Adam’s Top 5 Field Scouting Tips

Protecting yield potential is a season-long responsibility, and scouting fields is a big part of this responsibility. Each stage of the growing season has its own insect and disease challenges, so it’s important to stay on top of scouting throughout the season.

Here are my top 5 field scouting tips:

1. Get out of the pickup! You cannot effectively scout fields from the seat of your pickup at 65 mph or even at 35 mph. To really see what is going on and what problems might be present, you must walk into the field to investigate.
2. Put together a scouting kit. A well-equipped kit makes the job much easier. I recommend a five gallon pail stocked with a knife, magnifying glass, tape measure, small shovel or spade, and corn and soybean field guides. A bug net and note pad are also useful additions.
   

   On-the-go scouting kit

3. Don’t be afraid to ask a professional for their input. It’s helpful to draw on the knowledge and experience of another agronomist. Keep in mind that while you are watching your acres, your agronomist is monitoring the acres of multiple customers. Chances are, if you have a problem in your field, your crop consultant has already seen it in another field and will know how to address it.
4. Take advantage of technology. Drones can be useful scouting tools. A quick flight over a field can reveal problem areas that are not easily visible from the ground. Even if you’re in the field scouting, you may not see a trouble spot on the back of a hill.
   

   The hot streak of nitrogen visible in the above image shows that the rest of the field ran short on nitrogen. The nitrogen deficiency would not be as visible at ground level.

5. Talk with your neighbors. Bugs and other pests seem to travel in waves. If your neighbors have insect problems, find out–because the bugs are probably headed in your direction. Ask around and find out what others are seeing. This could put you in the field a day or two sooner to stop the bugs or diseases before it is too late. You can also get a leg up on resistant weeds. If you hear farmers in your area are seeing weed resistance, it may be time to rotate chemistries before their problem becomes your problem, too!

The most important part of field scouting is actually doing it…and doing it right. Don’t hesitate to get your boots dirty. Effective scouting is one of the best investments you can make to preserve yield and maximize profit.