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Ag PhD Newsletter: June 2018
Article List:
Introducing the Ag PhD Insider Magazine
By Brian Hefty
Less Stress, More Success
By Grain PhD
Ag PhD Field Day – July 26th!
By Brian Hefty
Nitrogen Needs in Corn
By Darren Hefty
White Mold Answers
By Brian Hefty
Volunteer Corn Control
By Darren Hefty
Article Archive Feed
May 2018
Micronutrient Focus: Zinc
By Darren Hefty
Zinc is likely the most frequently applied micronutrient. Many farmers we know use 1 quart of chelated zinc
in-furrow for corn. Is this enough zinc for your crop? Do I need zinc for other […]
What Does Your Report Card Say?
By Darren Hefty
Confidence.
That’s what I get when I have solid data to make decisions with. I’m certain I’m doing the right thing for my farm. It’s with full confidence I can recommend you to […]
Ag PhD Field Day July 26th!
By Brian Hefty
Please join us for the free Ag PhD Field Day on Thursday, July 26th on our farm near Baltic, SD! We have more activities, more guest speakers, more demonstrations, and more acres than […]
Add Residual to Your Soybean Program
By Brian Hefty
As a farmer, I love when our input costs keep coming down. A good example is the Group 15’s. For soybeans, these include Dual, Warrant, Zidua, Outlook, and some generics. In my opinion, […]
Corn Post-Emerge Weed Control
By Brian Hefty
I got a letter from the State of South Dakota the other day saying our state had made ALL straight dicamba products restricted use. Please check with your state about this! I just […]
Why Are USDA Reports Important to Farmers?
By Patrick Garrity & Mark Soderberg – Grain PhD Ag Risk Specialists
USDA Reports – I’m sure you are aware that the USDA releases a number of reports, but do you really understand the data included […]
Emergence Differences
By Brian Hefty
When you listen to most of the high yield farmers from across the country, they talk about achieving even emergence in your stand. Here’s my question for you today. Is the seed treatment […]
April 2018
Improve Pasture Production
By Brian Hefty
Your pasture is just as much of a crop as your corn, soybeans, and wheat. Your pasture, when managed well, can be super-productive. When your grass is fed a well-balanced diet, your livestock […]
3 Pre’s in Soybeans
By Brian Hefty
You need 3 pre-emerge modes of action if you want to stop resistant weeds, prevent future weed outbreaks, and maximize soybean yields! While 3 modes of action may sound expensive, it should only […]
Wheat: The First Pass
By Darren Hefty
Your first in-crop pass in wheat may be just around the corner, but there are three things you need to do before the sprayer gets to the field.
1. Take a Plant Tissue Sample
This […]
Burndown Options in Corn and Soybeans
By Brian Hefty
Since the advent of no-till and strip-till, answering burndown questions has occupied a lot of my time each spring for the last 25+ years. Here are some of the top questions and answers […]
Bridging the Gap from Farm to Market
From Grain PhD
You work long and hard to produce the best possible crop you can. But how do you maximize your profit from that crop? How do you effectively manage your costs of production and […]
Soybean Seed Treatments: Apples and Oranges
By Darren Hefty
Comparing soybean seed treatments available from one retailer to the next is like comparing apples and oranges in many cases. There is a lot of difference, even though the price points are usually […]
March 2018
Improve Wheat Yield with Better Early Season Weed Control
By Brian Hefty
Stop early season weeds, get more yield. The formula is the same in every crop. Many wheat farmers today are talking to me about trying to cut costs, but if you have very […]
Soybean Fertility – Your Key to More Profit
By Darren Hefty
Before you start thinking you can’t afford to fertilize your soybeans, I want to walk you through some simple math. Let’s use 60 bushel soybeans as an example. Your yields may be higher […]
Corn Pre-Emerge Herbicides: Too Many Choices!!
By Brian Hefty
Now that many of our old standard corn herbicides are off-patent, the market seems flooded with generic alternatives, premixes, and a bunch of names that may sound similar but have different active ingredients […]
Ideal Corn Planting Depth: 2 Inches
By Darren Hefty
The ideal corn planting depth is and likely always will be 1.5” to 2.5”. Here’s why.
4 Root Systems of a Corn Plant:
Radicle
Seminal
Nodal
Brace
While the radicle and seminal roots develop below the corn seed, the […]
What’s Your Marketing Game Plan?
By Grain PhD – www.grainphd.com
Think about a sport you enjoy playing – it most likely involves both offense and defense. What would happen if your team only cared about offense and didn’t practice or develop a […]
Cold Soil Planting Success
By Brian Hefty
Cold, wet soils often spell doom for seed germination and seedling health. Look at the below chart based on average weather on our farm and the number of days it takes until corn […]
February 2018
Frequently Asked Questions About Grain PhD and How it Can Improve your Bottom Line
1. What is Grain PhD?
Grain PhD is a new initiative we have launched to help you be more successful at marketing your grain.
2. What Does Grain PhD Do?
We provide you with:
Educational Materials – Extensive […]
Multiple Modes of Action – Now Required for Fungicide Use
By Darren Hefty
While there has been no new federal or state requirement forcing you to use more than one mode of action as you apply fungicides this year, it is something we strongly recommend. Not […]
Current World Record Yields
By Brian Hefty
Corn – 542 bushels/acre in 2017 – David Hula, Virginia
Soybeans – 171 bu/a in 2016 – Randy Dowdy, Georgia
Wheat – 249 bu/a in 2017 – Eric Watson, New Zealand
Seeing these yield levels is […]
Corn Grass Control is Changing in 2018
By Darren Hefty
All the northern U.S. readers will be thinking it’s way too early to talk about grass control in corn, but corn is already going in the ground in southern and coastal markets. However, […]