Wednesday, June 3, 2020

Yesterday was a good day.  Sunny, hot…90ºF (32C).  But the best news of all is that we finished our replant of corn and soybeans.  The recent flooding of White River and heavy rains on some of our flat creek-bottom fields drowned some emerging corn and soybeans.  Ross had to do about 75 acres of corn– one field of 34 acres– he planted for the 3rd time!

Ross is “patching in” some replant in standing corn. This field at the Huey farm has some depressions that are susceptible to ponding in a heavy rain. That’s just what happened a couple weeks ago.

I ran the air drill in several fields to replant soybeans.  All in all, 467 acres needed replanted.  We were pleased that we were able to get the same seed for replant as the original planting– AG36X6.   That should help it ripen for harvest at a more uniform time, even though planted weeks later.

Monday evening from the seat of the JD 9520R tractor. It’s about time to stop for the evening.   After dark, it is too hard to see where to spot in more seed.

Rolling along on Tuesday, replanting soybeans.

John has been quite busy with the JD 4730 sprayer.  He has had to switch back and forth between spraying corn and soybeans 2 or 3 times.  The clean-out of the sprayer tank and booms that is required to switch between crops is significant, often taking 3 hours or more.  He utilizes the high-pressure washer inside the sprayer’s main tank– it is especially difficult to remove the residue of the atrazine.  He is very meticulous about the sprayer clean-out.  Today, he is cleaning the sprayer again, preparing to switch from applying herbicide from corn to soybeans.

The weather conditions also complicate his herbicide applications.  There are new restrictions on the application of dicamba in soybeans, vastly narrowing the windows of opportunity to apply this very effective and environmentally friendly herbicide.   He is very conscientious in his compliance with the recommendations and limitations.  But it can be very frustrating at times, with the fickle nature of the weather conditions.

Loading the sprayer, here at the main farm.

It was a good day to spray herbicide in this corn field at the home farm.

Brandon has been quite occupied with the support of the field work– two planters and the sprayer, plus he has been out on the Gator applying a herbicide to woody sprouts in most of  our ditches.  It is important to stop the growth of those willows, cedars, maples, and (especially) thorn trees.  We must keep those drainageways clear of woody growth while maintaining a grassy protection on the ditch banks.

Soon up on the agenda is to bring the combines and headers out of storage and to prepare them with the internal changes and adjustments for harvesting wheat.  That is approximately 3 weeks away.  Also, there will be some clean-up of the corn planter.

The tasks change as the year wears on, but today it feels pretty good… almost like we’re ‘caught up’.

… and you know?  A little rain would be welcome… a nice, gentle .8″ would we a happy event!