As planting comes to completion the inclination is to take a breather, but before that happens, get out and scout. "Protect your investment . . . make sure it's right (ground proofing)," said Tim Stelter, manager at the Osceola location.

Get out in the fields early and check the stands for "uniform emergence, signs of cutworm feeding [in corn], other insects, or early weed concerns," said Stelter. With heavy investments in new technology, such as variable rate seeding and fertilizer, getting it right is not only agronomically sound, but economically wise. And it's one more way to help protect and promote yield.

Take advantage of the new apps for phones and tablets (such as IPM, among others) that make scouting easier, especially when it comes to pest identification. Plus, said Stelter, "drones and satellite imagery can help alert us to potential problems that need to be looked at more closely."

Thanks to a string of mild winters, more pests are surviving through the season, and scouting fields is the only way to see what's happening. "Good old-fashioned boots on the ground are still needed," said Stelter, "maybe more than ever."

Talk to your Federated Agronomist about any concerns that arise from scouting your fields.