Plant Counts Can Prove To Be An Important Crop Management Tool

Farmers are busy checking fields and monitoring crop emergence.

Crops Extension Specialist Sherri Roberts says producers should be doing plant counts before the crop gets too thick and its hard to count the individual plants.

"By doing those plant counts, you see where there's gaps in the field. Geez, do I have a disease or maybe some cutworms. You start digging around and looking, and you find those little buggers or maybe the wireworms are doing it."

She notes if farmers use a seed treatment doing plant counts can also help determine just how effective that seed treatment was, or if there's an underlying disease issue where you should send plants away for further testing.

Roberts also suggests producers count forages on pastures because that forage is putting the dollars on those beef cows, you need to know how productive that pasture is going to be and plant counts can help you do that.