— Butch Altmann, Agronomy
Trucks are moving, grain’s coming in, but your phone is still ringing about getting your next season’s seed orders in and fall applications lined up, all while you’re trying to round out the current season.
Unfortunately, there is no gap between harvest and next season’s planning. It runs from seed orders to P, K, sulfur, and zinc, then fall nitrogen. It all hits back to back.
The customers who spend their harvest in the combine planning for next season now, in the middle of harvest, tend to be in better shape than the ones who choose to wait for things to slow down before they start their fall planning.
Over the next two months, early order programs on seed will give producers who start planning now a real price advantage. Financing is also available for seed purchases through CFA, Secure, AgQuest, and John Deere Financial.
After you finish getting your seed plans in place, the next step is to plan out your P, K, sulfur, and zinc applications. It’s important to get your nutrients down ahead of the ground freezing so that you’re able to work off this year’s soil test results, giving you the most accurate reference to make the right plan.
Next up is planning your fall nitrogen: Nitrogen, or urea. If there is one thing you take away from this article, let it be this: getting ahead on your Nitrogen will save you money when it matters most. Pricing on this one has moved more than the rest this year, so there’s no reason to wait and every reason to lock it in early.
While Nitrogen is the one item worth watching on the cost side, there’s good news to plan around too. This year we covered more acres with fungicide than we ever have before, and for the first time, we want to take a look back instead of just looking ahead. We’re watching closely to see what that coverage does for yield as harvest comes in, and we’ll use what we learn to sharpen next year’s plan.
That’s also where timing works in your favor. Booking and prepaying for next year’s fungicide and chemical program early opens up 0% financing from the manufacturers. The sooner you plan for next year, the more options you have.
While you’re working to make the most of your time this fall, the agronomy team is doing the same. We’re constantly reviewing equipment and moving assets where they’re needed most, so our service stays strong heading into next season.
Let this fall’s word be efficiency, saving you money when it matters most. By reaching out to your agronomist early, we can help you map out the plan that works best for your operation. You can also check out the Customer Portal to track your orders, contracts, and invoices, with everything you need right at your fingertips.
Cheers to a great harvest, and to planning ahead for spring!