It has been a while since we have done an update; the summer seemed to fly by as we all stayed busy. As soon as we finished up sidedressing corn and spraying beans the first time Brad got busy with Corn College at Crop Tech and Rod went on his annual voyage to Canada fishing. Since we both returned we have had to re-spray herbicide on about 400 acres of beans. We have also stayed busy scouting the corn for disease and the beans for aphids. So far we have only sprayed 60 acres of corn with fungicide as disease levels have been lower than we have seen for several years. Soybean aphids are showing up in nearly every field and it looks like we may have to spray if numbers continue to climb. Currently we are in need of a rain. The USDA has listed Dewitt County back in drought conditions for the first time since spring, currently labeling us as “abnormally dry”. The corn pollinated in excellent conditions with the cool weather but we are seeing kernel abortions of 10-30 bushels per acre. The beans are in fairly good shape as they are just about at full pod and will need some rain over the next couple weeks.
The Farm Progress Show is going to be in Decatur in a couple weeks and, as we did two years ago, we will be hosting a group of Brazilian farmers here at the farm the day before the show. It is always interesting to show how we farm here in the Corn Belt and learn how it differs from their practices in Brazil. They always seem so excited to be here and we are just as excited to have them.
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