2022 Growing Season Shortages and High Prices [Listen]

Pioneer Agronomists Ashley Storby and Jay Zielske were on AM Minnesota to talk about planning for the 2022 growing season with shortages, high prices & new diseases. It sure sounds like the 2022 growing season will be filled with challenges not to mention the "usual curve balls" caused by the weather! Fertilizer prices have seen dramatic increases from last year. On the positive side and sounds like supplies will be okay, if you can afford it?

Another positive, Jay mentioned that for what ever reason urea, is much cheaper than anhydrous ammonia for this spring. Going to urea could save you $40 or $50 an acre! I have used urea many times in the spring, just make sure you work it in with a field cultivator 4 to 5 inches deep. That protects you from losing some nitrogen if it does not rain. If you have high soil tests you can cut back on broadcast rates too.

Ashley also talked about a new disease in Minnesota, black tar spot. We have not seen big yield losses here, but in other states there have been big yield hits. Black tar spot is a fungus that survives in the soil waiting for the proper weather conditions to infect corn plants. Ashley covers the Albert Lea area to Red wing. She said if you looked hard enough she could find black tar spot in every field!

That was surprising and a little scary. Being it is a fungus the fungicides on the market should control it but it might take two applications. Click on the link and listen to Jay and Ashley on KDHL's AM Minnesota Program!