Much Ado About Bean Leaf Beetles
In my most recent ILSoyAdvisor post, while discussing late-season scouting for insects, I mentioned bean leaf beetles. I wrote that they rarely are present in high enough numbers to warrant control action. But once again 2020 has thrown a curveball at us, and there are numerous reports in the central and northern portions of Illinois of heavy infestations of this normally minor pest. The damage can be significant in some cases, so how can a farmer decide whether a spray will be cost-effective in the current, challenging commodity environment? First, the pest Adult bean leaf beetles are around ¼-inch [...]
PODCAST: Scouting for Late-Season Soybean Insects and Diseases
Jason Carr, CCA Soy Envoy and Bayer Crop Science Technology Development Representative, is on the podcast this week to discuss what soybean insects and diseases farmers should be scouting for in August. Listen to learn more. ILSoyAdvisor Podcasts · Scouting for Late-Season Soybean Insects and Diseases
Five Steps to Effective Late-season Field Scouting
In a typical growing season, most of the grower decisions that can affect the final yield of a soybean field have been made. This does not mean, however, that farmers should kick back and relax. Even though it may be more challenging to walk soybean fields in August than in June, there are still benefits to an effective late-season scouting strategy. Here are five tips that can be used to ensure that you collect and utilize information from the field to make wise decisions. 1. Take advantage of in-season imagery. The majority of growers now use some sort of [...]
Sunlight and Soybeans
July is an interesting month for soybean growers. The crop has been planted and most of the post-emergence herbicide applications have been completed. With the exception of potential fungicide application, most of the factors that are within the farmer’s control are past. Weather will be the biggest factor in determining the size of the soybean crop. To understand the role that weather plays in determining yield, I spoke with Dr. Emerson Nafziger from the University of Illinois. Dr. Nafziger points out that soybean yield potential is determined in July and yield is created in August. Setting Pods The number [...]
I Planted Beans Early, Now I’ll Set Yield Records, Right?
Many farmers in the state of Illinois planted this year’s soybean crop earlier than ever before. Near-perfect soil conditions in early April, coupled with less than favorable memories of 2019, led to widespread planting across the state in the first half of the month. Widespread understanding of the potential yield benefits of planting early also encouraged growers who in some cases finished their soybean planting before even starting corn. Although there have been some field regions requiring replant, mainly because of this May’s late frost or saturated soils, most growers I have spoken with are happy with their decision [...]
Should You Replant Soybeans? Probably Not
As of May 3rd, 31% of the soybeans in the state of Illinois had been planted, well above the five-year average of 12%. Near perfect soil conditions and warm temperatures in early April, coupled with increasing awareness of the benefits of early planting, led growers to plant more of the crop earlier than ever before. By April 24, quite a few growers in some regions of the state were reporting 100% completion of soybean planting. Barring catastrophic weather events, the vast majority of the early planted fields will meet or exceed yield expectations. However, there may be isolated cases [...]
8 Key Soybean Diseases (and 1 Worm) To Watch Out For (and What To Do About Them)
According to the Crop Protection Network, soybean producers in Illinois lose just under half a billion dollars annually to diseases. This equates to an average of $51/acre per year across the state over the past decade. Understanding what these diseases are and how to control them can improve the profitability of your operation. Figure 1. Annual loss per acre to soybean diseases in Illinois. Data source: Crop Protection Network Disease Loss Calculator Early Season Diseases Many pathogens attack soybeans early in the growing season. The most significant are Phytophthora, Fusarium, Pythium and Rhizoctonia. Each of these diseases can cause [...]
Are You Planting Soybeans Early Enough?
Every year there is more buzz about the value of planting soybeans earlier than farmers have historically done, with good reason. University of Illinois data shows that maximum yields are attained at planting dates prior to May 1, with a 7% yield loss when planting on May 15 and 14% loss on June 1. Figure 1. Earliest planting date for federal crop insurance eligibility. Source: University of Illinois Researchers generally find that there is little difference in yield when soybeans are planted between April 15 and April 30 and do not recommend planting earlier than April 15. If you [...]
Five Easy Ways to Use Digital Ag to Improve Production on Your Farm
There are many digital ag platforms available to today’s farmers. These powerful tools allow growers to easily summarize and analyze their results from past growing seasons. However, if you are only using your digital platform to look at yield data, you are missing out on an opportunity to improve your operation in numerous ways. Here are five ways you can improve your return on investment with digital agriculture. Optimize your inputs One way some digital ag tools create value is by allowing growers to create variable planting rate prescriptions. These prescriptions can be automatically generated and use prior years’ [...]
Goodbye 2019, Hello 2020
Every growing season provides us with an opportunity for learning, and 2019 was certainly no exception to this rule. Although we need to be cautious about relying too strongly on variety performance from a single year, especially one as unique as the one we have just gone through, there are always agronomic lessons that we can take to heart. In my recent ILSoyAdvisor webinar, I discussed several things that we learned or confirmed in 2019. Image 1: Single pass post-herbicides on large weeds are often ineffective. Proper weed management is critical With this year’s excessively wet spring, many growers [...]
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