Planting Date Survey Seeking Your Help
University of Minnesota Extension Crops Educator Liz Stahl was one of the presenters at the Annual Rice and Steele County Crops Day. Liz's topic was Hot Topics in Weed Management Putting the pieces Together. While that was a very timely topic Liz also asked farmers to help with a Planting Date Survey. Remember, last spring was very wet. Many farmers were forced to plant corn much later than normal or even take the Prevented Plant option with their crop insurance.
I remember last spring Tom Hoverstad at the Southern Research and Outreach Center at Waseca said he was getting a lot of calls from farmers about the results of their planting date research. The last planting date research trials were done back in the 1970's. That information would be helpful but with today's corn hybrid genetics would the late planting yield drop be the same? So, I was not surprised when Liz told me about the Planting Date Survey!
Liz said they are asking farmers to do the online survey at: z.umn.edu/plantingdatesurvry. You will be asked about planting date, planting conditions, corn hybrid, harvest date along with the yield, test weight and moisture. In the survey they are also the same questions about your soybean fields. The information gathered about an individual farm will not be shared with the USDA, RMA or anyone else.
The information on your farm will not be used separately. It is every ones compiled together that will be used to fill in the knowledge gaps in the decision making process if or when we are faced with another late planting season.