Episode 394: Boots In The Field Report August 20, 2026

Ken talks scouting for harvest order, making accurate yield estimates, and getting ready for a long harvest in this week’s Boots In The Field Report.

In this week’s Boots In The Field Report, Ken Ferrie walks through evaluations to start doing now after the recent crazy weather to be more prepared for harvest this fall.

Ken discusses heavy aphid pressure and the need to start making realistic yield estimates to make sure no one is surprised come harvest time. This and more in this week’s Boots In The Field Report.

Scout now to make sure all areas are getting pollinated and to be able to update your yield expectations to avoid surprises this fall.

In this week’s Boots In The Field Report, Ken Ferrie talks about ponding and nutrient deficiencies as well as insect, disease, and weed scouting reports. He advises what to be on the lookout for during pollination and warns that how fields looked during the water stress will be how they pollinate. Ken shares that he expects the round robin crop report at both the CTC Field Day and Farm Journal Corn and Soybean College to be very interesting this year.

Ken Ferrie gives an overview of the aftermath of all this rain and hail including: the need to remain vigilant in fields zeroed out for hail damage for weed management, yellowing in, Fusarium wilt, and white mold in beans, deficiencies showing in corn – oxygen, sulfur, and nitrogen, and options for rescue applications of nitrogen.

 This week’s episode of Boots In The Field Report, Ken discusses the recent weather impacts across the region, including crops standing in water, nitrogen concerns after heavy rains, the importance of staying ahead on weed control, scouting for rootworm pressure, and preparing for early tar spot risk. 

Ken gives an update on: planting progress, stand evaluations, and nitrate levels in this week’s Boots In The Field.

In this week's Boots In The Field Report Ken gives a recap of some of the issues being called in from the field, planting updates, and a warning to map the gullies in fields that will get fixed this fall to avoid equipment damage this season in tall corn.

In this week’s episode, Ken Ferrie defines what constitutes a CTC “A+” planting rating and the specific environmental conditions needed to achieve it. He breaks down the CTC stoplight signals, showing growers how to use these metrics to guide their planting decisions for maximum success.The goal is simple but critical: ensuring every seed emerges as evenly as possible. Ferrie explains why growers should have a plan to plant their entire corn acreage in just 5–7 working days, allowing them to wait for the perfect weather window to chase their highest yields yet.