NEWS

As summer comes to a close, farmers throughout Illinois are on alert for white mold, a disease that can seriously impact soybean yield. Soy Envoy Crystal Williams describes how to identify white mold and how to manage it throughout harvest and in the future.

John Pike, an operator of Pike Ag, LLC, located in Marion, Illinois, is a consultant and researcher specializing in nutrient management, cover crops, and water quality. In this video, Pike showcases his farm located south of Marion, where he has implemented a nine-year intensive cover crop program.

Planting season is over for many, but a good reminder is to always Get Out and Look…or G.O.A.L. for short. Soy Envoy Kelly Robertson shares a simple way to check your planter and evaluate how the seed is going in the ground.

The ISA Checkoff Program funds the University of Illinois Crop Science Variety Trials in protein and oil testing. Farmers can use the data to decide to grow varieties with elevated quality characteristics and capitalize on premium pricing opportunities.

Early in the growing season, many factors often reduce soybean plant stands - freezing temperatures, hail, slugs, disease, etc. A soybean field with poor seedling vigor, slow plant growth, and low plant stand often triggers an “I need to fix this” impulse; however, these fields don’t always need to be replanted.

Stephanie Porter, Illinois Soybean Association Outreach Agronomist, gives an update from two soybean fields in Illinois that were affected by frost and cold temperatures in April. She provides observations made and how planting dates and seed depth mattered in these situations.