From One Ag Leader to Another: Application Season

It’s that time of year. Sprayers are getting tuned up and ready to head out to the fields (if they aren’t already). The time, equipment, seed and soil preparation work invested earlier this spring is now beginning to pay off with a (hopefully) healthy crop at its most critical growth stage. It’s amazing how much of your crop’s yield potential is tied up into this very short time period when so many factors – weather, insects and weeds – can have such a big impact on your yield and profitability in the fall.

Even more amazing is how much more complex this stage has become over just the past few years. For example, think back not that long ago – talk about weeds with glyphosate resistance was just a rumble in a few pockets of the country. Today, it’s a reality in most of the high-production corn and soybean regions. That means we’ve all had to re-educate ourselves on herbicides and tank mix formulations that have seemed old-school.

 
It also means technology plays a more important role in helping you monitor the health of your growing crops and deciding where and how much to apply. For example, crop scouting will require better accuracy in the field with the ability to note specific weed issues in certain areas of the field without damaging crops by over or under applying inputs. Accurate record keeping becomes more important for both reporting and analysis.
 

Ag Leader has always been about developing technologies to help farmers maximize the return on their investment – not just your investment in our products, but also your investment in equipment, inputs and time. My challenge to you is, while you’re in your fields this summer, ask yourself: do you have the tools to help you determine what your crops need and apply precisely where it’s needed to get the most out of your fields?

If the answer is no or you are unsure, we’d like the chance to help you. More than likely, spending just a little time visiting our website or talking to an Ag Leader dealer will be an investment well worth your time.