News

All about rain & protecting potential

An agronomist with Beck’s Hybrids says the corn and soybean crops in his area are set up for a good season.

Chad Kalaher, who covers the northeast quarter of the state, says it’s now all about the rain.

“We’re in a real critical time.”  He says, “You get rainfall somewhere in that 10 days around the peak of pollination, and that really makes a big difference.”

Eric Snodgrass, the lead atmospheric scientist with Nutrien Ag Solutions, says a stormy outlook for July should help the crop, but…

“That cool May into early June we had was ideal for some fungal pressures during their incubation stages.”  He says, “Then the hot, humid end of June and the start of July has actually been quite the needed atmospheric characteristics for that fungus to move.”

Kalaher tells Brownfield that the threats of diseases like tar spot and grey leaf spot have many farmers looking to protect the high potential.

“In this case, fungicides and insecticides, but IPM, you know, integrated pest management.”  He says, “If we don’t have to make a fungicide, insecticide application, then by all means let’s not be doing it.”

Kalaher says the area’s soil moisture is still in a deficit due to last fall’s drought, so timely rains are going to be critical the remainder of the growing season.

AUDIO: Chad Kalaher – Beck’s Hybrids