Saturday, July 8, 2023
Check another one off the list. The double-crop soybeans (DCB) planting is finished! I had a couple big and productive days in the JD 9520R tractor. The beans went into the soil very nicely, except for the Leser farm where the straw was extra-thick. At that location, the stand will probably be a bit spotty. But, it is good to have these beans in the ground. The first-planted DCB (from June 21) are beginning to emerge from the soil. Time will tell if I need to do any replanting… I’m thinking there will be 2 or 3 fields that have flooded spots from the big rain at the end of June. So, I’m not unhooking the drill from the tractor just yet. Also, we have two wheat fields at the Harry farm that I did not plant to DCB. Shepard Construction has moved in there to do some tile work and WASCoB building and repair. IF they finish their job by the 15th or so, I’ll go there and plant DCB… if too late, those two fields will just set fallow for the remainder of 2023.
Planting DCB at VanVleet. Pretty good conditions. It would have been better to get these planted before the rain, but we are grateful for the rain. When the straw is dry (pre-rain) the opener blades cut it better to get the beans into the soil. After a rain, the straw can be a bit ‘rubbery’, and it never completely dries out. It makes for a good mulch for the growing soybeans.
Brandon has been operating the sprayer for a few days. He is catching up the next application of Roundup to our soybean fields. He will also apply some Liberty in locations where the weed called ‘waterhemp’ is showing up. This week is his first experience to operate the R4044 sprayer, and I saw he sent a text to John saying, “Nice machine”.
Brandon readies himself to set off for a big day of spraying on Thursday.
We are expecting another rain event this morning. It’s cloudy and the skies are darkening again as I write (845 am). Rain will be a help to the corn and soybeans. The corn is pollenating right now, and some temps in the 80s will be more favorable than the 90s for that important phase of corn development. Plus, it is the best aroma, by far. Even better than fresh-cut grass!
As the calendar moves further into July, the lightning bug (some people call them ‘fireflies’) show each evening is diminishing little by little. It gets very noticeable about the 20th of June, and begins to decrease in July. The the little green blinking light show is best about 945-10 pm each evening. It’s really something special, one of the things I love about life in southern Indiana.
Next week, I get to go to Iowa to the JD tractor factory to watch our new 9R 540 get built. It’s called a Gold Key visit. It’s a really neat thing to watch your tractor come together. Typically, you even get to start the engine for its first time, too. This old farmer is really looking forward to this trip. Son Ben is going with me, and he seems pretty excited about it, too.
Have a nice weekend.
