News

Prioritizing fields and increasing management strategies in 2017

2017 is shaping up to be another tight year for farmers and an agronomist says even small tweaks could help them increase their returns on investment.

Bill Mullen with Seed Consultants says prioritizing fields and utilizing yield history are key to making final planting decisions this year.  “Not every field is going to get you 200 bushel corn,” he says.  “We know the soil type will vary, the growing conditions will vary, and what the farmer has to deal with to get those big yields.”

He tells Brownfield farmers should also manage fields based on their potential productivity.  “Select our fields that are going to have better yields for corn and soybeans,” he says.  “You might put a little more nitrogen for the corn and we might put a fungicide application on the soybeans – something to help us out to make for better yields.”

Mullen says nitrogen management continues to be key for corn.  “The more nitrogen we have after tasseling time – our yields are so much better,” he says.  “Plants are able to take up more nitrogen.  In those higher yield environments on better ground – we need to manage our nitrogen better.”

For soybean growers, he suggests soil tests to make sure soil pH is in that 6.5 to 6.8 range.

AUDIO: Bill Mullen, Seed Consultants