What to Expect from Today’s Agronomist

No, we do not hibernate during the winter

By Jason Hanson

Have you ever wondered what your crop advisor/agronomist does during the winter?  Apparently, a lot of people do, because the most common question I get this time of year is “so, are you working hard or hardly working?”

No, we do not go into hibernation until spring planting. In fact, as a certified crop advisor, the “off-season” is just as important to me as the actual growing season, because it gives me an opportunity to talk with producers. E-business and “dot com ag” was supposed to sweep a large part of the ag business online, but the business model of agriculture is very unique. We as producers, crop advisors, agronomists, consultants and ag retailers all still enjoy communicating in person.

Trust and respect are two big aspects of this business, and that goes both ways.  By talking face-to-face, crop advisors and producers learn from each other.  Do you know how many times I have wondered how in the heck a particular producer can get that kind of stand, or how some guys can get so little dockage in a sample just by the way they handle a combine? These are things that are left unknown unless you get out there and communicate with the producer. The same holds true when communicating with your agronomist.  Ask questions; they may actually have some interesting and helpful information for you.

In addition to communication, it’s also my job as a certified crop advisor to stay ahead of the learning curve. Most of the winter months are spent calling on growers to see what their needs are for farm inputs. But another thing that takes up time is training. Today’s agronomist has to keep up with the latest research out of the university system, seed technology and crop protection products. Ask your local agronomist about what meetings and training they have attended—he or she should be able to share something new that they’ve learned.  For instance, I learned the other day that the surfactant load with Everest herbicide can be reduced when the amount of 2,4-D is increased. In dry conditions this might have to be adjusted, but it is something that I will use this spring. That is information that saves the grower money and hassle.

Most retail agronomists are also expanding their horizons with seed. The ag industry is seeing a shift from the farmer dealer to a store front seed store. Crop protection is helping to drive this market also. Most retail locations have people specializing in seed or it’s a team function. The agronomist of today has to become very familiar with the seed products and technologies. Most of the people that I know in this capacity are not just satisfied to sell the grower some or all of his seed, but also want to watch it through the season with the grower and work with him on yield comparisons and trails. In the growing region around Devils Lake, N.D., the wheat varieties have shifted form 2375 to Gunner to Alsen over the past four to five years. The use of Folicur fungicide has also increased in those same years. There are some varieties that respond better to foliar fungicides than others, and this is valuable information that is shared with my producer clients. The agronomist who can get you that type of variety/crop protection interaction advice on your wheat probably has other interesting advice with some of your other crops.

As an agronomist, I am expected to know crop protection products inside and out, from tank mix partners to crop rotation restrictions to timing. I should be able to answer any questions at the dialing of a cell phone. These are probably the most commonly asked questions from growers throughout the growing season.  In fact, last year I had 4,300 minutes on my cell phone in the months of May and June alone, mostly incoming calls dealing with herbicides and fungicides. Good, accurate information is what keeps them coming back.

Today’s agronomist is very current on plant food needs and how that plays into your operation. Being able to accurately collect soil sample information, analyze and recommend to the grower the fertility levels on his farm is maybe not as glamorous as it seems, but it pays big dividends. I have worked with many growers under contract that have said to me that the savings from soil sampling and recommendations paid for the value of the contract and that everything else I did for them was gravy.

The use of computers and electronic advances are making the agronomist of your choice better prepared to access information for you, along with spending the time to analyze materials for you (that analysis is key to what agronomists do).

There are people out in the field with either Palm pilots or laptop computers entering scout reports of your fields into a desktop that can send out your information to you via email. They can also take digital pictures of crop situations and give you a visual description. The easiest and quickest way to handle a crop protection non-performance issue is with e-mail and a digital camera, because your agronomist can involve the rep quicker. Also, more agronomists today are able to provide you with database and farm record information in easier formats, charts and web site designs, which are provided by some of the local agronomists, or other online information.

So I hope you have a better idea about what agronomists do during the winter—they are sharpening their tools to better serve you as a grower. Don’t be afraid to ask what things your local retail agronomist can do for you and what they feel confident in doing. “What can you do to help improve the profit potential of my farming operation?” That’s a benchmark question.  Challenge your existing or prospective agronomist. The grower who challenges me is someone who wants to work together and develop a good business relationship. That expectation from him is what gives most of us our desire to be the best at what we do.

Hanson’s web site: www.rockandrollagronomy.com