If It’s Not Hot, You’re Not Late

By Brad Forkner

on News from the Coffee Shop

April 15, 2013 10:31 AM

Today is April 15^TH and usually more of the US corn crop is in the ground than we see in this year. Is it time to get nervous?  Absolutely not!!  Mother Nature is in a healing mode.  Much like letting your children and animals have the time to recover from a setback in their health, after the drought last year the soil needed to recover and heal.  Our lack of moisture slowed the normal process that dissipates the herbicides to avoid carry over damage to this year’s crop.  To accomplish this we need time and moisture working in tandem.  The half-life of chemistry lengthens in the absence of moisture.

Second, with the average daytime temperatures this spring we have not accumulated any significant heat units.  The seed production in recent years, whether in North America or South America has been grown under stress and the vigor is not always what the seed companies would desire.

It is imperative, especially this year for the first drink the seed takes in to be warm.  This allows the seed to preserve energy for uniform stand establishment. Moisture is slowly recharging through the profile, but an auger will show dry dirt closer to the surface than most of us would like to find at this time of year. 

While many like to talk about the freezing and thawing fracturing the soil, the reality is that weather and iron do not establish soil flocculation like biology.  One hard rain will undo the aeration created by mechanical tillage at best, and bringing up oxygen depleted soil will damage the decay system near the surface.  Good soil microbes in conjunction with a food source will start the process of breaking down residue and building new organic matter. 

Wait until the soil is warm and dry on the surface, prepare an impeccable seed bed and the sun will let us accumulate heat units to begin the process of establishing another crop of grain to provide feed, to produce food, and continue the process of providing meat and grains. 

Healthy food to feed healthy people three times a day.  Till next month, make a series of good planting decisions this spring.

Questions? Contact:
Brad Forkner, Owner
Nutrient Management Specialists, LLC
Home of Solid-Solutions for Livestock
P.O.Box 303
614 E Cherry Ave.
Cherry, IL 61317815-257-8463
brad@nutrientmanagementspecialists.com
http://www.nutrientmanagementspecialists.com/
Skype: brad.forkner1
Twitter: @BradForkner