Clark County Crops and Soil Agent Reminds Farmers to Review Options in Regars to Spring Planting
Tuesday, May 30th, 2017 -- 10:13 AM
-Clark County is experiencing a wet, cool spring with very few opportunities to plant crops. As we approach June 1 there are decisions that will need to be made. Some are related the farming enterprise and others may be related to crop insurance.Clark County's Crops and Soil Agent Richard Halopka states if crops are already planted don’t assume you will have to replant, get into the field and investigate. If the seed is germinating, you will need to determine the population. Remember, germination of corn requires 125 growing degree days (GDD). Depending on the weather this could be less than a week or over three weeks. Review Joe Laure’s A3353 available at your County Extension Office for replanting decisions.
Second, only replant if yield will be increased above the additional cost. A 50% healthy stand of a crop may yield more than a replanted crop on June 1st.
Switching corn hybrids or soybean varieties, in Clark County, if you are planting an 85 ??" 90 day corn hybrid, there may not be a need to switch hybrids. If you are feeding livestock and can use corn silage a later maturity hybrid will respond to the warmer temperatures when planted later and provide greater forage yield than short day hybrids. Grain, you need to push a pencil as the yield potential of an 80 day hybrid may be less than sticking with an 85 day hybrid and rolling the dice we have an extended fall with a late killing frost. We learned in 2013 planting corn in July will produce good forage yields.
Soybeans, can be planted into early July, you may consider switching varieties moving from May into the June planting time period. Again as with corn as you switch to a shorter season soybean varieties you have a potential yield reduction as your highest yields will be from early planted full season varieties in our area.
Emergency feed, many conversations about sundan or sorghum/sundan hybrids for feed. Remember these are a C4 grass; they like warm soils and very warm temperatures. Currently we are in a very cool pattern in May. Soil temperatures are struggling to get above 50 degrees. Richard would not recommend switching to sundan or sorghum/sudan hybrids until we have warm soil temperatures and much warmer air temperatures. If you need feed in 45 days a better choice today may be a small grain for forage. Once we are into June you may then consider sorghum/sundan. Remember corn is the old standby and as we’ve seen in the past corn, even when planted late corn will out yield most forage alternatives.
The most important thing is if you are unsure what to do ask questions. There are agronomists to help out and of course call your Crops & Soils agent. You can reach Richard in the office at 715-743-5121 or email [email protected].
Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.