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Proper Seed Selection Improves Your Profitability

If the latest genetic enhancements and superior profitability are what you want— then what you need is FS Seed Corn and FS HiSOY® brand soybeans. Recent independent field trials have shown once again no other leading brand outperforms our FS Seed Corn and FS HiSOY hybrids.

Even better, when you choose FS Seed you also get the added expertise of your local FS Crop Specialist. He can help you select the hybrid traits that will help you get the most out of every acre. So if you want better performance and better profitability, make the smart choice with FS Seed. Now that’s farming smart.

Proven in test after test across the country, WL varieties are delivering more pounds of milk and beef per acre — as well as more tons of hay. To build on the quality and performance in our WL Alfalfa varieties, we have re-launched Roundup Ready® Alfalfa.

Key advantages of WL Alfalfa:

• Impressive re-growth
• Outstanding winter hardiness
• HQ Varieties - High Relative Feed Values
• Roundup Ready Technology
• Hopper Shield – 7th generation potato leaf hopper resistance that provides no-spray protection

Talk to your Local FS Crop Specialist to get the right winning WL Alfalfa variety for your farm.

Pursuit of Maximum Yield

Pursuit of Maximum Yield is an on farm trial that is designed to remove yield limiting factors and to see how high we can take yields with intensive management. Typically this is done on a limited basis where we split a field and compare normal practices to Pursuit of Maximum Yield practices to limit your exposure to additional inputs and new practices. This concept is not about a specific product or a rigid set of guidelines to achieve higher yields. Every farming operation is unique and our goal is to work with you to build an individual plan that has the potential to take yields to the next level. The ultimate test for Pursuit of Maximum Yield is measuring yield and determining the net profitability of the intensive management compared with your normal practices. With the technology available to us such as yield monitors with mapping and planter monitors that collect path data, on farm trials are easier to set up and execute than ever before.

Nitrogen Management

Managing Nitrogen as a System instead of an Application

The ideal timing of a single application of nitrogen is largely a function of the environmental factors for that particular year. For any single application of nitrogen you can construct a weather scenario to make it look good or bad. For instance, the worst scenario for fall anhydrous is a warm wet spring and the best scenario would be a dry spring. With the wet spring this year, there are a lot more growers contemplating a side dress application in favor of fall or preplant. Sidedress applications worked extremely well this year but if we have a year that is dry during and after sidedress application timing, a fall or preplant timing has a distinct advantage. The most effective way to reduce your risk to the environmental influences on nitrogen uptake is to split nitrogen applications. There are a number of ways this can be accomplished so if you have questions talk to your Crop Specialist. There is a common misconception that there is a risk of losing nitrogen from fall anhydrous ammonia if it turns off wet for an extended period of time after application. There is virtually no risk of losing nitrogen from fall anhydrous in the fall or winter as long as the ammonia is applied correctly, meaning it is applied at a 50 degree soil temperature and it is sealing properly. The risk of losing fall applied ammonia is in the spring when we have warm, saturated soils. N-Serve is a nitrification inhibitor that stabilizes nitrogen and significantly reduces the risk of early spring nitrogen loss. Below is the process of nitrification:

1) NH3 2) NH4+ + nitrosomonas 3) NO2- + nitrobacter 4) NO3-

In step 1, NH3 (anhydrous ammonia) immediately picks up a hydrogen when it comes in contact with the soil and converts to NH4 (ammonium). Ammonium is stable in the soil and is not subject to nitrogen loss from leaching or denitrification. N-Serve intervenes in between steps two and three by controlling the bacteria that convert NH4 (ammonium) to N03 (nitrate). Nitrate is the form of nitrogen that is subject to loss through denitrification and leaching. Corn can uptake ammonium but the overwhelming majority of nitrogen is used in the form of nitrate. Delaying the conversion process with N-Serve has shown to supply more nitrogen in late corn growth stages contributing to additional grain fill and yield.

Nitrogen Rates - The best resource for applications rates are found on the web by using the Midwest Nitrogen Rate Calculator at the following address:
http://extension.agron.iastate.edu/soilfertility/nrate.aspx

Plant Health Fungicide Applications

We have learned a lot about fungicide application in recent years. The first year that fungicide applications occurred on a large scale, there were horror stories from Northern Illinois about ear development issues and barren fields. The root of the problem was the adjuvant in pre-tassel applications. We recommend waiting for the entire field to tassel before spraying. Fungicides can be applied pre-tassel but the adjuvant has to be omitted. In most cases we are better off waiting for tassel emergence even if the corn is uneven. Applications can be delayed until brown silk if disease has not migrated above the ear. Common rust and grey leafspot are the two main diseases that are showing up in fields locally.

Grey Leafspot

Common Rust

The main goal of a fungicide application is to preserve leaf area above the ear to maximize grain fill. Other benefits include improved standability and harvest efficiency.

Weed Resistance and Weed Management

Weed management continues to change over time. One of the most recent of these changes in our area is the shift from conventional to Roundup Ready corn and its growth is due to many of the same reasons that growers moved to Roundup Ready soybeans in the late 1990’s: managing difficult to control weed species, crop safety, and economics. The main concern that farmers with Roundup Ready corn is the fear of weed resistance to Roundup since they are relying heavily on Roundup to control weeds in soybeans in that field the previous year. To get a handle on this issue you really need to have an understanding of how weeds become resistant and what we have learned about resistant weeds from past experience.

A common misconception about weed resistance is that weeds become resistant because of reduced herbicide rates and making applications to weeds that are too tall. These are poor management techniques that result in ugly fields, reduced yields, and unhappy farmers but they do not create resistance to a particular herbicide. Weed resistance is due to selection pressure. High selection pressure is the repeated use of one herbicide without breaking its use with other modes of action or management techniques like cultivation. Within any given species of weeds there is diverse population of genetics. All of the velvetleaf in a field may look very similar but from a genetic standpoint they are like people, every plant is slightly different. Weed resistance comes about from a herbicide sorting though billions of weeds and finding the one out of 10 billion that has a slightly different genetic makeup that prevents the herbicide from binding properly or is able to metabolize the herbicide. This single weed survives, goes to seed, and the resistant population grows if the same herbicide is used for primary control.

Missouri has three weed species that are resistant to glyphosate (active ingredient in Roundup): common ragweed, tall waterhemp, and horseweed (aka marestail). The resistant tall waterhemp and horseweed were different fields and not surprisingly the field history was very similar; continuous Roundup Ready soybeans since 1996 and uninterrupted use of Roundup for weed control (one or more times per year). This is very similar to triazine resistance (Atrazine, Princep) that occurred in the 1970’s – continuous corn and reliance on atrazine as the base program for weed control. We still have triazine resistant weeds in our area, the main one being tall waterhemp, but it is not a major problem because it is getting controlled other herbicides.

Your entire farm is Roundup corn and Roundup soybeans, what should your weed control program look like? It needs to start with residual herbicides applied preplant or preemergence and use Roundup for the post cleanup. Residual herbicides reduce weed densities with different mode of action and significantly reduce the selection pressure on Roundup. There are a lot of good options for residual herbicides in soybeans and the decision needs to be based the field history and what weeds have been a problem. Residual herbicides need to be on every acre ahead of Roundup Ready Corn not only for protecting yield from early season weed competition but also for reducing selection pressure on Roundup. Premixes like Harness Xtra and Lexar work best since they use more than one mode of action. Atrazine alone lacks grass activity and will not control triazine resistant weeds.

Pictures from University of Illinois Herbicide Evaluation Program
Residual premix (Lexar)	Untreated
Residual premix (Boundary)	Untreated
Which one will put more selection pressure on Roundup?

Right now there are growers that are using Roundup as a burndown, and 2 passes of Roundup post in soybeans. The following year on the same acre they will apply 2 passes of Roundup post in their Roundup Ready corn. This is a recipe for disaster. Roundup resistant weeds are growing in numbers because of poor management. Roundup soybeans followed by Roundup corn will be sustainable if it is managed properly with residual herbicides and tank mixing products like 2,4-D for burndown.

The Mark of a Certified Turf Specialist

CTS testing guidelines and procedures are accredited by respected turf experts. Approved by Tom Voight and Roscoe Randall of the University of Illinois, CTS testing is offered exclusively through the FS Agronomy System.

Homeowners

Fertilizer The Green Velvet Lawn Food products are guaranteed to give you professional results. Step 1 Green Velvet 24-3-6: Lawn Food Plus Pre-Emergent Crabgrass Control Step 2 Green Velvet 24-3-6: Lawn Food Plus Broadleaf Weed Control Step 3 Green Velvet 24-3-6: Lawn Food with Controlled Release Nitrogen Step 4 Green Velvet 18-10-18: Fall/Winter Lawn Food Specialty Lawn Foods Green Velvet 24-3-6: Lawn Food Plus Insect Control Green Velvet 5%: Diazinon Insect Control Granules Green Velvet 6-12-12: Garden and Flower Plant Food Green Velvet 9-24-6: Starter Fertilizer

Seeds Deep Velvet Turf seeds are the finest turf grasses available and designed to look good and withstand heavy traffic. Blue Velvet Blue Grass A blend of four improved bluegrasses for the picture-perfect lawn. Deep green and fine-textured. Boulevard Lawn Mix Formulated to withstand the harsh environment next to roads and sidewalks. Deluxe Lawn Mix A mix of bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, and creeping fescue - works well in sun and moderate shade for general purpose lawns. Dura-Turf Mix Quick cover and an economical price. Tolerates traffic and punishment. Playground Lawn Mix A mix of turf-type tall fescue, turf-type perennial ryegrass, and improved bluegrass, this mix is excellent for large lawns with kids and heavy use. Quartet Ryegrass A blend of four perennial ryegrasses. Establishes quickly - quality turf is perfect for family enjoyment. Shady Lawn Mix Designed for full or partial shade. Maintains good color and tolerates traffic.  Surpreme Lawn Mix Full sun or partial shade - easy to establish and provides quick cover. Tuff Lawn Blend A blend of four turf-type fescues. Excellent in stressful growing conditions, high traffic areas and shade.

Professional Seed

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