Central Region Update
Derrick Hoodjer, Agronomy Programs Director
We are halfway through the 2024 growing season and I’m happy with our current crop conditions. Getting the rain we’ve had thus far has been a welcome surprise. It’s also led to some challenges we weren’t used to seeing. Everyone has been used to growing crops in a drought, so a month of rain during May had everyone wondering how this was going to go. As we look in fields there are already tassels poking through before the 4th of July. Anytime we see that we know corn has been growing quickly and our hopes are that will mean a long time for kernel development and grain fill.
As we head into fungicide application, I still have a lot of optimism about this crop. Yes, there are holes in the fields where crops were drowned out by early rains, but generally speaking we are in a lot better shape than other parts of the state. I would still strongly consider pushing higher-producing areas of your fields. For fungicide the best thing to consider is the Response to Fungicide scores that companies put out for each of their hybrids. This will allow the highest return, especially in a down market. We want to make sure to look at the bottom line when purchasing a fungicide and see a positive return.
SFG trials are in full swing now and we have many of them in each of our fields. The items we focused on are foliar sulfur applications, biologicals, and Preceon short corn. I’m excited about our short corn trial this year
because it’s truly “short” corn. Compared to regular hybrids the short corn has been at least 1.5-2 ft shorter. We still have a lot of observations to make in seeing how practical field applications will be, but it’s exciting to see the new technology working. The biological trials have all been applied and are now being monitored. We still have a lot to learn in this area, so we are testing multiple products applied at various times to see if we can add anything into our production system. Since we have a lot of high clays in south-central Iowa, we focus on the biological products that help to release nutrients that are tied up in the soil.
Foliar products are generally put on soybeans with fungicide, so we have some time here to determine what we would like to test. We have seen good results with a micronutrient foliar pack. We are trying new things like sulfur and a little bit of nitrogen with the soybean fungicide. There will still be many acres of soybeans sprayed with fungicides because we see consistent positive results. Even with soybeans seeming a little slower this year, our general recommendation is to spray them with fungicide. Fungicide will extend the growing season and allow for more pod production and pod fill. Fungicides on soybeans are still one of my top items to consider when pushing for higher yield.
2024 has presented challenges with the amount of rainfall we have had, but I think mostly we just weren’t used to it. The past 4-5 years have been a drought and we’ve been able to get as much work done as we wanted. This year, we really had to find the windows to get all the work accomplished. With the weather during the beginning of July I believe we are setting ourselves up for a successful year and we just need to keep it going for the next couple of months. As always reach out to any of us at SFG if you’re interested in what you can do on your farms to continue making 2024 successful.
Grain Update
Mark White Grain Division Manager
The June 28 acre and stock report from the USDA did not agree well with the private estimates we had seen prior to the report. The biggest difference was with the number of planted corn acres which was 91.47 million acres, 1.17 million acres above the average estimate. On hand corn stocks were also higher than expected so the corn market took a dive. Bean acres were a little less while bean stocks were just a touch higher. However, world bean stocks are more than adequate so we did not see a big move either way.
The flooding in the upper Midwest was not addressed in this report as the information was gathered as of June 1. The area of damage continues to grow, but the trade believes that rain makes grain so it will be harvest time before any impact from this weather event will be noticed. FSA acre reports will be released later this summer, and that information will give us another taste of what got planted and the amount of prevented planting that occurred. Most production areas are currently having non-threatening weather. This is good for all of us as it means we could be looking at some good individual yields and bad because our national yields may be close to trendline.
Marketing opportunities will be few and far between as we finish up the summer and head into fall. Feel free to call anytime to discuss the markets. I do not have all the answers but am willing to discuss what might be in front of us.
Operations Update
Charles Smith Agronomy Operations Manager
It s been another challenging spring for everyone. It started out with no weather delays and now we can’t get around them. Guess we can’t complain about not getting enough moisture! The crops have never looked better for our area at this time of the year.
Herbicide application in our area is about 75% complete. Corn is nearly done, and the beans will be done in a week once weather allows. The next round of application to be done following that is fungicide on the corn. Once that the corn is tasseled, you will start seeing the planes spraying it. This usually lasts for most of the month of July. Following that, you will start seeing beans getting sprayed with fungicide. Usually, half the beans are sprayed with ground machines and the other half with airplanes.
Project-wise, we are installing a new scale at Pleasantville. The scale that we had was a 12x60 pit scale and the new scale will be 14x80 above ground scale. This will be quite an improvement for that location. Work on this should finish in the middle of July.
Other work getting done at Pleasantville is re-siding the fertilizer shed and repairing the fertilizer leg. One of the many spring storms damaged them both, so we had to rebuild some of it and reinstall it. This should be completed by August.
For the most part, we do not have any other big projects scheduled at other locations. That doesn’t mean we aren’t busy! We will have a lot of regular maintenance scheduled to keep our elevators ready for harvest. It sure looks like we will need all the storage this fall!
Feed Division Update
Brandon Blommers Feed Division Manager
You’ll always hear us talk about how SFG can save you money on livestock nutrition. This issue I’m going to discuss how we make sure that feed is safe and healthy.
Feed safety and quality are a top priority here at SFG. The industry and regulators as a whole have pushed for this the past several years. You most likely see this on your end with the VFD’s we’re required to have before selling certain feed additives.
We are applying food safety and quality measures to our own animal feed production as well. Animal feed must be safe for consumption by your livestock. It must be free from mycotoxins and chemicals that would be harmful to your animals.
Coming in at a close second is the quality and performance of your animal feed. This is where we are always willing to pay more on our end, to provide you the highest quality feed available at an affordable price.
We employ strict flushing procedures in our mill and trucks. We are FSMA and OSHA compliant with our detailed feed safety plans, highlighted by our hazard analysis approach.
In conclusion, our priority is your animal’s health and performance!
Tune in weekdays at noon to 96.7 KIIC for the latest market news, sponsored by Smith Fertilizer & Grain!
Northwest Agronomy Update
Jason Jensen Northwest District Agronomy Sales
The old saying, “if you don’t like the weather in Iowa, don’t worry it will change tomorrow” has once again held true this growing season. We started off the spring cool and dry, had a several-week period with a fair amount of rainfall, turned hot and dry for a few weeks, and are now in a hot period with what seems like daily rainfall spread across our area.
The unique weather has left crops in many stages of maturity. We have corn ranging from shooting tassels to just emerging in replant areas. In some cases, this is in the same field! Soybeans in the area are also showing similar patterns with beans shading 15” rows to plants just sticking their necks out of the ground.
All that aside, our crops look fairly decent for the weather we have been dished out. Some of the early planted corn will be in full tassel by July 4. Several tassels have been shooting in some fields for the last week or so. This means that it is about time to start airplane fungicide, and any last-minute fertility needs that your crop may have. Slow-release nitrogen with boron at tassel time has been a product that has shown tremendous yield bumps the last few years. It’s a great tank mix partner with your favorite fungicide.
Many of the soybeans in our area are just about ready for the last pass of herbicide. This also is a good time to look at foliar feeding to stimulate a little growth in the plants. The soybeans in our area look ok, but all seem to be growing slower than we hope. This doesn’t often affect yield, but it does make weed control more difficult. It also places pods closer to the ground at harvest and makes things more difficult.
Talk to your local SFG agronomist and we will get a plan put together for your fungicide, as well as any foliar products that you may need to complete a bumper crop.
Northeast Agronomy Update
Greg Willer Northeast District Agronomy Sales
In the next ten days chemical applications will be mostly wrapped up. The crop has had the needed rainfall and heat and everything is looking pretty good in this area. Corn is just starting to tassel and we will be hearing airplanes spraying fungicide in the next few days.
I have heard concerns with fungus on corn given the wetter than average spring we have had. I have not seen much myself yet, but it’s still a little early for it to start showing up. A good fungicide with a longer residual (like Veltyma) is a good preventive solution. Rain is expected throughout the rest of the week and wet conditions favor fungus. Take the time to scout your fields now for grey leaf spot, northern blight, and rust to prevent a problem down the road.
So far in my travels through the countryside, I haven’t seen many concerns that are hard to fix. I have noticed more insect feeding in bean fields this year than I have in the last few. Adding an insecticide to your fungicide in the upcoming weeks is a costeffective way to remedy this. We have also seen a yield increase in adding an insecticide in with the fungicide so it should pay for itself.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Take the time to sit down with your SFG agronomist to discuss fungicide options in the next two weeks. We can for over options that will best fit your fields and give you the best return on investment.
Southern Agronomy Update
Taylor Banks
Southern District Agronomy Sales
The last few weeks have been busy post-spraying beans and getting corn side dress done. Overall, crops look pretty good in my area since the recent rains we have had. Some of the earlier-planted corn and soybeans are looking pretty good.
The corn fungicide timing this year is going to be a long window, given how stretched out planting was. I expect the first wave to be ready just after the 4th of July holiday with more to follow from there.
There has been quite a bit of hay put up in my area the past few weeks as well. That has been keeping us busy with spreading fertilizer. I expect to wrap up postspraying in the next two weeks on beans.
Soon we will be starting work on our agronomy closeouts. I always look forward to meeting with customers at that time and looking over crops in that late July/August time. Give us a call for any midsummer needs you have!
Feed Update
Mike King SFG Feed Sales
Fall is still a few months away, but now’s the right time to plan your late summer and fall tub needs. Right now, we are offering some valuable promotions on protein tubs. Book them now, pay in September, take delivery by the end of the year, and save money compared to what you’ll pay if you wait!
We will also be offering discounts on Kent minerals this fall, with up to 10% off certain products. Give us a call to see how we can help you out here as well.
Have you started your calves on pelleted creep feed yet? If not, you should. With the current creep and livestock prices, $0.90 in feed gains you $3 at the sale barn. Folks, it’s a no-brainer. If you don’t have a creep feeder, we can help you out with renting one.
A final word on lick tubs - If you’re looking to breed for your spring calves, be sure to look at Kent’s high-fat breed-up tubs. These help mama get the energy she needs to grow a healthy calf and build strong rumen. Give us a call at 641-932-2100 today to see how we can help you out!
