News & Information for Your Farming Operation
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Discovery plot sign
Early Season Discovery 
Plot Days: 
June 20 & 21

Come to at an early season Discovery Plot Day! Get in on the info-rich presentations offered by Federated Agronomists at 10 a.m., June 20 or 21. Lunch follows. Please RSVP to your local Agronomist.

Monday, June 20, at the Craig Gustafson farm in Osceola, WI.  
- or -
Tuesday, June 21, at the Brian DeVries farm in Ogilvie, MN

Both meetings will cover the following topics.
  • Topera� and Topera Plus fungicide/insecticide on corn at planting trial.
  • Stoller BioForge
    and Stimulate
    � on corn at planting trial.
  • Yield opportunities with Stoller products on soybeans.
  • Foliar nutrients on soybeans.
Contact your Federated Agronomist with any questions, and plan to join us in Osceola or Ogilvie.
Cow up close
It's All About 
the Cows. 
Or is it?

One local dairy product manufacturer touts that "It's the cows" that make the difference in their products. While the cows likely do make a difference in the quality of the ice cream made with their milk, there's no denying that the ultimate source of dairy product quality and satisfaction lies in the farmers who milk, feed, and care for those cows!

Behind every good dairy cow is a man or woman tending to her needs. During this month of June, Dairy Month, Federated salutes the farmers who rise up early and work late to tend to the many and varied needs of dairy cows. Thank you for all your hard work. We appreciate the important role you play in the agriculture economy, and we are grateful for your significant contributions to the quality of life enjoyed by many -- both cows and people!

Thank your local dairy farmer this month. Because it's not just about the cows.
June 14, 2016
Picture These: In-Season Tips & Reminders

alfalfa weevils
weevils on alfalfa
Leaf-eating weevils (pictured at right) are showing up on alfalfa (Senior Federated Agronomist Kevin Carlson started seeing them on June 2). Check your alfalfa for these yield-reducing pests. Talk to your Federated Agronomist to discuss treatment options. Don't wait to treat until it's too late.

waterhemp seedling
The weeds are coming up -- all kinds, and primarily in soybeans, according to Carlson. Scout your fields. Know what to look for. Waterhemp (seedling pictured here) is spreading fast throughout Minnesota; watch for it everywhere. 

As for other weeds, "if the herbicides didn't kill it, the weed is resistant," said Carlson. Talk to your Federated Agronomist to determine your best options for weed control. "We will help you identify the weeds," said Carlson, and find products to help you control them.

Counting corn collars4-collar corn
It's time to be staging corn -- count the collars. (see photo at right; shown at left: 4-collar/ leaf corn. At this stage, it is almost ready for fungicide and/or Stoller products, and foliar nutrient application. (Learn more at the Early Season Discovery Plot Days next week. (See invitation at left.)

soil samplingNow is a good time to soil sample for fall applications of P, K, and lime so you have the latest soil info available when you need it. Federated recommends sampling every 3-4 years. Grab your probe, bucket, and some sample bags, or call Federated to help.

As the growing season progresses, don't hesitate to contact your Federated Agronomist with any question or concerns. 
N is Essential: It's Time to Top Dress

"We are reaching a critical point in the life of a corn plant," said Brian DeVries, manager at Federated's Ogilvie location, adding, "Corn does not use a lot of nitrogen (N) between emergence and V5, but it becomes very important around V6. The largest portion of the total nitrogen taken up by corn happens during the V8 to the VT (tasseling) development stages."  

While corn still uses N after pollination, most of the uptake is done prior to that point, which is why it is critical to apply N before V8. According to DeVries, research has shown that if N is applied around V6, yield loss due to N stress is rare. 

Another key reason to apply N by V6 is that both kernel rows and kernels per row are being determined between V6 and V8. 
Top- (side-) dress applications should be done by the V6 stage; timing can be delayed only if there was N applied pre-plant that did not get heavy rain. 

DeVries pointed out that "top dressing N is both an economical and environmentally friendly means of application, and N is always a good yield booster." Adding Factor� to any top dress application can help protect against volatilization. Mixing urea with SuperU� can also help keep N available for the plants when they need it most. (See article below.)

Federated has the equipment and service people ready to custom apply nitrogen on corn, or Federated has spreaders for growers to use. Talk to your local Federated Agronomist about the different options that will work best for you.
Quality Products Protect Against N Loss

Nitrogen (N) is essential to corn production (see article above), and feeding the plant additional nitrogen at top (side) dress time is always a good agronomic decision, according to Russ Overaas of Rosen's, but protecting against nitrogen loss is also very important.
 
Nitrogen can be lost on the surface, through volatility, and in the soil through denitrification and leaching. Two products recommended by Federated help help reduce N loss in these areas.
 
Factor� -- This urease inhibitor prevents N from volatilizing off the surface before the nitrogen gets worked in or rain pushes it into the soil profile. Factor is applied to the urea and will protect N on the surface for up to 14 days. (See Factor info sheet.)
 
Super U� -- This fertilizer puts two nitrogen management products on the urea granule, providing both surface and in-ground N protection. Its uniform granules also promote more even spread patterns.
 
As Overaas said, "N makes yield," so talk to your Federated Agronomist to determine which nitrogen protection product fits your application preferences -- to maximize your yields.
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