Harvest yields trial data for next season

As the combines finish up their last acres, trial data helps XtremeAg farmers Kelly Garrett, Matt Miles, and Kevin Matthews make key decisions for next season.

KELLY GARRETT - ARION, IOWA

A fifth-generation farmer, Kelly Garrett farms corn, soybeans, and winter wheat in western Iowa.

This is the time of the year when I get pretty excited. We are finally starting to see the data and results from the product trials we conducted this season. This is how we determine what will become part of our standard program going forward.

Two things have gotten my attention so far. First, we have an R5 trial in corn where we applied Fulltec K and Fulltec Cube (both Spraytec products) along with some molybdenum, boron, and an insecticide. In the data we have analyzed so far, we are seeing a 16 bpa yield increase.

Western Iowa hills harvested in the fall

The second thing is something we are seeing on a yield map, but can’t fully explain yet. A trial that was completed in 2021 on soybeans is showing up in 2022 on our corn yield map, and it is showing a big yield difference. We are fascinated as to why this is happening. We will be talking about the details on XtremeAg soon, but we are wondering if the foliar trials we are conducting might be putting extra nutrients in the residue for the next growing season. It’s what we try to accomplish with cover crops.

MATT MILES - MCGEHEE, ARKANSAS

Matt Miles is a fourth-generation farmer in southeast Arkansas who grows corn, soybeans, rice, and cotton.

Things are a little boring around our farm this week. All crops are harvested except for 300 acres of cotton that we are waiting to mature, and the 47 acres of soybeans behind soybeans.

Green soybeans against a blue sky in Arkansas

Speaking of the beans behind beans, this is totally new for me. Looking at the forecast, we are going to be close to a frost next week, so whatever I have made on second crop up until that point will probably be all I get. We made 79 bushels per acre on the first crop planted in February, and weren’t expecting but 20 to 30 bpa on the second crop but this frost could put us closer to the 20 bpa. This field has traditionally made 80 to 95 bpa on one crop so only time will tell if this is even an option for normal production practice. All the stars would have to line up for it to be considered. As this test progressed, we kept coming up with new ideas. The last idea is to attempt to plant wheat behind the second bean crop, which would give us three crops on one acre in one year. I'm not 100% sure, but I don’t think this has ever been done in Arkansas. I'm not sure this can be done on a large scale, but if we can take baby steps and do it on a small acreage, it will at least give us the option of more trials.

Good luck with harvest and be sure to stay safe as we work the extra-long hours getting the crop out.

KEVIN MATTHEWS - EAST BEND, NORTH CAROLINA

Kevin and his wife, Cindy, own and operate Matthews Family Farms of North Carolina, Inc., Precision Nutrient Management, Inc., and Deep Creek Grain, Inc. in East Bend and Yadkinville.

We are halfway finished with corn and soybean harvest, and the wheels are starting to turn with ideas for next year's crop based on some of the data we have been getting back. A few data points from our trials have caught our attention and once harvest is complete, we will really dive into the data and make some decisions for the 2023 season.

A John Deere combine harvests crops in North Carolina

Our wheat ground is also being prepped and we plan to have the wheat in the ground in the next few days. Our weather is forecasting temperatures heading for the below freezing mark this week. That will help speed up soybean harvest as we will start cutting earlier in the mornings. The morning dew has kept the combines from running before lunch most days until now.

Good luck to everyone working to finish harvest.

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