ASK THE AGRONOMIST BLOG

While only 8% of corn has matured and 4% of the nation’s soybean crop is in the leaf-dropping stage, harvest inches closer each day. At Stine^®, we find it’s always better to be proactive, so we’re encouraging growers to start now on their harvest planning and equipment prep and maintenance. 

“Most areas are still a few or several weeks out from harvest, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t use this time to plan ahead,” says Todd Schomburg, director of agronomy. “Checking your equipment now will prevent you from untimely breakdowns during harvest.”

To help get you started, we’ve dusted off a few of our go-to steps for planning ahead and safely and effectively testing your equipment.

Step 1: Plan ahead by prioritizing which fields to harvest first.

Drought has wreaked havoc on many fields throughout the Midwest, and in certain geographies, so has tar spot. Growers need to scout their fields up until harvest to check for areas of concern, such as crops experiencing stalk rot issues that could lead to lodging and challenges with harvestability. Prioritize these fields first.

Step 2: Inspect, secure, clean and test.

Make a checklist of your harvest equipment. What machinery will you review first? What parts on each piece of equipment need to be evaluated? Map this out to get a head start.

“Supply chain issues may impact receiving parts for harvest equipment,” says Schomburg. “Checking your equipment early allows more time for ordering and shipping of parts and increases your odds that the equipment will arrive before harvest. Don’t delay checking your equipment or else it could greatly set back your harvest timeline.”

The number of parts you need to inspect and test on your equipment may seem daunting, but remember, it will save you a lot of time during peak harvest season. Here are a few parts we recommend inspecting:

• Engines/Battery: Start your combines and grain trucks, especially as a lot of this equipment has likely sat idle for most of the year. Our experts recommend checking for signs of wear and tear or heavy grime that could prevent the engine from properly functioning. It’s also best practice to check and clean the battery posts and cables around the engine. A pressure washer can help remove any dirt, caked-on grease or grime that could result in an engine fire down the road. Consult a mechanic if you sense your engine is having difficulty starting or burning through fuel.
  
  “We hear of combine and tractor fires all too often,” says Schomburg. “In fact, 70% of machinery fires start in the engine, resulting in about $20 million in property losses each year. You just can’t let your engines and batteries go unchecked.”
  
  
• Fuel lines: A leaking fuel line can lead to engine fires. Check for cracks or leaks or the end result could be catastrophic.
  
  
• Belts, chains and hoses: Check belts, chains and hoses for any signs of wear and tear. Make sure they are all properly secured to manufacturer specifications. If chains and belts seem stretched or worn, or if your hoses have cracks or leaks, replace those in question before hitting the field.

• Equipment fluids: As you would with your vehicle, it’s important to check all equipment fluids. This includes fuel, hydraulic, coolant and oil, especially if your equipment hasn’t been used since last fall.
  
  
• Tires: If you have moderate to significant wear on your equipment tires, it may be time to replace them to prevent a slowdown come harvest. From grain carts to field trucks and combines, check each tire. Also, ensure all tires have proper and uniform pressure across equipment.

• Lights: Growers harvest from sun up to sundown. This requires the safe use of headlights, turn signals and hazards as they operate equipment. Make sure all headlights, taillights and turn signals are in working order. This will not only keep you safe this fall but those traveling along country roads or highways where you may be operating your equipment.

• SMV signs: Make sure that your slow-moving vehicle signs are secured in place to alert vehicles coming up behind you.
  
  
• Nuts and bolts: As would with your belts and chains, you want to check your nuts and bolts for any loose parts. Properly secure all nuts and bolts before operating your equipment.
  
  
• Electronics: Farm machinery that is equipped with high-tech electronics and precision software should be tested and calibrated before harvest in accordance with the operators’ manuals.

Step 3: Prepare your grain bins.

Check in next week as we explore Step 3 in our harvest prep series — preparing your grain bins. 

“Checking equipment is imperative to a safe, efficient harvest, but so is preparing your bins,” says Schomburg. “In our next edition of Stine Weekly, we’ll explore what you can do to get your bins ready for grain this fall and tips for staying safe as you clean and fill the bins.”

For more information on harvest prep and safety, consult your local Stine sales representative or agronomist. And stay tuned for next week’s article. 

Reports of tar spot are coming in throughout the Midwest. This fungal disease affects corn and can cause significant yield damage, especially late in the season during grain fill and when stalk rot and lodging can occur. Unfortunately, there’s not much growers can do after it’s detected in-season, but there are some options to help mitigate the disease for the following year.  

“We started receiving reports of tar spot throughout Iowa and our eastern territories a few weeks back,” says Tony Lenz, Stine corn technical agronomist. “It’s a big concern for growers as it can be detrimental to yield, producing issues such as leaf deterioration, poor grain fill, compromised stalks and even plant death. Growers need to plan for next year if it’s in their fields this year.” 

What we know

Tar spot thrives in long periods of leaf wetness and is typically observed later in the season during grain fill or around R3 through R6. It can be detected by scouting for small raised black spots on the leaves and husks of plants. These spots sometimes appear as fisheye-like lesions. While it can be confused with common rust or southern rust, one indicator that it’s likely tar spot is that the spores are encapsulated inside the pustules, which connects them to the leaf, and the pustules cannot be scraped away from the leaf.

“If you detect tar spot in your fields, we recommend performing the push/pinch test,” says Lenz. “This is just as it sounds — for the push test, you simply push over the stalk at a 45-degree angle. If the stalk doesn’t return to its upright position, that’s a good indicator that your stalks are compromised. With the pinch test, use your thumb and forefinger to pinch down on the stalk roughly 1 foot off the ground then rub your fingers up and down the stalk. If both sides easily squeeze together, you likely have stalk rot.”

What can be done

If tar spot has settled into your field late in grain-fill season, there’s not much that can be done. If the push/pinch test indicated compromised stalks and lodging in your field, it’s best practice to prioritize those fields or affected sections of the fields for harvest to prevent further lodging.

Unfortunately, once you have tar spot, you’re likely to get it again next year as the disease can overwinter in corn residue.

“Tillage to break up the corn residue may help, but growers need to consider a combination of steps to keep tar spot at bay,” says Lenz. “Rotating crops from corn, selecting a hybrid with good tar spot tolerance and applying timely fungicides around the VT to R2 stage can all help tackle the disease in the next growing season.”

For more information on tar spot, contact your local Stine rep or extension field agronomist.

The 2023 StineSeed Catalog is now available. Our lineup is chock-full of elite genetics and leading traits, including the industry’s most extensive offering of Enlist E3^® soybeans and the high-yielding MX Series Corn by Stine. Each of our products is backed by our STINE HAS YIELD promise. And our expert team of agronomists and sales reps stand ready to deliver strong agronomic knowledge and quality service throughout the planting, growing and harvest seasons. Here’s what you will find in this year’s catalog:

CORN LINEUP

We’re building better corn faster thanks to the industry’s most prolific, highest-yielding breeding program. As a research and development company, we’re able to offer genetics that cannot be found in any other company’s seed bag. We’re excited about our 2023 seed corn offerings, and we think you will be, too.

Stine Agrisure^® -traited corn: We’re pleased to offer another great lineup of Agrisure-traited products for next planting season. From Agrisure Viptera^™ 3110 to Agrisure Duracade^™ Refuge Renew^™, we have the best options on the market to help growers tackle both above- and below-ground pests. We have 19 different products for growers to choose from, ranging from 83–85-day to 116–118-day relative maturity.

Stine GT™: Stine GT™ corn combines our own unique, high-yielding genetics with built-in tolerance to glyphosate-based herbicides, allowing growers the freedom to choose their preferred brand of glyphosate. Stine GT corn is a great choice for refuge acres in a structured refuge operation. In our 2023 lineup, we have nine Stine GT products, ranging from 102–104-day relative maturity to 114–116- day relative maturity.

HP Corn^®: HP Corn is ideally suited for planting in narrow rows and at higher populations. These plants feature superior standability and disease resistance and are designed to provide maximum returns. We have five corn products that carry the HP Corn designation for 2023.   

MX Series Corn by Stine: MX Series Corn is our most elite, top-performing corn. These one-of-a-kind products are derived from the latest, most superior corn genetics from our breeding program; they deliver maximum season-long performance, premium seed protection for fast starts and outstanding early-season growth. We have nine MX Series Corn products in our 2023 lineup, available only from select Stine corn reps. These range from a 95–97-day to a 113–115-day relative maturity.

Conventional corn: For growers looking to save money and who don’t necessarily need a traited option, Stine conventional corn is the perfect fit. What makes our conventional corn unique? We use the latest, highest-yielding germplasm from our breeding program, so we’re not just offering old genetics. We have five conventional options for growers in 2023, from an 88–90-day to a 114–116-day product.

SOYBEANS  

We’re at a unique advantage in the soybean industry. We have a large bank of high-yielding germplasm, access to the industry’s best breeding programs and traits, and decades of research and data that help us deliver on the STINE HAS YIELD promise. From the industry’s broadest lineup of Enlist E3 soybeans to our high-performing elite conventional products, we have soybean genetics for every field type and situation.

Stine Enlist E3 soybeans: Stine Enlist E3 soybeans pair elite genetics with exceptional weed control for maximum performance. We have 119 varieties for 2023, ranging from a 0008 to a 77 maturity. If you need an Enlist E3 soybean option, no one has a better selection than Stine.

Stine LibertyLink^® GT27^® soybeans: Stine LibertyLink GT27 soybeans offer outstanding weed control with herbicide flexibility. In fact, LibertyLink GT27 soybeans confer tolerance to three unique sites of action: glyphosate (pre or post), Liberty (pre or post), plus Group 27/HHPD inhibitor tolerance to isoxaflutole (pre only, where labeled in limited areas) and mesotrione (pre only). We have 15 varieties for the 2023 growing season, ranging from a 04 to a 48 maturity.

Stine XtendFlex^® soybeans: XtendFlex soybeans are the next evolution of the Roundup Ready 2 Xtend^® soybean technology, featuring built-in tolerance to dicamba, glyphosate and glufosinate. We have 11 options for 2023, from a 07 to a 45 maturity.

Stine elite conventional soybeans: Our 2023 elite conventional soybean lineup features our newest, highest-yielding conventional soybean genetics. We have 27 conventional options for growers next year, ranging from 04 to 51 maturity.

To view our 2023 Stine Seed Catalog, visit our website. To learn more about our product offerings, reach out to your local Stine sales rep.