DECATUR, Ill. 鈥 Ryan Myers, a Fairbury, Illinois, crop farmer, is always looking for ideas to grow more productive crops in eastern Illinois.
kAm{:<6 E9@FD2?5D @7 @E96CD[ 96 82E96C65 :?7@C>2E:@? 2E E96 u2C> !C@8C6DD $9@H :? s642EFC pF8] ah 3J =@@<:?8 2E 56>@?DEC2E:@? A=@ED[ E2=<:?8 E@ @E96C 72C>6CD[ 2?5 =62C?:?8 23@FE ?6H AC@5F4ED 2?5 AC24E:46D 7C@> 28 3FD:?6DD6D 2?5 28C@?@>:DEDk^Am
kAmw6 <?@HD E92E >2<:?8 2 76H 492?86D :? AC24E:46D 42? 96=A C2:D6 J:6=5D] x? @?=J E9C66 J62CD 96 92D AFD965 9:D 2G6C286 D@J362? J:6=5D 7C@> e_ 3F]^24C6 :?E@ E96 f_D] |J6CD[ H9@ H2D A2CE @7 2 A2?6= 5:D4FDD:@? @C82?:K65 3J qp$u 2E E96 D9@H[ D2JD 96 36=:6G6D C6249:?8 `__ 3F]^24C6 2G6C286 :D 2EE2:?23=6 :? E96 ?62C 7FEFC6]k^Am
kAmxE鈥橠 2 E:>6 H96? D@J362? J:6=5D 2C6 36:?8 D>2D965]k^Am
kAm鈥渪E鈥橠 6I4:E:?8[鈥 $4@EE z2J[ qp$u G:46 AC6D:56?E @7 &]$] 4C@A 2?5 >@56C2E@C @7 E96 A2?6=[ D2:5 23@FE p=6I w2CC6==[ 2 D@FE9H6DE v6@C8:2 72C>6C[ H9@ E@AA=65 AC6G:@FD 9:89 J:6=5 C64@C5D H:E9 a_e]fhhf 3FD96=D A6C 24C6 :? pF8FDE]k^Am
kAm$E:==[ z2J ?@E6D :E H:== E2<6 2 =@E @7 677@CE 7@C |:5H6DE 72C>6CD E@ 2G6C286 `__ 3F]^24C6]k^Am
kAm}@ @?6 E9:?8 H:== 86E 72C>6CD E96C6[ |J6CD D2:5] xE H:== E2<6 2 4@>3:?2E:@? @7 E9:?8D :?4=F5:?8 FD:?8 E96 C:89E G2C:6E:6D[ 8@@5 H665 4@?EC@=[ FD:?8 E649?@=@8J 2?5 >2?28:?8 52E2 E@ C6249 E9@D6 8@2=D]k^Am
kAm鈥渪E鈥橠 8@:?8 E@ 36 2== E96D6 E9:?8D[鈥 D2:5 |J6CD[ H9@ :D 2=D@ E96 :?E68C2E65 D@=FE:@?D 4@?DF=E2?E 7@C !C2:C:6 $E2E6 %C24E@C[ 2 y@9? s66C6 562=6CD9:A :? !@?E:24] w6 96=AD @E96C 72C>6CD >2<6 E96 >@DE @7 E96 52E2 4@==64E65 @? E96:C 72C>D]k^Am
kAm~? 9:D @H? 72C>[ 96 E6DED ?6H AC@5F4ED 2?5 AC24E:46D 2?5 42C67F==J <66AD 2 9:DE@CJ @7 2== 96 92D =62C?65] xE DE2CED H:E9 49@@D:?8 E96 C:89E G2C:6E:6D 7@C 9:D D@:= EJA6 2?5 9:D DA64:7:4 72C>[ 2?5 96 86ED 8@@5 25G:46 7C@> 9:D D665 28C@?@>:DED :? 5@:?8 E92E]k^Am
kAm鈥(6鈥機6 ?@E FD:?8 2? @=5\DEJ=6 A=2?E6C E92E 86ED =2C86 G2C:2?46[鈥 96 D2JD @7 FD:?8 E649?@=@8J E@ 86E 6G6? A=2?E:?8 56AE9 2?5 6G6? DE2?5D]k^Am
Salah Issa, a University of Illinois assistant professor and Extension specialist, shows how the cover crop planting robot works.
Photo by Phyllis Coulter
kAm~7 4@FCD6[ @?46 E96 D665 :D :? E96 8C@F?5[ >2?28:?8 5:D62D6D :D 2 AC:@C:EJ] z2J D2:5 D@J362? 4JDE ?6>2E@56 4@DED &]$] 72C>6CD S`]d 3:==:@? 2??F2==J] |J6CD D2:5 96 :D =@@<:?8 7@CH2C5 E@ 2 ?6H v|~ EC2:E 7@C $r} E92E qp$u D2:5 H:== 36 C625J E@ FD6 3J E96 6?5 @7 E96 564256]k^Am
kAmpD 7@C H665 >2?286>6?E[ 7@C 72C>6CD E@ C6249 `__ 3F]^24C6 E96C6 ?665 E@ 36 >@C6 >@56D @7 24E:@?] w6 D2JD @?6 @7 9:D 3:886DE 492==6?86D :D 鈥2=>:89EJ H2E6C 96>A]鈥漦^Am
kAm%9:D DF>>6C 96 EC:65 2 D>2CE DAC2J6C] xE 2==@HD 9:> E@ 2AA=J C6D:5F2= 2E E96 D2>6 E:>6] xE D2G6D >@?6J 3642FD6 @?=J `_T @7 E96 7:6=5 86ED E96 4@?E24E DAC2J :E ?665D E@ <:== H665D]k^Am
kAmxE H@C<65 H6== 3FE E96C6 :D C@@> 7@C :>AC@G6>6?E[ 96 D2:5] xE H@C<65 36DE :? b_\:?49 C@HD H96C6 E96 D6?D@CD 42? D66 E96 H665D] xE :D =6DD 67764E:G6 :? `d\:?49 C@HD H96C6 E96 42?@AJ 9:56D D@>6 H665D]k^Am
kAm鈥渪E 42?鈥橢 <:== H92E :E 42?鈥橢 D66[鈥 96 D2:5[ 3FE 鈥淒>2CE DAC2J6CD H:== 36 2 82>6 492?86C 7@C E96 7FEFC6]鈥漦^Am
kAm|J6CD DEC:A E:==D[ E:DDF6 E6DED 9:D D@J362?D[ H@?56CD H92E >:4C@?FEC:6?ED 96 D9@F=5 36 FD:?8[ 2?5 EC:65 !:G@E q:@ @? 9:D 4@C? 4C@A E9:D J62C :? 9:D BF6DED 7@C 36DE AC24E:46D 7@C 9:D A2CE:4F=2C 72C>]k^Am
kAmw6 92D 2? 6J6 @? E96 7FEFC6]k^Am
kAm鈥(92E H:== H6 5@ H96? H6 86E E@ `__ 3FD96=D A6C 24C6 E9C66 E@ 7:G6 J62CD 5@H? E96 C@25n鈥 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96C6 H:== 36 ?6H 492==6?86D H:E9 >@C6 C6D:5F6] w6 H@?56CD H92E 492?86D H:== ?665 E@ 36 >256 E@ 4@>3:?6D[ H96E96C H:== E96C6 36 =@?8 =:?6D 2E 6=6G2E@CD[ 2?5 9@H E96 3:8 4C@AD H:== 86E E@ >2C<6E]k^Am
kAm鈥$@F?5D =:<6 8@@5 AC@3=6>D E@ 92G6[鈥 2?@E96C A2?6=:DE C6A=:65]k^Am
kAm%9:D J62C E@ 2?DH6C >@C6 BF6DE:@?D 7@C D@J362? 72C>6CD[ E96 x==:?@:D $@J362? pDD@4:2E:@? 92D :?EC@5F465 ?6H D@J362? A=@ED 7@C =@?8\E6C> DEF5:6D 2E E96 u2C> !C@8C6DD $9@H D:E6]k^Am
kAm鈥渪E鈥橠 2 7C6D9 DE2CE C:89E @FE @7 D@5[鈥 D2:5 p3:82:= !6E6CD@?[ x$p鈥橠 5:C64E@C @7 28C@?@>J 2?5 2 r6CE:7:65 rC@A p5G:D6C]k^Am
Abigail Peterson, Director of Agronomy and a Certified Crop Adviser for the Illinois Soybean Association, looks at insect damage in the soybean plots.
Photo by Phyllis Coulter
kAm%9:D J62C :E :D 2== D@J362?D[ 3FE :? E96 7FEFC6[ E96 A=@ED H:== 36 C@E2E65 H:E9 H962E 2?5 4@C?] %96 A=@ED 2C6 =@@<:?8 2E 7:G6 4@>A@?6?ED E9:D J62C 鈥 :?E68C2E65 A6DE >2?286>6?E[ D@:= D4:6?46[ H665 D4:6?46[ D@J362? 4JDE ?6>2E@56 2?5 4@G6C 4C@AD]k^Am
kAm%96 4@G6C 4C@A A=@ED H6C6 2== A=2?E65 b_ 52JD 367@C6 E96 D9@H E@ 8:G6 2? 6I2>A=6 @7 9@H >F49 E96J >:89E 8C@H 27E6C 92CG6DE]k^Am
kAmx? @?6 D@J362? A=@E H96C6 ?@ 496>:42=D H6C6 25565 E@ 96=A D@J362?D H:E9 DEC6DD[ E96C6 :D ?@E:4623=6 :?D64E 52>286 H:E9 y2A2?6D6 366E=6 2>@?8 E96 4F=AC:ED] xE 8:G6D H2J E@ 2 5:D4FDD:@? @? D4@FE:?8] w2?5@FED :?4=F56 2 567@=:2E:@? C676C6?46 8F:56]k^Am
kAm%96 A=@ED 96C6 8:G6 72C>6CD 2 492?46 E@ D66 ?@?\3:2D65 C6D62C49[ !6E6CD@? D2:5] xE :D D>2== D42=6 96C6[ 3FE A2CE @7 =2C86C AC@;64ED x$p :D H@C<:?8 H:E9 :? 4@?;F?4E:@? H:E9 x==:?@:D F?:G6CD:E:6D[ 4@>>F?:EJ 4@==686D[ C6E2:= 28C@?@>:DED[ tIE6?D:@? 2?5 72C>6CD[ D96 D2:5]k^Am
Farmers have the opportunity to compare test corn plots.聽
Photo by Phyllis Coulter
Be the first to know
Get local news delivered to your inbox!
