1. Please visit the OHIGRO location where you normally do business and review the maps we have on file for your farming operation.  Note any changes that may have taken place since last season.

2. Double check your seed corn inventory to be sure that if you are planting trait corn this spring, your refuge corn is Roundup Ready as well.

3. Consider your plan of action to deal with protecting those refuge varieties from insect damage with either in-furrow or soil-applied programs.

4. Study your varieties optimum population to maximize yield.  $200 seed corn is a terrible thing to waste.

5. Check the germination on your seed beans, as some are lower this year due to the harvest difficulties we experienced last fall.  Plant accordingly. 

6. Make plans for a start clean / stay clean approach, along with a soil residual in both corn and soybeans, to help maximize your yield potential.

Attention to detail even when you are busy can make all the difference in your profit potential for the coming year.  Maybe the groundhog has allowed us a few extra days to get it just right. LESS >>

Delaware County
Date/Time: March 6, 2008, 9:00 AM
Location: Radnor Township Hall, 4061 State Route 203, Radnor, Ohio 43066
Contact: Rob Leeds   (740) 833-2030    Leeds.2@osu.edu

Knox County
Date/Time: February 7, 2008, 6:00 PM
Location: Knox County Agricultural Center 1025 Harcourt Rd. Mt. Vernon, Ohio 43050
Contact: John Barker   (740) 397-0401   Barker.41@osu.edu

Knox County
Date/Time: March 18, 2008, 9:00 AM
Location: Knox County Agricultural Center 1025 Harcourt Rd. Mt. Vernon, Ohio 43050
Contact: John Barker   (740) 397-0401   Barker.41@osu.edu

Morrow County
Date/Time: March 6, 2008, 6:30 PM
Location: Community Service Building Conference Room (use entrance B) 619 West Marion Street Mt. Gilead, Ohio 43336
Contact: Rob Leeds   (740) 833-2030   Leeds.2@osu.edu

Union County
Date/Time: February 11, 2008, 6:00 PM
Location: Union County Services Building 940 London Avenue Marysville, Ohio 43040
Contact: John Hixson   (937) 644-8117   Hixson.2@osu.edu

For more information, additional or updated school times and locations, or certification requirements, visit: http://pested.osu.edu/privaterecert.htm LESS >>

If you receive Soybean Digest, check out the article in the November issue called “Insane Yields.” I found this article very interesting because the overall yields in Iowa and Eastern Nebraska ranged from 50 to 60 bushel, which are not much different than what we harvest around here. However, in their plots, they harvested 74.5 to 94.4 bushel. The record this year was raised by Kip Cullers from Stark City, Missouri. He raised an unbelievable 154.74 bushel per acre on forty acres.

Here are some key things to keep in mind when trying to increase your yields…

• Know your beans, then match the bean variety to your field. Variety selection accounted for 21% of the yield increase in plots.
• Watch your seed size. We all want beans with a high seed count so we can get more acres with less units. In the plots, the largest seed size produced the highest yields.
• Plant early and use treated seed. Planting around the 20th of April added an additional 5 to 10 bushel per acre. Using treated seed helps if it turns damp and cold.
• Beans are very dependant on daylight, so the earlier we can get the beans to bloom, the more potential we have for higher yields. A lot of times, early planted beans will pick up 4 to 5 more nodes than later planted ones. This, in turn, will increase yields.
• Lastly, weed control. We already do the fungicide and insecticide, so just keep in mind that a 10 bushel increase in yield is about the same as a 25 to 30 bushel increase in corn.

Pick one of your fields, stop in to any of our three locations, and see what we can do. Just remember… it may not be as crazy as it sounds!

Have a great holiday season.  LESS >>

• Stine Seed received the first ever soybean patent
• First to market “biotech” soybeans
• Operates the largest soybean breeding program in the world
• Tests over 1 million varieties of soybeans annually
• Tests over 100,000 unique corn hybrids annually
• Stine soybean genetics are the most widely used in the US
• 2/3 of all the soybeans on the market have Stine genetics
• 1 of only 3 companies with a proprietary biotechnology transformation system

How does Stine stack up against all privately held corn and soybean companies in the world?

• First in technology and technology patents
• First in corn germplasm
• First in soybean germplasm
• First in trait development
• First in the size of its research staff

How do they fair against all companies worldwide?

• First in soybean germplasm
• Top three in research staff
• Top four in technology, technology patents, corn germplasm and trait development

Stine Seed is not a flashy company. That’s just not how they spend their time and money. Stine’s never-ending goal is always your profitability. We are proud to be part of that plan.

Visit any of our plants today to learn more about this quiet giant of the seed industry.

We want to thank you for your business and we appreciate you working with us to stay ahead of this ever-changing world of agriculture.  LESS >>

I am not sure what lies ahead with the weather, but I have witnessed the consistent benefit of sound agronomic principals while working toward M.E.Y. (Maximum Economic Yield). I know all input costs are high, but we also have higher commodity prices. We need to find the balances of what to use, when to use it, and how to do it.

This season, we have seen and used more traited corn than ever, which appears to increase yield and improve your Gross Profit. We also have Vistive Beans that look great and appear to hold yield, while getting a Vistive premium that increases your Gross Profit. As we look at different traits, foliar sprays and Vistive Beans in the next thirty days, we will have a better handle on what works in most cases. As this fall harvest progresses, our staff will keep you informed to what they see in customer’s fields and how well they yield.

We want to thank you for your business and we appreciate you working with us to stay ahead of this ever-changing world of agriculture. LESS >>

With fall harvest already starting, it is time to think about “burn down” opportunities. There is a product on the market called “Autumn” that can control winter annuals, biennials, and perennials which attract black cutworm moths. When teamed up with a 2-4D, it gives you a different mode of action than glyphosates alone. It provides the added benefit of having a residual, along with being very reasonable on price. If grass is also a problem, it can be tank mixed with Roundup to give you complete control. Another strong added benefit is that you’re not “tied down” to beans or corn. You’re still able to go either way.

Later this fall is the best time to talk to your OHIGRO salesperson about the latest Dekalb/Asgrow and Stine products for next year. A lot of your biggest discounts are received on early orders, so it pays to plan ahead. With the expected “boom” in triple-stacked corn next year, it might be smart to get your order in early.  LESS >>

With input prices on the steady rise, it’s time to consider ways to help make the most out of your dollar and still obtain maximum economic yield. The best way to do this is by using OHIGRO’s site specific program. By grid sampling and using variable rate technology, you are putting on the correct amount of nutrients in the correct place. You’ll end up applying less fertilizer overall in most cases, which saves you money in the end. It’s economical, environmentally friendly, and just makes sense.

One other way to increase your maximum economic yield is by purchasing seed with the technology and disease package that is right for you. Rootworm pressure is getting heavier every year, while corn borer attacks can rob your field of potential. Most of the seed corn available today has traits to protect you from these and other yield robbers. With many variety options from such brands as AGI, Asgrow, Dekalb, and Stine, we are sure to find the right seed for your operation. Order early and take advantage of some discounts and rebates that are currently available.

Lastly, let us at OHIGRO help you plan for next year and discuss some of the great products and services that we offer. Service is our top priority and that is not something that you can buy in a bushel bag or 2½ gallon jug. Happy harvesting and GO BUCKS!  LESS >>

At OHIGRO, we strive to help our customers through these times. We’re often asked about cutting back on input amounts per acre, so there are a couple things that you should keep in mind. First, you should make sure that you know your soil test levels, especially your pH. A low pH will hinder your uptake of certain nutrients, especially phosphorous. It can also hinder the ability of some chemicals to work. Second, a bushel of corn requires 1 to 1¼ pounds of N, 0.4# of phosphorous and 0.3# of potash. Beans require 0.8# of phosphorous and 1.5# potash per bushel. So, when you are deciding how much fertilizer to use or not use, be sure to keep these figures in mind.

We also feel very strongly about the value of Variable Rate Technology (VRT). With input costs continuing to rise, why put fertilizer on parts of the field where it is not needed?

As always, if you would like more information on VRT, seeds or fertilizers, please give any of our salesmen a call at any of our three locations. We’d be happy to assist you.

Lastly, harvest is fast approaching. Be careful out there!  LESS >>

I would also like to remind you that if you signed a LoLin Vistive contract with OHIGRO, Inc., your beans must be marketed through us. This can be done by either contracting your beans in advance or selling them at market price when they are delivered.

OHIGRO, Inc. is committed to making your LoLin Vistive soybean marketing as profitable as possible. Therefore, if you have any questions whatsoever, please don’t hesitate to give us a call.

2007 Bunge Low Linolenic Soybean Program
Harvest Guidelines

1. Harvest Plan for Contract Growers
1. Prior to harvest, be sure all equipment that comes in contact with the Low Linolenic soybeans is free of corn and other soybean varieties. This includes combines, trucks, wagons, grain carts, augers, bucket elevators, grain legs, grain pits, spouts, pipes, and bins.
2. If more than one person is involved, be sure the work is coordinated. Don’t let the small details get overlooked.
2. Combine Cleaning Procedure
1. Open all doors and run as much material out of the machine as possible.
2. Next flush the machine by harvesting around 20 bushels of Low Linolenic soybeans. Treat these flush bushels as commodity soybeans.
3. Clean Storage Facilities (If Storing On Farm)
1. Storage facilities, including grain handling equipment, for Low Linolenic soybeans should be cleaned prior to harvesting the Low Linolenic soybeans. Pay special attention to augers and pits.
2. Check bins that are connected to grain legs or fixed overhead augers so that no material can be dribbled into the bin.
4. Delivery of Soybeans to Elevator
1. Clean augers, pits, legs, etc. before using on Low Linolenic soybeans.
2. Make sure the driver is informed about the identity preserved contract and instruct them to tell the elevator personnel that they have Low Linolenic soybeans.
3. Place a Low Linolenic Soybeans sign in the window of each tractor/truck being used for delivery of the Low Linolenic soybeans.
4. Visually inspect all trucks and wagons prior to loading to ensure there is not grain in the bottom from the prior load that could contaminate your soybeans.
5. Each load will be probed and sampled for purity.
6. If you are delivering at harvest time, be sure to discuss delivery times with the elevator prior to harvest. Also ask the elevator what the maximum allowable moisture will be for the Low Linolenic soybeans.

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