Farming

Management Practices vs. Traits – A Noticeable Difference

Take a look at the picture below of two separate farmer’s soybean fields. Roundup Ready soybeans were planted on the left and Non GMO soybeans on the right. Do you notice a difference? It’s apparent that nothing will compensate for overall management.

Weeds are very heavy on the left, even after being sprayed several times. Although water drowned out some crop on the right, the excess of water should have also allowed for more weeds…but management did not. This is perfect example of management practices vs. traits.

Management vs Trait

 

Everything That Happens Above Ground Starts Below Ground

What is NEPS and how do you calculate it?

Net Effective Plant Stand (NEPS) is the total plant population minus late emerging plants and poorly spaced plants. The percentage is NEPS divided by total plant population. Typically this measurement is collected when plants are at the 4-8 leaf stage.

Most people look at a plant population once the field is planted; however, we analyze how many of those plants are actually full producing plants. Raising corn is no different than raising hogs. If you have a runt pig, it will always be a runt pig that doesn’t produce to the fullest potential while still using the same amount of resources to do so. Much like runt pigs, delayed emerging corn plants are stealing your profits.

Why is it important for our customers to look at NEPS each year?

Each year at CCI we look at NEPS for every field that a grower plants of our product. This is important for a grower to see and understand how tillage, seed quality, soil conditions, and residue management affect their plant stand of corn. We then use all of this information that has been collected to help growers make changes to their operation and their farming methods to ensure that they are making progress on improving their profitability while improving their skills in the field.

Why are NEPS important for us at CCI to look at?

We use NEPS as a catalyst for change. There are over a 1,000 variables that go into raising a great crop. Most variables are out of our control, but as we often say, the person who controls the most variables that they actually have control over will always out produce their competition. As a company, we can control seed quality, and we do so with very stringent testing of our seed not only at our conditioners, but also once it enters our warehouse. Before a bag of our seed is delivered to a farmer, it has been tested a minimum of 3 times at 3 different labs to ensure that it is the highest quality seed.

Understanding the genetic makeup of the hybrid is key to placing it on the right piece of ground. The right hybrids on the right piece of ground are two factors that can help you take your yield to the next level. Here at Corn Capital Innovations, we pride ourselves in helping production experts as yourself take high quality seed and place it on the right acre in your field.

Remember, everything that happens above ground starts below ground!

What did we see this year in the fields?

The 2014 growing season will be remembered in large part for the challenges that occurred in getting the crop planted in a challenging spring, as well as, the deluge of water that occurred in June. When we conducted our NEPS evaluations this year, here is what we saw:

  • Soil Conditions at planting time are the #1 dictator of yield
  • High full producing ear counts (best stands we have seen in the last 3 years)
  • Significant differences on vertical tillage versus field cultivators
  • Vertical tillage had a 2-3,000 full producing plants per acre advantage
  • The field cultivator smear layer kept the soil anaerobic longer than vertical tillage tools thus the plants suffered more seedling diseases as well as prohibited root development

Check out these pictures of what we were seeing in the field!

In agriculture, growing smarter begins with collecting knowledge from hands on experience and our agronomists can work with you to get the latest technology that’s right for your unique growing challenges.

So now is the time to start planning for 2015, contact Corn Capital Innovations today to get a crop plan in place or update your current plan for the coming year!

Is Your Tackle Box Full?

With below freezing temperatures and a fresh blanket of snow it must be ice fishing season. Time to put on the long underwear, Kick on your boots, pull down your stocking hat, and grab your fishing rod and bait.  Ice fishing is a lot like farming.  Every year there are new tools and technologies that come out to make your time spent fishing, or farming more productive.  Every year brings great anticipation in where and when the fish will be biting, but one thing is always certain, year after year it’s never the same.  To be an exceptional ice fisherman or woman you need to have several lures in your tackle box.  Similar to farming, you need to be willing to change when something is not working. I’m Jim Dumdei with Corn Capital Innovations and we are here to bring the right lures to your operation, from production to crop insurance, or grain marketing to financial analysis, we will make sure your tackle box is fully loaded to help you land that big one you always hear about. See you on the ice!

Get the latest fishing report here!

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to get the latest reports throughout the season along with our own fun fishing photos!

Farming is like Fishing; You Need a Good Attitude!


Want to catch a lot of fish?  Check your attitude!

The fishing season is here and lots of people are out there trying their luck.  When you tell people attitude is the number one factor to catching fish… they think your joking.  Most people believe they go fishing to fix a bad attitude and it isn’t necessary to arrive at the lake with a good one.

But the angler’s attitude effects every decision he makes while fishing, which directly affects their success.

Fishing is just like farming.  Attitude is the number one factor that affects the decisions you make thru-out the growing season.  When you realize you can’t control Mother Nature, the market or what other people say or do, but you can control your attitude you’ve taken the first step to succeeding in farming.

Having a good attitude helps you relax, stay focused and enjoy farming a lot more.  Never put your boat in the water or enter the field unless you have a good attitude.

I hope your attitude helps you catch a lot more fish and achieve higher yields and greater possibilities this year.

Tell us your strategy for a good attitude in the comments below!

Production: Farming, Crop and Bushels Per Acre

What is Production The dictionary says:

1. The act or process of producing.

2. Something produced; product. 3. The total number of products; output,

1 = Farming   2= Crop   3= Bushels per Acre

Farmers are probably the most unique businessmen there are.  They need to understand more than the average corporate business person.  They need to comprehend the science of seed and soil.  They need to be accountants, purchasers, mechanics and welders.  They have to be a weather forecaster, and depending on their farm operation, may also have to be nutritionists and a veterinarian.  With all that said, they still need to “farm”.  A farmer needs to protect and nurture their crop from planting to harvest.

I remember hearing “the farmer only works two months out of the year: May & October” which is absolutely not the case!  It is all that can be done in between those seasons that will help to maximize bushels per acre and revenue per acre.  Starting with the right seed for your soil conditions is only the beginning. As you know, you can’t control Mother Nature.  How you handle what she gives us is the one thing you can control!

The weather will determine how you will nurture your crop.  A great example is feeding a diabetic; they do best when fed small meals all day long.  The same idea applies with farming; nurture your crop by applying multiple applications of fertilizer and routinely apply fungicides in combination with other pesticides.  Farmers who follow this philosophy will reap the benefit of higher yields as the plants will be healthier all season long.

What factors are keeping you from consistently producing maximum bushels?

Check the ones you already have in place:

__A 3 year goal and plan to reach higher yields

__Control over my production and yield strategy

__The right people in place to help me reach my goals

__Completed cropping plans prior to harvest each year

__Confidence in which seed and technologies to purchase

__Expertise in the latest agronomic practices to achieve my goals

__ Proficiency in advanced tillage practices

98% of Corn Capital Innovations growers raise yields to new levels and significantly lower their per unit production costs!  The 2% that don’t do this, do not follow our program.

Other factors to consider include protecting your investment with Crop Insurance, increasing profitability with Grain Marketing and generating revenue using Financial Management.

Contact us to help you increase your production as you nurture your field this growing season!