Boots In The Field Report
342 episodes - English - Latest episode: 7 days ago - ★★★★★ - 35 ratingsOne of the founding pillars of Crop-Tech Consulting is integrating a systems approach to farming. Crop-Tech is continually adding to their expertise and services. To aid in this process, CTC conducts over 150 test plots every year and works in conjunction with Farm Journal to gather research data on the industry’s equipment, practices, and technology. The Boots in the Field Report features Crop-Tech Consulting agronomist Ken Ferrie. He will keep you up-to-date by describing what he is seeing while in the field.
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Episodes
Episode 287: Boots In The Field Report November 4, 2022
November 04, 2022 00:00 - 1 minute - 4.2 MBIn this week’s Boots in The Field Report Ken covers harvest progress throughout the state and reports most areas pleased with corn yields and ended up with average bean yields. Several reports coming in have shown a reduced yield coming out of the April planted corn this year and Ken reminds growers that we plant by soil conditions and not the calendar.
Episode 286: Boots In The Field Report October 28, 2022
October 28, 2022 00:00 - 7 minutes - 5.03 MBIn this week’s Boots In The Field Report Ken recaps harvest progress and reminds growers to be patient and wait for the correct conditions before applying anhydrous. Reports from Iowa are showing yields getting dinged by the September frost causing test weights to be off and some field edge scalding in the dry area. Ken also recaps some initial reports of yield data off plots that got harvested this week from deer repellent products to planting date, maturity groups, and row spacing...
Episode 285: Boots In The Field Report October 18, 2022
October 18, 2022 00:00 - 9 minutes - 6.32 MBIn this week’s Boots In The Field Report Ken talks bigger than expected swings in bean yields and attributes that to the maturity of the bean planted and the weather it received. He is getting a lot more reports of white mold showing up and recommends combine operators make a note for pest team for yield map review if they are seeing that show up in the grain tank. Ken also recaps yield results from the Corn College Campus teaching plots and discusses why L1 and L2 hybrids have seem...
Episode 284: Boots In The Field Report October 7, 2022
October 07, 2022 00:00 - 7 minutes - 4.94 MBKen talks about the gift and the curse of the dry fall: easier harvesting without getting equipment stuck/wheel tracks, don’t have to go as deep with fall tillage to get full width shatter, and good conditions to build fall strips, but without moisture it may make fall anhydrous applications impossible to seal. He also reminds growers that they will need to have notes of weed escapes because it will take 3 years of staying on top of it to get them back under control. Ken advises har...
Episode 283: Boots In The Field Report September 30, 2022
September 29, 2022 00:00 - 10 minutes - 6.94 MBIn this week’s Boots In The Field Report Ken gives a harvest report of yields coming in across the state and comments that combine operators are saying the big swings in yield in a field are coming from the swings in stand throughout the field. Yields are expected to improve in corn fields as growers move to later planted corn that had less weather obstacles at the beginning of the season. The good September weather is helping gain depth of kernel which helps offset some of the tip ...
Episode 282: Boots In The Field Report September 23, 2022
September 23, 2022 00:00 - 9 minutes - 6.68 MBIn this week’s Boots In The Field Report Ken covers the harvest reports coming in and the highlights from his recent Iowa / Minnesota crop tour. He reports Northern Iowa and Southern Minnesota seem to be the heaviest of Tar Spot Alley this year. Several areas had a challenging July and August but a favorable September. If plants could stay healthy long enough to take advantage of September, growers might be presently surprised at harvest. Ken also encourages pest teams to watch how ...
Episode 281: Boots In The Field Report September 8, 2022
September 08, 2022 00:00 - 7 minutes - 5.06 MBKen Ferrie recaps 2,700 miles of crop touring over the last week on what he saw on the way up to Canada and coming back. He also reports April planted corn locally is hitting black layer and causing some growers to think about harvesting soon to cash in on premiums. Ken additionally comments on how corn that is stressed now, is hustling to black layer and that will come at the cost of grain fill.
Episode 280: Boots In The Field Report August 25, 2022
August 25, 2022 00:00 - 11 minutes - 8.06 MBIn this week’s Boots In The Field Report Ken covers tip loss, spider mites, northern leaf blight and diseases increasing later in the season in corn fields. He also covers sightings of SDS and white mold in bean fields. Ken talks with Matt Duesterhaus to see what he has been seeing in Western Illinois.
Episode 279: Boots In The Field Report August 18, 2022
August 18, 2022 00:00 - 10 minutes - 7.38 MBIn this week’s Boots In The Field Report Ken gives a crop report from his trip to Ohio and back and on conditions he is seeing locally. Due to the late planting and tight water margins a lot of final yield potential is riding on the last 30 days of fill and making it hard to make accurate yield estimates right now. Ken also warns about heavy spider mite pressure due to weather and spraying taking out all its natural predators and tipping the balance in the mite’s favor. As always Ke...
Episode 278: Boots In The Field Report August 8, 2022
August 08, 2022 00:00 - 9 minutes - 6.48 MBMost areas got at least a little rain last week, but some got too much and in some areas it came with heavy winds. While the fields that took heavy wind in June still had growing potential to lessen the effects of the goose-necking and neighboring plants in the green snap areas could adjust ear size or throw a second ear to account for additional sunlight, it is too late in the season for either of those things to do much good for the fields that got wind last week. As Ken was looki...
Episode 277: Boots In The Field Report July 25, 2022
July 25, 2022 00:00 - 4 minutes - 3.03 MBIn this week’s Boots In The Field Report Ken Ferrie tells how water in the next 60 days will tell the rest of the story, how despite being able to pollinate in 5 days the heat wreaked some havoc on even pollination, and warns about checking for spider mites in the corn before spraying a fungicide.
Episode 276: Boots In The Field Report July 15, 2022
July 15, 2022 00:00 - 11 minutes - 7.59 MBIn this week’s Boots In The Field Report Ken covers how quickly pollination is going, the increasing need to spray for silk clippings, why shorter corn might be a good thing come this fall, where tar spot has been reported and why even though it is later in the calendar year than last year, why it would be considered coming in earlier in plant maturity. He advises pest bosses to be scouting low on that plant as most will be home grown and warns that we may be looking at mid to late ...
Episode 275: Boots In The Field Report July 7, 2022
July 07, 2022 00:00 - 9 minutes - 8.06 MBIn this week’s Boots In The Field Report Ken covers how we are progressing compared to normal, what to look for now before the corn tassels, and reminds growers about staying on top of aphids, spider mites, and rootworm. He also warns about fields showing resistance, which areas need to be on higher alert for tar spot, and advises growers to take care of the waterhemp in beans before the seedbed gets out of control.
Episode 274: Boots In The Field Report July 1, 2022
July 01, 2022 00:00 - 11 minutes - 7.71 MBIn this week’s Boots In The Field Report Ken touches on fields recovering from wind and hail damage, explains why L1 hybrids will take the biggest hit, and reminds growers to never walk away from a growing crop, especially this year. He also warns growers in the dry areas to stop mowing ditches and for pest scouts to be on the lookout for corn borer, western bean cutworm, rootworm, and Japanese beetles.
Episode 273: Boots In The Field Report June 20, 2022
June 20, 2022 00:00 - 10 minutes - 7.37 MBKen Ferrie starts this week’s Boots In The Field Report with a fishing recap, followed by a crop report of how crops looked on the drive. He talks heat stress and what that means for these rolled up corn plants, and what pests to be on the lookout for. And despite a lot of farmers not getting into the fields to plant beans as early as they would like, he is still seeing pre-solstice flowering in several fields. Ken also puts out the call for those seeing tar spot to call the sightin...
Episode 272: Boots In The Field Report June 2, 2022
June 02, 2022 00:00 - 9 minutes - 6.56 MBIn this week’s Boots In The Field Report Ken covers nitrate levels, carbon penalty, cutworm, rootworm, and armyworm flights, and crop deficiencies showing up. He breaks down the difference in nitrogen, sulfur, and zinc deficiencies and how they present in the corn plant. Adding nitrogen to a sulfur deficiency can make the problem worse, so it is important to know which one you are facing. He also covers yellowing beans fighting the carbon penalty and why replant beans might be showi...
Episode 271: Boots In The Field Report May 27, 2022
May 27, 2022 00:00 - 10 minutes - 7.05 MBThis year may go down in the books as some of the best corn stands Ken has seen, with the corn coming up in 4 days and even emergence. In this week’s Boots In The Field Report Ken covers the nitrate values coming back, indicating we are in the middle of the carbon penalty period. As the soils warm up, doubling the microbe population every 10 degrees, it creates a draw down on nitrogen supply. He warns that growers will possibly see yellow or pale green corn and even bean plants. Thi...
Episode 270: Boots In The Field Report May 18, 2022
May 18, 2022 00:00 - 9 minutes - 6.6 MBIn this week’s Boots In The Field Report Ken Ferrie reports the ground that didn’t get hoed but is struggling to get make it out of the ground might have to be hoed twice and that still might not be enough to help the plants break through the crust. Replant decisions need to be made quickly with facts and not emotion. Ken reminds growers they will need to know both stand count and ear count when factoring in if they should replant. He also advises using their own knowledge from thei...
Episode 269: Boots In The Field Report May 4, 2022
May 04, 2022 00:00 - 7 minutes - 5.48 MBCold wet weather has brought planting progress to a crawl. In this week’s Boots In The Field Report Ken Ferrie warns growers about ground getting hard with recent rains causing planters to ride out of the ground and concern for crusting on crops already in the ground. He also covers how row fresheners can help with the less than desirable seed bed conditions and warns about running spring strip-till this late in the season with potential of drying out the soil and causing salt burn ...
Episode 268: Boots In The Field Report April 22, 2022
April 22, 2022 00:00 - 7 minutes - 4.88 MBIn this week’s Boots In The Field Report, Ken Ferrie discusses the closing window for achieving early planted beans. While there often isn’t a yield difference between strip-till and no-till beans, this year might prove to be the exception. Strip-tilling may create a 2-3 week earlier window for planting which may allow an opportunity for some pre-solstice flowering that the no-till couldn’t take advantage of because it was too wet to plant. Ken warns to switch from beans to corn whe...
Episode 267: Boots In The Field Report April 8, 2022
April 08, 2022 00:00 - 7 minutes - 5.3 MBIn this week’s Boots In The Field Report Ken warns growers getting antsy about getting in the field to make sure the calendar, coffee shop talk, nor neighbors are the deciding factor but rather your own investigation of fields to see if they are fit. A spring compaction layer can take the top yield potential out of field before you even get the seeds in the ground. He also reminds growers that are looking at calling an audible at the line and switching crops to make sure you have ev...
Episode 266: Boots In The Field Report April 1, 2022
April 01, 2022 00:00 - 15 minutes - 10.8 MBKen starts this Boots In The Field Report with a recap of insects to be on the lookout for and then dives in with Matt Duesterhaus, breaking down how to evaluate bean maturities for different regions and planting dates when striving for pre-solstice flowering.
Episode 265: Boots In The Field Report March 25, 2022
March 25, 2022 00:00 - 7 minutes - 5.28 MBIn this week’s Boots In The Field Report Ken Ferrie covers seed test results and what pest scouts should be on the lookout for including: 13-lined ground squirrel, voles, wireworm, cutworm, and armyworm.
Episode 264: Boots In The Field Report March 18, 2022
March 18, 2022 00:00 - 11 minutes - 9.28 MBIn this week’s Boots In the Field Report Ken Ferrie covers rootworm resistance and how the pressure has been increasing over the last couple of years.
Episode 263: Boots In The Field Report March 9, 2022
March 09, 2022 00:00 - 7 minutes - 6.31 MBIn this Boots In The Field Report Ken Ferrie stresses using this time to put thought into diversifying hybrid line up and strategizing placement of hybrids to take advantage of a field’s strengths and farm around the weaknesses.
Episode 262: Boots In The Field Report February 11, 2022
February 11, 2022 22:55 - 13 minutes - 11.2 MBThis week in the podcast Ken takes a deep dive on what we have learned about tar spot in 2021. He covers why it was so bad in parts of the country this year, what the plot research said about timing of fungicide applications and number of applications, what to be on the lookout for in this coming year. Ken also talks about an app that can help with keeping us up to date on if conditions are right for Tar spot.
Episode 261: Boots In The Field Report January 26, 2022
January 26, 2022 21:09 - 8 minutes - 7.37 MBKen uses this week’s Boots In The Field Report to cover the topic of starter fertilizer and what to consider when looking at cutting costs for next year. Ken walks through evaluating product, placement, timing, and rate to get the most bang for your starter buck.
Episode 2: Boots In The Field Report January 26, 2022
January 26, 2022 00:00 - 8 minutes - 6.05 MBKen uses this week’s Boots In The Field Report to cover the topic of starter fertilizer and what to consider when looking at cutting costs for next year. Ken walks through evaluating product, placement, timing, and rate to get the most bang for your starter buck.
Episode 260: Boots In The Field Report January 11, 2022
January 11, 2022 22:07 - 9 minutes - 7.86 MBIn this week’s Boots in The Field Report Ken Ferrie breaks down planting conditions for beans in an ideal situation and how that changes when you are trying to plant early beans. The focus, when planting early beans, changes from soil temperatures to soil conditions in order to attempt to get the beans to the unifoliate stage quick enough to pressure the bean to flower before the solstice. Ken also walks through how to adjust the timing window for different maturity groups.
Episode 1: Boots In The Field Report January 11, 2022
January 11, 2022 00:00 - 9 minutes - 6.48 MBIn this week’s Boots in The Field Report Ken Ferrie breaks down planting conditions for beans in an ideal situation and how that changes when you are trying to plant early beans. The focus, when planting early beans, changes from soil temperatures to soil conditions in order to attempt to get the beans to the unifoliate stage quick enough to pressure the bean to flower before the solstice. Ken also walks through how to adjust the timing window for different maturity groups.
Episode 259: Boots In The Field Report December 17, 2021
December 22, 2021 00:00 - 8 minutes - 5.75 MBIn this week’s Boots In The Field Report Ken covers some of the swings seen in the Hybrid Plot hand shelling day and warns about some of the hurdles growers new to applying fall anhydrous need to be aware of. Fall gas does NOT do well in paying the carbon penalty and Ken walks through options to help get over that hurdle.
Episode 258: Boots In The Field Report December 3, 2021
December 03, 2021 00:00 - 10 minutes - 7.17 MBAs a lot of crews cross the harvest finish line, eyes turn towards preparation for next spring. Ken walks through considerations for growers wanting to plant early beans in 2022. As the weather locally led to a lot of wet harvesting and wheel tracks/ruts, Ken recommends trying to fix those fields this fall to make sure it doesn’t hold you back from planting early next spring. If that is not an option than rotating those to your “normal” planted bean fields and switching fields witho...
Episode 257: Boots In The Field Report November 19, 2021
November 19, 2021 00:00 - 8 minutes - 6 MBIn this week’s Boots In The Field Report Ken answers a question that came in during Session 1 of Beyond the Basics. While soil tests can not detect if a disease is present in the field, it can give indicators to how the field will handle disease pressure. Healthy plants handle stress better than unhealthy plants and fields with adequate fertility help to create healthy plants. If a field has low potash values, acid soils, or runs out of nitrogen at grain fill, it is more susceptible...
Episode 256: Boots In The Field Report November 11, 2021
November 11, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 6.77 MBIn this week’s Boots In The Field Report Ken Ferrie warns about making sure the anhydrous is sealing as it is too expensive to let gas off. He reports that some strip-till growers are struggling to get good strips in current weather conditions and advises that they might have to move to a plan B. Ken encourages keeping the seedbed sacred and he reminds growers that seedbed preparations for next year’s crop start this fall. He also extends a heartfelt thank you to all Veterans and th...
Episode 255: Boots In The Field Report November 5, 2021
November 05, 2021 00:00 - 5 minutes - 3.56 MBAs growers are finally able to get back into fields locally, Ken does this week’s Boots In The Field Report from the tractor cab. Growers are doing everything they can to drag Harvest 21 across the finish line. Including cleaning out bins to dry beans, adjusting harvest order to get bean fields before the pods split open, changing heads throughout the day as to not lose an hour of harvest, and keeping their eye on their harvest loss.
Episode 254: Boots In The Field Report October 28, 2021
October 28, 2021 00:00 - 10 minutes - 7.54 MBAfter the 2-5 inches of rain Ken recommends using the floatation of your harvest equipment wisely to reduce compaction and reminds growers to keep records of the fields that are getting rutted up to make a plan to fix after harvest. In this week’s Boots In The Field Report he also advises that fields with bean pods opening move up the harvest list and shares the article https://fieldcropnews.com/2018/12/how-to-dry-soybeans-in-a-bin/ as a resource to help dry beans.
Episode 253: Boots In The Field Report October 19, 2021
October 20, 2021 00:00 - 9 minutes - 7.3 MBIn this Boots in The Field Report Ken Ferrie covers multiple adjustments growers can make to their combine settings to reduce the record amount of harvest loss happening this year. He also advises growers to calculate in bushels what it cost to apply for removal of phosphorus and potash. The grain leaving the field is worth more and the cost to replace the nutrients leaving the field cost more. Looking at it in bushels from last year to this year can help put the cost in perspective...
Episode 252: Boots In The Field Report October 13, 2021
October 13, 2021 00:00 - 16 minutes - 11.1 MBIn this week’s Boots In The Field Report Ken Ferrie talks with Matt Duesterhaus, a Crop-Tech Consulting regional agronomist, in Quincy, IL to see how the harvest is going. Matt points out that planting date/ear count, nitrogen management, and disease management are areas that are standing out as yields roll in. He explains that yields in general are looking good for both corn and beans in his area and he will be analyzing plot data to figure out if the yield increases are enough to ...
Episode 251: Boots In The Field Report October 7, 2021
October 07, 2021 00:00 - 9 minutes - 6.51 MBIn this Boots In The Field Report Ken Ferrie covers calls coming in from OH, WI, and IA about yields, moisture, and how much is left to harvest. Much of the Midwest is coming out fairly low in percent of moisture, which could help reduce some pinch points this fall. Ken also shares some plot results that came out this week, with higher populations showing an advantage in some of the disease riddled areas. He advises that in learning and remembering the past we help improve the futur...
Episode 250: Boots In The Field Report September 28, 2021
September 28, 2021 00:00 - 10 minutes - 7.07 MBKen gives a harvest report as numbers continue to roll in showing some significant yield increases to fungicide in the heavy disease areas. Looking at the number of days with precipitation in the June through August time frame could help explain why we saw such heavy disease pressure show up earlier this year than it has in the past. Ken also explains what the Crop-Tech hybrid labels of G-L1-L2-D mean.
Episode 249: Boots In The Field Report September 21, 2021
September 21, 2021 00:00 - 10 minutes - 7.25 MBKen gives a harvest report of yields and moistures coming in from across the state in this week’s Boots In The Field Report. He explains why the outside rows of a field could be greener and higher moisture than the rest of the field, recaps the first fix/flexed plot that has come out, and prompts farmers to continue to send in which hybrids are and are NOT withstanding the disease pressure well. Ken reminds growers how valuable the yield maps from this season will be and encourages ...
Episode 248: Boots In The Field Report September 13, 2021
September 13, 2021 00:00 - 10 minutes - 6.87 MBOn this week's #BIFR Ken Ferrie says the wheels have come off the bus on fields with Tar Spot. The crop is falling apart and quickly dying before being able to pack on the starch. He says tar spot seems to be varying by hybrid and a Harvest Plan is a MUST!
Episode 247: Boots In The Field Report September 3, 2021
September 03, 2021 00:00 - 6 minutes - 4.73 MBKen gives a crop recap from his travels through Iowa and reports on finding: white mold, Goss’s wilt, and heavy army worm pressure in this week’s Boots In The Field Report. He also warns growers that drying down in the field may not be an option for fields that fail to reach black layer due to the high disease pressure. He advises that having a harvest plan and staying on top of it will be more important than ever this fall.
Episode 246: Boots In The Field Report August 25, 2021
August 27, 2021 00:00 - 8 minutes - 5.62 MBKen reports in this Boots In The Field Report about seeing anthracnose top kill, edge of field scalding, and SDS in beans. His recent trip to Ohio and Indiana indicates, while disease is high in a lot of areas, not all areas are fighting tar spot as bad as Central IL. Ken reminds growers that if fields were in the reproduction stages and hit with high stress, it will speed up the plant and shorten grain fill.
Episode 245: Boots In The Field Report August 17, 2021
August 17, 2021 00:00 - 10 minutes - 7.44 MBKen recaps how the heat and water over the last couple of weeks have affected crops in central IL in this Boots In The Field Report. He informs of incoming scouting reports and advises which pests and diseases might still have value in going after and what ones may not.
Episode 244: Boots In The Field Report July 29, 2021
July 29, 2021 00:00 - 11 minutes - 7.72 MBIn this week’s Boots In The Field Report Ken Ferrie covers: Field day recap, increase in beetle pressure, why fields are turning yellow at pollination, delays in getting air planes and what are other spraying options, how the haze/smoke from last week has affected the crops and what he is seeing for pollination issues, early season wind damage, and truncated/beer can ears.
Episode 243: Boots In The Field Report July 16, 2021
July 16, 2021 00:00 - 12 minutes - 8.41 MBIn this week’s Boot’s in The Field Report Ken covers why wet weather has hampered pollination and what pests to be on the lookout for. He also warns if growers are having to spray for rootworm beetles now, they need to note the current treatment plan didn’t work to manage the larvae and the plan needs to be adjusted for that field in the future. Ken reminds growers that a lot of the early planted beans are short and to make sure to check the growth stages for spraying, even though t...
Episode 242: Boots In The Field Report July 9, 2021
July 09, 2021 00:00 - 9 minutes - 6.63 MBIn this week’s Boots In The Field Report Ken Ferrie covers: replant populations for weed control, where nitrates are showing the nitrogen to be after the massive amounts of water, and what insects and disease to be on the lookout for when scouting pollinating fields.
Episode 241: Boots In The Field Report July 2, 2021
July 02, 2021 00:00 - 16 minutes - 11.1 MBKen covers what the massive amounts of rain in central IL means for growers and what to be on the lookout for. He uses the experiences in 2015 to give guidelines for how long the crops can survive underwater and in standing water, mapping out gulley’s while still visible, and warns about letting the ponded-out areas going to weeds. Some of the premium of early planted soybeans has been lost with this water stress and Ken advises that iron chlorosis, Rhizoctonia, Phytophthora can sta...
Episode 240: Boots In The Field Report June 25, 2021
June 25, 2021 00:00 - 14 minutes - 9.73 MBIn this week’s Boots in The Field Report Ken covers the prognosis for the corn that got blown down and beans that got hailed on in last weekend’s weather and what things to consider with the wet front moving in. While the rain should help stalled out beans and is a better option than tasseling in a drought, he warns about keeping an eye out for increased disease pressure and nitrogen loss as a result of increased water.