Building a Crop Plan Within the Max Yield System
- Red Barn Enterprises
- Feb 17
- 6 min read
Welcome back to the EZAg Podcast, where innovative farming meets practical solutions. I’m your host, Matt Long, and today we’re joined by Jackson Lewis. We’re digging into what the crop plan looks like within the Max Yield System.
We’ve been getting a lot of questions from growers about the Max Yield System and the different parts of it, so we’re doing a series where we break out each piece over time. That includes the
crop plan, seed plan, fertility plan, and
the herbicide or crop protection plan.
Last week, we started with an overall general overview of the Max Yield System. Today, we’re taking a closer look at each of the plans within the system, the information that goes into creating them, and how we make those decisions with the grower when we’re working through their Max Yield System plan.
Jackson, what kind of questions do you
have today on the crop plan?
What Is a Crop Plan and What Goes Into It?
Jackson Lewis: The first question is, what is a crop plan and what do you use to build one? What goes into that?
Matt Long: Like we talked about in the last episode, the crop plan really starts with what fields we’re working on. When we look at specific fields, we ask the same questions about every field.
One of the first things is what the current crop or residue is on that field and what crop we’re going to next. These are basic things a farmer thinks through all the time, but they’re especially important when we get to the seed plan. We need to know if this is continuous crop dryland, wheat stubble, or summer fallow.
The next thing is historical yield. In some cases, we use AP yield. In other cases, we use yield from the last few years. It depends on how often that crop has been grown on the field. If corn is grown every year, we can use recent data. If it’s grown every three or four years, we need a longer period to get enough data.
We need yield because the next step is establishing bushels per thousand. We look at what population is typically planted, divide yield by population, and that tells us how many bushels per thousand are being produced. That helps us set a goal. If a field is producing 6.3 bushels per thousand today, we want to make at least a 30 percent increase over the next three to five years. That’s how we move from a 95-bushel average toward 120.
Other things we look at are known obstacles. Is it terraced? Does it have high pH? Is there something already known to cause issues? That information helps inform the seed plan and fertility plan later on.
What Other Historical Data Is Used?
Jackson Lewis: Looking at it field by field, what other historical data do you use in the crop plan?
Matt Long: One thing is whether this is a field you’ve farmed for a long time or one that’s new. If it’s always been a problem field, that’s important to know upfront. It might take longer to figure out what needs to change.
Historical soil test data is good information to have, but every field in the Max Yield System gets soil tested. Another important piece is knowing if there are specific weed, disease, or insect problems that show up year after year.
Everything the producer knows about that field, we need to know. The crop plan becomes a diagnostic tool that tells us what’s going on in the field, what the current bushels per thousand are, and what the three- to five-year goal should be.
Why Bushels per Thousand Matters
Jackson Lewis: Why is bushels per thousand so important, and how do you use it to set yield goals?
Matt Long: Hybrids have much more capacity to create yield than what we’re usually harvesting. Bushels per thousand tells us how much capacity we have without increasing population.
When you increase population, you increase seed cost and fertility demand. If we know where you are today on bushels per thousand, we know how much yield we can build through management. Then we ask what we can improve from a field operation or management standpoint to increase that number.
Setting Goals for Lower-Yielding Fields
Jackson Lewis: What does it look like to set a crop goal on a field that historically has lower yields?
Matt Long: A 6.3 bushels-per-thousand number is about a 95-bushel dryland corn average in our area. If a field is below that, say five bushels per thousand at 15,000 population, that’s a 75-bushel yield.
The first thing we look at is emergence and stand uniformity. That’s the biggest factor affecting bushels per thousand. If emergence isn’t even, we ask why. Are we planting in poor conditions? Are we planting shallow? Is the planter running too fast and bouncing?
Typically, low bushels per thousand sends us straight to the planter pass. The next thing is soil fertility. We’re seeing more fields with calcium base saturation well below optimal. Some fields that should perform well don’t, and soil testing helps explain why.
The first two places we look are the planter and fertility. Crop protection and hybrid selection matter too, but you can’t evaluate those without knowing everything else about the field.
Planning for High-Yielding Fields
Jackson Lewis: How does the crop plan differ for a high-yielding field?
Matt Long: With a lower-yielding field, we’re fixing what’s going wrong and usually choosing defensive hybrids. With a high-yielding field already producing 120 bushels and eight bushels per thousand, the goal is to push it further.
That might be a more aggressive hybrid, a late-season fertility application, or a stress mitigation product added to a herbicide pass. Sometimes it’s simply improving planter performance. Some fields are high producers because of their soil, and management improvements can still add yield.
Building the Hybrid Portfolio
Jackson Lewis: Once the crop plan is in place, how do you build the right hybrid portfolio?
Matt Long: First, we determine the portfolio across the entire farm. We look at bushels per thousand and obstacles like high pH or continuous corn.
Then we ask if that portfolio can move the farm average up by at least one bushel per thousand. If the farm average is 5.5, we want to reach 6.5.
Once the portfolio is set, we match hybrids to fields based on obstacles and performance goals.
Why Use a Hybrid Portfolio?
Jackson Lewis: Why not just plant one hybrid across the whole farm?
Matt Long: A portfolio is about diversifying risk. If you planted one hybrid on one day, you’re exposed to weather risk. Planting multiple hybrids across multiple dates spreads that risk.
Even the same hybrid planted ten days apart has a different risk profile. Using several hybrids and planting over time reduces the chance of widespread failure.
Balancing Risk and Reward
Jackson Lewis: How do you balance risk and reward with hybrids?
Matt Long: Most growers don’t want to manage too many hybrids. Three to five is usually enough. Planting the same hybrid on different dates helps spread risk, as does using different hybrids within the portfolio.
Why Build a Crop Plan at All?
Jackson Lewis: What’s the biggest advantage of building a crop plan with the Max Yield System compared to what growers are doing now?
Matt Long: The Max Yield System looks at everything from pre-plant through harvest. It helps growers make decisions early, when there’s time to gather information.
When decisions are made early, stress is reduced. That allows growers to focus on execution in the field. Four of the top five factors for producing a top crop happen on planting day. Removing decision stress helps get those done right.
How the Crop Plan Leads Into Fertility Planning
Jackson Lewis: How does the crop plan help build the fertility plan?
Matt Long: Bushels per thousand feeds directly into fertility planning, along with soil testing. Many growers don’t soil test enough.
It’s like driving without a gas gauge. Without testing, nutrients are often over-applied, which throws other nutrients out of balance. What we often find is there are already nutrients available in the soil that don’t need to be paid for again.
By soil testing, we can rebalance nutrients, reduce unnecessary applications, and improve efficiency, which helps increase bushels per thousand.
Thanks again, Jackson, for standing in for the growers and asking their questions. We’re looking forward to unloading the next piece of the Max Yield System, which is fertility planning.
Until next time, remember, ag is Easy when you tune into the EZ Ag Podcast.
That’s all for today, I’m Matt Long,
Grow Your Yield, Grow Your Legacy, Grow Strong with Axis Seed.
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