Month: September 2018

Del Voight – Penn State Extension

Over the years I have learned some keys to ensuring field days result in a positive experience and enable delivery of timely field based research and or demonstrations to growers.  Here are some tips that ensure success.

• Time to plan the field day: If its a summer field walk then plans begin to form in late winter early spring. This gives ample opportunity to market the event, plan plots, secure speakers and funding.  However if its a field discussion based on a weather anomaly…. hail, flood, wind damage etc then its a set the date quickly and market by word of mouth and media.
• Timing: over the years in my area my advisory group  settled on 10 am to 12pm with a light crock pot luncheon.  I typically get to the location and start the crock pot of hot dogs or pulled pork so its hot by noon. Half hour presentations are ideal with plenty of question answer times.
• Agenda: Come into the field day with a plan! Besides content it is critical to recognize the farmer host and provide the detailed weather for the location from Farmlogs.  The farmer can point out his family(and pets likely a dog) and he or she can give an overview of the farming operation. Also recognize the speakers that traveled sometimes a distance. Specialist dont expect alot but they do appreciate being recognized for the effort to present. Select a grower who has the facilities to manage and a location for the plots that are easily accessible.  Growers with a shop nearby and or a building near the field is a big plus for providing educational programs.
• Be sure to stop in and check plots out periodically to ensure growth and development and other pest anomalies are managed properly. If you gather  data make a chart for growers to see during the field day.
• Prior to anyone arriving place navigation signs up on roads leading into the location of the field day.
• Be sure field location is well marked so folks can tell a field day is going to occur.  If possible use a large sign with the date and time roadside so passer by can see what is to occur there.
• Get there early! Set up drinks, seats signage etc and then get into the field and gather key specimens, insects, disease count populations find out what was done to the crop to be looked at tillage, planting date, planting type, variety or hybrid fertilizer program herbicide program etc.   If possible do this well in advance to make plot handouts.
• Know the goal:  Main goal maybe to see the plots first hand but the secondary goal maybe to update on current crop conditions or current events pertinent to this group. Come prepared with key data slides. Even if one has expert speakers plan to have some key slides made into  2 by 3 or larger signs for key points of data trends or key observations, growth stages or pests.
• Most On Farm plots are large replications, plan to sign the first rep of plots with  a metal sign and a professional looking poster describing what is in the plot.   Plot maps are a must so growers can put what they are looking at into a sense of logic.  Growers expect to be in the field looking at the plots and for the speaker to be articulating what is trending in the field.  Metal signs are easy to place into the soil in the middle of the plot.
• Mow an alleyway(3-4 feet wide) going into the plot and along the first reps of the study to allow for easy access to the plots. I do this a week or so ahead of time to allow for plants to rot down. I always ask the farmer for permission to ensure we are emenable to this and many times they will do it for you.
• Supplies
  • Portable toilet(unless cooperating farm has this onsite)(contractors available to deliver)
  • Portable table( should be with the coordinator)
  • Portable microphone system( even if one feels its not useful use it )
  • Seating(either chairs, straw bales or even truck tailgates for small groups)
  • Crockpot(I have two sizes one for smaller groups and one for larger) use the plastic inserts for easy cleanup.
  • DC to AC converter for truck(1000 watts) can operate a portable crockpot or cooler for drinks etc.
  • Coolers for drinks and be sure to have drinks available.
  • Crop Diagnostic supplies.
  • First Aid supplies
  •  Directional signs, field label signs etc.
  • 5 gallon bucket with water to wash roots off
  • Magnifying lens
  • shovel and hand knife to split stalks etc.
• Finally fact sheets and mailing list update forms etc.  This is a field day however if there are specific points or a key pest, variety test results or otherwise bring them along to hand out for their use.

Perhaps by putting some items together and adequate preparation, growers are sure to fill out an evaluation with information learned and what they plan to use on the  farm as a result of the field day.

We had a great day seeing what potential is out there in the Lebanon Lancaster area.  The first of this kind of tour in Pa!!  Zach Larson will be writing up regional and state reports for comparisons. Please look for that sometime in the next week.

For our purposes I put this table together.  You can see that yields were fairly consistent with being an outstanding crop. However there are caveats to these estimates. Variables that can make a difference and that is kernel fill and test weight. Our sample size was not large but it’s  a start.   Biggest factor is number of kernels that equate to bushel. So I have titrated this for our survey as you requested today. We got into some major discussions and I think this hit home.  The standard is 85,000 kernels per bushel however in our discussions we know field histories are bringing in 40-50 bushel more and that is because there are less kernels per bushel in large part(larger seed). So I have some potential scenarios for this fall ranging from 85k per bushel to 60k per bushel as was seen last year in some of the super high yielding 300bu fields.  If you look at site 1 his estimate at 85k per bushel is 184 if he yields 208 then we know the kernel count was likely 75k per bushel. He could easily see 260 bu per acre and we need to know why and I feel the kernel count could be this reason the estimates might vary.  I think we will certainly see many plus 200 fields and in some areas with adequate nutrition some close to 300.  Harvest loss and other factors can impact this but I think we have a decent estimate of potential. We did not see ear molds to any extent, we did not see heavy gray leaf spot or northern and no insects to mention. Pollination look fine in most cases.

Corn Estimates
Site	85k	75k	70k	60k
1	184.0	208.6	223.5	260.7
2	182.1	206.4	221.1	257.9
3	219.2	248.4	266.2	310.5
4	191.8	217.3	232.9	271.7
5	204.9	232.2	248.8	290.3
6	241.2	273.3	292.8	341.6
Average	203.9	231.0	247.5	288.8

 

Soybeans

For soybeans I think we have a lot more chance for error in estimates. Stand counts with only 3… 4 foot areas could be off easily, pod counts can vary widely, seeds per pod can vary, the 3000 seeds per lb can be a tremendous factor.  In 100 plus bu beans we recorded 13-1500 seeds per lb( I counted them) so the seed size and swell can really affect this.  I think we can say that we have top end potential we could see some 100 bu beans in some areas that typically this was not in the cards with soil water holding capacity variations in normal rainfall years.  Remember this is potential folks that delay in  harvest can see significant harvest losses and drift of yield each day the crop is exposed to alternating day and night wetness etc.  I am excited to get some beans in the bin. We would like for you to keep the yields on these fields for comparisons to the estimates as we can better estimate for next years crop condition tour. We did see Soy vein necrosis on numerous fields(manage thrips in early growth cycle) but its not economic and we did see sudden death and the silver spotted skipper but nothing of severe economic threshold well sight 2 had some deer damage and 3 had evidence of pod abortion.  Pests were minimal.

Soybeans
Site	Yield
1	94.6
2	98.7
3	83.9
4	88.6
5	111.2
6	107.1
7	99.7
Average	97.7