Should You Apply a Fungicide?
Halfway through the growing season, many farmers are debating fungicide application despite low commodity prices. What do our IL Soy Envoys and Certified Crop Advisers think? Tune in for their latest crop updates, Hurricane Beryl rainfall reports, Illinois record crop predictions, and more!
Staging Soybeans for Fungicide at the R3 Growth Stage
When scouting soybeans for fungicide application, it's important to first check the growth stage across the field. Stephanie Porter, CCA, demonstrates how to identify the R3 growth stage in soybean plants and how to inspect for diseases such as Septoria brown spot and insect damage.
Suspect Red Crown Rot in Your Soybeans? Get a Free Diagnosis Now.
Researchers are on the lookout for Red Crown Rot (RCR) across Illinois. If you suspect RCR in your fields, send your diseased samples to the USDA-ARS lab in Urbana for free. Help us monitor and identify new areas in Illinois where this pathogen has spread.
Well…How’d You Do?
As IL Soy Envoy Craig Grafton monitors the development of this year's crop and reflects on the recent planting season, he emphasizes the importance of evaluating successes and areas for improvement. In this blog post, he shares his approach to planting and assessing plots as the season unfolds.
And the Bad News Is?
After a week's break, the IL Soy Envoys have returned to provide their latest field reports. They cover precipitation levels—or the lack thereof in some regions—and discuss the emergence of tar spot and other potential diseases.
IL Crop Conditions Getting Worse?
On the latest episode of the ILSoyAdvisor podcast, the Soy Envoys discuss Illinois crop conditions, emergence issues, "floppy corn," ongoing weed scouting, and pest concerns such as slugs, Japanese beetles, and stinkbugs.
Understanding the Crop Injury Risks of PRE Herbicides in Early-Planted Soybeans
As farmers continue to plant soybeans earlier, there are concerns about preemergence (PRE) herbicide injury to emerging seedlings. Supported by the Illinois Soybean Association, the University of Illinois Crop Sciences department is evaluating different PRE herbicides on early-planted soybeans to give farmers access to crop injury ratings for better weed management decisions.
Does Late Planting Mean Delayed Yields?
The 2024 planting season has been marked by significant variability, especially in planting dates. This raises the question: should soybean fields planted in mid-May be managed like those planted in April? According to IL Soy Envoy Drew Beckman, the answer is yes, and he provides reasoning in his latest blog.