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Beck’s Hybrids conducts annually extensive corn and soybean research to improve crop yields. They recently released a 256-page book on their recent results. Research is conducted throughout the USA, Midwest, and Ohio.  Over 2 decades, the yield penalty for late corn planting is less than on soybeans. The most important thing on corn is getting it planted at a consistent depth, spacing, population, and under the right conditions more so than actual planting date. In no-till, having good closing wheels to close the slot is essential. Optimal seed to soil contact is critical for uniform emergence and the yield benefit was 2.7 to 5%. Spiked wheels help crumble soil when conditions are not perfect.  Becks did significant corn nitrogen (N) research. Putting N fertilizer on both sides of the seed allowed more uniform root distribution and yielded an average of 7 bushels more corn. The highest average corn yield of 225 bushel per acre over 4 years was 60# N applied on both sides of th...

Many planters and drills were rolling this week in Northern Ohio. Some had to stop due to rain, others found conditions were not quite right. Soon, everyone will be moving again so watch out for the increased road activity during this busy planting season. When the weather warms up, and there is some rain, usually mushrooms start popping up. Taking a walk this past weekend, I was looking at the trees. Many trees are very slow putting on leaves. Upon further inspection, many trees appear to be dead. Not small trees, fairly large trees, anywhere from 6 to 18-inch diameter trees. Upon inspection, 9 large trees were dead out of 12 trees in a fence row. Two weeks ago, after walking through a woods, there were dead trees down everywhere. Having walked that woods several times, these were mostly new logs, not all old logs. The question is: What is killing my trees? The answer appears to be complicated. Maybe not just one factor, but several interacting factors. In the last several years, th...

  New University of Florida research shows that healthy plants with high levels of nutrients resist plant pests. As farmers get ready for spring planting, applying fertilizer enhances plant growth, yield, and reduces pests. Dr. Arnold Schumann outlines benefits certain nutrients give to plants to fight various fungus, bacteria, and viral diseases. In general, nutrient and pathogen relationships are quite complex. Pathogens (disease organisms) alter the plant’s ability to take up nutrients, how they transport them, how they are used etc. Often, pathogens damage the roots, stems, and leaves so that the plant cannot produce a crop. Sometimes pathogens tie up nutrients or damage the vascular system for moving nutrients around in the plant. Secondary infections often occur and sick plants attract insects that also damage the plant. Keeping plants healthy includes creating nutrient-rich food which is also beneficial for livestock and human health. Most people think of nutrients as plant...

  Recent soybean research by Dr. Rafiq Islam, Ohio State University shows benefits from using sulfur fertilization and small doses of aspirin or salicylic acid (SA, a fulvic acid) to increase soybean yields. Soybeans are planted on about 86.5 million USA acres. Yearly increases in soybean yields have been flat and with lower prices, farmers are looking for ways to get higher yields. Hot weather, drought, flooding and other environmental issues have caused soybean yields to stagnate. Dr. Islam used research funds from the Ohio Soybean Council to investigate salicylic acid (SA). SA helps crops tolerate drought and stress by more efficiently regulating stomatal closure (water loss from leaves), transpiration, and proline biosynthesis (an amino acid which helps proteins to form). By enhancing stress tolerance, SA could help improve soybean yields and quality under challenging conditions. Another growing concern for soybean cultivation is soil sulfur deficiency, due to reduced atmosph...