Agronomy: Prepare for wheat planting
If you are a double-cropper, the rotation all begins with the wheat you plant this fall, so it is important to do everything you can to get that crop off to a good start. As the 2016 harvest approaches, remember that what you do at harvest will affect stand establishment in your winter wheat. As you prepare grain bins, auger wagons, trucks and the combine to harvest corn and beans, you also need to prepare the wheat drill to plant behind them. What you do with the combine, grain carts and trucks in the field will affect the performance [...]
Agronomy: Illinois Council on Best Management Practices – Fall Newsletter
IOWA NUTRIENT TOUR REVEALS UNITED FRONT Members of the Illinois farm community traveled to Iowa in August, as part of an Illinois Farm Bureau sponsored educational tour of Iowa's nutrient management techniques. Iowa has a two-year head start over Illinois on its Nutrient Reduction Strategy. Attendees learned about the cooperation between Iowa's state government and farmers. Read the full story on FarmWeekNow.com. FARM SMARTER WITH THESE FIVE ONLINE TOOLS Whether you're looking to maximize your nutrient investment, find the right cover crop, or anticipate this year's precipitation, you should check out these easy-to-use applications. The results from these tools [...]
Agronomy: When will soybean harvest begin?
September is here and we are counting the days till soybean harvest. It will be a good harvest with above average yields. So, what will the yield be and when will harvest begin? It is probably fair to say that soybean yields will be above average even though parts of the state may have suffered some setbacks from too or not enough rain. The Pro Farmer crop tour reported Illinois’ projected soybean yield at 58.5 bushels per acre. They reported “The soybean crop in Illinois was exceptionally tall. While tall beans don’t always produce big yields, the Illinois soybean [...]
Agronomy: New Technologies for Soybean Producers
The 2016 InfoAg Conference, held in St. Louis in early August, brought together over 1700 participants from 20 different countries to learn about and discuss new ideas and technology for crop production. When we started these conferences 21 years ago, we didn’t anticipate where precision farming and information management would lead. What we dreamed about in 1995 was not even close to what we have developed and implemented since then. Presentations by 110 speakers and about 150 exhibits provided insight into how these technologies are impacting crop production around the world. Variable rate application of all inputs helps improve [...]
Agronomy: Podcast: A Look at Conservation Tillage
Rachel Cook, Ph.D., North Carolina State University assistant professor/co-director of the Forest Productivity Cooperative, provides an in-depth explanation of conservation tillage practices. She covers the short-term and long-term benefits of conservation tillage methods. “Based on our 45-year study, doing no-till and adding your typical NPK nutrients is the only way you're going to increase your organic matter.” Launch audio >>>
Agronomy: How is the soybean crop maturing?
So how is the soybean crop faring in Illinois? The USDA has its annual yield predictions coming out in August and September and this week the Pro Farmer Crop Tour will make its predictions for each state. These recent rains will sure help—as we all know “August rains make grain.” It is probably fair to say that soybean yield will be above average even though parts of the state may have suffered some setbacks from too much rain or not enough rain. I remember hearing Bryce Anderson from DTN speak at ISA’s soybean summit in Rockford last March. He [...]
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