Ask An Agronomist
May 19, 2023
What is happening today around the Red River Valley?
Lots happening! Fertilizing fields, spraying pre-emerge herbicide, and planting going on! Beets, wheat, corn, and soybeans are all going into the ground.
What are you busy with?
Still a lot of seed going out the door. We are in the middle of a big wheat seed push. Moving chemical around to continue the pre-emerge applications. Planning fertilizer applications and coordinating with our fertilizer crew to help service our customers.
What will we be getting done?
Finishing up planting sugar beets and wheat. Great window to get corn in the ground. More pre-emerge going on for soy and edible beans, and we will be starting edibles early next week. Field scouting will be starting soon as well, as we finish planting and start the growing season!
How much has been planted?
Locally, we are sitting really well. I’d guess we are 85% on wheat and sugar beets, 45-50% on corn, and 20% on soybeans and edibles will be starting next week.
Any concerns?
The battle vs weeds! It’s never too early to start thinking about the battle vs weeds. In particular, waterhemp and kochia. Pre-emerge applications are critical! Visit with your Valley United Agronomist to come up with a game plan to combat these tough-to-control weeds with rotation-friendly options. It will be a year-long battle, and it starts now! The weather has really cooperated the last couple of weeks to allow us a timely planting window to get this crop in. Lots of areas, not far away, have not been as fortunate. We have areas that are still too wet, and with the potential of more moisture coming, we are starting to get nervous. While other areas are starting to get nervous about seed in dry dirt, and getting the seed the moisture, they need to germinate and emerge. It is a wide range across the company, making for an interesting spring.
What are your planting and future predictions/expectations?
By next week we hope to be on the backside of the spring season with springs work winding down. I expect the weather will give us a window to complete fieldwork and get a large majority of intended acres in the ground. There won’t be much time to take a breath though, sprayers will be rolling soon!
Any recommendations to growers?
Speak with a VUC agronomist about herbicide applications. In particular, wheat and sugar beets. We will be spraying before we know it. It is good to have a game plan in place so products can get moved around and be available where and when growers want them!
-Agronomist Brandon Weber
Lots happening! Fertilizing fields, spraying pre-emerge herbicide, and planting going on! Beets, wheat, corn, and soybeans are all going into the ground.
What are you busy with?
Still a lot of seed going out the door. We are in the middle of a big wheat seed push. Moving chemical around to continue the pre-emerge applications. Planning fertilizer applications and coordinating with our fertilizer crew to help service our customers.
What will we be getting done?
Finishing up planting sugar beets and wheat. Great window to get corn in the ground. More pre-emerge going on for soy and edible beans, and we will be starting edibles early next week. Field scouting will be starting soon as well, as we finish planting and start the growing season!
How much has been planted?
Locally, we are sitting really well. I’d guess we are 85% on wheat and sugar beets, 45-50% on corn, and 20% on soybeans and edibles will be starting next week.
Any concerns?
The battle vs weeds! It’s never too early to start thinking about the battle vs weeds. In particular, waterhemp and kochia. Pre-emerge applications are critical! Visit with your Valley United Agronomist to come up with a game plan to combat these tough-to-control weeds with rotation-friendly options. It will be a year-long battle, and it starts now! The weather has really cooperated the last couple of weeks to allow us a timely planting window to get this crop in. Lots of areas, not far away, have not been as fortunate. We have areas that are still too wet, and with the potential of more moisture coming, we are starting to get nervous. While other areas are starting to get nervous about seed in dry dirt, and getting the seed the moisture, they need to germinate and emerge. It is a wide range across the company, making for an interesting spring.
What are your planting and future predictions/expectations?
By next week we hope to be on the backside of the spring season with springs work winding down. I expect the weather will give us a window to complete fieldwork and get a large majority of intended acres in the ground. There won’t be much time to take a breath though, sprayers will be rolling soon!
Any recommendations to growers?
Speak with a VUC agronomist about herbicide applications. In particular, wheat and sugar beets. We will be spraying before we know it. It is good to have a game plan in place so products can get moved around and be available where and when growers want them!
-Agronomist Brandon Weber