Brandenburg Planters Are Rolling
Fields Drying Out Makes for Workable Planting Conditions
Trent Brandenburg started planting corn and soybeans this Monday, April 5, 2021. This is about the same start as Trent got last year when he started on April 7, 2020. Trent is hurrying to get more planted before the rains predicted for this afternoon, April 9. He wants a good rain to speed the germination of seed already planted. The soil temperature is still in the 40s but the recent sunny days will warm it quickly.
Trent has not made any changes to his corn-bean rotation, although the recent bean price spike is tempting. He has already applied fertilizer and crop protection chemicals planned for this year, so he is fairly well locked into his present rotation because a field with corn inputs applied has to be planted to corn. Trent’s present corn-bean balance has been successful for him, so he is continuing with it.
More from The Field Report
Dry Weather Speeds Harvest
Trent Brandenburg is trying to get his field work done "before it rains". Much of the area Trent farms is in "extreme drought" according to the Illinois Drought Monitor https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?IL map, which is updated every Thursday. The very dry soil [...]
In a Drought, but Corn is Too Wet to Harvest
The current Illinois drought map (11 September) shows severe drought in the northern 40% of Piatt County and moderate drought in the rest of Piatt and adjacent areas of neighboring counties. Trent Brandenburg has barely started harvesting because his corn [...]
Summertime Mowing And Spraying
Trent Brandenburg has been busy mowing his lawn and his roadsides due to the sunshine and frequent rains making his grass grow as well as his corn and soybeans. He has been hiring aerial spraying of fungicides to suppress disease [...]