FUNDED BY THE ILLINOIS SOYBEAN ASSOCIATION CHECKOFF PROGRAM.

March 2017

Podcast: Beneficial partnerships for soybean growers

Eric Woodie, trade facilitator for the Illinois Soybean Association Aired: February 2017 As trade facilitator for the Illinois Soybean Association, Eric Woodie spends his days working to generate beneficial partnerships with stakeholders across trade, transportation, infrastructure and other industries to create changes that will positively impact Illinois soybean growers. With more than a decade of experience in export trade, foreign markets, and inland logistics, Woodie’s skillset was a perfect match for ISA. “I handle the practical stuff,” says Woodie. “Aligning the right people to get projects going that ensure we’re getting soybeans into critical markets and working hard to [...]

By |March 31, 2017|

Knowing the Xtendimax Label

Monsanto hosted a webinar on “Managing the Roundup Ready® Xtend Crop System in 2017. Presenters were Chris Kamienski, a Monsanto technology development representative and Lance Tarochione, a Monsanto technical agronomist. The webinar can be viewed here. The presentation reviewed Xtendimax™ herbicide, product use and stewardship. It was an excellent webinar and I highly encourage you to listen to the recording. Below are some of the highlights from the webinar on Xtendimax herbicide. Lance Tarochione will post a blog on Xtendimax setbacks and buffers and how to understand and implement them on your farm. XtendiMax herbicide is based on dicamba [...]

By |March 29, 2017|

Podcast: Habits of Highly Successful Farmers

Gary Schnitkey, agriculture and consumer economics professor at the University of Illinois Aired: January 2017 In both good times and bad there are commonalities among the farmers who tend to be most profitable. Last year a study sponsored by ISA and the Illinois Soybean checkoff program explored the on-farm practices that led to healthier bottom lines. Gary Schnitkey, agriculture and consumer economics professor at the University of Illinois, and his team of researchers found that certain habits of the most successful farmers set them apart. “The most resilient farmers are able to mitigate risks, make informed, cross-functional decisions and [...]

By |March 24, 2017|

Webinar: Role of Gypsum in Improving Soil and Water Quality

Warren Dick from The Ohio State University discusses what gypsum is, its benefits to soil, sources of gypsum, how it can be applied and how often, and how it helps traps phosphate in the field. Key takeaways: What is gypsum? Soft mineral composed of calcium sulfate dehydrate and water soluble Preserves the nutrient value of manure by “trapping” ammonia as ammonium sulfate in the soil Gypsum is sourced as a by-product or can be mined FGD gypsum Phosphogypsum Titanogypsum Citrogypsum Biotech gypsum (lactic acid production via fermentation) Mined gypsum from natural deposits Benefits Displaces sodium on exchange sites with [...]

By |March 23, 2017|

ILeVO and PPO Interaction

Does ILeVO® have an interaction with soybean pre-emergence herbicides? Yes, there is an increase in phytotoxic symptomology, but there is no impact on stand or yield. Eric Ifft with Bayer CropScience wrote in his weekly “Bayer Necessities” newsletter (February 6, 2017) “It won’t come as a surprise to many of you that ILeVO seed treatment has become a very popular treatment for soybean seed to be planted in 2017. ILeVO is the first and only seed treatment product that can help manage both Sudden Death Syndrome as well as provide early control of nematodes. As reported earlier in Bayer [...]

By |March 22, 2017|

Fungicide Resistance Happens

Frogeye leaf spot fungicide resistance exists in soybeans, but not in a distant cousin, gray leaf spot in corn. We have learned the hard way about herbicide resistance—just think about the waterhemp and Palmer amaranth plague sweeping across the state. But what about fungicide resistance? Fungicide resistance happens when pathogen populations become less sensitive to a fungicide. As with most agronomics, fungicide resistance can be a gray area because fungi may not become completely resistant to a fungicide, but instead develop reduced fungicide sensitivity. Fungicide-resistant strains can pop up due to natural mutations. Subsequent fungicide applications, in effect, select [...]

By |March 20, 2017|

Raising high-yielding soybeans can be a challenge

Plant Growth Regulators (PGRs) teach us how to move soybean yields to the next level For several years we have seen several individuals break the 100-bushel mark, and just this year a new world record was set at 171 bu/A. What makes these individuals successful? What do they know that the average farmer doesn’t? More importantly, what are some things these growers do on contest acres that can be used on commercial acres to improve yields and improve profitability? These growers use many different products and practices to achieve high yields. Whether they realized or not, they are maintaining [...]

By |March 20, 2017|

Podcast: Ag Outlook 2020: Long-Term Bearish and Short-Term Bullish

Steve Johnson, farm management specialist with Iowa State University Aired: December 2016 Overall, 2017 will be another down year despite more record yields, with USDA-ERS data predicting about a 15 percent drop in farm incomes, says Steve Johnson, farm management specialist with Iowa State University. “As we enter the fourth year of depressed prices, successful farmers are watching their margins, paying attention to cash flow and cutting costs.” Key Takeaways: 1. Proactively manage your costs. Tighten up your record keeping and do the acre-by-acre calculations necessary to determine your production costs. Use those numbers to make strong management decisions. [...]

By |March 17, 2017|

BMPs for Double Cropped Beans

Double cropping soybeans is popular in southern Illinois where many producers plant some soybeans after combining wheat. Doubling cropping soybeans isn’t without challenges, which can result in low yields. However, there are some solutions which begin with harvesting wheat early and planting soybeans sooner, planting into a good seedbed to achieve good emergence, and managing the crop so it will yield similar to full season soybeans. Illinois participated in a regional double crop project in 2016. States close to the Ohio River that were involved included Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio. The institutions involved included Illinois –John Bailey, JCB [...]

By |March 15, 2017|

Webinar: Variable Seeding: Benefits for changing variety and population across the field

Mark Apelt, regional product specialist at Beck’s Hybrids, and Mike Hannewald, precision farming field advisor at Beck’s Hybrids, explore how to select appropriate planting populations and varieties for different zones across a field. Key takeaways 5 factors that determine soybean yields Emergence Number of nodes Number of pods/node Number of beans/pod Seed size Variable seeding helps drive soybean yields Soil types Some soils mineralize more nitrogen than others Understanding genetics Offensive vs. defensive Offensive/reproductive/racehorse: More flowers/nodes Smaller leaf size, especially under stress Grow faster under ideal conditions Variable seed size Should be planted earlier to shade the ground and [...]

By |March 14, 2017|
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