Conquer the 2021 growing season by planning ahead:
NAFB interview with Atticus director of Central U.S. crops, Aaron Burke

Transcript:

NAFB: As many growers are in the midst of harvest season, it’s easy to forget that the time to plan for the next growing season is now. Getting together with your crop advisers as soon as you park the combine is advised to ensure you’re setting yourself up for a successful 2021 growing season. Part of that plan should include a strategic crop protection approach that is both effective and economical. Aaron Burke, director of Central U.S. crops at crop protection manufacturer Atticus, shares some reasons why sooner is better than later as you’re looking at making crop protection plans for next year…

Aaron Burke: Really, a lot of it is related to harvest, and the immediate feedback you get from the combine. You’re getting a very visual representation of all the management decisions made throughout the year, so you can see weed control issues, you can see the impact of fertility choices, disease and other pests that were there, and it’s pretty much right there in front of you. So, it’s all fresh in your mind, and you can see exactly how that impacted your crop, as you’re watching the yield monitor, go up and down. The sooner you lay out the learnings from those choices and ways you can impact next year’s decisions opposite some of the challenges that you saw, the better off you are to drive an enhanced experience for next year.

NAFB: One of the issues growers will face in 2021 according to Burke is uncertainty over what products will be available to them…

AB: There’s been several EPA rulings that we’re not quite sure what the outcome will be for different resources and technologies we might have available to us in the 2021 planting season. There’s going to be a lot of conversations this fall about seed and the new trait platforms, as you could potentially see shifts in different traits and the technologies that open up more choice for the grower. Technology changes are going to continue to impact all growers and retailers. And lastly you have the supply chain, and by speaking with your retailer early and committing to and understanding what your needs are going to be, the fall is the best time to ensure that the resources and products you need will be on hand, and available in a timely fashion for the spring.

NAFB: Burke offers this recommendation for growers as the prepare for 2021…

AB: Make a 12 month crop protection game plan that includes tillage, burndown, residuals, post emerge, you can’t rely on one application or one mode of action to solve a lot of the issues that all the growers are facing. And that’s really where Atticus can help and be a partner for both growers and retailers, because of the breadth of the portfolio and the number of choices they have.

NAFB: He adds there are several considerations growers should keep in mind as they look towards next year…

AB: Whether it’s weeds or disease, if you can start clean and stay clean, that’s the best approach for maximizing the yield. When really troublesome weeds get established in the field, it gets more and more difficult as their populations rise and they become harder and harder to manage. Start with a foundation, and then address multiple applications with multiple modes of action, it always provides the most comprehensive amount of control for both weeds and diseases. And that’s where advocates can help with our portfolio. Work closely with your retailer and retail advisors to determine the solutions that are effective for your individual farm. They can help you minimize input costs, and one of the ways you can do that is by choosing generic crop protection products.

View Atticus’ full portfolio of branded generic fungicides, herbicides and insecticides.