over the past week as planters, sprayers, and side dress applicators started catching up. The corn crop is looking good in the high ground and poor in the low spots. Maturity is extremely varied with fields ranging form V5 to V 15 and it is an odd sight when these fields are next to each other. Soybeans are ranging from V2 to just been planted in the wet fields and ponds the bean planters finished just in time to start planting double crop beans that will probably be in ahead of the forecasted weekend rain. Wheat harvest is also about wrapped up yields reported so far are in the 60 to 70 bushel range a bit better than I expected. Hope everyone enjoys the holiday weekend and also finally being able to breathe a sigh of relief after this exceptionally stressful planting season.