Make a Pre-Planting Checklist
April 9, 2024 For most in the Cotton Belt, early spring is the calm before the storm. During this period, we can dive into the details of what worked or did not work last season. While it is easiest to just keep doing what we have always done, staying constant while everyone else is working toward continuous improvement is moving in the wrong direction.
Most everyone will need to adjust the coming season’s game plan. However, it is common for some to over-adjust based on just last year’s issues. While modifications in your plans may be justified, do not get carried away.
Variety selection for yield and quality is an important first step in establishing your yield potential. Multi-year data from unbiased testing is the best source to use for the decision-making process. Many of these sources also include fiber quality data and disease ratings that can be helpful in making the best decisions for your farm.
Evaluate previous year data by plant stand data for each variety on your farm. Many find they can reduce seed drop rates with no yield loss and have fewer headaches managing excessive vegetative growth and harvest aids.
Excessively high plant growth regulator needs are most often a sign that plant population and/or nitrogen fertility rates should be adjusted down. Adjusting nitrogen rates behind peanuts and corn is necessary for most. Getting excessive vegetative growth under control will make life easier for everyone.
Take advantage of available tools to help manage pests. Nematode–resistant varieties and those with ThryvOn (Bayer) and Axant Flex technologies (BASF) are welcome additions to the toolbox for those who can use or need them. Smart spraying technology such as See & Spray (from John Deere) is another great tool. However, attention to having a strong pre-emergent herbicide program is key to the success of this technology.
There also are many tools to help enhance irrigation efficiency through better scheduling and more efficient applications. Knowing how much more yield is produced per inch of water applied versus the dryland yield — and how this compares to your neighbors — is a great place to start in improving efficiency and conserving natural resources.
Those who planted a cover crop likely did so with the objective of improving soil health and/or helping with weed control. A thin or skippy stand of cover crops will often open the door for weeds and other problems. Early termination of broadleaf weeds in grass-based covers is recommended if they are present. Termination of straight cereal rye cover crops ahead of cotton planting should be considered to avoid potential issues. Diverse blends of cover crops are more suited for those who want to plant cotton in green standing cover.
Evaluate various programs such as the U.S. Trust Protocol, Better Cotton, and Climate Smart agriculture programs to see if they are a fit for you and your farming practices. Precision ag technology has the potential to help with record-keeping requirements to participate in these programs. Standardization of farm, field, and equipment names in a way to keep things simple will help streamline entry by field personnel and reduce time addressing inconsistencies as the use of this information is becoming more widespread.
Most farmers feel like they do a good job managing their crop and inputs. We often get caught up in time management issues keeping us from doing what and how we know things need to be done and settle for just doing the best we can do.
Networking with other producers and discussions with trusted advisors are valuable ways to see how you compare to your peers. True measures of success are not easy to come by. Getting caught up in winning the yield contest is not a good plan if there is no focus on the profit contest.
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