West Central Ag News
Annual Meeting Postponed
Mar 18, 2020
| West Central Ag Services
WCAS has postponed its annual meeting for this Thursday 3/19/2020 and will reschedule for later date. Checks have been mailed out. THANK YOU.
New Year, New Growing Season
Jan 03, 2020
| West Central Ag Services
As 2019 has come to an end, it's time to get serious for 2020. WCAS agronomists bring you five points to consider for your plan A and plan B..
All Your Finance Questions, Answered.
Dec 05, 2019
| West Central Ag Services
We sat down with West Central Ag Services finance director, Tracy Gratton and compiled a list of frequently asked questions regarding WCAS finance options.
4 Strategies for Storing Grain
Oct 09, 2019
| West Central Ag Services
As harvest approaches, it’s important to review basic grain storage strategies to maintain the quality of stored grain. Here, we outline four strategies to help maintain post-harvest quality, help protect stored grains from insects, and what to look for when ...
Randy's Recap- October 4th
Oct 04, 2019
| West Central Ag Services
Corn and soybeans found some good news from the Quarterly Stocks report on September 30th and gave the markets a good boost for the week. The following is the data from the report:
Randy's Recap- September 13th
Sep 14, 2019
| West Central Ag Services
Overall the reports on mostly neutral on all commodities. The soybean carry-out at 640 million bushels is probably the most bullish of the report.
The big news for the week was that China and the U.S. will continue talks in October and as good will gestures tariffs by both...
The Yield Equation: Where Do Seed Treatments Fit?
Sep 06, 2019
| West Central Ag Services
This year’s challenging planting season showed the value that seed treatments have in protecting yield potential. As corn began to tassel this summer, you could really start to see how differences in plant emergence and early-season vigor affected the development of the cro...
Randy's Recap- August 16th
Aug 16, 2019
| West Central Ag Services
The grain markets took a big hit this week as USDA and FSA released reports. The long-awaited revision for planted acres dashed away hopes of revisiting highs in the market that were set in June. The corn went down 46 cents, soybeans dropped 21 cents and wheat retreated 18 ...
As Fall Rolls Around
Aug 15, 2019
| West Central Ag Services
Well that came quick! We are just around the corner of harvest. You have made a lot of decisions this year to get your crops to where they are now. However, we know there are more decisions and planning to come to ensure a successful 2020 season.
A few things to keep in mi...
Randy's Recap- August 9th
Aug 09, 2019
| West Central Ag Services
The grain markets were mixed on the week. Corn was up 8 cents, soybean up 24 cents and wheat was down 4 cents. Everyone is waiting with anticipation for Monday’s USDA WASDE report at 11 am. The outlook for dryer weather in the 8-14-day forecasts and fund positioning before ...
Randy's Recap- August 2nd
Aug 02, 2019
| West Central Ag Services
The grain markets were up slightly on Friday after a very long sharp movement lower. Since the middle of June, corn has dropped 64 cents soybeans down 80 cents, and wheat is down 60 cents. Improving weather and crop conditions, fund liquidation, poor exports, and unk...
Improve Fungicide Response on Corn
Jul 19, 2019
| West Central Ag Services
A fungicide application represents a considerable investment. Be sure you get the most from it by answering these three questions before applying: What is the hybrid to be sprayed? What is the weather outlook for application day? What is the disease that’s being treated?
Can You Spot a Micronutrient Deficiency?
Jul 16, 2019
| West Central Ag Services
Generally, it’s pretty easy to see when stress has taken a toll on crops. But determining what’s causing unhealthy plants sometimes requires extra detective work. Micronutrient deficiencies, for example, are hard to diagnose based on visual symptoms alone. Here are so...
Randy's Recap- July 12th
Jul 12, 2019
| West Central Ag Services
The grain market finished the week very strong with corn breaking $4.00 cash moving 16 cents higher on the week. Soybeans moved 36 cents higher and wheat finished up 11 cents. Most of the market move was opposite of the bearish supply and demand report with more...
Randy's Recap- June 28th
Jun 28, 2019
| West Central Ag Services
WOW!!!! A crazy planted acreage report from USDA to finish the week. For the week, corn dropped 22 cents, soybeans were off 4 cents, and wheat finished up 11 cents.
USDA’s June Crop planted acres numbers came in as follows:
Randy's Recap- June 21st
Jun 21, 2019
| West Central Ag Services
The planting delays have been unprecedented in the United States this year. Actual planted acres will be a big question mark going forward. Crop condition also remains in question as a big portion of the crop was planted late and that could mean further yield re...
June 20th is Fast Approaching..
Jun 17, 2019
| West Central Ag Services
The dicamba deadline is three days away, here are your dicamba tolerant and Liberty Link soybean herbicide options:
Get Technical About Nitrogen Management
Jun 13, 2019
| West Central Ag Services
Nitrogen management in corn crops is challenging for a number of reasons, one of which is nitrogen’s chemical properties: When in nitrate form, nitrogen is water-soluble, meaning it moves easily with water. If a field receives moderate to heavy rainfall and an abundanc...
Managing Weeds and Diseases Resulting From Wet Soils
Jun 10, 2019
| West Central Ag Services
Rain, rain and more rain. That about sums up the 2019 growing season so far in most regions of the country. Wet soils and unstable temperatures are causing two areas of primary concern:
Calibrate Your Nutrient Management
May 23, 2019
| West Central Ag Services
Have you ever received results of an early-season tissue test that indicated your corn was low on nitrogen? If so, did you wonder if it was because you didn’t apply enough or because the plant roots weren’t big enough to take up the nitrogen that you applied?
Zone Soil Sampling Provides Another Layer of Data
May 16, 2019
| West Central Ag Services
Variable-rate application is now common practice in agriculture. Farmers are identifying and treating areas of their fields differently based on productivity, targeting input applications to higher-producing areas and potentially reducing them in lower-producing spots. This helps...
Understanding Tissue Sampling
May 10, 2019
| West Central Ag Services
Plants have nutritional needs in order to grow and be healthy. In order to find out if your plant is getting fed the proper amount of nutrients, plant tissue sampling can help you identify nutrient deficiencies in the crop.
New Zinc Treatment Available for 2019 Corn Seed
May 02, 2019
| West Central Ag Services
The micronutrient zinc is important to corn plants for a number of reasons. Zinc acts as a catalyst for enzyme creation and is a precursor for auxin hormones that signal seed germination. When early zinc levels are adequate, there is more consistent seed germination and plant eme...
Don't Skimp on Zinc
Apr 30, 2019
| West Central Ag Services
When it comes to plant nutrition, it seems that N, P and K are often in the limelight. But zinc is an unsung nutrient hero that helps maintain some of a plant’s most important physiological processes. Here are some reasons it’s time to rethink the power of zinc.
Mitigate Early-Season Plant Stress
Apr 05, 2019
| West Central Ag Services
We're gearing up for another unpredictable growing season. While we never know exactly how things will shake out at this point in the year, good management from day one is key to crop success. Here are four tips to help mitigate early-season plant stress:
Your Seed Treatment Options
Mar 28, 2019
| West Central Ag Services
For most, seed treatments have become standard to get seedlings off to a healthy start. They provide good early-season control, especially when you're planting into cold, wet soil. Which is most guaranteed when you live where we do, especially this year. Using a quality ...
Are My Crops Hungry?
Mar 26, 2019
| West Central Ag Services
Your seed has the greatest yield potential the day it is planted. From then on, it takes intensive management to get the most of your genetics. Chances are you have a routine in place for managing crops- fertilizing, pest management, and choosing the right hybrid for your ac...
Use Data to Shape Your Nutrient Strategy
Mar 03, 2019
| West Central Ag Services
As you prep for 2019, it’s easy to remember the one part of the field that did really well last season or the other part that was disappointing. We tend to look at the outliers because they stand out. But this doesn’t show the whole picture or indicate what you should...
Preparing to Use Dicamba in 2019
Feb 28, 2019
| West Central Ag Services
The recent release of dicamba tolerant soybeans has opened up dicamba use and significantly increased its utilization in the major corn and soybean production regions. Effective, efficient, and on-target application...
Industry News
3 Tips for Choosing the Right Wheat Seed Treatment
Aug 11, 2023
| Answer Plot
When choosing wheat seed, making sure you have a high-quality seed treatment to protect your investment is an important step in the process. Here are three questions to consider when mapping out your wheat strategy.
1. Who’s Applying The Seed Treatment?
Th...
3 Tips for More Economical Fungicide Applications
Jul 10, 2023
| Answer Plot
When weighing purchase decisions, there are many factors to consider, but when push comes to shove, it’s all about the ROI potential. Here are three steps you can take to make more economical fungicide decisions, regardless of what the season brings.
1. Identify ...
5 Ways to Find Success With Fungicides
Jun 08, 2023
| Answer Plot
It’s time to bust the myth once and for all that fungicides aren’t worth investing in. Research has continually shown yield advantages when a fungicide application is made. In fact, our Answer Plot® trials have consistently shown an average of more than 10 bushel ...
6 Disease Management Tips for Corn and Soybeans
Jun 08, 2023
| Answer Plot
Diseases may already be showing up in your corn and soybean fields, so it’s a good time to be scouting your fields for early signs of trouble. With plenty of the season still left, your crop will benefit from a proactive approach to disease management. Here are six tips to ...
Prevent and Control Herbicide-Resistant Weeds
May 30, 2023
| Answer Plot
If you find your herbicides aren’t performing as well as they used to, you may be battling herbicide-resistant weeds. Once you have resistant weeds, it becomes much more challenging and costly to keep fields clean. With a diversified weed control program, you can level up y...
4 Adjuvant Classes Proven to Help Improve Weed Control
May 09, 2023
| Answer Plot
Weed competition can be one of the costliest threats to your crop’s performance. Adding adjuvants to your herbicide tank mix is an effective way to help enhance the performance of your spray application and improve weed control. Here are four adjuvant classes to discuss wit...
Why You Should Consider a Pre-Tassel Fungicide Application
May 08, 2023
| Answer Plot
Research shows that fungicide application timing can significantly impact return on investment and, in some situations, two applications can be more profitable than one. So, when should you plan to target your applications, and does a multi-pass fungicide program make economic se...
Maximize Plant Health at Key Growth Stages
Apr 25, 2023
| Answer Plot
Plant health is a lofty term that gets tossed around a lot in agronomic conversations. However, when you have a clear definition and actionable strategies, maximizing plant health becomes a very real and important way to help your crops reach closer to their genetic potential and...
Get a Grip on Crop Protection
Apr 25, 2023
| Answer Plot
Choose solutions that are backed by research and proven to perform.
When choosing adjuvants, PGRs and micronutrients, how do you know they’ll do the job?
The description on the jug? Snazzy marketing? A convincing sales pitch?
What about data?
...
4 Tips for Successful Weed Control
Apr 02, 2023
| Answer Plot
Spring means planting. But it also means troublesome weeds will be popping up soon. If you haven’t done so already, talk with your local trusted advisor about your weed control strategy for this season. Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you formulate a plan to tackle w...
5 Tips for Managing Early-Season Plant Stress
Mar 07, 2023
| Answer Plot
Planting is just around the corner. Every decision you make, including your seed purchase and the ground conditions you place it in, can affect the number on the yield monitor at harvest. When seeds start in cold, wet soils, it can lead to early-season plant stress that can impac...
3 Tips to Optimize Pre-emergence Weed Control
Mar 01, 2023
| Answer Plot
Drought conditions, expanding herbicide resistance and limited herbicide availability mean you may not have achieved the weed control you expected last season. That could create more challenges for management this year, requiring a proactive plan to limit yield loss. Use these ti...
Newest CROPLAN Hybrids Excelled in 2022
Feb 16, 2023
| Answer Plot
Last season, CROPLAN® hybrids showed us it’s possible to get consistent performance and high yield potential. Our newest class of products, hitting fields for 2023 planting, combines elite germplasm with the latest insect trait technology for excellent performance. We&r...
Why Water Conditioners Should Be In Your Tank Mix
Feb 07, 2023
| Answer Plot
When you spray an herbicide, not all of its active ingredients make it into the target weeds' leaves. Product antagonism, poor application practices, spray drift, unfavorable weather conditions and volatilization can all contribute to herbicide loss. If half of your weed...
Take Care of Early Spring Weeds Before Planting
Feb 02, 2023
| Answer Plot
As you prepare for spring, consider a spring burndown herbicide application if winter or spring annual weeds are a problem in your fields. Winter annuals, including marestail, overwinter and resume growing as soon as temperatures warm in the spring. In addition to stealing water ...