Pioneer Agronomist: Not Planting in March ‘A Missed Opportunity’ This Year

With the 2024 harvest largely in the books, farmers and agronomists alike are looking back on the season and reflecting on what went well, what could have gone better, what they would have changed, etc.

“I think we missed an opportunity this year by not planting early. And by early, I mean in March, when you don’t normally plant,” says Pioneer agronomist Lance Shepherd. “Conditions were fit. Soil temps were pretty decent. However, it’s always that concern of, does the frost come in and bite you in the rear end. And we actually never received those.”

Shepherd covers Northeast Indiana for Pioneer. The caveat, of course, is the field must be fit for planting and the forecast is promising. Shepherd recommends to go ahead with planting in March if the same situation presents itself in ‘25.

“No need to rush it if we’re going to call it a sidewall compaction, or any sort of compaction, or compromise the roots in any manner. But if weather is favorable, and there’s a weather trend in the next 48 hours that is still good, most definitely plant when you can. Definitely big yield advantages to doing so.”

Shepherd knows every farmer is sharpening that pencil this fall and winter, but there are some places where he says it makes sense to spend to see that ROI. He discusses what those are and much more in the full HAT interview below.

Get in touch with your Pioneer representative to start putting a plan together for next year by visiting pioneer.com/findmyrep.