There’s a lot of old sayings in this country that tend to still be true even in today’s world, but the one that really jumps out at me recently is “here today, gone tomorrow”. It jumps out because it feels like just yesterday, I was picking up returns and hearing from everyone how great it was to have had a planting window this spring that lasted for weeks because no one was getting rained out. That disappearance of rain or lack of, has turned into a summer-long trend that seems to be carrying into fall, which brings me back to that old saying “here today gone tomorrow”
WHERE DID SUMMER GO?
This dry summer made for some great hay-making weather. As dry as it was, the Dairyland Seed alfalfa really showed us how tough it is. It has handled the drought very well, showing yields that were better than we could imagine because of basically living on very little moisture all summer. I’d like to address the question all the dairy producers have been asking after receiving a letter from Dairyland Seed last week stating Corteva Agriscience sold its alfalfa breeding program to Danish-based DLF company and that they are dropping their alfalfa line. Yes, it is true that in 2025 Dairyland will no longer have alfalfa in the line-up, but with that being said, Dairyland Seed is working on arrangements with the company to potentially offer alfalfa in 2025 through them.
DLF intends to offer varieties comparable to today’s Dairyland Seed brand alfalfa products when the business is fully transitioned after the 2024 season. I will keep everyone up to date as I learn more on this topic. In the meantime, don’t worry about the 2024 season. We still have Dairyland alfalfa seed to offer for the upcoming year. The same Dairyland alfalfa genetics you have trusted and been successful with year in and year out.
With our lack of perception this year, we have all been really wondering what we are going to see in the corn and soybean yields. I really feel the corn crop is going to surprise us in a good way. With the advancements in corn genetics over the years, we have corn varieties in our toolbox that we have seen can handle these dry conditions and achieve some respectable yields.
Our disease pressure in the corn has been minimal this year, where the biggest enemy, tar spot, has come on late and is not progressing at a fast pace, due in part to the very dry year. At least the drought has had a few small pluses. We were able to learn a lot again this year from our root worm beetle traps. Some areas came in with some high numbers but very few locations had more than the weekly threshold.
Doing some yield checks over the past month, I can say with confidence these Dairyland corn genetics can handle tough conditions. If it be weather or ground conditions, the line up has numbers that can bring a yield punch.
In the seed industry we talk about how tough soybeans are and I would say this year we are really putting that statement to the test. Not only has this soybean crop had to try and survive through a drought, but it’s also had to deal with white mold, sudden death, bug pressure, and poor emergence. We saw some phytophthora earlier in the year too, but still, even after all of that, soybeans are showing potential far better than expected. Good seed treatments and ever improving genetics are really going to show us that, yes, soybeans are very tough.
We have a good number of corn and soybean plots, plus side by sides in the area this year. When those results come in, we will be sharing that data with everyone. This data will help us help you this fall when selecting hybrids for your acres. Our goal is to deliver the highest potential yield in your fields.
This fall I’m pleased to announce we are going to have some more tools in our toolbox from a genetics stand point. We have teamed up with Midwest Seed Genetics and Rob See Co. We did this to better fill some of your needs as a customer. We can offer you a bigger genetic platform with more options to fit your operations. In the coming weeks I’ll be stopping by with more details about these company’s offerings. I will also discuss Dairyland Seed’s lineup and what’s new in their stable high-yielding varieties like their new Vorceed Enlist corn that has the root worm protection we have been waiting for with a yield punch that’s second to none.
In conclusion, I’d like to say thank you for your business and if anyone has any questions, my phone is always on, never hesitate to call.