FUNDED BY THE ILLINOIS SOYBEAN ASSOCIATION CHECKOFF PROGRAM.

June 2017

Controlling White Mold

May was a wet month with frequent rains and very little drying and June is shaping up to be fairly similar. Of course, all this cool and wet weather is good for soybean growth and rows will canopy over. However, this wet and humid weather could be setting growers up for a risk of white mold. White mold is a fungal disease that occurs infrequently and requires a unique set of conditions in order to appear. White mold is caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and the disease occurs primarily in northern Illinois in cool and wet years, when humidity is [...]

By |June 30, 2017|

Identifying Dicamba Symptomology and Yield Impact on Non-Dicamba Tolerant Soybeans

In 2016 many states saw a rapid increase in acres planted to dicamba-tolerant soybeans. Many of these states experienced numerous cases of dicamba off-target movement due to vapor-drift, physical drift, tank-contamination and/or use of an improper dicamba formulation. In this article we will focus on how to identify dicamba symptomology on non-dicamba-tolerant soybeans and the estimated yield impact of an off-target application of dicamba to non-dicamba-tolerant soybeans. Dicamba symptomology is often not expressed until 7 to 14 days after application on non-dicamba tolerant soybeans.  After 7 to 14 day after application, non-dicamba tolerant soybean may exhibit, crinkling of leaf [...]

By |June 29, 2017|

Selecting Double-Crop Soybean Varieties

Wheat harvest will be early this year, so now is the time to think about what soybeans varieties you want to double-crop after wheat. Historically, many farmers have thought of double-cropping soybeans after wheat as a gamble. Wheat harvest used to happen close to the first week of July and planting soybeans after that July harvest date was risky due to weather concerns and stand difficulties.  Before the advent of patented, protected varieties, many farmers just backed up to the grain bin and planted whatever seed they had left in storage. It was a gamble. However, after public non-GMO [...]

By |June 28, 2017|

Liberty Herbicide Label Changes

If you are using Liberty® herbicide on soybeans this season, you need to be aware of some updates to the label. Following are new directions for application on soybeans: • 43 oz./acre single application • 87 oz./acre total annually Label changes are highlighted in yellow below. We recommend that you always review product labels to remain up-to-date on application requirements to ensure greatest efficacy. Access the full Liberty label here.

By |June 27, 2017|

PODCAST: Managing the 2017 soybean crop

It’s another record year for soybean acres planted, as 10 - 15 percent of planned corn acres were shifted to soybeans due to the spring weather conditions. This record doesn’t come without challenges, though. Many of those acres will need special attention throughout the growing season. Agronomy sales specialist Dawn Kielsmeier talks late-planted soybeans and how to best manage this year’s crop for a successful growing season. Kielsmeier estimates that 70 percent of soybeans in her growing area were planted later than normal. On top of late plants, due to the heavy May rainfall and June dryness many fields [...]

By |June 26, 2017|

Foliar N on Soybeans Can Work – Sometimes

Growers have been asking about applying nitrogen (N) to soybeans. Soybeans have been shown to require more nitrogen than corn; roughly 5 lbs. per bushel, while corn requires only 1 lb. And 60-bushel soybeans need 300 to 350 lbs. of available N, about twice that of 200-bushel corn. Nitrogen can be applied to soybeans preplant, top dress or foliar if there is a need, but often biological nitrogen fixation by the plant and supplies in the soil provide enough N for the average crop. Supplemental applications often show no benefit and results are so inconsistent that it is difficult [...]

By |June 26, 2017|

Why Weeds Become a Control Problem

Controlling problem weeds post-emerge in soybeans begins with pre-emerge planning. The past few days have been filled with many service calls on both waterhemp and marestail control. These weeds are becoming major challenges in our crops and this season has proven to be one of the tougher one I have encountered in my career. The task of killing these weeds is already a challenge, but this season has been especially challenging. Here’re are few tips on controlling these weeds. Waterhemp Glyphosate-resistant waterhemp can be controlled by PPO inhibitors such as Cobra® or Flexstar® or Liberty® if Liberty Link® soybeans [...]

By |June 23, 2017|

Potassium Deficiencies

Time to start watching for potassium deficiencies in soybeans Soybeans require a whole lot of potassium (K) and remove a whopping 1.4 pounds of K2O per bushel. The application rate for a 60-bushel per acre soybean crop is 84 pounds of actual K2O or 140 pounds of potash (0-0-60) per acre. As we strive for 70- and 80-bushel beans that amount increases. The first place to look for a potential potassium deficiency is a soil test. According to the Illinois Agronomy Handbook: • No K additions are suggested if test levels are above 360 and 400 pounds per acre [...]

By |June 23, 2017|

Raising High-Yielding Soybeans Can Be A Challenge, Part 2

Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of three articles on the role of hormones in soybean plants. Soybean reproduction is all about supporting and increasing cell division. Cell division drives flower fertility and survival, pod set, beans per pod and, ultimately, seed size and weight. Soybean plants have a unique trigger which occurs at R1, but often goes unnoticed. The first flowers appearance triggers a signal in the plant to focus its energy on increasing root growth. If you recall from our first article, the roots are the major source of the plant hormone, cytokinin. What [...]

By |June 22, 2017|

Diagnosing PPO Damage

PPO herbicides + cool, wet conditions = herbicide damage With the recent spate of hot, dry weather it’s hard to remember that only a few short weeks ago we were inundated with rain—delaying planting and causing replants, stand loss and even crop damage. One symptom of the rainy spell was protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO) herbicide damage. Growers usually apply residual herbicides before or just after planting soybeans and no longer depend on post-emergence application. PPO herbicides are Group 14 herbicides. Once applied, several factors affect weed control efficacy as well as crop safety. Commercial products containing the PPO mode of action [...]

By |June 15, 2017|
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