View From the Cab

DECATUR, Ill. (DTN) -- It was as hot as a firecracker on Henderson Farms this week. But at least the rains stopped long enough to get the rest of the wheat out. And, in other good news, all that moisture made for a bumper sweet corn crop.

Stuart Sanderson, of Madison, Alabama, sure never dreamed it would ever take a full month to get a wheat crop harvested. Ironically, as July 4 came into view, pivots were being started on some irrigated acres to push corn that had been fertilized for maximum yield potential.

In central Nebraska near Litchfield, Ethan Zoerb didn't need the holiday weekend as an excuse to blow things up. Storms worked their way across the Plains earlier in the week leaving a small percentage of corn snapped. A metal machine shed at Zoerb Farms sustained significant wind damage.

Zoerb and Sanderson report each week as part of DTN's View From the Cab series, which looks at crop conditions and other rural issues. This week, the farmers were both yearning for a day or two of independence from weather worries.

DTN Ag Meteorologist John Baranick said there's likely more rain this week for northern Alabama. "A front will sort of sag into the region on Monday or Tuesday and continue chances for showers throughout the rest of the week. Temperatures will be where they normally are this time of year, in the upper 80s or lower 90s (Fahrenheit) for highs, though thunderstorms during the afternoon could mean that it doesn't quite get that high," said Baranick.

"Central Nebraska is going to be a busy place this week. A system that moved through over the Independence Day weekend is going to push eastward this week, but we'll see multiple disturbances continuing behind it," Baranick added. "The drought monitor has certainly relaxed its grip on the state over the last few months and that active streak looks like it'll continue for at least one more week. Temperatures will be rather normal as well with highs in the mid-upper 80s."

Read on to learn more about what was happening for Zoerb and Sanderson farms this week and how rural celebrations can be as simple as enjoying the view of a flag flying above the farm.

ETHAN ZOERB: LITCHFIELD, NEBRASKA

It was time to haul liquid fertilizer to the irrigation units this week. The corn will get one last shot of nitrogen and some other micronutrients through the overhead pivots soon.

Zoerb was still assessing injury from a storm that moved through the area on June 30. He figured it whipped the crop more than leaned or lodged it. "I'm estimating about 5% to 10% snap in a couple of fields," said Zoerb. He also noticed that fields planted no-till seemed less damaged than those planted into strip-till.

"Those fields were at least one growth stage behind, so I'm thinking that had more to do with less injury," he said.

Answers to agronomic questions are hardly ever absolute, but Zoerb likes scouting fields and trying to diagnose situations. For example, he's been concerned about a few fields of soybeans that have been slow to grow. Emerging leaves have been small, misshaped and puckered.

He called in a seed agronomist this week to help assess the situation. The fields in question received a preemergence application of a Group 15 herbicide (examples: acetochlor, metolachlor, pyroxasulfone). They also received a big rain, and temperatures were lower than normal immediately after the herbicide application. Weather conditions and some tank mix combinations are known to increase the possibility of soybean injury when using this class of chemistry.

"The beans seem to be growing out of it now, but it sure set them back. It will be interesting to see if there's a yield difference in those fields," he said.

Zoerb has also been testing a hand-held tissue tester this year. The convenience of instant results has been remarkable. But last week he decided to pull some traditional tissue tests and run them through a local lab to get a comparison.

"A lot of the results were very similar between the two systems, but there are some differences between the tests with regard to nitrogen, so we're looking into that further," he said.

Small town Nebraska offers some good opportunities for watching fireworks in and around July 4. Having a house on a hill means the family can enjoy the local park's display from the back deck. Grandparents often join for food, fellowship and fireworks. The freedom to take a breath from the hectic and not have to go someplace is a rare pleasure.

Homegrown sweet corn is traditionally on the menu during this holiday, but the crop is running a little late this year. The farm does three staggered sweet corn plantings each year to have enough to eat, give away and supply a roadside stand near the main farm that operates on the honor system.

While sweet corn is often shorter of stature compared to field corn, the patch that is currently tasseling is so short the raccoons won't even have to work hard for it this year, Zoerb noted.

Keeping the critters out of the patch is always a challenge. "We've tried playing music. We've tried lived traps. Two strands of electric fence low to the ground is our best solution -- although it's far from perfect," he said.

STUART SANDERSON: MADISON, ALABAMA

Sanderson said the farm sweet corn patch in north central Alabama came in early this year. Abundant rainfall yielded more than 20,000 monster ears -- enough to fill freezers and give away to employees, neighbors and friends.

The perplexing thing this year was the coyotes didn't show up for their share. Sanderson said the wily coyote can take a toll on sweet corn (and watermelons) in this region.

"Those devilish creatures ... it's not good enough that they'll go out there and get an ear of corn. Instead, they take a bite out of one and go to the next one and take a bite out of it and on down the row. You can't believe the mess they can make.

"The crop was a little more than two weeks early, so maybe they didn't know the crop was ready, or they had other things to eat. But we're not complaining about their oversight," he added.

Nothing about this spring and now, summer, is stacking up as normal in this part of the country. However, one thing Sanderson always counts on is heat being quick to sap resources.

On July 2, the farm crews started turning on pivots in anticipation of impending dry. "It's irrigated corn and we've got the groceries out there to make it go. While moisture is still plentiful, we don't want it to get behind," he said. Some of the decisions are based on where the well the water is pulled from, the size of the field and how long it takes for the pivots to make a full watering pass.

"We've got one well that runs three pivots. It takes about 4.5 days to get those three fields watered off that one well. Others are on a 24-hour cycle, so we'll wait to see what the weather does there," he added.

Surprises aren't always bad. The last of the wheat came in much better than Sanderson expected. "We were skeptical that it would even be worth gathering," he noted. "But the yields were in the 80-bushel (per acre) range. Test weight was 55 to 56. Moisture was fine and there was very little dockage.

"I couldn't believe it because many inches of rain fell on it and there were many cloudy days," he said. There were some varietal differences in how well the wheat stood, he added.

There have also been many challenges getting the crop planted this year. Sanderson estimated the farm will have at least 1,600 acres of spring crops declared as prevented planting. Another 300 acres of double crop soybeans did not get planted behind wheat.

Prevented planting is the failure to plant an insured crop with the proper equipment by the final planting date.

"As a grower, we hate to see that acre not producing. It's almost like it messes with your soul a little bit because there's that feeling that you've failed by not using the resources God has given us to produce," he admitted. "It's also a bummer because I've done a good job marketing the crop."

Sanderson said the farm has the planter power and other equipment to plant the crop in a timely manner. "It was out of our hands this year. We did take risks on some fields and tried planting into adverse conditions, knowing the weather patterns would have to go a certain way for those crops to make. Most drowned out," he said.

The water table is already high on low-lying fields that border the Tennessee River, Sanderson explained. Voluminous rainfall can push the water table upward to drown crops from the bottom up, Sanderson explained.

Planting beans beyond July 1 is a risky proposition, too. "When you start planting beans in July in this climate, you could make 50 bushels (per acre), but more than likely you're going to make less than 10 bushels (per acre). It would take 34 bushels (per acres) to breakeven on double-crop soybeans compared to a prevented planting payment," he said.

The flip side is the acres of corn and soybeans that are up and growing have never looked better, Sanderson said.

One thing he likes to do is take a moment each morning to look up at the flag that flies above the farm. "We're the only farm around here with a grain leg. So, it stands out," he said, noting that they replace the industrial grade flags several times a year because of wear.

"There might not be a bit of breeze at ground level, but up there at 150 feet, that flag will be flared out and moving easy as the sun comes up.

"It makes me feel good every time I see it," he said.

Pamela Smith can be reached at pamela.smith@dtn.com

Follow her on social platform X @PamSmithDTN

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