ACES: Photosynthesis Hack Boosts Soybean Yield 20 Percent
RIPE researchers prove bioengineering better photosynthesis increases yields in food crops for the first time ever.
Red Crown Rot of Soybean in Illinois
Since Red Crown Rot was first confirmed, efforts to monitor the disease in Illinois have resulted in maps of occurrence from 2018 to 2021.
U of I Extension Crop Update – May 27
University of Illinois Extension professionals from across the state provide an Illinois crop update for the week of May 27, 2022.
U of I Extension Crop Update – May 12
University of Illinois Extension professionals from across the state provide an Illinois crop update for the week of May 12, 2022.
Weed Management: Fall-Applied Herbicides: Which Weed Species to Target?
URBANA, Ill. – Herbicides applied in the fall often can provide improved control of many winter annual weed species compared with similar applications made in the spring. Marestail is a prime example. More and more Illinois marestail populations are resistant to herbicides, including glyphosate and ALS-inhibiting products. University of Illinois weed scientist Aaron Hager recommends targeting emerged marestail with higher application rates of products such as 2,4-D in the fall to achieve better control come spring. Hager is frequently asked whether a fall application needs to include one or more herbicides that provide residual control of winter annual weed [...]
Agronomy: New booklet gives farmers strategies to reduce nitrogen runoff
URBANA, Ill. – The Midwest, blessed with rich soils and abundant precipitation, leads the country and the world in corn and soybean production. It also contributes the majority of the nitrate load in the Gulf of Mexico, leading to its large low-oxygen “dead zone.” Nitrate applied to farm fields also winds up in local drinking water supplies, which must be removed at a major cost to municipalities. Fortunately, there are ways for farmers to reduce nitrogen loss, and a new University of Illinois Extension booklet provides details on 10 suggested practices. “In this booklet, we present a consistent source [...]
Agronomy: U of I Agronomy Day
Join us on Thursday, August 18th for Agronomy Day! Discover the latest research, technology, and industry data from University of Illinois faculty and staff in the College of ACES. The event will be hosted in a new location: 4202 South First Street in Savoy, Illinois. In addition to a new location, we’ve made many improvements for participants including: disabled parking, shorter walking distances between tours, new faculty speakers, and a tour of SoyFACE. Field tours begin at 7 a.m. with presentations from researchers covering: nutrient management, drone demonstrations, farm economics, weed management, plant diseases, and more! Don’t miss new Illinois [...]
Agronomy: U of I Agronomy Day
Join us on Thursday, August 18th for Agronomy Day! Discover the latest research, technology, and industry data from University of Illinois faculty and staff in the College of ACES. The event will be hosted in a new location: 4202 South First Street in Savoy, Illinois. In addition to a new location, we’ve made many improvements for participants including: disabled parking, shorter walking distances between tours, new faculty speakers, and a tour of SoyFACE. Field tours begin at 7 a.m. with presentations from researchers covering: nutrient management, drone demonstrations, farm economics, weed management, plant diseases, and more! Don’t miss new Illinois Athletic Director, Josh [...]
Agronomy: U of I Research News: Bioreactors ready for the big time
Bioreactors are passive filtration systems that can reduce nitrate losses from farm fields. Most bioreactors are simple pits filled with wood chips; bacteria on the wood chips remove 25 to 45 percent of the nitrate in runoff water. Research summarized in a special issue of the Journal of Environmental Quality highlights their potential applications and provides insight into design options. URBANA, Ill. – Last summer, the Gulf of Mexico’s “dead zone” spanned more than 6,400 square miles, more than three times the size it should have been, according to the Gulf Hypoxia Task Force. Nitrogen runoff from farms along [...]
Agronomy: Palmer amaranth could affect Illinois soybean yield
URBANA, Ill. – Although agricultural weed Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) primarily impacts southern U.S. states, new research shows it could soon spread further north and damage soybean yields in Illinois. “We did a common garden study in southern, central, and northern Illinois to ask if different varieties of Palmer amaranth from the south complete their life cycle in all three locations and cause yield loss in soybean. The short answer is yes: there are no current climate limitations to any of the genotypes that we looked at,” said University of Illinois weed ecologist Adam Davis. “This is a serious [...]
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