Risks, Rewards, and Recommendations for Early Soybean Planting in Illinois
The decision to plant early soybeans comes with risks such as cold temperatures and potential emergence issues, requiring careful planning and communication. However, earlier planting can bring the reward of higher yields. Comparing risk versus reward, Stephanie Porter shares her recommendations for the upcoming planting season.
Neonicotinoid Seed Treatments: What Does the Research Tell Us?
Join the Illinois Soybean Growers webinar, April 10, 7-8am CT, reviewing research on neonicotinoid seed treatments. Learn about insect control efficacy, impacts on soybean and corn yields, and environmental effects.
Illinois Sustainable Ag Partnership Seeking Applicants for Soil Health Leadership Program
Farmers, advisors and conservation professionals looking to sharpen their skills and further Illinois’ stewardship practices are encouraged to apply for the Illinois Sustainable Ag Partnership’s (ISAP) Soil Health Leadership program. The sessions will cover various topics, including soil structure and function, nutrient management, soil biology, cover crop selection and techniques, equipment setup, field demonstrations, and communication strategies.
Radicle Agronomics with Eli Sloneker
Join Kelsey Litchfield and Kelly Robertson as they chat with Eli Sloneker from Precision Planting about Radicle Agronomics, a system aiming to change soil nutrient management in farming. Eli provides an overview of Radicle Agronomics and its availability, while Kelly asks some technical questions about GeoPress's role in expediting soil sampling.
Weed Control for Early Planted Soybeans
Dr. Hager's research found the most reliable weed control program for early planted soybeans involves a full rate of PRE plus POST herbicide application, while reducing PRE rates often leads to variable weed control. Delaying PRE herbicide application increases the risk of weed emergence before treatment, highlighting the importance of integrating both PRE and POST applications to minimize weed competition with soybeans and reduce seed return to the soil seedbank.
International Benchmarks for Soybean Production
This farmdoc article analyzes yield, gross revenue, and costs across soybean farms in Argentina, Brazil, Russia, Ukraine, and the United States, finding notably higher figures for U.S. farms. Overall, the period from 2018 to 2022 was profitable for soybean production across most farms, except for the typical farm in Canada, exhibiting a positive economic profit.
Wrestling with the Interpretation of Soil Test Results and Fertilizer Recommendations for Phosphorus and Potassium
As the 2024 growing season approaches, concerns about high input costs, decreasing commodity prices, and supply chain issues are escalating. Ensuring accurate calculations for crop budgets becomes crucial, especially with expenses like land rental and chemical costs already accounted for, leaving fertilizer as a potential area for cost-cutting despite its importance.
Digging Up the Dirt with Pike
Southern Illinois consultant, John Pike, shares recent observations of soil conditions in a field, noting the effects of tillage on soil compaction and water infiltration.
ILSoyAdvisor Soy Envoys Selected For 2024 Growing Season
Six certified crop advisers and agronomists will serve as ILSoyAdvisor Soy Envoys for the 2024 growing season. They will provide updates from around the state through the Field Notes blog and ILSoyAdvisor Crop Report.
Cover Crop Planting Dates in Soybean & Corn Rotations: Lessons Learned from Year One of ISA-Funded Study
This Illinois Soybean Association funded project, lead by Nathan Johanning of Illinois Extension, reveals insights from the first year of a cover crop planting date study. The team found that lower seeding rates of early-planted cereal rye cut seed costs and had similar biomass. Late planting still offered good growth into mid-Nov and maximizing biomass by delaying termination until maturity showed no yield reduction in soybeans in most cases.