Mid-County Messenger Page 2
Mid-County Agronomy
www . midcountycoop . com
Joe Forner , Agronomist ( 952 ) 466-3730 joef @ midcountycoop . com
On occasion in the fall , I will get a call from someone who is less than happy about their weed control . I understand their frustration , as I know it is of vital importance to their livelihood to maximize yields and profitability . The part I don ’ t understand is why I didn ’ t get a call sooner , like in June . I realize that people are busy with other things than looking at their fields and I realize that it is often easy to underestimate the severity of a re-infestation . The importance of crop scouting can ’ t be over-emphasized . A few hours in May , June , or July can prevent a disaster in October . Along with that , the more sets of eyes on a field , the better the chance that a potential problem can be caught early enough so that
Crop Scouting
a solution can be found .
Approaching our fourth year of a full-service scouting program , there are a few things that I think we could do better to serve our customers . There has always been an implicit acknowledgement that the service of scouting is part of the higher prices that are often associated with a full service retailer , like Mid County Coop . We still get a fair number of calls for a quick look ( scout ) at a field that needs to be sprayed . Obviously , we prioritize our premium scouting acres over the free scouting acres , but we do get to scout a fair amount of these quick-look fields . What we seldom do is come back and get a follow-up scout after the chemical application , so we never know if there is a problem in the field until October . What we are going to initiate this year is a “ Crop Scouting Light ” program . It ’ s basically one trip across the field to scout for weeds before any post-emerge herbicide application , a second scout ten days after post-herbicide application , and a third scout trip either right before canopy closure on corn , or late July for soybeans . We would be sweeping alfalfa seven days after a cutting . Wheat and small grains would be a scout trip before herbicide application , one after application , and in the case of wheat , we would check for scab when the crop is heading out . This program should satisfy many of our customers ’ needs , who may not be inclined to go with the full scouting program , but still want their fields looked at before spraying . Our regular scouting program will still retain its high level of services , like stand evaluations , insect scouting , disease scouting , nutrient deficiencies , yield estimates , and plant tissue testing . What really sets our scouting program as being unique from any other is the attention to detail . There is no “ run in twenty rows , look around , and call it good .” The scout , myself included , has to see every inch of the field . Doing a stand count doesn ’ t mean seeing what the population is , but also a qualitative evaluation of stand emergence timing and spacing to better understand the dynamics of intercrop competition . Taking these scouting trips to a higher level is instrumental in taking yields , farm productivity , and ultimately , farm profitability to a higher level also .
th th 75
1935 - 2010 ANNIVERSARY
( 952 ) 466-3730