Grain lab joins the combine

Feb 28, 2023

In response, commodity buyers and food processors often offer price premiums for specified characteristics.

To make the most of those price premiums, producers need to measure and document the characteristics of grain going through their combines. Price premiums might be offered for factors such as oil content, protein, starch, falling numbers and seed size.

Differentiation and identity preservation (IP) become critical factors at harvest. Noticing and segregating higher value crop as it runs through the combine allows the producer to bin it separately.

For example, if there’s a price premium on high protein grain, a grower might decide to harvest the knolls first and haul that grain to designated bins. Knowing the protein of grain going through the combine allows him to combine the tops of the knoll and down the slope until protein begins to drop off.

Click here to see more...

Video: Winter Canola Trial in Mississippi | Can It Work for Double Cropping? | Pioneer Agronomy

Can winter canola open new opportunities for growers in the Mid-South? In this agronomy update from Noxubee County, Mississippi, Pioneer agronomist Gus Eifling shares an early look at a first-year winter canola trial and what farmers are learning from the field.

Planted in late October on 30-inch rows, the crop is now entering the bloom stage and progressing quickly. In this video, we walk through current field conditions, fertility management, and how timing could make this crop a valuable option for double-cropping soybeans or cotton.

If harvest timing lines up with early May, growers may be able to transition directly into another crop during ideal planting windows. Ongoing field trials will help determine whether canola could become a viable rotational option for the region.

Watch for:

How winter canola is performing in its first season in this Mississippi field

Why growers chose 30-inch rows for this trial

What the crop looks like as it moves from bolting into bloom

Fertility strategy, including nitrogen and sulfur applications

How canola harvest timing could enable double-cropping with soybeans or cotton

Upcoming trials comparing soybeans after canola vs. traditional planting

As more growers look for ways to maximize acres and diversify rotations, experiments like this help determine what new crops might fit into existing systems.