John McGillicuddy john@mcagronomics.com 319-330-8446 www.mcagronomics.com john@mcagronomics.com

“Helping you to be your own best Agronomist” www.mcagronomics.com

Today's Dilemma Fertilizer Technology Narrow Rows Land/Rent Traits Tillage Your Time Your Money Employees Machinery Herbicides Fungicides Tile/ Drainage Micronutrients Additives Storage Transportation Lime

Actually, what do you do on which farm? Almost anything will work somewhere Absolutely nothing works everywhere It has to solve the problem that took your last 20 bu. or it won't change the outcome good information management may be the key

Today Corn Management lessons 2017 Soybeans Population Resource Management Field Drying losses Extreme N efficiency Soybeans Resource allocation Dicamba anyone?

400 380 360 340 320 300 280 260 240 220 200 180 Finding your "last 20"

Most everything can be reduced to an equation 2 + 2 = 4

PHD/MD + CS = Where PHD/MD is my brilliant but mechanically challenged neighbor and CS is Chain saw

PHD/MD + CS = PI + PD Where PHD/MD is my brilliant but mechanically challenged neighbor and CS is Chain saw PI and PD are Personal Injury and Property Damage If the result is unacceptable, modify the equation

PHD/MD+CS+ES=WD + ND Where PHD/MD is my brilliant but mechanically challenged neighbor, CS is Chain saw, and ES is eldest son And WD is Work Done, ND is Nobody's Dead

Generate an equation for corn yield

Generate an equation for corn yield K# * Kwt = Y

Diagnosing Corn Yield Where does yield come from Kernel count, K# Kernel size/weight, KWT Factors of K# Plant Count, Planting to V-4 Ear Count, Germination to V-3 Which Ear? V-3 to V-5 Girth, V-6 to V-9 Length of kernel set, V-10 to V-13 Length of pollination, V-14 to R-1 Length of fill, R-1 to late R-4, * Kernel weight, R 5, 6 You have to look before you harvest This is the breakdown of when the components of yield are determined in a corn plant. When you see a reduction in any one of these components it will lead you to the period in the plants life, identified by the V or R stage, that the yield reducing event occurred.

Corn Population Modern Hybrids can raise 9-10 bu/1000 seeds? Rethinking Modern Hybrids can raise 9-10 bu/1000 seeds? Dowdy, Hula Shifting focus from ear count to size? Interaction of row fertilizer and population Kernel weight, early death, “Phantom Yield Loss” Resource allocation Most efficient bu/1000

Kernel Weight Late R-4, Kernel number fixed Final Stages of Growth Late R-4, Kernel number fixed R-5 Dent (>50 % of kernels dented) +-60% of final kernel weight on board R-6 Black Layer or Maturity 18-22 days after R-5 Last 40% of Yield in last +- 20 days

The population/nutrition/ space triangle Corn Edition Population Space Nutrition

Yield by Seeding Rate 2 Hybrids, Medium Soil, Central IL 2017 304.00 303.11 294.03 297.28 292.78 291.28 286.20 282.29 Scharfenberg Farms, Maquon, IL

Yield per 1000 Seeds 2 Hybrids, Medium Soil, Central IL 2017 10.86 10.61 9.15 8.82 8.42 7.95 7.43 7.28 Scharfenberg Farms, Maquon, IL

Kernel Weights Now a more critical part of your final yield Rethinking Now a more critical part of your final yield Higher this year than ever 56000 K in a bushel Losses from field drying, phantom yield loss

Field Drying Loss Test 12 Hybrids, 16 row plots Bloomington, IL 12 Hybrids, 16 row plots 8 rows harvested 9-28 at 21.7% average moisture 8 rows harvested 10-21 at 16.05% average moisture All hybrids averaged 1.85 bu/point drying in the field Highest loss was 24.10 bu Lowest loss was 0.6 Bu Top three losing hybrids dropped 21.6 bu in 4.6 % moisture (4.69 Bu./Pt) Bottom three losing hybrids dropped 0.78 bu in 5.6% moisture. (0.14 Bu./Pt)

Field Drying Loss Test Bloomington, IL Average of the 3 hybrids with the largest yield shrink Average of the 3 hybrids with the smallest yield shrink

Field Drying Loss Test Currently analyzing kernel weights Bloomington, IL Currently analyzing kernel weights Hand harvested ears at high moisture and again at low moisture Counting out 1000 kernels Measuring kernels per bushel

K Mobility/Population/Ear Flex Something to look at High population with limited K availability reduces yield? Plant moderate populations with flex on soils with K issues Low K tests High Mg to K ratios High CEC with low OM

Maximizing N efficiency Low risk low cost Planter plus sidedress Early Ammonia Coulter from V5 to V7 Y drop or dribble V8 to Tassel-14 Lowest risk of both loss and mistakes

Impact of Sidedress Ammonia Medium to Heavy Soil, Central IL 2014 C/C, 32-0-0 Banded with Planter, Seeded at 36,000

Impact of Sidedress Ammonia Medium to Heavy Soil, Central IL 2015 C/SB, 32-0-0 Banded with Planter, Seeded at 36,000

Impact of Sidedress Ammonia Medium to Heavy Soil, Central IL 2016 C/SB, 32-0-0 Banded with Planter, Seeded at 36,000

Impact of Sidedress Ammonia Medium to Heavy Soil, Central IL 2017 C/SB, 32-0-0 Banded with Planter, Seeded at 36,000

The population/nutrition/ space triangle Soybean Edition Population Space Nutrition

Soybean Yields S# Swt Number of Plants Number of Branches Number of Nodes Number of Flowers Number of Pods Seeds per pod Swt

Soybean Population Dramatic increase in seed costs Rethinking Dramatic increase in seed costs Primary yield loss appears to aborted pods Improved planting systems “At final populations of 100,000 plants row spacing had no impact on yield” “Thinning the stand at R-1 had no impact on final yield at populations above 100,000”

Soybean Population Conventional Wisdom Large volume of data showing seeding rates of 125,000 maximizing yields 90% germination and 90% emergence leaves about 100,000 final Little or no discussion of spacing, many research trials used “cone” planters Are final stands of 80,000 adequate with good spacing? Lower?

20” rows at 100k, Planted April 21, no-till heavy residue

V3 V3 60% Canopy, June 28

Iowa City, 20 Rows Planted April 25 Soybean Population Iowa City, 20 Rows Planted April 25

Iowa City, 20 Rows Planted April 25 Soybean Population Iowa City, 20 Rows Planted April 25

Iowa City, 20 Rows Planted April 25 Soybean Population Iowa City, 20 Rows Planted April 25

LeClaire, IA, Planted 5/13, 15” rows Soybean Population LeClaire, IA, Planted 5/13, 15” rows

Central Illinois, 20” Rows, Planted April 25, 2017 Soybean Population Central Illinois, 20” Rows, Planted April 25, 2017

Central Illinois, 20” Rows, Planted May 17, 2017 Soybean Population Central Illinois, 20” Rows, Planted May 17, 2017

McLean County, IL, Planted May 10, 30” rows Soybean Population McLean County, IL, Planted May 10, 30” rows

McLean County, IL, Planted April 25, 30” rows Soybean Population McLean County, IL, Planted April 25, 30” rows

V3 V3