Corn and soybeans are off to a good start in Jim Lochtefeld’s eastern Indiana farm fields. But marestail is also off to a good start and the search is on to determine the best way to fight it.
Lochtefeld was in his Jay County fields when he provided HAT a field update Friday.
“We have some beans that weren’t protected with Escalate and had some issues with bean leaf beetle, but nothing severe enough to spray as we’ve been scouting. Right now we’re getting ready to side dress corn and we’re getting that done and scouting bean fields, but we have noticed going over some bean fields that we no-tilled that the marestail is breaking really bad really quick. So we need to address that as soon as we can.”
He said earlier spring treatments didn’t fight off the marestail which has come back with a vengeance.
Also in eastern Indiana when much needed rains finally arrived, they came with a vengeance which has forced the need for some to replant soybeans. Lochtefeld won’t need to replant but he does now hope for more rain.
“Ya, some of the beans put out last weekend are getting crusted in, but all of ours got up just in time. We did have some heavy, hard rains, about 2 ½ inches in a seven day window, but right now we could use just a little rain to get things going again. It’s not bad but we could use a nice half inch for some of those later beans they planted to help get through that crust. It would also help the beans take off and work in this nitrogen we’re putting on.”
Hear more in the HAT Field Update at the Agronomy page, sponsored by Advanced Ag Solutions.[audio:https://www.hoosieragtoday.com//wp-content/uploads//2012/05/Jim-Lochtefeld-would-like-rain.mp3|titles=Jim Lochtefeld would like rain]