Technical Team Agronomists make service calls to dealers and growers for a number of reasons. Sometimes they are checking out disease prevalence, pest populations, or offering fertilizer advice. In some cases, however, the solutions are not so simple.

TTA Jamie Kathol spent a day in July 2018 walking fields damaged by high winds and hail near Hartington, Nebraska.

“Service calls like this are difficult,” says Jamie. “It is never great to walk a field stripped from hail or snapped from wind. There’s nothing you can do once Mother Nature decides to throw a curveball your way.”

Jamie walked several rows counting green snap percentages, cut open stalks to inspect their health and standability, and evaluated the crop’s ability to continue conducting photosynthesis. The grower was clearly appreciative of the time taken to explain the damage and talk through various options.

“This area had a big storm roll through right before the Fourth of July,” says Jamie. “The beans affected by that storm are a little brittle, but have plenty of new growth. At that stage, the corn was young enough that it was still able to put on an ear and complete pollination these past couple weeks. While the stalks are bruised, the plants have enough new leaves to finish out the year.”

“I just want the grower to know that LG Seeds is going to be there for them during a tough year like this,” says Jamie.

While there are few solutions for crops damaged by weather, the best remedy is an agronomist who cares.

Do you need an agronomist to walk your fields? Contact your local TTA or SAM!