Kendall Gee: Farmer Sue has a yield goal of 60 bushels per acre (bu/ac) and Crop Intelligence tells her that the Water Driven Yield Potential is +10 (70 bu/acre total). Enough groceries were added to achieve 60 bushels. The rains came late-ish in the season, but Farmer Sue and her agronomist both feel the crop is in good shape and the yield potential is at least 70. They are worried about protein because they know a wheat crop will dilute available nitrogen to grow more bushels, at the expense of protein content. Is there anything we can do now as the crop is already well into flowering?
Elston Solberg: This is why I get so fired up about Crop Intelligence, because Sue and all the rest of our Crop Intelligence customers are already way ahead of the game. We are actively measuring crop available water and Water Driven Yield Potential. Water stress reduces yield and concentrates protein. Big yields dilute protein. The plant will most always make a bushel before it makes protein. If your target is 60 bushels, and we have the crop available water to grow 70+, then low protein is a given. Unless nitrogen rates are adjusted based on Water Driven Yield Potential.
Know your numbers, realize your potential.
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