5 Essentials to Help Improve Your Operation in 2020
As the 2020 growing season approaches, you’re no doubt looking for ways to achieve early, uniform plant emergence and maintain outstanding plant health throughout the season so you can turn a profit at harvest.
That’s why we’ve assembled a collection of five key agronomic fundamentals to support season-long crop management and help you achieve optimal return on investment (ROI) and yield potential. WinField United’s industry-leading data set and straightforward approach enable us to present these five points, all backed by research and supported by our product portfolio.
We recognize that many of you are already realizing the importance of these decisions. However, it’s the magnitude of the yield and profit potential left on the table annually that leads us to strongly urge you to consult with your local trusted advisor and lean into the data we generate.
1. Start with the best local agronomic seed and trait placement.
Through the WinField® United Answer Plot® program and R7® technology solutions like the CHT Tool, response-to scores and Top 10 feature, your trusted advisor can guide you to select the right seed for your acres based on your management style or select the seed that will benefit most from your chosen management practice using genetic diversity, data and insights. He or she can access both WinField United’s highly localized data and outcomes from any field trials your local cooperative has performed to provide an especially rich data set. Even if you’ve already purchased your seed, you can still plan your season accordingly by leveraging our quality data as it relates to your crop management specifications.
2. Achieve early and strong stand establishment.
Pairing a plant growth regulator such as Ascend® Pro and a seed treatment like Warden® CX can help protect against early-season environmental and pest challenges to promote more vigorous, even emergence. That strong start can translate to season-long crop health benefits, with Answer Plot data showing as much as 80% of yield is determined by effective stand establishment.
3. Target spray applications and start with clean fields.
To deliver reliable weed control, we recommend using a multiple-mode-of-action preemergence herbicide followed by a multiple-mode-of-action postemergence program. You can also optimize product efficacy by using an adjuvant that’s backed by data and proven to perform. Data supports the value of including a quality product like InterLock® adjuvant in the tank to keep more spray on target. Ask your trusted advisor how adjuvants can be essential components of your weed-control strategy.
4. Optimize in-season plant nutrition.
Your WinField United retailer can access quality response-to-nitrogen data and leverage the R7 Field Forecasting Tool for field-by-field nutrient modeling with tissue sample validation. WinField United has invested in the soil sampling expertise and tissue testing analysis provided by SureTech® Laboratories. SureTech is plugged into our extensive plant nutrition database, giving your advisor the details needed to make the right recommendations about the timing of your crop nutrient applications all season.
5. Boost plant health with ROI in mind.
The right fungicide can help you both manage disease and obtain plant health benefits. WinField United’s response-to-fungicide data has identified specific seed genetics that are highly responsive to fungicide applications regardless of visible disease presence. There are new high-performing fungicides that provide flexibility in application timing to fit diverse late-season plant health strategies. Insights from our trials show that including MasterLock® adjuvant with a fungicide application can help increase yield and ROI.
WinField United data shows that every season, farmers may be leaving hundreds of dollars per acre in the field by not leveraging our quality data to support their decision-making. Your trusted advisor can provide recommendations to help you retrieve these dollars, often without spending more. Talk with him or her today about ways to achieve a strong start, and a strong finish, to the season.