An increasing reliance upon yield monitor data to evaluate crop performance and inform management decisions has placed greater importance on ensuring yield data quality.
Yield monitors are capable of providing very accurate estimates of corn yield; however, real-world performance can fall well short of this potential due to lack of proper calibration and other sources of error.
Corn growers often mistakenly correlate test weight (TW) to yield. The two measures are actually only marginally related. Relying too much on test weight can cause growers to over- or under-estimate their yield.
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), agriculture is one of the most hazardous industries in the United States – and also one of the most rewarding. In order to be the latter, on-farm safety is essential. This week is known as National Farm Safety and Health Week, so we wanted to share some tips on safe use of harvesting equipment to keep in mind this fall.
While harvest season is one of the peak periods for farm injuries and deaths, many injuries can be prevented through effective farm safety management. Here are some tips from the National Safety Council’s Agriculture Division.
Early frost at harvest can lead to high or uneven moisture, low test weights and increased foreign material, resulting in lower-quality grain that may not store as well. Careful planning and management of drying and storage can help maintain yield when early frost hits.
One of the questions Hedrick gets asked about 2022 most often is, ‘How did you choose the hybrid?’
“It started with a bunch of arguments between me and Clif,” he laughed. “We were at our commodity conference last year and I said, ‘Clif, we have this farm and the ground is really special. We’ve pushed it as hard as we can and we want to put a racehorse hybrid on it again this year to see how much further we can push it.”
“We do a lot of field walking. As a farmer, the visual indicators of getting out in the field – seeing the crop conditions, weed pressure, disease pressure – really being able to see that with your own eyes, that is so valuable. Doing your own agronomy work, versus having standard scouting done by other people, helps us make better management decisions and see a higher return on investment. That’s why we walk so many fields.”
Hedrick has seen the benefits of cover crops, grazing livestock, and using manure on his ground, starting with 1.7% organic matter in the 2012 season and increasing to 8.2% by 2022.
“For every one percent increase of organic matter, I’m boosting my water holding capacity to about 25,000 to 27,000 gallons,” he explained. “That means I have the ability now versus 10 years ago to hold another seven acre inches of moisture in the top six inches. Based on corn using ¼ inch of moisture a day during vegetative growth, that is 24 days longer I can go without rain than my neighbor without adding drought stress. And if we’re not stressing the plant, we’re putting on maximized yield.”
The 2022 North Carolina Corn Yield Contest Dryland Division winner set what many believe to be a world-record dryland yield with 459.51 bushels per acre in Catawba County, North Carolina. A first-generation farmer, Hedrick has gone from fighting fires to lining up speaking engagements with agricultural audiences around the world over the last decade.
AgVenture is excited to announce that Marci Nelson has joined the team as Business Analyst. Marci’s background and experience in process improvement and driving results will be a great asset to the entire network.
For a productive growing season, a corn plant’s brace roots are essential. Brace roots serve as an anchor, while also contributing to nutrient and water uptake. For healthy brace roots, quality genetics and planting standards are needed. Combining AgVenture seed with the Maximum Profit System™ planting standards will set you up for success and strong brace roots.
"It’s like I have an extra person working for me. I have a little less stress I don’t have to endure myself. They really treat you like family. They don’t just treat you like you’re a sale and that’s it."