NE Colorado farmers already looking to 2020 growing season

It’s hard to believe, but farmers in northeastern Colorado are thinking about spring even though last year’s harvest is not far in the past.

There are a lot of decisions to be made, planning to be done and equipment to be repaired before tractors on the road in the spring or before a seed ever hits the ground. What new equipment will need to be purchased, what nutrients does the soil need, what will the fertilizer strategy, what insects and weeds should one worry about, how will a farmer market crops, should a farmer diversify — these are all going through farmers’ minds and notes between now and then.

But one of the most important decisions a farmer will make is what seed to plant. There are different companies, different brands, different maturity ratings (how long it takes from the time the seed is planted to when it’s ready to harvest) and a long list of features and benefits for each one.

Trevor Varilek, a CHS Key Agronomy Specialist who is also an authority on Allegiant® seed products, offers a few tips for making seed selections.

“Disease impacts need to be top of mind when making seed selections, particularly Goss’s wilt in this area,” Varilek said. There are several corn hybrids that are very good on Goss’s wilt and typically those are the hybrids that we see going out the door first. Beyond disease protection, the biggest thing that we need to be considering is yield potential.

This season farmers experienced a tremendous amount of wind and hail in Western Kansas, Northeastern and Eastern Colorado, leading to green snap (breakage of corn stalks due to high winds) and a late, difficult harvest.

Having the option to select from a diverse portfolio is crucial for farmers to manage risk and maximize yield potential.

Varilek recommends working with a co-op like CHS because they review multi-year data among corn hybrids across a variety of companies, brands and genetic variation. After reviewing the data, they include top performing hybrids within their product lineup.

“Through a diverse portfolio approach, ag retailers can help manage disease, stalk strength, root strength and overall plant health. The only way companies can go in and manage that effectively, is by offering a diverse lineup,” said Varilek.

Most farmers are ready to put the difficulties of this year’s growing season behind them, and they have a lot to think about when planning for next year. Local co-ops, ag retailers and agronomists like Trevor Varilek are resources to help do that.

Allegiant® is a registered trademark of CHS Inc.