"It seems like it gets earlier every year," said Craig Loen, Federated agronomist at the Osceola location, and "once again it is time for ordering seed," he said.
Knowing what to plant isn't as easy as letting this year's crop predict next year's seed choice. In fact, the "2017 growing season results will probably not be a good tool [to use] for your decision on what to plant in 2018," said Loen.
The overall history of hybrids and varieties that have worked well on a particular farm or field is the best way to determine next year's seed choices. "2017 has been a challenging growing season," said Loen.
While using only this year's results as the basis would not be wise, it is best practice to carefully document every year's harvest. "Federated can do strip trials on your farm with either weigh pads or weigh wagons, to see actual results on your farm," said Loen. Contact us soon for that service.
Additionally, the Answer Plot system by Winfield, and the Characterization (CHT) Charts (accessible through your
Federated Agronomist) show results from over 200 Answer Plots across the country. This storehouse of data "gives us a very sound understanding of the characteristics of each hybrid and variety in the system," said Loen.
CHT charts offer the following plot information for soybeans:
- soil types,
- yield environment,
- overall yields.
And for corn, the CHT charts show:
- soils,
- yield environment,
- first year corn,
- corn on corn,
- limited nitrogen,
- non-limited nitrogen,
- overall yields.
Soybean platforms continue to expand for the 2018 season and beyond.
Conventional, Roundup Ready®, RR 2 Extend®, and Liberty Link® are currently available, with Enlist® and Balance™ GT awaiting approval. It's important to "have a discussion [with your Federated Agronomist] to determine which platform is going to work in [your] situation," said Loen.
Questions to ask in soybean seed choice include the following:
- What is the weed pressure in individual fields or on the farm overall?
- What specific chemistries will work to control the weeds in those fields?
- Which seed choices align with the chemistries needed?
- What is Plan B: What's the next option if weather or other events inhibit the original plan?
Loen noted that the Liberty Link® soybean platform is getting a lot of interest, and seed companies are expecting to sell out of the most popular varieties by the end of October. However, said Loen, "Federated has two varieties for our bulk soybean tanks on order. If you are interested in Liberty Link beans, discuss it with your Federated Agronomist soon."
"Federated Co-ops has a very diverse portfolio of seed options available, from six different seed companies. Federated can get the right seed on the right field on your farm," he said.
