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Farmer hopes to improve bottom line by planting early 

A central Illinois farmer says he will plant soybeans in March if the conditions allow it.

Doug Schroeder says the motivation is to improve his bottom line.

“If you were to ask anybody in production what’s the number one thing farmers could do to start producing more soybeans per acre, they would say plant earlier,” he says. “Load them up with insecticides, fungicides, and inoculants, and get them in the ground if the conditions are right and let them do there thing.”

He tells Brownfield he typically plants soybeans first, but not this early.

“We bought a second planter a few years ago and dedicated it to soybeans and I would sat at least half the time we’ll plant soybeans before we plant corn,” he says. “We think we do a pretty good job of growing soybeans.”

Schroeder spoke to Brownfield at the Commodity Classic in Anaheim.

Audio: Doug Schroeder, Illinois farmer