So even though we are already settled on the inside, there is still some finishing construction being done around, inside and out. On Tuesday, the letters were added to the outside so that there is no doubt who occupies the place.
And here is the logo and letters outside the IQ Hub. It's description is: "Home to History, Innovation and Exploration." It won't open until next spring, but having a motto already is a big step. Forward that is.
In fact, when we drove by this field of milo, I exclaimed how good it looked from afar as we drove towards it. Even before I knew it had been fertilized with Liquid. This full season milo had Liquid fertilizer band applied in 0x0 placement. That means it was in a surface band directly over the seed behind the closing wheels of the planter. This is getting to be a common application method there. It is simple and does not require more expensive 2x2 coulters. It does require rain to move the fertilizer in, but if it doesn't rain, well there won't be much of a crop anyway. The fertilizer used here was 12 gal/A of 28-0-0-5/eNhance + 2.75 gal/A Pro-Germinator + 1 qt/A Micro 500. With the good moisture, this relatively low rate of fertilizer is going beyond expectations. And there were no deficiency symptoms of any kind.
Here is a field of double-crop milo, that is, milo planted after wheat harvest. It too was looking really good thanks to rain and Liquid fertilizer.
There is also some cotton grown in this area, and it too was looking very good. Cotton received 10 gal/A of High NRG-N + 2 gal/A of Pro-Germinator + 1 qt/A of Micro 500, also in 0x0 placement. Cotton used to be grown around here many years ago, then went on vacation until around 7 or so years ago. But this year is the best cotton I have seen.
I'll bet most people won't know what this crop is. I didn't, but I do like the result at harvest. This is a field of sesame. It is a tough crop to grow in dry conditions, but it will do well this year. Parker says that it is also tough because there aren't many weed control options for it. I would imagine all chemical companies would spend the necessary millions to get products labeled for sesame because it tastes so good. We wanted to go through the gate to get a closer look, but couldn't remember the magic password to get in. It's "Open....something." That is some more Liquid-fed milo in the background.
Here is another nice field of milo. Look at all of the big heads going to a good yield. I'm sure this field will mature.
Some fields of milo were being ravished by grasshoppers. There was damage on the leaves and heads too. It will be a spray job for Parker. You usually don't have to spray the whole field though as they move into the outsides of a field and munch away, and don't move all the way over it. At least they are considerate that way.
Here is another nice looking field of cotton courtesy of Liquid fertilizer.
Next we went over to Hinton to see our replicated research plots on cotton and milo by a contract researcher there. We have a number of treatments evaluating placement (0x1 and 2x2), effect of Sure-K, foliars and nitrogens (High NRG-N, UAN/eNhance and a new experimental N). Below is a plot of cotton that had a 0x0 application of High NRG-N + Pro-Germinator + Micro 500. Looks good.
Here is the same treatment but with the addition of 2 gal/A of AccesS. It looks like the plants may be bigger.
And here is a standard application of higher rates of 28% UAN and 10-34-0. It looks good too, but did have higher rates applied. Of course the true test will be at harvest. Last year we did plots here and saw no yield benefit from any fertilizer treatment due to extreme drought. In fact I showed pictures in the blog last year of the cotton flowers aborted and laying on the ground. But shouldn't have that this year. I say with fingers crossed.
We also have plots in milo there. They are looking good as well.
On the way back to McLoud where Jake lives, which is 30 or so miles east of OKC, we drove past evidence of the bad tornados that hit the area last May. You can see the tarped roofs on the houses in the background. Jake said that he and his brother helped neighbors haul away mountains of trash that was formerly houses and other out buildings. On the West side of OKC near El Reno, there was still lots of trash out in fields from the killer tornados that came a couple of weeks after the ones on the East side of the city. Terrible to see and remember.
Well that was a nice visit to see such good looking crops in an area that is usually praying for rain about this time. In fact, they haven't exceeded 100 degrees yet. Next week I will be attending our Corporate Growth Conference in Kansas City. So hopefully there is something to say about that.
