ASK THE AGRONOMIST BLOG

We’re well into the growing season, so it’s time for our annual crop progress update. According to the latest Crop Progress Report from National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), some of the nation’s corn crop is already silking. Current corn crop conditions include 3% very poor, 7% poor, 26% fair, 52% good and 12% excellent condition. Soybeans are beginning to reach blooming stage and are in good to fair condition. The NASS report indicates that 2% are listed in very poor, 7% poor, 29% fair, 52% good and 10% excellent condition. Here’s what our regional sales agronomists (RSA) are reporting from their territories.

Bethany Oland, Stine Region 7 RSA, northeast South Dakota
“Overall, crops in Region 7 look great. On the corn side, Stine 9320-20 has really stood out this year from emergence to mid-season plant health. We’ve had a few weather events throughout the region that have brought high winds and hail. MX442-20 and MX514-20 from our MX Series Corn by Stine line have stood out among competitor hybrids by handling the rough weather incredibly well.

"Soybeans across the region look great as well. It’s very clear that Stine’s breeding program is doing its job, as the EC and EE generations are standing out among previous generations.” 

Aaron Stockton, Stine Region 9 RSA, northern Texas, Oklahoma, southeast Kansas and southwest Missouri
“Portions of Region 9 have been dealing with weather extremes from when the first planter hit the field until now. Growers were able to get 90% of their corn planted and have all but finished with soybean planting at this point. We still have a few acres of double crop soybeans to go in but are ahead of schedule. The corn crop has been struggling in many places due to very hot, dry weather since the first of June. Some acres have already been slated for silage and many more are following suit. Soybeans look good for those that have received some moisture, but we could use some area-wide precipitation to get the rest back on track. In summer, southern Kansas and Missouri are typically hot and dry, but we are all praying for a break!” 

Kevin Krabel, Stine Region 13 RSA, central Illinois
“We are pretty much done with planting in Region 13. There are a few double crop soybeans being planted, but it’s the last of those acres. We had an extremely hot and dry June in most of my region, with most of the area north of I-70 getting almost no rain.. South of the interstate experienced more timely rains so pretty much everything down there looks good. I’m most concerned with the northern half of my region right now. Although we’ve had some good rains spread out over the past two weeks that have kept us from having a disaster on our hands, we need the rains to keep coming. If that happens, we’ll be in good shape.”

Ted Olson, Stine Region 19 RSA, northeast Missouri and southwest Illinois
“Some good rain showers have moved across Region 19 in the past week. This was welcomed greatly by the eastern side of the region, which had been on the moderate drought monitor. Despite the lack of moisture, corn and soybeans are in good shape. With wheat harvest done, growers are moving into fungicide application. The 10-day forecast looks favorable for pollination and has us excited for what this year’s crop will bring.”  

To learn more about crop conditions in your region, contact your local Stine independent sales rep.

Take your yields to the max with MX Series Corn by Stine^®. These products are derived from the latest, most superior genetics from one of the industry’s largest corn breeding programs.

“MX Series Corn is the cream of the crop, so to speak,” says Todd Schomburg, director of agronomy for Stine. “They are the top-performing products from our corn breeding program and have been rigorously tested to confirm their position in this exclusive lineup.”

With MX Series Corn, growers get superior genetics that elicit season-long performance and premium seed protection for fast starts and outstanding early-season growth. We offer multiple options, with relative maturities ranging from 88 to 90 days and 113 to 115 days. Here is a sampling of these one-of-a-kind corn products.

Stine MX442-20 Brand
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
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 
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

“This corn is phenomenal, and we’re excited to see what it can do in growers’ fields this year,” says Schomburg. “We have the data to prove its performance from our Elite Yield Trials, but I’m confident that as growers witness the power of these products firsthand, the demand for MX Series Corn will only grow.”

MX Series Corn is sold exclusively through select Stine corn representatives. To see if MX Series Corn is available in your region, connect with your local Stine rep or contact us directly at 515-677-2605.

Initial reports of suspected dicamba damage have been received this week by Stine Seed Company agronomists, marking yet another year of issues with cupped soybeans.

“Growers are starting to see some soybeans that look cupped,” says Dustin Ellis, regional sales agronomist for Stine. “Tis’ the season, you could say. I think farmers are starting to realize what the injury looks like, and they know what’s causing it.”

Increased use of various forms of dicamba has created issues for both farmers and non-farmers. The requirements needed to safely apply this herbicide in soybeans make timely and effective application difficult and present a significant amount of risk to both growers and applicators.

As the national deadline (June 30) for spraying dicamba has passed, growers who planted susceptible soybeans need to watch for early symptoms of dicamba crossover in their fields.

“Typically, over the Fourth of July weekend, growers are out looking at their fields,” Ellis says. “I have a feeling we’ll hear a lot more reports.

What to watch

Dicamba-related injury typically appears during the vegetative stages and on new plant growth. Growers may notice leaf drop or twisting at the stem in some instances, but the major indicator of dicamba injury is cupped leaves, which are typically found in the newer leaf growth and can be somewhat cream or discolored in appearance.

 “Minor injury may appear as wrinkling of the leaf that’s very consistent across all three trifoliate leaflets of an individual leaf,” says ISU Extension Field Agronomist Meaghan Anderson. “Each trifoliate of the leaflet will be affected very similarly, almost mirroring one another.

Anderson notes that the most likely injury being confused with dicamba is from HG15 products applied to soybeans. Those applications, she says, may result in a drawstring effect or crinkling of leaf edges on the next leaf or two that develop after application.

Meaghan debunks reports that environmental response, response to stress, or response to other herbicides, such as Liberty^® and ammonium sulfate in spray mixes, could cause this damage. 

“We very rarely would see this kind of damage prior to six years ago, so it’s pretty easy to dispel many of those myths regarding the sensitivity of certain soybeans to other factors that may result in cupping,” says Anderson. “I’ve never seen any other research (or factor) that causes cupped leaves that occur only in the middle of the summer and only in non-dicamba soybeans. It’s just simply not true.”

For additional insight about dicamba from Anderson listen to episode 5 of the Stine Seedcast.

Free dicamba damage testing for customers

At Stine, we believe soybean growers need as many options as possible to achieve sound and effective weed control, and we remain committed to offering our customers a multitude of options, all packaged in high-yielding genetics. We are confident in the yield potential of the dicamba-enabled soybean genetics that we offer to our customers.

However, given the uncertainty that remains about the long-term viability of dicamba as a soybean weed control solution, we want our grower customers to understand that alternative options are available and that we will assist in any way we can to ensure your fields are positioned for success now and in the future.  

To assist our grower customers who are experiencing dicamba damage to their fields, Stine is offering to pay the cost of dicamba testing for suspected damage now through August 1, 2022.

The testing program administered during the 2021 growing season, processed 322 total dicamba test samples, representing 16 states. Of those tests, 239 (75%) tested positive for the presence of dicamba.

“During the past few years there have been lots of excuses floated for why we keep seeing cupped soybeans occurring,” says David Thompson, national sales and marketing director. “At Stine, we decided that the best approach is not to guess but to test. That’s why we chose to offer free dicamba testing to our customers in 2021 and why we are again offering this program.”

Growers who want to utilize this offer need to contact their Stine independent sales representative (ISR) or regional sales agronomist (RSA) who will collect the sample(s) and submit them to the designated testing entity. For each sample submitted, Stine will cover the cost of testing for dicamba presence. The Stine RSA will receive a copy of the test results to be shared with the customer.  

“We are here to do whatever we need to do to help you with whatever situation you have,” says Ellis. “We can help scout, test or advise.” 

If you’re unsure who your local Stine ISR or RSA is, use our Find Stine tool or contact us directly at (515) 677-2605.