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Smart planting and early scouting are key for Indiana growers

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An agronomist says the delayed start to planting in the eastern Corn Belt is even more reason for growers to be patient.

Andrew Ferrel with Mycogen Seeds says by waiting for field conditions to improve farmers reduce risk of compaction and emergence issues.  “Often times you get sidewall compaction due to those disc openers slicing through the soil,” he says.  “That becomes very challenging for a young seedling’s roots to penetrate through the sidewall.  That leads to poor root development and ultimately that affects yields.”

He tells Brownfield emergence is the most important part of a corn plant’s life.  “It’s important that it gets off to a good start,” he says.  “Even though we think about harvesting so far away – it does have a direct effect on yield.”

Ferrel says while conditions haven’t been good for planting, they have been just right for early disease pressure.  “We’ve had cool temperatures during the day and cold temperatures overnight, and cloudy rainy days just about every day,” he says.  “Those conditions are fit for the development for diseases.  The big four that we worry about in both corn and soybean in the central Corn Belt are going to be fusarium, Pythium, phytophthora, and rhizoctonia.”

In fields that are planted and corn is starting to come up – he says farmers need to scout early and often to manage any disease and pest pressure.  But for fields that are saturated and aren’t ready to be planted – Ferrel says don’t be too aggressive.  There’s a long growing season and farmers don’t want to risk additional yield loss by planting when fields aren’t ready.

AUDIO: Andrew Ferrel, Mycogen Seeds

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