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Prioritizing mid-April fieldwork that pays off come harvest

A southern Illinois agronomist says farmers should prioritize their mid-April fieldwork based on what could bring them the greatest return.

Ben Wiegmann with Beck’s Hybrids tells Brownfield it’s been an ideal week for fieldwork in his coverage area and as planters get rolling, local farmers need to keep the whole growing season in mind.

“As we are sitting in the month of April here, I would be worried about burn-down applications, getting herbicide on, fertilizer applications and then planting soybeans. Planting corn isn’t really on my top 5 list of things to do just yet.”

He says that is because Beck’s Practical Farm Research has shown year after year that southern Illinois soybeans have the ability to compensate for uneven stands, while late-season diseases are better managed in corn.

“It is more important to get that corn crop out of the ground consistently and extremely uniform so we can maximize our yield potential. Ultimately, planting beans this early is what pays.”

He says some years planting corn in mid-April pays off, and some years it doesn’t so early soybeans are a more consistent option.