The Field Report

Trent Brandenburg has replanted his few ponded field “wet spots” as many as three times. The replanted areas are “thin,” Trent observed, because “It has been too wet. But at least [replanting] will keep the weeds down.” Trent is now mowing and scouting his fields for any problems. Despite the continuing rains, Trent has yet to see any fungus disease emergence. He will keep scouting and apply crop protection chemicals if needed.

The old “knee high by the fourth of July” saying about corn plants has been made obsolete by modern corn genetics. Trent has corn that is tasseling and is nearly six feet high today, July 8, 2024.  The improved genetics enable the corn plant to germinate better in less-than-optimum conditions and thrive in wet or dry field conditions, producing hundreds of bushels of corn per acre without irrigation. The excellent soils of Piatt County help yields as well. An unimproved eighty-acre field in southeastern Piatt County is being advertised for sale at $19,950 per acre. Investments like this require a capable operator  to maximize the investor’s return, year after year.