Agronomy: Soybeans: A Season Long Commitment
Most farmers I know work like dogs from the first dry day in March through the time corn is “laid by,” usually around the [...]
Disease Management: Foliar Fungicide May Have Provided Yield Increase to Soybeans
We have conducted numerous studies over the last 10 years on soybean seeding rates. In almost all instances, we rarely observed a response to rates [...]
Agronomy: Wondering about Profitability? Let’s Run the Numbers
We all know that this year is going to be a year of managing risk and production costs. We always face a risk when farming, [...]
Agronomy: Soil Conditions for Planting
Been quite this spring in Illinois. Spring came early in March, but then disappeared for a few weeks when it turned cold, snowy and wet. [...]
Agronomy: Are Pop-Ups or Starters Really Needed for Soybean?
Pop-Ups or In-Furrow fertilizers are typically used on corn to supply a small quantity of N (Nitrogen) and P (Phosphorus) or micronutrients. This N and [...]
Insect Management: The Reality of Neonics as a Seed Treatment
Soybean seed treatments now routinely include a fungicide (usually 2 or 3) and an insecticide. The most common insecticides used come from the neonicotinoid chemistry [...]
Agronomy: Seedbed Stories – When to Plant
In recent years our idea of “optimal” soybean planting dates in Illinois has shifted earlier. Researchers and farmers pushing the envelope looking for higher soybean [...]
Agronomy: Entering the 2016 Yield Challenge
It is time to be thinking about enrolling in the 2016 Soybean Yield Challenge and there are plenty of categories to get involved in. [...]
Disease Management: SDS Control Now Comes On The Seed
Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) is a major soybean disease in Illinois and across the Corn Belt—flare-ups are still unpredictable and can be especially devastating. [...]
Plant and Soil Health: Soybeans and Nitrogen Cycling
Back in May 2015 I posted a blog titled “N on Beans: A Different Perspective.” I suggested that the reason soybeans don’t consistently respond [...]