So last week I went on a Fertilizer Mission to see some of our contract research plots in Nebraska. These were out in the central part of the state. It was a nice week. Here we see researcher Josh with SAM Brad looking at the soybean plots. Among other things, we are testing in-furrow fertilizer rates and treatments on 30" row soybeans. Always a crowd pleaser.
We also have a couple of corn tests: one with nitrogen and one with planter fertilizers. We had very good results with the nitrogen test last year. It's in the Research Report. As you can see, this corn is furrow irrigated and should produce high yields. You may be able to tell that this corn had been hailed on recently. That is a common occurrence out here. But it did not do any damage.
The next day we met up with Area Manager Randy Timms near Adams. Here he is showing me some of his soybeans that received an application of ferti-Rain this summer. Look at the cluster of pods at the top of the plant. That's what we like to see, and ferti-Rain makes sure it has the nutrition it needs to do this.
Here was another field that got ferti-Rain earlier in the season. There was frost recently and many fields had crispy upper leaves. But it did not go down any lower to hurt the plant. The beans in the developing pods are still greenish yellow. So hold off with anymore frost, OK?
Here is some of Randy's dryland corn. They only plant around 20,000 seeds per acre for dryland here. Because it can really be dry in most years. But this year there was decent rain as can be seen by these full ears. Certainly helped by Pro-Germinator + Sure-K + Micro 500.
Later that day we drove over to Deschler. This is where Brad lives, and is also the home of Reinke Irrigation . Here is a sign for what is the first irrigation system that they built back in 1968. Center Pivot #1 and Still Going Strong!
This must be their show room.
And the reason I was interested in this is because we run two Reinke systems at the NCRS. They have been Going Strong for us for over 14 years. Like here on Farm 5.
And on Farm 3. Very reliable for us.
Later that day we went to Rustin for a customer appreciation dinner put on by C and M Supply. They are also Area Managers for AgroLiquid. This is one of my favorite work functions, as there was steak, shrimp, potatoes and lots of other fixings. So I appreciated their customer appreciation. This is the town that Brad grew up in. Unfortunately, the school has closed and the kids are now bused to nearby Deshler. But I asked Brad if he played basketball in this gym and he said that he did. Which kind of started a chain reaction of the people around recalling their playing days in this old gym. One woman remembered playing volleyball there back in the '50's. She wins. But that's a cool thing about rural America.
Hope I can make back next year.
