For the southern Corn Belt, harvest season is underway and yield results are coming in. As we move farther north, growers are close and ready for a successful season. It can be an exciting time of year to get started and see how well our products have performed.

Before we get ready to go to the field, it is a good practice to do some pre-harvest scouting to help give us an idea of what we are seeing in the field and help us prioritize fields for harvest. Planting date and maturity are a good starting point, but also paying attention to disease pressure, stalk rots, weeds, drainage, and other factors can help guide us to a successful harvest season. Utilizing the scouting app through Advantage Acre^® we can accurately take notes on what we are seeing in the field to make sound decisions. You can download the app from the iTunes or Android store.

As we utilize the app, we can walk through the fields we created in Advantage Acre^® and take notes on what we are seeing. We can make a yield estimate, document a problem, or take a general note. Once you do this it will drop a pin on the location, so you know where each problem was identified.

As you can see in the picture below, a picture was taken in the field and notes were captured to describe what was seen. This makes it nice to let others involved in the farming operation know what is going on and gives us a recorded visual. We checked stalk strength by pushing the plants over 30⁰ and making sure they came back upright. We also pinched the base between the 2^nd and 3^rd node to see if stalk rots were present. Roots were also observed to see if there was any lodging or root rots present in the field.  In this field, it was noted that stalk strength was good and there were not any stalk rots present. With this being the case, there is no need to be aggressive and expedite harvesting this field, so we can be on our normal harvesting schedule.

The scouting app also saves and documents each trip in Advantage Acre^® to review later. This becomes important when comparing with yield data, Functional Soil Maps, or other information to help with product selection and placement for next year. When finished, you can email your reports to others on the farm to share your scouting trips.

Harvest is an exciting time of year and we all get eager to get to the field. Taking the time to effectively scout each of our fields and do some pre-harvest checks is a great way to ensure a successful harvest this fall. If you have any questions regarding stalk and root rots in corn, or the Advantage Acre^® Scouting App, contact your local LG Seeds Technical Team Agronomist for help.

Thanks again for choosing LG Seeds. Have a safe and successful harvest

Note: The information in this issue is based upon field observations and third-party information. Since variations in local conditions may affect the information and suggestions contained in this issue, LG Seeds disclaims legal responsibility therefore. Always read and follow label instructions. Advantage Acre^®, LG Seeds and design are trademarks of AgReliant Genetics, LLC.

Download a cop of this Technical Bulletin: Tech_399 - Pre-Harvest Scouting with Advantage Acre