Have you been regularly checking your crops this year? Regular scouting of your crops helps prevent pests from surprising you with yield-robbing damage. Every time you step into your fields you are likely to learn something about what is happening in your fields! Make notes so you can refer back to prior years. Build on each year; look for things you can do better next year. Be objective and pay attention to the details. Each little detail adds up, with the potential to add bushels of yield and dollars to your bottom line.

Even on a dry year you want to know how well your crops perform during drought stress. This will provide a benchmark for dry year risk management. Heavy rootworm feeding on roots has hurt even more with dryer soil conditions when the crop needs water the most. Heavy feeding of rootworms on corn roots is the result of inadequate control of rootworm in the soil. Evaluate your rootworm control and make sure it is effective. If control is inadequate, develop a better rootworm control strategy.

How well did your weed control perform? Did any weeds survive? Note their identity and how many survived. This will help you determine how to strengthen your weed control strategies. If you need assistance just contact us.

– Lynford Kurtz