Jeremy Olson

0-3' moisture levels across the corn belt... Along with historical 3' moisture levels. We have a lot to be thankful for here in NE IA and specifically the Hwy 20 & Hwy 3 corridor. Cool temps and sunshine during grain fill is ideal... Getting that today!

To all those who made the ultimate sacrifice.. We thank you, we honor you.. We remember you... Greater Love has no one than this…. That someone lay down their life for their friends….. John 15:13 From all of us at Pioneer... God Bless

Why do early planted soybeans tend to yield more & flower before the summer solstice?? This was a hot question yesterday for some reason... probably due to growers looking at the forecast & thinking they may not get any planting done until late April or early May. Simple answer: The sooner they start flowering, the longer they are in the reproductive stage. Chart below shows April 15th planted soybeans spend 52 days in reproduction vs 37 days for May 11th plant date. A plant can only make so much yield per day. The more days it is in reproductive stages, the more yield potential it can create. A few reasons: 1) Indeterminant soybeans are actually long night plants which require a certain night length to trigger reproduction. 2) Modern genetics in the same "maturity" group tend to flower "sooner" than varieties of the past. 3) Soybeans will start reproduction at certain physiological stages, I see typically V3-V4. 4) Warm weather accelerating growth stages also leads to early flowering. Planting delays doesn't mean we can't have strong soybean yields, it just means there is less room for other stresses during the growing season to achieve high yields. Check out this link from WI. ipcm.wisc.edu/blog/2018/06/t…

Planning On Farm Trials for 2026? With todays technology, on farm trials have never been easier. With so many adjustments from the cab, prescriptions and as applied data mapping... it often can take only mere minutes to do replicated agronomic trials on your own farm. Seeding rates, nitrogen, fungicide, general nutrition are great trials to run to hone in on maximum ROI of your inputs. Overlaying yield maps and software technology allows for side by side treatment analysis. Many have scales on grain carts for weighing comparisons, which is the most accurate and recommended when trying to find small responses. Takes only a few minutes most time to complete the weigh checks. Below is an example of a fungicide RX.. while it doesn't need to be this elaborate.... it's a great example of technology allowing an agronomic trial that didn't take any "in field down time".

Soil pH is THE MOST IMPORTANT column on your soil test report. Soil pH determines nutrient availability and strongly influences soil biology/health. If soil pH is not correct a large % of fertility in the soil or applied will not be available. If soil pH is below 6.3 you need to address it!!! Then use the Buffer pH column to determine application rates. I have looked at thousands of acres of soil tests this fall that have soil pH levels in the 5's..... Get these acres treated this fall or next spring before the 2026 crop. Contact your local Pioneer Sales Representative and review your soil test results!!!

2025 IA Soybean PKP Plot Yield x Plant Date Early planting once again had significant yield advantages. While the advantage was not as strong as 2024, even 2-3 more bushels for no additional input costs adds $20-$30 to the bottom line. 2025 did present challenges on early planted soybeans and some replant.... one management practice that has shown high % chance of yield improvement is planting soybeans as soon as soils are fit once the crop insurance date hits. Thanks to Jeff LaFrenz, Pioneer Field Agronomist in SE IA for the data crunching! Visit with your local Pioneer Sales Representative on your local trends!!