U.S. Agronomist Missy Bauer speaks to crop farmers in Winchester on how to grow 300 bushel corn
Jaquemet Farms at Winchester was the place to be last week Thursday for farmers growing corn and soybeans. It was the Wrap Up Event of the 2018 Great Ont Yield Tour in Eastern Ont. with a catered BBQ dinner and top notch speakers. Organizers of the event brought in some very soughtafter speakers on how to increase yields in cash crops and when to market crops. They included Moe Agostino, Greg Stewart, and Missy Bauer who is a well-known U.S. field agronomist and advises crop farmers in Michigan, Indiana and Iowa how to grow 300 bushel corn.
The 3rd annual Great ONT Yield Tour took place August 13 to 22. As in the previous two years, the unique yield tour is an eye-opener, providing clues to whether or not 2018 will be seen as a high yield or a low yield year. With the Yield Tour team assessing growing conditions, cropping challenges, opportunities facing Ontario Farmers in 2018, the “boots-on-the-ground” team makes agronomy and marketing recommendations on how to face this year’s crop season.
I was at the August 23 event when corn and soybean yield estimates were released. Speakers pointed out that planting is only one factor (25 percent) that will have a significant impact on final yields. Yield potential goes down with delayed planting because of a number of factors, including a shorter growing season, greater insect and disease pressure, and higher risk of hot, dry conditions during pollination. Despite the past few years having a late planting start, Ontario has been able to achieve strong/record yields thanks to a great finish! This is the second year of a “La Nina” — when it often gathers maximum strength. The question now is will 2018 out-perform the previous two years in terms of corn and soybeans yields in Ontario?
According to Missy Bauer, Associate Field Agronomist for Farm Journal, it’s the little things you do to your corn planter that make all of the difference in creating uniform stands. She emphasizes that the goal is to achieve a picket-fence stand and photocopy plants and ears, meaning you want uniform spacing between plants and the same size plants, stalks and ears. While this uniformity may seem difficult to attain, there are adjustments you can make on the corn planter to get consistent planting depth and good seed-to-soil contact.
Adjustments to the plant depth, down pressure and closing wheel need to be checked in each field you enter. Bauer recommends doing a little digging behind the planter to check the micro-environment. The seedbed environment has to be consistent in order for seeds to grow uniformly.
Maurizio “Moe” Agostino has over 30 years of experience in trading markets, commodity risk management and marketing. His primary areas of expertise include the grain, basis, livestock, feed, energy/diesel and input marketing and purchases.
Moe is a sought after speaker who has made numerous presentations to groups across the USA and Canada. I met Moe numerous times over the years. His advice last Thursday for farmers: sell your wheat now and also sell the 2019 and 2020 crop now because of the wheat shortage. The whole world will be growing wheat and the price will then crash.
When chatting with Moe at the Winchester event I reminded him that last summer he said the Canadian dollar would be on par with the American dollar and probably by the end of the year. I told Moe that it was good his prediction was so wrong. It was fortunate for Canadian farmer who sell crops that the dollar stayed where it was. Moe grinned and admitted he was wrong in his prediction.
