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Agronomist: no reason to panic yet

An agronomist with Beck’s says although cool and wet conditions continue in many parts of the eastern Corn Belt, farmers shouldn’t be concerned about delayed planting.

Steve Gauck says it is still early….

“We’re coming into the middle of April and we still have time so I don’t want anyone to panic,” he says. “Planting corn early is beneficial from a yield stand point, but planting corn early into the wrong conditions can be more detrimental than waiting. We saw that last year when some of the late planted corn did well.”

And he tells Brownfield that farmers shouldn’t forget about planting soybeans early…

“I don’t want anyone to forget about soybeans,” He says. “If  the conditions are right and you’re planting corn and have the labor, go ahead and plant soybeans too. There are yield advantages to planting soybeans early and they can sometimes take a little more than we give them credit for.”

Gauck says farmers are going to have to be patient as less than ideal conditions continue, but he doesn’t think there is reason to be concerned about it impacting yields yet.

Audio: Steve Gauck, Beck’s