Farmers adapting to tough spring
Adaptability is crucial for farmers. This year with its spring planting challenges is a good example why. There has already been a lot of adapting in the fields, including planting the crop a second and even third time. Bill McDonald is the new Director of Agronomic Services at Seed Consultants. He says this spring will dictate other adjustments in the original plan farmers made for post-planting.
“I’m concerned with a lot of disease issues,” he said. “We’ve put the beans under a lot of stress this year and we’re going to have to be ready to address some of these problems with fungicides. I know a lot of people in a down market like we’ve got haven’t considered using fungicides at an early stage.”
But he said it will need to be something to consider in order to improve yields and get a quality seed at the end of the cycle.
In many cases, because of the rains, soybeans haven’t been planted when expected following pre-plant herbicide treatments. McDonald says dealing with the resulting weeds will be another necessary adjustment.
“We’re going to be looking at giant ragweeds in particular, but other weeds are going to be breaking about the time of the emergence of the beans. We’re going to have to be careful with our selection of herbicides so that we don’t damage that cotyledon unifoliate soybean plant, and it’s going to have to be on a case by case basis. We’re going to have to really pay attention to what we’re doing this year,” he added, “because we may have to do more than one post application this year.”
But McDonald remains positive about Indiana’s bean fields overall. There is still plenty of time left in the season.
McDonald has served growers in the eastern Corn Belt for many years and is a past Ohio Certified Crop Advisor of the year. He started work for SCI Monday.
“Bill brings an outstanding track record of providing excellent agronomic advice as well as impeccable customer service to Seed Consultants. He will be a great addition to lead our agronomic support staff” said Daniel Call, General Manager for Seed Consultants.
Get to know Bill McDonald:Bill McDonald-DAS at SCI