Barley Is Not Just for Beer
Barley is not just for making beer, it is also an excellent cover crop to put in your mix. Why are we hearing more about barley? I can’t always speak to why the industry sees momentum in one species or another from year to year or from region to region (I hope it’s mostly an agronomic decision), but I can tell you that barley is a small grain whose usage could see a slight uptick. Here’re a few reminders of the selling points of barley: • Barley is very drought tolerant and uses substantially lower amounts of water than [...]
Illinois Farmers Embracing Best Management Practices
A recent survey by USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) shows Illinois farmers continue to embrace Best Management Practices tied to the Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy (NLRS). The survey questions covered nutrient management strategies, cover crops, edge-of-field practices, use of soil tests, erosion management and knowledge of certain NLRS components. Farmers were asked to respond based on crop years 2011, which was selected as a base year, and 2015. “This survey is proof that our agricultural community has a good story to tell. Illinois farmers are taking ownership of these uses, specifically agricultural non-point nutrient loss, and they are [...]
Plant and Soil Health: Soybean Seeds Are Hungry for Water
When it comes to planting soybeans, moisture and soil conditions matter. Soybean seeds require more water to germinate than corn and must imbibe (absorb) half of their weight in water before they germinate. That is a lot of water. Corn, on the other hand, can germinate by only absorbing a quarter to a third of its weight in water. Soybeans will imbibe two to five times their weight in water while corn only imbibes 1.5 to two times its weight. So, you can plant corn into drier soils and expect successful establishment, but soybeans are another story. The critical [...]
New Traits Don’t Automatically Translate to Highest Yield!
Last week’s announcement by the EPA to register Dicamba formulations for use on Dicamba Tolerant Crops has the soybean world abuzz and for once that buzz isn’t about pollinators! Many of my weed scientist colleagues across the country will be discussing best management practices (BMP’s) for introducing this technology into our agricultural landscape and will put forward recommendations to prolong the shelf-life of this technology. Here is one such example from UNL entitled: Understanding the Roundup Ready 2 Xtend SoybeanWeed Management System. ***Side bar….I decided to highlight this article since UNL never has any highlights in WI and Purdue [...]
Need CEU credits? Check out our Webinar Series
Certified Crop Advisers who still need Continuing Education Units should visit http://ilsoyadvisor.com/tools/#tab-ccas, where we include an archived list of all previous ISA/ILSoyAdvisor.com webinars, organized by type of credit. These checkoff-funded webinars are available anytime, no matter where you are—they’re even viewable on mobile devices. Just tune in, then log onto your CCA account and self-report your credits. Easy, convenient access to soybean management is what ILSoyAdvisor is here for. If you value this type of content, let us know in the comments section below.
Maybe you can grow 100 bushel soybeans?
We all know now that 100-bushel soybeans are in the realm of possibility. Kip Culler did it first and repeated it three times, topping off at 160 bushels. Dan Arkels and the Lakey family have done it in Illinois. Matt Miles has repeated it five times over five consecutive years in Arkansas. And Randy Dowdy broke 100 bushels in 2014 and 2015 and hit 171.8 bu in 2016. There have been other growers who have broken through this ceiling unofficially, so it is possible. The key to producing 100-bushel soybeans is to have the right luck with the weather [...]
Plant and Soil Health: Soil Testing: Ca to Mg ratios
When your soils are tested does your agronomist or soil lab promote the virtues of tracking the Ca to Mg ratio? Soil testing is important because it is the only way to track whether your soil is chemically fit to support soybean production. The test shows if you need to apply phosphorus, potassium or lime and the levels of other nutrients. When a soil test is run, they analyze for many nutrients at one time including calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg). Both of these nutrients, along with sulfur (S) are considered secondary macronturients. Of course, extractable Ca levels are [...]
What Happened to the Double Crop Soybeans This Year?
2016 was a good year for double cropped soybeans. For those that had double crop soybeans this year the question is “What happened?” In many of the reports I have received, the answer is very high-yielding beans. In some cases, the double crops have out-yielded the full season beans. It is not uncommon to hear reports of double crop bean yields of 50 to 70 bushels per acre—double what we normally expect. So, what exactly happened this year that created those big yields? First off, we had a relatively early wheat harvest. And that wheat harvest occurred during the [...]
Weed Management: Dicamba and Soybean: What to Expect in 2017
The long-awaited label allowing dicamba use in dicamba-resistant soybean was granted November 9, 2016, by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), although only one commercial product received that label. Many Illinois farmers anticipate this technology will provide a much-needed solution to challenges caused by weed populations resistant to herbicides from multiple site-of-action groups and other difficult-to-control species. Without question, there are instances and scenarios in which dicamba will improve control of certain weed species, but dicamba will not bring back the “good ol’ days” of POST-only weed control programs in soybean. Current expectations of what this technology can [...]
Include a Legume in Your Cover Crop Selection
Oftentimes growers limit themselves to planting only cereal rye after harvesting soybeans or corn. Rye is always a good selection because it will germinate and overwinter, you can plant it any time through the fall, and it will grow next spring. But it is time to think bigger and broader to expand your cover crop benefits. Winter peas are a great cover crop option, but they come with some challenges. Over the last couple of years, I have heard of issues regarding the establishment of winter peas. They can be difficult to grow in some soil types and field [...]