- Finish soil sampling. Do not ignore deficiencies or toxicity problems. This will reduce yield and profit. This will be more of a problem where growers are renting new land and may not know much of the rotation or fertility history.
- Germination Issues: Save about a pound of seed out of each lot you plant. The sample can be used later to help diagnose potential germination issues. Samples will need to be kept in a cool place until plants stands are assessed. After stands are assessed, the 1 pound samples can be used for germination tests or properly discarded.
- With Germination in mind, in some areas of the state growers are planting 170 to 200 lbs of Georgia-06G to get 5 to 6 plants up in their fields. This seems excessive. We need to determine if this is a seed quality issue or planting issues.
- Do not plant in April until 4” soil temperatures reach 68 degrees for 3 to 4 consecutive days with no severe cool snaps expected within 5 days.
- Clean and calibrate In furrow equipment for inoculants and insecticides.