The Do's and Don'ts of Customer Clinics

Feb 08, 2024

I had the chance to be a fly on the wall, and listen in to a roundtable discussion at the 2024 Precision Farming Dealer Summit in Indianapolis, as dealers discussed some of their best practices and biggest challenges when it comes to hosting customer clinics. Here are some interesting nuggets I jotted down in my notes app.

The question of charging for clinics came up, to which one precision specialist responded, "When we do free events, if they're not paying anything, then they don't have skin in the game, and they don't participate as much in the clinic. That's one benefit of a perceived cost. They might walk away with a higher appreciation of the clinic." Another dealer said they don't charge for clinics because their customers have already made a big investment by being there.

How big should clinics be? There were differing opinions on that question.

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Video: Winter Canola Trial in Mississippi | Can It Work for Double Cropping? | Pioneer Agronomy

Can winter canola open new opportunities for growers in the Mid-South? In this agronomy update from Noxubee County, Mississippi, Pioneer agronomist Gus Eifling shares an early look at a first-year winter canola trial and what farmers are learning from the field.

Planted in late October on 30-inch rows, the crop is now entering the bloom stage and progressing quickly. In this video, we walk through current field conditions, fertility management, and how timing could make this crop a valuable option for double-cropping soybeans or cotton.

If harvest timing lines up with early May, growers may be able to transition directly into another crop during ideal planting windows. Ongoing field trials will help determine whether canola could become a viable rotational option for the region.

Watch for:

How winter canola is performing in its first season in this Mississippi field

Why growers chose 30-inch rows for this trial

What the crop looks like as it moves from bolting into bloom

Fertility strategy, including nitrogen and sulfur applications

How canola harvest timing could enable double-cropping with soybeans or cotton

Upcoming trials comparing soybeans after canola vs. traditional planting

As more growers look for ways to maximize acres and diversify rotations, experiments like this help determine what new crops might fit into existing systems.