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Harvest in Michigan continues to be completed at a rapid rate. 24 percent of the corn has been harvested and 64 percent of soybeans.
According to Tom Manney, agronomist for Specialty Hybrids, it’s a tale of two crops.
“I’ve heard some guys in the Thumb are hitting the highest yields they’ve ever seen—[someone] in Coldwater said his beans are the highest [yielding] soybeans he’s ever seen,” said Manney. “Unfortunately there’s other parts of the state that aren’t doing as well. Into the Southwest part where the ground is a little bit lighter. Across the board, moisture has been the limiting factor.”
High management practices have certainly paid off even more this year, said Manney.
“High management has been spraying fungicide, taking good care of it, and it’s definitely paying off,” he said. “I’m seeing five to 10 bushel advantages in some areas [with soybeans] and 10 to 20 bushel advantages with corn.”
While producers are rolling through harvest quickly, Manney wants them to note their problem weed areas to prepare for next year.
“The Climate app is a great place to do so,” he said. “Take advantage of using fall applications this year to kill those winter annuals. A big one in Michigan is marestail. I would definitely take notes of that and keep an eye where those issues are.”
Manney wants growers to clean up those problem areas so 2021 can begin clean, and there will be additional tools available.
“Now is a great time to start planning your 2021 application program, and the best way to start is looking at the product you’re growing,” he said. “We’ve recently had approval for our XtendFlex line of soybeans, so that’s a great place to start. Determine what you’re going to be planting and from there, build how you’re going to keep those fields clean.”
