Maximize Fertilizer Efficiency with Grid Sampling

Phosphorous (P), potassium (K), and soil pH have an optimal range in the soil. Underapplying fertilizer will lead to nutrient deficiency in the plant and reduced yields. Overapplying fertilizer will increase costs without improving yield. Soil tests provide the information needed to determine what rate of fertilizer will maximize yield potential without excessive cost.

Crop Input Planning

I want to start this out with a BIG thank you to all who have come in and made commitments and prepayments for your 2022 crop needs. This is a big help to get us off on the right foot with direction on what products to stock for the upcoming spring season. 

As we head into the tail end of winter and turn the corner into spring, I want to take a few moments and comment on an opportunity that still lies ahead in the coming month: planning. Though discussions of planning ahead have happened over and over this past winter, it remains important as we get closer to spring. 
 

Increase your value and net return per acre with CROPLAN® Alfalfa

A strong start to your alfalfa stand is important. The soil environment that alfalfa is seeded into can mean success or failure for the stand. Management practices like seedbed preparation and soil fertility can influence stand establishment. Soil borne diseases in the upper Midwest and Eastern U.S. like Aphanomyces root rot and Anthracnose can also have a serious impact on your stand establishment and alfalfa productivity.
 

Aphanomyces Root Rot and Anthracnose in Alfalfa

The combination of healthy roots and healthy stems lead to higher alfalfa yield potential. Below ground, alfalfa roots gather water and nutrients. Above ground, stems and leaves produce and transport plant energy to make valuable forage. Diseases such as Aphanomyces root rot and Anthracnose can limit these plant processes.

Crop Input Planning and Budgets

Every year crop input planning and budgeting are important but with the abnormal fluctuation in the prices of your inputs, they are now more important than ever. The Premier Cooperative Team has the tools to work through your budget spreadsheets with you and calculate your breakeven cost per bushel. This will help you develop a crop input plan to meet or exceed your profit goals. 

 

Herbicide Shortage - Fact or Fiction?

We are living in some unprecedented times regarding supply and demand. As many of you know, there has been a considerable amount of press about glyphosate and other CPP product shortages for the 2022 growing season. There are several different factors for the herbicide shortage including a decline in the number of laborers to unload tanker ships at gulf ports, lack of truck transportation from the ports to get the ingredients to U.S. formulation plants and formulated products to the retailers, reduced supplies of some of the inert ingredients of the formulation, shortages of materials to make containers and packaging, and Hurricane Ida that damaged a glyphosate production plant in Luling, LA. 

 

Planning for Profits

With the 2021 season behind us our thoughts have turned to planning for 2022. Many of you started that thinking process during harvest and decided to buy/book and apply fall fertilizer. In general, fertilizer prices have remained strong throughout the fall with potentially more upside. Some supply concerns have made the news as well. We have worked hard with our suppliers to secure fertilizer tons for the remainder of the fall application season and to fill and re-fill our bins for spring application. Premier’s storage capacity is one of the largest in the area which helps lessen our dependence on shipments in the spring. Working with your local agronomist to plan your needs for spring will help us forecast product amounts and timing of those tons for application in the spring.

Agronomy Year End Prepay

Last year we changed up our “Year End Prepay Days” due to the COVID-19 guidance that was in place and went to offering private one on one appointments. These appointments ended up being very efficient and timely for all, giving us time to prepare in advance for the appointment and locking in a time for yourself to help in your day-to-day schedule as well. We have decided to continue with this same layout for our “Year End Prepay Days”. We would like to offer you a window of time between Mid-December and the first week of January to prepay for your 2022 crop inputs. Please call your local agronomy location to schedule a private one on one appointment. We appreciate your business and look forward to meeting with you.
 

Use technology tools to support in-season decision-making​.

Making good seed decisions starts with leveraging the data that’s best suited for your operation. Ideally, this means fusing national data with highly localized data from your region or your farm specifically. ?Although you never know what the season will bring, the highest odds of success come from managing the seed as recommended.

Fall Armyworm

Fall Armyworms have begun to make an appearance in alfalfa fields in Southwestern Wisconsin, Northeast Iowa, and Northern Illinois. Fall armyworms range in size large to small, so feeding will continue for some time yet.  Small worms (the size of pencil lead) can feed for another 10-15 days especially in cooler temperatures.  In final worm growth stage, (size of pencil eraser) this is the most destructive stage … they can destroy and consume a lot of alfalfa very quickly.   Here's what to know: 
 

Fall Fertilizer Applications

It’s hard to believe how fast the summer has flown by.  While I’m ready for more fall like temperatures and the beginning of corn silage harvest, followed closely with soybeans and corn, I am not looking forward to less sunlight hours and cold weather.  I am however, looking forward to high school, Badger, and Packer football games. 

Potato Leaf Hopper Management

In the Midwest and Eastern US, PLH are considered the most damaging insect pest to alfalfa yield and quality. PLH damage can lead to stunting, lower yields, reduced crude protein content, loss of forage palatability, and loss of stand density.

Protect Your Crops from Insects

Nobody likes insects, plain and simple. But, we really don't like insects when they're affecting our crops and livelihood. Both Japanese beetles and spider mites can cause problems on your farm. Here's some solutions to the problems they may cause.

Identifying & Treating Tar Spot

With cooler, wet conditions moving into our geography the past week, it is going to be very imporatnt to scout our corn crop for Tar Spot. As the name implies, tar spot can be identified by small black and circular lesions. They are slightly raised, and bumps can be felt on affected plant tissue. Lesions can appear on leaves, husks or stalks and are often surrounded by a light tan colored halo.

R7 Tool Available For Free to All Members Receiving Custom Application Services

Nobody knows your farm as well as you do, but the R7® Tool can give you a whole new perspective to identify new challenges and opportunities.   Personalized to fit your fields, the R7 suite of tools combines powerful data with localized information to help you make the best decisions for your crop. 

Your Farm at Your Fingertips

When you're away from your desk, you can access your farm's information using our Boss Grower™ mobile app to see how your fields are trending in the R7 Tools, message your Premier team, and view weather and grain bids.

Micronutrients Aren't Optional

When you hear the word “micro,” what comes to mind? Do you immediately think “inconsequential,” “insignificant” or “nonessential”? If so, you may assume that micronutrients are an optional component of your plant nutrition program. But that’s not the case. Micronutrients are needed in smaller quantities compared to macronutrients, but their importance on plant nutrition for your corn and soybean crops can’t be overstated.

Protect Plants From Stress with Biostimulants

During the lifespan of a crop, it’s faced with numerous stressors that can chip away at yield. So what can you do to protect plants from stress? It starts with keeping crops healthy from day one with good management practices. Toggle^® is a biostimulant fertilizer used in corn, soybeans, cotton and other crops. It’s derived from seaweed and enhances root growth, promotes synthesis of antioxidants and improves photosynthesis by increasing chlorophyll production in plants. 

Assessing Frost Damage

Frost has speckled a few areas of the across the northern Midwest this weekend. Fortunately, most of the corn has the growing point below ground and soybeans are either not planted or they have not emerged. However, some of the Midwest, these crops are at more susceptible stages for injury. Frost issues create a number of grower questions as to their effect on emerged corn and soybeans. The following may help answer some of these questions.

The Big 5 This June

As we progress thru the growing season, we are entering a period of time that making correct agronomic decision can have great impact on your ending yields this fall. Stress as we know it is often not a good thing. How to mitigate that for your crops is key. Looking ahead to the coming month there can be decisions to help decrease stress. I am going to call it “The Big 5” for the month of June.

Get Notified When We Finish Applying in Your Field

ANVOL® Nitrogen Stabilizer

Maximize your yield by supplementing nitrogen, sulfur or other valuable micronutrients when the crop’s needs are at its highest demand. Including a nitrogen stabilizer like ANVOL can reduce cumulative ammonia loss to 12 percent, compared to losses of more than 30 percent with untreated urea.

Fungicide Application Windows

A fungicide targeting foliar diseases is only as effective as its application timing. Generally, there are three key growth stage options to choose from — V5-V7, V8-V10 and VT-R1 — for making a fungicide application, and there are advantages and disadvantages associated with each stage.

We’ve taken an in-depth look at these options, the pros, cons and expectations associated with a foliar fungicide application at any of these stages.

Calculating Alfalfa Stand Quality

Predictive Equations of Alfalfa Quality (PEAQ) provides an estimate of the quality, measured as Relative Feed Value (RFV), of a crop of first cutting alfalfa standing in the field. (Iowa State University)

Interactive Alfalfa Maturity Map

There is an optimum time to harvest alfalfa based off on the maturity and height of the plant. Once the maturity and height of plant is captured, feed value can be predicted.

Winter Damaged Alfalfa Management

A question producers have every year is “How is the alfalfa going to over winter?” We had a lot of conditions that warrant the concern, but now is where the rubber hits the road and decisions will be made.

Tips for a Robust Alfalfa Crop

As we round the corner on winter, spring alfalfa planting is just around the corner. Here are some key strategies and tips our Premier Cooperative forage team recommends for success in the next few weeks as you plan for the upcoming season.

Alfalfa Seeding Date Recommendations

Many times producers will plant alfalfa early out of convenience. But, planting alfalfa later has its benefits and may lead to more success on your farm.

Maximize Nutrient Applications

As a producer, you want to get the absolute most out of your nutrient applications. Adding in AMS or Toggle can help you accomplish this. 

Stop Loss of Nitrogen with Spring Applications

You’ve probably heard about the benefits of using nitrogen stabilizers to protect fall-applied nitrogen over the winter, but did you know that spring nitrogen applications are at risk for loss as well? That’s because the majority of the nitrogen that is applied at planting is not going to be taken up by the plant until about 60 days later. If that nitrogen converts to nitrate before the crop is able to use it, it can be lost. It often becomes a race between the nitrate leaching and the growth rate of the plant’s roots. In a wet year, nitrate is more likely to reach the tile lines before the plant has a chance to take it up. Stabilizing nitrogen helps keep it in ammonium form longer, which greatly reduces the risk of leaching. That helps protect your nitrogen investment and improves your return on investment potential and yields..

5 Products to Enhance Your Alfalfa Yield Potential

Enhancing your alfalfa yield potential is easier now with the addition of several new tools. Make sure you check the basics first; soil pH, phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), and Sulfur (S).

These 5 yield enhancing products and tools work great when you have your soil fertility foundation built.

Jump-Start Your Yield Potential

Syngenta Thrive 2020
By Darci Maulsby
Additions by Ken Jahnke

Set your sights on high yields with the decisions made during planning and planting.

Here are the seven top tips for starting the 2021 crop strong:

1. Select seed to match your needs. Don’t focus exclusively on seedling vigor and yield potential. Economics are tight, but you need to plant the right traits that put you in a favorable position for success. The right traits for your needs are a powerful tool in your toolbox.

Year End Crop Inputs

The 2020 crop year has just about come to a close. We have had a great fall giving us all time to harvest, apply fertilizer, soil test, till and many other tasks that sometimes get caught undone before winter sets in. Now, many of you have begun to turn your thoughts to 2021.  Seed should be at the top of your list. I hope many of you have a chance to book or take advantage of the early season prepay discounts, giving you the opportunity to lock in those top varieties from Croplan, Dekalb, Asgrow, Brevant or NK Seeds that we carry.  If you have not, please contact your agronomist today to work with you, using the R7 Technology, to match the right seed on the right acre to maximize your yield and ROI.

Get a Head Start on Spring

Getting your phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) applications made now offer many advantages over spring applications.  The likelihood of dry soils, agronomic benefits, availability of fertilizers, your workload and time, are all factors on why fall is the preferred time over spring.  In addition, fall is also a good time to apply P for environmental reasons. There is generally a lower risk of P runoff with the typical fall weather and soil conditions.  If you think back on spring and weigh the pros and cons you will consider fall applications as one job that can be done now and not be at the risk of what the spring will bring. Contact your Premier Agronomist today and get a head start on your spring!

Give Your Fields the Nutrients They Need

Know the benefits of Fall soil sampling. Analyze your soil now to prepare for next season. Soil sampling is essential for developing an effective fertility plan for your operation. Take advantage of these three benefits by sampling your fields this fall. 

Select Seed That Performs on Your Farm

Buying seed can feel overwhelming.
With all the different genetics and traits going around, making agronomic decisions like hybrid placement can become a challenge. To optimize yield potential on your farm, our crop production specialists understand the importance of knowing how hybrids are affected by management.

Select Seed That Performs on Your Farm

Buying seed can feel overwhelming.
With all the different genetics and traits going around, making agronomic decisions like hybrid placement can become a challenge. To optimize yield potential on your farm, our crop production specialists understand the importance of knowing how hybrids are affected by management.

Pre Harvest Tips

You've heard the term garbage in - garbage out. This is especially true when working with yield monitors. There is one chance to get this information correct each year. Having properly working equipment, consistent farm and field setup, and crop flow and moisture calibration are very important. The rewards you’ll reap from retrieving this valuable information will be well worth the time and effort.

2021 Seed Savings!

The first of 4 Cash Discounts is fast approaching. Pay for your seed by NOVEMBER 16th and receive 8% CASH SAVINGS. Maximize that discount by taking advantage of Premier Cooperative one of a kind volume discount program giving you the opportunity to combine purchases between our 5 major seed brands (Croplan, NK, Brevant, Asgrow and Dekalb). To help you take advantage we do have financing available at some very attractive terms. Talk with your agronomist for more details and get started on a profitable 2021.

Use This Year's Harvest Data for Next Year's Decisions

With today’s ag technology tools and in-season imagery options, it should be easier than ever to collect data to make informed seed and crop protection product decisions. But even though all of that data can be very helpful, it can also be overwhelming to know where to start. Here are five strategies to help break things down into more digestible pieces so you can start formulating a plan for next season using this season’s harvest data.                                                                                                                                                           

Garbage In, Garbage Out – Importance of Calibrating Yield Monitors

From maintenance on combine heads to replacing feeder house chains, there is no shortage on the amount of work that needs to be done before heading out to the field. However, there is one very important piece that is often overlooked…the Yield Monitor.

Forget Surprises, Plan Ahead -- Harvest Plan

Harvest is an exciting and extremely busy time of year. As you run around making sure equipment is ready to go, stop and ask yourself. Are you ready? Do you have a harvest plan in place? Where will you start and where will you end up?

Take 4 Steps at Harvest for Quality Silage

Many moving parts need to be in place to get the best quality silage at harvest. With harvest quickly approaching, consider these four tips to help inform your silage harvest strategy.
1. Prep your Equipment
Don’t wait until the last minute to get your equipment ready for harvest. Ensure you have equipment adjusted correctly depending on the cut length you’re aiming for. 

The 0% Interest & Get All Your Seed Discounts Financing

Often with our financial decisions the question isn’t so much about “Can I invest in/purchase X to improve my operation?”, the question is “If I invest in/purchase X to improve my operation, can I also invest in/purchase Y and Z?”

X, Y, and Z could be different options based on your personal situation. For an expanding operation, it could be a new piece of equipment (or land) to increase your throughput or bring down your cost per acre...

Scout For These 4 Problems to Prepare For Harvest & 2021

Importance of Late Season Scouting
The sprayers out in the field are slowly rolling to a halt, while harvest equipment is starting to be greased up and ready to go. In the midst of all this, our fields tend to get placed on the back burner, when they should really be the stars of the show. This time of year, the more time you invest in your fields the more knowledge and insight you can gain for this year’s harvest and future cropping seasons.

5 Simple Steps for Success with Late-Summer Alfalfa Seeding

Alfalfa is a versatile crop with a wide range of recommended seeding dates, but if you have land available for alfalfa, you must finalize your plan soon. Follow these five steps to help make your next alfalfa seeding a success:

1. Alfalfa request a neutral soil

Perform a soil test to determine pH, potassium and phosphorus levels. Alfalfa requires a neutral soil pH of 6.8 to 7.2 to reach its yield potential, and incorrect soil fertility levels will lead to lost production.

Visit Our 'Premier Acres' Plots

Want to catch up on the latest advancements and trends in crop production to position your operation for success?  Then we invite you out for a visit to one of our four Premier Acre Plots in your area.  With the growing season moving along and harvest on the horizon, now is a great time to meet with your Premier Agronomist amd receive a personal tour. Gain insights on the latest technology and practices that could help add yield and profit to your crop management programs. The plots are located in Fennimore, Bloomington, Mount Horeb and Mazomanie.

Potato Leafhoppers Destroying Alfalfa in Southern WI

Alfalfa Potato Leafhopper - As the AC units are rolling in full force this week, so is the Potato Leafhoppers development in alfalfa.  In a poll across our area, leafhopper counts have increased well above the economic threshold. Why is this a concern?
 

KRISS® Biostimulant for High Management Alfalfa

Biostimulant Fertilizer for High Management Alfalfa -
Containing plant-based amino acids and seaweed extracts, Kriss® biostimulant fertilizer
can help enhance plant growth and resistance to stress. The primary positioning of this
product is to help drive yield potential and feed quality on highly managed alfalfa. 
What are biostimulants? Natural compounds used to enhance plant growth or increase resistance to abiotic stress.

What is KRISS® biostimulant fertilizer?

• Registered as a 5-8-4 NPK fertilizer
• Combination of seaweed extracts and plant-based amino acids
• Active compounds include tryptophan, arginine and plant extracts
• KRISS® biostimulant fertilizer can help drive yield and quality on highly managed alfalfa by supporting regrowth

Protecting Alfalfa Quality and Tonnage

Advances in technology continue to bring innovative ways to improve quality and tonnage for your alfalfa crop. Just in the last few years biostimulants have become an integral part of top alfalfa production.  Here at Premier Cooperative we have incorporated that technology into our “QT” Alfalfa Treatment Program. 

Ugly Corn Syndrome

The 2020 corn crop got off to fairly early start, with generally good soil conditions in our area. However, as we are approaching the V3 to V5 growth stages in corn, we can begin to notice some yellowing. This is especially true in areas of the field that we know are stressful (i.e. compacted areas, sandy knolls, wet spots, etc.), but we can also notice the corn becoming off color in other areas where the cause may not be quite as obvious. I like to call this affliction “Ugly Corn Syndrome”.  Now is the perfect time to scout it out! We need to consider all the factors affecting our fields… fertilizer and manure applications, cropping history, compaction, residue management, and tillage practices, to try to determine the best course of action to relieve the plant stress we are seeing. This is also the perfect time to pull plant tissue samples in order to get an exact snapshot of what both “Ugly” and “Normal” parts of a corn field may be lacking. The key is to get our scouting and sampling done right now, so that we still have time to apply management to the corn before it gets too tall to allow us in the field. Give your Premier agronomist a call today so that they can get their boots in your field.

WI FARM SUPPORT PROGRAM - APPLY TODAY

From the WI Department of Revenue, the Farm Support Program will be providing direct payments to farmers that suffered economic damages in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on gross farm income from 2019, the minimum payment is $1,000 and the maximum amount is $3,500. While not a large payment, the online application should be relatively quick to complete with funds expected to be issued on July 15^th.

Address Early-On Issues With Technology

After the rush of spring planting, it can be hard to monitor every field for in-season problems such as poor stands, nutrient deficiencies, seedling diseases, early-season pests and weed pressure. There’s just not time to go back and perform manual scouting evaluations on every field it seems. Early detection of issues can make all the difference in yield potential at harvest. That’s where the R7® Field Monitoring Tool and NutriSolutions Tissue Testing can help. 
 

Maximizing Your Spray Investment

With post emergent herbicide applications upon us for corn and soybeans, it is important to put together the right tank mix so you can eliminate weed pressure before it impacts yield potential. While selecting the right herbicides and rates is always top of mind, don’t forget to include the right adjuvant package in your tank to ensure the active ingredients reach your intended target. Depending on the herbicides you choose, a water conditioner, surfactant and/or drift control agent might be required to prevent mixing problems and off target movement.  

Certain Dicamba Product Use Appealed

Late last night the US Court of Appeals overturned the EPA’s approval for the use of certain dicamba products including Engenia, FeXapan and XtendiMax. The ruling effectively makes it illegal for farmers to continue to use the product.
 

Coronavirus Financial Aid

USDA is accepting applications for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program now through August 28, 2020.

Coronavirus Financial Aid

Nearly daily there is new information released for grants, low interest loans, and other government assistance programs related to Covid-19 financial aid and direct producer payments.

Webinar for Producers on Applying for CFAP Payments

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and Farm Service Agency (FSA) will host a webinar on Thursday, May 14, 2020, at 1 p.m. ET, for farmers, ranchers and other producers interested in applying for direct payments through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP).

New Eligibility Notice for EIDL

In response to the Coronavirus pandemic, the US Small Business Administration (SBA) recently put out a notice for New Eligibility for Economic Injury Disaster Loan and Advance (EIDL). A few highlights from the SBA website...

Freezing Temps and Crop Damage

Temperatures are projected to drop into the 20’s and questions are arising whether alfalfa, corn, and soybeans will be killed. Frost and cold weather conditions can be extremely variable throughout a geography and from micro-environment with-in field conditions. Frost injury occurring at or below 32°F has different outcomes from lethal freezes which are more likely to negatively impact plants when temperatures are at 28°F for more than four hours.

Crop Production Tips

With the extra challenge of the pandemic coronavirus and resulting COVID-19, this Spring's planting season is on pace to be a crazy time for everyone trying to get a crop in the ground. Here are a few reminders of items to make sure you check off your list this May.

Crop Production Tips

With the extra challenge of the pandemic coronavirus and resulting COVID-19, this Spring's planting season is on pace to be a crazy time for everyone trying to get a crop in the ground. Here are a few reminders of items to make sure you check off your list this April.