Megan Hasenour | Marketing Communications Manager






Growers faced many challenges in 2019, here are three key takeaways that could help influence your decisions as you plan for next season.
 
Plan B Paid Off
2019 proved the unpredictability of mother nature. Lots of guess work on when to plant, when to fertilize. When would it stop raining? What would the yield potential of the crops be if they were planted late?  Many struggled with these questions as they used their best judgment to make in-season decisions. In some cases, conditions made it impossible to stick with management plans and created more challenges for protecting yield potential. Growers who didn’t give up on their crops and had contingency plans for management tended to see the benefits at harvest. Looking ahead to 2020, allow yourself some flexibility to make in-season changes to help manage unpredictable conditions.
 
Modern genetics are resilient
Every year, advances in corn hybrids are making them more tolerant to stress. Over the past few years the latest seed genetics showed us that it makes sense to manage them through the season, even when conditions seem unfavorable for decent yield. Modern genetics have resiliency when they're given what they need.
 
Modeling tools proved their value
In a year with so much unpredictability, relying on your gut instinct to make decisions can be very stressful and may not have been the best strategy.  Ag technology and modeling tools certainly helped growers make more confident in-season management decisions, especially when they were forced to make adjustments to their original plans.
 
For example, farmers who used the R7^® Field Forecasting Tool were able to monitor conditions in their fields in real-time to predict how much nitrogen was available to the growing crop. That information was useful to help guide when and how much in-season nitrogen growers added.
 
2019 will be a memorable year for most farmers, even if it was for all the wrong reasons. Looking ahead, you can certainly apply this year’s learnings to your management strategy for next season. Your local Superior Ag Agronomist can help you solidify your plans to capitalize on opportunities and mitigate risk.