Scouting & Sharing Questions from a College Student

[mgriffin4024]

Hello,

This post is a continuation of another I just submitted (see Technology Questions from a College Student). Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

SCOUTING

1. Is anyone currently enrolled in any crop scouting services? Can you tell me about that? Who does the scouting and when does it usually take place? Do you have your entire farm enrolled or just certain fields? Why?
2. What information do you get from crop scouting? How do you access that information? How does that information integrate with other services and tools you use to run your farm?

SHARING

1. Does anyone work with an agronomist or someone who helps you make decisions about what to plant, etc.? What types of information do you share with that person to be able to collaborate with him? Do you share crop history, applications or anything else? Why or why not? How do you usually give them that information? Do the types of information vary by person or from year-to-year? What about any other way?

[Jim Meade / Iowa City]

I have used a crop scout and would this year except they are too busy.  The scouts are usually young people who work for a local agency.  Scouting was about every 10 days from when the crop erupted to about R1 for corn or R4 for beans.

I got stand count, weed reports, disease reports, yield potential.  I got mine on paper, as I refused to let them put my info in their computer.  I use the info to make decisions on what to spray.

I dont' have to give the crop scout much info.  It's not needed for him to do his job.

[mgriffin4024]

Forgive me if this is a dumb question, but what is R1 and R4?

Do the crop scouts usually walk all of your fields or just certain ones? And why?

Just so I'm understanding, they give you paper reports after every time they go out? Do you keep all of these reports? I'm curious if that history of information is helpful.

Do you work with an agronomist or anyone else that's outside of your farm?

[gil.gullickson]

Below are various growth stages for corn/soybeans. R1 and R4 in soybeans refer to the legume's reproductive phases, when flowering and pod/seed formation occurs. 

http://extension.agron.iastate.edu/soybean/production_growthstages.html

http://extension.entm.purdue.edu/fieldcropsipm/corn-stages.php

Regarding scouting, there are a  variety of private crop consultants that do the job. One example are those consultants belonging to the Iowa Independent Crop Consultants Assocation. http://www.iowacropconsultants.com

Centrol is another source of crop consultants in MN/SD/ND. Check them out at http://www.centrol.com

Both are excellent sources of unbiased agronomic information. The Centrol consultant whom my farm renter employs in SD saved him a bunch of money a couple years ago when he advised against replanting a sub-par soybean stand. The soybeans branched out and that field was one of of the top yielders in the country. 

Seed company agronomists, such as from Pioneer, Monsanto, Syngenta, are good sources of scouting too. 

Regarding of when farmers/consultants should scout, it should be  a pretty much growing seasonlong thing. Cutworms are pests early in the season, and scouting should regularly occur (probalby weekly and sometimes daily in the case of soybean aphids). I'd say it slacks off as the corp is ripening, but last year, even scouting in late-reproducive stages for corn found cases of Northern Corn Leaf Blight, a damaging fungal disease that can be treated witha  fungicide.

Does this help?

Gil Gullickson

Crops Technology Editor

Successful Farming 

[mgriffin4024]

Thank you for the information! That helps a lot.

Do the crop scouts usually walk all of your fields or just certain ones? And why? What information do you get from crop scouting?

Also, do you work with an agronomist or someone who helps you make decisions about what to plant, etc.?

[mgriffin4024]

I've gotten 2 great responses so far. Does anyone else have time to weigh in? Our professor recommended we get at least 3 different perspectives, but 5 would be even better. Thanks!

[ECIN]

OK 4024 - I'll be tail end charlie -  Yes _ I work with an agronomist group - my main reason is for there soil work - then they walk fields 3 times a year - part of there service - I most times are ahead of them and then compare what they find with what I found we are always very close - I don't really need that scouting service - but it comes with the program - Most of this work is do by interns from Purdue - they are class act kids -  this program is by acre charge .

I do plot work with Purdue and I do share this infor with my agronomist - as we all work on these project's together - then share any info to the general public - as the results are always publisted from Purdue on these plots .

hope this helps

Ken

[mgriffin4024]

Thanks for the response, Ken!

When that agronomist group walks fields, what time of the year are they doing that each time? And do you have them do your entire farm?

What information does that group provide you? And how are you comparing it with what you've found?

Is most of your communication with the agronomist group in person, by phone or by computer?

What types of information do you share with your agronomist for that plot work? I'm assuming various types of agronomic information, but what about machine information? Is that helpful to him or her?

[ECIN]

When that agronomist group walks fields, what time of the year are they doing that each time? And do you have them do your entire farm?

They most times walk the fields by now - but rain and mud is pretty hard to do - they main time to check corn is just before tassel - and beans , about mid season .

What information does that group provide you? And how are you comparing it with what you've found?

They provide everything I need to know - any disease or insect - soil related - We are on - for the most part - the same page -

Is most of your communication with the agronomist group in person, by phone or by computer?

They put out a news letter and e mail - for a like , heads up what may be happening - phone on big problems - or they stop by the farm .

What types of information do you share with your agronomist for that plot work? I'm assuming various types of agronomic information, but what about machine information? Is that helpful to him or her?

On the plot work , my agronomist is on from the ground floor - up - he is a part of our team - which besides me - there are 4 others - 2 from Purdue - our county educator - and the agronomist - then me - the machine operator , There is just to much in the soil work for to understand or do - my agronomist is like my pocket on my shirt - or sometimes - my righthand - For if you don't have a good foundation - the the rest of the building would not stand long .

Is the info . helpful to him - I would guess it would - as we are always looking for that one key thing to help out , not only me , but others - now and in the future .

Good lucky with yours too .

Ken

[mgriffin4204]

Thank you!