This issue of Walking Your Fields newsletter contains articles about: fall tillage, corn drydown and harvest timing and an update on the season’s corn progress. Articles are written by DuPont Pioneer agronomists in Minnesota and are distributed on behalf of DuPont Pioneer account managers and Pioneer sales reps.

1. This July and August have been one of the most pleasant
stretches of weather that we can remember. The daily
high temperatures have lagged behind a few degrees per
day but that has allowed crops to limp by on the rainfall
front. In most areas, precipitation has been “just enough”
to keep crops advancing. It would be helpful though to
receive another good shot of rain now that crops are fill-
ing pods and kernels.
Variability a Concern: Now that pollination is complete
we have been walking many fields to see what kind of
“nick” there is out there. From the road it might appear
that fields are pretty uniform, but once you stick your
nose into some fields it becomes obvious that there is
quite a bit of non-uniform ear development going on.
This picture shows six
ears picked consecutively.
We suspect the first and
fourth ears were from
plants that emerged a few
days after their neighbors.
Obviously if there is a lot
of this type of variability,
setting combines and dry-
ers will be more challeng-
ing this fall.
Growing corn on corn can be a challenging process, but
many growers have it figured out. You need to start plan-
ning for a successful 2014 crop now this fall with your
stalk shredding and primary tillage operations. The new
chopping heads are becoming more popular but still pre-
sent challenges if not set properly. You don’t want to see
pieces of residue longer than 8” in length. Several of our
newer Pioneer®
brand hybrids are shorter in height for
easier residue management in corn on corn rotations.
Opportunities for Tillage in Dry Soil Conditions: In
many parts of Minnesota, soil moisture is still on the
deficit side and hopefully we get some moisture re-
charge prior to the fall tillage season.
 Fall primary tillage is most effective at lifting and shat-
tering soil compacted layers across the width of the
tillage tool.
 Leveling devices on primary tillage tools may help to
work down soils more effectively.
 On rippers, many growers narrow shanks from 30”
centers down to 24”. This helps avoid tillage points
from “blowing up” large chunks of soil that are difficult
to manage with
secondary tillage.
 Air pockets have
been an issue
with getting uni-
form seed beds
in many fields
where large par-
abolic points cre-
ate these large
chunks of soil.
 Residue sizing and corn root ball management can
be more effective with the use of chopping corn
heads or stalk choppers combined with vertical tillage
tools ahead of primary tillage. These tools help bust
up root balls and size residue for better decomposi-
tion over winter months and create more ideal planter
seed beds next spring.
 Make every attempt to size and incorporate residue
pieces this fall for improved seedbeds and more uni-
form corn and soybean emergence next spring plant-
ing season.
WALKING YOUR FIELDS® newsletter is brought to you by your local account manager for DuPont Pioneer. It is sent to customers throughout the growing season,
courtesy of your Pioneer sales professional. The DuPont Oval Logo is a registered trademark of DuPont. PIONEER® brand products are provided subject to the
terms and conditions of purchase which are part of the labeling and purchase documents. ®, TM, SM Trademarks and service marks of Pioneer. © 2013 PHII.
Summer Marching Along
WALKING
YOUR FIELDS
®
www.pioneer.com
August 28, 2013 - Issue 6
2014 Planting Starts With 2013 Fall Tillage
Case IH 330 Turbo
Photo: DuPont Pioneer
Ear variability. Photo: DuPont Pioneer
Table 1. Growing Degree Units (as of 8/20/13)
Location
Precip
Depart
from Norm
Since
4/1/13
GDU
Totals
Since
5/1/13
GDU
Depart
from Norm
Montevideo -1.78 1793 -178
Hutchinson -3.12 1772 -53
Olivia -1.43 1754 -75
Willmar -4.80 1918 +73
Lamberton +5.26 1815 -82
Marshall -5.57 1826 -108
Redwood Falls -2.93 1853 -197
Worthington -3.53 1752 -113
North Mankato -3.74 1820 -180
Waseca +2.86 1654 -228
Winnebago +0.61 1813 -132
Source: www.Pioneer.com GDU Calculator
<<

2.  Many growers are going to more straight points to
save on fuel and also do a better job of fracturing
deeper soil compaction zones.
 Appropriate levels of residue incorporation needs to
be accomplished which enhances residue breakdown
without layering residue and causing uneven seedling
emergence (corn on corn concern)
 We saw dramatic differences of spring versus fall
urea applications this season (Spring apps superior
to fall). DuPont Pioneer agronomists do not advocate
fall urea applications, especially east of U.S. Highway
71.
 Fall anhydrous ammonia applications are fine when
soils cool down to less than 50°F. The use of a nitro-
gen stabilizer is also a good fall practice.
We have been observing some nutrient deficiencies on
soybeans this summer. Potassium is showing up in a
number of fields. The
photo on the right
shows a yellow halo on
the outside of the soy-
bean leaf which is a
classic K2O deficiency.
Drought stress in some
areas this season can
reduce availability and
uptake of K2O. Of
course, fields with lower testing K2O are most likely to
show these symptoms. It is just a good reminder that with
the large corn yields we have been pulling out the past
few years, it might be necessary for you to reevaluate
your fertilizer program. Soil testing is the place to start
making 2014 fertilizer plans. Grid sampling gives you
much more information than regular 20-acre block sam-
pling. The following bulletin from the University of Minne-
sota is a good reference for all field crops: Fertilizer
Guidelines For Agronomic Crops in Minnesota:
http://bit.ly/15aBaAx
Many corn fields in the region were planted mid to late
May or early June. That corn will likely need until early
October to reach maturity (black layer). As growers hope
for a late autumn to get field work done before the snow
flies, now is the time to weigh the cost of in-field grain
drydown versus using artificial drying at harvest.
There are three main factors that influence the rate at
which corn dries, physiological maturity, weather and the
corn hybrid. Corn that matures earlier typically dries fast-
er due to more favorable drying conditions earlier in the
harvest season. On the same note, later maturing corn
has fewer warm days to aid drying and will dry slower. In
a typical year, corn that matures on September 15 may
require only about 10-15 days to reach 20 percent mois-
ture, while corn that matures on September 25 may need
30 days to reach the same moisture level (D.R. Hicks,
2004). Drydown is linked to heat units (GDUs). Under
ideal weather conditions, corn may lose up to one point of
moisture per day. As the days get cooler, GDUs de-
crease and drying slows. A rule of thumb is that 30 GDUs
are required to lower the grain moisture each point from
30 percent to 25 percent. Forty-five GDUs per moisture
point are required from 25 percent to 20 percent. Also
consider that we typically expect no more than about 10
GDUs per day in late September, and only about 3-5
GDUs per day in late October. That means that field dry-
ing of corn may take two to three times longer for late
maturing fields. Drydown is also hybrid specific. The
amount, thickness and tightness of husks affect drydown;
the more insulated the ear, the longer it takes to dry. Up-
right ears are more prone to capture moisture in the
husks. Lastly, corn with moderate test weight dries faster
than hybrids with heavier test weights.
The ideal harvest moisture for corn is between 22-25 per-
cent. Waiting for corn to dry to 18 percent moisture in the
field certainly saves on the energy bill; but it also increas-
es the likelihood of excess harvest losses due to stalk
lodging, ear drop and detrimental weather all of which
can affect your bottom line. In addition, there may not be
enough heat units this fall for in-field drydown. Ohio State
University research indicated no additional in-field grain
drying occurred after early to mid-November (Minyo,
Geyer & Thomison, 2009).
“Phantom yield loss” may also encourage growers to har-
vest at slightly higher moistures this fall. Growers occa-
sionally report harvesting part of a field early and finishing
the field when it is dryer, only to discover the later har-
vested portion of the field is yielding several bushels less
per acre than the first harvested corn.
Purdue University confirmed these claims indicating that
grain corn dried in the field has the potential to yield one
percent less per point of moisture. For example, corn that
was 200 bushels/acre at 28 percent moisture would only
yield around 180 bushels/acre at 18 percent moisture
Fall Soil Testing For 2014 Profits
Corn Drydown & Harvest Timing
Delaying harvest may increase risk of lodging, ear drop or kernel loss
and result in reduced yields. Photo: DuPont Pioneer
Photo: DuPont Pioneer
>>

3. if left in the field too long. This research also confirmed
that the ideal moisture level for corn grain harvest is 25
percent. Harvesting wetter than that can damage kernels
and of course significantly increase drying costs (Nielsen
et al., 1996).
Artificial drying costs will vary this season depending on
LP gas prices, which currently range from $1.25 - $1.40
per gallon across Minnesota. Nonetheless, harvesting at
a higher moisture level this year may increase grower
profitability, specifically when growers anticipate medium
to high harvest losses. The table below was developed by
Iowa State University, and customized by DuPont Pio-
neer agronomists to illustrate different drying scenarios
and costs based on an average LP price of $1.35/gallon.
If you have questions about moisture levels, drydown and
harvest, contact your local sales representative for assis-
tance.
(Sources: Minyo, Geyer & Thomison. 2009. How will delaying corn har-
vest affect yield, grain quality and moisture? Ohio State University Ex-
tension. Nielsen et al. 1996. Kernel dry weight loss during post-maturity
drydown intervals in corn. Purdue University.)
We launched the new Pioneer®
brand T Series soybean
varieties this spring season. We are pleased with how
they have measured up in agronomic scores and look
forward to generating some yield data this fall with SxS.
*All Pioneer products are varieties unless designated LL, in which case
some are brands.
Roundup Ready®
is a registered trademark used under license from
Monsanto Company.
New Account Manager Hired For Territory KHS Matt
Benson has accepted the area KHS Account manager
position filling the open position when Neil Hansen be-
came the KH south Field agronomist. Matt comes to Pio-
neer from an ag-retail manager position and will bring a
wealth of agronomy and crop management experience to
the customers in Jackson and Cottonwood Counties. We
welcome Matt and know that he is anxious to work with
the growers in that geography.
Estimated Cost to Dry Corn to 15% Moisture
Harvest
Moisture
LP
gal/bu
LP
$/gal
LP
$/bu
Drying Cost
$/bu*
Drying cost
$/point*
35 0.472 1.35 0.637 0.645 0.032
30 0.337 1.35 0.455 0.461 0.031
25 0.219 1.35 0.296 0.299 0.030
20 0.109 1.35 0.147 0.149 0.030
Based on: NCH-51 Hybrid Maturity-Energy Relationships in Corn
Drying, Iowa State University; *assumes electrical cost of $0.115/kwh
AGRONOMY RESOURCES, TOOLS & APPS
Pioneer.com and Pioneer mobile allow growers to have extensive crop management resources and agronomy
information at their fingertips. All this information is available at: www.pioneer.com
Pioneer®
Field360™ Tools app
Keep fields at your fingertips and capture important information with this GPS powered field documentation tool.
 Pinpoints your field location via satellite imagery and records notes or photos on the spot.
 Instantly organize your crop scouting information by location to save or share.
Pioneer®
Field360™ Notes app
Agronomy expertise from DuPont Pioneer in one app with field-level insights and real-time data.
 Input a location, start date and CRM one time and easily navigate between the enhanced agronomy tools.
 Track multiple field scenarios, view forecasts/daily precipitation, and calculate GDUs and key crop stages.
 Email results - including screenshots of graphs and estimated growth stages
Pioneer®
Field360™ Plantability app
This planter settings calculator gives precise planter settings for corn and sunflower seeds of all sizes and shapes.
Pioneer Planting Rate Estimator
Examine historical yield response curves to help estimate an optimum planting rate for Pioneer®
Brand Corn Prod-
ucts.
New T Series Soybeans For 2014 Season
Variety/
Brand*
RM
SCN
Source
PRR Gene
& FT
Score
IDC Rating
(1-9)
P10T91R 1.0 PI88788 1K, 4 7
P19T60R 1.9 PI88788 1C, 6 5
P21T97R 2.1 PI88788 1K, 4 7
P22T69R 2.2 PEKING 1C, 5 5
P24T19R 2.4 PI88788 1K, 6 6
P25T51R 2.5 PI88788 1C, 3A 4
It’s All about T: “Total Soybean Performance”

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