Spatial data

SOYLEIC, patented by the Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council, is a non-GMO, high-oleic trait available for today’s soybean varieties, which results in high oleic oil and meal. Through funding from the Illinois Soybean Association (ISA), researchers at the University of Illinois are conducting a project focused on the development of high oleic, low linolenic (HOLL) soybean varieties that will be marketed under the SOYLEIC name. This is a source of high-quality soybean oil that can be used to win back the market share of soybean in the food industry and increase its industrial uses. The goal of this research is [...]

Deforestation-free Soy The soy industry is under fire. In May 2021, retailers threatened action over the deforestation of the Amazon. Although deforestation of the Amazon region is a regional problem - or rather global as most of the world is deforested by now - it reflects badly on the soy sector as a whole. However, it is difficult to make deforestation-free claims. Take pork for example. By and large, pigs are soy-fed but equally certain is that farms have no idea where their soy comes from. Soy supply chains, like all commodities, are long and complex and operate with [...]

It's 2021 and technology continues to surge. Ensuring we have an up-to-date understanding of how technology continually impacts our work and lives can be difficult to consistently adapt to and maintain. It is constantly evolving to the point that each day brings a new technological advancement. In the agriculture industry, a common theme is growing profitability and yields with the assistance of technology. When you combine that cutting edge technology with agriculture, you get AgTech. AgTech is one of the newest, fastest growing innovations within the industry. While it has been around for a few years, its ever-changing nature [...]

Evaluating new technology for the farm is not one-size-fits-all. What works successfully on one operation may have a lower-than-expected return on investment (ROI) on another. However, best practices can help you determine when to try out an innovative product or practice on your farm and how to evaluate its impact. Consider these three tips: 1. Know your agtech temperament. Be aware of your level of risk tolerance and how that compares with the upside potential of the new technology. Be honest about your ability to implement it. Do you have the time and patience to adopt the skills and [...]

When it comes to row spacing, it’s hard to know which option will result in the best yields for your crop. Especially since there are so many options to choose from, ranging from 7.5-inch rows all the way to 30 inches. So how do you pick the best option for your farm? The current spacing of my soybeans is 15-inch rows. I believe there is a yield advantage with narrow rows as they achieve canopy closure faster and capture more light during the growing season. Quicker canopy closure also allows for greater shading of weed seedlings and reduces soil [...]

Whether we like it or not, cell phones, iPads and apps have become a part of our daily lives. These technologies have ushered in a new era of agriculture: non-traditional tools that help producers and agronomists manage risk and improve production. Recently, CropLife magazine published an article highlighting several new apps for 2020; below are a few that stood out to me and could be worth further investigation for incorporation into your operation. Farm Service Manager: Service logs for equipment and machinery By having digital logs available at any time, you can refence tasks that need to be done, [...]

What is the best row spacing for soybeans: 7.5, 10, 15, 20 or 30 inches? That is a question I got one morning in April. My short answer was: it depends. I have been tracking row spacing and yield on soybeans for 15 years now and my conclusion is that soybeans can yield similarly regardless of row spacing and narrow rows don’t always outyield wider rows. Today row spacing for soybeans seems to be driven by the row spacing for corn. If you plant corn in 30-inch rows you will plant soybeans in 30-inch rows. If you plant corn [...]

Will precisely singulating soybean seed down to 1-inch plant-to-plant spacing improve pod count and potential? Several agronomists, including me, think this could be true even though there is no data yet on this question. Corn planting is all about seed singulation and precisely placing every seed at the right depth and right spacing between seeds. Everyone appreciates the rows of corn that look like a picket fence with all the plants equally spaced and emerging at the same time. Each plant has nearly the same stalk and ear girth. We have all seen the photos and manufacturers have excelled [...]

Big data gives you the ability to capture information you can use to make decisions that improve the yield and profitability of your soybean crop. Success in soybean production today is becoming increasingly dependent upon data—data about varieties to choose, data about pest management under your production system, data about inputs, data about yield---all types of data that can be used to guide decisions before, during and after the growing season. With the technology tools available to farmers today, it is easy to collect lots of data for each field each season. Taking advantage of that data is part of [...]