One month to go...

The summer continues to fly by. One of the driest June's we've ever experienced followed by one of the wettest July's has really transformed our crops. The once pineapple looking corn is now lush and our soybeans are also very tall and bushy. The rains were welcomed despite the fact that we can hardly keep up mowing yards and roadsides. Our first planted corn is starting to dent and according to my calculations it will be black-layered by August 26th. That means we may in fact begin our 2016 harvest before Labor Day this year with a projected start date of August 29th or 30th. That will allow us to harvest and dry a hundred acres or so to ensure everything is ready to go once the majority of our corn reaches 26-28% moisture. It will also give everyone one last weekend to enjoy with friends and family before the two months of harvest really commences. While we have enjoyed recent beneficial rains, the hot weather; specifically the hot evening temperatures where it did not get below 70 degrees has taken a tole on our corn causing it to tip back and give up some yield.

Spraying corn with fungicide and insecticide to protect your yield potential

Spraying soybeans with fungicide, insecticide and micro-fertilizer

Corn tipping back from high nighttime temperatures which don't allow the corn to cool down and respire.

First planted corn is beginning to dent

Happy 4th of July...!!!

Happy 4th of July everyone! We continue to remain dry. Our saving grace while our corn pollinates is that the temperatures have moderated to the lower 80's with evening temperatures down in the 50's. We are simply buying time for our corn crop until it can rain again. 

All our roadsides have been mowed and are looking good for the long weekend. Automated Ag has started putting up our two new grain bins and we have begun working on harvest equipment. After the holiday we will spend a lot of time scouting our corn for leaf diseases such as grey leaf spot, northern corn leaf blight, and rust. We will then make the decision on whether or not to call the air plane to spray the field.  

Many pictures with this update, but not a lot of commentary as the summer rolls on. Hope you and your family have a great and safe 4th of July!

Making a late nitrogen application to our corn.

Our 24 inch tram lines are barely noticeable in tasseling corn, but they work great to allow us to apply nitrogen late into the season.

Adding a bin to the existing two along Rt. 125 outside of Pleasant Plains.

We are also putting up a replacement bin near our shop.

This is not my picture, but I saw it on Twitter and thought it was too good not to post on our blog. Amazing the power of a soybean plant.