2021 Uniformity in Row Crops

Jan 20, 2021

By Gary Cross

Uniformity in row crops next to water and nutrient is the top issue. Let’s look at uniformity, mainly emergence to start with. The first plants out of the ground are going to be the best yielding. Studies I have done on corn and soybeans have proven this out; a 3-year study I did on corn showed the 1st plant out of the ground was the highest yielding, with the 3rd or 4th plant or later being much worse on yield, not producing ears, a weed, or blank stalk. The difference is huge – up to 60-90 bu difference from the corn plant that comes out the first day vs the 4th day. So getting as many plants to come up the 1st day is the key. Well, how do we do that? First, we buy very high-quality seed with great germination of 95% working with starter fertilizer. Next is planter adjustment to soil type – a clay soil verse and sandy soil. Next is warmer soil temps, so maybe a little later – late April or early May. This can vary with no till due to soil temperatures and moisture. With soybeans again drill adjustment to soil type, warmers soils, and high-quality seed. With soybeans, the 1st day vs the 4th day is the same, also better yield with the plants that come up 1st. These are a few agronomic tips when planting this spring.

Source : ncsu.edu

Video: Spring 2026 weather outlook for Wisconsin; What an early-arriving El Niño could mean

Northeast Wisconsin is a small corner of the world, but our weather is still affected by what happens across the globe.

That includes in the equatorial Pacific, where changes between El Niño and La Niña play a role in the weather here -- and boy, have there been some abrupt changes as of late.

El Niño and La Niña are the two phases of what is collectively known as the El Niño Southern Oscillation, or ENSO for short. These are the swings back and forth from unusually warm to unusually cold sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean along the equator.

Since this past September, we have been in a weak La Niña, which means water temperatures near the Eastern Pacific equator have been cooler than usual. That's where we're at right now.

Even last fall, the long-term outlook suggested a return to neutral conditions by spring and potentially El Niño conditions by summer.

But there are some signs this may be happening faster than usual, which could accelerate the onset of El Niño.

Over the last few weeks, unusually strong bursts of westerly winds farther west in the Pacific -- where sea surface temperatures are warmer than average -- have been observed. There is a chance that this could accelerate the warming of those eastern Pacific waters and potentially push us into El Niño sooner than usual.

If we do enter El Nino by spring -- which we'll define as the period of March, April and May -- there are some long-term correlations with our weather here in Northeast Wisconsin.

Looking at a map of anomalously warm weather, most of the upper Great Lakes doesn't show a strong correlation, but in general, the northern tiers of the United States do tend to lean to that direction.

The stronger correlation is with precipitation. El Niño conditions in spring have historically come with a higher risk of very dry weather over that time frame, so this will definitely be a transition we'll have to watch closely as we move out of winter.