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September 2015

Disease Management – Manage White Mold Inoculum Now to Reduce Severity in Future Crops

This summer’s cool and wet weather created conditions favorable for the development of white mold. Consequently, the disease has infected soybean fields across the state. With careful management, growers can significantly reduce the amount of 2015 white mold inoculum that will be available to infect future susceptible crops grown in the infested fields. White mold inoculum is contained in small, black survival structures called sclerotia. The sclerotia are produced on and in the stems and pods of infected plants and resemble rat droppings. Sclerotia can germinate at the soil surface and up to a depth of 2 inches under [...]

By |September 29, 2015|

Disease Management: Green Stem Soybeans

The challenges for 2015 continue to develop. Another issue growers are facing is green stemed soybeans. There are two distinct types of green stems, Green Stem Syndrome or simply stay green soybeans. In the case of stay green, the soybeans simply mature at a slower rate and the stems, leaves and pods all remain green. Stay green can be attributed to varietal differences, fungicide applications or some herbicide applications. In the case of Green Stem Syndrome, the stems remain green after pods have matured. Sporadically throughout the field you will also notice that several plants will retain their petioles [...]

By |September 28, 2015|

Agronomy: Soybean Conditions in August

Hello from District 2. Soybeans are really starting to change color quickly here in District 2. Temperatures were very high a couple weeks ago and are now back to normal for this time of year. Some of the later planted soybeans are still green and benefitted greatly from the last couple rain events we’ve had, something I can’t say for the earlier ones. Beans planted in late April and early May are starting to drop leaves now. This is the time of year when you can really start seeing how the beans may yield. So, what factors went into [...]

By |September 25, 2015|

Agronomy: Five Things We Learned in 2015

Now that harvest 2015 has started, let’s look at some of the things we have learned during this growing season. 1. Variety selection is still one of the most critical choices we make in soybean production: The weather this year again made it obvious that the correct maturity, a strong disease package and SCN resistance for a farmer can be a deal maker or breaker. One of the best assets to your farm is a good seedsman that knows his stuff. 2. Soil fertility is as important in soybeans as in corn: again in 2015 with our wildly crazy [...]

By |September 25, 2015|

Agronomy: Harvest Aids Questions as Soybean Harvest Approaches

This year with all the wet weather and a lack of good weed control in many areas, many farmers are asking about using a harvest aid to help kill weeds prior to soybean harvest. In many fields we have soybeans that are turning yet waterhemp, cocklebur and some grasses are still very green. Removing this green matter will aid in harvest as well as removing storage risk. There are options for harvest aids in soybeans, but there are a few things farmers should be aware of before applying them to their soybean fields. The first is timing of application [...]

By |September 24, 2015|

Agronomy: Avoid harvesting soybeans too dry

“Avoid harvesting soybeans” too dry is almost a cliché and a seemingly impossible task. Growers try to start combining when beans are 14% or so (no one wants a moisture discount), but before they know it moisture drops from 14 to 12 to 10 and even 8% moisture on a sunny, warm and windy fall day. Even with best intentions soybeans dry down quickly each day once mature. To avoid moisture discounts from the quoted market price per bushel, soybeans must contain 13.5% moisture or less. Soybeans often come out of the field early at greater than 13 percent [...]

By |September 23, 2015|

Agronomy: How to Check when Soybeans are Mature

Soybean maturity and “ready to harvest” are generally not the same thing. Physiologically speaking, soybeans are mature when seed dry matter accumulation is complete. But knowing when this happen is not as clear cut as corn, which forms a distinct black layer. Maturity generally occurs when soybean pods have reached their mature gray, tan or brown color. At this point soybean yield is not negatively impacted by drought, frost or a herbicide application that desiccates the plant. It should also be noted that not every pod on a soybean plant matures at the same time. You can have mature [...]

By |September 21, 2015|

Agronomy: Biotic Stresses Were Minimal in Soybeans

Seems insect and disease pressure were very minimal in soybeans in 2015. Soybeans are ripening rapidly. And while you may see the occasional green field, most fields are racing towards the finish line. It all begins with the canopy changing from vibrant green to a dull green, then yellow, then brown and finally leaf drop. This process takes about 2 weeks and the warm, dry and windy weather the last few weeks, beginning the week of Farm Progress, really sped up the maturation process—beans are turning rapidly. This was a year for weather opposites. The spring started out ideally [...]

By |September 18, 2015|

Plant And Soil Health: Fungi Overactive in the Field

Fungi have been very active this season in some soybean fields. Right now at the University of Illinois Plant Clinic we are seeing samples that are the result of a very wet season. All that rain couldn’t have made fungi more active! High on our  recent disease diagnosis list has been Pod and Stem Blight caused by the Diaporthe/Phomopsis complex. Did you know that you can look for infection by this disease well before harvest? Late July and early August are ideal for looking for the fruiting structure of Pod and Stem blight on the petioles of fallen soybean leaves. [...]

By |September 18, 2015|

Agronomy: Getting Ready for Harvest

You probably have noticed that some fields of soybeans have moved into their end game and are beginning to show some signs of ageing, losing that green vigor that characterized them all summer. Soon those fields will begin to yellow quite rapidly and warm and dry weather is speeding up the process. Time to do your last scouting pass to see how your management decisions and the environmental conditions have impacted the crop. So as you move into the end game there are some things to think about and do, such as preparing for harvest and prioritizing fields to [...]

By |September 16, 2015|
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