August Crop Planning: Grow More with Less Stress

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Welcome back to the EzAg Podcast, where innovative farming meets practical solutions. I'm your host, Matt Long, and today we're diving into one of the most important topics of the year, why August is the time to plan?

It's easy to think the time for planning is post harvest when the combines are parked and the bins are full. But I'm here to tell you that's too late. In today's episode, we're going to walk through why August is prime time to make your plans for next season. And we're breaking it down using the five pillars of the Max Yield System. Crop planning, crop protection planning, soil sampling, fertility planning, and biological planning. So let's jump in. 

Crop planning is the first thing you should be tackling in August. Why? Because you're standing in your fields, literally watching how your current plan is performing. And that means you can do a few things. 

First, you can think critically about your field by field plan for next year. Second, you can evaluate hybrid performance, and third, you can start building your hybrid portfolio based on multi-year data, not just this season's top performers. 

Here's the deal. Waiting on plot data from this year is out of date. That's like betting that next year's weather will be exactly the same, and we both know that never happens in agriculture. Instead, August is the time to introduce new hybrids that match your farm soil types and cropping system. Call the underperformers and diversify your hybrid lineup like a mutual fund, balancing risk and maximizing ROI. This is your window to plan with clarity, not pressure. 

Hand in hand with crop planning is crop protection planning, and August is the perfect time to evaluate what slipped through the cracks. While you're walking your fields, ask yourself what weeds escaped the program? Where did disease show up late or earlier than expected? How much insect pressure did we see, and what traits will we need for next year? Too often we wait until winter to start rethinking herbicide, fungicide and insecticide plans, but by then, we have forgotten key field level insights. In August, those insights are still fresh. That lets you adjust trait packages, rebuild your herbicide and fungicide plans, and make sure your 2026 crop protection strategy starts with a real understanding of where 2025 broke down. These insights feed directly into your hybrid decisions, matching tolerance ratings, and placement with disease and pest pressure. 

Now let's shift to the next phase, soil sampling. While August is for building your plans, October and November are the best time to execute your soil sampling. Why? Because you can sample every acre in October, November, regardless of the crop. Your soil sampling service providers are out of the chaos of helping you protect this year's crop, and you'll get more consistent results year over year. And most importantly, you're building a trend line with this year over year data of soil fertility that helps guide long term decisions. When you sample at the same time each year, you eliminate seasonal variability and get a clearer picture of how your system is working. And now with advanced soil sampling from Agronomy 365 and Earth Optics, we're going beyond the basics. We are looking at carbon biology, pests, and fertility from multiple angles while taking your planning to the next level with real data with crop plans and soil samples scheduled. 

With crop plans built and soil samples scheduled, you can now focus on fertility planning. August is when you identify where your 2025 fertility strategy succeeded and well, where it fell short. Did your nitrogen plan hold up? Was potassium or sulfur limiting kernel depth? Did micros like zinc or Boron show up in tissue tests or with visible deficiencies? Using data from in season observations and soon to arrive soil tests, we can start adjusting rates, product timing, and placement. We're also layering in advanced testing through Agronomy 365, which provides fertility insights tied directly to microbial activity, soil respiration, and red zone nutrient availability. This means we're not just feeding crops or feeding cropping systems.

The fifth and final pillar is biological planning, and this is where a lot of the most exciting innovation is happening. We're not talking about biological fertility anymore. Through Earth Optics and Agronomy 365, we're gaining insights on microbial activity and soil respiration, biological nutrient cycling, and even early indicators of disease and insect pressure based on soil testing. Biologicals are now part of both your fertility and crop protection strategy. Insect suppression, disease resistance, root enhancement, all field specific, all backed by data. 

August is the time to review what products worked, what didn't, and where new biological approaches can strengthen your system in 2026. So let's zoom out for a second. Planning in August isn't just about being early, it's about being better. Your brain is still in season. You're not being pulled away by family and friends waiting to celebrate the holidays right after harvest. Your observations are fresh, you're literally looking at your crop on a daily basis. You have time to make proactive decisions because it's August, not April. And you're building a plan that actually fits your farm, not a generic recipe. 

Each of the five pillars of the Max Yield System build on the others. Crop planning starts the foundation, crop protection planning addresses missed opportunities, soil sampling provides long term benchmarks, fertility planning optimizes input ROI, and biological planning introduces new levels of efficiency and sustainability. 

So here's your takeaways for today. Don't wait for the combines to stop. Start planning in August because in August you have the ability to make plans that will reduce stress, improve yield, and create more predictable success. And don't forget, join us at our Field Day on August the 26th. We'll be talking about things like how the Max yield system helps you grow more with less stress, how biological fertility systems boost soil health and profitability, and why a system spaced approach is the best way to grow your farm. 

Until next time, remember, ag is easy when you tune in to the EzAg podcast. That's all for today, I'm Matt Long. Grow your yield, grow your legacy, grow strong with Axis Seed.