“When you approach the rootworm as just a problem that has to be solved, you’re not taking into account the animal’s biology,” Ann Marie Journey says. “You’re hitting it just at certain points or with certain methods or controls, and you’re not allowing yourself in effect to have a conversation to gain insight back from the rootworms about what it is that makes them successful in any given place."

Daniel H. Smith, nutrient and pest management program manager for the Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison, checks in from the Lancaster Agricultural Research station with details from a 6-year study.

With research advances suggesting that early planting can maximize crop yield potential and therefore return on crop input investments, farmers are often dealing with planting into cold conditions.

Jeff Herrold’s nutrient application marathon begins in the spring with his 12-row Dawn Pluribus V strip-till machine with a one-bin Salford tank attached. He makes strips 4-5 inches deep, applying a mix of 50 pounds of potash, 50 pounds of urea, 50 pounds of Mosaic MicroEssentials MES10 and 20 pounds of pelletized lime.