This crop season is ?one for the books,? and one to learn from.
James Russman, senior crop protection territory manager at Growmark, Inc., says, ?For the most part, all of Iowa and northwest Illinois is in pretty good shape,? despite challenges presented early this spring.
?Things are behind, depending on where you?re at in the state. Western and southwest Iowa are in pretty good shape. Eastern Iowa is decent and northeast Iowa (looks) a little bit tougher. (But) things are coming along,? Russman said. ?We could use some more heat. We now have plenty of moisture, so if Mother Nature cooperates with us and we can hold off an early season frost, we?ll be in good shape.?
Producers should remain vigilant in scouting for weeds, ahead of harvest. Russman speaks to a couple different options for producers who enrolled acres into prevented planting early this summer.
?Either clean till it or keep them sprayed, to keep those weeds in check,? Russman said. ?Cover crops on a lot of those acres (saw) limited success because those acres were still wet, and cover crop establishment is tough, like it would be with a regular crop. …kind of all over the board with what fits the guy, what he has time for and what his pocketbook can handle.?
Growmark looks to give farmers a ?boost,? in helping them make agronomic decisions.
?Helping growers make the right decision as far as input products, a good fungicide program and making sure we?re out scouting fields, looking at whether the right nutrient package was put in place. (We?re) trying to give those growers an extra ROI, extra edge because every bushel is going to count this year.?
Russman encourages growers to keep their ?chin up,? as he believes good times lie ahead.
