The Draft includes data from 11 participants across Illinois and Indiana with more than 300 plots represented. The highest performing corn seed hybrids in 2024 were: 

1472, 10811, 14830, 13777 and P1222

During this episode of the Indiana Agronomy podcast, hosts Carl Joern and Ben Jacob discuss wheat, the weather, and whether an extreme cold snap can kill tar spot. "I'm not under the impression that cold temperatures have any impact on tar spot. It's a fungus, and I'm not aware of any published research that shows that extreme cold kills off those spores," says Joern.  

Spoiler alert: Insects are resilient, and they will overwinter. It takes temperatures of -40 degrees celsius to kill off many insects that affect crop health.  

Further reading: 
What makes winter winter, "winter?" https://extension.sdstate.edu/what-makes-winter-wheat-winter-wheat 

Themes in this episode: 
A "demand plan" is a strategic forecast of how much of a particular crop or livestock product a farmer should produce based on anticipated market demand, taking into account factors like seasonal fluctuations, consumer preferences, and potential market trends, allowing them to optimize production and minimize waste by only growing what is likely to be sold. 

Demand planning is a supply chain management process that enables a company to project future demand and successfully customize company output—be it products or services—according to those projections. It is the linchpin of an effective supply chain, which makes it doubly important to business.

Indiana Strategic Agriculture Plan: https://www.in.gov/isda/programs-and-initiatives/indiana-agriculture-strategic-plan/  

2025 Agronomy Research Summary: https://www.pioneer.com/us/agronomy-science.html  

Hosts Brian Shrader and Ben Jacob talk about the 2024 harvest during this episode of the Pioneer Indiana podcast offering some advice for determining whether products used during the 2024 growing season made a difference.

Their most important takeaways:

1. It's important to understand how most yield monitors work. Most are just a mass flow sensor, and what they are actually measuring is an impact against a plate. So, a denser sample if going to have more of an impact at the same weight. They are an excellent tool when used properly, but it's still best to have scales on your grain cart.
2. If you're testing new agronomic products - go perpendicular to the rows.
3. One year of data is pretty challenging to make a decision from. Try to use at least a three-year data set from 30 locations or more. 
4. As salespeople are knocking on your door for products to use in 2025, if they can't talk to you about the data, don't buy. 

In Indiana, the entire state is marked by some kind of drought as farmers finish up this year's harvest. If rain doesn't come yet this fall, Indiana farmers are crossing fingers and toes for good snowfall. Lots of problems, but maybe not crops, can erupt when the ground is too dry. 

 Additionally, many farmers are in their first or second season battling the tar spot fungus. Which raises the question: when do you apply fungicide to combat this pesky new disease? The answer goes back to the weather and to moisture levels. 

"Visually it's a really hard disease to scout for, but to some degree you can know it's present," says Indiana agronomist Ben Jacobs. "There is a planting date correlation this year that will match back up with the weather. You can kind of predict or get an idea of how heavy the pressure it going to be if you focus on when you planted and how much moisture you got."

If this is the first season dealing with tar spot, here's the best advice from the Indiana Agronomy podcast: 
🌽 - Try not to plan on doing two fungicide applications. 

🌽 - Plan to try and apply fungicide earlier, not at the silkening stage but at the blister stage when the kernels are clear or just starting to turn yellow. 

🌽 - Push a couple week past when you're used to applying, but not too late.

Learn more about tar spot: 
https://www.pioneer.com/us/agronomy/Tar-Spot-of-Corn.html

Pioneer tar spot tolerant hybrid seed:
https://www.pioneer.com/us/products/corn/tar-spot.html



 

As you start to pivot from 2024 harvest to 2025 planting, it's time to start thinking about soil fertility. During this episode of the Pioneer Agronomy podcast, to soil test or not to soil test in drought conditions?

"I wouldn't delay it. There's the option, but if you're usually sampling after Harvest, do it then. Understand that those results might be skewed a little bit. You could make an argument to wait for more moisture in the ground. But if it's my ground and I have the time to get across the field, I'm going to do it in that weather window. I'm in favor of getting it done," says Pioneer Agronomist Ben Jacob.

It's harder to take soil samples when the ground is dry, and some of the numbers could be skewed slightly due to the lack of moisture. If you're going to sample now, podcast host and agronomist Brian Shrader reminds us that soil samples need to be taken at the same depth, even if it's hard to drive the probe to full depth.

Find more resources on nutrient management in the soil from Pioneer here: https://www.pioneer.com/us/agronomy-science/topic.nutrientManagement.html 

 

In this episode of the Indiana Pioneer Agronomy Podcast, hosts Carl Joern, Brian Shrader and Ben Jacob discuss how harvest is progressing statewide under extremely dry conditions, which have helped keep things moving but pose safety risks for farmers. Agronomists discuss their hybrid and soybean “draft picks” from earlier in the season, highlighting which are outperforming in yield. Growers have raised concerns about crops turning black, largely due to hot, dry weather and disease pressure. There's also discussion on the breakdown of stover post-harvest. Reports from Pioneer test plots show several hybrids exceeding 300 bushels per acre, with Z-series soybeans also achieving strong yields.

For more information on stand evaluation, visit:  https://www.pioneer.com/us/yield-results.html

Soybeans shatter? You betcha. Especially when conditions are dry, say during a flash drought. During this episode of the Indiana Pioneer Agronomy Podcast, we hear more about soybean shatter, performance by maturity, as well as wheat planting best practices. Listen for expert advice from Agronomists Carl Joern, Ben Jacobs and Cale Russler. 

Preventing Soybean Shatter: https://www.pioneer.com/content/dam /dpagco/pioneer/na/ca/en/files/articles/DF-Reducing-Yield-Loss-from-Pod-Shattering-in-Soybean-NA_CA_EN_V1.pdf 

Wheat Planting: https://www.pioneer.com/us/products/wheat.html 

Considering trying to get into growing for seed production for Pioneer Seeds? During this episode of the Indiana Agronomy Podcast hosts Brian Shrader and Carl Joern talk with John Hettinga. Hettinga is the production manager at the Pioneer seed production facility in Plymouth, Indiana. 

If you're interested in getting involved in growing for seed production, Hettinga says it's best to start by getting in touch with your local sales rep or territory manager. 

Get a look inside Pioneer's breeding program: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2c-DUEcF5Cs 

Take a tour of a seed production facility: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzof2wXNR9c