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The War On Weeds |
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Tim Wood, Sales Manager |
June 3, 2008 |
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It seems like every spring we have to remind ourselves that each year is different. This spring may set a record for strange! With the corn crop finally out of the ground, so are the weeds. In a Roundup Ready world, your choice is easy… just spray Roundup. With conventional corn, the choices are getting better. Two new products that have superior crop safety are Impact and Laudis. Over the years, you have been used to seeing cautions on products that they could only be used on field corn. Both of these new products are safe on popcorn, silage corn, seed corn and sweet corn. Both offer low use rates, too, with Impact at ½ to ¾ of an ounce and Laudis at 3 ounces per acre, respectively. Both are broad spectrum, killing most of the grass and broadleaf weeds that we deal with. Impact’s only restriction is 45 days prior to harvest, while Laudis needs to be applied by V8. We have already heard a few horror stories about “free” refuge corn that turned out to be Non-Roundup corn, thus eliminating the option to use a Roundup type product to control weeds this summer. In those situations, you now have Impact and Laudis, along with a host of other conventional products, to fall back on. Visit any of our three locations to discuss your plans for Round Two. As always, for specific information, be sure to read and follow the label directions, or just leave that to us. Have a great summer and stay safe. |
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| Wheat: The Other Cash Crop | |
| Kurt Ide, Delaware Sales |
March
20, 2008 |
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For the most part, this year’s wheat crop is off to a good start. Ground conditions and good weather, as well as reasonable input costs, allowed for a near perfect planting season last fall. The crop emerged and is doing very well in this area, with the exception of some fields affected by spring flooding. As with any crop, good stewardship is a key issue. Check fields, know the history of weed problems and look for possible plant diseases. These issues need to be addressed in a timely manner during the crop’s development stage. Spring fertilization is also a key to top yields and crop profits. In a year where we have a good crop started in the field and historically high grain prices, it makes good sense to fertilize for maximum yields. Today’s wheat varieties can use higher nitrogen rates for the increased yields that they produce. Wheat is a crop that requires fewer inputs which can, if managed as closely as soybeans or corn, yield excellent profits. |
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| High Yields | |
| Jim Gray, Delaware Plant Manager |
March
20, 2008 |
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A few months ago, we posted an article on our website called “Can I Raise 90 Bushel Soybeans?” Well, believe it or not, we have a customer in the Centerburg area who is going to give it a try. We have chosen Stine 3582-4 as our seed of choice for the particular field. The field size is 30 acres and this particular variety has a great disease package. It offers protection for phytophthora root rot, sudden death syndrome, frogeye leafspot and soybean cyst nematode. The seed count on 3582-4 this year is 2800 seeds per pound. The customer is using treated seed and plans on dropping 210,000 seeds per acre. The bean will be no-tilled and will try to be planted around the last week of April, if the weather and ground conditions permit. We will keep you updated on the progress of our field, as well as results. On another note, the way the weather has been, everything appears to be ready to happen all at once this year. So be careful and think safety first. Have a safe spring season! |
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