In-Season Agronomy

An Economic Evaluation of the Impacts of Site-Specific Management for Increasing Soybean Production in Southern Illinois

To help close the soybean yield gap between average and record yields, this project will break down management practices based on the specific needs of different areas within a field. It will define the yield variability within a field as high, medium and low; identify seeding rates that can help optimize yield; better understand the role biologicals can play in crop nutrient utilization; and evaluate the economics of site-specific management compared to whole-field management practices.

Project Information

  • How does the variability within a soybean field impact crop yield?
  • What management adjustments can be implemented to address site-specific variability and help achieve more stable yield production across the field?

  • 3 soybean fields on the SIU Beef Center, Carbondale

  • Yield variability within a field is a contributing factor to the soybean yield gap between the average and record yield. In Illinois in 2022, the yield gap was about 46 bu/A.
  • To close the gap, it is important to understand where there are differences within a field, what those differences are, and what specific management practices can be deployed within each site or zone to help equalize soybean crop performance.
  • The initial economic analysis of site-specific management will be focused on variable-rate seeding and applying biologicals to help make nutrients more readily available to the soybean crop.

  • Conducting an economic analysis of select site-specific management practices impacting yield will help define management adjustments that can help farmers across southern Illinois reduce the yield gap.
  • By incorporating these insights into their own operations, farmers can continue building upon their own findings to further evolve site-specific management and close the yield gap on their farms.

  • Dr. Amir Sadeghpour, Associate Professor, SIU
  • Dr. Jebaraj Asirvatham, Associate Professor, SIU
  • Ann Mary Kodackal Stanley, Master’s Student, SIU

About the Lead Researcher

Dr. Jay Nair
Assistant Professor
Southern Illinois University (SIU)
618-453-7105
jay.nair@siu.edu

Are you a farmer or advisor?

If you’re a farmer or advisor, we invite you to take our Soybean Production Concerns Survey linked below to help guide future ISA research efforts. We also encourage you to contact us below with specific production challenge research ideas.

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If you’re a researcher interested in working with ISA on a project, we encourage you to contact us with your ideas. The RFP will open in early March. Contact us below to be added to the mailing list for more information.

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