Austin Toot

How much test weight will my corn change when dried???? It has been several years since there has been a lot of wet corn harvested in NE IA. Many got used to upper 50's & low 60# TW corn. While natural drying results in the highest TW, corn coming out of the dryer will have different values than going in. See chart below for approximate changes.. The higher the plenum temp generally the lower the value of increase per point of moisture. With the low solar radiation the latter part of grain fill this season, I anticipate a couple #'s lower than the previous few years... but still respectable numbers.

Wet weather concerns moving forward. Lots of contacts in regards to the wet weather & some molds starting to show up on grain in corn & soybeans. I have started to see some show up, however not at high levels at this point. A few comments. 1) Sooner you can get the grain out of the field the better. Dried down & out of the elements prevents increased levels. 2) Drying corn down to 13% if you are going to be keeping it in storage will greatly reduce chances of grain quality reductions once in the bin. Higher plenum temp during drying can help as well. 3) Diseased kernels are often light, so increased fan speed on the combine can aid in keeping them out of grain tank. Need to balance this if some plants had premature death (PMD) from crown rot & trying to keep those kernels. 4) Frequent monitoring of grain during storage. 5) Just because there is mold doesn't mean there are toxins. A great article below! Ear pic is from legendary NE IA Agronomist Aaron Prestemon! cropprotectionnetwork.org/pu…

How much nutrition is my crop removing from the "fertilizer bank"?? Couple charts showing what it would take in commercial fertilizer to replace what gets hauled away to the bin. Whether you use commercial fertilizer, manure or soil biology mineralization, or a combo of them, try to ensure you bank account does not get drawn down too far. For those raising good alfalfa... the 6 ton per acre/yr equates to nearly 600# of potash. On a four year stand that is 2400#. Is what you are seeding down in 2027 have a bank account that handle that kind of withdraw??

2027 fertility/nutrition plan starts this fall. Good soil sample data is where to start. Encourage to try one field or two with very small grids/zones..... you may be surprised on what you find. I have been getting asked frequently this summer on foliar feeds, micros and biologicals. While these can be profitable in some situations, I most frequently run into gross deficiencies in the bottom part of the yield pyramid along with poor soil health. Visit with your local Pioneer Rep on the locals findings in the Yield Pyramid research.

Still time to get those random escaped waterhemp/Gaint Ragweed weeds taken care of before viable seed set. A few hours of time now can save YEARS of struggles battling the weed seed bank!!

Pioneer Pro Farmer Sales Rep yield estimate results! State of IA yield estimate of 226.5.. down just over 2 bushels from last year. Nearly 4,500 samples taken! Wide range of yields.

Do # of rows around matter???? It is the kernel counting season for those excited (or concerned) about yields this fall. While rows around is part of total kernels and the yield equation, some VERY high yielding hybrids often times have 14-16 rows around. Kernel size/weight is a HUGE factor in the yield equation and many of today's Pioneer hybrids have what we refer to as kernel flex. Kernel flex allows for larger & heavier kernels during favorable weather & high nutrient availability late into grain fill. This is why the "divide by" factor is so important. While seeing 24 rows around the other day excited me... keep in mind the world record holding hybrid of 14830 typically has 14-16 rows around. Check out the 2025 summary of average rows around in EC IA. So don't be concerned if you are seeing some 14-16 around ears and your neighbor is bragging about 20+... the yield can still be there!! Contact your local Pioneer Sales Rep with questions and your "divide by" # in your yield estimates.

Many customers are planning to incorporate their pre plant herbicide & nitrogen this spring to avoid nitrogen volatization loss & "activate" the soil residual herbicides after the dry spring in 2025. Be careful not to run your tillage too deep as you will dilute out your herbicide. Generally incorporation depth is considered half your tillage depth. Spring tillage of 4" will put your herbicide throughout a 2" band. This likely could dilute the concentration of your herbicide to ineffective levels. Keep in mind nearly all waterhemp emerges from the top 1" of soil. pioneer.com/CMRoot/Pioneer/U…