Agronomy Update – 05/22/2019
This spring has been a challenge on the farm. For the week ending May 19, the USDA estimates that only 24% of corn has been planted in Illinois and 9% of soybeans. The 2014-2018 averages are 89% and 51%, respectively. Clearly, planting progress in Illinois is...
Illinois Dicamba Training
In 2018, pesticide applicators who wish to use one of the dicamba formulations approved for use with Xtend soybeans – i.e. XtendiMax, Engenia, and FeXapan – must be trained on the proper use of these products (more information). To ensure that...
Melton Farm’s Test Plot Results for 2017
We harvested the plot on our farm last Saturday, September 30, 2017. The plot was planted on May 6, 2017. It had twenty-one hybrids: fourteen Channel hybrids, 4 Pioneer hybrids, and 3 Beck’s hybrids. We planted the plot under irrigation at a population of...
Agronomy Update: Gray Leaf Spot
We are starting to see some gray leaf spot lesions. The lesions have appeared in a wide variety of hybrids and locations across our growing area. Many growers that we work with have already sprayed fungicide, but if you have not, it is time to consider...
Agronomy Update: Japanese Beetle Pressure
Japanese beetle pressure has increased significantly over the last week. We have observed at least some beetle pressure in every field of soybeans we have scouted. Over the next 1-2 weeks, we expect Japanese beetle populations to continue to increase. In...
Job Opening: Assistant Sales Representative
We are currently looking for another Assistant Sales Representative. You can view the job description by clicking on the link below. Interested parties should send a cover letter and resume to james.melton@channelseedsman.com. Job Description
Chilling Injury Alert
A cold front is expected to move through Northern Illinois on Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning. Temperatures are expected to drop significantly between Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday evening. As a result, the conditions are right for chilling injury to occur in...
Free Farm Benchmarking Tool
It is more important than ever to understand how the performance of your farm compares to the performance of your neighbors' farms. The benchmarking tool that we developed allows farmers to do just that. Farmers cannot control the weather or the price of grain, but...
Visualize the Progress of Spring
The USA National Phrenology Network (USANPN) has created a visualization tool to illustrate the spread of "spring" throughout the United States (above). The tool illustrates two indices thought to indicate the beginning of spring. The first is the "first leaf" index,...
2016 Bean Plot Results Are In!
We compiled data on over 200 hybrids from 42 plots in Illinois, mostly Northern Illinois. The plots were from a wide range of sources. Roughly half were Channel plots, which contain several Channel hybrids and a handful of competitors. About one-quarter were plots...