Importance of Soybean Storage Proteins
Soybeans are grown because oil can be extracted and marketed as vegetable oil or blended to make biodiesel and the high protein soybean meal byproduct can be fed to livestock. However, it is the storage proteins and their composition that determine protein compositional quality. Soybeans, at 13 percent moisture contain about 18 to 20 percent oil and 34 to 36 percent crude protein, though those ranges can vary considerably across varieties and climatic zones. A bushel of soybeans weighing about 60 pounds contains 44 pounds of meal, 11 pounds of oil, 3.5 pounds of hull and about 1.5 pounds [...]
Applying Foliar Fungicide on Soybeans
Many soybeans across the state of Illinois approached the R1 to R3 stage in early August and many growers questioned whether to apply a fungicide. In general, a fungicide application is recommended when the cost of applying the product is outweighed by the yield advantage it provides. As in many other years, the foliar application recommendations on soybeans change based on environment, field disease history, planting date, variety susceptibility to disease, and the list could go on and on. As a standard recommendation, an R3 application of fungicide will typically give the grower the most return on the investment. [...]
Improving Soil Health
Soil health is a popular topic today. Many entities including NRCS, universities, non-profits and private companies are promoting soil health and how to improve it. Growers are interested in the health of their soil, but worry that the cost of improving it will not generate a profit and may end up costing them money. Dave Rahe, with RPM Soils and a 2019 CCA Soy Envoy, works as a soil scientist and is very interested in improving the health of his customer’s soils. He says that when studying soil health, you need to track three parameters: chemical, physical and biological. [...]
Connect with ISA at Farm Progress Show
Planning a trip to the Farm Progress Show Aug. 27 to Aug. 29? Be sure to stop by the Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) exhibit at lot #809, located in the northeast quadrant of the show on Eighth Progress Street. ISA board members and staff will be on hand to discuss soybean checkoff programs, market research and advocacy efforts, as well as soybean production topics. And while you’re at the ISA exhibit, pick up an ice-cold water, courtesy of Valent U.S.A. During the show ILSoyAdvisor, your source for the latest in-season actionable soybean advice, will offer a free hat to [...]
Late Applications of Foliar Fungicides
Even though the 2019 season got a late start and seemed to drag on forever, we’re reaching the point in the season where things are finally wrapping up. Planting is complete, weed control is near finished and fungicide applications are being made as we speak. Now is the time of year we sit back and hope for August rains to make our soybean crop. And, we’re done having to make decisions on this year’s crop … or are we? The likely answer for 2019 is “yes”, but in any given year are there additional management decisions that can be [...]
Are Spider Mites Our Next 2019 Challenge?
Because of the dry weather pattern we are in, there has been some conversation across the countryside about two-spotted spider mites becoming our next challenge in this crazy 2019 growing season. Before we dive too far into this discussion, let’s spend a minute understanding this pest. Two-spotted spider mites don’t just “appear” in hot, dry weather. There are always some spider mites in the environment, however, under our normal weather conditions the population of spider mites is kept in check by natural enemies that are either pathogens, insects or other mites. To the right is an image of spider [...]
Cool and Wet Weather Bring on Bacterial Blight
2019 has been an unusual season with a wet spring and very late planting followed by drier weather and outbreaks of diseases and pests. I think this is a year we will be glad to put behind us. I have been scouting soybeans on a fungicide project in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa (I live outside Omaha) the last couple weeks. There have seemed to me to be three commonalities across all the soybean fields: Minor leaf feeding (Japanese beetles, caterpillars, bean leaf beetle and others) Minor Septoria brown spot at the bottom of the canopy (this was expected) [...]
A Peek into the Pod
August is a critical time in the life of a soybean plant. Although many of the flowers have pollinated, the plants are still setting new flowers and the tiny pods and seeds inside them are beginning to develop. Depending on when they were planted, soybeans are generally in the R3 (beginning pod) or R4 (full pod) growth stage at the beginning of the month. It takes an average of 24 days for soybeans to advance from R4 to the R6 (full seed) stage. This period is the most important time for determining final yield of the field. The presence [...]
2019 Double-Crop Soybeans Are “East Bound and Down”
In the Jerry Reed song “East Bound and Down” from the movie "Smokey and the Bandit" part of the chorus is “we have a long way to go and a short time to get there.” Well, that could be the theme for double-crop soybeans in 2019. I guess this whole cropping year so far could be a country song. It sure has had its challenges and they are far from over. The 2019 wheat harvest wasn’t an early or late crop, coming in about the middle of the harvest time frame for most farmers. However, persistent rainfall and wet [...]
PODCAST: The Evolution of Soybean Production in Illinois
Soybean production in Illinois has been on a a steep upwards trend over the last decade. Dan Davidson, research and technical consultant for the Illinois Soybean Association, takes a look at the evolution of soybean production and what practices have helped Illinois take the lead in soybean yield.
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