April 2015

Hello, my name is Jack Hardwick and I am your Soybean Agronomist from Crop District 6. I was born and raised in Beardstown, Ill., on a grain farm located in the Illinois River Valley.  I graduated from Beardstown High School in 2000 and received a B.S. degree in Plant and Soil Science from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale in 2004.  I spent the first three years out of college working as a Crop Specialist for Sunrise Ag FS based in Mason County, Illinois, where I was exposed to a variety of grain crops as well as vegetable production.  I then [...]

In the next few weeks growers across Illinois will start planting their soybeans. Planting soybeans at the right time, right depth and under the right soil conditions gives growers the best opportunity to get their crop out of the ground quickly, establish a vigorous crop stand and have a jump-start on reaching their yield goal. Soybean growers have already made their most important soybean decision: what variety and maturity group to plant. But there are other factors growers should consider before planting starts. Growers sometimes pay less attention to seeding soybeans than corn. Seed is cheaper, beans are less [...]

So you want to grow 100 bushel soybeans this year? Either you can get lucky or put together the right team. Producing 100 bushel soybeans isn’t unheard of and it has been accomplished multiple times, but it takes some planning and the right weather to achieve it. In 2015, Dan Arkels from LaSalle County won ISA’s 100 bushel challenge with a verified yield of 103.9 bushels per acre. There were several other reports in Illinois last year of 100 bushels but they weren’t necessarily verified by an independent party. Hitting 100 bushel soybean yield is a substantial achievement if [...]

The standard soybean planting depth has been about 1.5 inches for a long time now. But recent data published in the last couple of years show that soybeans can be planted deeper, and that is a benefit. Last spring (2014) Jim Specht, retired professor at the University of Nebraska, released results from his three year study which showed that 1.75 inches was the optimal depth regardless of soil conditions, planting date, population or tillage system. When I looked at his raw data, I felt that the depth ranged anywhere from 1.75 to 2 inches. The agronomic theory holds that [...]

Hello, my name is Bill Orr. I am the owner of Agronomic Insights in Reddick, Illinois. Agronomic Insights is an independent crop consulting company that sells Pioneer seed, does GPS-based soil testing and crop scouting. I enjoy working with growers to solve problems and help them improve their production practices. Soybeans seem to be unique because increasing yield hasn’t been as easy as it has been for corn. And it comes down to priority and focus. Why do corn get all the attention and soybeans seem to be ignored? Some growers don’t treat soybeans as a priority for high [...]

Hello, my name is Wade Meteer and I am your soybean Envoy from Crop District 4. I like crops that  are self-sufficient. Maybe that’s why I like soybeans so much – they are self-reliant and adaptable just like we have to be if we are going to survive in farming. I was born and raised on a grain farm near Athens, Illinois, about 20 miles north of Springfield.  As far back as I can remember I have had a passion for farming, and growing up on the farm, I always knew I would pursue a career in agriculture.  I received both [...]