Crops: The Lynch File
CROPS:The Lynch File: Headline – snake oil or the greatest fungicide for corn?
Is Headline the greatest thing since Pursuit or Accent or Roundup?
Maybe not, but it could be the start of getting to the next yield plateau in corn production
by PAT LYNCH
In the last 35 years, we’ve have seen a lot of chemicals change the way we grow crops. In the early 1970s, we went away from 2,4-D and atrazine post-emergent herbicides on corn to pre-emerge and ppi herbicides. Corn yields went up. Based on what we know today, yields went up because farmers controlled weeds before they saw them.
Crops: The Lynch File – Product Inquiries (PIs) can be a win for everyone
But make sure you report them promptly and with detailed records. And guard against unrealistic expectations
by PAT LYNCH
Crop PIs – or Product Inquiries – have few friends. Producers are upset about them. Retailers find them hard on customer relationships. But crop protection companies accept them as a fact of their business and, once you understand the rules of
PIs, you can deal with them more intelligently.
Crops - The Lynch File: Confessions of a closet strip tiller
Hitherto, our columnist had been reluctant to promote the system because of the cost and expertise required, and other reasons. But times have changed
by PAT LYNCH
It is time for me to come out of the closet and admit that I believe more producers should switch to strip till.
Crops - The Lynch File: Now may be the time to reconsider red clover
It may not be very exciting and there are no proprietary varieties. But the advantages of mastering the art of red clover establishment make it well worth the effort
by PAT LYNCH
In the early 1970s, we had just come through a period of low crop prices. This was followed by a series of events, including a weather change, which prevented the Peruvian fishing fleet from being able to find anchovies.
Crops - The Lynch File: The pros and cons of weigh scales, small fields and other things that affect your yield
Weigh scales help you plant cereals and beans accurately, while small fields yield less and cost more. These are among some points worth pondering this winter
by PAT LYNCH
Weigh scales and small fields – what does each have to do with the other? Absolutely nothing. But they are two of the things that made an impression this year.
The Lynch File: There is no such thing as a gene for higher yield
Over the past 40 years, we have bred higher-yielding crops by improving plant health and not by inserting a ‘yield gene’
by PAT LYNCH
There is a belief that, when breeding crops, you can insert a gene for higher yield. The reality is that “there is no gene for higher yield.” Over the past 40 years, we have bred higher-yielding crops by improving plant health and not by inserting a “yield gene.”
