Farmers in the western corn belt are gearing up for another bumper crop season and can ensure success by following a simple agronomic checklist. Asgrow Technical Agronomist Jeff Spieler covers South Dakota. He says it starts with proper product placement and crop rotation.

Plant populations are another important consideration, but this is an area farmers may skimp on when margins are tight. Spieler says the biggest key is to match the seeding population to the product or hybrid.

Spieler says soil fertility is also important coming off a record crop year in 2016. Nutrient management starts with grid soil sampling and application of the proper levels of macro and micro nutrients. Plus, he says farmers also need to pay attention to soil pH levels.

He also recommends seed treatments on soybeans as a cost-effective way to get the crop off to a good start, protect against early insect and disease infestations and boost yields.