September 2022 – Starman Seed Service

Harvest is very close…a few dryland corn and soybean acres are starting to come out….hearing low 30’s to upper 20’s on the dryland corn moistures and 13 or so, on soybean moisture on dryland.

Topics

Growing Degree Day Update/Weather Update
Current Corn Conditions….
Pre Harvest…

As of September 14th, we have accumulated approximately the following for Growing Degree Units in 2022:

Planting Date GDU’s2021 Average GDU Departure from average

April 21 2876 2716 +160 (+8 days)

April 28 2810 2646 +164 (+8 days)

May 9 2747 2575 +172 (+8.5 days)

As of the above numbers, we have accumulated enough GDU’s to mature just about all hybrids in the April planting dates and very close in the mid-May planting dates. Only hybrids that are true black layer currently, are 106 and earlier, planted in April….and quite a bit of dryland of course.

Current Crop Conditions….

Much of the corn crop is at 2/3 milk line to almost black layer, depending upon planting date and hybrid.
The photo above compares ear size and type across new and current hybrids from the Pioneer Show Plot. Ear size and length is very similar to prior years here. The other photos are the same ears, but showing maturity line and grain color. It may be a little hard to tell in the photos, but grain quality and color are looking very good right now. The new hybrids are looking good for both kernel depth and test weights. The high test weight hybrids, like 1185, are almost ‘candy corn’ color right now. One can see that we are very close to black layer here. Keep in mind the mid-May planting dates yet, on full season hybrids (1278, 1563), for another watering first of the week if no rain.
Over the past two weeks, we have been seeing more and more late-season N deficiency show up on lower leaves across both heavy and lighter soils. These symptoms are slowly working there way up the plant as each week goes on. We normally see some of this is dry years, as conditions have not been as conducive for N mineralization as the past few years. Also, as mentioned in a prior update, overall root mass is most likely less than in previous years (what you see above ground, is what you have below ground). A reduced root system size would mean a reduced area to scavenge for both nutrients and water, compounded under drought and limited water availability.
Video link on current staygreen conditions in the Pioneer Show Plot – September 15, 2022….Pioneer Show Plot – Staygreen

Pre-Harvest….

From all appearances, it looks like the key word to use to describe yields (both corn and soybean) in 2022 will be variable. The amount of available water, the early planting conditions, residue, hot temperatures and areas of spider mites, have all created more variability in area fields than we have seen for a few years. This is related to harvest stands and overall ear size and kernel depth/weight. The continued dry weather has exposed more center pivot issues over the past few weeks as well.
The main key overall on yield will almost certainly be water availability.
The above photos show Stateside Precipitation Ranks for June-August 2022 and August 2022. As you can see, Nebraska has the dubious honor of being the driest in the country over these periods. NE has had the 3rd driest June-August over the past 125+ years and the 2nd driest August (hard to believe when you consider this includes the ‘dirty 30’s!). We see the impact of this dry weather in the dryland acres, but it has to have some impact on the irrigated as well. Its hard to believe that we can have above trendline irrigated yields over a wide spread area when our dryland looks this rough.
Especially when you consider how much water was needed in 2022. Since January 1, we have had ET rates of 47″ as of September 14th. 10 year average is 31+”. This is over 15″ above average for total ET. Couple this with the fact that we are almost 11″ below normal for the year in total precipitation and one can readily see why our dryland looks as it does.
Of the 47″ of total ET, 40″ has been from April 1 to Sep 14th. Over the growing season, we needed to come up with 20-25″ of water to cover the increased ET and rainfall deficit. This is why the sand acre never shutoff all year and why we may find out that the heavy soils needed more water than what was actually applied. In many cases, irrigation just replaced the normal rainfall deficit, plus a little more…meaning we were potentially short of overall water needs…. Irrigation was never meant to supply all the water needs of the crop….
It has to rain in August to make soybean yield! This is something we did not get in 2022. Expectations would be for lower dryland soybean yields than we have seen for some years. Keep in mind the yield loss on soybeans from low harvest moistures. Be ready to ‘get them’ early if conditions stay hot and dry….
The amount of stress, from the above factors) that has been on this crop has been the highest we have seen in 10+ years. This has the potential to lead to increased late-season standability issues….especially on those irrigated fields that had increased moisture stress over the summer. Most all fields have some plants that are shutting down prematurely as of this update.
Bottom line….this will be a good year to have everything ready to go for harvest and to not ‘wait’ for the perfect conditions or harvest moisture. Getting finished with harvest in a timely manner will pay dividends this year….harvesting earlier means better conditions to ‘air-dry’ the grain in storage as well.
The Good News!…yes, there is good news….Kernel counts, grain color and grain quality look very good. We expect high test weights (irrigated). This should lead to good grain storage. However, keep in mind the amount of ‘fines’ that will go in a grain bin if mixing dryland corners and irrigated together in a bin.
Yields have the potential to be very good in many fields….whether as good as the last few years remains to be seen….

Thanks for your support and please contact us with any questions or concerns you may have!

Starman Seed Service, Inc.

Harvest is around the corner….but irrigation season is not quite done….

Topics:

Growing Degree Day Update/Weather Update
Current Corn Conditions….
Prioritizing Harvest!
Current Soybean Conditions….

As of September 5th, we have accumulated approximately the following for Growing Degree Units in 2022:

Planting Date GDU’s2021 Average GDU Departure from average

April 21 2698 2575 +123 (+6 days)

April 28 2632 2525 +105 (+5 days)

May 9 2569 2431 +138 (+7 days)

We have gained a little ground since the last update in mid-August. We are really a solid week ahead of the average. Current seven day forecast should net us another 120 GDUs.

The above maps are temperature and precipitation forecasts for the next 6-10 and 8-14 days. As you can see, the pattern is very similar to what we have been experiencing all summer. The should move the crop along quickly….maybe too quickly in some cases….

The above maps are the Monthly and Seasonal temperature and precipitation forecasts. If these forecasts hold true, harvest should begin in a timely fashion and should be an open one. However, not much to help out our dire precipitation needs. I also would not ‘hold-my-breath’ on these either….

Current Corn Conditions…..

Much of the corn crop is as follows: April planting dates – 103-110 day hybrids at 1/2-3/4 milk lines with 112-118 day hybrids at 1/4 to 2/3. May planting dates are 1/4 to 1/3 for the most part. Majority of crop is 1/3 to 2/3 milk line. Most fields will take another 7-14 days to finish, meaning we are still seeing an extended grain fill period even though we are further ahead than normal by the raw GDU numbers.
Staygreen in the irrigated is holding up for now, but starting to see some ears droop on the irrigated, along with very late-season N deficiency, especially in the later-planted fields.
Sunlight: We have been slightly (3-4%) above normal for sunlight over the last 45 days. Just for comparisons sake, this is less than what we had in 2012 by quite a ways. We are running ahead of 2021, however. Sunlight plays a huge role in grain yield (kernel size…test weight, etc.) and plant health. Having above normal sunlight is always a positive thing….
On the flip side, 2022 has been as warm as 2012 for temperatures.
Disease: Relative Humidity during the grain-fill period has been 8% below normal. 2012, by comparison, was 12%+ below normal during this time period. This has had a positive impact on overall disease outbreak. We are seeing very little for white mold versus past years, while most corn fields are clean yet. Just starting to see Gray Leaf Spot show up, which is very late.
Currently we are looking at a good quality irrigated corn crop….kernel depth and grain color look very good overall at the present time.
Watering: The low RH has been a negative to ET rates over the grain-fill period…and really all year. Since January 1st total ET has been 45.03″. Contrast this to the normal of 29.88″ and one sees how dry we have been. Total ET rates over the last 45 days have averaged .05″/day above normal. Table below shows the approximate amount of water needed to reach maturity. Keep in mind that temperatures and Relative Humidity play a role in these amounts. Most all fields are still needing more water….

Prioritizing Harvest!

2022 crop has had its fair share of stress this year. As such, we could have a higher probability of more risk from stalk rots than we have experienced over the last few years. Stalk rots appear each year with varying degrees of severity. They are caused primarily by fungi and bacteria, but they can also result from environmental stresses (such as drought stress). When these diseases or conditions happen they weaken or destroy vascular tissue in the stalk, leading to the plant being unable to transport water or carbohydrates effectively, which ultimately results in premature plant death and reduced grain fill. With this being said, keep in mind dryland acres and corners as these will be some of the first to lodge or to drop ears from moisture stress….may want to harvest the corners ahead of time. Overall, the potential for increased severity of stalk rots is higher in 2022 than the previous few years from the combination of stresses experienced in 2022. Watch for those fields that lose staygreen quickly, or that have ears drop suddenly, as these are signs of premature death of the plant.

Current Soybean Conditions…..

Soybeans are quickly turning in much of the area. Much of the crop is in the late-R6 stage of growth. It is possible that some irrigated acres could be ready to harvest in the next 10-14 days. Dryland corners are also turning fast now, keep these in mind for possible early harvest as well. The early-group II soybeans are moving along quickly now.
Disease: Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) continues to spread in the area. We see more of this disease year-over-year. This is a disease that can be controlled with ILeVo seed treatment. Sudden Death Syndrome in Soybeans
Dectes Stem Borer. This insect enters the plant at a node and proceeds to ‘hollow out’ the stem leading to early plant death. So far not much one can do in the way of management for this insect yet. We saw a high incidence of this insect in our area last year. Expectations are that we will have the same or higher levels this year. Keep this in mind as harvest approaches….timely harvest will limit the economic impact of this insect.
For more info see the following link….Dectes Stem Borer in Soybeans
The picture below shows the stage of growth for early R6 soybeans through R7. The chart below shows water needs to finish for soybeans. Most fields are in the R6.5 to R6.8 stage at present which still means 2-3″ of water to finish.

2022 Yield Data

Please check this website throughout harvest and this winter for local area yield data. We will continue to text yield results as they come out, but they will also get posted here for timely and organized viewing. The data will be under Ag Update – Harvest Data. Please contact us if you would like help calibrating your yield monitor and/or want a yield check!

Thanks for giving us the opportunity to be a part of your farming operation!