Everyone knows that weeds competing with crops throughout the growing season can cause significant yield loss, but many neglect the effects of just early-season weeds on crop yield.  We commonly suggest controlling weeds within 3 to 5 weeks after crop emergence to prevent lasting effects on crop growth and yield.

As producers are planting crops this spring, many also are often asked to help neighbors with tillage, spring planting of small grain, corn or soybeans and other operations.

The objective of a subsurface (tile) drainage system is to control a high water table to create favorable soil water conditions for crop growth and field operations. This article discusses drain spacing requirements for patterned tile systems or for parallel laterals within the targeted areas of a targeted drainage system. Although the information here is focused on areas with parallel laterals, the same information can be used to give an idea of the area that will be effectively drained by a single drain line.

The National Weather Service recently released 30 day climate outlooks. Forecast maps indicate continuing mild temperatures with precipitation probabilities mixed. An early planting season is quite possible…but is your seeding equipment ready?

The Prospective Plantings report shows South Dakota growers following the U.S. trend toward more corn acres. In South Dakota, growers intend to plant 5.5 million acres of corn in 2012. For perspective, there were many acres that were not planted to corn in 2011 because of excess moisture. The intentions in 2011 were for 5.4 million acres, so 2012 does not represent a large change.

The warm spring season this year has us all looking forward to planting our fields and home gardens.  Winter wheat has greened up, and flowers are making their appearance three weeks early or more.  Even though we are looking forward to getting our seeds in the ground, it’s still not too late for a spring freeze to affect our plants.

Some no-till growers may have surface applied urea or liquid 28% (1/2 urea) nitrogen fertilizers late last fall after soil temperatures had cooled.  Normally we think of N fertilizers as being fairly safe from losses once soil temperatures are below 50 degrees F.  Although the conversion of urea into ammonium is slowed with cooler temperatures, it doesn’t stop the process.  

Many producers  prepaid crop inputs for tax purpose last fall and early winter,  some of which have been delivered and spread, i.e. fertilizer, and others which you are financing with the supplier until delivery. Nevertheless, cost will be higher for non-land expenses for the 2012 crop.