Like any business, farming requires money and a lot of it. It is also hard work and can be risky to those without much experience.

Before starting, farmers should research the types of crops and animals they want to produce. They should also talk to other farmers and find out what supplies are needed.

The 2023 planting season has gotten off to a rocky start for some farmers in Missouri and Iowa, despite having early planting windows to kick off the growing season. 

Missouri

Brian Threlkeld, a first generation corn and soybean grower from Shelbina, Missouri, says that this season has started off as 2022’s polar opposite. In 2022, Threlkeld shares that the season started off wet, causing his planting season to get a late start. “We didn’t get into the field until May 10 because of all the rain we had,” Threlkeld shares. 

This year, planting started around April 2 for Threlkeld, though after a dry winter. Despite the early start, the lack of precipitation has caused Threlkeld’s corn emergence to be spotty. “We’re hoping in the next couple of weeks that everything will even out,” Threlkeld says. 

The dry winter’s effects are noticeable in the soil moisture supplies according to USDA’s May 14 Crop Progress report.. Missouri topsoil moisture supplies were rated 12% very short, 28% short, 57% adequate and just 3% surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies were nearly identical, rating 12% very short, 31% short, 54% adequate and 3% surplus.

“We’re as dry this time of year as we’ve ever been that I can remember,” Threlkeld says. “We’ve only had about an inch of rain since we planted,” Threlkeld explains. His operation, which is spread across three counties– Monroe, Shelby, and Macon– is facing D2 moderate drought and abnormally dry conditions.

Recent precipitation has bought two-thirds of Threlkeld’s crops some time. More rain is in the forecast, and Threlkeld says, “we’re praying to God that we get some.”

Photo credit: U.S. Drought Monitor

Compared to last week, the drought monitor map shows that nearly 40% of the state’s acres are now drought-free versus just over 15% last week. Abnormally dry conditions have dropped from 48% to 28% over the past week. D1 moderate drought conditions, though, have increased from nearly 17% of the state to just over 20% of the state. When it comes to D2 severe drought conditions, Missouri is also seeing some relief, with a reduction from over 17% to just over 11%. There has also been some slight improvement for those experiencing D3 extreme drought conditions from just over 2% to less than a percent. There are no acres dealing with D4 exceptional drought conditions. 

Despite the challenges Threlkeld is facing with the start of the 2023 growing season, he remains optimistic about the future of the operation he’s been on since 1991. “I’m always excited to plant a crop and watch it grow and see how it turns out,” Threlkeld says. 

Iowa

In Iowa, some farmers are finding themselves in a situation where they’ll have to replant their crops after excessive levels of precipitation have impacted their operations. Mark Storr, a senior tech service representative for BASF, says for those farmers that got inundated with the rains, some crops might start to rot and decay. As a result, Storr says those farmers will be, “basically starting over from scratch.”

While the increase in rainfall can cause diseases, the increased precipitation has helped Iowa eliminate the remaining traces of D4 exceptional drought conditions that were impacting a quarter percent of the state’s acres last week, according to the latest drought monitor map. Just over half a percent of the state is now experiencing D3 extreme drought conditions and just under 2% is in a D2 severe drought. Just over 23% of Iowa is facing a D1 moderate drought, with just over 28% of the state in abnormally dry conditions. Drought free acres now span over 45% of the state.

Photo credit: U.S. Drought Monitor

Despite those concerns, Storr says that, because things are transitioning into an El Niño, “it’s eased some of our problems.” An El Niño year also favors average yields, Storr mentions. “It sounds like it’s going to be a more typical year,” Storr says, sharing that the weather pattern is expected to bring closer-to-average rainfall.

USDA’s Crop Progress report for Iowa shows that soil moisture conditions are mostly adequate for the 2023 growing season. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 7% surplus, 76% adequate, 14% short, and just 3% very short. Similarly, subsoil moisture supplies rated 3% surplus, 68% adequate, 23% short and only 6% very short.

“Given the potential for wild weather,” Storr says, “we may see an earlier fungicide application.” In a preventative strategy, Storr suggests farmers use BASF’s Veltyma fungicide and Headline AMP fungicide for their corn, and Priaxor fungicide and Revytek fungicide for their soybeans.

To learn more about the fungicides that BASF offers, visit http://agriculture.basf.us/.

Source: agriculture.com