Project Grant 20246800842653

** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** ABIOTIC AND BIOTIC STRESSORS CAN REDUCE CORN AND SOYBEAN PLANT POPULATION DENSITY. EARLIER CORN AND SOYBEAN PLANTING DATES ARE MORE COMMON NOW (AIMING AT HIGHER YIELDS), OFTEN RESULTING IN LOWER PLANT POPULATIONS. DEPENDING ON PLANT POPULATION AND CALENDAR DATE, FARMERS MAY CHOOSE TO REPLANT FIELDS. REPLANTING COSTS TIME AND MONEY AND SHOULD ONLY BE DONE IF CLEARLY NEEDED. FARMERS ARE ANTICIPATED TO FACE REPLANT DECISIONS MORE FREQUENTLY AS THEY PLANT EARLIER, AND THE CLIMATE CONTINUES TO CHANGE. REPLANT RECOMMENDATIONS ARE OUTDATED AND DO NOT REFLECT CURRENT PRODUCTION PRACTICES, CROP GENETICS, OR ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS. THE LONG-TERM GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO ACHIEVE MORE SUSTAINABLE CORN AND SOYBEAN PRODUCTION SYSTEMS WITH RESEARCH-BASED REPLANT GUIDELINES. WE WILL IDENTIFY SOYBEAN AND CORN REPLANT THRESHOLDS BASED ON PLANT POPULATION AND PLANTING DATE (OBJECTIVE 1), DEVELOP AN EXCEL-BASED DECISION SUPPORT TOOL TO COMPARE THE PROFITABILITY OF REPLANTING SCENARIOS (OBJECTIVE 2), AND USE NOVEL EXTENSION PROGRAMMING WITH BIWEEKLY OUTCOMES FOR DISSEMINATING RESULTS TO STAKEHOLDERS (OBJECTIVE 3). OUR APPLIED RESEARCH OBSERVATIONS WILL BE DOCUMENTED AND DELIVERED TO FARMERS IN REAL-TIME THROUGH BI-WEEKLY VIDEO UPDATES, NOT AT PROJECT COMPLETION. THE OUTCOMES OF THIS PROJECT WILL DIRECTLY ADVANCE THE PROGRAM AREA PRIORITY OF PLANT HEALTH AND PRODUCTION OF PLANT PRODUCTS, ENSURING CONTINUED PRODUCTION GAINS BY IDENTIFYING REPLANT THRESHOLDS. IF FARMERS UNNECESSARILY REPLANT, THEY MAY EXPERIENCE NEGATIVE OUTCOMES OF YIELD LOSS AND REDUCED PROFITABILITY. THIS WILL HELP FARMERS MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS DURING THE GROWING SEASON FOR IMMEDIATE IMPACT.