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Beaver creek power point 2013
- 1. BEAVER CREEK ELEMENTARY 2013 The Learning Test Plot Project
- 2. Our Learning Test Plot Seed Company’s Test Plot What is a Test Plot?
- 3. Our School: Tilling Iowa Farmer: Field Cultivating Preparing the Soil for Planting
- 4. Our School: By Hand Iowa Farmer: Tractor and Planter Planting
- 5. Week 1- May 21st
- 6. Week 2- May 28th
- 7. Week 3- June 4th
- 8. Week 4- June 11th
- 9. Week 5- June 18th
- 10. Week 6 – June 24th
- 11. Week 7- July 2nd
- 12. Week 8- July 9th
- 13. Week 9- July 16th
- 14. Week 10- July 23rd
- 15. Week 11- July 30th
- 16. Week 12- August 5th
- 17. Week 13- August 15th
- 18. Week 14- August 19th
- 20. Week 16- September 4th
- 21. Week 17- September 9th
- 22. The Other Johnston Plots
- 23. Field Corn Soybeans What is it used for?
- 24. Corn and Soybean Products
- 25. PIONEER HI-BRED INTERNATIONAL, INC. FARMERS COOPERATIVE: ALTOONA JOHNSTON C.S.D. BUILDINGS & GROUNDS DEPT. PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS Thank you!!
Editor's Notes
- A Test Plot is a small field of corn or soybeans that farmers or seed companies plant to compare varieties side by side. We planted two types of soybeans (two rows of each), and two types of corn (four rows of each). We planted yellow corn (used to make yellow corn chips, corn meal, etc), two rows of soybeans had purple flowers and two had white flowers.
- We used a small garden tractor to till our plot, but farmers use large tractors to pull a field cultivator to till (or cultivate) their fields. A typical field in Iowa is 80 acres, and most farmers rent or own many fields. One acre is about the size of a football field. Our test plot is 2% (1/50 th ) of a one acre field.
- We planted by hand because our plot is small, but farmers use large tractors that pull planters to plant their fields. In today’s planters, new technology allows the planter to space each seed just right so it has enough room to grow. Did you know that some tractors also have computer systems? Tractors now have the option to have a GPS system that allows the farmer to be more precise and make straighter rows.
- Blue: 90% germinated, 2” tall Green: 95% germinated , 2” tall Yellow: 99% germinated, 3” tall, 3 leaves Orange: 99% germinated, 2” tall, 3 leaves There has been a lot of rain and the soil is very wet. Corn and soybeans underground and covered with water won’t germinate, but they may go bad if they are underwater too long. Much of the plant will need to be replanted due to all of the rain.
- There has been a lot of rain and the soil is very wet. Corn and soybeans underground and covered with water won’t germinate, but they may go bad if they are underwater too long. Much of the crop will need to be replanted due to all of the rain.
- What corn has come up is double in height what it was last week! The soybeans are still very small. Much will need to be replanted as we had even more rain.
- Lots of volunteer corn has been removed from the soybeans. Some of the ears of corn were leftover in the plot and they started to grow! We have not replanted yet as it has been really really wet. All of the rain has helped the other corn grow, but there are some plants that have been stunted because they are so far underground and couldn’t grow.
- We replanted the corn and soybeans this week. The soybeans looked a little distressed, they were a very light green color instead of a dark green. We also removed the stakes and strings. There was a little bit to be replanted in just about every row.
- The soybeans plants are looking great and developing a nice canopy. They have been busy growing a few inches and growing more broad leaves since receiving rain and lots of sunshine. Your corn has grown a foot in the last week! Wow! Lots of long leaves are closing up the gaps between the rows. The corn plants on the slope are only about a foot tall (so a little shorter than the rest) but are still on track in development. They are just a bit behind because of being on the slope and not receiving as much moisture due to gravity and then runoff of water down the slope. We sprayed the plot with RoundUp this week. If the weeds get too big they take the nutrients from the plants and the soil. Without these nutrients it is very hard for the plants to grow.
- Your corn has been busy rapidly growing. Some rows are starting to close in, but there is a very large height difference between all of the plants. The weather has been very hot so the corn and soybeans have shot up. There is a lot of variance between soybean plants as well. RoundUp has been sprayed by us, and the Johnston grounds department mulched a path.
- The corn is starting to develop its brace roots this week. These are the roots that keep the plant strong and tall during rain and wind. The soybeans are starting to close in their rows (the leaves begin to grow a canopy over the middle), and should start to develop flowers soon.
- Your soybean plants have started to flower! The Green rows have purple flowers, and the Blue rows have white flowers. The plants are a different variety which is why they have different colored flowers. The corn plants are growing a lot as well – you can see the brace roots clearly in the picture above. Unfortunately it has been very hot and dry and the corn has started to roll its leaves. It does this to conserve moisture and capture everything it can from the air. When you see rolled leaves you know that the corn is very thirsty.
- The plants are looking good! There was some much needed rain, and the soybeans and corn have shot up in the last week! There are also tassels developing on the corn plant. The soybeans are working on flowering as well.
- The majority of your corn is tasseling with some plants already finishing and beginning to ear. The corn plants stood back up again! Ears are also developing on the corn plants. The kernels must be pollinated by the pollen which falls from the tassel. Wind carries the pollen to the silks (the hairy pieces on the top of the ear) and the silks travel the pollen to each kernel. There is one silk for each kernel of corn on the cob. The soybeans are continuing to finish flowering and starting to grow soybean pods. There are a few bugs in the plot and within the next with it will be time to spray insecticide.
- The soybean plants are developing little pods. These are what we will harvest in the fall. Unfortunately there are lots of Japanese Beetles on your soybeans. These pests eat the leaves. Farmers spray insecticide to combat these pests. If they didn’t use the spray they wouldn’t have a crop left! We will spray this plot this week. The corn is developing well. Its kernels are filling with starch right now. It’s a milky substance that will eventually harden into the yellow/white kernels that fill farmers grain bins at the end of harvest.
- Your plants have enjoyed the cooler weather. The corn plants are developing nice ears, in the picture you can see the ear filling out and getting bigger. The soybean pods are filling up too. The more soybeans in a pod the better. Farmers want their plants to produce as many corn kernels and soybeans as possible.
- The corn and soybeans haven’t changed in development over the last week but lots of soybean pods have developed on each soybean plant. On the corn plants, lots of little ears of growing.
- The corn and soybeans are starting to dry out and begin to brown in preparation for harvest. Most of the soybeans are still green but eventually they’ll harden up and turn brown. The corn has developed nicely as well, while it’s not tall it does look really good. You can see the little indentations in the kernels of the corn. This is a sign it’s getting close to maturity. This is also where field corn gets the popular name “dent corn.”
- The corn and soybeans are continuing to dry in preparation for harvest. The corn kernels have cross-pollinated and contain both yellow and white kernels on each cob of corn. The soybeans are drying down as well. The green rows seem to be drying faster than the blue. You can see the brown pod in the above picture.
- The corn and soybeans are continuing to dry in preparation for harvest. This hot weather is certainly speeding the drying process along. The soybeans are drying down as well. The green rows seem to be drying faster than the blue, but the blue rows are drying out as well. You can see both pods are brown.
- Next time your at the grocery store pick up a package and look at the ingredient label. You would be amazed at how many items have some form of corn or soybeans in it. All of the items above have corn and or soybeans in them. Do any of the products surprise you?