When is it time to plant?

When is it time to plant?

The mild late winter has many Illinois farmers anxious for planting season.

Pioneer agronomist Matt Montgomery says there are benefits to planting corn and soybeans early, if soil conditions are suitable…

“I want fairly decent tilth.”  He says, “I don’t want to feel like I have slots that aren’t closing; that I have so much moisture that the sides of the furrow are actually staying rather tight.”

Central Illinois farmer Dan Meyer tells Brownfield he wants to see soil temperatures close to 50-degrees…

“Especially for corn, I still like to see what the ground temperature is.”  He says, “Last year my son was planting soybeans on April 12th, and I didn’t start corn until April 19th.

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