Is High Yield Even Still an Option for Late Planted Soybeans?
The topic of planting soybeans early and with lower populations was something I talked about in depth with growers as an easy and affordable way to set up soybean field yield potential from the start. Unfortunately, as the weather did not cooperate for much of the state this spring, many plans for early planting and decreased populations began to slip away. With growers looking at fields of soybeans that weren’t planted “according to plan” the question of yield potential often comes up. It is important to remember there are three keys to growing high yielding soybeans and those haven’t [...]
Cover Crops and Conservation
Soil Health Action Plan: Cover crops help solve soil erosion and nutrient loss issues on Tom Kentner's farm Conservation tillage supports healthy soil Soil and tissue testing are tools in Kentner’s belt to evaluate the health of his soil Healthy crops come from healthy soil Tom Kentner and his wife, Susan, farm more than 1,200 acres of corn and soybeans with their son, Alex. The family operation near Danville, Illinois, is deep in the Lake Vermillion Watershed, so sustainability is top of mind to protect downstream water quality. Cover crops and minimum tillage practices help Kentner achieve his goal [...]
Testing Tech
Soil Health Action Plan: Technology plays an important role in nutrient and water management at Schroeder Farms Water control structures improve field drainage and water conservation Variable rate technology applies nutrients where and when they are needed Doug Schroeder began farming because he enjoyed driving a tractor. His love for sitting in the cab, hand on the steering wheel, was a big part of his decision to spend his life working the family farm. Now, with technology advancements, he says he barely needs to touch the wheel. “The cab looks like something from NASA. We have about four LED [...]
Doubling Down on Double-Crop
Soil Health Action Plan: Crop rotation is an important piece of David Droste’s nutrient management plan Wheat, cover crops and no-till practices help preserve nutrients and soil Data helps make smarter management decisions Sometimes called “Little Egypt,” Washington County is the number one Illinois county for producing wheat—also a crucial crop in the country of Egypt. It’s only fitting that Washington County is home to David Droste and his family, since wheat plays an important role in Droste’s sustainable cropping strategies. Double-crop or Cover Crop Droste plants one-third of his acres to wheat and will follow with double-crop soybeans [...]
Could Boron Deficiency Be an Issue in 2019?
Early tissue test results for V4 corn in central Illinois are coming back low on boron—between 6 to 10 ppm. Sufficiency levels are between 10 and 40 ppm. Early deficiencies in corn are also a harbinger for deficiencies in soybeans. The photo to the right is an image showing rippled leaf margins and small white spots, classic boron deficiency symptoms on corn. It is unusual to see these deficiencies on corn at these early growth stages in Central Illinois soils. Unfortunately, we are seeing more fields with this symptom this year than we typically see as result of such [...]
Early Season Yellow Beans
One doesn’t have to drive too many miles on country roads to find a field of beans that is not as deep green as we would like to see. This may be a neighbor’s field, or it may be your own. Either way, you may be wondering what would cause the beans to look unhealthy. There are numerous possible causes, some of which we will explore. Nitrogen deficiency: Nitrogen deficiency often occurs in soybeans planted into fields that have been saturated for long periods of time. Saturated soil conditions hamper root development, which slows the uptake of nitrogen from [...]
Innovative Grower Panel Confirmed for Tech Connect
Just confirmed for Tech Connect on July 16 is a panel of three innovative farmers who will discuss “AgTech Lessons from My Farm.” Illinois farmers Ken Dalenberg, Steve Pitstick and Jacob Wade will share what they learned using agtech on their own farms and offer suggestions for others interested in implementing new technologies. • Ken Dalenberg has tested and consulted on technologies for The Climate Corporation, Farmers Business Network, Syngenta’s AgriEdge, Agrible, John Deere and other companies after becoming an early adopter of agtech on his own operation. Dalenberg’s Scattered Acres Farm near Mansfield, Illinois, has been the site [...]
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