Illinois Farmers Implementing Best Management Practices – Winter Newsletter
ILLINOIS FARMERS IMPLEMENTING BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR NUTRIENT LOSS REDUCTION STRATEGY Recent results from the USDA/NASS 2015 Producer Survey show marked improvements in the implementation of practices outlined in the Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy. Read the report here. IAA BOARD MEMBERS IMPLEMENT NUTRIENT LOSS REDUCTION STRATEGIES ON THEIR FARMS Check out the short videos (each is less than two minutes) where IAA Board members show the steps they are taking to implement best management practices on their farms. Jeff Kirwan, Mercer County, uses cover crops to scavenge nutrients and prevent erosion Michele Aavang, McHenry County, implements good fertilizer management [...]
How early can beans be planted?
When is a good time to plant soybeans, and is late winter too early? One thing that describes winter in Illinois—year in and year out—is it’s just plain cold. Hardly a perfect time to plant soybeans, right? According to a study conducted this year that was just completed, plant soybeans in winter. This planting date study began March 19 (Figure 1); still technically winter, in Montgomery County. The opportunity presented itself because it was considerably dry during this time and field conditions were ideal for spring field operations. When planting occurred March 19, the soil temperature at 4” was [...]
2017 Crop Budgets and Current Prices Say Switch to Soybeans and Expect Low Returns
This article originally appeared on farmdocDAILY. Current 2017 fall delivery bids for central Illinois are near $10 per bushel for soybeans while corn is near $3.60 per bushel. At those prices, soybeans are projected to be near $80 per acre more profitable than corn, sending a strong signal to switch acres from corn to soybeans. With increased 2017 soybean plantings, consideration should be given to pricing production on additional acres, thereby mitigating some risks associated with soybean price decreases. Returns for 2017 are projected to be low. Corn prices need to approach or exceed $4.00 per bushel before the farm financial [...]
Overcoming Challenges to a More Profitable System
Please join us for a workshop exploring the challenges and opportunities of double-cropping wheat and soybeans. This conference will bring together growers and industry experts to identify solutions to improve the productivity of double-crop systems. February 8, 2017 — 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Holiday Inn — 222 Potomac Blvd, Mt. Vernon, 62864 Topics Include: Marketing strategies for 2017 in a Down Market Management of stripe rust and scab of wheat Managing diseases in double crop soybean Improving profitability double cropping rotation Farmer Panel - Managing a high yield and high return double crop rotation Management considerations to maximize [...]
Better Yields. Better Profits: A Preview of the ILSoyAdvisor.com Peoria Soybean Summit
Better Yields. Better Profits: A Preview of the ILSoyAdvisor.com Peoria Soybean Summit If you want bigger soybean yields and better profits—make sure the 2017 ILSoyAdvisor.com Soybean Summit in Peoria February 16 is on your calendar. Illinois Field & Bean sat down with several of this year’s speakers; here’s a preview of some of the great information you’ll hear at the Summit. Ag Outlook 2020: Short-term Bearish & Long-term Bullish Steve Johnson, farm management specialist with Iowa State University “Overall, 2016 will be another down year, despite record yields—USDA-Economic Research Service data indicates about a 15 percent drop in farm [...]
Know Your Soils, Improve Their Quality to Help Soybean Fertility
This article originally appeared in the December 2016 issue of No-Till Farmer magazine. Corn is usually the main focus of a grower’s fertility program, but no-tillers should pay just as much attention to their soybeans by knowing their soil quality and understanding nutrient availability. Do you really need to fertilize your no-till soybeans? Can’t you just let them scavenge for what’s left in the soil after corn? Andrew Hoiberg has been asked those questions and his answer is — no. “You shouldn’t just let your soybeans scavenge out there. You should be proactive in your fertility management and make [...]
Learn Tips for Successful Double-Cropping
Register to attend for the Second Annual Double-Crop Conference. Double-cropping is a popular rotation in Southern Illinois. Growers grow and harvest wheat and immediately plant back a crop of soybeans. This rotation can generate more income than full-season corn or soybeans or a single wheat crop, but faces numerous challenges that impact the quality of wheat and/or the yield of soybeans. However, while there are challenges in this rotation there are also solutions available that make it a productive and profitable enterprise. It is also an environmentally sound practice as wheat growing over winter provides many of the same [...]
The 4Rs and Illinois NLRS
Editor’s Note: This is the 2nd part in a 4-part series on the 4Rs and nutrient management. Illinois has adopted its own Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy (NLRS) to reduce nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) losses from the landscape. Nitrogen and P are our two main concerns when addressing impairments to water quality. We have a Federal Drinking Water Standard that allows a maximum of 10 ppm nitrate (N). This nitrate must be removed by the municipal water treatment facilities. Hence, the problems we are seeing in Iowa, Lake Erie and the Chesapeake Bay area. When it comes to [...]
Norminate a CCA
If you know a good CCA who has helped you increase your soybean knowledge and production, nominate him/her for the Master Soybean Adviser award. Illinois has a lot of qualified CCAs—there are nearly 1300 of them across the state. These CCAs are either farmers, work directly with farmers and advise them on their practices, or work for a product manufacturer, seed company or distributor. The CCAs in Illinois are all well-trained, certified and have to continue their education to remain certified. Last December the Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) announced its first Soybean Master Adviser Award. ISA wants to recognize [...]
Better Yields. Better Profits: A Preview of the ILSoyAdvisor.com Soybean Summit in Effingham
Better Yields. Better Profits: A Preview of the ILSoyAdvisor.com Soybean Summit in Effingham If you want bigger soybean yields and better profits—make sure the 2017 ILSoyAdvisor.com Soybean Summit in Effingham February 3 is on your calendar. Illinois Field & Bean sat down with several of this year’s speakers; here’s a preview of some of the great information you’ll hear at the Summit. How do you win in tough times? Mike Boehlje, distinguished professor of agricultural economics at Purdue University “Our analysis shows continued tight margins through much of this decade, unless something unexpected happens to soybean demand or big [...]
and then