ASK THE AGRONOMIST BLOG

In 2018, Peoples Company, a full-service farmland transaction and management business, began an initiative we were pleased to partner with them on —  a paid-in-full cover crop program for landowners. Since its inception, there has been much interest in the initiative, and we’ve enjoyed watching the program grow each year. For the 2022–2023 season, 11 additional states are eligible to participate.

“Over the past four years, the Sustainability Cover Crop Initiative has been tremendously successful in increasing the usage of cover crops because landowners know it’s a win-win,” says Myron Stine, company president. “By strategically planting cover crops, landowners can protect natural resources like soil and water, decrease inputs needed to grow on unproductive acres, and increase the value of the farm by demonstrating high yields.”

The program was originally offered to landowners in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska and Missouri. Now, the program is being expanded to include Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee and Wisconsin.

“The expansion into these new states is a testament to the program’s success and the value it brings to the landowner,” says Stine. “Together with Peoples Company, our new goal is to achieve 25,000 acres over the next two years in the 16 eligible states. This demonstrates our collaborative commitment to sustainable farming practices and finding ways to improve the future of farming by protecting the environment where we work.”

Eligibility

While additional states can now access the program, much of the requirements for eligibility remain the same. Requirements include:

• Landowners must have land management accounts with Peoples Company, up to a maximum of 25,000 acres.
• Landowners must agree to have their land professionally managed by Peoples Company during a three-year term and agree to plant Stine Seed throughout this term.
• Cover crop seed and application decisions will be made by the land management professionals.
• For eligible landowners, the cover crop application will be covered up to $30/acre, with a minimum of 120 acres and a maximum of 500 acres planted per client.
• The program will be available to eligible landowners for the 2023 growing season.

“We are eager to continue our partnership with Peoples Company in this effort to expand the Sustainability Cover Crop Initiative because we know caring for the land is paramount to any farm’s success,” says Stine.

To learn more about the program and how you can enroll, visit www.CoverCropProgram.com or reach out to Peoples Company at LandManagement@PeoplesCompany.com or 855-800-5263.

The Farm Progress Show returns to Iowa! This year’s show — hosted in Boone — begins Tuesday, Aug. 30, and runs through Thursday, Sept. 1. Join Stine at the nation’s largest outdoor farm event, along with another 600+ exhibitors from around the world.

Stop by Booth 1328, where we’ll have a number of different giveaways, a hat promotion — Trade Up to Stine, and the all-new 2023 Stine Seed Catalog. We’re also showcasing many of our corn and soybean products in our show plot, which we planted earlier this spring.

CORN

For corn, visitors can view our popular Stine 9817–30 brand corn and exclusive MX Series Corn by Stine products in action, in both 15-inch and 30-inch rows. Features and benefits of these products include:  

Stine 9817-30 Brand Corn

• 115-117 days relative maturity (2875 GDD)
• Glyphosate and glufosinate tolerant
• Very good disease protection
• Excellent late-season plant health and grain quality
• Taller plant type with great silage appeal
• Excellent choice for lower planting populations

Stine MX442-20 Brand Corn

• 101–103 days relative maturity (2525 GDD)
• Best-in-class above-ground insect control
• Glyphosate and glufosinate tolerant
• Versatile hybrid for all soil types
• Exceptional multi-year trial performance
• Demonstrated superior standability through severe wind events
• Yielded 107% of trial average in Stine’s 2020 Early/Mid-Season Elite Yield Trials

Stine MX514-20 Brand Corn

• 105–107 days relative maturity (2750 GDD)
• Best-in-class above-ground insect control
• Glyphosate and glufosinate tolerant
• Great choice for a full-season hybrid
• Responds well to fungicide applications
• Prefers higher populations for maximum yield potential
• Yielded 109% of 2-year average in Stine’s 2020 Mid-Season Elite Yield Trials

Stine MX709-20 Brand Corn

• 110–112 days relative maturity (2800 GDD)
• Best-in-class above-ground insect control
• Glyphosate and glufosinate tolerant
• Works in any row configuration
• Strong roots and stalks can handle variable soil types
• Yielded 112% of trial average in Stine’s 2020 Mid-Season Elite Yield Trials

SOYBEANS

Our soybean plot at the show will feature three different products — two Stine brand Enlist E3^® varieties and one Stine brand LibertyLink^® GT27^® product. All of which are new for the 2023 season. Attendees can also see the new Motif herbicide in action, as it was applied at pre-emergence over our LibertyLink GT27 soybeans in the plot. Specific products in the plot include:

22EF23

• 22 maturity
• Enlist Duo^®, Enlist One^®, glyphosate and glufosinate tolerant
• Very good emergence and good standability
• Rps1c Phytophthora Root Rot resistance
• Good Iron Deficiency Chlorosis, Sclerotinia White Mold and Sudden Death Syndrome tolerance
• SCN and Brown Stem Rot resistant
• Medium plant height
• Top performer — yielded 105.6% of trial average in Stine’s Elite Yield Trials

26EF23

• 26 maturity
• Enlist Duo, Enlist One, glyphosate and glufosinate tolerant
• Very good emergence and good standability
• Rps1k multi-race Phytophthora Root Rot resistance
• SCN and Brown Stem Rot resistant
• Good Sclerotinia White Mold tolerance
• Strong Sudden Death Syndrome tolerance
• Medium plant height

29GE32

• 29 maturity
• Very good emergence and standability
• Rps1K Phytophthora Root Rot tolerance
• Brown Stem Rot resistant (Heterozygous)
• SCN resistant
• Medium plant height

We hope to see you this year in Boone! Don’t forget to stop by booth 1328; gates open at 8 a.m. Aug. 30.  

Japanese beetles are out in full force in crop production areas across the U.S. These small, metallic-green flying pests are problematic to corn and soybean growers, especially during pollination. And where there’s one, there are many. Here’s what we know about Japanese beetles — from their introduction to the U.S. to their features, vegetation preferences, patterns and best management strategies to combat them in the growing season.

1. They’ve been around for over a century. According to Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Japanese beetles were first introduced to the U.S. in 1916 in New Jersey and have since moved westward.
2. They travel in packs. Japanese beetles come with friends. When feeding, they emit a pheromone that attracts hordes of other beetles. Growers may notice a group of beetles clustered together feeding on the vegetation of a plant.
3. They’re colorful and nimble. Adult Japanese beetles have a metallic-green head and shiny copper-colored wings. They are known to be excellent flyers, easily traveling from field to field as adults.
4. They overwinter in the soil. The beetles overwinter in the soil as grubs and start their path to emergence once spring soils have reached 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Their emergence starts south to north. For example, growers in the Midwest might notice their emergence as adults in late June and early July.
5. They prefer soybeans to corn, but both play host. Japanese beetles chew on foliage, including soybean leaves and some corn leaves. Experts say they prefer soybeans to corn. In soybeans, they feed on plant leaves, typically in the upper canopy, and cause skeletonization of the leaves. Essentially, they eat the tissue between the leaf veins forming heavy defoliation in fields. In corn, they typically eat silks. Unfortunately, silk clipping can lead to pollination issues and negatively impact grain fill. Adults may also feed on the grain.
6. Scouting is key. Japanese beetles are mostly found on the outside parameters of fields, but it’s important to check whole fields for their presence. There are Japanese beetle traps available that use a combination of pheromones and floral scents to attract the hordes, but scouting different regions of both corn and soybean fields is also an effective way to check thresholds. In soybeans, our experts recommend gathering 10 to 15 trifoliates from random plants, working your way from the bottom to the top of the plant, then repeating the process in three to four different areas of the field. In corn, Purdue Extension recommends checking five plants at random in five different areas of the field to record numbers of beetles found on each plant. Then, check the length of the silks on each plant and if pollen is still shedding from each plant.
7. Threshold calculations from scouting can help determine next steps. Iowa State University Extension recommends that treatment in soybeans be considered if 30% of the leaf is skeletonized before bloom and 20% defoliation after bloom. For corn, foliar insecticide should be considered at tasseling and silking if three or more beetles can be found per ear, if the beetles have clipped silks to less than half an inch in size, if pollination has not yet reached 50% complete or if three or more beetles are present per ear.

If you’ve reached these thresholds, our experts recommend applying a Lorsban-type insecticide over the canopy of affected corn and soybean fields. This will help control populations and further damage to the plants by the pests. 

To learn more about signs of Japanese beetles and how to protect your fields, contact your local Stine representative or university extension office.