This winter growers are asking about what to do when they notice they have stand issues and Ken Ferrie gives some tips for how to hunt down the root of the problem in this week’s Boots In The Field Report. Yield maps can tell us where a problem is and how much that problem is costing in yield, but it can’t tell us what the problem is.  It can guide us where to look but not answer the why. If the problem is an emergence issue, the closer the scouting is to emergence the more likely you are to be able to identify the problem. 

The first step is awareness, being aware that there is an issue. Pest teams play a role in this, doing stand and ear counts to catch if there are areas that deviate farther than is acceptable from planting population. 

In situations where the stand has dropped off, they can look at stalk diameter and placement to see if it is even, look below ground for indicators of planter issues like sidewall smearing or trash in the furrow, any evidence of insect or varmint pressure or the presence of diseases or weeds. These notes go in the fields record file and operators make a plan of action to correct it, managing what they can this season and a plan for fixing it before next season.