So I apologize for the time between blog posts. I have been on a fertilizer mission this week out to Virginia and the Delmarva Peninsula. I have talked about it before, but to refresh, the Delmarva is that strip of land East of the Chesapeake Bay and West of the Atlantic Ocean that actually is part of three states: Delaware-Maryland-Virginia. (Get it? Del-Mar-Va for the 3 states? Rolls off your tongue better than Virgmardel.) It is actually a very productive region crops-wise. This blog is about the DEL-MAR part of the mission. On Tuesday SAM Benjy and I crossed the Chesapeake Bay Bridge into the Delmarva. I have been over it many times and it is always an impressive structure to see. It was built in two stages. The East-bound section that we are on was built in 1952 and the West-bound section in 1973. It is 4.3 miles long.
Yesterday morning, which was Wednesday, Benjy and I had breakfast with and visited some of the folks at Aurora Agronomy in Seaford, Delaware. As you can see by the impressive sign next to Benjy, they are AgroLiquid dealers. They report that like a lot of the region, the spring was very wet and planting was delayed. But things are coming along now and the Liquid fertilizer is performing very well. From wheat topdress to corn and soybean plantertime, the crops we saw with AgroLiquid are looking great. So call Aurora Agronomy for great fertilizer and service. After that we went over to the Maryland Poplar Hill Research Facility to view plots. But more on that later.
On Tuesday we were in the Southern part of Maryland on the Delmarva looking at some grower fields with AgroLiquid. Here is an impressive looking field of corn that had been planted a month before. They applied 37 gal/A of a weed and feed blend of 30% UAN/eNhance and High NRG-N preplant incorporated, and 6 gal/A of Pro-Germinator + 4 gal/A Sure-K + 2 qt/A Micro 500 through the planter (in-furrow with Rebounders). They plan to come back and sidedress on another 14 gallons of the N blend. Isn't it pretty?
We wanted to get a look at the roots, so Benjy dug up a couple plants while I stood nearby and took pictures.
This is good growth for 30 day old corn, above and below ground.
There was some smaller corn nearby. Due to the wet spring, not all of the corn was able to be planted early as desired. So this corn had only been in the ground a couple weeks. Since it was late and they didn't want sidedress to run into other operations like barley harvest, which is getting started and wheat harvest that is coming up soon, they opted to apply all of the nitrogen preplant and not have to sidedress. This is a new option as the ground is kind of sandy and they like to split apply. But like most of farming, expect the unexpected. But I feel that the eNhance and the High NRG-N will extend the nitrogen usability and they will be fine. Here is a similar shot of the late corn, again with impressive roots from the in-furrow application. Put it where it does the most good. The fertilizer, that is.
Here is a shot of their good looking winter wheat topdressed with nitrogen including eNhance and High NRG-N.
All of this is near a town called Pocomoke, MD. It's a nice town, made even nicer by yet another Aurora Agronomy location that provides growers with Agro-Culture Liquid Fertilizers. They have moved a lot of AgroLiquid in just a few short years and the growers are liking the results. This has been a traditionally dry fertilizer area for many years, and liquid fertilizer in general is new. But there are large growers who want to manage their time and fertility better, and are purchasing liquid planters now. And the numbers of growers using AgroLiquid continues to grow thanks to Aurora Agronomy. Smart operations here in the Delmarva, and elsewhere.
We were already pretty close to the Atlantic Ocean, so on Tuesday evening after looking at corn, Benjy and I went over to Ocean City, Maryland for dinner. Benjy made me stand there long enough for a wave to come in and soak me up to the ankles. He was a little slow on the camera to record it though. But a good seafood buffet made me forget my wet feet.
So this was a picture I took in March of the Pacific Ocean while out on vacation visiting our daughter in San Diego. This is sunset in Carlsabad, CA. Both oceans are equally wet.
So from coast to coast, find out what happens next right here next time on: Live From the NCRS!
