Out East

So with travelling and parades, I am woefully behind in blog updates.  Like last week I went down to Virginia to see the corn fertilizer plots we have with Virginia Tech University.  (This is the second year for this.  See the 2013 results in the Research Report on the agroliquid website.)  I was picked up by SAM Ashley and we drove over to Blacksburg and met with Dr. Wade Thomason at the plots. Sadly there was tremendous deer damage on the corn there, so I am not so optimistic about results.  But he thinks they may get some information.  Deer feeding on crops is almost a nationwide problem.  It certainly is at the NCRS, but we have ways that they don't. 

 The next day we met with Britt Boyd of Dark Water Enterprises in Pantego, NC who is an Area Manager for AgroLiquid.  I reported on my meeting and visit there in the blog on March 9.  Britt is always optimistic and a leader.  Here we are with Britt, Ashley and Dark Water agronomist Kyle in a field of soybeans near their office.  Britt has an interesting rotation in place here:  pine trees followed by soybeans.  Actually this piece of ground was recently cleared of pine trees for the wood and this is the first crop planted.  The beans look very good, having received AgroLiquid with the planter and sprayer.  

Here is the other rotation in the field:  pine trees followed by corn.  Actually we have some replicated corn fertilizer research plots here.  It was very wet from recent and frequent rains, so we slogged through for a look.  Here is a look down the alley between replications.  It is actually being conducted by nearby Impact Agronomy.

Kyle then gave us a ride out into the country for a field tour.  I reported last time how the farmland in this area was part of the First Colony farm that was cleared and turned into farmland.  It also caused a millionaire to go broke doing it.  But why dwell on the past? This area of the state is referred to as the Blacklands.  The soil is black from the tree history I guess. But I have never been in an area that was row crops for as far as you could see.  No towns, buildings or structures.  Like this cotton field.  Now it has had foliar applications of Sure-K, Manganese and Boron with the Pix (growth regulator) applications.  It looks great.

 This is wet ground and is set up with drainage canals every few hundred meters or so.  Then there is drainage tile pipe underneath that can be used for drainage or irrigation when necessary by pumping the water back into the ditches.  It did not need irrigation now as it was very wet from all of the recent rain.  In fact we had to turn around a time or two to keep from getting stuck.

 All of this water is managed by control gates like here.  I don't know where it all finally goes.  But it's all pretty impressive.

Here is a field of AgroLiquid soybeans that is part of the Boyd farm. Pro-Germinator + Sure-K + micros at planting and folar.

 This was the windshield view from time to time.  No drought here.

We stayed the night in Washington, NC which is on the Pamlico River that runs into the ocean not far away.  This statue put me in the mood for seafood.  Well actually I already was, but this was still nice.

It's a pretty town with a nice riverfront area.  Goodnight sun.

But the next day would come early with more Carolina crop fun to be had.